Catholics, particularly since Vatican II and the papal "cults of personality," which we see currently, have adopted that which protestants have accused us of doing, elevating the Pope to godlike status resulting in papolatry.
Father Hunwicke has such a delightful manner of expression, particularly referring to the "madmen and sycophants" at the Vatican.
In the feverish Roman atmosphere of 1870, as the hypersuperueberpapalists at the Council ran around propagating extreme and barmy notions of the papal office, this little bit of nonsense did the rounds: "The three incarnations of the Son of God are: in the womb of our Lady; in the Eucharist; and in the Pope". We appear now in 2016 to have moved on from that, because instead we have Pintos and Farrells and other hypers telling us that whatever Bergoglio utters is the utterance of the Holy Spirit. What has stayed the same is that the hypers in each age appear to have the same disordered passion to see the Roman Pontiff as some sort of incarnation of one of the Persons of the Blessed and Undivided Trinity. Seems to me close to blasphemy and idolatry. Did I say 'close'?
Now, who might be amongst those "madmen and sycophants."
6 comments:
Nobody in their right mind would think that every word that comes from the pope's mouth is infallible. Nobody. Pinto and Company are just first class liars.
Doesn't seem very smart on the part of the Pope's toadies to make with the infallible idea since most of his admirers consider the very idea of infallibility ridiculous, not to mention Papal infallibility. The Pope is just being used to extend the New World Order, an Order in which he will not be needed. In other words, the Pope is unknowingly complicit in his own demise. There is no fool like an old fool.
We must beware the common myth that the Church is only infallible in her solemn magisterium. It is not so. Her ordinary and universal magisterium is equally infallible. She is infallible in Her universal Disciplinary Laws. "The Church is infallible in her general discipline. By the term general discipline is understood the laws and practices which belong to the external ordering of the whole Church. Such things would be those which concern either external worship, such as liturgy and rubrics, or the administration of the sacraments…. If she [the Church] were able to prescribe or command or tolerate in her discipline something against faith and morals, or something which tended to the detriment of the Church or to the harm of the faithful, she would turn away from her divine mission, which would be impossible." (See theologian Herrmann, Institutiones Theologiae Dogmaticae, ,1908, 1: 258).
"Secondary objects of infallibility include: 1. theological conclusions, 2. dogmatic facts, 3. the general discipline of the Church, 4. approval of religious orders, and 5. canonization of saints." Van Noort, Dogmatic Theology, 2: 102).
Papolatry has always been with us as the title of Vicar of Christ on earth gave explicit honour bordering on sainthood to the Pope & Catholics (religious & lay) were expected to show due reverence. With little catechesis & information people thought the Pope could never err. Even to this day that belief is ingrained into the majority who need the constant reminder that the Pope only is infallible when he teaches ex cathedra making it known that what he says must be followed implicitly. Otherwise, he is an ordinary man with his own opinions as PF is, for he hasn't & daren't speak these opinions ex cathedra for obvious reasons.
His abuse of the Papal Office - calling Synods on the Family which had more to do with supporting the gravely unrepentant sinner than family matters & having a document already prepared for publishing irrespective of the outcome of those Synods - has reduced the Papal Office to a Presidential appointment & one that could very easily become a Dictatorship.
Anonymous said... Pinto and Company are just first class liars.
Every time I read this man's name, "Pinto," I'm reminded of the numerous lawsuits as a result of exploding Ford Pinto gas tanks back in the 70s.
Anybody remember those?
The sad problem is that a vast majority of our shepherds are sycophants and madmen. I'm pretty sure smart sheep turn away.
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