H
Holly3278
Guest
catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=10925
The Pope is exactly right once again. We should look to the early Church fathers to help solve today’s problems. They can shed a lot of insight on today’s problems for us.
Look to the Church Fathers to shed light on modern problems, writes the Pope
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The Pope is exactly right once again. We should look to the early Church fathers to help solve today’s problems. They can shed a lot of insight on today’s problems for us.
C
Caesar
Guest
There are a couple letters of St. Basil of Caesarea that could very well have been written anytime after Vatican II.
Letter 90
…For here, very honourable brethren, all is in a weak state;** the Church has given way before the continuous attacks of her foes**, like some bark in mid-ocean buffeted by successive blows of the waves…
…Our distresses are notorious, even though we leave them untold, for now their sound has gone out into all the world. The doctrines of the Fathers are despised; apostolic traditions are set at nought; the devices of innovators are in vogue in the Churches; now men are rather contrivers of cunning systems than theologians; the wisdom of this world wins the highest prizes and has rejected the glory of the cross. Shepherds are banished, and in their places are introduced grievous wolves hurrying the flock of Christ. Houses of prayer have none to assemble in them; desert places are full of lamenting crowds. The elders lament when they compare the present with the past. The younger are yet more to be compassionated, for they do not know of what they have been deprived…
Letter 92
…The** doctrines of true religion are overthrown**. The laws of the Church are in confusion. The ambition of men, who have no fear of God, rushes into high posts, and exalted office is now publicly known as the prize of impiety. The result is, that the worse a man blasphemes, the fitter the people think him to be a bishop. Clerical dignity is a thing of the past. There is a complete lack of men shepherding the Lord’s flock with knowledge. Ambitious men are constantly** throwing away the provision for the poor on their own enjoyment and the distribution of gifts**. There is no precise knowledge of canons. There is complete immunity in sinning; for when men have been placed in office by the favour of men, they are obliged to return the favour by continually showing indulgence to offenders. Just judgment is a thing of the past; and** everyone walks according to his heart’s desire**. Vice knows no bounds; the people know no restraint. Men in authority are afraid to speak, for those who have reached power by human interest are the slaves of those to whom they owe their advancement. And now the very vindication of orthodoxy is looked upon in some quarters as an opportunity for mutual attack; and men conceal their private ill-will and pretend that their hostility is all for the sake of the truth. Others, afraid of being convicted of disgraceful crimes, madden the people into fratricidal quarrels, that their own doings may be unnoticed in the general distress. Hence the war admits of no truce, for the doers of ill deeds are afraid of a peace, as being likely to lift the veil from their secret infamy. All the while unbelievers laugh; men of weak faith are shaken; faith is uncertain; souls are drenched in ignorance, because adulterators of the word imitate the truth. The mouths of true believers are dumb, while** every blasphemous tongue wags free**; holy things are trodden under foot; the better laity shun the churches as schools of impiety; and lift their hands in the deserts with sighs and tears to their Lord in heaven…
Letter 90
…For here, very honourable brethren, all is in a weak state;** the Church has given way before the continuous attacks of her foes**, like some bark in mid-ocean buffeted by successive blows of the waves…
…Our distresses are notorious, even though we leave them untold, for now their sound has gone out into all the world. The doctrines of the Fathers are despised; apostolic traditions are set at nought; the devices of innovators are in vogue in the Churches; now men are rather contrivers of cunning systems than theologians; the wisdom of this world wins the highest prizes and has rejected the glory of the cross. Shepherds are banished, and in their places are introduced grievous wolves hurrying the flock of Christ. Houses of prayer have none to assemble in them; desert places are full of lamenting crowds. The elders lament when they compare the present with the past. The younger are yet more to be compassionated, for they do not know of what they have been deprived…
Letter 92
…The** doctrines of true religion are overthrown**. The laws of the Church are in confusion. The ambition of men, who have no fear of God, rushes into high posts, and exalted office is now publicly known as the prize of impiety. The result is, that the worse a man blasphemes, the fitter the people think him to be a bishop. Clerical dignity is a thing of the past. There is a complete lack of men shepherding the Lord’s flock with knowledge. Ambitious men are constantly** throwing away the provision for the poor on their own enjoyment and the distribution of gifts**. There is no precise knowledge of canons. There is complete immunity in sinning; for when men have been placed in office by the favour of men, they are obliged to return the favour by continually showing indulgence to offenders. Just judgment is a thing of the past; and** everyone walks according to his heart’s desire**. Vice knows no bounds; the people know no restraint. Men in authority are afraid to speak, for those who have reached power by human interest are the slaves of those to whom they owe their advancement. And now the very vindication of orthodoxy is looked upon in some quarters as an opportunity for mutual attack; and men conceal their private ill-will and pretend that their hostility is all for the sake of the truth. Others, afraid of being convicted of disgraceful crimes, madden the people into fratricidal quarrels, that their own doings may be unnoticed in the general distress. Hence the war admits of no truce, for the doers of ill deeds are afraid of a peace, as being likely to lift the veil from their secret infamy. All the while unbelievers laugh; men of weak faith are shaken; faith is uncertain; souls are drenched in ignorance, because adulterators of the word imitate the truth. The mouths of true believers are dumb, while** every blasphemous tongue wags free**; holy things are trodden under foot; the better laity shun the churches as schools of impiety; and lift their hands in the deserts with sighs and tears to their Lord in heaven…
J
Joe_5859
Guest
The Pope has been doing this in his Wednesday audiences for the past 8 months:
- St. Clement of Rome (7 March 2007)
- St. Ignatius of Antioch (14 March 2007)
- St. Justin Martyr (21 March 2007)
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons (28 March 2007)
- St. Clement of Alexandria (18 April 2007)
- Origen of Alexandria (25 April 2007 & 2 May 2007)
- Tertullian (30 May 2007)
- St. Cyprian (6 June 2007)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (13 June 2007)
- St. Athanasius of Alexandria (20 June 2007)
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem (27 June 2007)
- St. Basil (4 July 2007 & 1 August 2007)
- St. Gregory Nazianzus (8 August 2007 & 22 August 2007)
- St. Gregory of Nyssa (29 August 2007 & 5 September 2007)
- St. John Chrysostom (19 September 2007 & 26 September 2007)
- St. Cyril of Alexandria (3 October 2007)
- St. Hilary of Poitiers (10 October 2007)
- St. Eusebius of Vercelli (17 October 2007)
- St. Ambrose of Milan (24 October 2007)
- St. Maximus of Turin (31 October 2007)
- St. Jerome (7 November 2007)
We have an awesome Pope!
M
manualman
Guest
In other words, there really ARE NO modern problems. Just old ones repackaged endlessly to entice new generations…
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