Who wrote this synod proposal?
Proposition 9: Eucharist and Polygamy
The nature of marriage exacts that man be definitively united to only one woman and vice versa. In this perspective, the polygamous must be helped to open to the Christian faith to integrate their human plan in the novelty and radical nature of Christ's message. In regard to catechumens, Christ reaches them in their concrete situation and calls them to the renunciations and ruptures exacted by communion, which one day they will be able to celebrate through the sacraments, above all, the Eucharist.
Meanwhile, the Church supports them with pastoral care full of gentleness and firmness.
So, this proposal serves to elucidate the connection between the Eucharist and polygamy, in that one who is polygamous cannot receive the sacrament? I ask: Did we need a synod for this? Is polygamy a social problem anywhere in the world today? Do any countries, excepting the Netherlands, have any laws that protect polygamy?
Further, does it offer us any practical "pastoral" ideas for dealing with polygamy?
- helped to open to the Christian faith to integrate their human plan in the novelty and radical nature of Christ's message. None here...
- the Church supports them with pastoral care full of gentleness and firmness. What is this?!?
Are we supposed to take this proposition seriously?
by Iacobus @ 10/26/2005 11:27:00 AM
4 comments
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, ora pro nobis
St. Joseph, ora pro nobis
St. Ambrose of Milan, ora pro nobis
St. Dominic, ora pro nobis
St. Francis (and St. Clare), orate pro nobis
St. Catherine of Siena, ora pro nobis
St. Alphonsus Ligouri, ora pro nobis
St. John Chrysostom, ora pro nobis
4 Comments:
You may scoff, but polygamy still persists in some parts of Africa. I've spoken to missionaries who have personal experience of this, and there are canonical princples used to determine which of a man's many 'wives' is his wife and what he is obliged to do to support the other women once he has 'put them away.'
Be that as it may, Zadok -- it's surely not such a worldwide, pressing pastoral issue about the Eucharist, is it? I mean, I'd be thrilled for the regional bishops conference in Africa to deal with this in depth, if it's still a live pastoral issue for them.
But do we need a vaguely worded statement from a worldwide synod on this, really???
Didn't realize that, Zadok, thanks.
My problem though, is not with the issue of polygamy being addressed publicly, but that it has almost nothing to do with the Eucharist. Even if we allow that its alright that it doesn't have much connection to the Eucharist, it doesn't provide any answers, except two trite political statements. That was my point.
Right, I think the concern is that they're using a sledgehammer to smash a fly. If the Synod had used some strong language in barring pro-abort "Catholic" politicians from the Eucharist, this would have been Syond-worthy. And, presumably, this is an issue the world over--I know that it is in Italy, even if it isn't much discussed. And the matter will become heated again when the next election cycle comes around.
So it seems a waste of time or space or something on the part of the Synod to say that the Church supporst with "gentleness" those who are struggling with polygamous relationships.
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