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Traditional Catholic Faith => Catholic Living in the Modern World => Topic started by: rum on September 15, 2024, 09:50:42 AM

Title: Christianity: The Religion of Love? - Fr. Feeney
Post by: rum on September 15, 2024, 09:50:42 AM
-https://fatherfeeney.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/the-point-september-1954/


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There is nothing more misleading a Catholic can do than to call Christianity “the religion of love.”

Christianity is not, unqualifiedly, the religion of love. There are thousands of loves with which Christianity can have no part: love of wealth, for instance, love of honors, love of the pleasures of this world; also love of one’s neighbor, in the provincial, colloquial, community sense (that it required Our Lord’s parable of the Good Samaritan to explode); also, love of one’s family, in the possessive, selfish sense (which drove Our Lord to declare that anyone who does not hate father and mother and his own life also, cannot be His disciple.)

Christianity is not even, in the abstract sense, the religion of the love of God. It is not the religion of the love of the God we arrive at by reason. It is the religion of the love of the God Who is revealed to us.

It is the religion of the love of God-made-man, Whom we must first accept through Faith, and then must love with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind, and our whole strength: efforts of love we never could make toward God had He not become Incarnate; efforts of love we now must make toward Him, as to a baby in one of our stables, as to a teacher on one of our mountains, as to a victim on one of our crosses, as to a lifeless body in one of our graves; and, finally, as to a triumphant victor over our death, and a hostage in our tabernacles until the end of time.

Christianity is the love of the Word-made-flesh Who dwelt amongst us. It is a love of Him so intense that we are willing to share it with anyone who will take it, even with our enemies.

This love of Jesus, with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind, and our whole strength, is the love we are called upon to share with others. It is when a stranger has become our friend through his love of Jesus, that he then deserves to be called the “neighbor” whom we are to “love as ourselves.”

On the last day, one vast horde of human beings, who are going to be labeled “the goats,” when separated from “the sheep,” will hear our loving Jesus shout to them: “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire.” I hope that on that occasion our sentimental evangelicals, our Community-Chest Christians, our American proponents of “Preach love, brother” will not be too disappointed at the astringency of Our Lord’s words.

The bolded is mine. I never trust someone because they tell me they're Catholic.
Title: Re: Christianity: The Religion of Love? - Fr. Feeney
Post by: Emile on September 15, 2024, 05:17:19 PM
I think the article is pretty good except Father seems to fall out of line with Christ's teaching with the bolded sentence:


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It is when a stranger has become our friend through his love of Jesus, that he then deserves to be called the “neighbor” whom we are to “love as ourselves.”
25 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=25-#x)And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life?  (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=26-#x)
26 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=26-#x)But he said to him: What is written in the law? how readest thou? 
27 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=27-#x)He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself. 
28 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=28-#x)And he said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 
29 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=29-#x)But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbour? 
30 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=30-#x)And Jesus answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead.
31 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=31-#x)And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by. 
32 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=32-#x)In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. 
33 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=33-#x)But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with compassion. 
34 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=34-#x)And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 
35 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=35-#x)And the next day he took out two pence, and gave to the host, and said: Take care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay thee.
36 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=36-#x)Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers? 
37 (https://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=10&l=37-#x)But he said: He that shewed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou in like manner.


Catena Aurea


CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. After what has gone before, our Lord fitly questions the lawyer; Which of these three thinkest thou was neighbour to him who fell among thieves? But he said, He that shewed mercy on him. For neither Priest nor Levite became neighbour to the sufferer, but he only who had compassion on him. For vain is the dignity of the Priesthood, and the knowledge of the Law, unless they are confirmed by good works. Hence it follows, And Jesus saith unto him, Go and do thou likewise.

CHRYSOSTOM. (in Heb. Hom. 10.) As if He said, If thou seest any one oppressed, say not, Surely he is wicked; but be he Gentile or Jєω and need help, dispute not, he has a claim to thy assistance, into whatever evil he has fallen.

AUGUSTINE. (de. Doc. Chris. lib. i. c. 30.) Hereby we understand that he is our neighbour, to whomsoever we must shew the duty of compassion, if he need it, or would have shewn if he had needed it. From which it follows, that even he who must in his turn shew us this duty, is our neighbour. For the name of neighbour has relation to something else, nor can any one be a neighbour, save to a neighbour; but that no one is excluded to whom the office of mercy is to be denied, is plain to all; as our Lord says, Do good to them that hate you. (Matt. 5:44.) Hence it is clear, that in this command by which we are bid to love our neighbour, the holy angels are included, by whom such great offices of mercy are bestowed upon us. Therefore our Lord Himself wished also to be called our neighbour, representing Himself to have assisted the half dead man who lay in the way.

AMBROSE. For relationship does not make a neighbour, but compassion, for compassion is according to nature. For nothing is so natural as to assist one who shares our nature.



Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aquinas (ecatholic2000.com) (https://www.ecatholic2000.com/catena/untitled-71.shtml)
Title: Re: Christianity: The Religion of Love? - Fr. Feeney
Post by: Yeti on September 16, 2024, 07:03:31 PM
Quote from: rum on September 15, 2024, 09:50:42 AM
The bolded is mine. I never trust someone because they tell me they're Catholic.
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Yup. And you should certainly not trust Leonard Feeney just because he tells you he is Catholic.

The bolded quote is heretical. The commandment of charity embraces all men, not just Catholics. This is divinely revealed in Scripture and is taught through the Universal Ordinary Magisterium.
Title: Re: Christianity: The Religion of Love? - Fr. Feeney
Post by: Pax Vobis on September 16, 2024, 07:30:43 PM
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The bolded quote is heretical. The commandment of charity embraces all men, not just Catholics.
It's not heretical, it's just distinguishing between types of charity.  True Charity has its roots in the love of God, which non-catholics cannot partake of, because they aren't part of the Church and cannot obtain sanctifying grace.  Those who do not have the capacity of sanctifying grace (i.e. pagans, heretics), are not OWED the same charity as catholics, because their lack of sanctifying grace means they cannot recognize the ultimate charity, which is God and His gift of sanctification.

This is why St Paul makes the distinction of different types of "doing good":

Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Yes, we must have charity towards all men, but this is limited to natural charity.  Only those who possess the Faith can accept, and give, true supernatural charity, which requires baptism.
Title: Re: Christianity: The Religion of Love? - Fr. Feeney
Post by: Yeti on September 16, 2024, 08:24:47 PM
Quote from: Pax Vobis on September 16, 2024, 07:30:43 PM
It's not heretical, it's just distinguishing between types of charity.  True Charity has its roots in the love of God, which non-catholics cannot partake of, because they aren't part of the Church and cannot obtain sanctifying grace.  Those who do not have the capacity of sanctifying grace (i.e. pagans, heretics), are not OWED the same charity as catholics, because their lack of sanctifying grace means they cannot recognize the ultimate charity, which is God and His gift of sanctification.

This is why St Paul makes the distinction of different types of "doing good":

Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Yes, we must have charity towards all men, but this is limited to natural charity.  Only those who possess the Faith can accept, and give, true supernatural charity, which requires baptism.
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We are commanded by Christ to love all men as ourselves. That includes those who are outside the Faith. The commandment of charity is part of divine revelation, and is part of the moral teaching of the Church.

Our act of charity is supernatural, as it is done according to the command of Our Lord. If Our Lord commands us to love even pagans, then our love of them, if done out of obedience to Our Lord, is a supernatural act on our part. It is not determined by the disposition of those whom we must love, any more than the obligation to love them is dependent on any disposition on their part, either.

The quote you give from St. Paul does not prove your point, since St. Paul doesn't say what you are saying. He doesn't say we must love only those who are of the household of the Faith.

Moreover, all men are capable of sanctifying grace, if they perform the proper acts to receive it.

Yes, we must give greater love to Catholics than to others, as St. Paul says, but that is a completely different statement from saying we only owe love to Catholics.

But the heretical quote of Feeney does say that we only must love our fellow-Catholics as ourselves:


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It is when a stranger has become our friend through his love of Jesus, that he then deserves to be called the “neighbor” whom we are to “love as ourselves.”

This is false. Our neighbor is everyone, and we are commanded by Christ to love everyone "as ourselves".
Title: Re: Christianity: The Religion of Love? - Fr. Feeney
Post by: Pax Vobis on September 16, 2024, 08:54:34 PM
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Moreover, all men are capable of sanctifying grace, if they perform the proper acts to receive it 

Irrelevant and obvious point. 
And only those of the Faith have done such acts.

Practically speaking, it’s impossible for a Catholic to love a pagan or Protestant as “oneself” because a true Catholic loves himself in the Faith, by the Faith and through the Faith.  A true catholic talks of the Faith, practices it, and lives it.  This is how a catholic loves himself, by loving Christ. 

But neither pagans nor Protestants truly love Christ, therefore we can’t love them fully, because our love is impeded by the obstacles they put forth.  We can’t discuss the Faith with them, nor share our love of it, nor discuss the Eucharist or our love of Our Lady. 

Just as it’s impossible to love a dog in the same way as a human, because the dog cannot reciprocate or understand your feelings/nature, It’s impossible for a catholic to love a non-catholic as himself because the non-catholic cannot appreciate or accept what is offered.