Doctrinal Duplicity
Interfaith dialogue is viewed by most intelligent individuals as a way in which peoples of various religious faiths can learn to appreciate and understand one another.
Unless one is a staunch Roman Catholic and adheres to the current Church position as outlined by Pope Benedict XVI, and believes that the ultimate purpose of inter-religious dialogue is the opportunity it presents for a larger purpose; converting those whose trust has been won through dialogue, to the true faith.
This is the pope who has introduced the return of the Tridentine Latin mass. Beloved of many traditionalists within the Church, to be sure. Not so much the large Judaic brotherhood who look askance at the re-introduction of the Good Friday prayer that specifically commands conversion of the "faithless Jews".
That did warrant some attention from onlookers, and attention was duly given it, and the move generally deplored.
Still, Pope Benedict holds fast to his beliefs, for he is, after all, as the voice of the Almighty on Earth, infallible. The Holy See issued a declaration in 2000 as the world entered the 21st Century (after the common era) pointing out the obvious to Church-faithful, that those who choose to live outside the embrace of Christianity are "in a gravely deficient situation". Truly.
Does this man speak with the proverbial forked tongue?
Dialoguing in Jerusalem with Jewish religious leaders, avowing the critical importance of inter-religious dialogue. For what purpose, then? Other than to open the door to potential conversions? To re-establish the warm relations that the Vatican Council initiated under John Paul II which agreed that Jews and Christians, believing in the same God, are equal in status?
Catholics would no longer view people of other faiths as doomed to hell. There would be no further need to attempt to convert Jews, for their own good, to Catholicism. Respect being the order of the day. This can reasonably be called enlightenment. All religions to be viewed as sanctified.
Where Pope John Paul II pacifically embraced world religions, the-then Cardinal Ratzinger was critical of this initiative. When Pope John Paul invited world religious leaders to pray together for peace in Rome, Cardinal Ratzinger claimed that Catholics may not pray with members of other religions.
Clearly a schism, one little remarked upon in a broader sense of awareness, where the new Vatican under Pope Benedict has moved the church away from its generous inclusiveness, restoring Catholicism to its earlier, exclusionary traditions.
For the generosity of spirit initiated by Pope John Paul was seen by the Orthodox as a surrender of the spirit of Catholicism. Rendering faithful Catholics no different than any other denomination in Christianity. Watering down, and rendering ineffective the traditional Catholic identity. And this is the danger of inter-religious dialogue.
Absent the compelling, missionizing pre-conditions of triumphalist conversion.
Unless one is a staunch Roman Catholic and adheres to the current Church position as outlined by Pope Benedict XVI, and believes that the ultimate purpose of inter-religious dialogue is the opportunity it presents for a larger purpose; converting those whose trust has been won through dialogue, to the true faith.
This is the pope who has introduced the return of the Tridentine Latin mass. Beloved of many traditionalists within the Church, to be sure. Not so much the large Judaic brotherhood who look askance at the re-introduction of the Good Friday prayer that specifically commands conversion of the "faithless Jews".
That did warrant some attention from onlookers, and attention was duly given it, and the move generally deplored.
Still, Pope Benedict holds fast to his beliefs, for he is, after all, as the voice of the Almighty on Earth, infallible. The Holy See issued a declaration in 2000 as the world entered the 21st Century (after the common era) pointing out the obvious to Church-faithful, that those who choose to live outside the embrace of Christianity are "in a gravely deficient situation". Truly.
Does this man speak with the proverbial forked tongue?
Dialoguing in Jerusalem with Jewish religious leaders, avowing the critical importance of inter-religious dialogue. For what purpose, then? Other than to open the door to potential conversions? To re-establish the warm relations that the Vatican Council initiated under John Paul II which agreed that Jews and Christians, believing in the same God, are equal in status?
Catholics would no longer view people of other faiths as doomed to hell. There would be no further need to attempt to convert Jews, for their own good, to Catholicism. Respect being the order of the day. This can reasonably be called enlightenment. All religions to be viewed as sanctified.
Where Pope John Paul II pacifically embraced world religions, the-then Cardinal Ratzinger was critical of this initiative. When Pope John Paul invited world religious leaders to pray together for peace in Rome, Cardinal Ratzinger claimed that Catholics may not pray with members of other religions.
Clearly a schism, one little remarked upon in a broader sense of awareness, where the new Vatican under Pope Benedict has moved the church away from its generous inclusiveness, restoring Catholicism to its earlier, exclusionary traditions.
For the generosity of spirit initiated by Pope John Paul was seen by the Orthodox as a surrender of the spirit of Catholicism. Rendering faithful Catholics no different than any other denomination in Christianity. Watering down, and rendering ineffective the traditional Catholic identity. And this is the danger of inter-religious dialogue.
Absent the compelling, missionizing pre-conditions of triumphalist conversion.
Labels: Human Relations, Religion
posted by Pieface | 6:25 PM
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