"Ambiguous beyond any measure"

[Divine3]

http://magister.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it/

That sentence would never have passed unscathed to the scrutiny of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, if only Pope Francis had had it checked.

But this did not happen. And in fact, from February 4, in the solemn document on human brotherhood signed jointly in Abu Dhabi by Francis and by the Muslim Great Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the following statement appears:

“Pluralism and diversity of religion, color, sex, race and language are a wise divine will, with which God created human beings”.

Nothing to object about color, sex, race and language. But that the diversity of religion is also desired by the Creator is a new and reckless thesis for the Catholic faith. Because then it would no longer be worth what the apostle Peter, the first pope, preached full of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost, which means “in no other is there salvation” except in Jesus, seen how his current successor puts it on par every religion to another. (from link above can be changed into English)

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

Ambiguous for sure. Best case scenario interpretation, we have diversity within our own religious practice and customs. Peoples who have been converted over the centuries have brought a wealth of diversity into our religion.

He didn’t create all humans Jews. The rest of created humanity before Christ was reaching out to the great beyond as best they could, per their nature. If that is what this is about is not clear.

 

[OraLabora]

But that the diversity of religion is also desired by the Creator is a new and reckless thesis for the Catholic faith.

It makes complete sense if you consider it to be because of His permissive will, instead of His determined will. His permissive will has allowed mankind do drift off in many different directions. Not all of them good, but not all of them bad either. Even Islam has some, albeit nebulously hidden, Divine Thruths. Obviously though, the closer a faith gets to sacramental Catholicism, the more we have in common.

So, God’s permissive will has allowed this situation to arise. Now we all have to figure out a way to live together and work together peacefully, and for the common good. This is why the Church places such a high emphasis on both ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue.

And the starting point is gospel values, and seeing Christ in every person, even non-Christians. Because He dwells in us all, but few of us recognize Him in ourselves, and open the door to His grace.

As Catholics, we are meant to be good stewards of the Truth, and to be such, we need to be open to even microscopic elements of Truth in our non-Christian brethren, for those tiny shards of Truth open the door to dialogue, and hopefully, gathering sheep even closer to the full deposit of Truth that we are charged with minding.

It’s a huge responsibility that cannot be fulfilled by negativity towards people of other faiths. To do so is to do disservice to Truth. After all even Jesus, a Jew, showed fraternal love towards Samaritains.

 

[goout]

Two observations:
1 Taking another’s comments in good faith goes a long way. I struggle with that all the time. It’s amazing how often I don’t understand another’s full meaning or motivation. The Pope deserves our good faith.

2 The glut of information access available to us is both a blessing and a curse.