In the course of my reading and research, I have detected what I sincerely hope are unrelated instances wherein the footnotes offered in support of certain novelties put forth in magisterial documents point to references that simply fail to provide any support whatsoever.
For example,in Nostra Aetate of Vatican II, a document that claims to “examine more closely the Church’s relationship to non-Christian religions in our time,” the Council Fathers state, “Indeed, the Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles, making both one in Himself.” (NA 4)
The footnote to this sentence refers back to Ephesians 2:14-16, a passage wherein St. Paul is addressing the unity that we enjoy in Christ with those who have accepted Him. He most certainly is not saying that Catholics are somehow made one in the Cross of Christ with those Jews in our time who reject Him. (I wrote in some detail about this here.)
Today, I am working on a piece that explores portions of the inaugural Encyclical of Pope John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, to demonstrate the degree to which the pontificate of Pope Francis, while riddled with intrigue inasmuch as it is a departure from Benedict, leading to confusion, is best understood as a return to that of JPII.
Following is an excerpt:
Turning our attention back to Redemptor Hominis, I’ll conclude with a necessarily limited number of propositions that point to the aforementioned influence of personalism, wherein all men of diverse confessions are presumed to already be traveling on a path that leads to God, precluding the necessity of calling them to conversion to the one true Faith. Indeed, this could be a topic unto itself.
The Fathers of the Church rightly saw in the various religions as it were so many reflections of the one truth, “seeds of the Word”67, attesting that, though the routes taken may be different, there is but a single goal to which is directed the deepest aspiration of the human spirit as expressed in its quest for God and also in its quest, through its tending towards God, for the full dimension of its humanity, or in other words for the full meaning of human life. – Redemptor Hominis – 11
At this, it bears mention that the footnote following “seeds of the Word” points to works by St. Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria, presumably to demonstrate patristic support for the idea that “various religions” may rightly be considered, as a function of “the human spirit,” to be “different routes that tend toward God.” Those who take the time review these references will discover, however, that they are nothing of the kind.
In both cases the Church Fathers are speaking of the presence of the Word throughout human history, in particular as can be seen in those elements of truth that are discernible in the ancient philosophers who predated Christ. Clearly, neither one offers support for the untenable proposition that even those false religions that reject Christ are somehow rightly viewed as routes that tend toward God.
I will offer but one quote taken directly from the reference provided in the footnote:
Now he who has fallen into heresy passes through an arid wilderness, abandoning the only true God, destitute of God, seeking waterless water, reaching an uninhabited and thirsty land, collecting sterility with his hands. – Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book I, Ch. 19
When reading conciliar decrees or papal encyclicals, one would like to think that it’s safe to assume that the footnotes actually lend support to the claims made therein as implied, especially when said claims are novel in character, but apparently that’s not very prudent.
Let us give the modernists credit. They write their heretical documents and then deceive by quoting the fathers and doctors of the church to , “prove” what they are saying. How like the Father of lies they are. They are on the road to Hell and are trying to convince as many others as they can to join them. Poor souls.
Proof texts that are not proof. Very Protestant habit.
The above would explain why it’s probably easier these days to convert to Judaism than to Catholicism – who needs to convert? The run around converts get, the bizarre ‘RCIA’ texts so much of which seem to contradict standard Catholic thinking – including plugs for yoga and transcendental meditation!? The indifference or outright rudeness of the priest..etc. etc.; the Parish ‘culture’ syndrome whereby one can suffer ‘culture shock’ moving from one parish to another. Just because Christ is knocking on the door of your heart to enter, don’t expect that knocking on the door of the Concilliar Church will be a welcome opening. The insularity and unregenerativeness of which the new pope speaks when pointing fingers at Traditionalists – in my experience, the more Traditional the Church the more fresh, welcoming, sturdy and healthy is the process of conversion. The looser Churches have a sort of do-it-yourself conversion with a palpable indifference towards ‘outsiders’.
You are now my official favorite, and my first viewed website of the day. You are doing mighty and magnificent work, and the Truth is served. Always remember Mr. V, that St. Athanasius was scorned, mocked, rejected and exiled by his peers and superiors…which one is known as a Saint? Where the Truth is served, Christ is served.
Interesting. I believe in regard to the infallible magisterium, the arguments are not protected from error, just the conclusions. One sees why here.
The following is a little off topic:
http://www.cfnews.org/page88/files/477a274fa3719f96ef3924ab8fa6bc3a-152.html
but it’s interesting that Pope JPII when consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart, turned to his bishops and asked, ‘but I can’t mention Russia?’ If the Pope is ruled by the Bishops, sort of makes the role of the Pope nothing more than a mascot.
p.s. God Bless anyone seeking to covert the Holy Mother Church – pray to Our Lady, visit the Blessed Sacrament, learn all you can about your Faith, and don’t let any strange clerical unwelcome or weird new age catechism prevent you from finally kneeling in humility and receiving Our Lord like a little child on the tongue – even if the standard in the Church is not kneeling and taking Our Lord like any other thing to consume, in the hand.
Trend.
Fr. Johannes Dörmann, Dean of the faculty for Missiology, examined the Enzyklikas of John Paul II. which led to Asissi and came to the conclusion that he indeed had invented a new theology.
I know from a priest who was Dörmann´s pupil that before publishing his results he gave them to Cardnal Ratzinger whom he knew very well. Cardinal Ratzinger couldn´t say anything against the results because Fr. Dörmann had compared in detail John Paul´s teachings with Catholic tradition. So he published his book. Here´s te first part avaible:
Pope John Paul II’s Theological Journey to the Prayer Meeting of Religions in Assisi, Part II, Volume I. First Encyclical: Redemptor Hominis
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theological-Journey-Meeting-Religions-Encyclical/dp/0935952586/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382867870&sr=1-1
Trend.
I have never properly examined the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the encyclicals of Pope John Paul II. They are horribly prolix and too reminiscent of the kind of bland language found in modern corporations. I found far more meat in the encyclicals of the pre-Vatican II Popes.
If this is true, and many of the footnotes proffered in justification of doctrinal novelties do no such thing then I must come to the conclusion that the faithful has been repeatedly lied to by the members of the Church’s magisterium. There is nothing in that which gives the lie to the divine nature of the Church, but it shows that in Her human nature the Church has been horribly corrupted.
On personalism and its evils, I recommend Emmanuel Mounier and the new Catholic left, 1930-1950, by John Hellman (University of Toronto Press, 1981). Mounier, the most influential personalist thinker, was a big influence on Maritain and hence on Paul VI; he was also a scabrous individual, who supported Naziism before the Second World War and Stalinism after it.
I read Roberto de Mattei’s “Vatican II the Untold Story” where it seems that the young Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was not nearly as progressive as the later Pope John Paul II. What happened?