(Tridentine South Africa)

Article By Marc Aupiais

The holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, recently confirmed that he does
plan top visit Scotland during his visit this year to the United
Kingdom. He did so, during the Ad Limina visit of the Scottish Bishops
to Rome. Ad Limina visits are compulsory visits of Bishops to Rome, in
which they answer to and report back to the pope on matters in their
jurisdiction. Following his recent pattern in which he attacked
Venezuela, where the church is in danger, and more recently Great
Britain, where he indirectly alleged human rights abuses by the Labour
government against Catholics, the Pope warned against Euthanasia, as
Scotland is preparing to mull over a controversial Euthanasia bill. He
also told faithful Catholics to fight against secularism.

The Pope has, in his address to these same bishops in their Ad Limina
visit, recently emphasized that faithful Catholics must obey the
magisterium on every single point, much as Jesus said that not a mark
would be taken from the law of God, the pope has emphasized that the
Catholic morality, is about hope, and that the don't do's are in fact
not simply sanctions, but a way to live the fullest life in Christ,
gaining life through faith. He asked that the Scottish bishops focus on
evangelism, and the position of the laity.

Once again playing the chess game Benedict XVI has become known for, he
warned of a need to grapple with the secularist tide attempting to rise
over Scotland. The Pope's efforts at outreach towards the SSPX, and
Anglo-Catholic Anglicans, as well as his efforts to dialog with Islam,
all show his emphasis of ridding the world of the secularist influence
he sees as gripping much of Europe. While Ad Limina visits can tend to
accompany papal statements against secular powers, the statements of
the pope about the united kingdom, have certainly gotten more attention
than other statements. One would get the impression that the papacy now
views the small democracy, much as he does other parts of the world
where the very foundation of religious freedom is at risk. He further
asked the bishops to defend the right of Catholics to continue to
practice their faith in Scotland.

Editorially, it does not seem that the serious rebukes of the Bishops
of England and Wales were present in his speech to the Scottish
Bishops, but without a source from Scotland, I cannot confirm there was
no subtle message, though it seems less likely. Either way, the pope
has noted Euthanasia suggestions by Scottish politicians as a serious
threat to the gospel: once again seemingly believing it necessary to
get directly involved in the politics of the United Kingdom. The
Catholic principle of Subsidiarity, also present elsewhere in law and
politics, demands that the local authority deals with an issue unless
unable to do so. Papal interference, means that the United Kingdom's
situation is viewed quite intently by the pope.

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Posted By scripturelink to South African Catholic at 2/06/2010 03:21:00
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