Trouble in Paradise

'Love to be the Mother of God but right now its humanly impossible'.

Somebody needs to talk to the Bishops Conference of Malta and Gozo about what we Catholics actually believe - and that which they have repudiated - since they announced their private apostasy from the Catholic Faith in a public manner.

All who wish to attain to Salvation must know, including Bishops, that while God respects our free will we are subject to His Commandments. There are no situations in which we are released from the binding nature of the moral law upon our conscience. There may indeed be situations in which there are mitigating factors in our guilt, yes plenty of those, but guilt, in those few situations would remain for the vast majority of us. Off-hand I can think of but one exception, which is to steal a loaf of bread lest we die of hunger.

The Bishops' announcement - which is in reality an invitation to those in moral sin to commit sacrilege by receiving Holy Communion is the announcement of an anti-Gospel, the authorship of which can be traced back quickly to Pope Francis or Archbishop Victor Fernandez. Yet, even Pope Francis himself has not yet been quite so daring or shameless as the Maltese Bishops. Perhaps these bishops feel they have more freedom and less restrictions placed upon them because they don't have to be worried about being placed on trial for material heresy, since 'rigid' Cardinals are too occupied with 'the man at the top' to bother. But one day, they will have to answer to Almighty God for their course of action. God help them! Of course, like dominoes, other Bishops Conferences will doubtless fall into line with the new paradigm. We may as well start a sweep stake now on the next country to fall as Bishops Conference, in wanton acts of sheer clericalism, rob the Catholic Faith from the Faithful and claim themselves as masters and commanders of it!

Some commentators are talking of the Maltese Bishops statement as 'the end of the Catholic teaching on marriage' but it is, in fact, much more than that. It really marks the beginning of the end of the propagation of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Faith at its hierarchical level. Time alone will tell what can be salvaged for Maltese Catholics from this wreckage but much will rely on resilient priests willing to face grand inquisitors for upholding marriage and defending the Eucharist from sacrilege. May God help them!

Nice place, shame about the Bishops.

There are many controversial passages in 'the Maltese Falcon' - for their message has gone to the very uttermost bounds of Malta and Gozo and beyond - the most pointed of which is the abstract determination of whether an impenitent can be 'at peace with God', but the real dagger in the heart of Christianity concerns that part of the document which describes situations in which it becomes 'humanly impossible' to live as 'brother and sister'. This needs to be addressed firmly because it is the turning point on which hinges the Salvation of not just those in 'difficult' or to quote high-ranking prelates "so-called irregular unions", but, if fleshed out just a little more, extended here or there, the entire human race. At the very least, every Christian on the face of the Earth.

Firstly, we must be firm in saying this so permit me to capitalise this and enlarge it...

WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN 

THE HUMANLY POSSIBLE!

WE BELIEVE IN 

THE HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE!

THAT IS WHAT FAITH IS!

The 'humanly possible' is for other religions, philosophies and beliefs of our age and every age. Essentially, it is for atheists. The Catholic Faith, however, our very faith - all of it - ALL OF IT - relies on assent to the Church's faith in the 'humanly impossible'. Our Faith is supernatural. Faith is a supernatural gift of God. Its major tenets are not unreasonable - they can be believed - but they are humanly impossible. This is one reason why when He was on Earth, Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to pray. He knew, as He knows, that to follow Him is 'humanly impossible'. Without His grace, we will fall into grave sin very easily. We cannot follow Him without Him to lead us. That is why we need God for whom 'nothing is impossible' for 'nothing is impossible to God'. If the Christian life was 'humanly possible' then we would not need God's help. It would be a life much like any other in all its respects, including the moral sphere. We would believe what the world believes. God may as well, as far as this new paradigm goes, not exist at all.

This first draft is admittedly far too 'rigid'. It still talks of such things as 'sin' and 'punishment' and 'God'.

Which leads us neatly back to the Maltese Bishops who, having examined the Ten Commandments have thought better of them. Indeed, it is surprising just how many Commandments are flouted in a single document. If - to them - there are cases in which it is 'humanly impossible' to observe continence in a second union and to live as brother and sister, then we may ask very serious questions as to whether they believe it is 'humanly possible' to live chastely as Bishops. Is it 'humanly impossible' for a priest to observe chastity? May it be 'in some cases' not possible? For whom? As I say, the implications of accepting defeat to this very secular maxim are huge, not just for the laity but for the Hierarchy as well. What factors would make it 'humanly impossible' for a priest or bishop to remain faithful to those restrictive, 'rigid' vows?

Though it can be quickly and easily 'discerned' that the divorced and remarried are currently being weaponised to destroy the entirety of the Catholic Faith in the hearts and minds of the Faithful, this singular concession impacts the moral life of every human being in the Church, since every human being in the Church has what we call a 'weakness' or a 'wound' the result of which we have always called the effects of Original Sin. This concession to the divorce and remarried who make no firm resolve to live in continence can be applied to everyone who enjoys their sin but does not wish in any sense to break from it. Oh yes, we can all be in that place, but the Church has hitherto encouraged us out of that place and into God's grace, the State of Grace. The Church could, in the light of this document become a vehicle for Hell, if you still believe in that place, which one assumes these Bishops don't. More fool them.

Are there some - or is it all - people who have sex outside of marriage who because of attenuating circumstances are called to Holy Communion without repentance and a firm resolution to amend their lives? Are there some - or is it all - thieves who can be hereby called to Holy Communion without repentance and a firm resolution to amend their lives? Are there some - or is it all - perpetrators of domestic violence who are called to Holy Communion without repentance and a firm resolution? Paedophiles? Pederasts? Murderers? Copraphagics and copraphelians? Masturbators? Pornographers? Terrorists? People who defraud their labourers of their wages? Gossips? There are "situations" which make all sins more difficult to renounce. One might argue that the addictive nature of sin itself makes it 'humanly impossible' to break with it. His Holiness keeps telling people not to gossip but in truth why should gossips give up their gossipy ways? Why can't they be accompanied? Some people find it very difficult and 'humanly impossible' to stop, after all.

Of course, those who have crafted these concessions to the divorced and remarried know full well that reception to Holy Communion to these persons implies a concession to all who do not wish to break with mortal sin, telling them to relax in their sin and not take their religion so seriously as to think of saving their immortal souls, including unbelieving, faithless, traitorous Bishops themselves.

'Don't worry about your apostasy, it will all be okay! There was a bit of pressure from Rome. It's what the Holy Father wanted. You couldn't have defied Amoris Laetitia. How could you have? He's the Pope, after all! It's a 'Magisterial' document (that contains errors that contradict the perennial teachings of the Church). It was a difficult situation! With attenuating circumstances! Your faithlessness and apostasy will not be punished, not to rape the Bride of Christ would have been humanly impossible in this circumstance!'

Does that work? No. Sorry! You can try, my Lords, but no excuses will do! Catholics do not believe what you have said you believe. Here, faithful Catholics and you part some kind of company, even if Catholics worship in your Dioceses!

It is 'humanly impossible' to break with sin which is why Bishops have historically (though less so now) encouraged believers to place all their confidence in God who makes things divinely possible and can help us to love Him and observe His commandments as we grow in friendship with Him. We believe that a man or a woman who believes in Jesus Christ is a 'new creation'. Baptism confers grace in the soul. Jesus Christ does not turn away the man or the woman who come to Him asking Him to generate within them love for God and the strength to bear the Cross and follow Him. We do not believe that God asks us to do 'the impossible', even when these things appear to us 'humanly impossible' because of our human weakness. That has never been the Catholic Faith. It is not now and it never will be. For God, all things are possible. For those who cling to Him, who rely not on themselves but on the divine sustenance of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who pray to Him knowing that they are incapable of fulfilling His will without His divine help, fidelity to God, love of Him becomes the very fruit of that reception of Holy Communion.

Yes, we may be weak. Yes, we might fall, we have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance, but Jesus Christ is truly present in His Sacraments to help us to achieve union with Him, not with the world, or the flesh or with the Devil. To believe this, however, requires Faith, itself a gift from God, given to us in our Baptism. It was given to the Maltese Bishops, but they have just thrown it away publicly! Where is the Faith of the Maltese Bishops? May God help them find it again! What the Maltese Bishops have done is to sketch out a new belief that is not from God, that denies the sanctifying grace poured into the hearts of believers, that denies what Catholics have always believed, always, everywhere, that with God we can overcome our sins and live lives in fidelity and obedience to Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

May God come to the aid of Maltese Catholics and their Bishops. You might very well be following orders, my Lords, but you aren't following Our Lord Jesus Christ! May the Lord rebuke you and help you to repent for what you have done in your clarion call to sacrilege. You may be the first and you won't be the last Bishops Conference to do this, but you can be sure that without repentance on your parts, your own Salvation - whether you believe in it or not - is now hanging by a thread. How do I know this without knowing God's Mind? If you have denied the Lord Jesus Christ publicly before men and the Angels, how can you expect Him to recognise you as His in the presence of His Father in Heaven? Whatever temporal advantage you think you have gained in your apostasy will be wiped out and overturned in eternity if you do not repent. I suppose they think it is 'humanly impossible' to go back on what they have done, but with Christ it is possible. For all things are possible for God! May God give them grace to do it.

Let all Catholics ask the Maltese Bishops to do what they cannot bring themselves to ask of the laity, for their sake and the sake of those in their care:

REPENT!