"Regarding some media articles relating to the reasons for why Cardinal Ladaria Ferrer will not participate in the coming synodal assembly, in agreement with His Eminence, it is specified that these reconstructions have no foundation and are the fruit of pure fantasy," a Sept 23 Vatican statement said.

"The truth of the facts is that having completed his mandate as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ladaria, close to 80 years of age, asked not to participate in the synod exclusively due to accumulated tiredness and his desire for a bit of rest," the statement said.

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The pope visited the dicastery shortly after 9 am on Sept 5, the Vatican said in a brief statement. Francis also greeted other dicastery officials after meeting with the 79-year-old Ladaria.

On July 1, Pope Francis appointed Argentine Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, 61, as Ladaria's successor as doctrine chief.

Ladaria was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, then called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in 2017. He succeeded German Cardinal Gerhard Müller.

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Jesuit Cardinal Luis Ladaria (pictured), the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, presented differing interpretations during the May 19-20 conference.

The conference, organised by the Jérôme Lejeune International Chair of Bioethics, brought together researchers from Catholic universities.

Cardinal Ladaria defended the encyclical's "prophetic vision" in his address.

"The truth expressed in Humanae Vitae does not change," said the 79-year-old cardinal. "There are too many voices, amplified by modern propaganda media, that contrast with that of the Church."

Ladaria stated that the encyclical remains relevant and addresses the opposing perspectives that view the body as a tool for manipulation. He criticised moral relativism, contraceptive anthropology and transhumanism, arguing that these ideologies diminish the body to a mere object that can be easily controlled.

In contrast, Archbishop Paglia presented a different interpretation of Humanae Vitae in an interview published by Vatican Media.

"The recognition of the unbreakable connection between married love and generation in Humanae Vitae does not mean that every marital act must necessarily bear fruit," explained the 78-year-old Italian archbishop.

"St Paul VI recognises that procreation must be 'responsible' and - as is well known - points to natural methods as the way to exercise this responsibility," he continued.

While Cardinal Ladaria presented the encyclical as an unchanged text, Archbishop Paglia sketched a very different vision.

"I believe continued reflection on the subject is very important, as are wide-ranging discussions. Indeed Pope Francis, speaking about contraception, has said that 'the duty of theologians is research, theological reflection'," the archbishop said.

"We are facing epochal challenges. In the Sixties, the 'pill' was considered a total evil," he continued.

"Today, we face even greater dangers. All human life is at risk if we don't stop a spiralling conflict, the arms race, if we don't stop destroying the environment," Paglia argued.

The clash between Cardinal Ladaria and Archbishop Paglia emerged amidst ongoing debates within the Pontifical Academy for Life. The confrontations shed light on differing perspectives within the Vatican on matters of sexual morality and bioethics.

Sources

La Croix International

CathNews New Zealand

The bishops met on 18 November with the heads of Vatican dicasteries to discuss the Synodal Path.

The German bishops' conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics launched the path in 2019 in response to the clerical abuse scandal.

The meeting, at the end of the bishops' "ad limina" visits to Rome, was chaired by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. Formal presentations were made by Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.

Ladaria focused his remarks on Pope Francis' letter to German Catholics in 2019 about the Synodal Path and on how the local church and the universal church flourish together.

"If they find themselves separated from the entire ecclesial body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence the need always to ensure that communion with the whole body of the church is alive and effective," the pope had written.

Ladaria acknowledged how, because of the abuse crisis, many Catholics "feel deeply betrayed by men and women of the Catholic Church" and "no longer have any trust in us bishops.

"It goes without saying that everything that can be done to prevent further abuse by clerics against minors must be done, but this must not lead to reducing the mystery of the church to a mere institution of power or to a prior consideration of the church as a structurally abusive organisation that must be brought under the control of super controllers as soon as possible."

Ladaria also objected to the Synodal Path's treatment of sexuality, which gives the "general impression" that in church teaching on sexuality "there is almost nothing that can be salvaged, that it all must be changed.

"How can one not think of the impact this has on many faithful who listen to the voice of the church and try to follow its indications in their lives," he asked the bishops.

Both Ladaria and Ouellet expressed concern that the entire Synodal Path process has eclipsed the role of the bishops as successors of the apostles, called to guide the local churches and "authenticate the witness of the other disciples of the Lord".

Ouellet also praised the seriousness with which the church in Germany was trying to confront the abuse crisis and its attendant crisis of trust, and he lauded the involvement of the laity in the Synodal Path, although he said they seemed to "have played an equal if not preponderant role".

While saying he knows the bishops do not want to create a schism and are committed to making the preaching of the Gospel more credible in Germany, he said much of the Synodal Path seems to have responded more to "very strong cultural and media pressure" than to the Gospel.

Ouellet also told the bishops he found "surprising" the attitude taken by the Synodal Path "toward the definitive decision of St John Paul II concerning the impossibility for the Catholic Church to proceed with the ordination of women priests".

Questioning that decision, he said, "reveals a problem of faith with regard to the magisterium and a certain intrusive rationalism" that has more to do with personal opinions rather than faith.

And, he said, along with other questionable positions adopted by the members of the Synodal Path, the position on women's ordination "undermines the responsibility of the bishops" to guide the church and "appears to be strongly influenced by pressure groups".

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

The Pillar

CathNews New Zealand

Although he announced the new members' names in April 2020, their meetings have been delayed as a result of COVID 19.

On Monday, however, the new commission confirmed it will hold its first meeting in Rome in the middle of next month.

The meeting comes just ahead of the global synod's launch. The synodal process will bring lay people, priests and bishops in local churches together to discern new pastoral priorities. Female deacons are likely agenda items, says Tablet commentator Christopher Lamb.

He says an analysis of the new commission members suggests an even split between those for and against female deacons. This leads to the danger of repeating the first commission's impasse, where members were said to be unable to reach agreement.

Lamb notes, however, that although those on that commission presented their evidence, they didn't see what Cardinal Luis Ladaria, who had overseen their work, presented to the Pope.

"A critical issue is the precise question the new commission will be asked to discuss," Lamb says. "No one is disputing the presence of deaconesses in the early Church, but those opposed to reinstating women deacons argue they were not ordained and only carried out tasks related to women, such as helping with their baptisms. Some of the commission members have expressed scepticism that the roles carried out by female deacons had roles similar to men."

Alternatively, the new commission could be tasked with examining the nature of ordained diaconal service and which tasks carried out by male deacons are impossible for women to perform, Lamb suggests.

Rather than seeking a female priesthood, the Second Vatican Council stressed the diaconate is a "ministry of service," he notes.

Furthermore, Benedict XVI changed canon law in 2009 to reinforce the distinction between the ordained priesthood and deacons.

Lamb says he sees the key questions as concerning ecclesial service, not doctrine, which could be addressed by local synods, along with the new commission.

In the push-pull of those for and against, female deacons will be fiercely resisted by some in Rome, curia Cardinals are believed to have been opposed to any opening for the female diaconate at the Amazon synod and central; to maintaining the status quo.

A potential game-changer is the Pope's choice of Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi - a person outside the curia - to lead the new commission, says Lamb.

He will work with Fr Denis Dupont-Fauville, former overseer of the Archdiocese of Paris's permanent diaconate.

When asked whether Francis had given any instructions about the new commission's upcoming meeting, Dupont-Fauville explained he couldn't comment as the work is covered by the pontifical secret.

The Amazon synod's final document called for "the Church in the Amazon to promote and confer ministries for men and women in an equitable manner." This year, Francis changed Church law to allow women to be formally instituted into the roles of lector (reader) and acolyte (server) while establishing the ministry of catechist which will be open to men and women.

Source

• The Tablet
• Image: Vatican News

US Catholic Bishops' Conference (USCCB) president Archbishop José Gomez wrote to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in March, explaining the USCCB was preparing to draft such a document.

Cardinal Luis F. Ladaria (pictured) replied last week, thanking the USCCB for offering him a preview of the document, when it is written.

However, Ladaria refused Gomez's request to see a copy of a letter from then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to former cardinal Theodore McCarrick in 2004. Ladaria explained it was "in the form of a private letter to the bishops" and Ratzinger had stipulated that "these principles were not intended for publication."

Ladaria recalled the issue of a U.S.C.C.B. document on Catholic pro-choice politicians and worthiness for reception of Communion, had been raised during the USCCBs 2019-20 ad limina visits to Pope Francis.

He said the C.D.F. had then "advised that dialogue among the bishops be undertaken to preserve the unity of the episcopal conference in the face of disagreements over this controversial topic."

"The congregation notes that such a policy, given its possibly contentious nature, could have the opposite effect and become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States."

Ladaria said the C.D.F. thought the policy could also advised the USCCB to engage in "extensive and serene dialogue" - first with the bishops, then with Catholic politicians about worthiness to receive communion.

The bishops would need to agree on the doctrinal issues "to maintain unity" in the conference and in the US church.

A similar dialogue would need to be held with Catholic politicians.

In addition, the policy would best be framed within the broad context of worthiness for the reception of Holy Communion on the part of all the faithful, rather than only one category of Catholics, Ladaria said.

Despite the CDF and USCCBs cautious approach, San Fransisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is reiterating that Catholic public figures who support abortion rights be barred from Communion - while at the same time pleading with them to have a change of heart.

Cordileone says according to Canon law, the local bishop has the power to decide whether or not someone can receive the Eucharist.

San Diego's Bishop Robert McElroy has has been vocal that denying Biden or other political leaders Communion would be "very destructive."

"I do not see how depriving the President or other political leaders of Eucharist based on their public policy stance can be interpreted in our society as anything other than the weaponization of the Eucharist," McElroy said in February.

McElroy reiterated his stance last week, telling America magazine that "the Eucharist is being weaponized and deployed as a tool in political warfare."

Cordileone rebuked the notion that he is being political.

"This is not a political motive for me. I intentionally waited until after the election to release [the pastoral letter]."

Source

• Crux Now
• America
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), wrote to the presidents of bishops' conferences in a March 7 letter, asking them to distribute a nine-point questionnaire to bishops about the 2007 apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum. Read more

The results of a study released last week by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington support women being given greater roles in the church.

Seventy-seven percent of male and female superiors in the US believe such ordination is theoretically possible. Seventy-two percent think the church should go ahead and authorise it.

However, only 45 percent believe the church will actually do it, the study found.

Although deacons are ordained ministers, not priests, they can perform many of the same functions as priests. They preside at weddings, baptisms and funerals, and they can preach. They cannot celebrate Mass.

Currently, married men can serve as deacons. Women cannot, though historians say women served as deacons in the early church.

Advocates for expanding the ministry to include women say doing so would provide women with a greater role in the ministry and governance of the church.

The most common benefits cited include a greater capacity to perform liturgical and sacramental duties, a greater acceptance of women and their gifts in the Church, and the continuation of current ministries but with a higher status.

Opponents say ordaining women to the deaconate would signal the start of a slippery slope toward ordaining women to the priesthood.

The Catholic Church reserves the priesthood for men, saying Christ chose only men as his 12 apostles. Pope Francis has repeatedly reaffirmed the teaching.

The question of female deacons has recently resurfaced.

Pope Francis has appointed a commission to look into the historical role of female deacons in the ancient Church.

So far it's not clear if or when the commission's findings will be made public.

The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, is leading the commission.

In June 2018, Ladaria clarified that "the Holy Father did not ask us to study whether or not women can be deaconesses…but rather, [he asked us] to try to say in a clear way what the problems are and what the situation was in the ancient Church on this point of the women's diaconate.

"We know that in the ancient Church there were so-called deaconesses: what does this mean? Was it the same as deacons, or was it something different? Was it a large, or rather local, reality?"

Source

• CM
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Crisis Magazine