Communion for divorced and remarried: "Not an open question."

In my post on Monday, October 24th, I discussed the insipidity of Cardinal Kasper's attempt, immediately after the Synod of Bishops had concluded, to call for more discussion about the policy of refusing the Holy Communion to divorced and remarrried persons. To hear this call come from Cardinal Kasper was hardly a surprise, but it was especially galling on the heals of a Synod which had reconfirmed the standing policy on this matter.

I also noted that this matter did not seem to be the sort of thing which was open, in general, to endless debate and dialogue. The principles are clear: we have the Church's dogmatic teaching that marriage is indissoluble as well as the moral teaching that those with grave sin upon their consciences will only further damage themselves by the reception of the Sacrament.

Thankfully, a member of the Roman Curia had the conviction to step forward and decry Cardinal Kasper's misjudgment. In the Italian daily La Repubblica, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo "flatly denied that there is any uncertainty on whether divorced and remarried Catholics should receive Communion." (You can read the story here.)

Cardinal Trujillo went on: "The Synod," he said, "did not leave any doubt about the Church's doctrine. This is not a case in which there is an open question."

These remarks by Cardinal Trujillo deserve our attention not only because he is saying the right thing, but because his words are openly contradicting another member of the Roman Curia. These public disagreements are rare enough, but this one may be especially significant at a time when many expect Benedict XVI to appoint new prefects of curial offices.

My own thought . . .
about Cardinal Kasper is that he is relatively safe. He had the patronage or the ability to rise from being a bishop in Germany, where he began giving Communion to divorced and remarried persons, to a prominent position as the head of the Vatican's ecumenical efforts. Even Cardinal Trujillo, later in the interview, called Kasper a "great theologian." Indeed, this seems to be the general opinion of him in Rome; for a time, he was bruited as the next-in-line to Cardinal Ratzinger at the CDF.

I do not doubt that Cardinal Kasper is a great theologian; but then, so are Karl Rahner and Hans Kung great theologians. We have had too many "great theologians" for too long; what we need are some great bishops who are concerned not with theological speculation but the salvation of the souls and the sound governance of the Church. St. Athanasius and St. Charles Borromeo, orate pro nobis.






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