Yes, we did.
”This latest encyclical, according to “Popes" themselves, is a teaching document that must be taken as "ordinary teaching authority".
Thanks for the link to “Humani Generis”. Note this distinction: Pius XII is spelling out the level of authority of the teachings in his encyclical as “Ordinary Magisterium.” Pope Francis spells out the level of authority in his encyclical quite differently (I’m using paragraph numbers here):
p. 3 – “In this Encyclical, I would like to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home.”
He is stating this is a “dialogue” encyclical, not primarily a “doctrinal” encyclical.
p. 7-9 “ [these statements] echo the reflections of numerous scientists, philosophers, theologians, and civic groups”
–- whereupon he gives us 2 paragraphs of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who cannot conceivably be directly supplying Catholic doctrine, since exactly NOBODY in the Catholic Church is Bartholomew's ecclesial subject.
Not to say he isn’t a good man and dearly beloved, etc. etc., but “Reflections” from the Eastern Orthodox are not part of the Ordinary Magisterium.
p.11 ”If we feel intimately connected with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously”
“Feelings” and wholesome sentiments which “well up spontaneously” are not part of the Ordinary Magisterium. And this encyclical is loaded with these calls to respond on an emotional and even sentimental level. We could all have an ennobling heat-to-heart on this (a couple beers would get me going), but "feelings" are not Magisterial.
p. 14 “I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue … We need a new conversation…raising awareness of these challenges…”
p. 15 “I will advance some broader proposals for dialogue and action…”
p. 16 “I will point to…the call to seek other ways of understanding… the need for forthright and honest debate…”
p. 19”Our goal is… to become painfully aware [of] what is happening to our world…”
“Dialogue,” “conversation,” “proposals,” “debate,” awareness-raising about what is going on in our "world" --- these words establish that Pope Francis' intent here is to spark a discussion on debatable, this-worldly topics, not to define doctrine.
p. 23”A very solid scientific consensus indicates…”
Prescinding from the question of whether this consensus is in fact so very solid, “scientific consensus” is not, and can not, be a basis for doctrine and dogma.
p. 60 (Under the sub-head “A Variety of Opinions”) “We need to acknowledge that different approaches and lines of thought have emerged… This makes a variety of proposals possible, all capable of entering into dialogue with a view to developing comprehensive solutions.”
p. 61 And finally, a resounding disclaimer of doctrine, or even “definitive opinion” (!),whatever that might be-- an intriguing oxymoron:
“On many concrete questions, the Church has no reason to offer a definitive opinion; she knows that honest debate must be encouraged among experts, while respecting divergent views.”
Thank you, Sr. Bergoglio, for contributing to the dialogue.
No, my friend, what we see here is NOT the intent of making binding doctrinal rulings as an exercise of the Papal Magisterium.
More tomorrow, if I have time. G'night now, BlueDragon.
Debate encouraged among experts? Not at the Vatican, not as for issue of so-called 'climate change'.
What they just put on was more like a dog and pony show.
FR thread; Alinsky Acolytes at the Vatican
The info at the link hardly begins to scratch the surface...
Back in the day; Slick Willy must have been inquiring into becoming a Catholic.
His “What IS IS...” is famous (or infamous); but a very SHORT version when compared to what was just posted.