Brother Francis’ Official Answer to the Holy Office Letter of 1949 at the request of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

In 1985 Cardinal Ratzinger asked Brother Francis MICM to write a response to the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 according to the May-June 2012( Manicipia) the publication of the St.Benedict Center, Still River,USA. This is the community of Fr.Leonard Feeney recognized by the Catholic Church.

The Letter of the Holy Office sent to the Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Richard Cushing was in reference to the St.Benedict Center and Fr.Leonard Feeney.

The response of Bro. Francis, the St.Benedict Center founder, was addressed to the secretary of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,with whom an appointment was scheduled.

In the response of June 8,1985 (1) addressed to Mnsgr.Henry Docherty,Bro.Francis indicates, that the Letter of the Holy Office 1949 supported Fr.Leonard Feeney and the St.Benedict Center on doctrine, in the first paragraphs- and they submit to that understanding of the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

Brother Francis said it was the media which reported that the church has changed its teaching on the dogma, and the misunderstanding existed over the issue of ' implicit desire'. He asked Cardinal Ratzinger to specifically point out the error they were in and they would correct it.

It may be mentioned that the secular media assumed that ‘implicit baptism of desire’ was explicitly known and so was an known exception to the literal interpretation of the dogma. So they assumed that the Church has changed its teaching on the centuries old interpretation.

-Lionel Andrades

1.
http://catholicism.org/mayjune-2012-mancipia.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/92408107/Mancipia-May-June-2012 .

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