Priest’s warning: ‘Church unity depends on’ correction of Amoris Laetitia

(LifeSiteNews) — Catholic priest and canon lawyer Father Martin Grichting has said that errors in Amoris laetitia must be corrected because “the Church’s unity depends on it.”

Catholic blog Per Mariam published an essay by Grichting, emeritus vicar general of the Diocese of Chur, in which the professor of canon law addressed the errors of Amoris laetitia (AL) ahead of the Vatican’s bishops’ meeting marking the 10^th anniversary of the controversial document.

In Amoris laetitia, Francis appeared to allow couples in “irregular situations,” e.g., those divorced and civilly “remarried” who objectively live in adultery, to receive the sacraments without correcting their situation. He later affirmed the interpretation of the Buenos Aires bishops, which held that, after discernment, access to the sacraments could be possible in certain cases. The Vatican later published Pope Francis’ letter to the Buenos Aires bishop in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, making it the official papal position.

Grichting said AL is a “masterstroke” for “maintaining the Church’s teaching in theory, whilst abolishing it in practice” through “pastoral discernments” offered by priests that can excuse almost any sin, especially sexual sins.

“The Word of God and the Church’s teaching are pulverised by ‘pastoral discernment’ into a thousand incomparable individual cases,” the Swiss priest writes. “And anyone whose way of life runs counter to the Church’s teaching will find an understanding ‘companion’ and ‘discerner’ who recognises justifiable reasons which, in a specific case, make it possible to do what one is not allowed to do.”

He drew a parallel between AL and the theological school of probabilism employed by some Catholic priests, especially Jesuits in the 17^th century, which led to controversy within the Church. Probabilism states that when there is genuine doubt about whether a law obliges in a particular case, a person may follow a solidly probable opinion in favor of freedom, even if the opposite opinion appears more probable. This means that if reputable theologians disagree on whether an action is sinful, a person may follow the opinion that is more permissible, even if the restrictive position seems more likely. While the Catholic Church has allowed probabilism as a legitimate theological school, it condemned its excesses that led to laxism, i.e., the justification of objectively sinful acts.

Grichting argued that Pope Francis opened the floodgates for a new form of laxism sanctioned by papal authority.

“AL is therefore a boomerang that will come back to strike the Church’s Magisterium,” the canon lawyer stated. “For one can put forward justifiable counter-arguments against anything and everything. Even the positions on climate change, just war, the death penalty, migration and AI – so dear to the last two popes – are then merely probable opinions, against which there are contrary probable opinions that, on a case-by-case basis, one can just as legitimately prefer to the papal ones.”

“Every professor of theology at a German state university also puts forward probable opinions when he contradicts the Church’s Magisterium, be it regarding the doctrine of God, ecclesiology or ecclesiastical discipline,” Grichting noted. “As long as he also regards the Church’s opposing position as a probable opinion, he has nothing to fear. The same applies to the state bishops on their synodal path.”

“The AL method as ‘probabilism 2.0’ and the non-transparent ‘discernment’ of individual cases behind closed doors by means of probable opinions – this is the foundation of a suicidal Magisterium that is deconstructing itself. This process will stop at nothing.”

“The de facto destruction of the Church’s doctrine of the faith will increasingly undermine, in the hearts of the faithful, their trust in the divine assistance of the Church’s Magisterium and, with it, their faith in God,” Grichting warned.

“This can only be averted by correcting AL through the Magisterium in accordance with the Church’s perennial teaching,” he continued.

“The Church’s unity depends on this.”

Pope Leo XIV is currently hosting a 10^th anniversary event for Amoris Laetitia from October 7 to October 14 at the Vatican, where more than 200 bishops from around the world will attend to reflect on its implementation. Most Vatican observers believe a reversal of Francis’ heterodox official interpretation of Amoris Laetitia is unlikely.