German cardinal lashes out at 'secular Europe' (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger)

Expatica ^ | 19 November 2004 | Expatica

[DBeers]

ROME - German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a close advisor of Pope John Paul II, has issued a strong attack against "secular Europe", which he accuses of "decadence", "intolerance" towards Christians and ostracism towards God.

In an interview published on Friday by the Italian daily La Repubblica, the cardinal speaks of a Europe that is living through a major transformation - from one based on Christian culture to an aggressive and at times intolerant (form of) secularism".

"Secularism is no longer neutral," the cardinal said, it is beginning to transform itself into an ideology that imposes itself through politics and does not leave any room to the Christian and Catholic vision."

Cardinal Ratzinger, who is considered one of the most conservative voices in the Roman Curia, heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Church body formerly known as the Inquisition.

The congregation seeks to spread sound doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines", the Vatican's website explains.

His interview in La Repubblica contributed to an ongoing debate in Italy on the role of Christians in Europe.

The debate was sparked by the European Parliaments rejection of Rocco Buttiglione - an Italian Catholic politician - as European Union commissioner because of his ultra-conservative views on women and homosexuality. Some Catholics in Italy now speak of feeling persecuted in Europe because of their ideas.

In an apparent reference to the Buttiglione affair, Cardinal Ratzinger said God was being "marginalised" by modern day society.

"It appears almost that, in politics, it has become indecent to talk about God, as if it represents an attack on the freedom of those who do not believe," he said.

"A society in which God is totally absent self-destructs. We have seen this happen during the totalitarian regimes of the past century," he added.

Cardinal Ratzinger reiterated his opposition to homosexuality, describing Spains recent decision to allow same-sex marriages as destructive for the family and society, but also acknowledged that Christians were finding it increasingly hard to make themselves understood.

DPA

[maestro]

Cardinal Ratzinger, who is considered one of the most conservative voices in the Roman Curia, heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Church body formerly known as the Inquisition.

The Roman Catholic Church Europe is OUT IN THE COLD in Europe's New Empire?

[OriginalChristian]

'Cardinal Ratzinger, who is considered one of the most conservative voices in the Roman Curia, heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Church body formerly known as the Inquisition.'

I don't think this is right. The Roman Curia was probably RESPONSIBLE for the inquisition, I doubt it was CALLED the inquisition.

BTW: I LOVE Cardinal Ratzinger.

Peace -

[Lilllabettt]

a Church body formerly known as the Inquisition

Why do they have to bring this up ALL the time? Whenever somebody wants to discredit CDF, they just put in a line like "formerly known as the Inquisition". It wouldn't be so disgusting if they weren't referencing the huge, over-blown lie of an Inquisition everyone is taught in history class.

[bornacatholic]

Deuteronomy 17:

When there shall be found among you within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God shall give thee, man or woman that do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, and transgress his covenant,

3 So as to go and serve strange gods, and adore them, the sun and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which I have not commanded:

4 And this is told thee, and hearing it thou hast inquired diligently, (Inquisition) and found it to be true, and that the abomination is committed in Israel:

5 Thou shalt bring forth the man or the woman, who have committed that most wicked thing, to the gates of thy city, and they shall be stoned.

* We Christians, the New Israel, were just trodding in the same footsteps as the Jews who were following a Divine Command.

[DBeers]

BTW: I LOVE Cardinal Ratzinger

me too!

[Lilllabettt]

The Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club. Card-carrying membership is a must!

[Rockingham]

At last the Vatican has begun to recognize and speak against Europe's aggressive secularism and hostility to Christianity. Unfortunately, the Church's decline began with Vatican II and its authority has been deeply impaired. Most likely, within a generation, the Catholic Church will be a remnant in Europe, flourishing in Africa and elsewhere in the Third World, and schismatic in the U.S.

As for the Inquisition, it was designed as and usually functioned as a check against official persecutions, personal grudges, and misplaced popular religious zeal. Most charges were eventually dismissed without serious consequence to the accused. In an era when governments were inclined to use religion as a basis for persecution, the Church and the Inquisition were often a refuge for those on the receiving end of charges of heresy.

[sporkgoddess]

If you don't mind my asking, what is the real story of the Inquisition? I go to a Catholic school and they bend over backwards making us look like the bad guys (trying to be PC I suppose.) I actually wrote my sophomore term paper on the Inquisition. So what's the true story about it? I only wish I'd known this stuff earlier (particularly the truth about the Crusades.)

[saradippity]

I had actually hoped that with the increased attention to the error and consequent peril of Islam,the Christian world,might wake up to some of the many causes for the Crusades and the Inquisition.

And then I believed they could hardly help but recognizze that what had been presented as Truth was,for the most part,lies and propaganda,propagated by enemies of Christianity,specifically the One,Holy,Catholic and Apostolic Church established by the Son of God to bring man back to the Father.

I guess I would have to look at that as a yet unfulfilled hope,to put it mildly.

[Lilllabettt]

The real story is that the Inquistion was not an attempt to insanguinate a bunch of heretics. It was supposed to stop unjust exections; before the Inquistion, accused heretics weren't given much of a trial.

And it wasn't the bloodletting everyone is led to believe. Torture was used-- and I mean this literaly-- in 1 percent of all cases. Before 1530 (Protestant Reformation lies, anyone?) the Inquistion was hailed as the most humane, efficient court in history. Spainish people were acutally accusing themselves of heresy in an attempt to get into Church prisons and receive Church punishments; merciful as they were.

Contrary to popular belief, the Church didn't use Iron Maidens or burn people either. The typical punishment for a wrongdoer in the Inquisition was a dose of public repentance and penence. Obstinate heretics were not strung up; they were excommunicated and given to secular authorities. Secular authorities decided on their own to do the burning. It was only secular authorities which held heresy to be a capital offense.

[kjvail]

I go to a Catholic school and they bend over backwards making us look like the bad guys

This is why I check my son's textbooks even tho he goes to a Catholic school.

In anycase, there has been a lot of new research on the Spanish Inquisition (the only one anyone talks about, there were actually several "inquisitions" in different countries across Europe) since the Spanish government opened their archives. Thomas Madden gives a synopsis in The Truth About the Spanish Inquisition

Frankly looking at the world we live in I'm not so sure laws against hereasy were such a bad idea.

[livius]

Much of that is true. However, one of the biggest problems with the Inquisition in Spain was that in some cases, individual Inquisitors (that is, the head of the local office in a particular city) were ultra-zealous and used it to get at personal enemies. Another problem was that, in the later years, it became essentially a tool used by members of the court of Felipe II to attack people who were considered potential threats to royal power. The Pope tried to halt the Inquisition several times, even sending a Bull on the matter, but by that time, it had become a political tool and was difficult to control.

Incidentally, the Inquisition was active in Mexico, too, where the vast majority of persons punished by it were priests. They were punished and even put to death for things such as enslaving or sexually abusing the Indians, teaching syncretist doctrine, witchcraft (usually for adopting Indian practices), etc.

[Lilllabettt]

Oh yeah, good old Phillip the Second. Kind of a neurotic moron, wasn't he? I mean who builds a palace in the shape of an execution device ... never mind, lol.

[sporkgoddess]

Thank you very much for the info and the article! I have the one the same guy wrote on the Crusades bookmarked... if only I'd known this in time for my paper, heh.

Yeah, it's sad that you can't even trust education in Catholic schools now. My mom teaches about the Crusades at another (Catholic) school, and I've been bugging her for ages to teach the truth about the Crusades.

[siunevada]

This is 'lashing' out?

Sounds more like a statement of fact.

The headline writer got more than a bit overwrought on that one. (Is it a requirement that headlines have as little relation to content as possible?)

[DBeers]

This is 'lashing' out?

lol -relatively speaking, Truth is shocking to those ignorantly insistent...

[DBeers]

The Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club. Card-carrying membership is a must!

Thanks!

[Unam Sanctam]

Three cheers for the Panzer Kardinal! Hip, hip hooray! Hip, hip hooray! Hip, hip hooray!

[Tempest]

I found a similar thread like this while spying on the DU. The responses where very different than the ones seen here.