Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Pope Benedict Breaks Silence and Affirms the Thrice Defined, Infallible Dogma, No Salvation Outside of the Catholic Church


"Council Cast Church and Faithful into a Double Crisis"  - Interview of Benedict XVI
(Rome) Pope Benedict XVI. has broken his silence that he  undertook in connection with his unexpected resignation. Since 2013 he has lived in retirement in the convent, Mater Ecclesiae in the Vatican. Now has given  Avvenire, the daily newspaper of the Italian Bishops' Conference a long interview, which was published in today's issue.
"Let us allow ourselves to be formed by Christ," is the title of a spiritual interview which addresses faith and theology.  It does not involve daily affairs and church politics.
The interview was conducted by the Belgian Jesuit, Jacques Servais, director of the Casa Balthasar in Rome. Father Servais was under Cardinal Ratzinger from 1985-1990 an official in  the CDF and from 1993-1996, the professor of dogmatic theology at the Institute of John Paul II. in Rome. He has published works on Cardinal Newman, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr.

"Without being bound by salvation even the faith is baseless"

The central question of the interview is: "What is the faith and how does one come to believe?"
Emeritus Benedict XVI. spoke to the Church crisis in the interview:
"The missionaries of the 16th century were convinced that the unbaptized were lost forever. After the Council this conviction was abandoned. This resulted in a deep crisis. Without being bound to salvation the faith is baseless."
On the anthropological aspect of man, technology and love:
"People expect in their hearts that the Good Samaritan comes to their aid. In the hardness of the technological world in which feelings count for nothing, the expectation increases of a saving love that is unselfishly bestowed."
For increasing importance of charity:
"It is a sign of the times that the idea of ​​mercy coming from Sister Faustina  becomes ever more central and more dominant."
Father Servais asked  Benedict XVI. about the justification dispute of Martin Luther and the struggle of St. Francis de Sales, who had followed in the wake of the Apostle Paul  for the pastoral care of as many "infidels" as possible against the "terrible fate being eternally lost."  Benedict XVI. proceeds in his reply in detail on the "development of this dogma" Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, because since the beginning of modern times, the historical perspectives with respect to the Middle Ages had changed "radically".

By giving the up the Church's necessity for  salvation, the Council sparked a "double crisis"

"Double crisis" of Church and Faith
Thus, with the fact that the Second Vatican Council has "definitely" abandoned the belief  that there is no salvation for unbaptized, the Church and the faith had fallen into a "double crisis".
"On the one hand  it seems to withdraw any motivation a future missionary commitment. Why convince people of accepting the Christian faith, even if they can be saved without it?
But for Christians, the question on the necessity of faith and manner of life was uncertain and problematic. If there are those who can be saved in other ways, it is ultimately not evident why the Christian should be linked to the need of the Christian faith and its morals. But if the faith and salvation are not dependent on each other, the faith is also groundless.
Recently, various attempts have been made ​​to bring to reconciliation the universal need of the Christian faith with the opportunity to save oneself without them."

Rahner's "anonymous Christian" and the "superficiality" of pluralistic theories of religion are not solutions

Benedict XVI. then addresses two of these "attempts", including the thesis of Karl Rahner's "anonymous Christian",  in the being of Christ is synonymous with humanity. "It is true that this hypothesis is intriguing," but it excludes  "the drama of change and renewal, which is central for Christianity."
"Even less acceptable is the solution proposed by the pluralistic religious theories  for all religions, each in their own way, are ways of salvation  and to be considered in this sense, in their effects, as equivalent. The religious criticism, the way it is practiced on the Old Testament and of the primordial church, is much more realistic, concrete and true in its examination of the various religions." The pluralistic religious theories are "superficial" and "is not appropriate to the size of the question." 
Finally, Benedict XVI names a third solution proposed,  that of Henri de Lubac,  "and some other theologians" who had placed their emphasis on the standing substitute that vicarious substitution. So that it may be that  "the problem is not solved completely."  But it would involve a "material intuition", where it is total but "clear", "that we must think about the whole issue."
The complete interview in the Italian original (Avvenire) .
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Avvenire (Screenshot / Vaticanva / OR
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Professional translation also by the Maike Hickson...
AMDG

24 comments:

Craig V said...

The "New Theology" destroys the mind. Watching Pope Benedict try to wrap his mind around EENS is sad. He sees the current "orientation" of the Church is suicide for the faith, yet since he long ago rejected Thomism, he's bouncing around in the dark recesses of modernism and modernist theology looking for an answer to the woes of the current mess.

EENS is thrice infallibly defined for crying out loud. It's therefore an objective, unchanging reality. It's rejection is at the heart of all the modern problems. It's acceptance is the answer.

Modernism is the problem. Tradition is the answer.

Tancred said...

Apparently, he accepts the dogma as true.

JR Charousek said...

It is crazy to suggest that unbaptised people cannot be saved. What about all the human beings who never had the opportunity to be baptised? Are they not allowed salvation, however good a life they lead?

Tancred said...

He would never allow anyone truly good to die without baptism. In the meantime, it's up to Catholics to be exemplary Catholics and give reason for their joy.

Ivan said...

As John Paul II's right hand man, Pope Benedict was just as responsible for the mess we're in. On the other hand, his reading of the Third Secret of Fatima made a deep impression on him. As Pope, he tried to pull the Church back from the abyss.

Unfortunately, he took baby steps so as not to upset the apple cart. In the end his half-hearted approach was too little, too late. The wolves he feared so much in 2005 forced him resign.

Tancred said...

You're so right. I need to close down the blog and join the LDS "Church," or something.

Geremia said...

He's still wearing white. ☺

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ivan said...

Please don't. Your blog is one of, if not the best blog out there.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tancred said...

Did you intend to remove them both?

Ivan said...

And he is truly sympathetic toward the Fatima apparitions. As far as I'm concerned, he is the prime candidate to be the "Bishop dressed in white of the Fatima message.

Deacon Augustine said...

The very idea that we can earn our salvation by living a "good life" is the heresy of Pelagianism which has been condemned by the Church so many times that this blog could not cope with all the citations.

Liam Ronan said...

Just wondering (not being fussy) about your statement:
"He would never allow anyone truly good to die without baptism."

Baptism, of course, takes away the stain of original sin. Are we in fact 'good' before baptism?

Would the logical extension be that all those who have died before baptism, i.e. aborted children, untimely births, pagans, Jews, etc., were not 'good'?

I just think your statement needs a bit more nuance.

Catholic Mission said...

Pope Benedict uses irrational Cushingism as a theology to interpret Vatican Council II and extra ecclesiam nulla salus : he was unaware of the choice
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/03/pope-benedict-uses-irrational.html

Anonymous said...

If he wishes to say something "Catholic", he should simply recite the thrice-defined Dogma of the Faith on EENS and leave it at that! I read his words and truly do not know what he meant. Some communicator.

Craig V said...

Objectively, all who die without baptism cannot enter the beautific vision. And objectively there is no salvation outside the Church.

Subjectively, maybe they enter limbo (if dying with no personal sin but still lacking sanctifying grace), or maybe they were baptized and we couldn't see it (baptism of desire). And of course no Sanctifying Grace and one unforgiven mortal sin means a soul goes to Hell. Plain and simple.

As for a particular individual unbaptized soul, and handwringing about what happened to each one...All speculation and in the end a waste of time. God is infinitely just and the way He deals with them is and always will be perfect.

The Church needs to get on with what we KNOW and with the mission God gave us...baptize all nations and teach them to observe ALL He commands of us.

Subjectivism is killing us.

Anonymous said...

Is there a video of the interview / questions? Not that I don't trust the good Jesuit father.. cough. cough..

Catholic Mission said...

Mistakes in Vatican Council II : All Catholics can interpret extra ecclesiam nulla salus according to the 16th century missionaries.
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/03/mistakes-in-vatican-council-ii-all.html


The mistakes in Vatican Council II
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/03/the-mistakes-in-vatican-council-ii.html

Catholic Mission said...

There was an official change in doctrine and dogma in 1949 and it has been expressed officially in Vatican Council II (LG 16, LG 8, NA 2, UR 3,etc)
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/03/there-was-official-change-in-doctrine.html

Chris Ferrara still misses the point : reasons irrationally like Pope Benedict
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/03/chris-ferrara-still-misses-point.html

Catholic Mission said...

Pope Benedict's heretical interview to Avvenire prepares Catholics to receive a sacrilegeous Synod report after Easter

http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/03/pope-benedicts-heretical-interview-to.html

Catholic Mission said...


Pope Benedict, Cardinal Kaspar's false arguments for Synod Report : Vatican Council II agrees with the dogma extra ecclesiam nullas salus as it was interpreted by the 16th century missionaries
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2016/03/pope-benedict-cardinal-kaspars-false.html

David Dionisi said...

To learn what the still unpublished part of the Third Secret is and why attempts are made to mislead the faithful to dismiss Fatima, see on YouTube the documentary Akita and the Fatima Secret. After viewing this film you can also better understand why Our Lady of Fresno is crying in California (see the May 9 ABC News report or google Our Lady of Freso on YouTube). May the peace of our Lord be with you!

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:03: Agreed. I was raised in the Faith and I must say that I can barely make sense of the words spoken by these Churchmen! Some communicator, indeed! (NOT!)