Friday, December 31, 2004
SAINT-MAKING - EMAIL FROM LEE PENN
The auto-demolition of the Roman Catholic Church proceeds, it seems.
Church in the World
(I had heard of this several weeks ago from the Washington Times - but did not want to spread a story from that Moonie paper. However, the story I am sending today is from a mainstream UK Catholic paper, the Tablet.)
The story is below, after my commentary. The key parts of the story are in bold type.
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Comments:
(1) the idea that miracles are not required for canonization comes from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). To me, this indicates that the CDF is lacking in ... faith.
(2) So Cardinal Bertone says that miracles are "anachronistic"!?! Again, this sounds like an unbeliever with a red hat ... the Cardinal is talking like ECUSA's atheistic Bishop Spong.
[On Spong: here is the text of his "Twelve Theses" from 1998.
A Call for a New Reformation
Two of Spong's "Twelve Theses" were these:
"5. The miracle stories of the New Testament can no longer be interpreted in a post-Newtonian world as supernatural events performed by an incarnate deity." and
"10. Prayer cannot be a request made to a theistic deity to act in human history in a particular way."]
(3) The Masters of the Temple have revolutionized almost everything else about the Roman Catholic Church since 1962 - so why not do another "revolutionary" thing and get rid of the miracle requirement?
(4) A part of the 1983 "reform" of the saint-making process was getting rid of the "devil's advocate," whose job was to be an in-house skeptic and to challenge claims of sanctity or miracles made on behalf of a candidate for sainthood. But then, maybe if the "devil's advocate" were still on the job, the founder of Opus Dei would not have been raised to the altars.
(5) Note very well that one of the candidates who might be canonized after the miracle requirement is dropped is Robert Schuman, a founder of the European Union. Robert Muller, a prominent supporter of the New Age movement and the United Religions Initiative, is a strong supporter of canonizing Schuman.
ideas1000
Quote:
"Idea 75 ~ 23 September 1994
I hope that saintly Robert Schuman, my compatriot from Alsace-Lorraine who founded the European Union will be canonized before the end of this century. The world needs badly political saints. I am glad to be a member of his canonization commission."
and
"Idea 495 ~ 17 November 1995
Given the opposition and reluctance of some governments, especially the big ones to strengthen the United Nations, the novel, more innovative, far superior and stably well financed European Union should now become the foundation, cradle or model of a true, sorely needed World Union. I pray our Father in heaven and the saintly soul of Robert Schuman, the founder of the European Union, to fulfill this most important dream at the end of our century and millennium. The European Union should take an early decision to engage in this process."
But then, Muller wants to be canonized, himself.
ideas1000
Quote:
" Idea 1340 ~ 12 March 1998
If I should ever be proclaimed a saint by the Catholic religion or by the United Religions Organization, I would like to be named or known as:
Saint Robert of Mount Rasur."
(6) Hey, why wait till the candidate is dead before canonizing them? With another reform, we can canonize the head of the Legionaries and of other "new ecclesial movements" while they are still alive.
Lee
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The Tablet story begins here:
[I have included only the portions of the story Lee has emphasized. To read the entire story, go to the website. - ct]
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Vatican may abolish miracles for saint-making.
Pope John Paul II is reported to be considering a proposal to abolish miracles as requirements for sainthood. The claim comes from a highly credible source, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone of Genoa, who, until two years ago, was secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, from where the proposal originated.
Cardinal Bertone told the Genoa newspaper Il Secolo XIX there is a growing feeling that the key requirement for sainthood is a life of “heroic virtue” and that miracles are “anachronistic”.
An official of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints refused to discuss the issue, but indicated that doing away with the miracle requirement would be little short of revolutionary. ...
John Paul II streamlined [the process of naming saints - ct] in 1983 by cutting the number of miracles required from four to only one for martyrs and two for other candidates. ...
Abolishing the miracle requirement could open the door to sainthood for candidates whose cause is stalled because they lack the kind of charisma that attracts prayer. Foremost among them are Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890), who is still at the venerable stage, and Robert Schuman, the post-Second World War French foreign minister who was a founder of the European Economic Community.
Peggy Polk, Rome
