Posted on 05/25/2025 11:24:13 AM PDT by ebb tide
Edited on 05/25/2025 11:48:10 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Everyone was wondering if the next Pope would take the name Francis II. Now that this has not happened, we are all wondering how Pope Leo will deal with the legacy of his controversial predecessor. Yesterday Pope Leo made an address “to representatives of other churches and ecclesial communities and other religions” who had attended his inauguration Mass on Sunday. (The term “churches” is used for Orthodox churches which have a valid Eucharist, “Ecclesial communities” are used for Christian bodies which do not have a valid Eucharist and therefore lack the defining aspect of “church.”)
The most important remark of this address seems to be the following emphasis on “unity in faith” and the explanation of Pope Leo’s motto:
My election has taken place during the year of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. That Council represents a milestone in the formulation of the Creed shared by all Churches and Ecclesial Communities. While we are on the journey to re-establishing full communion among all Christians, we recognise that this unity can only be unity in faith. As Bishop of Rome, I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, unity has always been a constant concern of mine, as witnessed by the motto I chose for my episcopal ministry: In Illo uno unum, an expression of Saint Augustine of Hippo that reminds us how we too, although we are many, “in the One — that is Christ — we are one” (Enarr. in Ps., 127, 3). What is more, our communion is realised to the extent that we meet in the Lord Jesus. The more faithful and obedient we are to him, the more united we are among ourselves. We Christians, then, are all called to pray and work together to reach this goal, step by step, which is and remains the work of the Holy Spirit.
This is a promising sign that Pope Leo does not intend to promote a “false ecumenism” which is “unity without truth.” These are all traditional attitudes toward the non-Catholic Christians, as we can see from the pre-Vatican II “ecumenical” endeavours.
But Pope Leo also laid emphasis on the work of his predecessor:
One of the strong emphases of Pope Francis’ pontificate was that of universal fraternity. In this regard the Holy Spirit really “urged” him to advance with great strides the initiatives already undertaken by previous Pontiffs, especially since Saint John XXIII. The Pope of Fratelli Tutti promoted both the ecumenical path and interreligious dialogue. He did so above all by cultivating interpersonal relations, in such a way that, without taking anything away from ecclesial bonds, the human trait of the encounter was always valued. May God help us to treasure his witness!
This brings up the question: is Pope Leo attempting to truly continue the path of Pope Francis towards (prima facie), religious indifferentism, as in the Abu Dhabi document which affirmed the heretical proposition that “God wills the diversity of religions”? Later on in his address Pope Leo quotes that very document:
You have witnessed the remarkable efforts made by Pope Francis in favour of interreligious dialogue. Through his words and actions, he opened new avenues of encounter, to promote “the culture of dialogue as the path; mutual collaboration as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard” (A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019). I thank the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue for the essential role it plays in this patient work of encouraging meetings and concrete exchanges aimed at building relationships based on human fraternity.
After this Pope Leo affirms what is the stated aim of the Abu Dhabi document: “for world peace and living together.” Pope Leo emphasises that the world religions must promote human fraternity in order to prevent armed conflict. This is one of the bright spots of Pope Francis’s pontificate, his traditional stance toward war.
But if his address began by affirming “unity in Truth Himself,” then what is the purpose of affirming this dangerous human fraternity? If this is merely to attempt to prevent armed conflict (as the Post-War Council attempted) on the basis of a common descent from Adam, then this is a noble intention. But if this effort fails to explicitly root out the heresy of religious indifferentism, and souls are lost to eternal death as a result, what good is the earthly peace achieved?
It is clear that Pope Leo is not going to denounce his predecessor. What is not clear is if he will 1.) promote the same scandals to the faith or 2.) attempt to salvage Francis’s legacy for orthodoxy.
As we all experience the first days of our Holy Father, we ask God to help us revere him as he deserves, whatever happens, and stay faithful Catholics, with God’s help, and be found worthy of eternal life.
T. S. Flanders
Editor
St. Bernardine of Siena
Ping
“God wills the diversity of religions”?
Did somebody seriously say that?
Yep. Pope Francis said it.
Oh my.
So, Leo was just the Bishop of Rome....he did not see himself as Pope?
Ecclesial communities” are used for Christian bodies which do not have a valid Eucharist and therefore lack the defining aspect of “church.”)
Well, you’re entitled to your opinion.
It’s not just my opinion, it’s the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church’s opinion.
It’s the prots who live by their own personal interpretations and opinions.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
I think it's clear that Pope Leo is adapting what was Francis's beginning in order to change its direction entirely, and achieve the opposite end.
The two men have very different personal histories, and in governance, demonstrated clearly opposite intentions. Leo is a believer dedicated to bringing Christians together through the Truth, whereas Francis spent his professional life stepping around the Truth and attempting to use the institutions of the Church to make the universe safe for Communism and homosexuality.
My sense is that we're clearly in a new and better process. What could be better than seizing any momentum to examine the questions Francis raised (with evil intent) and making sure the institutions of the Church answers them with the sledgehammer of Truth?
Supporting Pope Francis and his Abu Dhabi heresy by cherry-picking the Bible.
21 That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.
John Chapter 17
You’re entitled to your opinion, the opinion of the Catholic Church. That’s up to you. Of course, I’m entitled to my opinion, which I base on the Bible. But I won’t argue; you’re not going to change your mind, and I’m not going to change mine. Blessings.
True. And this diversity of opinion has led to numerous denominations and counting including:
Baptist
Lutheran
Church of Christ
Methodist
Assemblies of God
Unitarian
Mormon
Jehovah’s Witness
Anglican
Episcopalian
AMEC
Adventist
Pentecostal
Presbyterian
Charismatic
Non-denominational
Or any of the derivations listed above (e.g. Southern Baptist vs. Missionary Baptist).
The only thing Protestants can agree upon is they think the Catholic Church is wrong.
That should make you think why the Catholic Church is special, and the denominations are just sects.
::But I won’t argue; you’re not going to change your mind, and I’m not going to change mine. Blessings.::
~~~\
Common sense statement.
Unity in the faith between Catholics and other Christians is a worthy goal. When non-Catholics marry Catholics, they must pledge to raise their children in the Catholic faith.
This is a huge stumbling block in the quest for unity. The Catholic church seemingly has no idea how arrogant this requirement is.
It’s not at all arrogant.
It’s for the salvation of young souls.
No faithful Catholic would raise their children outside the True Church.
No one will ever be found worthy of eternal life. It is a free gift, based on faith alone.
Sorry. Faith in a false religion won't cut it.
You are no more worthy of salvation today than you were the day you started your stalwart defense of your works religion
Fasting, prayer, penance, abstinece, and sacrifice are found throughout the Bible.
I see you reject the Bible.
Nothing new.
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