By Kathleen Brown, Palm Harbor, Florida
Copyright 1999 - All Rights Reserved.
(Permission obtained to distribute on Our Lady's Warrior website)
No falsehood about the Faith would be readily embraced if it were not first, enshrined in a body of truth using clever speech and associated with the names of those whom no one would begin to question. In our present day this situation is made even more dangerous by the defective catechesis which, sadly, many people have received in the years since the close of Vatican Council II, which has given rise to the notion that the unalterable doctrine of the Faith had somehow been changed by the Council. Alteration to the deposit of Faith is precisely what is found in the RENEW 2000 Leaders' Manuals 1, 2, and 3, and throughout all of the five seasons of the Faith Sharing Booklets (10 in total). In each of the five seasons of RENEW 2000 there is a Liturgy Preparation Handbook where one can see the implementation of the goal of restructuring of the teaching authority of the priest with a Protestant version of lay people essentially making recommendations for his Sunday homily. Here are some examples from each of these sources (Leader's Manuals, Faith Sharing Booklets, and Liturgy Preparation Handbooks) and how they oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.
WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHES ABOUT THE CREED:
On May 28,1998, Pope John Paul II added texts to the Code of Canon Law "which expressly impose the obligation of upholding truths proposed in a definitive way by the Magisterium of the Church, and which also establish related canonical sanctions" for both the Roman Church and the Eastern Churches. This document, Ad Tuendam Fidem, also includes the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity (originally issued January 9, 1989) and reissued as Appendix A and B in that document. The Profession of Faith reads as follows:
"I, N., with firm faith believe and profess each and everything that is contained in the Symbol of faith, namely:
"I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
''With firm faith, I also believe everything contained in the Word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium, sets forth to be believed as divinely revealed. "Moreover, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act."
WHAT RENEW 2000 TEACHES ABOUT THE CREED:
The "creeds" used in RENEW 2000, Leader's Manuals 1, 2, and 3, find their origin outside the Catholic Church. Their authors, Sharon and Thomas Neufer Emswiler are both ordained United Methodist Ministers. The "creeds" are all defective by content and omission. Here is the "creed" which appears in Leader's Manual 3, page 118:
Act of Faith
"We believe in God, the creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ God's only Son, our Lord.
We believe that Jesus was conceived be the power of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary.
We believe that he was crucified, died, and was buried.
We believe that Jesus rose from the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting."
NOTE: There is no reference to:
CONCLUSION:
Clearly this "creed" from RENEW 2000 published in 1994, is in violation of the Profession of Faith, originally issued on January 9, 1989, and reissued as an Appendix in Ad Tuendam Fidem. One can't help but wonder why the Profession of Faith was apparently not considered by the Censor? It is also impossible to reconcile the Holy Father's teaching about sanctions for teaching error that are put forth in Ad Tuendam Fidem and in Appendix A and B with the contents of the RENEW 2000 program.
Leader's Manual 3 of the RENEW 2000 program puts forth the method by which this program will accomplish its goal of renewal on page xi where we read:
"The information presented is basic, yet developed to enable participants to become more knowledgeable and skilled in sharing some of the most profound beliefs of our faith."
"Called to Lead is geared for leaders or facilitators of small groups. However, once experienced by leaders it could easily be duplicated within the groups themselves and would thus be an enriching experience shared by leaders and their groups. It would also be an excellent formation process for members of core communities and other groups/teams within parishes."
In two previous reports it has been shown how some of the "most profound beliefs of our faith" have been altered in Leader's Manual 1 and 2. (see Renew 2000: A Synopsis of Some Errors and Comparison of Original NCCB Critique of Renew and Renew 2000). Here is a brief summary of some of the erroneous teachings found in Leader's Manual 1 and 2.
RENEW 2000 teaches that:
All of these oppose the dogmas of the Catholic Church.
Disobedience to Magisterial teaching is found:
A prime example of these errors is seen in the RENEW 2000 prayer, which contains no approbation (ecclesiastical approval) and says, "Create us anew...enable us to recreate our world...empower us to be a community." Consider those WHO are saying this prayer - baptized Catholics, created anew by Baptism, which makes the words "create us anew" a denial of what occurred at their Baptism. Only the Holy Spirit can renew the face of the earth - not us! Again, by Baptism we belong to the greatest possible COMMUNITY - the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church.
One can not help but wonder how participants can "share some of the most profound beliefs of our faith" when the tenets of the Faith are under direct attack by those training them. And just where are these 'leaders in training' going to lead their small faith communities if they are willing to submit to such false instruction in the first place? The cited quotation from the Leader's Manual 3 indicates that these 'leaders' are intended to multiply by duplicating what they have experienced in their training to be 'leaders'. The last statement is very revealing of the intent of this program when it says: "...It would also be an excellent formation process for members of core communities and other groups/teams within parishes." To what end are these 'leaders' being formed when it is not based upon the teachings of the Catholic Church? Let us look to the contents of Leader's Manual 3 to find the answers to these questions.
Leader's Manual 3, page 4 says: "Small Christian communities talk freely and openly about God and about life and experiences, reflecting on these experiences in the light of scripture and tradition. Often this sharing results in more profound insights and a strengthening of the belief of others in the community."
NOTE: The context in which these communities talk freely and openly about God. . . is in the "light of scripture and tradition" which even Protestants would be at home in doing and this may be the intent of the RENEW 2000 authors. When this incomplete and defective teaching is compared to the Catholic Church's teaching of: "Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church", one can see that the door is being opened for jettisoning any Church teachings which an individual MIGHT NOT ACCEPT. The following from Dei Verbum states the Church's teaching on this matter:
#10: "But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.
"It is clear, therefore, that Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God's most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the other, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls."
Two questions were raised earlier: To what end are these 'leaders' being formed when this program is not based upon the teachings of the Catholic Church? And where are the leaders in training going to lead their small faith communities if they are willing to submit to such false instruction in the first place? Some of the answers can be found in the Liturgy Preparation Handbook entitled Season 1 - God, A Community of Love, where instructions for "Forming a Liturgy Preparation Team" are given.
According to the instruction, "You are the chairperson of the RENEW 2000 Liturgy Preparation Team (Liturgy Preparation Ministry)..."
Under "Membership" it says, "1) Since the presiding celebrant is so integral in carrying out the preparation process, hopefully he will be a member of your team. However, if he chooses not to be a member of the team, you need to have at least one person present who will represent him...." and
"5) You also want (a) representative(s) of the assembly. The people in the pews are also celebrants of the liturgy. Liturgy is the "work of the people."
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger addresses the problems associated with attempts by "creative" liturgists to "manufacturer" liturgies. He explains in Feast of Faith that:
"the obligatory character of the essential parts of the liturgy...guarantees the true freedom of the faithful: It makes sure that they are not victims of something fabricated by an individual or a group, that they are sharing in the same liturgy that binds the priest, the bishop, and the Pope. In the liturgy, we are all given the freedom to appropriate, in our own personal way, the mystery which addresses us ...
"Furthermore, those able to draw up such liturgies are necessarily few in number, with the result that what is 'freedom' for them means 'domination ' as it affects others."
In this same book (Feast of Faith, page 85), His Eminence also says that,
"...liturgy can only be liturgy to the extent that it is beyond the manipulation of those who celebrate it."
If the liturgy is beyond the manipulation of those who celebrate (the ordained priest), then how much farther removed must the lay people be from such manipulations? But this is not the case with the RENEW 2000 Liturgy Preparation Team who will be meeting with the celebrant with suggestions for changes to the liturgy and teachings to be put forth in the homily. Recall that all of this comes from their personal insights into the scriptures readings and not from the teaching authority of the Church.
WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHES ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF JESUS:
Sacrosanctum Concilium, #7 says:
"To accomplish so great a work Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his minister, 'the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross," but especially in the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the sacraments so that when anybody baptizes it is really Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in Church. Lastly, he is present, finally when the church prays and sings, for he promised, 'Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them (Mt. 18:20)..."
WHAT RENEW 2000 TEACHES ABOUT THE REAL PRESENCE:
As the prior reports relayed, on page 123 of Leader's Manual 1, a quotation from Sacrosanctum Concilium, #7, is used out of context by saying:
"Vatican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy states: Jesus "is present in his word, since it is he himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in church He is present, finally when the church prays and sings, for he promised, 'Where two or three are gathered together for my sake, there I am in the midst of them' ".
The entire beginning of paragraph 7 was omitted as you can see by comparing this paragraph with the full quotation cited previously. The failure to address the presence of Christ "especially in the Eucharistic species" has the effect of leveling the Real Presence and presenting it as just one presence among many different types of presence. This error is carried forward to the Faith Sharing Booklets and in the Liturgy Preparation Handbooks, Books 1-5, as can be seen by these quotations:
Faith Sharing Booklet A, Conversion, Season II, page 23, says:
"3. Go to a nearby church with the Blessed Sacrament present, or a mountain, or beach, or some place where you experience the presence of God. Choose one or two spiritual companions to accompany you. Talk about your experience of God."Faith Sharing Booklet B, Finding God, Season II page 29 says:
"3. Take time to reflect this week on the presence of God in nature, in scripture, in the Eucharist, in other people."Liturgy Preparation Handbook, Books 1 through 5, page 1 of the Introduction, says:
"...the liturgy tells the story of the paschal mystery. God's people, together with the priest celebrate, gather at the sacrificial table, remembering and telling the story of salvation....This story is our story and in its telling we experience the Real Presence of Jesus in the many who have gathered in his name, in the Word that is spoken, in the bread and wine that become the Body and Blood of Christ."Liturgy Preparation Handbook, Book 1, page 9 INTRODUCTORY RITES, "The Sacredness of Gathering" says:
"Coming together, assembling, is the heart of our Sunday worship...."
NOTE: These statements essentially present Christ's Presence as equal regardless which one is being discussed, the Word, the people (community), nature, or the Blessed Sacrament. There is NO reference to the "especially in the Eucharistic species" as Sacrosanctum Concilium #7 teaches. NOTICE THE LAST EXAMPLE FROM THE LITURGY PREPARATION HANDBOOK HAS REPLACED THE REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS IN HOLY EUCHARIST WITH THE "COMMUNITY." THIS IS NOT CATHOLIC TEACHING!
THE JOHARI WINDOW MODEL
KnowMeô is based on the Disclosure/Feedback model of awareness known as the Johari Window, named after Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham. It was first used in an information session at the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development in 1955.
| Known to Self | Not Known to Self | |
| Known to Others | Open | Blind |
| Not Known to Others | Hidden | Unknown |
RENEW 2000 Leader's Manual 3, page 51 says:
The "Johari Window" is divided into four quadrants which represent the
person in relation to other persons.
| Open: | In Quadrant 1 (OPEN), the actions, feelings, and motives are known to the person and to others. |
| Hidden: | In Quadrant 2 (HIDDEN), the actions, feelings, and motives are known to others, but not to the person him/herself. |
| Blind: | In Quadrant 3 (BLIND), the actions, feelings, and motives are known to the person, but not revealed to others. |
| Unknown: | In Quadrant 4 (UNKNOWN), the actions, feelings, and motives are known to neither the person nor others. |
In researching the background of the Johari Window and its application, the following statement was made by those working on the Annenberg CPB Project:
"When our own opinion of ourselves is at odds with what other people think, we tend to assume that no one knows us better than we know ourselves - I must be right, and they must be wrong. This egocentric position makes little sense, especially when a large number of people all agree about what kind of person you are. Perceptions from one observer are inherently less reliable than the consensus from ten observers, even when you are the one observer."
If the above is applied to the Faith, which is what is being discussed in the RENEW 2000 small faith communities, an individual could very well find themselves being the only one supporting the teaching of the Catholic Church on a particular point of faith, but would be considered wrong if the rest of those in attendance have come to an agreement or consensus otherwise. In other words, "majority rules." This is pure nonsense. Bishop John Fisher of England, a martyr for the Faith, is the ONLY English Bishop who held true to the Faith during the English schism, at the time of Henry VIII when given the choice between martyrdom and apostasy. This is true for the saints who choose to follow Jesus and shake off human respect.
The following are examples from the RENEW 2000 Leader's Manual 3 which make this point.
Page 5 of Leader's Manual 3 says:
"Compromising - being willing to modify one's opinion when possible; admitting mistakes; adjusting oneself to the pace of the group."
How can one remain faithful and yet compromise with the Faith of the Catholic Church, which is divinely revealed by God and is inerrant?
Page 7 of Leader's Manual 3 under the heading 'Reading of Reflection Sheet #22' says:
"After 10 minutes or so, explain to the participants that they have the next 15 minutes to reach an agreement within their group on the two questions at the end of Reflection Sheet #22. Though an accord may not be easy to achieve, tell the participants that they should make every effort to arrive at answers that, at a minimum, all the group members can live with."
Pages 69 - 70 of Leader's Manual 3 is a Scripture Sharing. The Leader's Manual says:
''Throughout history, there have been many conflicts within the Christian community. In the following scripture passage, we will hear about one of the most important conflicts that arose in the early church. If possible, read along in your Bible, and as you read and listen to the description of this conflict, pay special attention to how the spirit is active within the community, helping good come from this dispute."
The readings are from Acts 15: 1-12; Acts 15: 13-21; Acts 15: 22-29; Acts 15: 30-35. Under Questions for Discussion is said:
What good came from the dispute in the early church?
What good came from a conflict in your parish or small group community?
NOTE: The dispute that is addressed in Acts 15:1-35 resulted in the first Ecumenical Council of the Church at Jerusalem. The dispute among the faithful was settled with a proclamation by St. Peter, the first Pope of the Church. Consider what the Easter 1999 issue of WORLD RENEW, Newsletter of Renew International, says in an article entitled, "Renew Offers 4-Day Institute Focusing on Small Communities." Sr. Catherine notes:
"...IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM, small communities are not just about ongoing spiritual development, but about long-term fidelity as a Church ..."
This agrees with materials promoting the "small faith communities" or "house church" concept which recommend writings of Father Art Bartanowski, a speaker at Call to Action Conferences, who says when discussing the purpose of "small faith communities", "...they are to reinvent... refound the Church - with a different structure and leadership."
Bishop Bruskewitz's comments are appropriate to explaining the nature of Call to Action when His Excellency says:
"Membership in these organizations is always perilous to the Catholic Faith and most often is totally incompatible with the Catholic Faith: Call to Action,...." Responding to local Call to Action membership, His Excellency said, 'Your organization is intrinsically incoherent and fundamentally divisive. It is inimical to the Catholic Faith, subversive of Church order, destructive of the Catholic Church discipline, contradictory to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, and an impediment to evangelization.' "
While it is true that there are references to and quotes from some of the most beloved men and women of our Catholic tradition, beginning with the Blessed Virgin Mary, and including St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, Charles de Foucauld, Mother Teresa, St. Irenaeus and St. Catherine of Siena, one needs to examine some of the background of other individuals who are listed who are far from Catholic traditions such as:
In Season 1, Booklet A, Week 5, page 29:
Meister Eckhart, a medieval mystic is given favorable mention without reference to the serious errors in his spiritual teaching. The Modern Catholic Dictionary by J. Hardon, S.J., page 177, explains:
"In 1392, Pope John XXII condemned twenty-eight of Eckhart's sentences as heretical or dangerous, e. g.: 'We are totally transformed into God and changed into Him ... Though a person commits a thousand moral sins, if he is rightly disposed, he should wish not to have committed them ... A good man is the only begotten Son of God' ... his writings have been used by persons unfavorable to the Church, as Kant to defend agnostic ideologies, Hegel to defend pantheism, and Rosenberg to defend Nazism."
In Season III, Book B. Week 1, page 11, and in Season IV, Book A, Week 4, page 27:
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is paraphrased in the former and quoted in the latter. Teilhardism was the object of two critical documents from the Holy See, in 1952 and 1967, which states that his writings abound "in such ambiguities and indeed serious errors as to offend Catholic doctrine." (see Monitum regarding the Writings of Fr. Teilhard de Chardin)
A summary of Teilhard's beliefs is: "Teilhardism. The evolutionary theory of the French Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955). He held that the universe is subject to four stages of development; 1. cosmogenesis, or evolution from the elements to organized matter; 2. Biogenesis, or evolution from organized matter to life; 3. noo-genesis, or evolution from living things to rational beings; and 4. Christogenesis, or evolution from individual rational humanity to a society in which Christ was the Lord of the world." Ibid., page 532.
In Season V, Book 2, Week 1, page 13:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is referenced.
The WORLD BOOK, 1988, volume 2, page 471 explains:
A German theologian (Lutheran) who died after being tied to a plot to kill Hitler. The Nazis hanged Bonhoeffer in 1945. "Letters and diaries that Bonhoeffer wrote in prison were published after his death under the title Prisoner for God (1951). In this book, he declared that churches were no longer vital because they had not condemned Nazism. (A slap in the face of Pope Pius XII and others who did much to assist the Jews.) He wrote that the human race had "come of age" and should create a "religionless Christianity" that could preserve Christian values without the traditional ideas of a supernatural God."
Season 1, Booklet A, Week 1, page 9; paraphrases Karl Rahner:
"To paraphrase noted theologian Karl Rahner, if people were to read in their morning newspaper that a fourth person of the Trinity had been discovered, it would cause little stir; somehow we seem far removed from these "inner workings" of God."
From Rahner's statement one would think him not too harmful, but consider this passage from the "Catechism on The Real Presence" by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. who addresses Rahner's role in heretical teachings about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist in question #18 and #19:
"18. What is the first error about the Real Presence which the Pope condemns?''
"He condemns the error of transignification. Transignification is the heretical view of Christ's presence in the Eucharist which claims that the meaning or significance of the bread and the wine is changed by the words of consecration. The consecrated elements are said to signify all that Christians associate with the Last Supper; they have a higher value than merely food for the body. The theory of transignification was condemned by Pope Paul VI in the encyclical Mysterium Fidei (1965) if it is understood as denying transubstantiation. The German theologian, Karl Rahner, is commonly identified as the chief proponent of this erroneous teaching about the Real Presence. (Mysterium Fidei #10)"
"19. What is the second significant error about the Real Presence condemned by Pope Paul VI?"
"It is the error of transfinalization. It is very similar to the false theory of transignification. But here it is claimed that Christ is not really present in the Eucharist. Rather, the purpose or finality of the bread and wine are changed by the words of consecration. They are said to serve a new function as sacred elements that arouse the faith of the people in the mystery of Christ's redemptive love. Along with Karl Rahner, the Dutch theologian, Edward Schilebeeckx was the chief promoter of this erroneous theory. Both transignification and transfinalization have deeply penetrated into the theological literature used by priests and the laity in the western world. (Mysterium Fidei #10)"
Faith Sharing Booklets:
Liberal Protestants or liberal organizations referenced or recommended include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (several times)
- The World Council of Churches (several times and Leader's Manual 3 has several "creeds" authored by this organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland)
- The Fifth World Assembly of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches;
- Dr. Konrad Raiser, General Secretary of the World Council of Church (Christmas Message of 1996);
- Sojourners (a recommended Protestant magazine)
- Global Education Associates
- United Nations Human Development Report
Various dissenting Catholic Organizations referenced or recommended in the RENEW 2000 Faith Sharing Booklets include:
- PAX CHRISTI, USA
- Campaign for Human Development
- Maryknoll Sisters
The Teaching of Pope John Paul II from Tertio Millennio Adveniente:
#31. ... "The Jubilee celebration should confirm the Christians of today in their faith in God who has revealed himself in Christ, sustain their hope which reaches out in expectation of eternal life, and rekindle their charity in active service to their brothers and sisters."
#32. ... "A Jubilee is always an occasion of special grace, "a day blessed by the Lord." ...a great prayer of praise and thanksgiving, especially for the gift of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of the Redemption which he accomplished.... With a profound sense of commitment, they will likewise express their gratitude for the gift of the Church, established by Christ as "a kind of sacrament or sign of intimate union with God, and of the unity of all mankind." Their thanksgiving will embrace the fruits of holiness which have matured in the life of all those many men and women who in every generation and every period of history have fully welcomed the gift of Redemption....
"Nevertheless, the joy of every Jubilee is above all a joy based upon the forgiveness of sins, the joy of conversion. It therefore seems appropriate to emphasize once more the theme of the Synod of Bishops in 1984: 'penance and reconciliation.' "
#34. ... "We are all however aware that the attainment of this goal (Christian unity) cannot be the fruit of human efforts alone, vital though they are. Unity, after all, is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We are asked to respond to this gift responsibly, without compromise to our witness to the truth, generously implementing the guidelines laid down by the council and in subsequent documents of the Holy See, which are also highly regarded by many Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church.
#38. ... "There is also an urgent need for a Synod on the occasion of the Great Jubilee in order to illustrate and explain more fully the truth that Christ is the one Mediator between God and man and the sole Redeemer of the world, to be clearly distinguished from the founders of other great religions...."
#42. ... "The first year therefore will be the opportune moment for a renewed appreciation of catechesis in its original meaning as "the Apostles' teaching" (Acts 2:42) about the person of Jesus Christ and his mystery of salvation. In this regard, a detailed study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church will prove of great benefit, for the Catechism presents "faithfully and systematically...the teaching of Sacred Scripture, the living Tradition of the Church and the authentic Magisterium, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Fathers, Doctors and Saints of the Church, to, allow for a better knowledge of the Christian mystery and for enlivening the faith of the People of God. Ö"
#43. "The affirmation of the central place of Christ cannot therefore be separated from the recognition of the role played by his Most Holy Mother. Ö Mary in fact constantly points to her Divine Son and she is proposed to all believers as the model of faith which is put into practiceÖ"
It is neither conceivable nor logical that the Holy Father would teach one way in encyclicals and apostolic letters and specifically as in the Apostolic Letters Tertio Millennio Adveniente and Ad Tuendam Fidem, and would then lend approval to teachings that are DIRECTLY OPPOSED to those decrees. This is precisely what the RENEW 2000 creators would have you believe from their materials - teachings which are contrary to the Catholic Church yet claimed to be approved by the Holy Father. For example, not only do the creators of the RENEW 2000 program use the logo of Jubilee 2000, the official symbol chosen by the Holy Father for the millennium, but they apply their own title RENEW 2000 to the banner implying that their program is somehow endorsed by the Holy Father. Another example of this misleading information is the use of the Holy Father's name when discussing the RENEW 2000 program, as if His Holiness has "called" for this program or that RENEW 2000 is somehow "a response" to Pope John Paul II's request. In the case of the internet, one can find many examples of the misuse of His Holiness' supposed "endorsement." Here is an example as found at the web site for St. Rita's Parish Community Center in San Francisco (as of October 17, 1999) which says:
| Board of Stewards | St. Rita's Parish Community Center | Renew 2000 | Helping
Hands | 1998 - 1999 Calendar
RENEW 2000 at St. Rita's WHAT IS RENEW 2000? |
Through the careful manipulation of language, especially the use of terms proper to the Catholic Faith in which a convoluted meaning is applied in direct opposition to that which is taught by the Church in apostolic letters and encyclicals, the authors of RENEW 2000 have managed to present a program that has some outward trappings of Catholicity but is really a Protestantization of the Catholic Faith.
Maybe the words of St. Paul to St. Timothy ought to be considered (2 Timothy 4:1-4):
"In the Presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power, I charge you to preach the word, to stay with the task whether convenient of inconvenient - correcting, reproving, appealing - constantly teaching and never losing patience. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but, following their own desires, will surround themselves with teachers who tickle their ears. They will stop listening to the truth and will wander off to fables."