Monday, May 24, 2010

It must need to be said: the Universal Church precedes the Local one.

Pentecost Sunday, 2010

Benedict XVI says
local Churches should always remember
that the Universal Church precedes them,
and conform to her in unity and universality.

"From the very beginning,
from the day of Pentecost,
she speaks all languages.
The universal Church precedes the particular Churches,
and the latter must always conform to the former
according to a criterion of unity and universality.
The Church never remains a prisoner
within political, racial and cultural confines;
she cannot be confused with states nor with federations of states,
because her unity is of a different type
and aspires to transcend every human frontier."
-Benedict XVI,
Pentecost, 2010 -


Benedict XVI
The Roman Pontiff.

So, then, if anyone says that
the Roman Pontiff
has merely an office of supervision and guidance,
and not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction
over the whole church,
and this not only in matters of faith and morals,
but also in those which concern
the discipline and government of the church
dispersed throughout the whole world;

or
that he has only the principal part,
but not the absolute fullness, of this supreme power;

or
that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate
both over all
and
each of the churches
and
over all
and
each of the pastors
and
faithful:

let him be anathema.

- Vatican Council, Session 4, Ch.3
First dogmatic constitution on the church of Christ -

2 comments:

  1. BRILLIANT!!! Thank you Holy Father. As they say in french "A bon entendeur, salut."

    ReplyDelete
  2. At Last Light At The End Of The Tunnel

    ReplyDelete