A Cardinal to Watch

The National Revire Online ^ | 10/21/03 | Father Raymond J. de Souza

[Tantumergo]

von Balthasar's theory is built on nothing more than his ignorance of scripture - or maybe being of the "New Theology" school, he never accepted the inerrancy of scripture.

The letter of Jude is very clear that souls are already burning eternally in hell:

Jude 6 "And the angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.
7 As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the PUNISHMENT OF ETERNAL FIRE."

Note bene! This is not some temporary infernal punishment, it is ETERNAL FIRE.

This is more than sufficient to give the lie to von Balthasar's crackpot, acedia-inducing heresy. He and von Speyr were dangerous fools who had been lured by satan's false promises:

Gen 3,4 "And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the death."

[ArrogantBustard]

Hans Urs von Baltar?

[sinkspur]

This is more than sufficient to give the lie to von Balthasar's crackpot, acedia-inducing heresy. He and von Speyr were dangerous fools who had been lured by satan's false promises:

He's one of John Paul II's favorites.

[Catholicguy]

1034 Jesus often speaks of "Gehenna" of "the unquenchable fire" reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost.614 Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,"615 and that he will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!"616

It would take a LOT of explaining to explain all this away

[Tantumergo]

That's why I sent the Pope a bible for his anniversary present! ;)

[Catholicguy]

Augustine made errors hisownself. Outside of me, there are few impeccable theologians

[dangus]

Bing! Bing! Bing!
Tantumergo wins! He finds an infallible source that insists that some souls experience eternal fire!
Can anyone offer a counterargument?

[dangus]

O, right... what was his lackey's name, then?

[Maximilian]

This sort of data keeps cropping up in the Cardinal stories. Our Cardinal Rigali is one of seven.

That's why you have to read Pope Pius XII's "Address to Large Families." He makes the same point that large families are the cradle of vocations. But if you only have 1 boy and 1 girl, then parents won't want to sacrifice them to vocations.

[Maximilian]

Context please?

I think that Hermann placed him in the precisely the correct context:

Conservative in the sense that yesterday's radical is today's standard bearer. I think this is code meaning he doesn't disagree with Church teaching on abortion, wymyn priestesses, contraception, sodomy, etc.

[ArrogantBustard]

The lackey's name was Lucifer.

"By your command"

Yes, 20 years ago I was a big fan of that show...

[Catholicguy]

Just because Jesus spoke more about Hell than anything else is no reason we shouldn't avoid the topic. I mean, it isn't nice.

[dangus]

Oh, of course... how perfect.

[GirlShortstop]

"Quebec is languishing, far from the values that were the strength and glory of her forebears," he said at his Jan. 26 installation, in a homily that warned against "the idolatry of money, sex and the power of the media."

Nice.  I'd like to hear a homily like that.

[dangus]

Whaddayamean "20 years ago"? It's ba-a-ack! Sci-fi channel in December. And except for their history of wretchedly bad miniseries ("Taken," "Dune 2002," etc.), I'd think it looks like the coolest thing to hit TV since E.D. got all hormonal and went off on the Axis of Weasels on Fox News. (i.e., "I'll tell you why the population of France is going down! Because there aren't any women who'd wanna -- ." At that point she was reestrained.)

[dangus]

So I'm not misunderstood by women unfamiliar with the subject I wrote about... I've known men who use the term "hormonal" to credit any woman's anger to "PMS." I don't use the word "hormonal" colloquially or disparagingly. E.D. Hill was very pregnant, and was emotionally wild for a little while on FOX News. She credited her fierce emotions to her state. Truthfully, I enjoyed her frankness very, very much.

[Maximilian]

Outstanding job defending the doctrine of the faith. It's quite true as you say that von Balthasar creates false dichotomies. A clear falsification in the above article from FUS was the idea that "Aquinas and St. Paul may have said it, but it's not Church teaching." Wait a second, something that has been defined successively by Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium, isn't that the very definition of Church doctrine?

It's a horrible abuse of the doctrine of infallibility to think that we have to wait for the pope to pronounce infallibly on a subject before it becomes Catholic doctrine. This was the fear of people like Cardinal Newman who opposed the doctrine of infallibility at Vatican I, and I'm starting to have more sympathy with his position. It's not that the pope's not infallible in some cases, but that it could be imprudent to make the faithful believe that Church doctrine is fallible whenever he doesn't pronounce ex cathedra.

As you point out, it's not just Aquinas and St. Paul (although they are probably the 2 most authoritative sources in Church teaching), but the entirety of Catholic Tradition, including most prominently St. Augustine. I have always had difficulty throughout my life understanding the apparent conflict between God's foreknowledge and free will. It wasn't until I read St. Augustine's "City of God" that I finally understood it for the first time.

The fact that Augustine is able to reconcile God's foreknowledge with free will shows that he is not a Calvinist. But at the same time, predestination is still a catholic doctrine, one that has been taught for 2000 years, although most prominently associated with Augustine.

Just recently there were a couple of threads recommending "The Sinner's Guide" by Ven. Louis of Granada. I can't recommend it highly enough. One chapter in particular deals with the issue of "election" -- we need to be grateful to God for our creation, our salvation, our justification, and our election. Until I read this book, I never understood the difference between these terms. I think it will clear up confusion for anyone who reads it.

TAN Books Sinner's Guide

I see it's on sale for only $10. And it's even cheaper as part of the "Introductory Offer" of 10 books:

Introductory Offer

[Maximilian]

He's one of John Paul II's favorites.

QED.

Was it pre-destined that he should drop dead 2 days before he was scheduled to receive the red hat? One can only wonder.

[Maximilian]

Just because Jesus spoke more about Hell than anything else is no reason we shouldn't avoid the topic. I mean, it isn't nice.

Ha, ha. This is clearly the philosophy of most parish priests. (And bishops, cardinals, the pope, etc.)

[Hermann the Cherusker]

That's why you have to read Pope Pius XII's "Address to Large Families." He makes the same point that large families are the cradle of vocations. But if you only have 1 boy and 1 girl, then parents won't want to sacrifice them to vocations.

I wholeheartedly agree. And I do not accept that two children is okay or sufficient for 99% of the married popualtion.