Ave Maria!– February’s Theme: Religious Life
“The same way that you are and act with respect to your brothers, God will permit them to be and act with respect to you. Do not judge (in particular the superiors) and you will not be judged, because with the measure with which you measure, God in the brothers, will measure you.” (SK #987C)
Father I,
You should have followed the advice of STMAX on not being judgmental when delivering your homily on “Anonymous Satanists”.
Clearly, a necessity of being a Roman Catholic is the REQUIREMENT to adhere to ALL of the teachings of the Catholic Church. But to call those who do not “Satanists” is callous and inflammatory. Not in keeping with the compassion of Our Lord.
Some of the church teaching is the result of a deliberative process (varying opinions) beginning with the Council of Jerusalem to the Second Vatican Council. Am I to believe that some of those who attended the council were Satanists. The same can be said for Cannon Law. As far as I know it was not handed to early church leaders by God like the the Ten Commandments was given to Moses. Cannon Law is the result of a deliberative process of individuals having different opinions.
Some have interpreted LUMEN GENTIUM to ever so slightly opening the door for non-catholics to enter heaven. How is that possible? Aren’t they Satanists?
This subject matter sounds like a good topic for your Doctorate.
God Bless
Dad
Ave Maria!
Good to hear from you, Dad. Here’s an attempt at a brief but sufficient response to your comment.
– St. Maximilian was referring to making rash judgments of your brother friars or regarding things that don’t concern you in the friary.
– As far as my comments not being in conformity with the compassion of our Lord, I think, especially today, there is a misunderstanding about the person of Jesus Christ. He’s too often immagined to be a big softy, so to speak. But a careful reading of the Gospel, while revealing our Lord’s compassion for sinners, also reveals His severity with obstinate sinners. One example, in Mt. 23:15 Jesus cries out, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”
– While varying opinions and debate can be useful for discovering truth, once it has been determined definitively, as in the case of no women priests, contraception, and abortion, there must be “silence” as we read at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15:6-12. There was “much debate” then after Peter rose and spoke “all the assembly kept silence”. A similar argument can be made with respect to Canon Law.
– The Church’s teaching on the salvation of non-Catholics can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #846ff.
Love you Dad. God bless.
Fr. Ignatius