Originally posted by GraceSaves:
Colin,
This seems to be your big question:
I assumed it meant that if you followed the official teachings of your church, you were guarenteed that you would not sin by so doing.
If I follow the teachings of my Church, I will not sin in doing so. It has never been an official teaching of the Church to persecute anyone, to hurt anyone, or anything of the sort.
You keep reasking the question like it's not being answered. These historical tragedies, if you accurately reported them, are the works of individuals and their own personal ideas, not the official teachings OF THE CHURCH.
God bless,
Grant
Grant, read the posts. These were the official descisions of synods of bishops, papal bulls, canon law etc. As I noted above, carried out in the church's name across Europe for 400 years. What does it take to be official?
Do you obey your synod of bishops? Do you check what they say against Scripture? If the first, then had you lived in Europe in the 17th century, you would have persecuted Jews. Had you lived in Hungary in the 1930s, you would have persecuted Jews. This was the official policy of the catholic church. Cardinal Seredi, in his official capacity as leader of the Hungarian Catholic Church, voted in the upper house of parliament to exclude and boycott Jews (his Synod likewise voted to do the same). Within Rome, the Vatican view of this legislation was given in the June 24 edition of the Civilta Cattolica. Under the title of “The Question of the Jews in Hungary,” the paper approved of the legislation. Calling Hungary “the most solid and indestructible fortress of Christianity,” the paper noted that the “supremacy” of the Jews had become particularly “disastrous for the religious, moral and social life of the Hungarian people.” Stating that the “low birth rate among them (the result of their low level of morality)” makes it
possible to hope that their numbers in Hungary will diminish considerably, it continued:
“the Jews still remain the masters of Hungary.” It suggests that an ideal solution would
be “a peaceful exodus of the Jews from Hungary, which they have so abused.” Turning to more immediate situation, the paper demanded that “the anti-Semitism of Hungarian Catholics [is neither] vulgar and fanatical anti-Semitism, nor racist anti-Semitism; it is a movement defending national traditions.” Concerning the anti-Jewish laws themselves, it writes: “we will not go into the details of these proposed laws; we note only that they are inspired by the noble Magyar traditions of chivalric and loyal hospitality."
Would you have gone against the clear instructions of your cardinal, and synod of bishops, given also that these laws passed with the approval of the Vatican, to help your Jewish neighbours? I hope so.
Again, if the official actions of a cardinal, the descisions of the synod and the support of the Vatican do not add up to official church policy in Hungary, what would?
Take care, Colin