The Pope Condemns Existentialism
POPE PIUS XII
July 26, 2001, Feast Day of Saint Anne, Mother
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
An Open Letter to Anyone Concerned
by + J. M. J.
Ideas of Existentialism Have Been Condemned
by the Catholic Church
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Dear concerned soul:
The Word of God
warns us in the Holy Bible from the Epistle
of St. Paul to the Colossians 2:8:
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"Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy
and vain deceit: according to the tradition
of men according to the elements of the world
and not according to Christ."
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Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Humani Generis
of August 12, 1950 against modern errors
condemns existentialism as a fictitious philosophic
theory:
"For truth and its philosophic expression
cannot change from day-to-day. ... Let no
Christian therefore, whether philosopher
or theologian, embrace eagerly and lightly
whatever novelty happens to be thought up
from day-to-day... "If one considers
all this well, he will easily see why the
Church demands that future priests be instructed
in philosophy 'according to the method, doctrine,
and principles of the Angelic Doctor (St.
Thomas Aquinas). "How deplorable it
is then, that this philosophy, received and
honored by the Church, is scorned by some,
who shamelessly call it outmoded in form
and rationalistic, as they say, in its method
of thought... They allege, finally, that
our perennial philosophy is only a philosophy
of immutable essences, while the contemporary
mind must look to the existence of things
and to life, which is ever in flux... they
seem to imply that any kind of philosophy
or theory, with a few additions and corrections
if need be, can be reconciled with Catholic
dogma. No Catholic can doubt how false this
is, especially where there is a question
of those fictitious theories they call immanentism,
or idealism, or materialism, whether historic
or dialectic, or even existentialism, whether
atheistic or simply the type that denies
the validity of the reason in the field of
metaphysics."
Pope Leo XIII on August 4, 1879 in his encyclical
Aeterni Patris, On the Restoration of Christian
Philosophy, said:
"Under the impulse of the 'Reformers'
of the 16th century, man began to philosophize
without any regard for the (Catholic) Faith
and each one granted the other full liberty
to allow the mind to wander as it liked and
according to its natural bent. The result
of course, was that philosophical systems
multiplied. Those multiple systems resting
simply on the authority and judgment of each
particular thinker have but a shifting basis...
and can only produce a shaky philosophy without
consistence. Our predecessors have honored
the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas with remarkable
praise and the most glorious approbation...
We judge it a temerity not to have continued
at all times and in all places to render
him the honor which he merits."
The following excerpt from a college textbook
gives an excellent example of how man has
been philosophizing without the Catholic
Faith:
"Existentialism does not lend itself
to a single definition, since its principal
theorists did not adhere to a common body
of doctrines. For example, some existentialists
were atheists, like Jean Paul Sartre, or
omitted God from their thought, like Martin
Heidegger; others, like Karl Jaspers, believed
in God but not in Christian doctrines; and
Martin Buber was a believing Jew. Perhaps
the following principles contain the essence
of existentialism, although not all existentialists
would subscribe to each point or agree with
a way it is expressed.
"1. Reality defies ultimate comprehension;
there are no timeless truths that exist independently
of and prior to the individual human being.
Our existence precedes and takes precedence
over any presumed absolute values. The moral
and spiritual values that society tries to
impose cannot define the individual person's
existence.
"2. Reason alone is an inadequate guide
to living, for people are more than thinking
subjects who approach the world through critical
analysis. They are also feeling and willing
beings, who must participate fully in life
and experience existence directly, actively,
and passionately. Only in this way does one
live wholly and authentically.
"3. Thought must not merely be abstract
speculation but must have a bearing on life;
it must be translated into deeds.
"4. Human nature is problematic and
paradoxical, not fixed or constant; each
person is like no other. Self-realization
comes when one affirms one's own uniqueness.
One becomes less than human when one permits
one's life to be determined by a mental outlook
-- a set of rules and values -- imposed by
others.
"5. We are alone. The universe is indifferent
to our expectations and needs, and death
is ever stalking us. Awareness of this elementary
fact of existence evokes a sense of overwhelming
anxiety and depression.
"6. Existence is essentially absurd.
There is no purpose to our presence in the
universe. We simply find ourselves here;
we do not know and will never find out why.
Compared with the eternity of time that preceded
our birth and will follow our death, the
short duration of our existence seems trivial
and inexplicable. And death, which irrevocably
terminates our existence, testifies to the
ultimate absurdity of life.
"7. We are free. We must face squarely
the fact that existence is purposeless and
absurd. In doing so, we can give our life
meaning. It is in the act of choosing freely
from among different possibilities that the
individual shapes an authentic existence.
There is a dynamic quality to human existence;
the individual has the potential to become
more than he or she is." [1]
In the Holy Bible, St. Paul foretold: "Now
the Spirit manifestly saith that in the last
times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to spirits of error and doctrines of
devils." (1 Timothy 4:1)
In order to avoid falling into the pitfalls
of the above seven philosophic beliefs of
existentialism, one should know what the
true Catholic Church (before John XXIII in
1958) teaches as in the following twelve
questions and answers taken from the Catholic
Penny Catechism, which is also known as:
A CATECHISM OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
FAITH
Chapter One
1. Who made you? God made me.
2. Why did God make you? God made me to know
Him, love Him and serve Him in this world,
and be happy with Him forever in the next.
3. To whose image and likeness did God make
you? God made me to his own image and likeness.
4. Is this likeness to God in your body,
or in your soul? This likeness to God is
chiefly in my soul.
5. How is your soul like to God? My soul
is like to God because it is a spirit, and
is immortal.
6. What do you mean when you say that your
soul is immortal? When I say my soul is immortal,
I mean that my soul can never die.
7. Of which must you take most care, of your
body or of your soul? I must take most care
of my soul; for Christ has said, 'What doth
it profit a man if he gain the whole world,
and suffer the loss of his own soul?' St.
Matthew 16:26
8. What must you do to save your soul? To
save my soul I must worship God by Faith,
Hope and Charity; that is, I must believe
in him, I must hope in him, and I must love
him with my whole heart.
Chapter Two
9. What is faith? Faith is a supernatural
gift of God, which enables us to believe
without doubting whatever God has revealed.
10. Why must you believe whatever God has
revealed? I must believe whatever God has
revealed because God is the very truth, and
can neither deceive nor be deceived.
11. How are you to know what God has revealed?
I am to know what God has revealed by the
testimony, teaching, and authority of the
Catholic Church.
12. Who gave the Catholic Church divine authority
to teach? Jesus Christ gave the Catholic
Church divine authority to teach, when he
said, 'Go ye and teach all nations.' St.
Matthew 28:19
As long as people, nations and leaders fail
to profess the true Catholic Faith, which
was given to us by our Divine Lord Jesus
Christ for our only hope of eternal salvation,
they will continue to be lost in their false
ideas, philosophies and religions on the
broad way to eternal damnation, unless they
first convert. Jesus Christ warned: "And
if the blind lead the blind, both fall into
the pit." (Matt. 15:14) The following
three excerpts from the well documented book
Peter, Lovest Thou Me? are about one of the
most prominent and influential world leaders
today, John Paul II, who was formerly known
as Karol Wojtyla before his claim to be pope
since October 16, 1978:
"... in 1969, Karol Wojtyla, had his
main work published, "Person and Act",
which is a formulation of his philosophy.
The book was discussed on October 16-17,
1970 at the Catholic University of Lublin
by the professional staff. The most orthodox
thomistic professors, headed by Kapriec,
expressed in their criticism against his
disrespectful mix of thomism and phenomenology."
[2] "In summarizing the three important
works by Bishop Wojtyla: Amour et responsabilite
(1962), Persone et Acte (1969) and Aux sources
du renouveau (1972), his friend [Father]
Malinski writes: 'One can discern in his
way of thinking the ideas of Gabriel Marcel,
especially "Being and Having" those
of Heidegger in "Being and Mission"
of Jaspers, Sartre, and obviously Max Sheler,
Husserl and Ingarden. All this shored up
by the great philosophy of being in the interpretation
of St. Thomas. Let us add however that the
philosophy of man, created by Karol Wojtyla
is not eclectic (i. e. on a selective basis)
but constitutes a personal undertaking.'"
[3] "Stanislaw Kowalczyk, professor
of the Catholic University of Lublin where
Karol Wojtyla, perfectly illustrates this
point regarding the book Persone et Acte.
He explains that in this work: "Wojtyla
recalls the classic adage: agere sequitur
esse i. e. one acts according to one's nature,
but he interprets it differently from thomism.
The latter explains the acting of a man by
what he is. Persone et Acte proposes the
inverse explanation, that the being of a
man is explained by his actions. This is
the road traced by Descartes, borrowed in
our days by phenomenology and existentialism."
[4]
Is it be possible for man to be the Roman
Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ, if his way
of thinking and writing reveals the ideas
of renowned existentialist philosophers?
No, it is not possible because common sense
tells us, and Pope Paul IV told us in his
papal bull, Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio, February
15, 1559, with the following infallible teaching:
"if... even a Roman Pontiff, before
his promotion or assumption as cardinal or
as Roman Pontiff had deviated from the Catholic
faith or fallen into some heresy, before
his promotion or assumption as Cardinal or
as Roman Pontiff, that promotion or assumption
concerning him, even if made in concord and
from the unanimous assent of all the cardinals,
is null, void and worthless; not by the reception
of consecration, not by the ensuing possession
of the office and administration, or as if,
either the enthronement or homage of the
Roman Pontiff, or the obedience given to
him by all, and the length of whatever time
in the future, can be said to have recovered
power or to be able to recover power, nor
can (the assumption or promotion) be considered
as legitimate in any part of it, . without
any further declaration to be made. and to
avoid. as warlocks, heathens..."
John Paul II (Wojtyla) is a great actor and
one of the greatest deceivers of all-time.
He is making the world believe that he is
the Vicar of Christ; when in reality, he
is neither Catholic nor pope. One of many
other further proofs of his having deviated
from the Catholic Faith before his alleged
promotion to Roman Pontiff in 1978 was on
October 28,
1965, when Wojtyla signed the "Vatican
II" document Nostra Aetate, which states:
"in Hinduism, men contemplate the divine
mystery and express it through an inexhaustible
abundance of myths and through searching
philosophical inquiry." This is a denial
of the Faith and the Most Holy Trinity the
Divine Mystery the only true God, which the
Hindus do not contemplate. The Hindus contemplate
their false gods, and according to their
beliefs: "The three principal gods,
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. are joined as
the Trimurti, or three powers." [5]
"This is Antichrist, who denieth the
Father, and the Son." (1 John 2:22)
Therefore, if one does not want to deny Jesus
Christ also, one must now conclude that John
Paul II is an Antichrist antipope and a false
prophet. The Blessed Virgin Mary warned us
at La Salette, France in 1846: "Rome
will lose the faith and become the seat of
the Antichrist."
Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, said:
"He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved: but he that believeth not shall
be condemned. (Mark 16:16).I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. If any one abide
not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch
and shall wither: and they shall gather him
up and cast him into the fire: and he burneth.
(John 14:6,15:6) And many false prophets
shall rise and shall seduce many. But he
that shall persevere to the end, he shall
be saved. (Matt. 24: 11,13) Yet the Son of
man, when he cometh, shall he find, think
you, faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8)
Prayerfully in Jesus Christ the King through
the Blessed Virgin Mary our Queen, Michael
Raul Rios, Their most unworthy slave of love
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[1] Western Civilization: A Brief History,
by Perry, Marvin, p. 586-588 [2] Peter, Lovest
Thou Me? , Le Roux, Abbe Daniel, Instauratio
Press, 1989, p. 77 [3] Peter, Lovest Thou
Me? , Le Roux, Abbe Daniel, Instauratio Press,
1989, p. 77 [4] Peter, Lovest Thou Me? ,
Le Roux, Abbe Daniel, Instauratio Press,
1989, p. 78 [5] "God," Microsoft®
Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.
www. refugeofsinners. com
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