“Dissent, in the form of carefully orchestrated protests and polemics carried on in the media, is opposed to ecclesial communion and to a correct understanding of the hierarchical constitution of the People of God.” (Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, No. 113).
It should come as no surprise that dissent within the Church leads to polarization and undermines truth which is the principle of the Church’s communion. In its Instruction on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian, No. 40, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said that, “The Church ‘is like a sacrament, a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all men’ (LG, 1). Consequently, to pursue concord and communion is to enhance the force of her witness and credibility. To succumb to the temptation of dissent, on the other hand, is to allow the ‘leaven of infidelity to the Holy Spirit’ to start to work.”
We are now witnessing such polarization within the Archdiocese of Boston where a false pluralism has been advanced; a pro-abortion, pro same-sex politician has been honored; and a high-ranking priest has issued praise for those who promoted Obamacare (which includes federal-funding of abortion).
The warning of Pope Paul VI, given during his Homily at Holy Thursday Mass on April 3, 1969, has been largely ignored:
"There is talk of renewal in the doctrine and in the conscience of the Church of God; but how can the living and true Church be authentic and persistent if the complex structure that forms it and defines it a spiritual and social 'mystical body', is today so often and so gravely corroded by dissent and challenge and by forgetfulness of its hierarchical structure, and is countered in its divine and indispensable constituent charism, its pastoral authority? How can it claim to be a Church, that is a united people, even though locally broken up and historically and legitimately diversified, when a practically schismatic ferment is dividing it, subdividing it and breaking it into groups which are more than anything else zealous for arbitrary and fundamentally egoistical autonomy, masked by Christian pluralism or liberty of conscience?"
Indeed. And that is the question in Boston.
Pray for the Archdiocese of Boston. Pray for its leaders. That they may all come to understand that dissent leads to polarization and harms the Church's credibility and her witness. What must change? The structure of the Church or that of the human heart?
Related reading here. And here.
3 comments:
That's it in a nutshell. I am alarmed at Father Hehir especially. The priest is the servant of the Word of God which he is supposed to proclaim with fidelity. "The task of priests," according to Presbyterorum Ordinis of Vatican II, "is not to teach their own wisdom but God's Word." (No. 4).
Father Hehir's praise for Obamacare proponents is not only scandalous but just plain chilling. Does he not care about the federal monies which will be used to kill innocent children? This from a priest of God?
Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us that, "Christianity is not moralism, not our own construct. First, God moves to meet us, and then we can go along with him; then our inner powers are freed. And prayer..makes it possible for us to experience the primacy of Christ, the primacy of inwardness and of holiness...When this principle is not being respected, is it surprising if pastoral projects fail and we are left with a feeling of depression and frustration?"
I don't understand why a person that claim to be of God can talk this way. I had it head on with Juda for several months and I found myself in the chapel more and more. She was attacking me tellingly to stay away from the catholic people.How they wordship the dead. I found my self more depressed. I pray for her and this minisrty because she's not a true faithful person. She claim she helped she didn't instead made my life a living hell.
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