16 April 2011

Situating John Paul II

While I do not make a habit of questioning the judgement of Roman Pontiffs, I have never concealed my feeling that John Paul II's Assisi Event would not lose any of its value if it were given just a little clarification. Similarly his action in kissing a copy of the Koran. The ill-disposed could so easily misinterpret these events as giving some sort of cover for syncretism or religious relativism. I have recently twice suggested that the structuring of the Next Assisi might constitute just such clarification.

I found the newly published Collect* for Blessed John Paul II interesting in this respect. It hopes that we will be edocti by his instituta, but, lest any should deem those instituta to encourage syncretism, it concludes by describing Christ as the unus Redemptor hominis. Thus it takes up the theme of the admirable CDF document Dominus Iesus, which so lucidly explained that only in Christ can be found salvation. Thus by one word the nature of JP2's Magisterium is definitively and permanently clarified by having a Hermeneutic associated with it.

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*Personally, I feel that it would better have read ... praesta qs, nobis, eius institutis edoctis, ut corda nostra ... aperiantur. Primacy of Grace, and all that.

On the train to Allen Hall on Thursday, I took my schoolmaster's correcting pencil to the texts published by the Vatican. There is one patent typo; another place where I don't quite see what the meaning is unless there is a typo. And the Eulogium reads to my eye rather oddly. I invite periti - or do we nowadays say idonei? - to join in the hunt. As a start ... how would you account for 'reditus' in line 2?

4 comments:

wllacer said...

Absolutely off topic:
I'm living in Seville, Spain; and as my Holy Week schedule is a bit overloaded, I must write this in advance ...

I wish you, your family and all your companions all the best in this last week of the Journey Home.
I'll rejoice the more the Eastern Vigil knowing that, across the sea, you will, at the same time, come into to the Common House

Frank Swarbrick said...

Father Hunwicke,

I am am a relative new-comer to your excellent BLOG but I am somewhat mystified. Everything is so very CATHOLIC and yet I believe you are NOT!I would be most grateful if you would comment:
Why, Oh why are you not CATHOLIC? It may be that you are still discerning your position within the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. It would be wonderful to think that you are in fact, about to be received into full communion with the One and only Holy Roman Catholic Apostolic Church or, as John Henry often referred to the Church as 'The One True Fold'. What a wonderful asset you would be.
It may be that in my lack of knowledge about your position that you may already be Home and Dry. I eagerly await your comments.
Frank Swarbrick

wllacer said...

@Frank
If you happened to be here from arounq Quinquagesima you'll remember a few crypitc posts (better said, devoids of context), and that at the start of Lent Fr H. quietly updated his job description and the links section of the page. At the same time he notified us that he is receiving "some instruction" at Allen Hall (google a bit ;-). With unmistakeable oxbrigian "sin" of understatement, he's said everything.

OTOH you'll be surprised if you look at the audience of the blog how it appeals to a wide catholic and orthodox audience, both with small and big first letter

GOR said...

Frank: would that more 'Catholics' were as Catholic as Father Hunwicke...!