[StAthanasiustheGreat]

I will add other letters as they get published or sent to me.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Firestorm over Doctrine and Benedict XVI

[Aquinasfan]

criticism of the beliefs, hopes or sexualities of others is not only unnecessary, but un-Christian.

The writer tips his hand.

[CouncilofTrent]

I stay away from publishing stuff in my paper. I have a communist professor who will see it :)

[Tantumergo]

Stick this up their gullet:

Gal 1,6 "I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. 7 Which is not another, only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. 9 As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

[OpusatFR]

"Instead of the tolerance and compassion the Church preaches incessantly, this letter reeks of judgmental elitism. It leaves one questioning what makes J---- --- so much more "Catholic" than the rest of us."

This is another take on the gnostic heresy that has overtaken our civilization. Second one I've read this morning. Man knows what God does not.

[Dominick]

a tradition of the Church, not a doctrine.

Wrong wrong wrong.

ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS OF JOHN PAUL II:
Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church's judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force.

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.

Popes do not spell out a "Tradition" of the Church. We have three choices, discipline, doctrine, and dogma. A Discipline would be Priestly celibacy, A dogma would be the Eucharist is the Body of Christ. It indeed has been taught authoritatively, so it is not a discipline, but is indeed doctrine.

The reply is ignorant of the Catholic faith.

[BobCNY]

It is so sad to see in that persons response how ill formed they are as a member of the Catholic Faith. All we can do is educate and pray for them to walk out of the the darkness they are in of pride, ego, and relativism.

[Unam Sanctam]

Development of doctrine means the elaboration and the detailed application to specific circumstances of the truths of the deposit of faith given by Christ to the apostles and taught in the Church by the apostles' successors down through the centuries in Scripture and Tradition. There can be no reversal of truths forming part of the deposit of faith, whether general concepts on faith and morals that have always been taught in the Church, or specifically defined dogmas with fixed words set forth by ecumenical councils or popes speaking ex cathedra. What can change are disciplinary matters and teachings that are not part of the deposit of faith. At least that is my nutshell understanding of the matter having studied the documents of Vatican I and II and Cardinal Newman on the development of doctrine.

[St.Chuck]

It leaves one questioning what makes J---- --- so much more "Catholic" than the rest of us.

It's simply an application of the will.

[Campion]

Regardless of one's personal views, criticism of the beliefs, hopes or sexualities of others is not only unnecessary, but un-Christian.

No, Jesus never did anything like that. </sarcasm>

Six more weeks and you can shake the dust of that place off your feet for good. :-)

[siunevada]

there is no absolute truth, no absolute right and wrong.

Well. Except for the statement that there is no absolute truth. That's absolutely true, right?

Inherent contradiction? Whazzat?

[siunevada]

"women will never be priests" -- which is a tradition of the Church, not a doctrine.

Quite the little scholar.

They must still be handing out 400 points on the SAT just for getting your signature on the correct line.

[BlessedBeGod]

I've been called a bigot and a member of a cult since Benedict XVI was elected for expressing exactly the same facts as in your letter. I feel your pain. ;-)