Thursday, January 15, 2004
Papal Wisdom on Social Teachings, Leo XIII on Americanism
I believe this is a fitting choice for the first installment of Papal Wisdom on Social Teachings. As an American, I am very proud to be on the front lines of battle against the liberal, secularized culture of death that is seeking to utterly do away with the culture of Christ. Yet I'm sure many wonder, exactly why am I covering Americanism? Today I think many misunderstand exactly what Americanism is. Indeed, I remember during a debate I had over the recent war in Iraq, I was accused of Americanism for promoting the war. Many people seriously believed this charge, and I was utterly stunned by it. Now while there was a religious aspect of the encyclical Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, I believe there are numerous political and social ramifications of such an encyclical, which I hope I can outline as we continue. As Catholics, we need to understand the Catholic way of doings things, and I believe Leo XIII outlines them splendidly in this remarkable letter. I will put Leo XIII's words in quotations, and then denote where I begin my commentary by marking it with my name. Let us get started.
"LEO XIII, Pope-Beloved Son, Health and Apostolic Blessing: We send to you by this letter a renewed expression of that good will which we have not failed during the course of our pontificate to manifest frequently to you and to your colleagues in the episcopate and to the whole American people, availing ourselves of every opportunity offered us by the progress of your church or whatever you have done for safeguarding and promoting Catholic interests. Moreover, we have often considered and admired the noble gifts of your nation which enable the American people to be alive to every good work which promotes the good of humanity and the splendor of civilization."
Kevin Tierney: After the standard greeting with which Popes address their audience, he goes on to extol certain virtues of America. America is not an inherently bad country. Many of us need to be reminded this, as we see the path our country is taking today. Despite our faults, we have had a proud history. It is our job to re-capture this.
"The underlying principle of these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions. Many think that these concessions should be made not only in regard to ways of living, but even in regard to doctrines which belong to the deposit of the faith. They contend that it would be opportune, in order to gain those who differ from us, to omit certain points of her teaching which are of lesser importance, and to tone down the meaning which the Church has always attached to them. "
Kevin Tierney: In America's rich history, America has been known as a people of compromise. Indeed, the only way our civilization survived in it's infancy was strictly because of compromise. Compromise in and of itself is not a bad thing, and is a necessary aspect of government, and of any way of life. You can't always get what you want, as the old song goes.
Sadly, America has learned tragically that there are certain things in the political sphere you cannot compromise on. Henry Clay, the great Whig politician of the 19th century, was known as the Great Compromiser, for the compromises he brokered on such issues as slavery and states rights. This compromise was an exercise in futility though, because a central truth was at state in the Republic, the notion of slavery, and the role of the states in regards to the federal government. All the compromise did was brood tension even more, until finally, war broke out between the States. The lesson we learn from this is compromise is not always a good thing. It is not always a bad thing either. It depends on what is compromised. If this is true in the political sphere, how much more true is it in the religious sphere, where the very salvation of souls is at stake! That is what we must remember. We can compromise, but we cannot compromise on issues central to absolute truth.
Do we not see this in America today? We have political conservatives, even Catholics, who advocate that in furthering a certain agenda, we need as many people on board as we can, including those who are fiscally conservative, yet support abortion, homosexuality, and a host of other dangerous doctrine. The economy does not function without a sure social fabric. Based on these attempts to compromise, we now have conservatives not able to truly support the Republican party, a party which had traditionally identified itself as conservative. Our loyalty is first to God, not to advancing a particular countries prosperity. While Leo XIII primarily dealt with a religious aspect here, the principle he outlines, a very simple principle, that absolute truth cannot be compromised on, has wide ramifications.
"We cannot consider as altogether blameless the silence which purposely leads to the omission or neglect of some of the principles of Christian doctrine, for all the principles come from the same Author and Master, "the Only Begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father."-John I, I8. They are adapted to all times and all nations, as is clearly seen from the words of our Lord to His apostles: "Going, therefore, teach all nations; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all days, even to the end of the world."-Matt. xxviii, 19. Concerning this point the Vatican Council says: "All those things are to be believed with divine and catholic faith which are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal magisterium, proposes for belief as having been divinely revealed."-Const. de fide, Chapter iii. "
Kevin Tierney: Here is something we American Catholics must take to heart. That what the Church was before, she still is, and always will be. That means, the truths about the Church will always be the same, including our roles and responsibility to that Church. For example, a Catholic is not to support those who advance the culture of death. This is a central truth that has always been around. This truth is not up for negation due to the "Spirit of the age" or just over how great and modern we are. We will return to this central truth numerous times throughout this commentary.
"Let it be far from anyone's mind to suppress for any reason any doctrine that has been handed down. Such a policy would tend rather to separate Catholics from the Church than to bring in those who differ."
Kevin Tierney: Again, this simple principle has wide reaching ramifications. If we are looking to build a truly Catholic way of society, we must listen to these principles, and apply them to our lives. A unity at the expense of truth is no true unity, but instead, breeds dissension. By omitting certain "hard teachings" of the Church in an attempt to bring Non-Catholics in, these men were in truth alienating Catholics from their mother the Church. As one can see, this problem of the Catholic Church in America has not gone away, but indeed, one could argue it has gotten worse. Yet what is the principle here we must listen to in constructing a truly Catholic society? By attempting to make our views more acceptable to those who are opposed to us, we cannot water things down. All this will do is drive away those we need for our cause the most. The current Supreme Pontiff John Paul II has gained respect even in Non-Catholic circles for his steadfast opposition to abortion, he is indeed a stinging rebuke to those who advance the culture of death. That strength breeds courage in those fighting this culture. We must not compromise on these central issues. The Republican party did this some time ago, and the results have been devastating to the moral fabric of this country.
"But in regard to ways of living she has been accustomed to so yield that, the divine principle of morals being kept intact, she has never neglected to accommodate herself to the character and genius of the nations which she embraces. "
Kevin Tierney: That is a very succint statement. We cannot be closed to things around us. When new situations arise, sometimes new approaches must be taken. Yet when undertaking these new approaches, one cannot compromise the central truths upon which comprise the foundation of the system. This is a recurring theme in Leo XIII's encyclical. A new approach, if one is necessary, cannot compromise the truths on which the "old" approach is founded. It is a very basic truth, and one parents know all too well in dealing with their children. While a parent must be flexible in certain areas, in others, it would be truly dangerous to allow such freedom to try certain things. No good parent would exercise love by handing their child drugs and allowing them to use it, while a good parent might let a child go out at night later, as long as he remains safe, and doesn't put himself in dangerous positions. The Church likewise is a mother to us all. It tells us that sometimes, new approaches must be undertaken, but gives us firm guidelines which cannot be crossed, because reason and experience dictate how dangerous it is when these lines are crossed. We must remain firm in setting up a truly Catholic way of life for ourselves and those around us, not to compromise on these central aspects.
"But, beloved son, in this present matter of which we are speaking, there is even a greater danger and a more manifest opposition to Catholic doctrine and discipline in that opinion of the lovers of novelty, according to which they hold such liberty should be allowed in the Church, that her supervision and watchfulness being in some sense lessened, allowance be granted the faithful, each one to follow out more freely the leading of his own mind and the trend of his own proper activity. They are of opinion that such liberty has its counterpart in the newly given civil freedom which is now the right and the foundation of almost every secular state. "
Kevin Tierney: Here we see Leo beginning to attack another central tenet of Americanism;, that of true liberty, vs. The false liberty many were promoting. It is obvious that those who were pushing for the central truths to be omitted, would need a weaker Church authority in order to accomplish their goals. In America, the great minds of history, the Constitution, and indeed the very foundations of our Republic had to be swept aside, so this culture which is injurious to the fabric of America could advance. Leo will then go on to outline what indeed that true liberty is.
"In the apostolic letters concerning the constitution of states, addressed by us to the bishops of the whole Church, we discussed this point at length; and there set forth the difference existing between the Church, which is a divine society, and all other social human organizations which depend simply on free will and choice of men. "
Kevin Tierney: This here is another very important point. The Church is a divine institution, America, is not a divine institution. We Americans are zealous people, indeed, when roused from slumber, are probalby the most zealous country there is in the world. Yet sometimes that zeal makes us think our way is the only way possible, that indeed, our way is the divine way, and that everyone else must adapt to that way. Leo XIII says no, this is not the case. The Church is a divine institution, and hence, is not subject to the human organizations who depend on the will and choice of mere men. The Church is here not because of what men want, but because of Jesus Christ. It is not the purpose of the Church to become like the masses, but the job of the masses to conform to the principles of Jesus Christ. We see this mindset in the ways of many "Catholic" politicians today. "I am a Catholic, but my first priority is an American, and to serve the people I represent. Since they favor abortion, I must vote for abortion. Who does that Pope think he is, telling me that I must conform to these ideas. We Americans don't need the advice of some old, set in his ways man in Italy. We live in America, we know better." These men expect the divine institution to conform to the merely human institution. The problem is that human institution constantly changes. 50 years ago, the idea that a representative was to give his people abortion would've been absurd, even moreso if it came from a Catholics mouth! How could the Church ever conform? It simply could not. As Catholic politicians, we are to promote the necessity of conforming to the central truths of Jesus Christ and his Church. In the end, we are subject to her, she is not subject to us. We see this nowadays with American groups such as Catholics for a choice, Call to Action, all these American groups honestly think the Church needs to conform in America to the "spirit of the age." It's such an arrogant way of thinking, it's madness.
"It is alleged that now the Vatican decree concerning the infallible teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff having been proclaimed that nothing further on that score can give any solicitude, and accordingly, since that has been safeguarded and put beyond question a wider and freer field both for thought and action lies open to each one. But such reasoning is evidently faulty, since, if we are to come to any conclusion from the infallible teaching authority of the Church, it should rather be that no one should wish to depart from it, and moreover that the minds of all being leavened and directed thereby, greater security from private error would be enjoyed by all. And further, those who avail themselves of such a way of reasoning seem to depart seriously from the over-ruling wisdom of the Most High-which wisdom, since it was pleased to set forth by most solemn decision the authority and supreme teaching rights of this Apostolic See-willed that decision precisely in order to safeguard the minds of the Church's children from the dangers of these present times. "
Kevin Tierney: How many times have we heard this line of thought. So what if the teaching has been laid down, we are still allowed liberty to "go beyond" that teaching. We're past that now. Catholics can be for abortion, things have changed since Vatican II! I'm sure everyone has heard this argumentation before. The truth is, no matter what, these central truths cannot change. Who would want to depart from such central truths? These central truths such as the sanctity of human life in the unborn child, in that it cannot be murdered via abortion or any other means, is one of the most important tenets of a truly Catholic system, because without that belief, well, there simply wouldn't be life upon which to advance that culture. Their views are utterly illogical, but they are built up on pride, upon a false sense of liberty.
"These dangers, viz., the confounding of license with liberty, the passion for discussing and pouring contempt upon any possible subject, the assumed right to hold whatever opinions one pleases upon any subject and to set them forth in print to the world, have so wrapped minds in darkness that there is now a greater need of the Church's teaching office than ever before, lest people become unmindful both of conscience and of duty. "
Kevin Tierney: This is indeed a call to action for Catholics. Who else is reading these words and saying "You know, are you sure a current Pope didn't write this, this sounds exactly like today." Leo XIII's statements are indeed truly prophetic. They are more urgent than ever simply because the error of Americanism has become expotentially worse than in his time. The only true solution to the horrible social problems of today is indeed the foundational truths of Jesus Christ and his Church. It is a very interesting note, that the leaders against this culture in all aspects, a solid faction of them are indeed Catholic. Supreme Court Justices such as Antoine Scalia and Clarence Thomas, both devout Catholics, are set forth as examples of the type of people we need in the judicial branch of government. In the world of political commentary, some of the strongest voices of conservatives are from Catholics, Alan Keyes, Patrick Buchannan, Robert Novak, and a host of others. Even Non-Catholics such as Chuck Colson realize the important role Catholic principles have in promoting a truly moral America, as numerous articles he has emphasized the likes of Thomas Aquinas, and how his sound moral precepts are needed in America. We Catholics in America are far more powerful than we realize. If the Catholic vote all went to one party, the other party would stand absolutely no chance of being elected. Conservatives of any religious stripe pay respect to the teaching of the Catholic Church, when it is advanced, let us advance this teaching, as it is needed in our country now more than ever.
"We, indeed, have no thought of rejecting everything that modern industry and study has produced; so far from it that we welcome to the patrimony of truth and to an ever-widening scope of public well-being whatsoever helps toward the progress of learning and virtue. Yet all this, to be of any solid benefit, nay, to have a real existence and growth, can only be on the condition of recognizing the wisdom and authority of the Church. "
Leo keeps returning to the solid foundation, that everything that comes along, new approaches, advances, anything, must continue to return to the central truths of Jesus Christ and his Church.
"Coming now to speak of the conclusions which have been deduced from the above opinions, and for them, we readily believe there was no thought of wrong or guile, yet the things themselves certainly merit some degree of suspicion. First, all external guidance is set aside for those souls who are striving after Christian perfection as being superfluous or indeed, not useful in any sense -the contention being that the Holy Spirit pours richer and more abundant graces than formerly upon the souls of the faithful, so that without human intervention He teaches and guides them by some hidden instinct of His own. Yet it is the sign of no small over-confidence to desire to measure and determine the mode of the Divine communication to mankind, since it wholly depends upon His own good pleasure, and He is a most generous dispenser 'of his own gifts. "The Spirit breatheth whereso He listeth." -- John iii, 8. "
Kevin Tierney: Americanism can be summarized in short as overconfident in America, confusing the divine with the human. All too often, Americans become far too arrogant, that we're America, we're always right, everything we do works, we're not subject to anyone, everyone should be subject to us. While I surely promote the American dream, the temptation of arrogance is always there. Those old Italians don't know any better. What a way of thinking.
"And shall any one who recalls the history of the apostles, the faith of the nascent church, the trials and deaths of the martyrs- and, above all, those olden times, so fruitful in saints-dare to measure our age with these, or affirm that they received less of the divine outpouring from the Spirit of Holiness? "
Kevin Tierney: It is almost comical the way Leo XIII exposes the blatant arrogance of Americanism. Do we really think we're that high and mighty, compared to those martyrs? Today's culture believes it has advanced so much, it no longer needs the protection of God. Yet it was exactly through trust in God these martyrs turned their deaths into a battle cry, which eventually engulfed the entire Roman empire, conquering it to Christ. We must always be focused on God, he will give the necessary graces that are needed. I would be willing to bet if every Catholic in America prayed for 5 minutes a night for the conversion of this country, all America would be Catholic within a few years. God is there for us. Many read these encyclicals as condemnations, but in reality, they are battle cries, sounding the alarm for the troops to report, and when they go into battle, fighting valiantly for the Church, and avoiding the errors which the Popes outline.
There is plenty more I can cover, but I believe we have definitely seen without a doubt that Leo's condemnation of Americanism over a century ago is all to relevant to the American Catholics of today. We must be wary of these errors, and truly conquer this country for Christ.
I believe this is a fitting choice for the first installment of Papal Wisdom on Social Teachings. As an American, I am very proud to be on the front lines of battle against the liberal, secularized culture of death that is seeking to utterly do away with the culture of Christ. Yet I'm sure many wonder, exactly why am I covering Americanism? Today I think many misunderstand exactly what Americanism is. Indeed, I remember during a debate I had over the recent war in Iraq, I was accused of Americanism for promoting the war. Many people seriously believed this charge, and I was utterly stunned by it. Now while there was a religious aspect of the encyclical Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, I believe there are numerous political and social ramifications of such an encyclical, which I hope I can outline as we continue. As Catholics, we need to understand the Catholic way of doings things, and I believe Leo XIII outlines them splendidly in this remarkable letter. I will put Leo XIII's words in quotations, and then denote where I begin my commentary by marking it with my name. Let us get started.
"LEO XIII, Pope-Beloved Son, Health and Apostolic Blessing: We send to you by this letter a renewed expression of that good will which we have not failed during the course of our pontificate to manifest frequently to you and to your colleagues in the episcopate and to the whole American people, availing ourselves of every opportunity offered us by the progress of your church or whatever you have done for safeguarding and promoting Catholic interests. Moreover, we have often considered and admired the noble gifts of your nation which enable the American people to be alive to every good work which promotes the good of humanity and the splendor of civilization."
Kevin Tierney: After the standard greeting with which Popes address their audience, he goes on to extol certain virtues of America. America is not an inherently bad country. Many of us need to be reminded this, as we see the path our country is taking today. Despite our faults, we have had a proud history. It is our job to re-capture this.
"The underlying principle of these new opinions is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions. Many think that these concessions should be made not only in regard to ways of living, but even in regard to doctrines which belong to the deposit of the faith. They contend that it would be opportune, in order to gain those who differ from us, to omit certain points of her teaching which are of lesser importance, and to tone down the meaning which the Church has always attached to them. "
Kevin Tierney: In America's rich history, America has been known as a people of compromise. Indeed, the only way our civilization survived in it's infancy was strictly because of compromise. Compromise in and of itself is not a bad thing, and is a necessary aspect of government, and of any way of life. You can't always get what you want, as the old song goes.
Sadly, America has learned tragically that there are certain things in the political sphere you cannot compromise on. Henry Clay, the great Whig politician of the 19th century, was known as the Great Compromiser, for the compromises he brokered on such issues as slavery and states rights. This compromise was an exercise in futility though, because a central truth was at state in the Republic, the notion of slavery, and the role of the states in regards to the federal government. All the compromise did was brood tension even more, until finally, war broke out between the States. The lesson we learn from this is compromise is not always a good thing. It is not always a bad thing either. It depends on what is compromised. If this is true in the political sphere, how much more true is it in the religious sphere, where the very salvation of souls is at stake! That is what we must remember. We can compromise, but we cannot compromise on issues central to absolute truth.
Do we not see this in America today? We have political conservatives, even Catholics, who advocate that in furthering a certain agenda, we need as many people on board as we can, including those who are fiscally conservative, yet support abortion, homosexuality, and a host of other dangerous doctrine. The economy does not function without a sure social fabric. Based on these attempts to compromise, we now have conservatives not able to truly support the Republican party, a party which had traditionally identified itself as conservative. Our loyalty is first to God, not to advancing a particular countries prosperity. While Leo XIII primarily dealt with a religious aspect here, the principle he outlines, a very simple principle, that absolute truth cannot be compromised on, has wide ramifications.
"We cannot consider as altogether blameless the silence which purposely leads to the omission or neglect of some of the principles of Christian doctrine, for all the principles come from the same Author and Master, "the Only Begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father."-John I, I8. They are adapted to all times and all nations, as is clearly seen from the words of our Lord to His apostles: "Going, therefore, teach all nations; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all days, even to the end of the world."-Matt. xxviii, 19. Concerning this point the Vatican Council says: "All those things are to be believed with divine and catholic faith which are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal magisterium, proposes for belief as having been divinely revealed."-Const. de fide, Chapter iii. "
Kevin Tierney: Here is something we American Catholics must take to heart. That what the Church was before, she still is, and always will be. That means, the truths about the Church will always be the same, including our roles and responsibility to that Church. For example, a Catholic is not to support those who advance the culture of death. This is a central truth that has always been around. This truth is not up for negation due to the "Spirit of the age" or just over how great and modern we are. We will return to this central truth numerous times throughout this commentary.
"Let it be far from anyone's mind to suppress for any reason any doctrine that has been handed down. Such a policy would tend rather to separate Catholics from the Church than to bring in those who differ."
Kevin Tierney: Again, this simple principle has wide reaching ramifications. If we are looking to build a truly Catholic way of society, we must listen to these principles, and apply them to our lives. A unity at the expense of truth is no true unity, but instead, breeds dissension. By omitting certain "hard teachings" of the Church in an attempt to bring Non-Catholics in, these men were in truth alienating Catholics from their mother the Church. As one can see, this problem of the Catholic Church in America has not gone away, but indeed, one could argue it has gotten worse. Yet what is the principle here we must listen to in constructing a truly Catholic society? By attempting to make our views more acceptable to those who are opposed to us, we cannot water things down. All this will do is drive away those we need for our cause the most. The current Supreme Pontiff John Paul II has gained respect even in Non-Catholic circles for his steadfast opposition to abortion, he is indeed a stinging rebuke to those who advance the culture of death. That strength breeds courage in those fighting this culture. We must not compromise on these central issues. The Republican party did this some time ago, and the results have been devastating to the moral fabric of this country.
"But in regard to ways of living she has been accustomed to so yield that, the divine principle of morals being kept intact, she has never neglected to accommodate herself to the character and genius of the nations which she embraces. "
Kevin Tierney: That is a very succint statement. We cannot be closed to things around us. When new situations arise, sometimes new approaches must be taken. Yet when undertaking these new approaches, one cannot compromise the central truths upon which comprise the foundation of the system. This is a recurring theme in Leo XIII's encyclical. A new approach, if one is necessary, cannot compromise the truths on which the "old" approach is founded. It is a very basic truth, and one parents know all too well in dealing with their children. While a parent must be flexible in certain areas, in others, it would be truly dangerous to allow such freedom to try certain things. No good parent would exercise love by handing their child drugs and allowing them to use it, while a good parent might let a child go out at night later, as long as he remains safe, and doesn't put himself in dangerous positions. The Church likewise is a mother to us all. It tells us that sometimes, new approaches must be undertaken, but gives us firm guidelines which cannot be crossed, because reason and experience dictate how dangerous it is when these lines are crossed. We must remain firm in setting up a truly Catholic way of life for ourselves and those around us, not to compromise on these central aspects.
"But, beloved son, in this present matter of which we are speaking, there is even a greater danger and a more manifest opposition to Catholic doctrine and discipline in that opinion of the lovers of novelty, according to which they hold such liberty should be allowed in the Church, that her supervision and watchfulness being in some sense lessened, allowance be granted the faithful, each one to follow out more freely the leading of his own mind and the trend of his own proper activity. They are of opinion that such liberty has its counterpart in the newly given civil freedom which is now the right and the foundation of almost every secular state. "
Kevin Tierney: Here we see Leo beginning to attack another central tenet of Americanism;, that of true liberty, vs. The false liberty many were promoting. It is obvious that those who were pushing for the central truths to be omitted, would need a weaker Church authority in order to accomplish their goals. In America, the great minds of history, the Constitution, and indeed the very foundations of our Republic had to be swept aside, so this culture which is injurious to the fabric of America could advance. Leo will then go on to outline what indeed that true liberty is.
"In the apostolic letters concerning the constitution of states, addressed by us to the bishops of the whole Church, we discussed this point at length; and there set forth the difference existing between the Church, which is a divine society, and all other social human organizations which depend simply on free will and choice of men. "
Kevin Tierney: This here is another very important point. The Church is a divine institution, America, is not a divine institution. We Americans are zealous people, indeed, when roused from slumber, are probalby the most zealous country there is in the world. Yet sometimes that zeal makes us think our way is the only way possible, that indeed, our way is the divine way, and that everyone else must adapt to that way. Leo XIII says no, this is not the case. The Church is a divine institution, and hence, is not subject to the human organizations who depend on the will and choice of mere men. The Church is here not because of what men want, but because of Jesus Christ. It is not the purpose of the Church to become like the masses, but the job of the masses to conform to the principles of Jesus Christ. We see this mindset in the ways of many "Catholic" politicians today. "I am a Catholic, but my first priority is an American, and to serve the people I represent. Since they favor abortion, I must vote for abortion. Who does that Pope think he is, telling me that I must conform to these ideas. We Americans don't need the advice of some old, set in his ways man in Italy. We live in America, we know better." These men expect the divine institution to conform to the merely human institution. The problem is that human institution constantly changes. 50 years ago, the idea that a representative was to give his people abortion would've been absurd, even moreso if it came from a Catholics mouth! How could the Church ever conform? It simply could not. As Catholic politicians, we are to promote the necessity of conforming to the central truths of Jesus Christ and his Church. In the end, we are subject to her, she is not subject to us. We see this nowadays with American groups such as Catholics for a choice, Call to Action, all these American groups honestly think the Church needs to conform in America to the "spirit of the age." It's such an arrogant way of thinking, it's madness.
"It is alleged that now the Vatican decree concerning the infallible teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff having been proclaimed that nothing further on that score can give any solicitude, and accordingly, since that has been safeguarded and put beyond question a wider and freer field both for thought and action lies open to each one. But such reasoning is evidently faulty, since, if we are to come to any conclusion from the infallible teaching authority of the Church, it should rather be that no one should wish to depart from it, and moreover that the minds of all being leavened and directed thereby, greater security from private error would be enjoyed by all. And further, those who avail themselves of such a way of reasoning seem to depart seriously from the over-ruling wisdom of the Most High-which wisdom, since it was pleased to set forth by most solemn decision the authority and supreme teaching rights of this Apostolic See-willed that decision precisely in order to safeguard the minds of the Church's children from the dangers of these present times. "
Kevin Tierney: How many times have we heard this line of thought. So what if the teaching has been laid down, we are still allowed liberty to "go beyond" that teaching. We're past that now. Catholics can be for abortion, things have changed since Vatican II! I'm sure everyone has heard this argumentation before. The truth is, no matter what, these central truths cannot change. Who would want to depart from such central truths? These central truths such as the sanctity of human life in the unborn child, in that it cannot be murdered via abortion or any other means, is one of the most important tenets of a truly Catholic system, because without that belief, well, there simply wouldn't be life upon which to advance that culture. Their views are utterly illogical, but they are built up on pride, upon a false sense of liberty.
"These dangers, viz., the confounding of license with liberty, the passion for discussing and pouring contempt upon any possible subject, the assumed right to hold whatever opinions one pleases upon any subject and to set them forth in print to the world, have so wrapped minds in darkness that there is now a greater need of the Church's teaching office than ever before, lest people become unmindful both of conscience and of duty. "
Kevin Tierney: This is indeed a call to action for Catholics. Who else is reading these words and saying "You know, are you sure a current Pope didn't write this, this sounds exactly like today." Leo XIII's statements are indeed truly prophetic. They are more urgent than ever simply because the error of Americanism has become expotentially worse than in his time. The only true solution to the horrible social problems of today is indeed the foundational truths of Jesus Christ and his Church. It is a very interesting note, that the leaders against this culture in all aspects, a solid faction of them are indeed Catholic. Supreme Court Justices such as Antoine Scalia and Clarence Thomas, both devout Catholics, are set forth as examples of the type of people we need in the judicial branch of government. In the world of political commentary, some of the strongest voices of conservatives are from Catholics, Alan Keyes, Patrick Buchannan, Robert Novak, and a host of others. Even Non-Catholics such as Chuck Colson realize the important role Catholic principles have in promoting a truly moral America, as numerous articles he has emphasized the likes of Thomas Aquinas, and how his sound moral precepts are needed in America. We Catholics in America are far more powerful than we realize. If the Catholic vote all went to one party, the other party would stand absolutely no chance of being elected. Conservatives of any religious stripe pay respect to the teaching of the Catholic Church, when it is advanced, let us advance this teaching, as it is needed in our country now more than ever.
"We, indeed, have no thought of rejecting everything that modern industry and study has produced; so far from it that we welcome to the patrimony of truth and to an ever-widening scope of public well-being whatsoever helps toward the progress of learning and virtue. Yet all this, to be of any solid benefit, nay, to have a real existence and growth, can only be on the condition of recognizing the wisdom and authority of the Church. "
Leo keeps returning to the solid foundation, that everything that comes along, new approaches, advances, anything, must continue to return to the central truths of Jesus Christ and his Church.
"Coming now to speak of the conclusions which have been deduced from the above opinions, and for them, we readily believe there was no thought of wrong or guile, yet the things themselves certainly merit some degree of suspicion. First, all external guidance is set aside for those souls who are striving after Christian perfection as being superfluous or indeed, not useful in any sense -the contention being that the Holy Spirit pours richer and more abundant graces than formerly upon the souls of the faithful, so that without human intervention He teaches and guides them by some hidden instinct of His own. Yet it is the sign of no small over-confidence to desire to measure and determine the mode of the Divine communication to mankind, since it wholly depends upon His own good pleasure, and He is a most generous dispenser 'of his own gifts. "The Spirit breatheth whereso He listeth." -- John iii, 8. "
Kevin Tierney: Americanism can be summarized in short as overconfident in America, confusing the divine with the human. All too often, Americans become far too arrogant, that we're America, we're always right, everything we do works, we're not subject to anyone, everyone should be subject to us. While I surely promote the American dream, the temptation of arrogance is always there. Those old Italians don't know any better. What a way of thinking.
"And shall any one who recalls the history of the apostles, the faith of the nascent church, the trials and deaths of the martyrs- and, above all, those olden times, so fruitful in saints-dare to measure our age with these, or affirm that they received less of the divine outpouring from the Spirit of Holiness? "
Kevin Tierney: It is almost comical the way Leo XIII exposes the blatant arrogance of Americanism. Do we really think we're that high and mighty, compared to those martyrs? Today's culture believes it has advanced so much, it no longer needs the protection of God. Yet it was exactly through trust in God these martyrs turned their deaths into a battle cry, which eventually engulfed the entire Roman empire, conquering it to Christ. We must always be focused on God, he will give the necessary graces that are needed. I would be willing to bet if every Catholic in America prayed for 5 minutes a night for the conversion of this country, all America would be Catholic within a few years. God is there for us. Many read these encyclicals as condemnations, but in reality, they are battle cries, sounding the alarm for the troops to report, and when they go into battle, fighting valiantly for the Church, and avoiding the errors which the Popes outline.
There is plenty more I can cover, but I believe we have definitely seen without a doubt that Leo's condemnation of Americanism over a century ago is all to relevant to the American Catholics of today. We must be wary of these errors, and truly conquer this country for Christ.
Papal Wisdom Dept
Our first regular series of bloggings will be commentaries on papal encyclical dealing with a social manner. I will attempt to let them speak for themselves as much as possible, and provide possible commentary and what their message means for today. There is a wealth of knowledge in these encyclical. If anyone has any ideas for an encyclical I should cover, please let me know.
Our first regular series of bloggings will be commentaries on papal encyclical dealing with a social manner. I will attempt to let them speak for themselves as much as possible, and provide possible commentary and what their message means for today. There is a wealth of knowledge in these encyclical. If anyone has any ideas for an encyclical I should cover, please let me know.
