Catholic Online Forum

How the Boston archdiocese helped bring contraception to Massachusetts, by Phil Lawler



The Cardinal was always protective of his friends. I don't think he ever got the idea that "the commander has no friends." This sounds like he was providing cover for the Kennedy's.

At the time Jackie married Onassis, he was asked whether marrying a divorced man made her a public sinner. He replied, "Who am I to say who is a public sinner." He later claimed that he was misquoted, but they had it on tape.

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- Joe Kelley

Death is only a shadow across the path to Heaven.

The Cardinal failed in his duty as Shepherd to all of God's children, both Catholic and others.

His teaching office demanded he spoke in the public square the natural law written in everyone's hearts -- which has its foundations in Divine law and Christ Himself --and their duty to obey it.

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Ian DC
Blessed Ever Virgin Mary -- Sanctuary and resting-place of the Blessed Trinity where God dwells in greater and more divine splendour than anywhere else in the universe

Well stated, Ian.

This story is a reminder that one of the primary responsibilities of a Bishop is to teach/instruct the souls under his care; when a Bishop either distorts God's truth or does nothing to promote the Gospel, then it could put souls at risk.

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Andrew McAllister

Respect for the dignity of every innocent human being from conception/fertilization, without exception, without compromise, without apology.

Why didn't the pope do something?

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Grace

As to the past, let us entrust it to God's mercy, the future to Divine Providence. Our task is to live holy the present moment. - Saint Gianna Molla

Pope Paul VI was not noted for swift action. I read once that the Italians described him as using two stones to kill one bird. At the time this happened Pope Paul had a committee studying ABC. He appears to have tried every avenue to find some loopholes before writing Humanae Vitae a couple of years later. Then, when it was publicly rejected by many, he never took any steps to enforce it.

Several priests in Baltimore publicly rejected Humanae Vitae and their bishop suspended them. When they appealed to Rome, Rome reinstated them and told the bishop to use a pastoral rather than judicial approach in such matters. This strongly influenced the selection of new bishops [and the attitudes of those hoping to be bishops.]

We are now reaping the results of that order. As one might logically expect, the bishops used a pastoral rather than judicial approach in dealing with erring priests in the next couple of decades.

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- Joe Kelley

Death is only a shadow across the path to Heaven.

Sandro Magister has an article on a known theologian that is hoping the Church will restore the fullness of its duty to teach (munus docendi). He claims that the fullness of this duty has been suspended in the last 50 years:

http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/ar ... 8309?eng=y

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In Christ
Kim, M



"....abstinence and chastity, dispose man very much to the perfection of intellectual operation.” St Thomas Aquinas