Good morning people

Happy Feast of Corpus Christi!

Welcome to the community. It used to be one of my favourite feast days. I am a female in my 60s but no longer a practising Catholic because I am agnostic now. I still keep up to date with the theology and spirituality of the Church through websites like America Magazine and publications such as The Tablet.

Thank you! I hope you had a good feast in any case. I like the Tablet at times but don't know anything about America magazine being in the UK. I'm sad you're not a practising catholic any more though but it's great you still read about the Church - the new Pope is very promising. 

Thanks for the welcome

I agree about the new Pope. It is lovely that his heart is in South America and he made it his home for much of his life, so he understands many of the issues that concern the people in that part of the world, yet he is well up to dealing with leaders in the US and around the world. He seems well tuned in on things that have divided the church. 

America Magazine is a Jesuit online publication, situated in the US, and it tackles some of the issues around the world from the perspective of the Church. Being Jesuit, it is strong on Ignatian Spirituality and focusing on where there is a need. 

Discernment of spirits is an entirely different thing and it embraces many elements. Terminology matters because one thing is not another. 

I am sorry to have upset you also to have made you so hung up on my terminology. Spiritual warfare can also be called discernment of spirits, hearing the voice of God in prayer _ I did not speak for the Church itself, other than as a member. But Tradition, Magesterium and Scipture all speak of this discernment of spirits. Pope Francis is just a humble man, our previous leader and he spoke on spiritual warfare too - his homily on 30Oct 2014 about Ephesians 6. As did many saints, doctors of the church, Popes and of course Jesus and the apostoles themselves. The discernment of spirits is key to the love and mercy of God! It is basically God teaching us how to recognise His voice in prayer and reject that which is not of God. What could be more loving? or merciful

But in any case, I do not wish to argue with you. This is my last comment on this issue - since it offends you. Instead I will pray and sacrifice for your soul, especially that you return to the practice of your faith. May God bless you always and fill you with His love and mercy. 

I wasn’t expecting a homily, but I have to disagree as Spiritual Warfare’ is not very much Catholic in the tradition of the Church in the UK and Europe. Most parishes and religious orders prioritise God’s love. Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises, in the tradition of the Jesuit run retreat houses in the UK and Europe, do not focus primarily on ‘spiritual warfare’, nor did Pope Francis, a Jesuit, make ‘spiritual warfare’ his concern. I have much past practical and theological experience of Jesuit and Ignatian spirituality and retreat houses.  It is sad that you make such claims because it is very much not the position of the church in general. In fact, Pope Francis made it clear what he thought about such things. 

I am well acquainted with the structure and hierarchy of the Church and of the place of Vatican II documents within the church and I never said that they refer to dogma.

Apostolic constitutions and decrees issued by popes, such as the Second Vatican Council documents are at the top of the hierarchy of authoritative documents.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church was presented by the apostolic constitution Fidei Depositum in 1992. These documents along with the Code of Canon Law (1983) have binding authority on the entire Church. These are legislative documents, containing dogmatic or doctrinal elements.

I respect that you have the right to believe what you choose to believe, but I don’t think it is fair to claim that the church takes the position you have stated, even if you personally have your own beliefs. 

I wasn’t expecting a homily, but I have to disagree as Spiritual Warfare’ is not very much Catholic in the tradition of the Church in the UK and Europe. Most parishes and religious orders prioritise God’s love. Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises, in the tradition of the Jesuit run retreat houses in the UK and Europe, do not focus primarily on ‘spiritual warfare’, nor did Pope Francis, a Jesuit, make ‘spiritual warfare’ his concern. I have much past practical and theological experience of Jesuit and Ignatian spirituality and retreat houses.  It is sad that you make such claims because it is very much not the position of the church in general. In fact, Pope Francis made it clear what he thought about such things. 

I am well acquainted with the structure and hierarchy of the Church and of the place of Vatican II documents within the church and I never said that they refer to dogma.

Apostolic constitutions and decrees issued by popes, such as the Second Vatican Council documents are at the top of the hierarchy of authoritative documents.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church was presented by the apostolic constitution Fidei Depositum in 1992. These documents along with the Code of Canon Law (1983) have binding authority on the entire Church. These are legislative documents, containing dogmatic or doctrinal elements.

I respect that you have the right to believe what you choose to believe, but I don’t think it is fair to claim that the church takes the position you have stated, even if you personally have your own beliefs. 

Discernment of spirits is an entirely different thing and it embraces many elements. Terminology matters because one thing is not another. 

I am sorry to have upset you also to have made you so hung up on my terminology. Spiritual warfare can also be called discernment of spirits, hearing the voice of God in prayer _ I did not speak for the Church itself, other than as a member. But Tradition, Magesterium and Scipture all speak of this discernment of spirits. Pope Francis is just a humble man, our previous leader and he spoke on spiritual warfare too - his homily on 30Oct 2014 about Ephesians 6. As did many saints, doctors of the church, Popes and of course Jesus and the apostoles themselves. The discernment of spirits is key to the love and mercy of God! It is basically God teaching us how to recognise His voice in prayer and reject that which is not of God. What could be more loving? or merciful

But in any case, I do not wish to argue with you. This is my last comment on this issue - since it offends you. Instead I will pray and sacrifice for your soul, especially that you return to the practice of your faith. May God bless you always and fill you with His love and mercy.