Posted on 08/20/2009 12:30:40 PM PDT by IbJensen
I’m reminded of that good Roman Catholic, Tom Ridge, who now trashes the hand that fed him (and kept his family safe) in his revolting new book.
Thankfully, I’ve not exposed myself to that trash.
Evidently the
writing of pontifical encyclicals
has no association with
the least bit of an understanding of
realities in our era, either.
Fascinating, that.
The short answer is "he's almost never infallible."
The longer answer is "he's only infallible when speaking ex cathedra and when speaking of doctrine specifically [government, politics and economics don't qualify as doctrine]. Only the Magisterium, when viewed as a whole over time, is held to be 100% infallible."
The detailed answer is that 99.9% of all papal statements aren't made ex cathedra. The possibility (and opportunity) always exists that the Pope will speak in error doctrinally, if he's not speaking ex cathedra - and there have only been a handful of ex cathedra statements made in the entire history of the Catholic Church (remembering that infallible teachings must by definition be on dogma and doctrine). Thus, the possibility that any pope will speak in error regarding political and economic issues is [statistically speaking] a rock solid 100%, according to the doctrine of papal infallibility. There's no reason to say that Pope Benedict XVI can't be advocating socialism, and I think the recent is pretty clear that even if he's not outright promoting it, he's certainly in support of it. I'm afraid that all too many Catholics push their admiration of the Pope into idol worship, believing that the Pope speaks impeccably in all matters. As one FReeper explained it to me years ago, "papal impeccability is not a Catholic dogma."
But in the end, the final answer to the question of "So is the Pope above criticism? Is he infallible?" is "Shut up and kiss the ring." No one is permitted to question the Vicar of Christ's guidance. If he says that
- food and the access to water are a universal right of all humans,as he did in his recent encyclical Caritas in veritate, you'll be expected to step aside and let the centralists and socialists take over. Your eternal salvation is in jeopardy if you don't go along with whatever he says, whenever he says it.
- abandoning mechanisms of wealth redistribution will hinder the achievement of lasting development
- technologically advanced societies can and must lower their domestic energy consumption
- labor unions should expand their influence over those outside their membership, and beyond national boundaries,
- a reform of the United Nations Organization is necessary, likewise a reform of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the "family of nations" can acquire real teeth.
Too true, an element of desire need be present doesn't it? A desire to truly understand and not merely to interpret in the best or worst light depending on what serves your intent best.
I gave him a significant degree of some benefit of the doubt for quite a number of weeks.
I’ve seen nothing suggesting convincingly that this encyclical warranted anything more than outrage.
Lofty sounding globalist double-speak is unfitting for his role or his person or his position or even the term “Christian.”
In fact, and unfortunately, we can look forward to radicals taking the Holy Father’s words out of the context of holiness and wisdom and instead using them to justify that awful end of all secular governments that we know in our guts is only a matter of time...
UNMITIGATED HOGWASH.
The context is somewhat MORE disturbing than taking the paragraph and key sentence by themselves.
THE POPE IS THE ONE SANCTIONING OVERTLY AND EVEN AMIDST THE DOUBLE-SPEAK
clear elements of the satanic global government.
The “CONTEXT” only makes it worse.
The “context” makes him appear to be
either an evil duplicitous globalist complicit stooge
or
a clueless idiot.
The context provides no comfort for those of us who would prefer to see him in the best light.
IF he REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY
BELIEVE, THINKS, ASSUMES, PRETENDS
that his sliced and diced; massaged and magled nice words & double-speak phrases are going to mollify satanic tyrannical globalism any time before Armageddon,
then
he’s clueless beyond hope.
And a clueless Pope is worse than hopeless.
Realities of our era? Do tell. Who’s realities; your’s, mine, the Sudanese Christin being persecuted or the Brazilian dying of dysentery?
The reality is is that America and capitalism are exactly what you and most of the freepers who regularly hector the pope accuse him and the Catholic Church of being: man made institutions filled with idols and false gods, the land of another gospel. Y’all act like America is some place special, a place to be proud of, why? Is it heaven, is it more holy than Canada or Java?
Time to face the real reality Quix, America and free market capitalism are nice and all, I like living here, but God’s creation and His children extend far beyond our borders and familiar economic system.
The only one world government the Pope calls for is one that recognizes the intrinsic worth of man due to his being created in the image and likeness of God and the kingship of the Lord. I would think you would welcome that.
We can always find what we want to find in most wighting can’t we? If this were not true we wouldn’t have multiple Christian denominations now would we?
How many years have you lived overseas?
How close to how much poverty have you been to overseas?
How much have you loved an overseas culture and people?
I’ll stack my understanding, experiences, perceptions and feelings in such matters up against yours any day.
Certainly the USA is full of secular etc. idols. And no few religious ones as well.
The Pope is clearly cling for a world political new order.
There’s NO ESCAPING THAT THE ONLY SUCH that is going to be remotely in the least bit of power . . . and rather tyrannical and complete it will be as Scripture is clear about
is the satanic global government.
What is he doing giving the least bit of a hint of support for
ANY
such regardless of how wrapped in platitudes and double-speak????
Sheesh.
Well I'm just meat for the grinder then
What is it about control freaks, I really would like to know, as enslaving a man's spirit is as bad as enslaving a man's body and most times they want both
INDEED.
There are many agents of the evil one working knowingly and unknowingly towards his wicked ends, the Pope is not one of those agents.
I prefer to think you’re right about the latter.
I wish I had more confidence on that score.
Prayer never hurt!
Prayer is priceless.
INDEED.
However, I think Scripture outlines some things about the END TIMES that are unalterable.
The global government is one of them.
Speaking on faith and morals is one thing; world governance is quite another.
We've been feeling the 'bite' for decades. Now comes the real mastication.
Plenty of truth to that.
And muddying things big time all together . . .
sure isn’t wise, to me . . .
unless one . . . is trying to help the enemy.
And where, pray tell, did you get this?
It is you, invisible one, who is not reading or understanding the writings. You didn't even copy the word I created correctly.
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