Doesn't the document Nostra Aetate from the Second Vatican Council contradict Catholic teaching?
The document Nostra Aetate states, "The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God." Isn't this document clearly contradicting Catholic teaching about the Moslems? The false god of the Moslems did not create heaven and earth. The Most Holy Trinity created heaven and earth. Pope Saint Leo IX on April 13th, 1053 stated, "For I firmly believe that the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit ... the Creator of all creation, from whom all things, through whom all things, in whom all things which are in heaven or on earth, visible or invisible." Nostra Aetate also says that the Catholic Church looks upon Moslems with respect, who seek the submit themselves to God wholeheartedly. Just as Abraham did. But Vatican II's admoration for the infidel Moslems is not shared by the Catholic Church. The Church desires the conversion and eternal happiness of all the Moslems, but She recognizes that Islam is a horrible and false religion. And She does not pretend that they submit themselves to God. She knows that they belong to a false religion. Pope Eugene IV from the Council of Basil stated, "... there is hope that very many from the abominable sect of Mohammed will be converted to the Catholic faith." Pope Clement V stated, "It is an insult to the holy name and a disgrace to the Christian faith that (the followers of Islam, also called Muslims) in their temples or mosques, meet to adore the infidel Mohammed ... This brings disrepute on our faith and gives great scandal to the faithful. These practices cannot be tolerated without displeasing the Divine majesty ... We enjoin on Catholic princes, one and all ... They are to forbid expressly the public invocation of the sacrilegious name of Mohammed." From these quotes one can see that the Catholic Church does not esteem the Moslems.
Religion & Spirituality - 3 Answers
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1 :
Let me guess, you're one of those SSPX guys, hmm? Or perhaps you're a Muslim hoping to stir up trouble? Just a suggestion, the Church does not use the word "infidels" to refer to non-Church members. And "Moslems" is the older, more traditional spelling of Muslims and is not widely recognized nor used in this country. The Nostra Aetate is simply a definition of the relationship between the Catholic church and non-Catholics. No where in the document does it state that non-Catholics, such as Muslims, can reach Heaven by their religion. In fact, the Catholic Church teaches that the only guarantee of Heaven is through the Church (outside of the church there is no salvation). There is absolutely nothing wrong with being gracious and ecumenical to non-believers in the hopes that by our chaste and pious lives they might be brought to Christ. There is a time for peace and time for war. Choose your battles based on what is important and who your real enemy is. (Eph 6:10+)
2 :
the Church document points out the things that other faiths (like in this case the Muslims) believe in which Christians hold in common so that from there we have a starting point towards a sort of mutual understanding from which dialog can progress. The God that the Muslims worship that the document mentions is one and the same triune God (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit) that Christians and Jews worship regardless if they are aware of this or not. To simply put it, they know God as the creator (the Father) and source of all, but they do not know God as the savior, and God as the Paraclete. Their point of view is not wrong, just limited. The Church meets them where they are at, and from there moves forward in dialog.
3 :
I see no contradiction that the Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the one true God of Abraham. We simply see God through different traditions. You forget one of the main points of Catholic teaching. The Holy Spirit is guiding the Catholic Church to more and more perfect belief and practices. Prior to about 1460, slavery was approved by Catholic Church. But the Holy Spirit guided the Church to an answer that was not even in the Bible. Slavery is evil. Are you such a "Traditional" Catholic that you still believe in slavery as Colossians 3:22 commands, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything"? With love in Christ.
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