"The Four Pillars of Faith" is a Catholic Faith study series sponsored by the Green Bay Diocese Department of Education and is based on the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. This website has been started in anticipation of this study series and allows for further discussion on the chapters in the US Catechism that will be covered each week. Because many people from all over will eventually tap this site, discussion is not limited to those in the Green Bay Diocese who participate in the program. Anyone who reads the Chapters listed in each week's study may comment, if the comments pertain to the subject matter. We will have weekly posts on Friday that recap the week's topics and will allow you to work with the material presented in a forum that allows discussion with others.
For those who are in the southern part of the Green Bay Diocese, near or in the Oshkosh area, "The Four Pillars of Faith!" will meet on Thursdays, starting September 4th, running consecutive Thursdays until November 20th. There will be two classes each Thursday, one which meets from 9 to 11AM and the other which meets from 6 to 8PM. We will meet at the St. Peter's site on High St., in McKeough Hall in the lower level. The classes are geared around lecture and discussion that will appeal to various learning styles. You will not be bored, believe me!
The cost is free unless you don't have an USCCA book. The cost then will be the purchase of a catechism; it is necessary to have one in order to participate. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Cardinal Newman on Modern Liberalism
Wow! It's been over a week since I last posted and I'm so sorry. Hope all is well with you!
Today, I'd like to add to the post below entitled "What It Means to Be Catholic." I don't want to wear this topic out, but I also want to add to what has already been stated that gives what I have said some support. Ignatius' "Catholic World Report" has an excellent article on Cardinal Newman and liberalism entitled "Cardinal Newman's Hour." You will find that though some of our more dissenting authors and theologians look to Newman for support, he actually devastates their liberal positions, chastising them for holding to such aberrant views that have such moral and eternal consequences. Here's an excerpt that will certainly grab your attention:
The Church … regards this world, and all that is in it, as a mere shadow, as dust and ashes, compared with the value of one single soul. … [S]he holds that it were better for sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions who are upon it to die of starvation in extremest agony, so far as temporal affliction goes, than that one soul, I will not say, should be lost, but should commit one single venial sin, should tell one willful untruth, though it harmed no one, or steal one poor farthing without excuse.
Could you imagine a bishop or priest nowadays saying anything close to this? Perhaps, though unlikely. Here again is the Blessed Newman on the nature of liberalism as a heresy:
That truth and falsehood in religion are but matter of opinion; that one doctrine is as good as another; that the Governor of the world does not intend that we should gain the truth; that there is no truth; that we are not more acceptable to God by believing this than by believing that; that no one is answerable for his opinions; that they are a matter of necessity or accident; that it is enough if we sincerely hold what we profess; that our merit lies in seeking, not in possessing; that it is a duty to follow what seems to us true, without a fear lest it should not be true; that it may be a gain to succeed, and can be no harm to fail; that we may take up and lay down opinions at pleasure; that belief belongs to the mere intellect, not to the heart also; that we may safely trust to ourselves in matters of Faith, and need no other guide, – this is the principle of philosophies and heresies, which is very weakness.
Take time to read this article and glean for yourselves what impacts you. Feel free also to share in the comment section below. For more on the same topic, read the explosive tract from the 19th century Liberalism is a Sin found on the EWTN website. It's a lengthy article that cannot be read in one sitting. I suggest putting this site in your "Favorites" and refer to it. Dr. Sarda does a splendid job breaking down the error of "Liberalism" and why it is listed on the Church's Syllabus of Errors. Perhaps you'll see how pervasive this deadly contagion is in our midst.
May your reading bear precious fruit, loved ones, and "St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness of the devil..."
Today, I'd like to add to the post below entitled "What It Means to Be Catholic." I don't want to wear this topic out, but I also want to add to what has already been stated that gives what I have said some support. Ignatius' "Catholic World Report" has an excellent article on Cardinal Newman and liberalism entitled "Cardinal Newman's Hour." You will find that though some of our more dissenting authors and theologians look to Newman for support, he actually devastates their liberal positions, chastising them for holding to such aberrant views that have such moral and eternal consequences. Here's an excerpt that will certainly grab your attention:
The Church … regards this world, and all that is in it, as a mere shadow, as dust and ashes, compared with the value of one single soul. … [S]he holds that it were better for sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions who are upon it to die of starvation in extremest agony, so far as temporal affliction goes, than that one soul, I will not say, should be lost, but should commit one single venial sin, should tell one willful untruth, though it harmed no one, or steal one poor farthing without excuse.
Could you imagine a bishop or priest nowadays saying anything close to this? Perhaps, though unlikely. Here again is the Blessed Newman on the nature of liberalism as a heresy:
That truth and falsehood in religion are but matter of opinion; that one doctrine is as good as another; that the Governor of the world does not intend that we should gain the truth; that there is no truth; that we are not more acceptable to God by believing this than by believing that; that no one is answerable for his opinions; that they are a matter of necessity or accident; that it is enough if we sincerely hold what we profess; that our merit lies in seeking, not in possessing; that it is a duty to follow what seems to us true, without a fear lest it should not be true; that it may be a gain to succeed, and can be no harm to fail; that we may take up and lay down opinions at pleasure; that belief belongs to the mere intellect, not to the heart also; that we may safely trust to ourselves in matters of Faith, and need no other guide, – this is the principle of philosophies and heresies, which is very weakness.
Take time to read this article and glean for yourselves what impacts you. Feel free also to share in the comment section below. For more on the same topic, read the explosive tract from the 19th century Liberalism is a Sin found on the EWTN website. It's a lengthy article that cannot be read in one sitting. I suggest putting this site in your "Favorites" and refer to it. Dr. Sarda does a splendid job breaking down the error of "Liberalism" and why it is listed on the Church's Syllabus of Errors. Perhaps you'll see how pervasive this deadly contagion is in our midst.
May your reading bear precious fruit, loved ones, and "St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness of the devil..."
Sunday, August 3, 2008
More Posts to Come!
Sorry that I haven't posting anything since Wednesday. For the most part I've been busy. I attended a wonderful training seminar at the Green Bay diocese put on by Scott Hahn's St. Paul Center for Evangelization. The training centered on a six week bible study called, "The Bible and the Mass." Totally awesome, powerful and relevant, which if done properly and bathed in prayer, this teaching could help MANY people fall in love with Christ in the Eucharist all over again!
Also, I've been reworking Wednesday's post, "What It Means to be Catholic." I was frustrated, since I had a lot to say and it kept coming out muddy. I hate it when that happens. So I reworked it about 7-8 different times on Thursday and Friday. So if you have visited and found it different each time...that is the reason.
There will be more postings tomorrow. Until then, have a great Lord's Day. I'll share some of my learnings with you all! Also, I have an announcement of a class that a friend and I will be presenting this fall. More fun than we can contain, believe me!
Pax!
Also, I've been reworking Wednesday's post, "What It Means to be Catholic." I was frustrated, since I had a lot to say and it kept coming out muddy. I hate it when that happens. So I reworked it about 7-8 different times on Thursday and Friday. So if you have visited and found it different each time...that is the reason.
There will be more postings tomorrow. Until then, have a great Lord's Day. I'll share some of my learnings with you all! Also, I have an announcement of a class that a friend and I will be presenting this fall. More fun than we can contain, believe me!
Pax!
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