Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: BulldogCatholic

"Interesting-I had only thought that there were papal encyclicals teaching on the errors of Ecumenism, I had never thought that it was previously taught as well in a council. Does that not make it pastoral and not binding, and how can the Novus Ordo post Vatican II church keep pushing this hogwash then so hot and heavy?"

The anathema was urged in 1983 by St. Philaret the New Confessor upon the Synod of Bishops (aka Sobor), of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and it adopted unanimously.

Quite obviously, as the NO Roman Catholic Church does not recognize the ROCOR nor the ROCOR the NO Roman Catholic Church (or at least it certainly did not do so in 1983), Pope of Rome Benedict XVI could probably care less. Pope John Paul II certainly didn't give a hoot.

Here is the wording of the anathema:

"Those who attack the Church of Christ by teaching that Christ's Church is divided into so-called 'branches' which differ in doctrine and way of life, or that the Church does not exist visibly, but will be formed in the future when all 'branches' or sects or denominations, and even religions will be united into one body; and who do not distinguish the priesthood and mysteries of the Church from those of the heretics, but say that the baptism and eucharist of heretics is effectual for salvation; therefore, to those who knowingly have communion with these aforementioned heretics or who advocate, disseminate, or defend their new heresy of Ecumenism under the pretext of brotherly love or the supposed unification of separated Christians, Anathema!"


12 posted on 07/31/2005 4:57:28 PM PDT by Graves (Remember Esphigmenou - Orthodoxy or Death!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies ]


To: Graves; BulldogCatholic
This heresy is also condemned, inasmuch as it is heretical, by the Catholic Church.

Those who attack the Church of Christ by teaching that Christ's Church is divided into so-called 'branches' which differ in doctrine and way of life, or that the Church does not exist visibly, but will be formed in the future when all 'branches' or sects or denominations, and even religions will be united into one body;

“The Christian faithful are therefore not permitted to imagine that the Church of Christ is nothing more than a collection — divided, yet in some way one — of Churches and ecclesial communities; nor are they free to hold that today the Church of Christ nowhere really exists, and must be considered only as a goal which all Churches and ecclesial communities must strive to reach”. In fact, “the elements of this already-given Church exist, joined together in their fullness in the Catholic Church and, without this fullness, in the other communities”. “Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church”. (Pope John Paul II, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Declaration Dominus Iesus §17)

who do not distinguish the priesthood and mysteries of the Church from those of the heretics, but say that the baptism and eucharist of heretics is effectual for salvation;

This, on the other hand, according to the perpetual consent of the Catholic Church, is incorrect. Heretics, indeed, cannot receive the sacraments unto salvation; this does not mean, however, that those sacraments are not sacraments of the Church which are truly effectual for salvation. St. Augustine, defending against the Donatist heretics, makes this distinction clearly:

And what they themselves think that they conferred on those persons whom Felicianus baptized in schism, when they admitted them to reconcilation with themselves, viz., not that they should receive that which they did not as yet possess, but that what they had received to no advantage in schism, and were already in possession of, should be of profit to them, this God really confers and bestows through the Catholic communion on those who come from any heresy or schism in which they received the baptism of Christ; viz., not that they should begin to receive the sacrament of baptism as not possessing it before, but that what they already possessed should now begin to profit them. (On Baptism, Against the Donatists, I, 5:7)

St. Alphonsus Liguori notes: "Thus also Concina and Antoine say that it is not licit to seek the Sacraments from a heretic and/or schismatic, except in the case of extreme and/or the most grave necessity" (Theologia Moralis, Vol. III, Tract I, Chapter III, No. 89). Obviously this could not be possible at all if the sacraments of heretics were not, in fact, effectual to salvation for those belonging to the the one, holy, catholic, apostolic, and Roman Church.

14 posted on 07/31/2005 6:34:35 PM PDT by gbcdoj (Without His assisting grace, the law is “the letter which killeth;” - Augustine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson