- Feb 5, 2002
- 167,645
- 56,882
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
We are not infinite as God is infinite, of course, but our dignity is not quantifiable and is indeed radically open-ended, as we are raised by way of participation into God’s inner life.
When I was in Rome last October covering the Synod on Synodality I had dinner with a rather well-known priest friend who is frequently, but mildly, critical of Pope Francis.
I asked him why his critique of the Pope is not as harsh as some others who accuse this Pope of heresy. He responded by saying that “it is important to keep in mind that we want an intact papacy left in place once this Pope is gone.” Therefore, he continued, accusations of papal heresy from various sectors, mainly on the internet, serve no valuable purpose and actually work to undermine the legitimacy of the office itself.
All popes face some legitimate criticism, and that is to be expected. And some popes perhaps deserve strong criticism when they make serious pastoral and juridical missteps. But to accuse a pope of heresy is another matter entirely and should be reserved for only the gravest and most glaring of situations.
I was reminded of those statements this past week, after the release of the new declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), entitled Infinite Dignity (Dignitas Infinita), which was greeted almost immediately by all manner of harsh criticisms directed primarily at the document’s opening assertion that human beings have an “infinite dignity” that cannot be lost even if we sin.
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
When I was in Rome last October covering the Synod on Synodality I had dinner with a rather well-known priest friend who is frequently, but mildly, critical of Pope Francis.
I asked him why his critique of the Pope is not as harsh as some others who accuse this Pope of heresy. He responded by saying that “it is important to keep in mind that we want an intact papacy left in place once this Pope is gone.” Therefore, he continued, accusations of papal heresy from various sectors, mainly on the internet, serve no valuable purpose and actually work to undermine the legitimacy of the office itself.
All popes face some legitimate criticism, and that is to be expected. And some popes perhaps deserve strong criticism when they make serious pastoral and juridical missteps. But to accuse a pope of heresy is another matter entirely and should be reserved for only the gravest and most glaring of situations.
I was reminded of those statements this past week, after the release of the new declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), entitled Infinite Dignity (Dignitas Infinita), which was greeted almost immediately by all manner of harsh criticisms directed primarily at the document’s opening assertion that human beings have an “infinite dignity” that cannot be lost even if we sin.
Continued below.
What Is Humanity’s Infinite Dignity?
COMMENTARY: We are not infinite as God is infinite, of course, but our dignity is not quantifiable and is indeed radically open-ended, as we are raised by way of participation into God’s inner life.
