By Father John A. Hardon, S.J.
By now so much has been written and spoken about the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul’s encyclical Veritatis Splendor, you may wonder if there is anything new to say.
Yes, there is. In my judgment this catechism and encyclical mark a turning point in the history of the Catholic Church. What do I mean?
I mean that since the close of the II Vatican Council in 1965, there has been an ocean of confusion among millions of Catholics about what they are to believe, and how they are to live. This confusion has reached high circles in the Catholic Church. It has penetrated a large segment of professional theologians and a corresponding number of directors of religious education.
With the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Veritatis Splendor, we now have the means to clear up the confusion enter the twenty-first century with absolute certitude about what it means to be a Catholic.
No longer need we wonder whether something preached in a Sunday homily is doctrinally orthodox; or whether certain forms of behavior are morally permissible.
We shall now be able to identify an authentic Catholic from a counterfeit. Why? Because the doctrine of faith and morals in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the encyclical Veritatis Splendor, allow no ambiguity. These documents provide the dividing line between true Catholic Christianity and its spurious imitation.
Copyright © 1998 Inter Mirifica