I don't necessarily disagree with your conclusion, but I don't think these are the right criteria to use. The new Archbishop of Canterbury who supports homosexual clergy and recently had himself inducted as a "druid" would fulfill all these same criteria. So would the Ayatollah Komeineh. But they're not Catholic.
Is he defending the Catholic Faith to the limit of his ability, power and duty? This is the only criteria that really matters.
I'm especially leary of the "smarter" criteria. Stephen Hawking is a lot smarter than me, but he's an atheist. So I suppose in some ways he's a lot stupider than me, despite his greater intellectual gifts. Extremely intelligent people tend to fall into the trap of relying on human intelligence, but "the wisdom of men is foolishness to God."
1 Corinthians 1:
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
As I grew older and aware that I was made in God's image,it seemed right to believe that he gave me a mind to know Him,a heart to love Him and a body with which to serve Him.I,correctly or incorrectly thought that my intellect helped me to know Him and so I observed and I read and I studied.Concomitantly,I used my heart and I prayed,somehow believing that within me God would augment and supplement my gifts and my flaws to guide me to do "whatever He told me to do",as His Mother had advised the stewards at the wedding.This combination then seemed to lead me to recognize that my body was to be used in ways that seemed in accord with Christ's commission to go out and baptize and teach all nations what He had taught.So I see those gifts,mind,heart and body as inextricably admixed and believe that He will sort them out show us the way.
When discussing Catholicism with Catholics on Free Republic my comments are predicated on the assumption (which could be in error) that that is the basis of our world view.From that core,I do look at those I follow on earth to determine whether their might be a deficiency that would appear to work against the ability to know,love and serve God.From that perspective I can discount Steven Hawking,the archbishop,bishop of Canterbury and the Ayatollah;I cannot discount the Pope.
Additionally,I followed that comment with additional and compelling,to me,reasons that I will not leave the "barque" based on scripture.I think the only hope for mankind lies in the Catholic Church and on eath,it is visible and it is led by Peter.
Here is an outstanding explanation of the superior value of the traditional Latin Mass. Clear and comprehensive, it shows why we should be promoting and attending the Latin Mass, and answers every objection, including the one most often seen on FreeRepublic -- "schismatic."I responded to it, with a question, but you seem to have posted and run. I take it your not going to stop back in there, so I thought I would ask you the same here:
To: Maximilian
including the one most often seen on FreeRepublic -- "schismatic."You leave me curious. Would you suggest that the SSPX, for example, is not schismatic?patent +AMDG
8 posted on 11/07/2002 3:12 PM CST by patent
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To: Maximilian
Another comment for you,
it shows why we should be promoting and attending the Latin Mass, and answers every objection, including the one most often seen on FreeRepublic -- "schismatic."In my view the article also does an excellent job of refuting many of the arguments made by the schismatic traditionalists, such as that the Pope could never change the Mass, Quo Primum, etc., and all their arguments about how superior the old Mass is, etc:We cannot claim to be Catholic and in the same breath deny the teaching of the Church; we cannot put subjective likes and dislikes above revealed truth and the living tradition of the Church.Critics may say there should be only one rite of Mass in the west. Yet for generations there were many rites of Mass.
patent +AMDG
9 posted on 11/07/2002 3:20 PM CST by patent
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Dominus Vobiscum
patent +AMDG