A French theologian has proposed an updated version of an ancient penitential tradition as a way forward for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.
Dominican Thomas Michelet has suggested an updating of the ancient order of penitents (ordo paenitentium) for people who find themselves in a persistent condition of discrepancy from Chruch teaching.
For several reasons, he sees this as a far better proposal than that which would re-admit divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to Communion after an unspecified “penitential journey”.
Fr Michelet wrote that the ancient order of penitents long survived in tandem with the current form of the sacrament of Penance.
“This ‘ordo’ could find renewed interest, because it took place over a long period of time and in stages marked by liturgical celebrations,” he wrote for L’Espresso.
“It was considered sacramental right from the stage of the imposition of ashes, not only in the final stage of absolution.
“It also had the advantage of demonstrating well that the sinner was not excluded from the Church, because he was part of an ‘ordo’, and was therefore on the contrary urged to nourish himself on the Church’s treasury of graces in listening to the Word of God and participating in its life of prayer.”
Fr Michelet also noted that in such an “ordo”, “the penitent would have a prophetic mission to accomplish in the Church: that of urging greater respect for the Eucharist and greater consideration of one’s sins”.
Such penitents could undertake a journey of real conversion that can last many years or even a whole lifetime.
Therefore it would be an example of the “law of incrementalism” presented by St John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio.
The Dominican theologian pointed to current pastoral initiatives for “divorced and remarried” couples that have not been widely publicised.
“Some of these couples have manifested, in making the decision not to receive Communion anymore, such faith and such profound respect for the Eucharist that the bishop has allowed them to keep the real presence in their homes, in order to nourish their journey of conversion through Eucharistic adoration.”
Sources
- L’Espresso
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