Friday, January 29, 2016

THE FIRST VIDEO OF THE POPE (ANALYSIS)

The authority of the Pope is not unlimited; it is at the service of the Sacred Tradition.
JOSEPH RATZINGER, The Spirit of the Liturgy, page 162.

  • “But as many as received him, (the Son, through Faith and Baptism) he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.” (John 1:12)
  • “Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under Heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
  • “To us, Christ is the Way, for we can never reach God, the supreme and ultimate good, by this toilsome and doubtful road of mortal life, except with Christ as our leader and guide.” “No man cometh to the Father, but by me.” [John 14:6] Encyclical Letter TAMETSI FUTURA of Leo XIII.
  • “Another abundant source of the evils with which the Church is afflicted at present: indifferentism. This perverse opinion is spread on all sides by the fraud of the wicked who claim that it is possible to obtain the eternal salvation of the soul by the profession of any kind of religion, as long as morality is maintained. Surely, in so clear a matter, you will drive this deadly error far from the people committed to your care.” (Encyclical MIRARI VOS of H.H. Gregory XVI)

THE FIRST VIDEO OF THE POPE

We have waited a few days to analyze the first video of Pope Francis, which has been highly controversial worldwide. Since we do not intend to deliver the news before anyone else, but to analyze the events in a calm manner and based on all the elements available, this waiting has been deliberate, given the possibility of an explanation or rectification on the part of the Holy See. However, this has not happened.

A number of anguished readers have urged us to provide orientation in this regard. Let us now get down to the facts:

As of January 2016, the monthly prayer intentions of the Pope will be delivered through a video as part of a campaign entitled “The Video of the Pope”. This project stems from the Global Prayer Network, and the corresponding video for the month of January is called “interreligious dialogue”. Two friends of the Pope are involved in the video; the rabbi Daniel Goldman and the Islamic leader Omar Abboud, together with a Catholic priest, Guillermo Marcó and a Buddhist lama, Rinchen Kandro.

The video begins like this: “Most of the planet’s inhabitants declare themselves believers. This should lead to dialogue among religions. We should not stop praying for it and collaborating with those who think differently”, states the pontiff, who appears speaking in Spanish. “I have confidence in the Buddha”, “I believe in God”, “I believe in Jesus Christ”, “I believe in God, Allah”, says one after the other. “Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or MEETING GOD in different ways. In this crowd, in this range of religions there is only one certainty we have for all: we are all children of God”, adds Francis.

Some might say: “The Pope is the Vicar of Christ, he is infallible and cannot ever err, therefore, what he says in this video is beyond dispute.” Surely, there are some unenlightened Catholics who ignore that the infallibility of the Pope requires certain conditions in its own magisterium; that is to say, these conditions are necessary for this magisterium to be infallible. Hence, the acts or dispositions of a PASTORAL nature (as it is the case of this video) are not doctrinal definitions and they are not entitled to the privilege of the infallibility, as opposed to the teachings on faith and morals, which are infallible provided they comply with all the conditions demanded by the Church. Nevertheless, this does not mean that pastoral matters should not be obeyed and respected (in most cases). We must respect and obey the Pope, to whom we owe a filial obedience, regardless of the infallibility.

Does this filial obedience imply that the Pope will always make the right decision regarding PASTORAL aspects? Or that he will never commit the slightest doctrinal error? Not necessarily, even though the Pope is typically assisted in a special way by the Holy Ghost, this assistance involves a correspondence of the person who receives it and it does not remove the judgments and criteria inherent to human nature. “The authority of the Pope is not unlimited; it is at the service of the Sacred Tradition” stated Pope Francis’ predecessor, Joseph Ratzinger in his book The Spirit of the Liturgy. Then, if he abandons the spirit of the Sacred Tradition, he would be exceeding his authority and certainly be subject to error, and this is where we can apply the following sentence of the Bible: “We ought to obey God, rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)

This is so true, that a Pope can be resisted, as Saint Paul did with Saint Peter when the latter, as narrated in the Holy Scripture, agreed, due to human prudence, with the Judaizers (i.e. those who advocated for keeping the Jewish law). This act contradicted what had been established by the Council of Jerusalem. It was against the doctrine defined by the Church (included Saint Peter as Pope and head of the Council). Saint Paul, who was Saint Peter’s subordinate and acted as such, withstood him to the face for not following the way and truth of the Gospel. Saint Peter admitted his mistake and agreed with Saint Paul, acting with great humility and accepting that an inferior could not only depart from an erred action of his superior but even rebuke him; that is to say, to refute his error out of love for the truth of the Gospel. It should be noted that Saint Peter’s mistake was grave and public. About this incident, Saint Thomas points out that Saint Paul’s confrontation was in regard to THE EXERCISE and not the authority of the power, and that Saint Peter was reprehensible due to his dissimulation and disordered fear, which led him to abandon the truth and follow the deceit of the faithful. He does not consider the cause of the rebuke to be something minor, but rather fair and convenient. Had this not been done, the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel would have been in danger, and this truth would have perished if Gentiles had been forced to keep the legal precepts of the Jewish law. Saint Thomas also notes that Saint Peter’s dissimulation constituted a danger to everyone and for that reason it was convenient for Saint Paul’s rebuke to be public and manifest. This biblical passage proves that it is possible to differ publicly from a Pope, whenever it is considered that he is not acting in accordance with the truth of the gospel, provided it is done with charity and always demonstrating subjection to his legitimate authority and acting as subordinates.

There were other incidents similar to that of Saint Paul and Saint Peter. Just to name a few: Saint Sophronius and Pope Honorius I and Saint Athanasius and Pope Liberius.

But let us return to the video of Pope Francis. There is certainly one fatal error in it, in our view the most significant, in pointing out that God can be found through false religions (let us remember that the Pope said: “Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or MEETING GOD in different ways.) In these false religions the Triune God is not recognized. The Holy Bible says: “Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father, and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that confesseth the Son, hath the Father also. As for you, let that which you have heard from the beginning, abide in you. If that abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning, you shall also abide in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise which he hath promised us, life everlasting.” (1Jn 2: 22-25) It also teaches us that: “All the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the Heavens.” (Psalms 95:5). This is so true that: “There is no salvation in any other. For there is no other name under Heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) Furthermore, supernatural filiation is obtained through Baptism: “That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh, are the children of God; but they, that are the children of the promise, are accounted for the seed” (Romans 9:8). “But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in His name.” (John 1:12). Therefore in order to find God we must seek Him in Christ, because “all the gods of the Gentiles are devils.” (Psalms 95:5). “But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils. You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord, and the chalice of the devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of Devils.” (1 Corinthians 10:20-21) “For it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10).

The video continues with each one of the participants of the diverse faiths saying that they “believe in love”, and it ends showing to the camera four objects, first individually and then all of them at once, these objects are: a Buddha, a menorah, a Baby Jesus (instead of a crucifix, which is the symbol of Catholicism, why is that? So as not to annoy Protestants?), and a tasbih (Muslim “rosary”), while the voice in off of Francis points out “I hope you will spread my prayer request this month: That sincere dialogue among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice. I have confidence in your prayers.” The symbols of false religions put on par with the image of Christ, without a cross, the image of the Child-God!

You see the Trinity, if you see charity, wrote Saint Augustine. Therefore, if you do not see it, that is, if you do not believe in the Holy Trinity, you do not believe in true Love either. Maybe you believe in some sort of fraternity or human philanthropy, but not in the real Love. Should we use dialogue only to achieve peace and justice as the world gives them? Or should we use it to convert those who are mistaken to the true Faith?

In his Encyclical Mortalium Animos, H.H. Pius XI, says: “The union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it. To the one true Church of Christ, we say, which is visible to all, and which is to remain, according to the will of its Author, exactly the same as He instituted it for the salvation of all. During the lapse of centuries, the mystical Spouse of Christ has never been contaminated, nor can she ever in the future be contaminated, as Cyprian bears witness: "The Bride of Christ cannot be made false to her Spouse: she is incorrupt and faithful.” Then what should we say to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ? The duty of every Catholic is to announce them the Good News! “And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned.” (Mark 16: 15-16)

The true charity towards those who are mistaken is to show them the full Truth and to pray for them – not “with” them – so that they convert to the true Faith, just as the Holy Church used to pray during the Sacred Liturgy of Good Friday:

“Let us pray also for heretics and schismatics, that our God and Lord Jesus Christ may deliver them from all errors, and be pleased to call them back to the Holy Mother, the Catholic and Apostolic Church.”

“Let us pray also for the faithless Jews: that almighty God may remove the veil from their hearts; so that they too may acknowledge Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“Let us pray also for the Pagans; that Almighty God would remove all iniquity from their hearts; that quitting their idols, they may be converted to the true and living God, and his only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

CONVERSION of Jews, Muslims and Pagans; and Return of heretics and schismatics. This is our lifelong Faith; the Faith of the Apostles; the Faith we are proud to profess.

“Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6: 14-15)

In his Encyclical Mirari Vos, Pope Gregory XVI observes that “Another abundant source of the evils with which the Church is afflicted at present: indifferentism. This perverse opinion is spread on all sides by the fraud of the wicked who claim that it is possible to obtain the eternal salvation of the soul by the profession of any kind of religion, as long as morality is maintained. Surely, in so clear a matter, you will drive this deadly error far from the people committed to your care. With the admonition of the apostle that "there is one God, one faith, one baptism"16 may those fear who contrive the notion that the safe harbor of salvation is open to persons of any religion whatever. They should consider the testimony of Christ Himself that "those who are not with Christ are against Him.”

AS SUBORDINATES AND AS CHILDREN, NOT AS REBELS

If the Church applies this doctrine to the Roman Pontiff, all the more reason for the rest of us to bear it in mind and comply with it: “The Roman Pontiff - like all the faithful - is subject to the Word of God, to the Catholic faith, and is the guarantor of the Church's obedience; in this sense he is ‘servus servorum’ Dei. He does not make arbitrary decisions, but is spokesman for the will of the Lord, who speaks to man in the Scriptures lived and interpreted by Tradition; in other words, the episkope of the primacy has limits set by divine law and by the Church's divine, inviolable constitution found in Revelation.” Source Document: “THE PRIMACY OF THE SUCCESSOR OF PETER IN THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH”, which is a crucial text of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. It is also worth considering what was stated by the Council Vatican I: “The Holy Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter not so that they might, by his revelation, make known some new doctrine, but that, by his assistance, they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles.”

If the mission of the Roman Pontiff is not to innovate but to evangelize the world with the perennial doctrine, with the inviolable deposit guarded by him, and to feed the ship entrusted to him by Christ in order to seek the salvation of the souls… then following the examples of Saint Paul, Saint Athanasius, Saint Sophronius, Saint Catherine of Siena and so many others, we miserable sinners turn our eyes towards the Vicar of Christ and, as his subordinates, ask him for the bread of the eternal and immutable Truth and the preaching only of Christ and his one and only Church, that is to say, “Christ crucified: unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness.” (1 Corinthians 1:23). Knowing that a father must never reach a stone for a son who asked for bread, nor a serpent to one who asked for a fish (Matthew 7: 9-10) we beg for the bread of the one and unchangeable Truth of Christ. Pope Francis himself has said to us:

“When the calf is hungry, it goes to the cow, to the mother, and takes the milk. But the cow does not give it right away: it seems that she keeps it for herself. And what does the calf do? It knocks with its nose against the cow’s udder, so that the milk comes. It’s a beautiful image! I ask you, please, bother the pastors, disturb the pastors, all of us pastors, so that we will give you the milk of grace, of doctrine, and of guidance. Bother us!" (Pope Francis 12-5-14. Watch the video by clicking HERE)

Holy Father: As your children, we are following your advice.

“The truth is one, and it cannot be halved; it lasts forever, and is not subject to the vicissitudes of the times. ‘Jesus Christ, today and yesterday, and the same for ever’.” (Heb 13: 8) Saint Pius X, Encyclical “Iucunda Sane”.



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Source of information: Blog CATOLICIDAD http://www.catolicidad.com/2016/01/el-primer-video-del-papa_14.html Translated from Spanish by: Fabiola Lozano.