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From the Remant Newspaper Letter to the Editor by Marcelo Fedeli, Brazil.
The “seeds of the Word” are not in the pagan religions, but in Greek philosophy, according to the expression of Saint Justin.
…Pope Benedict XVI
Editor, The Remnant:
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
I would like to submit to your appreciation a summary of Orlando Fedeli’s article — President of MONTFORT Cultural Association, S. Paulo – Brazil —analyzing the speech of the Holy Father Benedict XVI on Saint Justin, last Wednesday, published in Portuguese under the « E AGORA? COMO FICA O ECUMENISMO? E COMO FICA O VATICANO II?»
montfort.org.br/index.php?secao=veritas&subsecao=igreja&artigo=sementes_ecumenismo&lang=bra ]
SUMMARY
"With the Vatican II Council, the “seeds of the Word”, expression of Saint Justin, were used as base of the ecumenical ideology. It was said, so, at the conciliar rooms, that in the pagan religions one could find “seeds of the Word”…
Indeed, in the Chapter II, ART. 1, CHRISTIAN WITNESS, of the Conciliar Decree AD GENTES, it is read:
« 11. The Church must be present in these groups through her children, who dwell among them or who are sent to them. For all Christians, wherever they live, are bound to show forth, by the example of their lives and by the witness of the word, that new man put on at baptism and that power of the Holy Spirit by which they have been strengthened at Conformation. Thus other men, observing their good works, can glorify the Father (cf. Matt. ES:16) and can perceive more fully the real meaning of human life and the universal bond of the community of mankind.
In order that they may be able to bear more fruitful witness to Christ, let them be joined to those men by esteem and love; let them acknowledge themselves to be members of the group of men among whom they live; let them share in cultural and social life by the various. undertakings and enterprises of human living; let them be familiar with their national and religious traditions; let them gladly and reverently lay bare the seeds of the Word which lie hidden among their fellows… »
Therefore, according to Vatican II, it would seem that “seeds of the Word” are also in false religions. **But now, Benedict XVI corrects this with this speech on Saint Justin, last Wednesday, March 21, by saying that in pagan religions there are not “seeds of the Word” and that Saint Justin never said that. On the contrary, Saint Justin said that one could find “seeds of the Word” in Greek philosophy, but never in the pagan religions which were diabolic, according to the words of Benedict XVI: **
“In fact, the first Christians refused any compromise with the pagan religion. They considered it idolatry, even at the cost of being accused as ‘impious’ and ‘atheists.’ In particular and especially in his first ‘Apology,’ Justin harshly criticized the pagan religion and its myths, which he considered diabolical ‘disorientations’ on the path to truth. … ] Justin, and with him other apologists, took the position of the Christian faith as the God of the philosophers instead of the false gods of the pagan religion. It was a choice for the truth of being versus the myth of traditions."
Benedict XVI thus seems to be at the very least clarifying Vatican II Council!
Where were the “seeds of the Word”? In the pagan religions or Greek philosophy? The Holy Father assures us that, according to Saint Justin, the “seeds of the Word” were in Greek philosophy and never in the diabolic religion of the pagans. In this speech, Benedict ensures us that the Fathers of the Church were never ecumenists. On the contrary, they were apologists by making two anti-ecumenical things:
1º - They defended the Faith against the “from the weighty accusations of the pagans and the Jews”;
2º - They diffused the Christian doctrine.
Two points that ecumenists never make and that they reject when one makes them. The Pope concludes: "In an era such as ours, marked by relativism in the debate on values and on religion – as well as in interreligious dialogue – this is a lesson that should not be forgotten ".
Thus, Benedict XVI shook the two columns of ecumenism:
1º - What the Vatican II Council said in the AD GENTES Decree—that there were “seeds of the Word” in the pagan religions— is false;
2º - the present interreligious dialogue is relativistic.
Let’s pray for the Pope, so that he “is not concealed, by fear, in front of the wolves”.
In corde Iesu semper
Marcelo Fedeli
Associação Cultural MONTFORT
São Paulo – Brasil
The “seeds of the Word” are not in the pagan religions, but in Greek philosophy, according to the expression of Saint Justin.
…Pope Benedict XVI
Editor, The Remnant:
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
I would like to submit to your appreciation a summary of Orlando Fedeli’s article — President of MONTFORT Cultural Association, S. Paulo – Brazil —analyzing the speech of the Holy Father Benedict XVI on Saint Justin, last Wednesday, published in Portuguese under the « E AGORA? COMO FICA O ECUMENISMO? E COMO FICA O VATICANO II?»
montfort.org.br/index.php?secao=veritas&subsecao=igreja&artigo=sementes_ecumenismo&lang=bra ]
SUMMARY
"With the Vatican II Council, the “seeds of the Word”, expression of Saint Justin, were used as base of the ecumenical ideology. It was said, so, at the conciliar rooms, that in the pagan religions one could find “seeds of the Word”…
Indeed, in the Chapter II, ART. 1, CHRISTIAN WITNESS, of the Conciliar Decree AD GENTES, it is read:
« 11. The Church must be present in these groups through her children, who dwell among them or who are sent to them. For all Christians, wherever they live, are bound to show forth, by the example of their lives and by the witness of the word, that new man put on at baptism and that power of the Holy Spirit by which they have been strengthened at Conformation. Thus other men, observing their good works, can glorify the Father (cf. Matt. ES:16) and can perceive more fully the real meaning of human life and the universal bond of the community of mankind.
In order that they may be able to bear more fruitful witness to Christ, let them be joined to those men by esteem and love; let them acknowledge themselves to be members of the group of men among whom they live; let them share in cultural and social life by the various. undertakings and enterprises of human living; let them be familiar with their national and religious traditions; let them gladly and reverently lay bare the seeds of the Word which lie hidden among their fellows… »
Therefore, according to Vatican II, it would seem that “seeds of the Word” are also in false religions. **But now, Benedict XVI corrects this with this speech on Saint Justin, last Wednesday, March 21, by saying that in pagan religions there are not “seeds of the Word” and that Saint Justin never said that. On the contrary, Saint Justin said that one could find “seeds of the Word” in Greek philosophy, but never in the pagan religions which were diabolic, according to the words of Benedict XVI: **
“In fact, the first Christians refused any compromise with the pagan religion. They considered it idolatry, even at the cost of being accused as ‘impious’ and ‘atheists.’ In particular and especially in his first ‘Apology,’ Justin harshly criticized the pagan religion and its myths, which he considered diabolical ‘disorientations’ on the path to truth. … ] Justin, and with him other apologists, took the position of the Christian faith as the God of the philosophers instead of the false gods of the pagan religion. It was a choice for the truth of being versus the myth of traditions."
Benedict XVI thus seems to be at the very least clarifying Vatican II Council!
Where were the “seeds of the Word”? In the pagan religions or Greek philosophy? The Holy Father assures us that, according to Saint Justin, the “seeds of the Word” were in Greek philosophy and never in the diabolic religion of the pagans. In this speech, Benedict ensures us that the Fathers of the Church were never ecumenists. On the contrary, they were apologists by making two anti-ecumenical things:
1º - They defended the Faith against the “from the weighty accusations of the pagans and the Jews”;
2º - They diffused the Christian doctrine.
Two points that ecumenists never make and that they reject when one makes them. The Pope concludes: "In an era such as ours, marked by relativism in the debate on values and on religion – as well as in interreligious dialogue – this is a lesson that should not be forgotten ".
Thus, Benedict XVI shook the two columns of ecumenism:
1º - What the Vatican II Council said in the AD GENTES Decree—that there were “seeds of the Word” in the pagan religions— is false;
2º - the present interreligious dialogue is relativistic.
Let’s pray for the Pope, so that he “is not concealed, by fear, in front of the wolves”.
In corde Iesu semper
Marcelo Fedeli
Associação Cultural MONTFORT
São Paulo – Brasil
