Papal Document: " In addressing this Encyclical to you, my Brother Bishops, it is my intention to state the principles necessary for discerning what is contrary to "sound doctrine", drawing attention to those elements of the Church's moral teaching which today appear particularly exposed to error, ambiguity or neglect."

Oh, sorry, wrong Pope.
But isn't that really at the root of the AL tizzy - one good, holy man's prudential judgement as to which teachings of the Church "today appear particularly exposed to error"?

Pope Francis' experience is different from Pope St. John Paul's, (and needless to say, from mine.)

I can disagree with him, (with either of them - I can even use gentle sarcasm, I think,) without calls for his head.

Frankly, if you think the Holy Father goes too far in decrying a dearth of mercy, and you express that by hurling words like idiot, nincompoop, evil, jackass and clown at him or those who agree with him - you're proving his point.

So if you think the Straighten Up and Fly Right Gang isn't nearly as dangerous to the salvation of humanity as the Wink Wink Nudge Nudge Absolutions For Everybody Absolutions on the House Party, make your case.

Explain why leaving sinners in their sin is the opposite of mercy, and ignoring the plight of the abandoned in favor of ministering to the abandonee is both unjust and unmerciful - but do it with love.

Here's my quibble of the day:

How is it possible that as the world grows ever smaller, information ever more accessible, instantaneous communication ever easier, social safety-nets of an ever finer mesh - how is it possible that people seeking to marry and be given in marriage in today's world are somehow more in need of a mulligan than their great- great- grandparents were?