Like many my reaction to the National Catholic Reporter endorsing Women’s Ordination was “They hadn’t already?” The positive thing to take away at least is that I would rather someone be forthright in what they believe instead of simply undermining from the edges. I am often more annoyed by the somebody where it is quite evident that they oppose Catholic teaching while not quite coming out and saying so. Still it is always sad when somebody rejects the truth.
As always with progressives they always use two things to buttress their points.
- Make what a committee advises dogmatic and turn the dogmatic into opinion.
- Invoke sensus fidelium.
In regards to their editorial these are both checked off. First off we have an appeal to 1976 Pontifical Biblical Commission with the main conclusion. “It does not seem that the New Testament by itself alone will permit us to settle in a clear way and once and for all the problem of the possible accession of women to the presbyterate.” As if a negative conclusion using scripture alone is definitive. Our Lord’s example is meaningless to them. That the scriptures do not support women’s ordination without gymnastic contortions also does not matter. The fact that the Aaronic priesthood was also male also gets ignored.
Instead they resort to the voting within the commission as being important. This is similar to how the commission that advised Paul VI regarding contraception is treated. In progressive ecclesiology there is simply no room for the pope other than as some symbolic figurehead that rubber stamps progressive ideas. It is the commission that they happen to agree with that becomes the infallible method of guiding the Church. So if you staff a commission with people picked to come to a conclusion I guess you can guide the actions of the Holy Spirit. I don’t seem to recall the scripture passage “On this commission/committee I will build my Church.” In fact when Jesus asked his disciples about who he was, they all got it wrong except Peter who was guided by the Holy Spirit.
They also have a very odd idea about sensus fidelium that can be divorced from the constant teaching and example of the Church. Nobody praises the level of catechesis and understanding of the last couple generations of Catholics and yet an uncatechized sensus fidelium is suppose to trump everything. When the majority of the laity were Arians or Jansenists this did not mean that these heresies became the truth. A sensus fidelium not grounded in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium is no true voice at all. While no Latin scholar by any stretch of the imagination I think the phrase just might have something to do with fidelity. Church documents regarding even the teaching authority of bishops frame it using “in communion with the Roman Pontiff.”
I would also like to know what the difference is between Protestant ecclesiology and progressive Catholic ecclesiology? While it is true there are many strains of Protestant ecclesiology, progressive Catholic ecclesiology has the same sandy foundation. They will talk about a parallel magisterium of theologians, but the members of this parallel magisterium must be progressive theologians to count. But it is true we have a parallel magisterium of theologians of sorts in that as in parallel lines they never intersect and in this case don’t intersect with the authentic teaching authority of the Church. Really though these dissenting theologians make up an anti-magisterium when there are not in unity with the Church. The problems in Protestantism is the lack of authority where each man becomes their own pope deciding what is the truth. Progressive Catholicism has exactly the same problem and becomes an association of like-minded people without any actual authority to define. If I don’t have to listen to the Pope then why would I have to listen to them? It is like the people with “Question Authority” bumper stickers. What authority do you have to tell me to question authority? Next we will have “Dissent is the highest form of theology” bumper stickers.
While progressives love to talk about Vatican II, they don’t want to live it. This editorial by the National “Catholic” Reporter is directly contrary to Vatican II. Just say for example you dropped all arguments that Blessed John Paul II encyclical on women’s ordination did not required definitive assent and was not set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal magisterium.
This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking. — Lumen Gentium 25
I’m not seeing much religious submission of mind and will here.
The theology of a false fairness where every member of the body of Christ is the same appendage seems to simply ignore the words of St. Paul and say that all parts can have the same function. I will refrain from pointing out what part of the body the National Catholic Reporter is.
6 comments
How long, O’ Lord, until Canon 1369 is applied?
Can. 1369 A person who in a public show or speech, in published writing, or in other uses of the instruments of social communication utters blasphemy, gravely injures good morals, expresses insults, or excites hatred or contempt against religion or the Church is to be punished with a just penalty.
The other question I’d have about the supposed sensus fidelium is what evidence these folks have that it really extends beyond the West. It’s not completely honest to claim that the majority of Catholics believe what you do when in fact you mean that the majority of *Western* Catholics do.
Then, of course, we get to the whole question of the Church not being a democracy–but if somebody’s going to claim support from the majority of the faithful, at least let them make sure it’s really the majority of Catholics, not just the majority of European and American Catholics.
Peace,
–Peter
(((How long, O’ Lord, until Canon 1369 is applied?)))
Poor Yorek! Victor got his 1369 last night. Long story short just when he thought that what he was talking about made sense, we his 92% gods gave him both Canons if ya know what “I” mean?
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2012/12/04/does-church-suppress-gods-will-thats-wicked-right/#comments
WILL YA STOP “IT” sinner vic cause me, myself and i were, let U>S (usual sinners) say, a little under the spiritual weather last night butt since all of our cells have just received “The Body and Blood of Christ”, we have become “ONE” in Mind and feel great NOW!
Come on Victor NOW! How long will “IT” take before some of your cells peter out to buttress their points again? Facebook, “I” mean face “IT” Victor and tell me how long will “IT” be before your spiritual reality body strained cells return to their so called Protestant ecclesiology and create more of the same daily sandy Catholic foundations?
sinner vic, you know as well as all of our 7% Jesus Spiritual reality Cells that GOD (Good Old Dad) created a reality spiritual invisible parallel line that should never be intersected butt that won’t stop you and your so called 92% alien gods from trying to intersect with the authentic teaching authority of the parallel Catholic Church that “Jesus The Christ” created in this world.
Come on Victor, why won’t your soul admit “IT” and tell the truth which is that the majority of these young human cells today want to believe in U>S gods cause with U>S alien gods, there will never be a lack of authority in time and space cause all man plus wo man will become their own spiritual reality pope deciding what the truth really is for themselves so what more do ya want from U>S gods? Look at “IT” this WAY Victor, if “I” don’t have to listen to the Pope then why would “I” have to listen to GOD? In a man her, “I” mean manner of speaking, why must ya humans put UP with HIS frequent repetition of the same old traditional doctrine? Just think about “IT”, we alien gods can get rid of all past theology of false fairness and every new member of the body of this so called Christ will simply need to ignore the words of St. Paul and the likes cause all parts will NOW have accumulated the same function.
Like Jeff said in so many words, sinner vic I will refrain from pointing out what part of the body that all of U>S (usual sinners) might become while sitting on our throne if we follow alien gods and your so called 92% spiritual reality cell gods! 🙂
Go Figure! 🙁
Peace
I realize that publications like the National Catholic Reporter make their requests for change sincerely, but the experience of the Episcopal Church should serve to temper their proposals. The Episcopal Church has nearly every reform that Catholic progressives desire, yet it has shrunk, in absolute terms, roughly 50% since 1960, and parts of it are on the verge of schism.
Bryan Kirchoff
St. Louis
at least let them make sure it’s really the majority of Catholics, not just the majority of European and American Catholics.
Excellent point. Where Europe and American Catholicism is flagging, Oriental and African Catholicism is thriving–and on the whole unswervingly orthodox. This is why I think NCR did what they did–they are simply out of time and are fading into obscurity, so they have to make one last-ditch effort like the Battle of the Bulge.
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