Friday, December 30, 2011

CHURCH TEXT IS CRITICAL OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF BOSTON : REFERS TO IMPLICIT AND NOT EXPLICIT (TO US) BAPTISM OF DESIRE

The Letter of the Holy Office 1949 addressed to the Archbishop of Boston mentions the single word that is critical of Cardinal Richard Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston. The Letter refers to ‘implicit baptism of desire’. Implicit baptism of desire is not an exception to the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.The Archbishop’s entire criticism of Fr.Leonard Feeney and the St.Benedict Center was on this single point. He believed that those saved with the baptism of desire were exceptions to the dogma, they contradicted Fr.Leonard Feeney and the traditional interpretation of the dogmatic teaching. He assumed that there was not implicit but explicit-to-us baptism of desire so it contradicted the dogma. The Letter of the Holy Office does not mention a visible- to- us baptism of desire.(1)

Assuming Fr. Leonard Feeney and St. Benedict Center rejected implicit baptism of desire they are still not denying the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus. Since implicit baptism of desire is known only to God .It is not an issue.It is not a contradiction of the dogma outside the church there is no salvation.(2)

Fr.Leonard Feeney rejected an explicitly known baptism of desire. He opposed the Archbishop.He was disobedient to ecclesiastical authority.The Letter of the Holy Office criticizes Fr. Feeney for disobedience.(3)


Fr. Leonard Feeney said that it was a conscience issue for him and he could not obey the Archbishop or the Jesuits, who were teaching that there was salvation outside the church. In other words they were saying that there could be known cases of persons saved with explicitly known baptism of desire and so these were exceptions to the dogma on salvation.

The Letter of the Holy Office refers to implicit baptism of desire and this is a correction of  Archbishop Richard Cushing and the Jesuits in Boston.
-Lionel Andrades
1.


However, this desire need not always be explicit, as it is in catechumens; but when a person is involved in invincible ignorance God accepts also an implicit desire, so called because it is included in that good disposition of soul whereby a person wishes his will to be conformed to the will of God.-Letter of the Holy Office 1949 (Emphasis added)
2.
With these wise words he reproves both those who exclude from eternal salvation all united to the Church only by implicit desire,..-Letter of the Holy Office 1949
3.
and continue to exist as a source of discord and rebellion against ecclesiastical authority and as a source of the disturbance of many consciences.-Letter of the Holy Office 1949

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