It is not spiritually helpful to assign greater blame to the words of the Holy Father than each situation requires to protect and nourish the faithful.
In one sense, of course, we should not play favorites among the sacraments. Each is truly infinite in value. But how we experience them for our good can vary.
And what of us who are slow to arrive at Nehemiah’s party? The truth is that all times are present to God, and it is never too late to invoke God’s mercy.
We might assume that the exception proposed by the DDF is offered to protect priests from any unsafe pastoral accompaniment. Instead, it gives the game away.