Red Hat Fight!

OMM comments on Kasper the Friendly Ghost's horrified response to Cardinal Müller daring to actually be a Catholic Prelate.

From One Mad Mom

This duel between Cardinals Kasper and Müller is super interesting to me. First of all, Cardinal Müller mentions the pope, oh, zero times in his “Manifesto of Faith.” If I were Cardinal Kasper, I’d be thinking that it was aimed at himself. Of course, Cardinal Kasper probably believes he and the title “the pope” are synonymous, but that’s just my guess.

Cardinal Kasper says Mueller’s manifesto spreads ‘confusion and division’

Munich, Germany, Feb 10, 2019 / 01:32 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Walter Kasper has released a criticism of Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s “Manifesto of Faith,” accusing it of containing half-truths and blanket statements that could lead to division and confusion in the Church.

Well, if anyone knows about how to lead division and confusion in the Church it would be Cardinal Kasper! Would you care to point out these blanket statements and half-truths which lead to confusion and division, Cardinal Kasper? Seriously, talk about a blanket statement with no teeth. I think the laity is getting really weary of “It is so because I say so!” For those who haven’t seen that tactic before, it should be painfully obvious since one group of German bishops have no arguments but that. They got no game.

In a statement on katholisch.de, Kasper said that while the manifesto “contains many statements of faith that every upright Catholic can wholeheartedly affirm,” some of the truths in it “are pointed out so pointedly that it fades out the other half.”

This is unbelievable. He’s not saying that Cardinal Müller is twisting a truth. He’s saying that he’s making many statements of truth, but some are “louder” than others? As if somehow one truth is cancelling out another truth? As if not stating all of the truths of the Faith is somehow making Cardinal Müller a liar? Cardinal Müller is simply focusing on the truths that are in question. It was never supposed to be a compendium of Catholic truths. Can you say “Huge misdirection?” This is one of the lamest things every written. I’m totally hoping it’s poor CNA writing rather than Cardinal Kasper’s attempt at catechesis.

On Feb. 8, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former prefect of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, published a “Manifesto of Faith,” which he described as a response to Catholics who have requested that he issue a “public testimony about the truth of revelation” in response to “growing confusion about the doctrine of the Faith.”

Can we not say there’s a growing confusion of Faith?! I would think that’s a gimme. Heck, here in the United States we’ve got several prime examples of confused Catholics. We’ve got Andrew Cuomo, Nancy Pelosi, Fr. James Martin, LGBTSJ, America Magazine, etc., etc., etc. I can cite hundreds of confused Catholics in this country alone. That said, the confusion per capita is off the charts in Germany. Somebody had to make some clarifications to the confused. I’m not sure when that turned into a schismatic move.

The manifesto addresses five areas of Catholic doctrine: Christology, ecclesiology, sacraments, morality, and eschatology, the branch of theology that addresses death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Each section draws heavily from references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

Each section heavily quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Unlike Cardinal Kasper, Cardinal Müller isn’t writing his own interpretation of Faith. He’s quoting the Catechism, for heaven’s sake.

In his document, Müller quotes the catechism, noting that “Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.” He adds that “from the internal logic of the sacrament,” that norm applies to “divorced and civilly remarried persons, whose sacramental marriage exists before God, as well as those Christians who are not in full communion with the Catholic Faith and the Church.” He also reiterated that the Church cannot ordain women to the priesthood and affirmed Church teaching on the existence of heaven and hell.

Uh, so Cardinal Müller states Catholic teaching. There’s a shocker. Yes, that’s sarcastic. What’s really shocking is that Cardinal Kasper doesn’t even make the attempt to quote it.

Kasper, who has been an outspoken advocate of the admission of the divorced-and-remarried to Holy Communion, accused Müller of making “unacceptable blanket statements,” such as the assertion that “the conscience of the faithful is not sufficiently formed.”

 Tsk, tsk, tsk, Cardinal Kasper. Red card for quoting out of context. Here’s the actual statement from the manifesto:

The task of the Magisterium of the Church is to “preserve God’s people from deviations and defections” in order to “guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error” (890). This is especially true with regard to all seven sacraments. The Holy Eucharist is “source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324). The Eucharistic Sacrifice, in which Christ includes us in His Sacrifice of the Cross, is aimed at the most intimate union with Him (CCC 1382). Therefore, the Holy Scripture admonishes with regard to the reception of the Holy Communion: “Whoever eats unworthily of the bread and drinks from the Lord’s cup makes himself guilty of profaning the body and of the blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27). “Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion” (CCC 1385). From the internal logic of the sacrament, it is understood that divorced and civilly remarried persons, whose sacramental marriage exists before God, as well as those Christians who are not in full communion with the Catholic Faith and the Church, just as all those who are not disposed to receive the Holy Eucharist fruitfully (CCC 1457), because it does not bring them to salvation. To point this out corresponds to the spiritual works of mercy.

The confession of sins in Holy Confession at least once a year is one of the Church’s commandments (CCC 2042). When the believers no longer confess their sins and no longer experience the absolution of their sins, salvation becomes impossible; after all, Jesus Christ became Man to redeem us from our sins. The power of forgiveness that the Risen Lord has given to the Apostles and their successors in the ministry of bishops and priests applies also for mortal and venial sins which we commit after Baptism. The current popular practice of confession makes it clear that the conscience of the faithful is not sufficiently formed. God’s mercy is given to us, that we might fulfil His Commandments to become one with His Holy Will, and not so as to avoid the call to repentance (CCC 1458).

The only thing I’m confused about here is the phrase “current popular practice of confession” because what we have is a current popular non-practice of confession. I’m reasonably sure this is a world-wide problem. Nobody thinks they are sinning at all, much less committing a serious sin, because they have listened to the Cardinal Kaspers of the world who have confused “primacy of conscience” so much that all one has to do to remain sin free is to not think something is really a sin. Uh, hello! Thus, the point of the manifesto.

“It is undoubtedly true that the confession of the Triune God constitutes a fundamental difference in belief in God and the image of man from other religions. But are there not similarities, especially with the Jews and the Muslims, in the belief in the one God? And are not these similarities today fundamental to peace in the world and in society? Half the truth is not the Catholic truth!” Kasper charged.

Again, this is sophomoric. Did Cardinal Müller say there weren’t some similarities here and there? Geez. No. But let’s look at your own comment, Cardinal Kasper: “Half the truth is not the Catholic truth!” You are the one who might want to remember that, Cardinal Kasper. Again, the reason for the manifesto. You are the king of half-truths, which is why you have a HUGE problem when someone spells out truth at all. Do you actually believe that the Catholic Church is the One True Church, Cardinal Kasper? That’s where we should be trying to lead people. Can you use a smidge of truth that might be found in some other religion to lead them to the Catholic Church? Sure. Archbishop Fulton Sheen pointed that out in “Mary and the Moslems”. But to say that God does not desire every person to be Catholic would be, well, a lie.

He also said that he was “totally horrified” to read Müller’s statement that failing to teach the truths of the Catholic faith “it is the fraud of Antichrist.”

Really? Horrified? Wow! Didn’t know you could actually be horrified by anything, Cardinal Kasper, because you seem to miss things that should most horrify you on a regular basis. You know? Sacrilegious reception of the Holy Eucharist, mortal sin, hell, etc.

Kasper suggested that Müller was following the path of Martin Luther: “One who rightly advocates reforms in the Church, but wants to pursue these behind the Pope’s back and enforce them in opposition to him? I would find that hard to believe. For that could only lead to confusion and division. That could unhinge the Catholic Church.”

Well, that was a scurrilous (and completely dramatic) accusation if I ever saw one. And to that I say, PROVE IT! And while you’re at it, prove that any part of Cardinal Müller’s manifesto contradicts ANY Church teaching in any way. You’ve completely failed thus far. And for an extra challenge to you, Cardinal Kasper, why don’t you quote church teaching to prove it. Never mind. I already know why that won’t happen.

I find it completely idiotic to think that a guy who said this just a few months back  could be seen as gunning at Pope Francis vs. half his fellow German bishops and cardinals who he’s never quite agreed with on doctrinal issues. Let’s face it, Cardinal Kasper just has his feelings hurt and will always finger someone else for dissent against the Holy Father if it draws attention from him being a horrific shepherd.