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The Unam Sanctam "Problem" Resolved.

Summary: nevermind. "Outside the Church there is no salvation" doesn't really mean "outside the Church there is no salvation". Furthermore, "FURTHERMORE WE DECLARE, STATE AND DEFINE THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR THE SALVATION OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS THAT THEY SUBMIT TO THE ROMAN PONTIFF", doesn't really mean what it says, either. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more or less.'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean different things.'

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master--that's all.'

SD, diggy, it seems to me as an outsider that the biggest problem the Church has is its apparent utter inability to admit when screws up something doctrinally. I give JPII all the credit in the world for stepping up and apologizing for wrongdoings committed against the Jewish people by the Church. But when it comes to matters of doctrine, every discrepancy is denied, every conflict is papered over. Why not just say "Boniface was wrong"? Surely that is easier than to torturously try to turn A into -A. I suppose the belief that the Church cannot be in error in matters of faith prevents this from ever happening.

SD, diggy, it seems to me as an outsider that the biggest problem the Church has is its apparent utter inability to admit when screws up something doctrinally. I give JPII all the credit in the world for stepping up and apologizing for wrongdoings committed against the Jewish people by the Church. But when it comes to matters of doctrine, every discrepancy is denied, every conflict is papered over. Why not just say "Boniface was wrong"? Surely that is easier than to torturously try to turn A into -A. I suppose the belief that the Church cannot be in error in matters of faith prevents this from ever happening.

Because Unam Sanctam isn't the end all be all of Catholic teaching regarding extra ecclesiam nulla salus .

Pray for John Paul II

"Outside the Church there is no salvation" doesn't really mean "outside the Church there is no salvation".

Angelo, Catholics believe that all who are baptised validly ARE members of the Church. They aren't formal members of the visable Church, though. Becuase they aren't formal members of the visable Church, Boniface's final statement doesn't apply to them. How can they submit to the head of the visable Church if they are not formal memebers of said visable Church?

You and the Protestants may not like the nuanced distinction made, but there it is. We don't call the Church the Mystical Body of Christ for nothing, you know.

Pray for John Paul II

Why not just say "Boniface was wrong"?

I'll say it ... he was wrong. He stepped over the line with the Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff statement. This came from a bull not from the doctrine of the Catholic Church. These bulls are not necessarily the CC's beliefs or teachings but are the views and beliefs of their authors.

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ALL:Good morning, everybody.

Wednesday, November 7, 2001

First Reading:
Responsorial Psalm:
Gospel:

Romans 13:8-10
Psalms 112:1-2, 4-5, 9
Luke 14:25-33

I greet you from Smyrna together with the Churches of God present here with me. They comfort me in every way, both in body and soul. My chains, which I carry about on me for Jesus Christ, begging that I may happily make my way to God, exhort you: persevere in your concord and in you community prayers.

-- St. Ignatius of Antioch

From you know where ...

Love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10)

With this one simple sentence, Paul went to the heart of a controversy that was threatening to divide Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome. As it appeared in other places where Paul visited, the question arose among the Romans about the degree to which believers in Christ were still bound to the ancient Law of Moses.

What's the relationship between love and obeying a set of laws? The link is God himself, who is Love. He created us out of love and designed us in such a way that we would not be fulfilled until we came to share in his goodness, perfection, and divinity. From the very beginning, he loved us as part of his "very good" creation (Genesis 1:31)--even though he knew we would turn away from him in sin. It was out of love that God commanded our first parents not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17), and love that motivated every other law he gave his people.

It was love--for the Father and for all of us--that drove Jesus to the cross. And it was the same love that moved the Spirit to fill our hearts and build the church.

If love is the foundation of all God has done for us and in us, it's only logical that love should be our response to him. But how can we respond to love if we don't experience that love? That's the challenge that St. Paul puts before us today. Can we ask Jesus to show us his love in such a way that it will melt our hearts and move us to follow him? Can we build our lives on the solid rock of his love and know that any action done in love is not wasted? Can we put aside the world's fallen notions of love and let the love of Christ flow through us? Can we let him love us so that we can love as he loves? The more we let this happen, the more we will find ourselves joyfully and peacefully fulfilling all the laws of God.

"Father, I praise and adore you. Nothing is more powerful or more awesome than your love! Come and fill me with this love today so that I will become good as you are good."

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Have a great day, everyone!