Vatican Congratulates Muslims for the end of Ramadan

Heresy of the Week, Week of 12/05/03

“Archbishop” Michael Fitzgerald, Head of Vatican Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (L’Osservatore Romano, Nov. 26, 2003, p. 3.): “Dear Muslim Friends, 1. It is a pleasure for me to address you on the occasion of 'Id al-Fitr, which concludes the month of Ramadan, in order to offer you friendly greetings on behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and indeed on behalf of the whole Catholic Church… 4. As believers in the One God we see it as our duty to strive to bring about peace. Christians and Muslims, we believe that peace is above all a gift from God. This is why our two communities pray for peace; it is something they are always called to do. As you know, Pope John Paul II invited representatives of different religions to come to Assisi, the city of St Francis, on 24 January 2002, in order to pray and to commit themselves to peace in the world… 5. In bringing about peace, and maintaining it, religionshave an important role to play… 6. It is at what is a very special time for you, the month of Ramadan in which fasting, prayer and solidarity bring you interior peace, that I am sharing with you these reflections on the ways to peace. I express to you, therefore, good wishes of peace, peace in your hearts, in your families and in your respective countries, and I invoke upon you the Blessing of the God of Peace.” --- Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, President

Comment: This week’s heresy is interesting for the following reason: It proves again that Antipope John Paul II and his bishops cannot be “material heretics” or confused Catholics, as so many have tried to assert.  It proves this because saluting the religion of Islam (and its non-Christian religious celebrations), as the Vatican does above, is directly incompatible with the possession of faith.  As St. Thomas explains, there are heretical notions that are indirectly incompatible with faith (because they entail consequences against faith), while there are other heretical ideas which are directly incompatible with faith since they deny the true God Himself (the Holy Trinity).

St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica I, Q. 32, Art. 4: "I answer that, Anything is of faith in two ways; directly, where any truth comes to us principally as divinely taught, as the trinity and unity of God, the Incarnation of the Son, and the like; and concerning these truths a false opinion of itself involves heresy, especially if it be held obstinately.  A thing is of faith, indirectly, if the denial of it involves as a consequence something against faith; as for instance if anyone said that Samuel was not the son of Elcana, for it follows that the divine Scripture would be false. Concerning such things anyone may have a false opinion without danger of heresy, before the matter has been considered or settled as involving consequences against faith, and particularly if no obstinacy be shown; whereas when it is manifest, and especially if the Church has decided that consequences follow against faith, then the error cannot be free from heresy.  For this reason many things are now considered as heretical which were formerly not so considered, as their consequences are now more manifest.”

With notions indirectly against faith (such as that Samuel is not son of Elcana), one could be a confused Catholic concerning the matter (a so-called “material heretic”) for a time, if one did not comprehend the consequences of the position or did not know what the Church or Sacred Scripture taught on the matter.  But with notions directly against Faith (such as praising Islam as a good religion), a false opinion necessarily entails formal heresy – it is not possible for the person to be in good faith or be a “material heretic” and hold that Islam is a good religion, since such an idea is directly opposed to Faith in Christ and the Holy Trinity.  (Another example would be if a person actually believed that there are “Three Gods.”  A person could not be a “material heretic” for any time and actually believe that there are “Three Gods.”  Such a person is simply not a Catholic – period.)

Pope Pius XI, Mortalium Animos (# 2), Jan. 6, 1928: “For which reason conventions, meetings and addresses are frequently arranged by these persons, at which a large number of listeners are present, and at which all without distinction are invited to join in the discussion, both infidels of every kind, and Christians… Certainly such attempts can nowise be approved by Catholics, founded as they are on that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy…  Not only are those who hold this opinion in error and deceived, but also in distorting the idea of true religion they reject it...”

And this is why Pope Pius XI says here in Mortalium Animos that those who favor interreligious prayer gatherings, such as Antipope John Paul II and the apostate “Archbishop” Michael Fitzgerald, are not only in error and deceived, but have completely rejected the true religion.

Pope St. Leo the Great (+ c. 450): “For whoever is led away from the path of the true faith, and changed to another, his whole journey is an apostasy; and the further he travels from the Catholic light, the nearer he comes to the darkness of death.” (Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, Vol. 2, p. 148)

Go back to Heresies of the Week of John Paul II and the Vatican II sect regarding Pagans, Jews and Infidels