episode 6 Canada this is CBS and now here's your host David Ross welcome to episode 6 I'm gonna continue today with the documents of attic into this 16 beautiful documents of Vatican 2 I started the other day in episode 5 I was in a bit of a panic a bit of a rush I didn't prepare just how I do things and so made a couple of blunders I think I may have referred to hope all the six as st. Pope Paul the sixth or Saint Paul of the six I think he will be yet if I don't think his canonization process has begun I think he's on his way to becoming a saint but he's not officially a saint yet but another little blunder I did was at the end I was really rushing and so I read something else I'll start with that highlight I've adjusted a little bit my layout here so hopefully you can read along and I've decided to go back and look at e layout see here I can use red I like color for those highlights that I've read and then becomes obvious where the next highlight is I've got this yellow one I started this one last episode and I made a little bit of a blunder so I want to reread the paragraph that I rushed at the end I may as well read the whole highlight so this sacred synod turns its attention first to the Catholic faithful basing itself upon Sacred Scripture and tradition it teaches that the church now sort sojourning on earth as an exile is necessary for salvation the church is necessary for salvation or Christ made present to us in his body which is the church is the one mediator and the unique way of salvation in explicit terms he himself affirmed the necessity of faith in baptism and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the church or through baptism as through a doorman enter the church whosoever therefore knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by God through Jesus Christ would refuse to enter her or to remain in her could not be saved they are fully incorporated into the Society of the church who possessing the Spirit of Christ except her entire system and all the means of salvation given to her and through a union with her visible structure are joined to Christ who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops this joining is affected by the bonds of professed faith of the sacraments of ecclesiastical government and of communion he has not he know this is what I messed up last time he is not saved however who though he is a part of the body of the church does not persevere in charity so he is not saved however who though he is part of the body of the church does not persevere in charity love is the greatest of the commandments as Jesus is himself said he remains indeed in the bosom of the church so these are bio catholics we're talking about here he remains indeed in the bosom of the church but as it were only in a bodily manner and not in his heart all the sons of the church should remember that their exalted status is to be attributed not to their own merits but to the special grace of Christ if they fail moreover to respond to that grace in thought word indeed not only will they not be saved but they will be the more severely judged catechumens who moved by the Holy Spirit seek with explicit intention to be incorporated into the church our by that very intention to her with love and solicitude mother church already embraces them as her own so a couple of things I want to talk about here um bad catholics i mean i only fear about catholics i often say this is a famous quote by is it st. therese delays you or st. Catherine of Siena I can't remember who said it I only fear bad that's why I'm pretty hard on rad treads a set of a cactus and even those who put the prefix conservative in front of Catholic I'm very obviously equally critical of those who want to prefix Catholic with liberal right or any any other problem any other prefix for that matter but the the idea here is that there are bad Catholics who do not persevere in charity as the document says and just so you know what we're looking at here in case you have forgotten since last time there's a little note here dogmatic Constitution on the church and so bad Catholics we have to realize that they are part of the body but they're only participating in a bodily way there in the bosom of the church in a bodily manner as the document says the other thing I want to mention here is the this paragraph here about the khadak humans who seek to be part of the church but who are not yet formally or officially joined to her sort of like the baptism of desire the catechumen you know have a cute catechumen it of desire these sorts of things God looks at the hurt he reads the hurt you know what sorry he knows the hurt and he knows who has good will and who recognizes the truth and who wants to join themselves to the truth who sees the ark and wants to get into the earth and I hope in the day of Noah that there were some who regretted their obstinacy and they got into the ark not physically but through the the intention as being outlined here so just taking a sip of tea the church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who being baptized are honored with the name of Christian though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not purse or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peters so I guess we're talking about Protestants Orthodox and other forms of Christians or there are many who honor Sacred Scripture taking it as a norm of belief and of action and who show a true religious zeal they lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ son of God and Savior they are consecrated by baptism through which they are united with Christ they also recognize and receive other sacraments within their own churches or ecclesial communities so it's important to realize that the the Protestants don't have churches they have ecclesial communities but many of the Eastern Orthodox and oriental Orthodox are considered Chalk churches properly speaking because there's schism addicts and they're not they haven't broken away completely from the church or at least to the extent that Protestant communities have they also recognize and receive other sacraments within their own churches or ecclesial communities many of them rejoice in the episcopate celebrate the Holy Eucharist and cultivate devotion toward the Virgin Mother of God so I think we're talking about the Eastern Orthodox oriental Orthodox here they also share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits likewise we can say that in some real way they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit for to them also he gives his gifts and graces and is thereby operative among them with his sanctifying power some indeed he has strengthened to the extent of the shedding of their blood in all of Christ's disciples the Spirit arouses the desire to be peacefully united in the man are determined by Christ as one flock under one shepherd and he prompts them to pursue this goal Mother Church never ceases to pray hope and work that they may gain this blessing she exerts her sons to purify and renew themselves so that the sign of Christ may shine more brightly over the face of the church so Christian unity obviously a big big theme for Vatican two it's a major point of emphasis in the church in that it can - and elsewhere and it's a big point of emphasis in my own faith journey you know when I talk with people unity is primarily what I'm seeking I want people to abandon all world views and to get adopt a better world view I mean any step in the right direction is is commendable and is salutary oh it's little baby steps I mean I am a Catholic I'm a faithful Catholic striving to be a faithful Catholic and I'm a mere baby in terms of sanctification and so we're all in the same boat in terms of taking little baby steps and encouraging ourselves and each other and supporting us supporting this work of getting into the ark and ultimately being happy finally those who have not yet received the gospel are related in various ways to the people of God in the first place there is the people to whom the covenants and the promises were given and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh on account of their fathers this people remains most dear to God the Jews regard does not repent of the gifts he makes nor of the calls he issues here with that reference of course to the famous passage in Romans 11 and this is something I think about often the Jews who who are the Jews today who are the real Jews today well according to the Catholic Church we and according to Holy Scriptures we are the church we are the spiritual we are excuse me we are the true Jews we are the spiritual Jews the children of Abraham and the carnal Jews a st. Paul cause also than the carnal Jews are those stiff-necked Jews who have not yet come in to full communion with the church but there's that passage in Romans 11 it talks about a hardening that came upon them but all the Jews eventually will come into the church so the question remains who are the Jews who are the real Jews today which Jews will come into the Catholic Church which Jews are predisposed to come into the Catholic Church that if they seem to have lived a holy life as a Jew and they died peacefully as all intents and purposes as a Jew but in the final moments they were predisposed to the truth and Jesus came to them our Lord and our Lady came to them at their last breath last breath and instructed them and gave them the option of choosing life and they chose life then they they are true Jews because they saw the truth and they accepted the truth and they became Catholic unbeknownst to their family and friends and their rabbi in their Jewish community so these I think are the true Jews and st. Paul hints that they will all all true Jews will be brought into the church but we we don't know the heart we can't read the heart only God knows that her so we're gonna have to wait and see it the final judgement who the true Jews are at every point in the history of of salvation certainly in the time of Christ some of the Jews all of Christ and listen to Christ and submit it to Christ and many obviously didn't but among those who didn't st. Paul reassures us that all of the true Jews will be saved so this is something that I'm very interested in and I'm excited to see it at the final judgment how would all played out for the Jews I do love and admire the Jews to this day but the cell the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator so just straight-up generic monotheists those who may have a confused idea about God but who sincerely worship God in the first place among these are the Muslims in the first place among these there are the Muslims so giving a lot of respect to Islam here in the very first place after the Christians in the Jews the very first place is given to the Muslims and I Muslims who professing to hold the faith of Abraham along with us adore the one and merciful God who on the last day will judge mankind Nora's God Himself are distant from those who in shadows and images seek the unknown God or it is he who gives to all men life and breath and every other gift and who as Savior wills that all men be also can attain to everlasting salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or his church yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strike strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience nor does divine providence deny to help necessary for salvation to those who without blame on their part have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God who but who strive to live a good life thanks to His grace whatever goodness or truth is hold on whatever goodness or truth is found for the gospel that's a complete sentence I'm not sure if I'm understanding that okay whatever goodness or truth is found for the gospel is that a complete sentence whatever goodness or truth is found for the gospel I don't think that's a complete sentence she regards such qualities as given by him among them he's looked upon by the church as a preparation who enlightens all men so that they may finally have okay I'm not sure if my reading comprehension is going down the tubes or if it just it maybe something got mangled in the text there in any case the basic idea is that God is cooperating 100% of the time with 100% of his rational creatures to make sure that they have all the graces that need but rather often men deceived by the evil one have become caught up in a futile reasoning in futile reasoning and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie serving the creature rather than the Creator or some there are who living and dying in a world without God are subject consequently to promote the glory of God and procure the salvation of all such men and mindful of the command of the Lord preach the gospel to every creature the church painstakingly fosters her missionary work just as the son was sent by the father so he too sent the apostles saying go therefore and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I am with you all days even unto other comes even unto the the church has received from the Apostles as a task to be discharged even to the ends of the earth the solemn mandate of Christ to proclaim the saving truth hence she makes the words of the Apostle her own woe to me if I do not preach the gospel continues unceasingly to send heralds of the gospel until such time as the infant churches are fully established in canon and themselves carry on the work evangelizing for the church is compelled by the woolly spirit to do her part towards the full realization of the will of God who has established crisis the source of salvation for the whole world by the proclamation of the gospel she prepares her hearers to receive and profess the faith disposes them for baptism snatches them from the slavery of error and incorporates them into Christ so that through charity they may grow up into full maturity in Christ through her work whatever good is in the minds and hearts of men whatever good lies latent in the religious practices and cultures of a divine of diverse peoples is not only saved from destruction but he's also healed in noble dand perfected unto the glory of God and the confusion of the devil and the happiness of man the obligation of spreading the faith is imposed on every disciple of Christ according to his ability though all the faithful can baptize the priest alone can complete the building up of the body of the building up of the body in the Eucharistic sacrifice the Tsar fulfilled the words of God spoken through his prophet from the rising of the Sun even to the going down my name is great among the Gentiles and in every place there is sacrifice and there is offered to my name a clean oblation in this way the church simultaneously prays and Labor's in order that the entire world may become the people of God the people of God the body of the Lord and the temple of the Holy Spirit and that in Christ the head of all there may be rendered to the creator and father of the universe all honor and chapters of Genesis where Adam and Eve are created and they are according to the father's well Adam is I'm not sure about Eve but they're one flesh anyway so Adam and Eve are supposed to be presenting representing all of creation at the pinnacle of creation humans are made in the image and likeness of God and we are to worship God all of creation worships God as you can see in some of the Psalms and even the stones cry out and if God wanted to he could make sons of Abraham out of the very stones all of nature is crying out in worship and praise to the Almighty but we are the priests the humanity is the priest and then the chosen people the Jews were chosen among humanity to be that priesthood royal priesthood and of course being a stiff-necked and rebellious people as all people are the Jews were there was a sort of compromise made and only one tribe the Levites were singled out and given a precious role of priesthood so there's a compromise there are always compromises and just like concessions being made to the people of God and that includes us today the Catholics today so I'm just gonna turn that note red or pink so I know that I I know where I am so with their helpers the priests and deacons bit okay with their helpers the priests and deacons bishops have therefore taken up the service of the community so basically bishops have two kinds of helpers priests and deacons so with their helpers bishops have therefore taken up the service of community presiding in place of God over the flock whose Shepherds they are as teachers of doctrine priests of sacred worship and officers of good order so they're there again we have this idea of priests prophet King just as the role that the Lord gave individually to Peter the first among the Apostles is permanent and was meant to be transmitted to his successors so also the Apostles office of nurturing the church is permanent and was meant to be exercised without interruption by the sacred order of Bishops therefore the sacred synod teaches that by divine institution bishops have succeeded to the place of the Apostles as shepherds of the church and that he who hears them here is Christ while he who rejects them rejects Christ and him who sent Christ namely God the Father so it's kind of a big deal if you're mocking the Catholic Church if you're ridiculing in the Catholic Church let's hope you have invincible ignorance that at the very least there are other kinds of ignorance there are other kinds of there's a complete ignorance I think there's a higher form of ignorance where there's no culpability but most people today have at least some sort of idea of Christianity in the history of Christianity and there's so much access to information that I think a lot of Protestants and a lot of non Catholic Christians are in a position today where they're gonna rely on a sort of invincible ignorance where there is some so let's just continue I just turn that so continuing the sacred Synod teaches that my Episcopal consecration is conferred the fullness of the sacrament of orders that fullness which in the church's liturgical practice and in the language of the Holy Fathers of the church is undoubtedly called the high priesthood the apex of the sacred ministry well if you can see on the screen here but this is obviously a scanned document when I was having trouble understanding that one sentence before it was seemed a bit mangled and here we see a mangled word the word ministry is rendered by the character recognition program as RN instead of an M but it's run ministry instead of a ministry so this is just a little technical note as I go through this when I was reading it I would just skip over it but I think it's worth pointing out here that there are some little technical glitches because of the automatic character recognition machine reading that took place when they created the text for this so we're gonna run into a few of those but continuing with the text now but Episcopal consecration together with the office of sanctifying also confirms the offices of teaching and of governing ease however of their very nature can be exercised only in hierarchical communion with the ecumenical councils and so on and so forth and there has to be that unity the bishops after act in the Magisterium whether it's the ordinary or the extraordinary Magisterium they have to act in union with of course the Holy Father and all the bishops who are in union with the Holy Father far for from tradition which is expressed especially in liturgical rites and in the practices of the church both of the east end of the West it is clear that by means of the imposition of hands and the words of consecration the grace of the Holy Spirit is so conferred and a sacred character so impressed there again we have a glitch in the earth to recognition hmm so conferred and the sacred character so impressed that bishops in an eminent and an eminent and visible way undertake Christ's own role as teacher Shepherd and high priest and that they act in his person in Persona Christi as they say in Latin therefore it devolves on the bishops to admit newly elected members into the Episcopal body by means of the sacrament of orders so only bishops can consecrate bishops and they act because the priests they act in Persona Christi but the fullness of the priesthood is in the bishop word you know it picks in the Episcopal see very very strong language about being acting in the person of Jesus Christ it's I don't know how he could read this document and not have an increased and renewed appreciation for and respect for those in the hierarchy it's only the constant barrage of anti-catholic quote-unquote news that has lowered the standard by which we see priests bishops Cardinals and even the Pope himself there's a lot of mudslinging and there's a lot of you know there's a lot of truth also coming out there's a lot of truth to the corruption in the church there's no doubt about it you know there are priests who you know many of the Saints say that most of the priests go to hell because it is such a is such a high calling and many fall short that's a very scary thought but yeah when you meditate on the words of this document it really puts into perspective the proximity of Jesus Christ and when he ascended into heaven and he said that it's better for you if I go so if I don't go your church won't be filled with the Holy Spirit and that Holy Spirit's gonna lead you into all truth and he didn't say it explicitly but he's saying it through the Holy Spirit through the church he is saying Jesus Christ is speaking through the documents about a can to and through all the infallible documents of the church he's speaking to us and he's saying that the priest and the bishop act in in the person of Christ there's a lot of supernatural spiritual power that the priest has like any like any grace we can you can correspond with the grace or we can not correspond with the grace so it's great responsibility and I'm happy to be a layperson and to have a relatively low amount of responsibility and to have come into the church late so that I am not embroiled in some of the politics and some of the management issues that the priests and the bishops have to deal with and the the weight of responsibility that they have acting in Persona Christi now all of the lay faithful our priest prophet and King by virtue of baptism so it's not like I'm off the hook I do have responsibilities I do have to act in Persona Christi in a in an analogous way but it's not the same there's this there's a character on the soul of the priest there you know there is an indelible character on my soul because of Baptism and Confirmation as well but the level if we can meditate on the responsibility and the beautiful channel of grace that is the priest and in an even higher way in the bishop who is endowed with the fullness of Holy Orders it really is mind-boggling we have to meditate on this to build our respect once again for the church x-raying with me we'll talk soon god bless for as little as $1 a month we can support a terrible mission of CBS which has already enrolled hundreds of guests and patrons and their immediate families in the Scalabrine league of the millinery fathers of st. 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