The Novus Ordo Bishops Bluntly Repudiate the Dogmatic Second Council of Lyons and the Council of Florence!

Heresy of the Week, Week of 11/21/03
By Bro. Michael Dimond and Bro. Peter Dimond
For more see: Heresies of the Week of John Paul II’s Hierarchy and Members

“An Agreed Statement of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation Saint Paul’s College, Washington, DC, October 25, 2003 * (U.S. Catholic Bishops – Secretariat for Interreligious Affairs: http://www.usccb.org/seia/filioque.shtml)*

“IV. Recommendations -“We are aware that the problem of the theology of the Filioque… Although dialogue among a number of these Churches and the Orthodox communion has already touched on the issue, any future resolution of the disagreement between East and West on the origin of the Spirit must involve all those communities that profess the Creed of 381 as a standard of faith. Aware of its limitations, our Consultation nonetheless makes the following theological and practical recommen­dations to the members and the bishops of our own Churches…

·         that in the future, because of the progress in mutual understanding that has come about in recent decades, Orthodox and Catholics refrain from labeling as heretical the traditions of the other side on the subject of the procession of the Holy Spirit…

·         that the Catholic Church, as a consequence of the normative and irrevocable dogmatic value of the Creed of 381, use the original Greek text alone in making translations of that Creed for catechetical and liturgical use.

·         that the Catholic Church, following a growing theological consensus, and in particular the statements made by Pope Paul VI, declare that the condemnation made at the Second Council of Lyons (1274) of those “who presume to deny that the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son” is no longer applicable.

“We offer these recommendations to our Churches in the conviction, based on our own intense study and discussion, that our traditions’ different ways of understanding the procession of the Holy Spirit need no longer divide us.”

Comment:  This is an incredible heresy, but first a little background.  It is a defined dogma of the Catholic Church that God the Holy Ghost proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son.

Pope Gregory X, Second Council of Lyons, 1274, ex cathedra: “We profess faithfully and devotedly that the Holy Ghost proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son, not as from two principles, but as from one principle… This the holy Roman Church, mother and mistress of all the faithful, has till now professed, preached and taught; this she firmly holds, preaches, professes and teaches… But because some, on account of ignorance of the said indisputable truth, have fallen into various errors, we, wishing to close the way to such errors, with the approval of the sacred council, condemn and reprove all who presume to deny that the Holy Ghost proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son, or rashly to assert that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son as from two principles and not as from one.” (Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, Vol. 1, p. 314; Denzinger 460.)

The Eastern schismatics (i.e., the so-called “Orthodox”) reject this dogma.  They only believe that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father; they don’t believe that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son (Filioque).  So, what do the bishops of the Vatican II sect do in their dialogue with these “Orthodox” schismatics?  In their dialogue with the schismatics they issue the above statement which is carried on the official website of the U.S. bishops in union with Benedict XVI.  This statement, as can be seen above, bluntly asserts that the dogmatic definition of the Second Council of Lyons – which declared that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son (Filioque) – is no longer applicable!  This is formal heresy!  The U.S. bishops in union with John Paul II (and now Benedict XVI) have declared – and publicly promote – that a solemn, ex cathedra pronouncement of a pope at an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church no longer applies!  We quote this incredible heresy again:

[They Recommend]: “…that the Catholic Church, following a growing theological consensus, and in particular the statements made by Pope Paul VI, declare that the condemnation made at the Second Council of Lyons (1274) of those “who presume to deny that the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son” is no longer applicable.”

The U.S. bishops of the Vatican II sect also recommended that the current version of the Nicene-Constantinople Creed (which is recited every Sunday at Mass), which declares that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son (Filioque), be dropped from all catechetical and liturgical use (see above) – and that only the original creed of 381, which only declared that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father, be used!  For those who don’t know, the Catholic Church lawfully added the phrase “and the Son” to the Nicene-Constantinople Creed.

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, “Laetentur coeli,” July 6, 1439, ex cathedra: “In the name of the Holy Trinity, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with the approbation of this holy general Council of Florence we define that this truth of faith be believed and accepted by all Christians, and that all likewise profess that the Holy Ghost is eternally from the Father and the Son… We define in addition that the explanation of the words ‘Filioque’ for the sake of declaring the truth and also because of imminent necessity has been lawfully and reasonably added to the Creed.” (Denz. 691)

By declaring that the “Filioque” (“and the Son”) dogma is not binding and no longer applicable, the Novus Ordo bishops repudiate two dogmatic councils of the Catholic Church (Lyons II and Florence) at the same time.  So, what’s next for bishops of the Vatican II sect?  Will they next declare that the Council of Nicaea (325) no longer applies because the Muslims have a problem with it?  The fact is that these bishops are not Catholic bishops at all, but members of a counterfeit non-Catholic sect: the Vatican II sect.

For more see: Heresies of the Week of John Paul II’s Hierarchy and Members