Retreatants (Papal Household) Hear of Guises of the Antichrist

Zenit News Agency ^ | February 28, 2007

[NYer]

Preacher Draws On Work of V.S. Solovyov

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Antichrist is the reduction of Christianity to an ideology, instead of a personal encounter with the Savior, says the cardinal directing the retreat which Benedict XVI is attending.

Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, retired archbishop of Bologna, delivered that message during a meditation Tuesday, drawing on the work of Russian philosopher Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov.

The cardinal's meditation came during the weeklong Spiritual Exercises being attended by the Pope and members of the Roman Curia. The retreat ends this Saturday. The Holy Father suspended his usual meetings, including the general audience, in these days.

According to Vatican Radio's summary of his preaching, the cardinal explained that "the teaching that the great Russian philosopher left us is that Christianity cannot be reduced to a set of values. At the center of being a Christian is, in fact, the personal encounter with Jesus Christ."

Quoting the work "Three Dialogues on War, Progress and the End of History," Cardinal Biffi told his listeners that "the Antichrist presents himself as pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist."

"He will convoke an ecumenical council and will seek the consensus of all the Christian confessions, granting something to each one. The masses will follow him, with the exception of small groups of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants," he said.

The cardinal added that Solovyov says in that work: "Days will come in Christianity in which they will try to reduce the salvific event to a mere series of values."

No cross

In his "Tale of the Antichrist" Solovyov foresees that a small group of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants will resist and will say to the Antichrist: "You give us everything, except what interests us, Jesus Christ."

For Cardinal Biffi, this narrative is a warning: "Today, in fact, we run the risk of having a Christianity which puts aside Jesus with his cross and resurrection."

The 78-year-old cardinal said that if Christians "limited themselves to speaking of shared values they would be more accepted on television programs and in social groups. But in this way, they will have renounced Jesus, the overwhelming reality of the resurrection."

The cardinal said he believes that this is "the danger that Christians face in our days … the Son of God cannot be reduced to a series of good projects sanctioned by the prevailing worldly mentality."

However, "this does not mean a condemnation of values, but their careful discernment. There are absolute values, such as goodness, truth, beauty," Cardinal Biffi said. "Those who perceive and love them, also love Christ, even if they don't know it, because he is Truth, Beauty and Justice."

The preacher of the Spiritual Exercises added that "there are relative values, such as solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature. If these become absolute, uprooting or even opposing the proclamation of the event of salvation, then these values become an instigation to idolatry and obstacles on the way of salvation."

Cardinal Biffi affirmed that "if Christianity -- on opening itself to the world and dialoguing with all -- dilutes the salvific event, it closes itself to a personal relationship with Jesus and places itself on the side of the Antichrist."

[Gerish]

UN and global warming go hand and hand with New World Order. Believe you are both right on track!

[blue-duncan]

For Cardinal Biffi, this narrative is a warning: "Today, in fact, we run the risk of having a Christianity which puts aside Jesus with his cross and resurrection." However, "this does not mean a condemnation of values, but their careful discernment. There are absolute values, such as goodness, truth, beauty," Cardinal Biffi said. "Those who perceive and love them, also love Christ, even if they don't know it, because he is Truth, Beauty and Justice."

Cardinal Biffi affirmed that "if Christianity -- on opening itself to the world and dialoguing with all -- dilutes the salvific event, it closes itself to a personal relationship with Jesus and places itself on the side of the Antichrist." If loving the "absolute values" is loving Christ even though you don't know it, isn't that closing oneself to a personal relationship with Jesus and "having a Christianity which puts aside Jesus with his cross and resurrection"?

[P-Marlowe]

Yep.

[blue-duncan]

"Yep."

Look, if you are going to get wordy about his please in the future post an excerpt rather than the whole opinion so we can see if we want to read the whole post.

Thank you.

[P-Marlowe]

(snip)... ok ...(/snip)

[diamond6]

"...because he is Truth, Beauty and Justice".


This bears repeating.

[P-Marlowe]

The cardinal added that Solovyov says in that work: "Days will come in Christianity in which they will try to reduce the salvific event to a mere series of values." No cross In his "Tale of the Antichrist" Solovyov foresees that a small group of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants will resist and will say to the Antichrist: "You give us everything, except what interests us, Jesus Christ." For Cardinal Biffi, this narrative is a warning: "Today, in fact, we run the risk of having a Christianity which puts aside Jesus with his cross and resurrection."

Tell the pope to get with the talking points:

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 30, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Whoever seeks peace and the good of the community with a pure conscience, and keeps alive the desire for the transcendent, will be saved even if he lacks biblical faith, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope made this affirmation today at the general audience, commenting on a meditation written by St. Augustine (354-430).

See: Pope Benedict XVI's general audience, Nov. 30  2005.

The Gospel teaches us that those who live in accordance with the beatitudes: the poor in spirit; the pure in heart; those who will lovingly [endure] the sufferings of life; will enter God's kingdom. All who seek God with a sincere heart, including those who do not know Christ and His Church, contribute under the influence of grace, to the building of this kingdom. In the Lord's prayer we say 'Thy kingdom come'. May this be the hope that sustains us and inspires our Christian life and world."

Text of the Wednesday Audience message "FOR US, THE KINGDOM IS GRACE" online at Zenit.

Or then again maybe Cardinal Biffi needs to get with the Pope's talking points.

It's all so confusing.

[ArrogantBustard]

Back in the felt-banner '70s, there used to be a slogan that went something like:

"If you were on trial fore being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

It was, I think, always meant as a rhetorical question ... a starting point for conversation and teaching. It can take on a more ominous tone ... consider that there is real persecution in the Communist and Mohammedan world, and that Mohammedanism is spreading.

[blue-duncan]

"(What happened to my tagline?)"

You forgot to bring it with you from January. I think you got so excited posting that heretical Loraine Boettner essay that you forgot to bring your lofty title with you. Not to worry, as keeper of the Institutes it is my duty to archive all important items and I retrieved this (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*) from the vault where all royal documents and records of investitures are kept (not cataloged or listed mind you, but sort of randomly kept).

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I have 3 Catholic Christian blogs, including 670 or so Christian poems. Think it'd be hard to cover those tracks...;)

[P-Marlowe]

Not to worry, as keeper of the Institutes it is my duty to archive all important items and I retrieved this (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*) from the vault where all royal documents and records of investitures are kept (not cataloged or listed mind you, but sort of randomly kept).

Thanks. And all this time I thought someone stole it. I didn't think to look in the vault. Probably because I didn't know we had one.

BTW, Don't you have to keep a list to know what is in the vault.

Oh the Humanity!

[Quix]

What a slick, fierce personal attack. Expertly done.

[Quix]

Agreed. Been saying something similar for several decades.

[blue-duncan]

no

[Pyro7480]

Did you actually read the link "Pope Benedict XVI's general audience, Nov. 30 2005." It doesn't support the statement "Whoever seeks peace and the good of the community with a pure conscience, and keeps alive the desire for the transcendent, will be saved even if he lacks biblical faith, says Benedict XVI."

Benedict was quoting from St. Augustine: "And making reference to the 'earthly city called Babylon,' he adds: In it 'there are people who, moved by love for it, contrive to ensure peace, temporal peace, without nourishing another hope in their hearts than the joy of working for peace. And we see them make every effort to be useful to the earthly society. However, if they are committed with a pure conscience in these tasks, God will not allow them to perish with Babylon, having predestined them to be citizens of Jerusalem, on the condition, however, that, living in Babylon, they do not seek pride, outdated pomp and arrogance. ... He sees their service and will show them the other city, toward which they must really long and orient all their effort.'"

[blue-duncan]

I fail to see how your quotes contradict what P-M said. Neither statement says anything about salvation by Christ alone.

"Whoever seeks peace and the good of the community with a pure conscience, and keeps alive the desire for the transcendent, will be saved even if he lacks biblical faith, says Benedict XVI."

"And we see them make every effort to be useful to the earthly society. However, if they are committed with a pure conscience in these tasks, God will not allow them to perish with Babylon, having predestined them to be citizens of Jerusalem, on the condition, however, that, living in Babylon, they do not seek pride, outdated pomp and arrogance"

[P-Marlowe]

ok

[Marysecretary]

I believe he is. Peace, as I've just been reminded, is a fruit of the spirit. So, no Spirit, no peace.

[Marysecretary]

I'm planning on being a general in that army (it was prophesied once that my husband and I would be. Don't know what it means but it's interesting).

[Marysecretary]

My husband complains and nobody questions his authority or his motives.