Order of Penitents

Dominican Father Thomas Michelet has written an intriguing article in Nova et Vetera, (English 

Christ the Good Shepherd( from St. John's Icon Studio)

translation) arguing that a reclaiming of something like the ancient Order of Penitents could be pastorally useful today.  For those who find themselves in irregular situations with respect to the sacramental disciplines of the Church, such as the divorced-and-civilly-remarried or those who have fallen away from the Church, it could provide both a concrete position in the Church, instead of the often-nebulous injunction not to present oneself for Communion; and a predictable structure for offering them pastoral care and a path of conversion and regularization.  What he has sketched out in the article appears to remain consistent with Scripture and Tradition, and the current discipline of the Sacraments, while attempting a bridge between where people are (away from the Sacraments) and returning them to full communion.  Notably, Fr. Michelet argues for the importance of reaching out to those most in need of penance, in order to bring them to an interior understanding of their sins and need for conversion, rather than (as we too often do) just waiting for them to show up, contrite. 

"Relatio Synodi:" the final document from the Extraordinary Synod on the Family (in the context of the New Evangelization)

The "Relatio Synodi" is the final document from the Extraordinary Synod on the Family in the Context of the New Evangelization.  It will also serve as the starting document for the Ordinary Synod on the Family in 2015.  So, it's not really "final" in any but the most immediate sense.  Here's the whole thing in English.  I haven't had time to read it yet, myself.

Cardinal Burke on some of the Synodal issues (Updates)

EWTN's Raymond Arroyo has an excellent interview (10/9/14) with Cardinal Burke on his "World Over" show:



Canon lawyer Ed Peters has some commentary on the interview, also.

UPDATE 10/17 - More clear thinking and leadership from Cardinal Pell:



UPDATE 10/22 - A very good interview with Archbishop Kurtz (Louisville, president of USCCB); and some very clear thinking about the "temptations" in Pope Francis's closing speech from the synod, from Msgr. Pope.

Working document ("Instrumentum Laboris") for the Synod on the Family released

III EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

THE PASTORAL CHALLENGES
OF THE FAMILY
IN THE CONTEXT OF EVANGELIZATION

 

INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS

 

VATICAN CITY

2014

 

It's a longish document (75 pages).  No time to read it now, but here's the link to the Vatican's site, and here's a CNS report on it, including a summary of its scope and main lines.