Msgr. Antonio Livi: "This Pope Lets Public Opinion Break Within the Church"

The Epistemology Professor Msgr. Antonio Livi, Contributor
to the Encyclical Fides et Ratio (1998), on some questions about
this Pontificate

(Rome) Should the Church apologize to homosexuals, as Pope Francis said in June? What consequences have yet spontaneous and controversial chatter of the Pope with the press? How does one receive Holy Communion? And why doesn't pope  Pope Francis kneel for the consecration? These questions were asked by Msgr. Antonio Livi, who had been involved with  the encyclical Fides et Ratio  (Faith and Reason, 1998) of John Paul II..

Msgr. Antonio Livi was Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the Pontifical Lateran University  where he is professor emeritus of epistemology.  He is president of the International Science and Common Sense Association (ISCA), editor of the theological journals Fides Catholica and Divinitas , president of the Scientific Advisory Board for the publication of the collected works of Cardinal Giuseppe Siri and founder of Unio Apostolica Fides et Ratio for the scientific defense of Catholic truth.

Still  missing in the fourth year of the Argentine pontificate is an official explanation of why Pope Francis does not genuflect during the consecration. It is often heard that it was a health issue, but there is no evidence. The Vatican expert Antonio Socci was even accused of "lying" by other Catholics, as he criticized  Pope Francis for this. Attempts by the Catholic media have published  rebuttal images of the kneeling pope, without realizing that they therefore,  have not weakened doubts about why the Pope does not genuflect even during the Eucharistic Prayer,  but strengthened them. The pope kneels on Holy Thursday at the most "spectacular" Washing feet, he knelt in a prayer meeting of the Charismatic Renewal, he kneels, if he confesses and he has even knelt  at Eucharistic adoration. All the more incomprehensible and oppressive is the question is still asked why he consistently omits the prescribed genuflection in the celebration of Holy Mass.

"Pope flattered the world for self-promotion after"

FQ: In the Return from Armenia Pope Francis said in the traditional flying press conference among others, that the Church should apologize to  homosexuals. What is your opinion?

Monsignor Antonio Livi. I think that is the statement of Pope Francis on this point causes   too many different interpretations and misunderstandings on a pastoral and doctrinal level. Incidentally, what Bergoglio says in a conversation with journalists while returning from an apostolic journey, though interesting and important, yet certainly can not ascribe itself to the value of a magisterial act. Still less is such a discourse that is of such doctrinal soundness, that it could be opposed to the actual documents of the Magisterium. When the Catholic Church officially would take a stand on this issue, they always had - and it has today - a coherent line which is guided by the Word of God and the doctrine which interprets this word in an infallible way. The doctrinal tradition of the Church (the dogma and the moral standards that follow from it) can now be easily gleaned from any Catholic faithful if he has recourse to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, desired and promulgated by St. John Paul II.  Also, in terms of the judgment of the Church on homosexual acts, I would  not have much to add to what we read in the Catechism, which contains a safe, definitive and very clear teaching. The Church has always warned all, who wanted to learn from her the revealed truth of God, about the seriousness inherent in  voluntary and conscious homosexual acts that are and are among the abominations, a sin against nature, according to "which cry out to God for vengeance." It is therefore impossible that the Pope wanted to abolish a conversation on the plane the entire tradition of the Church and the applicable provisions of canon law. Rather, I think that Pope Francis - as usual - might be trying to send a message that is agreeable to the culture, which now occupies a hegemonic position in the Western world, a culture that is characterized by absurd demands for legitimacy, yes to claim that homosexual behavior has public role models, including the imitation of the true, natural marriage. It is obvious that the Pope, in this as in many other occasions, talking to the journalists from the international media, followed criteria that are not expressed by the Magisterium, but only the Vatican diplomacy and the media policy. He wanted to flatter the world. He has said yes,  which these  people like, when you speak politically correctly. It is a kind of self-promotion  by putting down the Catholic Church. From this viewpoint, it is not to dare to say that this Pope (without thereby pointing fingers or trying to assess the non-negotiable decisions of the supreme authority of the Church) is not so much the Church as such, but   public opinion has certainly collapsed within the Church. In fact, this kind of spontaneous speech leaves many people - who now get their information almost solely from secular and Masonic media - think that the Church really has changed opinion on these issues and  has set aside the everlasting doctrine.  But this is not so, because the can not be so.

"Hand Communion is Protestant and to be avoided"

Kneeling Communion under Pope Benedict XVI.

FQ: The Holy Communion: how is it properly received?

Monsignor Antonio Livi. The consecrated Host, which is the body of Christ is to be received in the mouth and while kneeling. It has been prescribed  this way for centuries by the Church. This is the only form that has respect for the sacrament of the Eucharist, the reputation of the liturgy and the feeling of adoration which arises from the true faith in the real presence of Christ, the incarnate God under the species of bread and wine, appropriate when the priest has consecrated it in the Mass. Hand Communion, which is somewhat Protestant (because they wants to emphasize the dimension of the meal, which the Eucharist has) should be avoided, and was in fact granted by Pope Paul VI. only as an exception, to appeal to  some Catholic episcopates in Europe, and Pope Benedict XVI. was clearly against it. The practice of hand Communion trivializes the sacrament, and then sometimes it comes actually leads to mass profanation as has happened in Manila on the occasion of the Mass of Pope Francis, attended by two million people, and reduced the moment of Communion to an indescribable chaos. Communion is to be offered in the mouth and if possible to the faithful, kneeling to receive. By kneeling, we bring all our worship to expression. Today one kneels only slightly because the Lutheran spirit has penetrated, and also because the consciousness of the sacred is disappearing. One forgets that the Gospel says: "Therefore God has highly exalted / and gave him the name, / which is above every name, so that / every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, before name of Jesus and every tongue confess that /, Jesus Christ is Lord' -for the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:9-11).

"Omission of the genuflection probably not for a health problem"

Kneeling foot washing on Holy Thursday

FQ: Pope Francis omits genuflecting during the consecration: Why?

Monsignor Antonio Livi. One has to ask him. The "sections" of the Roman Missal (also of Paul VI., which is currently in force for the ordinary form of the rite) stipulate that the celebrant after the consecration of the bread and also after the consecration of the wine has to genuflect to mark  worship. No one can deliberately ignore what is required by applicable liturgical rules. It seems to me, at least according to the published images that the show the Pope on Holy Thursday kneeling for the ritual washing of the feet,  makes me think that it is, therefore, not an orthopedic problem, nor is it a matter of health. I fear that this behavior is a bad example, but I'm not going to make a drama out of it and it does not scandalize me. Church history is full of popes in one way or another (always coincidentally, never substantially) gave a bad example. The same Popes also gave at the same time good examples of holiness and especially, they were never lacking because they preserved the despositum fidei  intact, which neither originated with them or was dependent upon them, but the word of God himself, Who loves us and wants our eternal salvation.

Introduction / translation: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Corrispondenza Romana / Fides et Forma
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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