Commentary on the Gospel of
What is Necessary
For a couple of days, we have been listening to the deliberations of the Jerusalem Council to resolve the issue of circumcision of the non-Jewish converts. What followed was a historic and extraordinary decision not to enforce the age-old Jewish practice of circumcision on the converts. The rationale of the decision was “not to put any other burden” on God’s faithful “except what is necessary.” And, what is necessary? The gospel has the answer: Love alone is necessary. Anything contrary to love is a burden and must be cast off. In the recent years, there have been much debate, threatening even to cause ideological splits, on account of some papal applications of mercy into matters related to marriage and family. We shall be careful not to turn the canon law into a bad news about the good news. Love alone shall be the final criterion.
