December 30, 2005
Second Vatican Council
Pope Benedict XVI addressed this issue a number of days ago, but I find it important to note. He basically pointed out that there are two interpretations of the Council, one of discontinuity (those that the liberals and ultra conservatives hold) and one of continuity (which is where the true spirit of reform is found). The first see the Council as a break with the past, and the start of a new Church, whereas the second see the Council as remaining faithful to the past.
Obviously I will be on the side of continuity, and this is the side that Pope Benedict is on. The side that views the Council as a new fresh start is self destructing and is the side that is often times most visible. As the Pope points out, the media and liberal theologians love it; whereas the other side is silently making good progress and growing.
In my opinion, Vatican II represents a time when the Church stopped trying to hide from the modern world and condemn it for all its errors. Yes it does have its errors, do not get me wrong, but the Church preferred before to condemn them and that was that. At Vatican II, however, the Church decided to confront the problems of the Modern World face to face. The Church realized that in order to help correct the errors of Kant, Hume, and modern science that it had to step forward and offer its opinion. It had to be willing to come down to those thoughts and show them the way. In my humble opinion, this was something which the Vatican Council aimed at doing and did it.
Pope Benedict's speech to the Curia is a very good; you can find the section on Vatican II here:
http://www.chiesa.espressonline.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=44072&eng=y
Posted by cr3do1 at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2005
Pope Benedict XVI and Faith and Reason
At Christmas we contemplate God made man, divine glory hidden beneath the poverty of a Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger; the Creator of the Universe reduced to the helplessness of an infant. Once we accept this paradox, we discover the Truth that sets us free and the Love that transforms our lives. On Bethlehem Night, the Redeemer becomes one of us, our companion along the precarious paths of history. Let us take the hand which he stretches out to us: it is a hand which seeks to take nothing from us, but only to give. - Pope Benedict XVI in his Urbi et Orbi Christmas Message
When one relies on nothing more then faith, he runs the risk of his faith becoming superstition. When one relies on nothing more then reason, he runs the risk of become super-rational. Neither being a good place to be in. John-Paul II reminded us of all this in Fides et Ratio. So, Faith and Reason need to be joined together somehow, but they seem to be completely opposed. Pope Benedict XVI shows how the two are joined in his Urbi et Orbi Message. Only through the person of Jesus Christ can we come to recognize the truth and learn how to love. It is Jesus Christ who bridges the gap between the world of Faith and the world of Reason; it is Jesus Christ who bridges the gap between nature and grace. Only through Jesus Christ can we make sense out of this world.
As the Second Vatican Council reminds us, and as John-Paul II so often quoted (in fact, this was his most cited quotation if I am not mistaken): "Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear" (Gaudium et Spes 22). It is only through Jesus Christ that the things of this world are made clear. This world, once wounded by sin and death, has been given healing and new life in Jesus Christ. When one is able to accept this truth, and it can be a very long journey to do, are we set free and able find the true meaning of love.
Posted by cr3do1 at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2005
Benedict to meet with SSPX
After a number of years of no activity, Pope Benedict XVI will meet with the Superior of the Society of Saint Pius X. Hopefully reconcilation could happen soon...
Posted by cr3do1 at 10:55 AM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2005
Behind the Times
I don't understand this phrase which people will use to try to justify women priests, openly homosexual priests, and married priests. What was truth yesterday, will be true again today, and will be true again tomorrow. I suppose you can argue in favor of a married priesthood, but women's ordination and homosexuality are all de fide (of the faith). They can't be changed; it is truth today and truth tomorrow. These aren't matters of personal opinion some Pope held, but issues of truth which Our Lord himself set forth. Our Lord did not even make his own Mother, the purest and most holy of all mankind, a Priest. Yet, she still did not lose any of her holiness or dignity. She is still the best and holiest of all humans.
For those who argue to do that would be counter-cultural, and something Jesus would not do, I say bah. Jesus himself was counter-cultural for the time. He did many things which ran contrary to the wishes of those in power. It was because he was counter-cultural, because he was not understood, because people were blind that he was put to death. If Christ truly wanted woman to be priests, he had some of the most holiest women following him but did not make one of them a priest. That says a lot...
As for open homosexuals, the Church has always taught that this was a sin. From the Old Testament to the New, from Tradition to today, it has always been the same teaching. So, we either must disregard 4000+ years of divine teaching on the subject, or we either accept it and try to work through the crosses and trials we are given and accept them with joy for the sake of the kingdom of God. The Church just can not change doctrine that has been held for centuries based on the latest gallup poll. It is exactly in these times, when the Church is 'behind the times', that it is needed to stay consistent the most and teach the people the truths of God.
This whole, behind the times theology, all goes directly back to this Dictatorship of Relativism which Pope Benedict XVI has spoken of. It is also another misunderstanding of what equal rights and human rights.
Maybe one day, these people with an 8th grade CCD education will stop trying to prove the Church wrong and stop confusing other mostly faithful Catholics into falling into their error. I suppose better and more consistent catechesis would help too...
Posted by cr3do1 at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2005
cr3do1
Since I haven't placed anything under the theology catagory yet, and people probably wonder what cr3do1 mean I will take this oppurtunity to tell you. At the same time, it is a mini theology lesson.
The latin word for I believe is credo. (eg Credo in unum Deum - I believe in one God). Since credo is becoming more and more a popular name to choose, and since I have had it for a number of years, I adapted it a little. While still keeping the basic make up for the word credo, I replaced the e with the 3 and put a one at the end. This expresses the Christian belief that there are 3 persons in 1 divine God, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus cr3do1. It is pretty much a summary of the entire Nicene Creed.
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before time began.
God from God, light from light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in being with the Father:
through whom all things were made.Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit became incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.Crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life:
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who together with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.I believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church,
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
and I await the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen. - From the New Translation of the Roman Missal
Posted by cr3do1 at 03:44 PM | Comments (0)