Catholic Pastoral Theology

1. Catholic Pastoral Theology Bill Huebsch Institute for Pastoral Studies Loyola University of Chicago

2. The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) Brief A closer look at chapter 8

3. In your view What is your dream for the Church? Specifically, what do you hope will happen in your parish this year?

4. Who’s in the parish? The Status of a Person’s Primary Household Relationship The Regulars The Irregulars

5. The Regulars • Single or married • Seeking the sacraments for their kids • Baptisms, marriages, & funerals, • Religious ed • Volunteering & giving money • Both may be Catholic—or not!

6. The Regulars • Usually at Mass (almost) every week • Seeking very little special help • Illness from time to time • Growing older, approaching death • We know these people

7. The Irregulars • Similar to The Regulars • Also want sacraments for the kids • Often at Mass—or not! • May both be Catholic—or not! • Same illnesses, same growing older • Living in an irregular situation regarding family & household

8. The Irregulars • May be 40% or more of the church • Divorced and feeling “outside” • Remarried without an annulment • Same-sex unions and commitments • Which we do not call “marriage” as such • Cohabitating couples • Civil unions • Others

9. The irregulars • A lot of attention gets paid to various marriage situations • But the Gospel pays much more attention to people who • Fail to forgive their enemies • Fail to welcome immigrants and strangers • Keep all their money for themselves • Harbor hate, prejudice, and judgements

10. Who’s in the parish? How a Person Integrates the Teachings of the Faith The Seekers The Silent The Self-assured

11. The Seekers • Seeking to reconcile their life with the Gospel • Their household situation • Money and wealth • Forgiveness • Loving one’s enemies • Matthew 25 • Welcoming strangers and immigrants

12. The Seekers • Illness & death • Suicide • Loneliness • Single parenting • Life-changing decisions • Doubts about their faith • Vague sense of unease

13. Questions people don’t ask • Birth control • Gay unions or marriage • Cohabitation & civil marriage • Ecumenical households that go to more than one church • Our answers are predictable & negative

14. The Silent • Sitting in the pews quite often • Asking for little or nothing • Not interested in many programs • Just want to do what the church asks • They come and go quietly

15. The Self-assured • Believe that they know “the truth” • Better than most others • Sitting in judgment of those in irregular situations • Pride themselves on how they follow the rules perfectly • But have very little charity

16. How we view the Church 1 Learning Church 2 Teaching Church Key words: obedience, law, order, hierarchy, tradition The focus is on the church herself, to conserve and protect her from the ways of the world The church must teach the world; there is nothing we can learn We have the only truth • Key words: dialogue, mercy, humility, growth in understanding, field hospital • We listen to the joys and griefs, and engage people finding our way together • The church can learn from the world • We are open and unafraid

17. The Self-assured in darkness Another type of self-assured • Have lost their way • But don’t know it • And feel assured they’re “just fine” • Hatred, revenge, holding grudges • Rape and abuse • Violence against persons • Greed and hoarding • Prejudice & the rejection of Matthew 25

18. Who’s in the parish? The Regulars The Irregulars The Seekers The Silent The Self-assured

19. The Joy of Love • 9 chapters • 325 articles long • Dealing with • Family • Spirituality in marriage • Love in marriage, including sexual loving • Pastoral perspectives from many angles • Chapter 8

20. Apostolic Exhortation • Used by the Popes to express their thoughts on contemporary issues • Lower level papal document • Not doctrinal • More like an extended sermon

21. Apostolic Exhortation • The contents are part of the ordinary magisterium of the Church, • As such, they call for our assent

22. Joy of Love #291 • [The Church] turns with love • to those who participate in an incomplete manner… • The Church must accompany with attention and care the weakest of her children • who show signs of a wounded and troubled love

23. Joy of Love #291 • by restoring in them hope and confidence, • like the beacon of a lighthouse in a port • or a torch carried among the people • “…the Church’s task is often like that of a field hospital.” • Note: • This is the language of the heart • Not of the lawmaker

24. Pope Francis’ language • Not juridical • Not canonical • But the language of interiority • The call to holiness • His desire to win inner consent • A change of heart • A firm Christian commitment • This is what the church is all about

25. The most “interior” of words: • A major shift from • Exterior conformity to the law • Even while the interior life was in conflict • To a joyful pursuit of holiness • To loving in the best way possible • Within our specific situations

26. Joy of Love • Remarriage (JoL 292) • Constructive elements of love • Even though not up to the ideal • Civil marriage or cohabitation (JoL 293) • Stability and care are present • Deep affection and shared children • Let us enter into dialogue with these • Gradualism (JoL 295)

27. Joy of Love (JoL 296-299) Circumstances that can reduce or remove blame (“culpability”) even when there is an objective situation that breaks the rules. • The way of the Church is not to condemn anyone • But to walk with them • Avoid judgements that do not take into account mitigating circumstances • Should not feel excommunicated

28. The logic of integration • They belong to us • Because they belong to Christ • …not excommunicated (JoL 299) What is needed is discernment of how God is speaking in their consciences. (JoL 300)

29. Joy of Love (JoL 300) • …direct the pastors of the Church to undertake discernment of each case, • the degree of responsibility is not the same in all cases • and, therefore, the rules may be applied differently • We must accompany each person…

30. Situations • 2nd union consolidated over time • Tried to save 1st marriage but were abandoned • Enter the 2nd marriage for the kids • Subjectively certain in conscience that the 1st marriage was not valid • Violence, abuse, drugs, addiction

31. When people fail • Do we cast them off? • Or work to reinstate them? (JoL 296) • No one can be condemned forever • Not only the divorced & remarried • “But everyone in whatever situation they find themselves” (JoL 297)

32. Many situations… • If we consider the immense variety of concrete situations such as those I have mentioned… • No new set of rules • that would adequately apply to all cases • is possible… • #300

33. What is possible (JoL 300) • …is a process of accompaniment and discernment • which guides the faithful • to an awareness of their situation before God.”

34. Church teaching… JoL #292 • The Church has a very strong reason for teaching what it does about divorce • It is clearly in the teaching of Jesus • It is in continuity with our history • It calls for self-giving, Paschal Mystery love • And yet, a couple could discern that they are meeting these demands, even when a divorce or 2nd marriage results

35. Mitigating circumstances #301 • The Church has a solid body of reflection • that helps us understand mitigating circumstances • …we can no longer say, simply, that any person in an irregular situation • is in a state of mortal sin or is deprived of sanctifying grace.

36. Conscience #303 • A person can come to see that a particular decision is in line with “what God himself is asking” • amid the concrete complexity of one’s specific situation • while yet not fully the objective ideal

37. Discernment JoL #305 • "Discernment must help to find possible ways of responding to God and growing • in the midst of limits," • It’s usually not black and white • Don’t close off the way of grace

38. Don’t throw stones #305 • For this reason, no pastor should ever believe that it is enough • to simply apply a moral law to people in irregular situations • without regard to conscience • as though throwing stones at people’s lives. • “This shows the closed heart of one hiding behind Church teachings.”

39. Joy of Love #305 • Because of mitigating factors, • it is possible that in an objective situation of sin • a person may not be subjectively guilty; • this person can be living in God’s grace, • can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, • while receiving the Church’s help to this end. 351

40. Footnote 351 • In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. • Hence, “I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy” JoG 44 • I would also point out that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak” JoG 47.

41. Canon 915 • “Those… who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, • are not to be admitted to holy communion.”

42. Canon 912 • If there is no mortal sin: • “Any baptized person who is not forbidden by law • may and must be admitted to holy communion.”

43. Pope Francis JoL 308 • “I understand those who prefer a more rigorous pastoral care which leaves no room for confusion. • But I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a Church • attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows • in the midst of human weakness,

44. Rhetorical style • Francis wants to reach hearts and souls • He wants to influence them • Very much like the Fathers of the Church • This began at Vatican II • And Pope Francis is continuing it now • He is raising up the ideal of Catholic life • Knowing not everyone is able to live it

45. Rhetorical style • He isn’t laying out laws to follow • But ideals to be lived up to • Gradually • As one is able • Given one’s limits • And the circumstances of one’s life • Reality is more important than ideas

46. How do we do this? Accompaniment

47. In your experience What is your response to the renewal of the teaching on mitigating circumstances in these various situations?