Second Update: Fr. Ripperger; Update from Feser: Msgr Swetland finds no place at the Inn for Robert Spencer and Jihad Watch

In the files of novelty for the masses a new file was just created, booked and filed away.  Monsignor Swetland of EWTN fame and the head of Donnelly college, was recently in a debate with Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch (himself a Melkite - Eastern Catholic).

The whole article can be had HERE


"Msgr. Swetland contends that statements of recent Popes to the effect that Islam is a religion of peace fall into the category of teachings to which Catholics must give “religious assent,” as per the quotation below from the Second Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium.

If Msgr. Swetland is correct, then I am, as he puts it, “a dissenter from the papal magisterium.” So also, then, would be millions of other Catholics, including Catholics from the Middle East who have borne the brunt of Muslim persecution of Christians and know what Islam teaches, such as the gentleman from Lebanon who phoned in to the Mariani Show during my discussion with Msgr. Swetland. If Msgr. Swetland is correct, then Catholics must affirm that Islam is a religion of peace as part and parcel of being Catholic, and the Catholic Church will be requiring that its faithful affirm the truth of what is an obvious and egregious falsehood, as I demonstrated here and in many other places.

If Msgr. Swetland is correct, and it is Church teaching that all Catholics must accept that Islam is a religion of peace, then the Catholic hierarchy will have demonstrated that it does not have the authority or reliability in discerning and transmitting the truth that it claims to have; Papal claims to speak in the name of Christ will be eviscerated; and the Catholic Church as a whole exposed as a fraud...

It is very important for all believers that the authentic teaching of the Church be clear so that we may know the truth and attempt to live it to the full. I submit that there is a serious difference between the repeated magisterial teachings of the Church and the teaching of Robert Spencer in this area. For the sake of all, this situation needs to be clarified. "



Quite the interesting time for Msgr Swetland to be touting the Religion of Peace Dogma in the name of the Church.  It was just last week that Abp Pozzo noted once again (cause Ratzinger had said this before) that the documents related to inter religious and ecumenical relations are not dogmatic, but pastoral letters which could never be bound on the Church as a whole because they are novel and do not relate to a matter of faith or morals. One Peter Five did a sum of this the other day which you can find HERE.

I seem to remember that every time traditional Catholic teachings that dealt with matters in relation to Jews or Muslims we are told constantly that we must approach it in the light of Nostra Aetate, as if a one size fits all definition fits reality.

Perhaps Msgr Swetland can spend a sabbatical in Iraq and Syria with his brother priests to experience non heretical Orthodox Islam?  Just saying... but conservative Catholicism and EWTN approved?!

---------------------------------

An excellent follow up from the Thomist Edward Feser HERE

-----------------------------------

Fr. Chad Ripperger also addressed this question and the question about whether Allah is the same God we as Christians worship in the following talk at the 58 min 50 second mark about.  His response is different than Edward Feser who is also a Thomist on the latter issue:

VHE VII: Learn of Dietrich and snippets of Fatima

I know i said the next thing i would publish would be contraversial, but i figured I would post this now and the other thing sometime next week....


So onto Von Hildebrands Everywhere part 7


First, I finally got around to finishing a playlist of videos that should give you an understanding of who Dietrich von Hildebrand was and what his teachings are. The talks are from an old EWTN show A Knight for Truth, the audio files can also be accessed HERE

Also OnePeterFive just published a piece with the blessing of Alice von Hildebrand where she talks about the third secret of Fatima (eventually I will post on the new things about this, so wait please).  You can read the article on this HERE


----------------


And since Fatima came up here is a bonus video care of Franciscan University with Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch talking about the real threat of Islam and ISIS along with prominent theologians like Scott Hahn

Furthermore I consider that Islam must be overcome by the reign of Christ the King

Positive signs for the Catholic Church

There are amazing things happening right now. 

The Extraordinary Form of the Mass is beginning to have some influence in the church again.  So much so that Bishops across the world are trying their best to stifle the Reform of the Reform brought to you by the likes of Benedict XVI, Archbishop Lefefvre, Michael Davies, Cardinal Burke, Bishop Bruskewitz and so forth.  Prelates with authority around the world are feeling a little hot around the collar seeing their spirit of the council under attack, and all their work being undone faster than they could have imagined.  It has been made known that many of the modernists were pushing for Francis to rid the Holy See of Monseigneur Marini as Master of Ceremonies, only to be told by Pope Francis that he will remain and that they should not prevent the Traditions of the faith from influencing the faithful.  Many of the more traditional fold are concerned with this papacy in that he is not really into the liturgy and its reform as Benedict was in his later years, but we all need to remember that the restoration of the faith from the modernists influence will not

necessarily happen from the top down, but rather it will occur from the bottom up.  Different dioceses will have to take different steps in restoring some of the traditional influences.  For instance here in Milwaukee there is really only one Parish that offers the EF at this time but we are a growing parish and faithful to the magestarium.  Other dioceses see the OF and EF being offered side by side and this is to be encouraged. 

The internet has become a new public square for debate.  This is probably the most impressive thing to come about because we as faithful Catholics now have an amazing opportunity to evangelize the world from our computer then go out into our own streets like St. Pauls Steet Evangelization is doing now.  This is a tremendous opportunity to make disciples of all nations and the flame of the Faith is being kindled by the young and the old.  Dissidents are being called out for their errors by the common people of the church and those in the clergy faithful to the magisterium.  We must be vigilant yet charitable in our evangelization, but the fruits of internet are not limited to this.  Voices from different perspectives of orthodox Catholicism are able to address differences on a daily basis while influencing the faithful, pushing them to strive in the pursuit of truth. Blogs like Rorate-Caeli, The Remnant and What Does the Prayer really say are able to directly take on the postings of dissident blogs like the National Catholic Reporter, setting the record straight.  Vlogs like Church Militant.tv and the many on YouTube are creating a virtual encyclopedia of Cathlicity, and the comment sections underneath the videos are a grace because it allows for swift corrections to be made when necessary.  Over enthusiastic ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue are also being addressed by the faithful on the internet, holding prelates to task for their erroneous was such as Jihad Watch and Harvesting the Fruits of Vatican II.  The Internet is such a fantastic tool capable of supreme good or supreme evil.  Let us continue to build on these goods.

One final thing, but surely not the last thing, that is encouraging is the restoration of Catholic traditions that serve as public and private witnesses to the faith like Adoration and Eucharistic processions.  The obvious good of these actions can be seen in the results when compared with parishes that have not restored such things.  Pews are fuller, vocations are up and faithfulness to the magisterium is mandatory.

These are just a few ideas for positive movements over the last decade or so.  Any other ideas?

+JMJ+