Posted on 10/31/2015 7:31:08 PM PDT by NRx
MY dear professors! Stories from Our Advertisers
I read with interest your widely-publicized letter to my editors this week, in which you objected to my recent coverage of Roman Catholic controversies, complained that I was making unfounded accusations of heresy (both “subtly†and “openlyâ€!), and deplored this newspaper’s willingness to let someone lacking theological credentials opine on debates within our church. I was appropriately impressed with the dozens of academic names who signed the letter on the Daily Theology site, and the distinguished institutions (Georgetown, Boston College, Villanova) represented on the list.
I have great respect for your vocation. Let me try to explain mine.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Sounding a little like Martin Luther here:
“But neither is Catholicism supposed to be an esoteric religion, its teachings accessible only to academic adepts. “
You are spot on the mark as is Mr. Douthat. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic “suspects” you mention will act and respond exactly like their counter-parts in the Episcopal church did some years back, i.e., over time will arrogate to themselves an authority that does not exist scripturally or in church teaching and tradition or in biblically sound orthodoxy.
“Now it may be that today s heretics are prophets, the church will indeed be revolutionized, and my objections will be ground under with the rest of conservative Catholicism. But if that happens, it will take hard grinding, not just soft words and academic rank-pulling. It will require a bitter civil war.
And so, my dear professors: Welcome to the battlefield.”
Brilliant. I will write my response to improve my own thinking.
The Lord is very clear on the sanctity of marriage. Our Lady is very clear about how evil forces are aimed at marriage. The heretical theologians who complained about an essay in the NY Times really are heretical and face a genuine danger with their communion with the Pope.
Sending an invitation to divorced couples who lack an annulment to the Catholic eucharist is harmful for three reasons, as Douthat explained. The invitation to divorced couples who lack annulment will destroy the sanctity of marriage, will affirm unethical behavior (such as cohabitation, same sex attraction and polygamy), and will discourage ethical people from obeying the Bible and the Magisterium’s documents on marriage.
The deception expressed by the heretics is this. They say that inviting divorced couples who lack an annulment to the eucharist is loving, caring, and helpful. False. Inviting divorced people who lack annulment to the eucharist is hateful toward traditionally married Catholics, surrenders to sin and vice, and is harmful to the obedient.
“But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt 18:6)
Bottom line. Don’t mess with marriage, since messing with marriage has more negatives and positives.
It is also hateful to the divorced catholics, as it decreases the likelihood of repentance.
The article is unmitigated nonsense, especially this:
“Second, because changing the church’s teaching on marriage in this way would unweave the larger Catholic view of sexuality, sin and the sacraments — severing confession’s relationship to communion, and giving cohabitation, same-sex unions and polygamy entirely reasonable claims to be accepted by the church.”
We’ve allowed ecclesiastical divorce for, well, almost 1400 years recognized civil divorce from no later than about 325 and as we all know, there is zero chance that Orthodoxy will be “...giving cohabitation, same-sex unions and polygamy entirely reasonable claims to be accepted by the church.” or that we have been “...severing confession’s relationship to communion....”! The doctrines of akrivia and economia are among the most ancient in The Church. The West, on the other hand, under the influence of Blessed Augustine’s Manichaeism, moved further and further away from these fundamental Christian principles through the centuries and yet social depravity in the Christian Commonwealth seems to have come to full “flower” in the West under the guidance of its governments and elites.
But of course, the likes of a Douthat, as is true of most Western Christians, never gives The Church in the East a second thought, never thinks that maybe, just maybe, there’s something to learn there!
Like I said, what nonsense!
To clarify, are you saying Eastern Orthodox allows divorce?
And, allows divorced/remarried individuals communion?
Yes, after an ecclesiastical divorce which a hierarch may grant or deny in the exercise of economia or akrivia. We allow 3 marriages no matter how they end, but no more, even for emperors, kings or other sorts of aristocrats and elites. A first betrothal and marriage service is joyous, a second toned down and business-like and the third positively funereal.
People who live together without being married in The Church may not receive communion, whether it is a straight or gay couple. They may not act as “sponsors’ (best man/woman, godparent)If they present themselves, they are refused by the priest which can cause some commotion as I am sure you can imagine.
More than 1000 years ago, Rome allowed this too, but allowed so many remarriages that it became a scandal and the Eastern Patriarchs ruled there could be no more than three marriages.
And polygamy and same sex marriage are not now nor have they ever been a problem in The Church in the East.
His unforgivable sin, though, in the eyes of the heretics, was that his "call to arms" was published in their own liberal bible, "The New York Times". That was too much for them.
Indeed, the battle is unfolding just as we have been forewarned, as this about Fatima and other revelations shows.
Sister Lucia, the principle visionary of Our Lady at Fatima, said this in an interview with Cardinal Carlo Caffara:
...the final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family. Don't be afraid, she added, because anyone who operates for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be contended and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue.Also from that same article:
Does this come as any surprise to those watching the events currently unfolding in the Church? We have referenced various apparitions in the past that are related to this, beginning with Our Lady of Good Success, in the 17th century:Though many will refuse to listen to the warnings, and some who do listen won't believe, they can't say we haven't been warned."Thus I make it known to you that from the end of the 19th century and shortly after the middle of the 20th century...the passions will erupt and there will be a total corruption of morals... As for the Sacrament of Matrimony, which symbolizes the union of Christ with His Church, it will be attacked and deeply profaned. Freemasonry, which will then be in power, will enact iniquitous laws with the aim of doing away with this Sacrament, making it easy for everyone to live in sin and encouraging procreation of illegitimate children born without the blessing of the Church... In this supreme moment of need for the Church, the one who should speak will fall silent."When we reflect on the division among prelates at the Synod, Our Lady of Akita comes to mind:"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord."
I think Barry obama saying to his "congregation" that "we are the ones we've been waiting for" was true, just as these are the times that part of humanity has been waiting for, part of humanity fears and the rest of humanity won't believe until it's too late.
The battle lines have been drawn long ago. Our times have made the lines bold for Him to return and erase them.
And here we are...
Bookmark for later
Many of those loony, liberal professors at those "Catholic" colleges DO want to change Catholic doctrines, and convert the Catholic Church to make it more like the Episcopal Church.
(Notice that those "Catholic" colleges represented by those goofy liberal professors referred to there, do not show up on the "Cardinal Newman Society Recommended Catholic Colleges List".)
Already done...'Reformation'......
Yeah, right.
(That's where we ended up getting the huge number of queer-affirming protestant denominations we have today which openly support and celebrate perverted homosexual activities and unions, such as the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, and many, many more denominations like that, a large number of which you can find by simply doing a Google search on gay affirming protestant denominations.)
When did Christ allow three marriages, now matter how they end?
Talk about “nonsense”! Look at at your own religion.
Tell you what, et, take a break from groveling in front of that angry Dagon you and the other followers of that heresiarch Burke worship and learn the history of The Church. Then come back and we can discuss this issue.
In the meantime, we’ll stick with our ancient discipline regarding marriage and you can continue to fight a losing battle to maintain an ecclesiastical terror regime and your particular, innovative discipline.
I have no interest in “discussion” with stubborn schismatics who continually dish the Catholic Church. I pray for y’all’s conversion at the end of every Mass and you can’t stop me. That’s all I’ll do.
..."That's where we ended up getting the huge number of queer-affirming protestant denominations we have today which openly support and celebrate perverted homosexual activities and unions"....
You might want to consider.....
... Catholic Priest Father Phillip Lichtenwalter... ordained priest in the American National Catholic Church...."I went to the seminary to study for the priesthood. And I'm a gay priest."
Catholic Priest Father Rich Danyluk giving Mass at St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda, Danyluk is an openly gay priest in the Bay Area.
..And of course recently Polish Catholic priest Krzysztof Charamsa coming out and declaring that he was gay on the eve of a major meeting of church leaders to discuss homosexuality...
“I have no interest in “discussion†with stubborn schismatics...”
Looked at the history, have we?
“...who continually dish the Catholic Church.”
Dish?
“I pray for y’all’s conversion at the end of every Mass and you can’t stop me.”
St. John Chrysostomos to the contrary notwithstanding, it is distinctly possible that I am “the chief among sinners”, or so my spiritual father often says. I need every prayer I can get. Thank-you!
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