Reply #245: that's not entirely true [View All]

[imenja]

Only ex cathedra statements by the Pope are binding for Catholics. The rest are his views and those of the Office of the Doctrine of the Faith that Cardinal Ratzinger led, but Catholics are not obliged to follow them. Secondly, a large number of Catholic churches, I wager to say most, adopt selectively official Church doctrine. What I have heard from priests in Churches I have attended bears very little resemblance to what the Vatican says. There are also a great many traditions that are part of Catholicism in practice in one location or another, but not acknowledged by the Church hierarchy. Ratzinger is his recent controversial sermon denounced syncretism. The Church has denounced syncretism since it first established the Inquisition. It, however, has entirely failed in eradicating it. Throughout Latin America, African and Indian traditions have been incorporated into the Church calendar. Much of what Popes say have been ignored by Catholics for 2000 years. I see no reason why this one will be different.