Friday, July 05, 2013

Lumen Fidei


The joint work of Popes Francis and Benedict which was released this morning.
After a quick read, it is beautiful.
It is Benedictine for the most part.

7 comments:

Deacon Augustine said...

It is Benedictine in its substance, but it is also Franciscan in its accessibility. The perfect combination of the two Popes IMHO!

Cosmos said...

I agree that it's prodimantly Benedictan. It has a lot of his trademarks: emphasis on etymology, anaecdotal stories from every era of human history, dialogue with the prominent philosophical voices of the secular world... the man was brilliant. This document is going to take a long time to digest.

Unknown said...

There was one point where I couldn't suppress a sad, ironic smile. as I read about the transmission of the light from the Pascal candle during the Easter Vigil from person to person throughout the church, as a sign of the transmission of a living faith, I could not but remember that this year it didn't happen at the papal liturgy, because of the new pope's desire for brevity. I wonder if, as he signed off on his predecessoer's work, he entertained any kind of reflection about the consequences of his contempt for any symbols except those of his own devising.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Fr Mark,
I suspect not, it seems to be one of his blindspots.

Catholic Mission said...

July 10, 2013
ENCYCLICAL LUMEN FIDEI IS BASED ON AN OBJECTIVE ERROR IN FAITH AND MORALS
In the encyclical Lumen Fidei an objective error has been made.Ecclesial faith is extended to Christians in general and does not refer only to Catholics in the encyclical (1). This is a doctrinal and theological error. It contradicts Vatican Council II (AG 7) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church(846) which tell us that with correct faith, the faith that saves, all need to enter the Church 'as through a door' (AG 7,CCC 846), 'all' need 'faith and baptism' for salvation (AG 7) and the Catholic Church is necessary for salvation(AG 7,LG 14).

Lumen Fidei assumes Orthodox Christians, Protestants,Pentecostals and Jehovah's Witnesses( who also believe in Jesus) have this eccelesial faith. The encyclical uses the term ecclesial faith for Christians in general.
It contradicts the magisterial texts- from the Catechism of the Catholic Church of Pope John Paul II to the popes over the centuries , teachings based on John 3:5 and Mark.16:16.

Pope Francis recently expressed this traditional teaching when he said that we cannot find Jesus outside the Church. He was referring to the Catholic Church since he cited Pope Paul VI (Evangelii Nuntiandi) and St.Ignatius of Loyola.

When 'ecclesial faith' is extended to Christians then this meets the agenda of the Masons and the leftists who want an ecumenism and inter religious dialogue leading to a one world religion.

Pope Benedict and Pope Francis in Lumen Fidei extend ecclesial faith to Christians, when there are no known exceptions to 'all needing to enter the Church as through a door' and 'all needing Catholic faith for salvation'.

How can the encyclical ask theologians to accept this new doctrine , this error in what constitutes faith, and to still be faithful to the magisterium? (2)

A common error in the Catholic Church today- and since the 1940's- is to assume there are defacto, known, explicit exceptions to everyone needing ecclesial faith, for salvation, in the Catholic Church.

It is assumed there are personally known, nameable cases of Protestants and other Christians saved 'outside the church',without needing to enter the Church as through a door.It is assumed that they are saved in visible imperfect communion with the Church, visible seeds of the Word and visible elements of sanctification and grace. This is irrational.

The popes do not know any such case in 2013 .So how can the encyclical extend ecclesial faith, which saves,to all Christians?

If a Christian is saved who does not need to enter the Church visibly, it would be known only to God. We can never ever know such a case. We could agree with goodwill, that this is a possibility, if God chooses it, but we cannot claim it is a known reality.

The encylical does not consider this just a possibility but assumes that it is a known reality and so extends ecclesial faith to all Christians.With no known case in real life it builds up a whole new fantasy theology.

Those Christians who are saved 'outside the church' are invisible but the encyclical theology assumes they are visible.This is the dead man walking and visible theology.
continued

http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2013/07/encyclical-lumen-fidei-is-based-on.html#links

Fr Ray Blake said...

Catholic Mission,
Glad you are a better theologian than the Pope and through you the Church will be rescued from error.

You seem to forget that entry into the Church is through faith expressed in baptism, even the baptism of desire. Hence in the older rite of the reception of a convert, they abjure their heresy and are given a penance for their heresy as well as for their sins.
The reason is that baptism belongs properly to the Catholic Church, thus an individual enters the Church through baptism, then falls into heresy.
VII is can be interpreted in an ambiguous and divisive way, that sees the Church vying with other sects but that is not a Catholic view.
I am glad Pope Francis returns to the more ancient theology, and to healthy Thomistic notion of Prevenient Grace.

Catholic Mission said...

This is not the point I am tryinjg to make and neither am I expressing a new theology.

I am saying that for adults the baptism of water is not enough for salvation. Also Catholic Faith is needed.The Sacrament of Confession is needed to remove mortal sins. Divorce and contraception needs to be avoided according to Catholic faith.

Protestants do not have Catholic Faith.

Also the encylical assumes that Fr.Leonard Feeney was in heresy and not the Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Cushing said that there are known exceptions to the defined dogma.As if he could name them or some mgaisterial text made this claim.

Pope Francis is my pope but this is an oversight the Church has to correct.

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