THE HISTORICAL ACCURACY AS

EDUCATIONAL AND PASTORAL MISSION:

THE CHURCH AND THE GOVERNMENT OF

FRANCISCO FRANCO

[…] at the end of the Spanish Civil War in the thirties of the twentieth century, will be counted 6.832 murdered between the clergy, divided into 13 bishops, 4.184 secular priests, including seminarians, 2.365 Religious and 283 religious; to these must be added at least 60.000 Lay, killed because they are part of the Catholic or some religious association, or simply because they are Christians, as well as several hundred thousand people killed as anti-Marxists, royalist sympathizers or right.

Author
Louis Gadaleta, I. C. *

In 1978, three years after the death of Francisco Franco, a Spanish priest - who was the protagonist and eyewitness of the events of Revolution in Spain 1936, miraculously surviving the fierce anti-Catholic persecution unleashed by anarchists and communists - A group of young left-wing intellectuals who in his presence he said, the worst of any sort on General Francisco Franco, with disarming calm and serene answered:

"I do those terrible years that I've lived and I've seen my brother priests tortured and murdered, nuns raped by hordes of mercenaries in the pay of the Soviet Communists and then killed in a cruel way, churches desecrated, symbols of Christianity destroyed, with immense damage to the artistic ... well, if today met our Lord Jesus Christ who walks arm in arm with Francisco Franco, First I would greet Franco, then the Lord Jesus!».

This hyperbolic expression all played on pure paradox was used to that priest, eighty years old at the time, to tell those so-called intellectuals in their early twenties, veterans from the "glories" of the sixty-eight: "Why do you speak to blind ideology of what you do not know absolutely?»

the lack of historical memory is one of the major tragedies of our modern

In a social situation like ours today, in which the feedback often proceed on the basis of moods lack the most basic historical knowledge, our pastoral task is also to work on a proper recovery of an adequate historical memory, eliminating the history of myths and legends that have been replaced in the historical real: as a matter of fact, "Who does not know the history of the past, is often condemned to repeat it ", as he said the Spanish philosopher and writer George Santayana.

The "clerical complicity" with the Franco regime is still an accusation addressed to the universal Church and the particular Churches of Spain by intellectuals low market, in addition to the accusations against the Popes Pius XI and Pius XII, "Guilty" of having supported this leader rather than the so-called "fighters for freedom and democracy": obviously, many of those who today make such assessments can be found in the circles of the European Left radical chic, stubbornly survived the fall of Communism in the rubble of the Berlin Wall and the victims of their stubborn refusal to accept reality; and if reality conflicts with ideal, so much the worse for reality - Voltaire said! In order to understand certain facts and instead give then a calm assessment on the support given to Franco by the Church and by her two popes, you have to go back in time to the period of the Spanish Revolution, provide the reader with the documented truth of the facts and then leave him in the resulting conclusions, without changing the mood in truth and ideologies in history.

Freemasonry, that much weight and incidence took in all the attacks on the Church in the course of modern history …

The origins of the civil war can be placed from the 1931, when the republic is established in Spain, hegemony of the liberal left and the Masonic: the head of government is Manuel Azaña, anticlerical and turned Mason, that makes up a ministry formed by radical, Socialists and Communists. Incited by their leaders, the anarchist masses begin immediately in several cities: Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Cadiz, Alicante, to make an assault on churches and convents, profanandoli, looting and giving them to the flames. Called on to intervene to protect the personal safety and local, But the government refuses to send the Guardia Civil: "All the convents of Madrid are not worth the life of a single Republican" (1) Azaña declared.
In the following months a constituent assembly, where the Masons are 183, approve a new constitution, that is officially the Democratic, but in practice discriminates against all opposition, and especially virulent against the Church: Catholicism is no longer the state religion, that has now become secular and inspired, especially in the field of education, sectarian theories of Freemasonry; religious congregations are prevented from receiving any public financial support, their movable and immovable property are looted by the state and many of them will be arbitrarily suppressed under the guise of being enemies of the nation; Jesuits are suppressed even express article of the constitution. In addition, the divorce is approved and denied any validity to sacramental marriage.

To men it is totally forbidden to teach and have assets of industry and commerce, and this - combined with the expropriation of property - it throws the most destitute. Religious freedom is possible only in homes and public worship of religion is not allowed, and the government is at pains to prohibit processions, abolish religious education in schools and take away from them and from every public place the crucifix and all religious symbols.

archive photo: two of the nuns of the Visitation pipelines to be shot by the militia red. The seven Visitation nuns were proclaimed blessed martyrs 7 July 1997 together with others 491 Spanish martyrs.

Religious persecution is as violent as it is unjustified, because "the Church has not shown any systematic hostility to the Republic" (2), admit the Mason Alejandro Lerroux blaming, even as a lone voice, the illegality; but the anarchists are pushing for far more radical measures: "The Church has to disappear forever. The temples will no longer serve to promote the most vile complicity. […] I finished the fonts of holy water. It's horrible to see that the Republicans Madrid did not realize the true importance of incendiary blasts that have stained during the first days of July, our social firmament. There are no more shacks Catholic. The torches of the people were incinerated. In their place will be reborn a free spirit who will not have anything in common with the masochism that incubated in the aisles of the cathedrals. […] For this it is clear that there impadroniremo of all its [of the church, N.d.R.] assets that belong to the people for justice. The religious orders have to be dissolved. The bishops and cardinals should be shot. And the church property should be expropriated " (3), the newspaper of the POUM Workers Solidarity.

pectoral cross of the Visitation Sister Cecilia pierced by a bullet and now preserved in the Monastery of the Visitation

The Communists are no less: Trotskyist leader Andrés Nin said that "the working class has solved the problem of the Church simply, leaving even a non-standing ", and 'we have many problems in Spain, and bourgeois republicans did not bother to fix them: the problem of the Church ... ; we have it remedied by going to the root. We have suppressed his priests, churches and worship " (4). You get to say, as the Communist Juan Peyró, that "kill God, ing esistesse, the heat of the revolution, when the people, inflamed by hatred right, tranships, is a very natural fit for human consumption ' (5); "Spain has ceased to be Catholic ' (6), Cortes to Azaña enthused commenting on the constitution in 1931.

archive photo: as well as with the living fury of red rages even on the bodies of priests and religious, that are pulled out of their graves and exposed to gruesome mockery

From Rome, Pope Pius XI condemned the violence of the Godless with the encyclical We love the 1933: "We solemnly protest with all our might against this law, stating that it can not be invoked against the inalienable rights of the Church ", writes, hope that the people of the Iberian induced the rulers' to reform these provisions […] replacing them with other laws to reconcile with the Catholic conscience '.

Nun's corpse out of the grave and exposed on the road

Catholics persecuted advantage of the elections 1934 to send to the government in front of the right, that mitigate as far as possible the measures of persecution and try to restore order in the country, convulsed by violence and expropriation: the Esercito, commanded the Franco, repress the uprising of Asturian miners, that - egged on by the anarchist press - had murdered 33 priests and religious, destroying churches and religious symbols, bombarding the cathedral of Oviedo and even setting fire to the episcopal palace and seminary. But in 1936, expired term, new election marks the rise of the Popular Front, composed of radicals, Social-Communists and anarchists, which allow voting to win a few votes: the violence perpetrated by the left during the campaign shall be reported to the Cortes by right-wing deputy José Calvo Sotelo, the "Spanish Matteotti", my he 13 July 1936 Communists kidnap him and kill him. It is the straw that breaks the camel.

a firing squad of red-staged the shooting of the statue of Christ the Redeemer

Faced with the threat of a Soviet republic Spanish, now seen as inevitable by both sides, the 17 born July a military uprising immediately supported by the right, by monarchists and Catholics: the alzamiento is warmly welcomed in Burgos, Salamanca, Segovia, Avila, Zamora, and Pamplona where people "transformed the coup into a folk festival, spilling into the streets shouting "Live Christ the King!”» (7). The Republican response is immediate: unleashes the merciless hunt Catholic, be a priest or religious is itself worthy of death, as well as having sympathy for religion; churches were systematically looted and burned, or put to any garages or movie, while there is shameful incidents of sacrilege for which the Eucharistic Species are extracted from the tabernacles and trampled, mutilated statues and crucifixes, beheaded and shot. Works of art of inestimable value end up destroyed or stolen from the red fury: Republicans come to the point of opening the ancient tombs in the churches to steal the gold may be present, and even dig up the bodies of nuns and religious exposing them to the derision of the crowd macabre.

the friars of the Order of St. John of God, Fatebenebratelli, dedicated to helping and caring for the sick, taken out of their hospitals and killed by red

The 30 September 1936 the bishop of Salamanca Pla y Daniel exudes his pastoral letter The two cities, that reveals the eyes of the world the horrors and hardships suffered by the Church Iberian, explaining the reasons why the Church and Pius XI blessed Franco and the Nationalists: "The current struggle […] yes covers the external form of a civil war; but it is actually a crusade […] an uprising not to disturb, but to restore order "; a crusade 'in favor of the order against the dissolving communism, for the defense of Christian civilization and its foundations, religion, Home and family, contro i without God and against God. […] The alzamiento Spanish is not merely a civil war, but essentially a crusade for religion, for the country and for civilization against Communism ". For every official act of the Church, Republicans react incrudelendo persecution: were exterminated regardless of all the priests and religious, accanendosi also against the sisters and nuns who are often repeatedly raped before being killed; some priests is promised his life if you will consent to lose one's chastity in brothels, but no one will agree to this ignominy.

At the end of the war, will be counted 6.832 murdered between the clergy, divided into 13 bishops, 4.184 secular priests, including seminarians, 2.365 Religious and 283 religious; to these must be added at least 60.000 Lay, killed because they are part of the Catholic or some religious association, or simply because they are Christians, as well as several hundred thousand people killed as anti-Marxists, royalist sympathizers or right.

Francisco Franco, the cover of the Times

In 1937 all the Spanish bishops signed a joint letter to support the crusade Franco and seek help from European nations, in the meantime are deployed: send volunteers for Franco Catholic nations of Portugal and Ireland, and for the Republicans socialist nations of France and the USSR. Germany and Italy, for political reasons the first and the second political-religious, sent armed contingents in support of the nationalists, that slowly proceed to the liberation of the territories, where the few priests escaped still be living back and restore Catholic worship, Brother di essi Josemaria Escriva, future founder of Opus Dei. In the meantime, Italian military chaplains, make up for the spiritual needs of the Spanish administering the Sacraments.

Among the Italian contingents are the volunteers of the Blackshirts, that well with the militia Republicans are having to fight against their own countrymen: in Spain are, indeed, many Italian Social-shareholders and the ranks of the International Brigades, they see in the Spanish war a crusade against fascism, according to the propaganda of Moscow, Meanwhile, it extends its control on the grid Republican causing the communists to physically eliminate the anarchists to take the lead in war.

contemporary painting depicting the martyrdom of the Augustinian friars. In 1936 the friars of the Order of St. Augustine were killed by militiamen red 97

In the battle around Guadalajara, north of Madrid, the two sides are compared, Italians against Italians: the battle is close and long, from 8 to 25 March 1937; Republicans must absolutely reject the onslaught of nationalist, elated to have just released Malaga, in order to prevent the fall of the capital where they are holed up, and therefore resort to the help of Soviet tanks. After initial successes nationalists, Republicans have the upper hand and the Italian troops are forced to retreat: However, it is a Pyrrhic victory. Not even two years after the victorious troops of General Francisco Franco closed the war will come to the Capital, with the blessing of Pope Pius XII (8), who see with joy the end of an anti-Christian regime and the establishment of a Catholic state which will last until 1975 and expressing the Spaniards his "paternal congratulations for the gift of peace and victory with which God has deigned to crown the Christian heroism of your faith and charity", fighting for Spain, 'Nation chosen by God […] as an impregnable bulwark of faith [that] had to make proselytes materialist atheism of our century the most sublime proof that you are on top of everythingor the eternal values ​​of Religion

i 22 Franciscan martyr dell'Ordine

and of the spirit ". After praising that - despite "the intense propaganda and constant efforts of the enemies of Jesus Christ seem to have wanted to do an experiment in Spain chief of the destructive forces that hold them in the whole world", the Spanish people had risen "decided to defend the ideals of the faith and of Christian civilization" and "helped by God was able to resist the instigation of those, deceived by what he believed a humanitarian ideal of exaltation of humility, in reality, fought not only in favor of atheism "- Pius XII elevated Finally, thanks to the memory of" all those who were able to sacrifice himself heroically in defense of the inalienable rights of God and Religion, both on the battlefield, is enshrined in the sublime offici of Christian charity in prisons and hospitals ».

From this brief historical summary is possible to understand that hyperbole built on pure paradox, to which the elder priest, who had seen his brothers massacred by the hatred of anarchists and communists, appealed illustrating Jesus Christ walking arm in arm with Francisco Franco, the whole thing just to say to the young ideologues: study the history, because if you do not know, you will be doomed to repeat it.

___________________________________________________________________________________

* The AUTORE – Religious Institute of Charity (The Rosminians), earned a master's degree in Contemporary History at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan and theological baccalaureate at the Pontifical Lateran University.

_________________________________________________________

NOTE

(1) Cit. in P. PRESTON, The Spanish Civil War, Oscar Mondadori History, 2000, p. 35.
(2) Cit. in G. ROUX, The civil war of Spain, Trad.. en. Sansoni, Florence, 1966, p. 29.
(3) The Church Down! Editorial anonymous Solidaridad Obrera, 15 August 1936, cit. in A. MOUNTAIN MORENO, Historical summary of the religious persecution in Spain 1936-1939, Madrid, 1961, p. 55-56.
(4) Cit. both in A. MOUNTAIN MORENO, Historical summary, p. 55.
(5) Cit. both in A. MOUNTAIN MORENO, Historical summary, p. 55.
(6) Cit. in Ibid., p. 56, note.
(7) Ibid., p 81.
(8) S. S. PIUS XII, Radio Message "With inmenso joy", 16 April 1939.

THE "FULL COMPLETION"
TRA Eresia marcionista ED Ecumenism AT ALL COSTS

Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to bring to completion. For verily I say unto you: Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle of the law will, till all be fulfilled [Mt 5, 17-18].

Author
Ariel S. Levi di Gualdo

you when you, no when it is no ...

This fragment of the Gospel of St. Matthew is rich in these elements on these few lines may be written treated encyclopedia only to frame the different arguments enclosed in a single harmonic context: the revelation of the Word of God made man. Think how much we could talk and discuss, Today perhaps more than ever, on single sentence that follows a few lines ahead: "Let your speech be: "Yes, Yes ", "no, No "; more than this comes from the evil one " [Mt 5, 37]. Needless to say, the Church and in society today is rather difficult to say when it is yes and no when it is not, mindful that the more - but sometimes even less, if no worse than the "nothing", for example, the omission - it comes from the Evil One, for which the "less" and the "of nothing" is sowing ground, irrigation, bud and finally harvest.

S. AND. Mons. Nunzio Galantine, Secretary-General of the CEI, in one ieratica poses during the liturgical actio

Just think what is difficult in the Church today to say clearly: this is right and this is wrong, This is lawful and this is unlawful, because it is written in the deposit of faith revealed. All this not because we say, but because it teaches Revelation, of which we are devoted servants and instruments, faithful preachers, not arbitrary hosts. And this is easy to say what kind of desolation pervade us when you are forced to hear bishops say homilies in which our chief priests speak of crimes against the language of social justice with brisk sociology, no longer speak of sin or of the Social Doctrine of the Church, not to mention the almost total lack of proper vocabulary metaphysical. What actually understandable, because when the revelation and his devoted servant of theology must take account of the too worldly demands of the company to which you want pleasure and never regret, to follow below with the logic of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue reduced mostly to political sociology, it may happen that one tries to logical consequence of having in all ways “a barrel of wine and eat it too”, as stated in our old proverb.

Say ' yes ' or ' no ' is harder than it looksi, by which time we have lost our natural language, which is precisely the metaphysical, Today tragically replaced with the Hegelian-rahneriano. So often we end up saying a little 'yes and a little' no, or with the support that may be but is at the same time and also no, if everything goes well, we conclude with a "ni", but not to make decisions and sometimes painful, saying with prudence and love the truth that can never be silenced, given that we are called to know, serve and proclaim the truth that will set us free [GV 8, 32], because none of us is a “Christian anonymous”, but a loyal subject and topic Prince of revelation and redemption. No one is to God “anonymous”, place which He calls us one by one by name, It took the very fact, designed and loved even before the creation of the world. Herein lies the danger of certain heterodox tendencies of the Jesuit Karl Rahner that today is the master in the absolute majority of theological studies: give improper and relativistic dignity saving to’ “anonymity”, through which you end up making anonymous God, nullifying through its poisonous theory of so-called “anonymous Christians” the whole mystery of the Redemption.

The Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets of the Law

This fragment of the Gospel of Matthew contains numerous inspirations of deep reflection (c)he had the opportunity to study years ago in my book [And Satan came Trino, cit. pag. 100-104]. We take only the opening sentence of this Gospel passage: «Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to fully fulfill ". It is truly a land mine, in part insidious one that opens the horizon through this phrase, penetrating into it because we are going to touch the Old and the New Covenant, the Old and New Testament, the ancient people of Israel and the new People of Israel born of the Incarnation, by the death and resurrection of Christ, God.

An edition of the Catechism

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read these words [n. 121-123]:

"The Old Testament is an indispensable part of Sacred Scripture. Its books are divinely inspired and retain a permanent value, for the Old Covenant has never been revoked. Indeed, the Old Testament economy was directed was to prepare […] the advent of Christ the Saviour of the universe.

The Second Vatican Council states that "The books of the Old Testament, Even though they contain matters imperfect and provisional, bear witness to the whole divine pedagogy of God's saving. They express a deep sense of God, sound wisdom about human life and a wonderful treasury of prayers; Finally, in them is hidden the mystery of our salvation " [Cf Second Vatican Council, Cost. dogm. God's word, 14: AAS 58 (1966) 825].

Tablets of the Law

Christians venerate the Old Testament as true Word of God and lChurch has always vigorously rejected the idea of ​​rejecting the Old Testament under the pretext that the New has rendered it void. This is a heretical thesis carried out by the Bishop of Sinope Marcion in the second century, which gave birth to the heresy which will then name Marcionism. Needless to say: the subject is so sensitive that every word, rather, every breath should be weighed, especially in these times where more and more often, use the correct words - which are an essential basis is essential to express the doctrine is primarily to make theological speculation, which is the correct metaphysical vocabulary - replace “new words” if not worse utterances based on impulses dictated by fairness and social policy, other structured on-gooders sterile sentimentality and ends in themselves.

Who among us has done some 'legal studies, or simply for personal practical issues also had to do with the book of succession Pro mortis causa - I refer to the specific Code of Civil Law of our country - knows, if anything, even knowing how little of law, that the will is valid on the last signed. If before this will have been entered into other, automatically are no longer valid. Unless, the last will made, is not affected by irregularities and flaws that make it invalid, because in that case as attested by the previous. Obviously we are not here to discuss notarial deeds but, since we are talking of wills ...

Plastic reconstruction of the ancient Temple of Solomon

... We are faced with an Old Covenant that is not canceled by the first and a New Covenant that comes from the ancient. On the one hand we have the Jews with an Old Testament and Ancient Alliance, other Christians with a New Covenant and a New Testament. It is not a minor problem, albeit too accommodating certain theologians and biblical scholars argue for years that both the children of the two alliances hold sacred pact, welcome dato's revocato, that is, the Old Covenant of the People of Israel; then given to the second, that is, the New Testament of Christians, the New Covenant. To all this is added the Catechism of the Catholic Church which states: "The Old Covenant has never been revoked". There's enough to be confused, especially when faced with all this, the priests are not the pastors that they teach the faithful; or if theologians don't do well — but especially with faith - Their craft tools of theology devoted servant of the Truth Revealed.

Carl Heinrich Bloch, Sermon on the Mount, oil on canvas

What the Catechism of the Catholic Church is sacrosanct, provided it is properly explained, because the task is to indicate the text and sometimes outline the truths of faith; while the task of the devoted servants of truth is to explain, to evangelize and educate the faithful to correct doctrine. The explanation for this apparent dilemma is all of it in one word that completes this phrase of the Lord Jesus, because with that one word the Word of God gives us the explanation that many - you want to excesses of ecumenism misinterpreted, you want to make inter-religious dialogue at all costs and at all costs - but do not want to catch. Also because in the context of the discourse in Matthew's Gospel there are two expressions that look really at odds with each other and that almost clash in the original greek text. On the one hand, the concept of continuity with the Old Law: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets: I have come not to abolish ... [5,17]». On the other, a little further on, a phrase that seems to be a warning containing a real break: "Have you heard what the ancients were told ... but I tell you ... [5,21SS.]». And before all this, the problem does not go away but is quite complicated. Also because, the statement "but I tell you", should be read and interpreted in accordance with the models of lexical Aramaic language spoken by the Lord Jesus: is an imperative expressed with solemn authority in the construction of the same phrase on the wheel whole '' I '. Which is to say,: "It's true because I say it, because I am proof of the truth ". That being said let's try to put ourselves in the shoes now the scribes and Pharisees, even worse, the doctors of the Law, to understand why they repeatedly accused Jesus of blasphemy [Mt 26, 57-58], others to act in the name and on behalf of the devil himself [LC 11, 15-26], so they were unable to understand the message contained in his speech.

The solution to this "dilemma" is therefore entirely enclosed within a word apparently so simple as to pass almost unnoticed by many scholars: "Consummation". Jesus says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, I have come not to abolish but to fulfill ". The Lord, who is the son of the Old Covenant, born jew among the Jews, and as such circumcised and submitted by the devout zeal of his parents in all the rituals prescribed by the Mosaic Law, not simply leads the Old Law to fulfillment: he himself is the fulfillment of flesh, then the body and the living presence, Alpha e Omega, because his "I" is actually an incarnation of God, then her visible bodily presence.

Go over …

Accomplish, which can be translated as "overcome", "Go beyond" or "complete", does not mean undo or cancel, quite the opposite. The Old Testament was preparatory to the New, and as such should be read and understood in a dimension of the Catholic Faith. Just think of the figure of John the Baptist, The Forerunner, the one who cried out from the wilderness: "Prepare the new roads». When the Word of God became flesh did not erase his preaching of the Baptist, but went to him and asked and demanded to be baptized. And most times, preaching, the Lord Jesus reminded the heroic figure of this great man of faith who announced the coming of the Messiah: "I tell you, among those born of women there is none greater than John " [LC 7, 28].

view of the ancient Roman Forum

In another example, still, this time of historical: after the fall of the Roman Empire was founded in the Middle Ages is divided into at least three different historical periods, after which we have the Renaissance. Well: Renaissance does not come suddenly, much less by accident, but at the end of an epoch that preceded it and in a sense prepared, then in the Renaissance is enclosed and also lives in the Middle Ages. Just as the Baroque, which also contains within itself the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Under the homes of many Italian historical centers there are layers of foundation much older, on which and through which today are the houses visible and populated. This is what the language of the Lord Jesus means to accomplish. The Lord Jesus did not abolish the Law and the Prophets, but on their old foundations built the new temple of God, erected thanks to those ancient foundations. And we are grateful and sincere debtors to those ancient foundations, essential and indispensable, through which and upon which Christ established the new dwelling of; and inside the house we live, blessing for ever and ever God that Christ did not abolish but has made, creating the New Israel, all Vero Israele, without detracting from the true foundation of the Old and Ancient Israel, that is no longer the home, but the foundation on which it is based and builds new home, the temple of Christ, who has completed, abolished without a single iota of the old law: "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle of the law will, till all be fulfilled " [Mt 5, 18].

depiction of Paul's preaching to the Areopagus in Athens

The Apostle Paul, grew up and trained in the cultural self-righteous, does not shirk from addressing the delicate relationship between the Old and the New Covenant. In the Second Letter to the people of Corinth, the Apostle states on the one hand that "our sufficiency is from God who has made us worthy to be ministers of the new covenant" [2 Color 3,6], on the other hand that "to date that same veil remains removed, when you read the old covenant, because it is removed in Christ, may it » [2 Color 3,14]. All this to explain clearly that to be removed is not the Old Covenant but the veil fell over it and that the same will be taken for all who believe in Christ. The Apostle does not fail to remind the privileges of ancient Israel by writing in the Letter to the Romans: "They are Israelites, have the sonship, Glory, alliances, legislation, the cult, the promise; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them came Jesus according to the flesh " [RM 9,4-5]. All these gifts are forever because the love of God as indelible gift is bound neither by logic nor by human responses, but by his faithfulness to the Covenant. Thus, "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" [RM 11,29]. So are the irrevocable covenant of biblical history, as irrevocable and unforgettable is the humanity of the Jewish Jesus. Therein lies the concept that delineates a difference between the Old and the New Covenant. The Old becomes new in Christ and it is neither old, or repealed. The New Covenant brings to life the ancient because it is made with the blood of Christ: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you" [LC 22,20]. Or as St. Augustine explains: "The New Testament is hidden in, while the Old is in the New revealed ".

“Ambrosian Carnival” – Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi portrait during a party next to a lady disguised as a priest belonging to the sect of Old Catholics.

These are the foundations on which you should do ecumenism with combinations born of painful separations with core Catholic who took life peppered the worst heresies, for example Protestantism. True ecumenism is done starting from the penalty spot by the knowledge that Christ on this earth God has created one Church entrusted to Peter, not to a multiplicity of "Churches" entrusted to an army of Protestant congregations divided into thousands of different denominations, including those from which many Pentecostals sad ideas have taken some Catholic groups of uncontrolled and uncontrollable charismatic and Neocatechumenals. Who then had doubts in this regard — including some bishops and Cardinals, theologians of biblisti, whether they are alive or dead, as Gianfranco Ravasi as Carlo Maria Martini — would that thought to the words of the profession of faith which proclaims our I think a church, holy catholic and apostolic Church ". In the Symbol of Faith Nicene Creed did not proclaim all the multiplicity of “churches”, all of which are "une" and "holy".

More delicate is still interreligious dialogue made instead with faiths outside the nucleus cristiano. In that case you need to confirm more firmly and respectful of our faith in the Word of God made man. Avoiding every effort to water down the truth of our faith for fear of offending those who refuse and those who deny the mystery of the Incarnation, the death and resurrection of Christ, God, putting in an entirely legitimate, with such a refusal, the freedom and the free will given by God as part of his own creation; because man is always free to accept or reject the mystery of his God and Creator, God's Christ the Redeemer, Holy Ghost the Comforter, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

He talks explaining what you believe in and trying to convey in the best way our beliefs, certainly not resize it to meet so complacent to those who reject decisively - often with destructive aggression or homicidal violence as some Islamic fringe - the Revelation of Christ, God. A painful rejection that deserves our respect, just as God himself has observed with pain the worst of the worst choices and waste freely operated by man and is contained in the mystery of original sin is in the mystery of the Cross. What matters is that it is clear that those who refuse to respect the Word of God made man certainly does not mean approval of those who work with joy this rejection that comes upstream from the drama of the end of any action of redeeming grace.

Those who refuse Christ God is painfully observed, not approved, not shared, let alone invited to give lectures in our ecumenical theological studies and in our seminaries, within which would explain the errors inherent dangerous - for example - the Protestant heresy, and consequently in his theology. They should not be asked some scholars within these our centers of study and training for conferences, because they may be worthy men in all respects human and social, on the theological and doctrinal errors are larded with perhaps, for this, welcome at various universities and pontifical universities in which in fact do not teach Catholic theology a more, at best they teach filosofismi and sociologisms religious elaborate on the creative language and arbitrary to some theologians, rather than the universal language of the Church's Magisterium, which the theologian is only an instrument and faithful speaker, not critical, not censor …

Together with our intimate and respectful disapproval of those who are in error, and for those who heresy persists, we must also be imbued with a deep sense of sorrow. This is the metaphysical basis, underpinned by the philosophy of common sense [Cf. the Antonio Livi Philosophy of common sense]; This was the basis on which the theological and pastoral should ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, especially when the protagonists of certain dialogues are bishops and cardinals are called to guard the faith, certainly not to water it down and svenderla better for pleasure and to remain acceptable to all; including those who are continuing with fierce pride and indomitable to continue to spread far the worst heresies against the Truth Revealed, ignoring the clear warning that urges us to be perfect in one [GV 17, 20]. And if the unit has been broken does not exactly blessed the fracture and conferred dignity heresy which broke the unity of Truth. Everything always regardless of the fact that the mystery of salvation is quite different and as such is embedded in the heart of God who alone is the Judge and that just may decide to accept in their own kingdom, whole armies of heretics, without having to ask permission to any college teachers of the law; thing of which, moreover, gave clear warning to all the centuries to come, warning that "the tax collectors and the prostitutes will precede the Kingdom of Heaven" [Mt 21,28-32].

WE ARE WORKING FOR YOU …

AGAINST THE SYNOD OF MEDIA:

REALLY PASTORAL GUIDELINES

ON THE BASIS OF EVALUATION

AUTHENTICALLY Theological

You have to remind everyone of the truth, that is the true theological sense of what is happening in the Church: the Synod of Bishops, This like the others that preceded and will follow, is not a political meeting or a scientific conference; is a tool that serves the Roman Pontiff, Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the whole Church, to regularly consult the bishops from all over the world and process, from time to time, pastoral documents relating to the Universal Church. The two synods that are taking place: an extraordinary, held this year, and other ordinary, to be held in 2015, still have not submitted any draft of the final document to the Pope, which is in any case the decision on how to use the proposals of the bishops. In short, there is still no act of the Magisterium on which to build theories about alleged reforms or revolutions taking place in the Church.

Author
Antonio Love

Cardinal Peter Erdo

The different and not always prudent interventions of the Synod Fathers first, during and after the holding of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, together with the comments often sensationalized theologians and journalists, had the effect of a dramatic image presented to the public the Catholic Church. The world episcopate would be deeply divided; Fifty years since Vatican II would have exacerbated tensions between the two great ideological parties, progressives and conservatives, who are fighting front, with the prevalence of the party of reform that would be to get, with the consent of the Pope himself, the renunciation of teaching to traditional teaching on sexuality and the sacraments, Marriage and the Eucharist in particular.

Bruno Forte, Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto

This image of the Catholic Church today is unacceptable: not only because it has baffled and bewildered the faithful - and this displeases those who care about the real interests of the pastoral - but also because it is false. In fact, it was built on the basis of sociological surveys (sociology of religion) quite superficial and partial, then expressed in a language that ignores the properly theological categories and uses only the typical categories of political controversy, reducing the normal dialectic of views on pastoral decisions to be made at this historic moment in a scandalous struggle between opposing ideologies that seek hegemony of the temporal power and the understanding of the events relating to the harmonious development of the dogma.

You have to remind everyone of the truth, or the true theological sense of what is happening in the Church: the Synod of Bishops, This like the others that preceded and will follow, is not a political meeting or a scientific conference; is a tool that serves the Roman Pontiff, Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the whole Church, to regularly consult the bishops from all over the world and process, from time to time, pastoral documents relating to the Universal Church. The two synods that are taking place: an extraordinary, held this year, and other ordinary, to be held in 2015, still have not submitted any draft of the final document to the Pope, which is in any case the decision on how to use the proposals of the bishops. In short, there is still no act of the Magisterium on which to build theories about alleged reforms or revolutions taking place in the Church.

Preaching of John the Baptist, Flemish work of the sixteenth century

Those who come to the public with a sense of authentic Catholic pastoral responsibility, like us the Island of Patmos, always wants to bring the discussion to the meaning and the theological sense of the events that characterize the life of the Church. But true theology has as its sole reference point the dogma: not only to interpret it with assumptions of various kinds - historiographical, logical, metaphysical - but first of all to point out what is rationally and effectively where the dogma - the truth to believe by all regardless of culture and pastoral guidelines - which at any time is stated formally by the ecclesiastical magisterium. Also this detection function of the content and limits of dogma is a job that requires a proper scientific level. When there is placed at this level, statements of theologians and even individual bishops about the alleged changes in the doctrine of the faith are devoid of seriousness and are easily infected by ideologies of various kinds, with serious consequences for the maintenance and the increase of faith in the Christian people.

Just because aware of the seriousness of this problem ecclesial I keen to be part of father Ariel S. Levi Gualdo to give life to the Island of Patmos, bringing "dowry" the ideas and accomplishments of my Union Fides et Ratio for scientific defense of Catholic truth. The Union operates in fact to promote a better understanding of the Catholic faith and a more faithful adherence to the Magisterium of the Church, that faith is infallible interpreter at all times and in every historical juncture pastoral. The adjective "apostolic" intends then qualify the Union as work done by Catholics who feel the responsibility - of all baptized Christians - to participate, each according to his skills and his personal vocation, one mission of the Church, that Christ wanted "a, santa, catholic and apostolic ". By the will of Christ, indeed, it is up to the bishops - awarded the charism of apostolic succession, the unity of the episcopal college chaired by the Pope - the duty of guarding, transmit, interpret and announce infallibly the revelation of Christ, the Son of God the Father has sent into the world because "all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"; Priests have the task of working in the field of the Lord as "generous coadjutor of the episcopal» (cf Conc. cum. Vatican II, Decree Priesthood, 2, 7; dogmatic constitution The light, 28; decree Christ the Lord, 15; John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Herdsmen, 47); at last, to all the faithful, including the laity, whose specific ecclesial role is to "sanctify temporal structures from within ' (cf. Dogmatic Constitution The light, 31; Pastoral Constitution The joy and hope, 53; decree The Laitym, 31), it is the testimony of the faith of the Church and its propagation in all spheres of human society, using an adequate theological education, coupled with their professional competence.

By the acts of the last meeting

As for the specific purpose apostolic Union, which works for the defense of scientific truth Catholic, the term "Catholic truth" makes it clear that the faith of the Church: Faith Church, who believed, is for every believer the truth in an absolute sense, as "word of God", supernatural revelation, communication to us men of the mysteries of salvation by Chi "neither deceives nor can deceive others", being the One who created us out of love, then, after the sin of our first parents, in his mercy he redeemed us with life, death and resurrection of the Son. The word "catholic" , in particular, want to emphasize two important aspects: the first is that the Union has the sole purpose of serving the scientific truth revealed by God in Jesus Christ and proposed by the Catholic Church with the charism of infallibility; the second is that the apostolate promoted by the assumption that the mission of the Church is directed to the whole world (katà holon), because the revealed truth is for all men and is recognizable as such by every man that is properly announced, regardless of their personal circumstances of age, culture and experiences: revealed truth transcends fact particularism and does not change with the changing historical contingencies.

Finally I clarify what I mean by "scientific defense". No one can ignore that the Catholic faith is under attack today: not only by the traditional ideological forces that external dispute his claim to be the complete and final revelation of the truth that saves - I allude to Judaism, paganism as the state religion in the Roman Empire, Hellenistic-Christian philosophy of Celsus, all’Islam, the illuministico deism, to Freemasonry, atheistic communism, scientism neopositivistic, to vitalistic irrationalism, the critical rationalism -, but also by the new ideological forces that act inside, interpreting the Christian faith with incorrect or inadequate conceptual schemes which eventually cancel it just like truth; and here I am referring to theological modernism and the various forms of dogmatic relativism.

The Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI meets with members of the Academic Senate of the Pontifical Lateran University, left Antonio Livi time dean of philosophy, the center Bishop Rino Fisichella, at that time rector.

Discuss the false reasons of one or the other ― a discussion that needs to be calm and serene, devoid of ideological passion but not without sincere and ardent love for the revealed truth - is a right and even more a duty for the Christian who has philosophical competence, as I feel I have. The defense (apology) the Christian faith is also a practice born with Christianity itself; and the early apologists that the history of Christianity has among the "fathers of the Church", both East to West, were philosophers (think of Justin Martyr), who felt obliged, by virtue of their firm belief rational that Christianity was the "ultimate truth", to refute the false reasons given by those who then pretended to deny that Christian doctrine was the divine revelation of the mysteries of our salvation. Today, as perhaps never in the past, is indispensable task of Christian philosophers deny - with rational arguments, which ultimately must be brought back to the logic aletica - false reasons always obsessively re-proposed by those who deny the divine origin of the Christian doctrine or even claims to show that "doctrine" is not properly (even if they know the Scripture, which states that Christ said: "My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me " [cf. Jn 7, 16]).

The philosophy of the day

Also speak of a "scientific defense" in the sense of a defense based on rational arguments rigorous, arguments that ultimately - as I said before - are brought back to the logic aletica (which is the philosophical logic as able to ascertain the conditions of possibility of truth in every situation cognitive), that, being the field of philosophy of my specific expertise, gives me reason to hope to be able to contribute to the apostolic goals I mentioned. And you do not think it is arbitrary to refer to philosophy when it comes to the "science"; indeed, in the language of classical epistemological, and also in the modern one I had adopted, the noun "science" is not to be understood in a reductive way, as referring only to the physical-mathematical theories or biological (this is the epistemological error of scientism), but as a synonym of knowledge by inference in general, including (and at the top) metaphysics and logic. In fact, my fundamental text on these topics (Philosophy of common sense) subtitled logic of science and faith. We work for then then promotes study and research historical-critical and philosophical-theological useful to the pursuit of some concrete goals:

disclosure in all areas of society with the proper interpretation of revealed truth, which is located in the documents of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, in the light of the ecclesiastical magisterium, necessarily considered in its logical continuity (from the doctrine of the Apostles to the teachings of the Council and papal latest, including possible post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis in 2015).

Sant'Anselmo d'Aosta, Doctor of the Church

The promotion of a greater unity of the Catholic faith in common, providing all the right criteria for distinguishing, in any historical context, doctrine authoritatively proposed by the Church as a divine revelation - the doctrine to which every Catholic must always pay a consent sincere and convinced - by the different hypotheses of interpretation of the dogma that may be proposed by the theological schools or by individual theologians, assumption that nothing can be added and nothing should take away the only truth that saves;

The creation of a new cultural climate, in the Church, that can ensure - once ensured that solid foundation of unity in faith above - the effective exercise of freedom of opinion doctrinal and pastoral choices, in the awareness that pluralism, both the theological and pastoral, is not only legitimate but also necessary for the purposes of 'understanding faith, ie as a requirement of the faith itself, which never ceases to seek new and more effective ways to penetrate deeply into the truth revealed («faith seeking understanding»), also in view of an ever more fruitful application of it to the different circumstances of personal and social structures (inculturation of the faith).

As a result, a sort of "demystification" of theology professional in order to play down the differences in doctrinal guidance between different schools and different players in the public debate, making aware the faithful who have no sense mutual accusations of infidelity to the Spirit and the mutual suspicion of heterodoxy, undoubtedly because God wants all of us, in the Church, only fight in the name of truth, the only truth of the Catholic faith, which comes before any choice of field in the cultural and theological. Indeed, only what is dogmatically defined by the Church can be identified with what "always, everywhere and by everyone»Was believed (Tradition) and especially with what today and in the future can be believed "always, everywhere and by everyone"Precisely because it is the truth revealed by God in Christ: truth at its core notional is and must remain accessible to all (understandable solely on the basis of "common sense") and for this transcends the endless variety of legitimate interpretations, much of the traditionalists as progressives.

the weight balance, it's not easy, but it is possible …

I am aware that the pursuit of these objectives requires a very difficult balance: between the duty of obedience to the pastoral guidelines that the legitimate Pastors provide to the whole body of the Church and correspondence to the vocation of each person in the Church; between loyalty to the only revealed truth and the need to seek new ways for evangelization; between the respectful acceptance of the different charisms and different pastoral options of the other faithful and passion for their own choices, accrued on the basis of his reading of the "signs of the times" and on the basis of their life experience. But I am convinced that this balance is assured precisely by the rules suggested by the logic of rationality integral aletica and who for years have committed to illustrate the plan, precisely, scientific rigor in data collection and argumentation. Together with his father John and Arie S Cavalcoli. Levi Gualdo are sure to be able to effectively continue on this road, at the service of the ecclesial community.

Click here to listen to a Marian hymn of popular tradition