[ebb tide]

The missionaries of the 16th century were convinced that the unbaptized person is lost forever. After the [Second Vatican] Council, this conviction was definitely abandoned. The result was a two-sided, deep crisis. Without this attentiveness to the salvation, the Faith loses its foundation.

He also speaks of a “profound evolution of Dogma” with respect to the Dogma that there is no salvation outside the Church. This purported change of dogma has led, in the pope's eyes, to a loss of the missionary zeal in the Church – “any motivation for a future missionary commitment was removed.” Pope Benedict asks the piercing question that arose after this palpable change of attitude of the Church: “Why you should try to convince the people to accept the Christian faith when they can be saved even without it?”

[heterosupremacist]

You can’t argue with his logic.

I remembered when he was elected Pope, I came in after work, the first thing I said was, “Was it Ratzinger?” I remember the thrill that gave me!

A personal hero of mine; God Bless Benedict VXI!

[NRx]

Read the book “The Ecclesiological Renovation of Vatican II” by Protopresbyter Peter Heers. He examines this very subject in exhaustive detail. I can’t recommend it too highly.

[Genoa]

Someone please tell me again why this pope had to resign?

[PGR88]

Clearly Benedict XVI didn’t quit for health reasons. Which only leaves the frightening prospect that he was forced out for some unknown reason.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Growing up Catholic in the US, we were never encouraged to proselytize. If anything, we were actively discouraged. Catholics were surging in ranks by having relatively larger families and from immigration. No need to annoy the Protestants, etc.

Now it seems as if the US is swirling down the same cesspool that Western Europe has been caught up in since WWII. Is this the time for Catholics to assert our religious superiority over all other religions and Christian sects? Is this the time to tell everyone else they are going to Hell?

It is a real conundrum. If there is truly nothing special about Catholicism, then why be Catholic? On the other hand, if being Catholic is the only certain way to get to Heaven, then we either convert non-Catholics or anger them and harden their hearts against us.

Some of the most heated and hateful threads on FR have been Catholic v. Protestant (and Protestant v. Protestant). Do we want to stoke those flames, especially now with the US so close to going totally pagan?

[I want the USA back]

The Church is in deep doo doo, and its name is Francis.

[marshmallow]

No need for clarifications, here. No need for Fr. Lombardi to issue a "what he really meant" statement. No need for Fr. Z to issue a "keep calm everybody, this is not magisterial teaching" bulletin.

Just lucid, unambiguous logic which causes no scandal, makes complete sense and reaffirms long-standing Catholic truth.

It feels like a cool spring of water to a man dying of thirst.

[marshmallow]

[piusv]

Maybe I’m the only one, but I find his comments confusing. Especially the comment about the “profound evolution of dogma”. Maybe it is confusing because they are not whole quotes. Is he stating that there was a “profound evolution of dogma”?

[Albion Wilde]

He never should have stepped aside. Best Pope of the past 100 years.