You know--one of those things we might not have to give full assent to in order to be in full communion, and just sorta muddle along giving the best response we can according to our modern conscience.
I'm thinking Matthew 16:18-19--for starters.
Just like the various Credos saying nothing about sex and marriage, they also don't talk about a pope. Can't be that essential.
Not when conscience is king.
Why not? Once you've opened up that can of serpents, your defenses quickly boil down to varieties of special pleading.
Don't worry about it--go and get your wafer.
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New digs for ponderings about Levantine Christianity.
The interior of Saint Paul Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Harissa, Lebanon. I have decided to set up a Substack exploring Eastern Christi...
I have the sinking feeling that this all ends with a replay of Trullo at best and a replay of the Cadaver Synod at worst. Hopefully the next successor of Peter is more Leo II than Stephen VI.
ReplyDelete"Not when conscience is king." Sounds like something Luther would have said.
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ReplyDeleteThe great thing about the new Theology of Airy Ideals We Don't Bother Trying To Attain is that it is an ouroboros.
ReplyDeleteSurely if avoiding (as a random example) willful and ongoing adultery is just an ideal which we cannot expect ourselves to attain, then how much moreso is listening to pretty much anything this Pope says?
Also avoiding racism is just an ideal, helping the poor is just an ideal, avoiding holocaust denial is just an ideal, avoiding gay bashing is just an ideal, welcoming the stranger is just an ideal, refraining from torturing prisoners is just an ideal, the just war doctrine is just an ideal, etc etc etc.
Funny that Luther keeps being brought up. Luther said his conscience was held captive to toe Word of God against the Pope. I'd think a few Catholics could now relate...
ReplyDeleteIt's good you have kept your sense of humor; it is indispensable in this ecclesiastical epoch.
ReplyDeleteHoly Communion is not a Prize for the Perfect, it is a Wafer for the Wonderful and we are all Wonderful.