The Church could not continue posing as a reality facing the world, as a parallel “perfect society,” which pursued her own autonomous course, strengthening her walls against the errors and the influence of the world. This antithesis of centuries needed to be overcome. [Why on earth is that? Because modernists didn't like it? Because it kept modernist Catholic academics from being invited to all the really great conferences?]
The Church did not have a monopoly on truth anymore, [a very dangerous statement. Truth in what area? In Faith and Morals, She has all the Truth that is needed for salvation and is really the only valid repository of that Truth necessary for salvation. But, no, the Church never had a monopoly on all "truth," such as the truth about asphault mixing, or corn raising, or oil drilling, or car manufacturing. But this is vague and imprudent] nor could she pontificate on a thousand human matters, [this is just a bald assertion. Why can't She? Because modernists don't want Her to?] or hold stances denoting arrogance or superiority. [that is the ancient shibolleth. The pre-conciliar Church was arrogant and proud. Please. It is not pride to be Divinely-instituted as Christ' Body on earth and the means of salvation, outside of which there is none. This is not "arrogance." This is REVELATION.] Instead, she should go out into the common arena, plainly and humbly, and share in the common search for truth. [Full stop. This is the assumption undergirding all the rest. The Church, apparently to this cardinal, is just one among many, basically equal. She has some truthiness, but not enough. She needs to get more from others. Those others are at least as valid and salvific as the Church. This is one of the major conclusions of modernist and neo-modernist thought. I don't know if Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga is a modernist, but he certainly says some things that are very modernist sounding.]
Dialogue should precede the mission, as a simple attitude of listening, to build on what is common, rather that to insist in what divides, [I have come not to bring peace, but the sword. I will divide father from son........] and to count on the contribution of humanisms and of non-Christian religions, which will take us back to the foundation of any creed, any ideology. What is Christian has its substrata, first and foremost, in what is human.For his own commentary, visit the linked post by Tiberius and scroll down to the bottom of the quotations from Cardinal Maradiaga.
[Hat tip to Nina Bryhn]
Maradiaga is full of answers, as are all modernists, but the one question that he does not seem up to answering is, "why should anyone want to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church in particular?"
ReplyDeleteBeing a member of the Church has been a great career maker for Maradiaga. As executive manager of the Tegucigalpa branch office, he has no shortage of flunkeys to kiss his ring and peel his grapes for him amidst his neverending search for truth. But for the average truthseeker on the street, Maradiaga's version of the Church offers nothing at all that the rest of the faith joints don't offer. And with the others you get to sleep late on Sunday mornings!
Ralph,
ReplyDeletePartly through your comments, partly through my own observations, I've been coming to the conclusion that those people have been right all along who have been warning us about the "Protestantization" of the post-conciliar Catholic Church.
I used to hear or read that attribution, but not be able to make much sense out of it. My problem more recently is that it's beginning to make way too much sense.
The RC Church has become "Protestant" today in the sense that few Catholics anymore seem to think that church membership counts for much. If you're attending a Prot church, you're good enough. If you're not attending any church, you're still good enough. As long as you aren't an embarrassingly gauche traditionalist, who insists that the Catholic Church is THE Church and the clerics from all other traditions are only laymen dressed up in vestments play acting.
Dear Sheldon. I know of Catholics in my area who have gone to Confession and accused their own selves of serious sin for missing Mass and, instead, attending a prot service.
ReplyDeleteTwo different Priests, one a Pastor, told the Penitent that there was no sin involved for they went to as service on Sunday.
No, I am not joking
Maybe you've heard priests say the following as well. I have. Namely, that if there's no Catholic church around, you can go to a Protestant one, and if you are on your death bed, you can look to the ministrations of a Protestant minister if there is no Catholic priest around.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the canonical status of such contingencies may be, they cannot be considered helpful by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, they promote and attitude of indifference toward the Church and her Sacraments.