Let us take a look at the discussion, shall we?
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has encouraged Bishops from Benin to support families, to pursue the formation of young people and to promote inter religious dialogue.The Pope was receiving a group of Bishops from the West African Nation who are in the …
An interesting lecture from them has ensued:
News.va English Dear David, please find an excerpt from the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions “Nostra Aetate” proclaimed by Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965: "Other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing "ways," comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.(4)
The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men. [...] As the Church has always held and holds now, Christ underwent His passion and death freely, because of the sins of men and out of infinite love, in order that all may reach salvation. It is, therefore, the burden of the Church's preaching to proclaim the cross of Christ as the sign of God's all-embracing love and as the fountain from which every grace flows."
Also, we would like to share an excerpt from the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church "Lumen Gentium":
"those who without any fault do not know anything about Christ or his Church, yet who search for God with a sincere heart and under the influence of grace, try to put into effect the will of God as known to them through the dictate of conscience... can obtain eternal salvation". [...] "Nor does divine Providence deny the helps that are necessary for salvation to those who, through no fault of their own, have not yet attained to the express recognition of God, yet who strive, not without divine grace, to lead an upright life. For whatever goodness and truth is found in them is considered by the Church as a preparation for the Gospel and bestowed by him who enlightens everyone that they may in the end have life".
Vox Cantoris Dearest News.va English please find this Encyclical QUANTO CONFICIAMUR MOERORE of Pope IX on false doctrines http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9quanto.htm
- Vox Cantoris The Church did not begin at Vatican II. How soon you have forgotten Pope Benedict XVI and the "hermeneutic of continuity."
- Vox Cantoris You see News.va English, you are misleading and confusing by putting that statement Nostra Aetate which is the lowest of the Vatican II documents. It is not doctrinal and it is not a Constitution. We are not talking of those "with sincere hearts." Further, God is not bound by His sacraments. If the "dialogue" does not PROPOSE JESUS CHRIST and salvation through the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, then what are we doing?
- Vox Cantoris Frankly News.va English, you are imbued with modernism and syncretism. All religions are not equal. There is only One, True Faith and it is the Catholic faith outside of which there is no salvation. Get it?
- News.va English The very concept of "promoting conversion" is not in line with Christ's message of love of God and of our neighbour. One cannot oblige one person to believe, nor is it the result of rational thinking, rather of humble openness of one's heart to God's grace which gives the gift of faith. What we can do is to share with people our joy for the revelation of the message of salvation and the fact that God is our Father and is a God who loves us and that we have no reason to fear death because death and anything evil have been already condemned and defeated on the Cross by Jesus' sacrifice. We know there will be a new life because Jesus has come back from the dead. We are all saved already and we need to live by Jesus' teaching of sacrificing our evil instinct and acting for unconditional love.
- Vox Cantoris, News.va English, This is outright scandalous: "The very concept of "promoting conversion" is not in line with Christ's message of love of God and of our neighbour. One cannot oblige one person to believe, nor is it the result of rational thinking," All have free will. You are preaching heresy when you say that "promoting conversion" is not Christ's message or will. "That all be one..." Who is writing this stuff?
News.va English Dear David the Church brings the message of salvation with love, not with judgement.
