The great prophets of the OT indicted the priests and rulers of Israel for apostasy and idolatry; there were periods when they offered sacrifices to false gods and even sacrificed their children to Moloch. I'm hoping you're beginning to see a resemblance to Francis here. The great prophets rightly decried those actions with burning, vigorous denunciations. And yet . . .
In his book The Catholic Controversy, saint and doctor of the Church, St. Francis DeSales, made this true observation: "the authority of the extraordinary mission never destroys the ordinary and is never given to overthrow it. Witness all the Prophets, who never set up altar against altar, never overthrew the priesthood of Aaron, never abolished the constitutions of the ѕуηαgσgυє. Witness Our Lord, who declares that every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and a house upon a house shall fall (Luke xi.17). Witness the respect which he paid to the chair of Moses, the doctrine of which he would have to be observed."
And I add, He said the Pharisees sat in Moses's seat, and yet they were of the party of hell, a brood of vipers, making the word of God void by their tradition (Mark 7).
Mark : In observing their traditions, He said they made the word of God void. Void. And yet he commanded they be obeyed.
Food for thought.
Topic: Responses to the Crisis: Conciliar Church = Catholic Church? (Read 11490 times)