Clergy & academic group accuse Pope Francis of heresy

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Not really. I’ve looked into S.T.L. programs in the past (wanted to pursue a doctorate in theology [glad I didn’t]). All of the ones I looked at required an additional year of study if you entered the program with an M.A. in theology. Some Ph.D. programs in theology simply require one additional year of study plus a dissertation beyond an M.A. So the S.T.L really is almost the ecclesiastical equivalent to a Ph.D. in theology. The S.T.B. is more akin to an M.A. in theology.
 
Yes, it’s a day ending in Y and someone is accusing our Pope of heresy. I’m afraid I simply can’t get worked up about it any more.
The man would be accused of heresy if he did nothing but read a menu out loud.
 
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“people with alphabet soup degrees” Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! 🤣

Thank you for making my day. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
 
yea, but in as much as that’s true but it is better to constantly purify the church from every little error that is proven to be true than to grow in it
 
We faithful should be praying for the Holy Father- for God to defend him against his enemies.
 
yankeesouth said:
Well what are Jimmy Akins credentials?
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I can’t find anywhere on Catholic Answers website or his own website than mentions any particular degrees.

But his statement that the signatories of this open letter do not include any doctors of theology is simply a factual statement. Akin’s credentials don’t really have any bearing on that point.
 
I’m sure Mr. Akin is well aware of Fr. Aiden’s background. And his background doesn’t change the fact that Fr. Aiden doesn’t have a doctorate in theology. Not only that, but Mr. Akin was even more specific than saying a general doctorate in theology would be sufficient. He pointed out that, in order for someone to make an accurate assessment of Pope Francis’ orthodoxy/heterodoxy/or heresy, the person would have to have a specialization in ecclesiology (a specific branch of theology) and/or Canon Law.

So, Mr. Akin is still not wrong in pointing out that none of the signers have a doctorate in theology. It’s a simple fact.
 
But you did manage to get worked up about it to state your opinion.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
I’m sure Mr. Akin is well aware of Fr. Aiden’s background.
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Right. And no disrespect to Fr. Nichols or his credentials (he’s the only name on the list I recognize at all), but having one well known name on such a letter doesn’t make me think Pope Francis is guilty of promoting heresy.

Honestly, I have college friends who do have doctorates in theology and are also critical of Pope Francis, and I don’t buy everything they say either. 😜
 
Ultimately, I suppose, the transmission of the orthodox Faith is entrusted to the Holy Father in union with the bishops, and the bishops in union with the Holy Father - not to a bunch of “people with alphabet soup degrees.” We can certainly have our disagreements with the Holy Father and with specific bishops (or even groups of bishops), but we owe them more of an attentive ear than we do the academic “experts.” After all, didn’t Christ give the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter - a humble fisherman - and not the scholars of His day?

I’ll admit that I have my reservations about much of what Pope Francis says and does, but again, I don’t think this approach of writing “open letters” is helping anyone.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
I’ll admit that I have my reservations about much of what Pope Francis says and does, but again, I don’t think this approach of writing “open letters” is helping anyone.
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On the other hand the Pope not submitting to requests for clarification except for name calling is not helping the Church at all. Whether he acts this way out of pride and ego or it is a strategic decision by him and his advisors in order to change teachings I don’t know. I’ve come across quite a few Catholics who have admitted that the question ‘where do I go when the crap hits the fan?’ has crossed their minds.
 
Yes. Like I said, I have my reservations. 🤫 But ultimately I have to remind myself that my Faith is not in the Pope, the bishops, a particular saint, a beloved apologist, or my favorite Catholic “celebrity” (oh the irony). My Faith is in Christ. Doesn’t Scripture tell us, “Put not your trust in princes”? When the crap hits the fan we should be digging more deeply into the Scriptures, the Catechism, and the lives and writings of the saints - in other words big-T Tradition.

Catholicism isn’t complicated. We make it so. It’s deep. It’s rich. It’s profound. But ultimately it’s not complicated. 😉
 
Oh I agree. I’m getting through this crisis by ignoring much of what Pope Francis says but despite the disparaging of the authors of this letter they do have some influence and previous letters have included unquestionably influential authors, Cardinal Burke, Dr. Scott Hahn, etc. I think more attention should be given to the fact that these letters are being written in the first place.
 
Perhaps. But I don’t see the necessity of the authors making these letters public.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
Personally I believe that these “open letters” serve no good purpose, and in many cases they cause as much confusion and division as the issues the authors site as justifying the letter itself.
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Actually, I think that is the purpose. Whether that is a “good” purpose depends on one’s perspective, I suppose.
 
yankeesouth said:
On the other hand the Pope not submitting to requests for clarification except for name calling is not helping the Church at all.
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I can understand why the Pope doesn’t find it necessary to personally respond every time someone publicly calls him out on something. If he started down that road, that’s all he’d be doing–responding to critics.

Not that I’m opposed to clarification. But I know what the Catechism says about things. I don’t particularly feel like I need Pope Francis to continually clarify what our Catholic faith contains.
 
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