The pope, Christ's vicar, has spoken. He stated on the plane that pro-abortion polticians were excommunicated. We have proof that is what he said.

He is our pope, not the Secretariat of State, Cardinal Bertone. Now if the Italian cardinals are changing the transcripts and if they regularly do this, they are clearly breaking the Eighth Commandment. They are literally bearing false witness. From a Washington Post article:

Benedict's spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, told reporters that such edits are common. "Every time the pope speaks off the cuff, the Secretariat of State [Cardinal Bertone] reviews and cleans up his remarks," he said.

I have not taken a course yet in Canon Law at Christendom, but common sense would state that the pope leads the Church, not a bunch of Italian cardinals supposedly speaking for the pope.
Gabe | Homepage | 05.16.07 - 4:17 pm | #

Well, not quite so fast. You will learn, for instance, in a theological methodology or ecclesiology class that a Pope is not infallible *whenever* he is talking, but only specific times. Just because the pope said (or implied, or was quoted as saying) something that in-fact contradicts the Code of Canon Law, doesn't mean that his comments take precedence. Pope Benedict himself, I'm sure, has no intention of changing Canon Law, and if he did, he would do so by issuing an authoritative document (as JP2 did), and not by chatting with some reporters aboard a plane.

I really appreciate your comments. Thank you for them!
AmericanPapist | Homepage | 05.16.07 - 7:11 pm | #

The cardinal has significantly revised his remarks. For the better. See it at http://www.canonlaw.info/2007/05...n- abortion.html.

Have a safe trip.
Edward Peters | Homepage | 05.18.07 - 12:04 am | #

I'm going to take a stab at what the Honduran Cardinal was thinking when posed the two questions:

To the first, it was a no brainer: pro-abortion politicians are acting outside the communion of the Church.

To the second, he may have simply thought it unconcienable for a pro-abortion politician or anyone with public, manifest, grave-sin to approach the altar seeking the Holy Eucharist, that he thought the question was about passing judgment on someone unknowingly who is approaching the altar. Hence, the respons, "who am I to judge?"

But, of course, it's so common in the US and Canada that we jump all over him for not putting the smack down on pro-abort politicians.

Just a guess at his thought processes.
Michael Austen | 05.18.07 - 12:38 am | #