Pope Pius XI warned of the danger in the late 1930s as he saw authoritarian regimes growing in
Italy, Germany, and Spain.
Pius XI in his final public address in 1939, stressed:
“The church, the mystical body of Christ has become a monstrosity.
The head is very large, but the body is shrunken. You young priests must rebuild the church and mobilize the lay people.”
1. Redefining Magisterium in Pope Benedict’s (revisionist history) reform of the reform
For years “The Ordinary Magisterium,” the teaching office of the Roman Catholic Church was composed of:
The magisterial role of the pope and bishops
The magisterial role of the theologians
The magisterial role of the sensus fidelium
Under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the magisterial role of theologians and the sensus fidelium have all but disappeared. Magisterium has been redefined as what the pope and his appointed bishops say
2. Tunnel Vision theology. The old gentleman should know better; but he doesn’t. His theology is not just outdated……It is wrong.
In his latest book, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed that the church has “no authority” to ordain women as priests and rejected the idea that the rule was formed only because the church originated in a patriarchal society.
The pope said that man did not produce the form of the church, and does not have the power to change it. Christ gave the form of the priesthood when he chose his male Apostles, he said in the book-interview, “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times.”
“The church has ‘no authority’ to ordain women. The point is not that we are saying we don’t want to, but that we can’t,” he said. This requires obedience by Catholics today, he added.
Here the Pope is speaking historical and theological nonsense.
3. Canonization of papal theological ideology. Whenever people erect monuments to themselves, red flags go up immediately. Or they should!
Special announcement: Vatican-based foundation to promote study of pope’s theology
With the pope’s agreement and funding, the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation has been established to promote theological studies on his writings and to reward promising scholars.
Msgr. Giuseppe Antonio Scotti, president of the foundation, said it was established with just over $3.1 million from the pope. The money represents part of the royalties from the publication of his books; the rest of his royalty income goes to charity, Msgr. Scotti told reporters Nov. 26.
Cardinal Camillo Ruini, retired papal vicar of Rome and president of the new foundation’s scientific committee, said he hoped that someday the “Ratzinger Prizes” in sacred Scripture, patristics and fundamental theology “would be considered as something analogous to a Nobel Prize for theology.”
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Asking the critical question – rooted in Catholic history and tradition – is neither improper nor anti-Catholic.
Its is very responsible and loyal Catholic behavior.
Sometimes I wonder if Jesus of Nazareth will be replaced eventually with a Jesus of Rome.
Best regards in this Advent season — as we prepare to celebrate again the birth of JESUS OF NAZARETH!
John W Greenleaf