Named after his favorite breakfast, no doubt...
Posted on 04/19/2005 11:56:55 AM PDT by MadIvan
Cardinal Ratzinger on the Banishment of God From Public Life
Receives St. Benedict Award for Promotion of Life and Family
SUBIACO, Italy, APRIL 12, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger says that believers are faced with the tendency to banish God from public life and confine him to the "subjective realm of past residual cultures."
On April 1, when receiving the St. Benedict Award for the Promotion of Life and the Family in Europe, conferred by the Subiaco Foundation for Life and the Family, the dean of the College of Cardinals delivered an address on the present crisis of culture and identity, especially in the Old World.
After stating that "moral force has not grown apace with the development of science but, on the contrary, has diminished," Cardinal Ratzinger explained that "the most serious danger at this time is precisely the imbalance between technical possibilities and moral energy."
He gave two examples: the threat of terrorism and the possibility to manipulate the origin of human life.
The then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—almost all heads of Vatican dicasteries lost their posts when John Paul II died— pointed out that "Europe has developed a culture that, in a way previously unknown to humanity, excludes God from the public consciousness, either by denying him altogether or by judging that his existence cannot be demonstrated, is uncertain and, therefore, somewhat irrelevant to public life."
An attempt is being made "to build the human community absolutely without God," the cardinal stressed.
"The rejection of reference to God is not an expression of tolerance which wishes to protect non-theist religions and the dignity of atheists and agnostics, but rather an expression of the desire to see God banished definitively from humanity's public life, and driven into the subjective realm of residual cultures of the past," he warned.
For the cardinal, the starting point of this view is "relativism," which has become "a dogmatism that believes it is in possession of the definitive knowledge of reason, and with the right to regard all the rest as a stage of humanity, which has basically been surpassed, and which can be suitably relativized."
At this rate, Cardinal Ratzinger added, we will no longer "be able to affirm that homosexuality, as the Catholic Church teaches, is an objective disorder of the structure of human existence."
"The fact that the Church is convinced of not having the right to confer priestly ordination on women, is now considered by some as irreconcilable with the European Constitution," he added.
In the final part of his address, Cardinal Ratzinger explained that "we need roots to survive and we must not lose them from sight if we do not want human dignity to disappear."
"Only creative reason, which has been manifested in the crucified God as love, can really show us the way," he said. "We need men who will keep their sight on God, learning there" what "true humanity" is, as "only through men touched by God, can God again be close to men." ZE05041102
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Great thread. Thank you.
Named after his favorite breakfast, no doubt...
Thank you Ivan! :D
LOL, Liberals were begging for a more liberal Pope and we were given a more conservative Pope. Looks like an excellent choice.
bump for later
The Glory of the Olives, of course....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1351430/posts
It's no wonder that the Left is chewing the carpet at this point.
Regards, Ivan
As they read this, ACLU lawyers doubtless will respond, "Curses! He's on to us!"
Is it a sin to have believed that the Cardinals would have conceded to worldly pressures and elected a Pope that would satisfy the malcontents?
If so, I must head for confession post haste.
...who brought up Rosie O'Donnell?
...who brought up Rosie O'Donnell?
I don't know why he chose the name but I learned some amazing things about the history of choosing a pope on the history channel last night.
Anti popes, 3 popes at once, popes chosen at the point of a sword. I think my favorite was when the cardinals were locked in and the roof was torn off to force them to choose a pope.
So, The Malachy Prophecy had nothing to do with the choice of name?
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger says that believers are faced with the tendency to banish God from public life and confine him to the "subjective realm of past residual cultures."
On April 1, when receiving the St. Benedict Award for the Promotion of Life and the Family in Europe, conferred by the Subiaco Foundation for Life and the Family, the dean of the College of Cardinals delivered an address on the present crisis of culture and identity, especially in the Old World.
Eighteen days ago, Cardinal Ratzinger receives the St. Benedict Award from the Subiaco Foundation for Life. Subiaco is the name of city where the Grotto of St. Benedict is located.
He's not a Benedictine, is he?
I did not think the liberals would win. However, I did not think they would fold this quickly. I should have remembered the power of the Holy Spirit makes all things possible.
Regards, Ivan
The libs are going to be hissing and spitting.
Wow - I'm not Catholic but I really respect this man and his intellect. He has hit the nail on the head.
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