Posted on 01/28/2008 10:20:52 AM PST by maryz
ROME (AP) - The new leader of the Jesuits met Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI and told him the religious order would study the pontiff's invitation to confirm their «total» adhesion to Catholic teaching, including on divorce, homosexuality and liberation theology. The Jesuits have had a tense relationship with the Vatican on issues of doctrine and obedience. The Vatican occasionally disciplines Jesuit theologians and issues reminders of the their vows of obedience to the pontiff.
The Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, a Spanish missionary and theologian with extensive Asian experience who was elected as superior general Jan. 19, had a "warm and friendly conversation" with the pontiff, the Jesuits said on their Web site.
Shortly before Nicolas' predecessor, Dutch priest Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, handed in his resignation for reasons of age, he received a letter from Benedict in which the pope said it could be "extremely useful" if the Jesuits reaffirm "total adhesion to Catholic doctrine."
The pope wrote Kolvenbach that he was particularly concerned about "those neuralgic points which today are strongly attacked by secular culture," according to the text released by the Jesuits.
The pope cited "aspects of the theology of liberation, and various points of sexual morality, especially ... the indissolubility of marriage and the pastoral care of homosexual persons," the letter said. Church teaching forbids divorce. It also says homosexual acts are sinful. In past decades, some of the Jesuits' work with the poor in Latin America left the Vatican worried that some Jesuits were embracing liberation theology and Marxist political movements.
Kolvenbach, elected leader in 1983, was widely credited with improving the Jesuits' tense relations with the Vatican.
The Jesuits said Benedict was pleased to hear from Nicolas that Jesuits had formed a committee to study his letter to Kolvenbach.
The meeting was also an opportunity for Nicolas to "reaffirm his personal respect" for the pope "as well as the esteem of the whole Society of Jesus," as the Jesuit order is formally known.
The Vatican announced that Benedict and Nicolas had met in a private audience but gave no details of their talks. Benedict and Nicolas also discussed Japan, where the Jesuit had served for 33 years. Nicolas has said the West doesn't have a monopoly on meaning and spirituality and that Asia has much to offer the Church.
The pope "encouraged the Jesuit leader to continue with dialogue with culture and evangelization and to ensure a thorough formation of young Jesuits," said the religious order, which is one of the largest in the Church. Founded in the 16th century by St. Ignatius Loyola, the Jesuit order has been dedicated to missionary work and education, and runs universities throughout the world.
The new leader of the Jesuits met Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI and told him the religious order would study the pontiff's invitation to confirm their "total adhesion to Catholic teaching," said the Associated Press.What? They have to study this? If not, what church do they belong to?
The Jesuits, says the AP, have had a tense relationship with the Vatican on issues of doctrine and obedience. You think?
According to the Jesuit's web site, The Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, a Spanish missionary and theologian with extensive Asian experience who was elected as superior general Jan. 19, had a warm and friendly conversation with the pontiff.
I wonder how Pope Benedict would characterize the meeting?
Shortly before Nicolas' predecessor, Dutch priest Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, handed in his resignation for reasons of age, he received a letter from Benedict in which the pope said it could be "extremely useful" if the Jesuits reaffirm total adhesion to Catholic doctrine.
Yes. The Pope would like to know if Jesuits are still Catholic. Seems reasonable, right?
The pope wrote Kolvenbach that he was particularly concerned about those neuralgic points which today are strongly attacked by secular culture, according to the text released by the Jesuits.
Neuralgic? I looked it up. It seems to mean painful.
The pope cited aspects of the theology of liberation, and various points of sexual morality, especially ... the indissolubility of marriage and the pastoral care of homosexual persons, the letter said.
The Jesuits said Benedict was pleased to hear from Nicolas that Jesuits had formed a committee to study his letter to Kolvenbach. Yeah right! I'm sure he was pleased.
The Vatican announced that Benedict and Nicolas had met in a private audience but gave no details of their talks.
I can't wait for the answer to the Jesuit's "study." How will they study it anyway? Go through the Catechism line by line with a "redact" black marker? Yes to this. No to that. Isn't that the way new religions are formed?
Ping!
Really! Thanks for posting Archibold's assessment. Sometimes the obvious is staring us in the face.
Personally, I saw this as an out-and-out insult to the Pope. I have had a bad feeling about Nicolas, who I think is an extremely dangerous man. I read all I could on him on the Spanish blogs - while he hasn't lived in Spain for some time, the Spanish know more about him than people elsewhere do. He's known for staying below the radar, but he's an outright syncretist who supports all of the things that Arrupe supported. He's just cannier about doing it. Years ago, he was actually considered by the "progressive" Jebbies to be the one who would be the best successor to Arrupe because he shared all his ideas, but it was for that very reason that he wasn't elected. This time, however, a conscious effort was made by his "party" among the Jesuits to keep his name out of sight so that Rome wouldn't have a chance to oppose him in advance. And it appears that his election actually did blindside Rome.
I think he's essentially going to try to set himself up as the rival to the Pope and the Pope's vision for the Church. But he's going to do it the way he did this: subtle but at the same time insulting and arrogant (I'm sure the Pope was quite taken aback when Nicolas informed him that he would "study" the Pope's orders), although still doing it in such a way that he can't be reprimanded. I think BXVI is really going to need our prayers now.
I didn’t read the “Left Behind” series of books, but some of my co-workers brought them in, and I’m pretty sure the Anti-Christ’s name was Nicola. An interesting coincidence.
I didn’t read them either, but that’s definitely interesting!
Yes — he wonders too how the Pope would characterize the meeting. So do I! But BXVI will probably not show his hand prematurely!
Rev. Nicolae, already establishing himself as the Klovenhoof.
Why does Jesuit St Joseph’s College have a Rainbow week supporting Homosexual Families??... and Invite Pro Abortion secularist as Commencement Speakers...
The “Left Behind” books and virtually the whole story line - including the presentation of “the Anti-Christ” - is from a distinctly Dispensationalist viewpoint and does not represent historical theological interpretation of the end times.
I’ve gathered from my Dad (old-line Baptist) that most of Revelation is historically considered to be code for what was going on in Rome in the 1st century. I was a pretty lapsed Baptist before I became Catholic.
Well, those who declare the RCC to be the beast, etc. are making assumptions for which the Lord left a bit obscure. It’s dangerous to do so and I prefer to allow God alone to know the things that He has reserved for Himself.
I know the Jebbies lost it years ago . . . I guess some of us were hoping against hope they could be turned around, even this late in the game. :(
If it is found that Father Nicolas was dissing Pope Benedict XVI, then perhaps Pope Benedict XVI might want to consider informing the new “black pope” that he, as the “White Pope” and only Pope who counts, is also forming a committee to “study” whether or not the Church can still afford to tolerate the pseudo-Ignatian albatross that has been hanging so heavily around her neck since about the time of the Second Vatican Council. Especially since disloyalty as become for so many of them a kind of new “charism.”
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1705399,00.html
“I didn’t read the “Left Behind” series of books, but some of my co-workers brought them in, and I’m pretty sure the Anti-Christ’s name was Nicola. An interesting coincidence.”
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I haven’t read the series either, but just for the record, the Antichrist’s name in the LEFT BEHIND series is Nicholas Carpathia from Romania.
the “White Pope” and only Pope who counts,
It would be good for everyone, including the "black pope," to remember this.
I read the article at your link. Omitted (as usual) is any reference to the decimation (or more -- "decimate" is only one in 10) of the order by AIDS. Is this omission a polite fiction maintained by the MSM, or are the sources that mention this in error?
I don’t know about the exact AIDS statistics specifically within the Jesuit community, but if the following articles written over the past few years are any indication, said statistics probably ain’t pretty.
http://www.bishopgassis.org/mallon/column03.php
http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/04/previous_story_about_jesuit_hi.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/religion/july-dec05/gays_11-29.html
http://www.insidethevatican.com/articles/status-ecclesiae/status-ecclesiae-nov-2005.htm
http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Igpress/2000-11/essay.html
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