I've said it previously but fundamentalism is on the rise, not just in Islam.
Pope Benedict is starting to make Pope John Paul II look like a liberal. First it was the reinstatement of the existence of purgatory and hell after Pope John Paul's views helped remove some of the fire and brimstone:
"In three controversial Wednesday Audiences, Pope John Paul II pointed out that the essential characteristic of heaven, hell or purgatory is that they are states of being of a spirit (angel/demon) or human soul, rather than places, as commonly perceived and represented in human language."
Secondly there was a poorly used literary reference which can be seen as divisive and insulting in a very hostile world climate:
"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." (Click link for additional information)
While any "honest" historian would probably admit that violence is a cornerstone of Islam, and that this does contribute to the modus operandi of the radicals, including this reference was widely seen as poor judgement.
And a continuation of the social regression containing fascist under-currents here is the latest from Benedict:
The Vatican on Tuesday said Christian denominations outside the Roman Catholic Church were not full churches of Jesus Christ.
Vatican: Non-Catholics 'wounded' by not recognizing pope
Story Highlights
-The Vatican says other churches are not full churches
-The view is likely to further complicate relations with Protestants
-This is the pope's second strong reaffirmation of Catholic tradition in four days
-A decree on Saturday restored the old Latin Mass alongside modern liturgy
Giuliani's campaign takes an unorthodox path: Rudolph is setting us up for an interesting GOP convention, as there won't be a strong consensus on the candidate for the first time in many years. See Article.
Signing off for a few days: I'm headed to up-state New York for a wedding with Kate. Her former roommates and old college friends Adam & Sarah are tying the knot. The wedding is Friday so we are making a little vacation out of it leaving on Thursday. It is a bit of a hike (5-6 hour drive) but Kate's mother lives midway between in Schenectady NY just outside of Albany (The birthplace of General Electric). So, tomorrow the fun begins with "The Order of The Phoenix" at 7:45 at the Boston Common AMC.
1 comment:
Again, George, mentioning Islam and Catholicism in the same breath ... not a good comparison.
Benedict is trying to reaffirm what the Church has always taught ... and as the Cardinal who is the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said, it's important to be clear on your self-identity before you engage in dialouge with other groups. In my mind he's trying to reinforce the primacy of the R.C. Church and the Papacy. This may have become a little muddied in the years after Vatican II, the changes of which, by the way, have been abused by many in the Church, especially the American Catholic Church. Liberal Catholics have misused Vatican II and used it in a way that has devalued, indeed, ignored altogether, the solemnity of the Mass and the importance of traditional liturgical music, for instance. In its place is a "Mass" that places little true emphasis on the Eucharist and more value on being entertained by modern Christian hymns that have nothing to do with the actual structure or meaning of the Mass. So, I think these last few statements by Benedict (esp. the one about the so-called Latin, or Tridentine, Mass) are an attempt to bring the Church closer to its roots and teachings.
I understand that other Christians and certainly Protestants probably don't like hearing things like non-Catholic being wounded by not recognizing the Pope, or that they aren't "true" churches ... it's quite a different tone than that which was struck by JPII, but I think at the core JPII and Benedict are on the same page - they are just placing their emphasis in different areas. JPII saw a need to connect with other faiths (his trips to the Palestinian Authority, Israel and Jordan and his meeting with Jewish leaders was truly historic) Benedict I think is concerned with a Church that is straying too far from its doctrine. Vatican II was not a change in church doctrine but it has been interpreted as thus by many, especially those who weren't in agreement with Church doctrine to begin with.
I don't think Benedict ever said that people from other denominations can't be saved, or that they're doomed to eternal hellfire; that's not what the Church teaches. He's basically saying, "Our Church is the true Churchl our way is the right way." Why wouldn't he say that? And why shouldn't Catholics believe that about their own church?
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