capital punishment

[santodomingo]

Would you please tell me what “A.A.S.” stands for and provide a link to the article or book or whatever it is? I don’t know if this is just a pope’s opinion or an actual teaching of the Church. Thank you.

A.A.S. stands for Acta Apostolicae Sedis (I don´t know if the latin is correct, but it means Acts of the Apostolic Seat, the official record of the Pope´s speaches).

 

[santodomingo]

Oops, sorry SouthPaw Link. I didn´t notice that you had already answered the question.

 

[santodomingo]

I’m not telling you what you can or cannot subscribe to. I’m telling you that the Holy Father was very clear when he said that the Church was moving away from the position that it has held for a long time and he gave the reasons why.

Now, you are in a very different situation than I am. You said that you have a son. Therefore, I assume that you are a secular man or woman. I am bound by a vow that says that I must do two things: 1) obey absolutely without question and hesitation and 2) teach what the pope teaches, without hesitation and question. I will not compromise that vow for all of the historical arguments in the world, because I will not compromise my soul that way, nor my integrity.

You want me to say that Pope John Paul II was wrong, because A, B. and C. Well, I cannot do that. If I did, then I would have to endanger my soul. Our rule is very explicit on this matter. “Obey without questioning and teach what the pope orders you to teach.”

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

Thank you for sharing this with us. I didn´t know your rules were to “obey without questioning”. I admire that, and I don´t want to disturb your peace.

All I say is that JPII was fallible, just like any other mortal. Papal infallibility, as you surely know, does not extend to every utterance of the Pope. According to Vatican I, it is only applicable in very specific circumstances. Therefore, it is conceiveable that JPII was wrong on this issue. To state such a claim does not make us bad catholics, although I understand that you are not at liberty to do so.

I agree with Andreas when he accuses you of holding an inflated opinion of papal authority. It is a very common defect of catholics today. God gave us a brain, and I think we ought to use it a bit better, becoming aquainted with the Church´s Magisterium PRIOR to Vatican II, as well as the subsequent teaching. We ought to reason more, be able to draw conclusions, and recognize blatant contradictions when they occur.

JPII was our Holy Father: that doesn´t mean he was always right. Just as I can recognize my natural father´s authority over me, just as I can love and revere him, I can also see when he makes a mistake.