Two Anniversaries: A Church That Changes & Doesn't Change | National Catholic Reporter

Two Anniversaries: A Church That Changes & Doesn't Change | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Papal pronouncements are an influence, but so is the sense of the faithful in every generation.  Granted, in many eras there was an advanced ethic of followership in a hierarchical Church, but that ship has long since sailed.  In truth, every person has the ability and the duty to take the faith and make it his or her own - and not necessarily without changes.  Part of a well formed conscience is sometimes ignoring Church teaching when it cannot be right, as we have done with almost all phases of birth control - both from the point of view of the science of human development and of a celibate clergy that tries to impose its sexual ethic upon married Catholics who no longer fear their condemnation or respect their opinion. That is the Church that Pope Francis will speaking to on marriage.  The promise of Jesus in protecting the Chair of Peter from error comes true with the Paraclete, who prompts the Pope to accept change when the Church is obviously wrong.  When such admissions are made, albeit covertly, the gates of Hell are kept at bay.