The Puebla Message – Notes and Comments– II – Folha de S. Paulo, April 7, 1979
by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
In his message to the bishops at the opening of the CELAM Conference in Puebla, John Paul II gives us the reason for the change that has taken place in the Church — as I described in the previous article — and that has resulted in an impressive number of bishops and priests no longer focusing on the eternal purpose of their mission but rather on earthly life alone.
In a section titled “The Truth About Jesus Christ,” the pontiff shows that at the root of this change is a doctrinal error stemming from “re-readings of the Gospel” (“re-reading” is the modern and cheerful term by which certain theologians refer to reinterpretation). These “reinterpretations” are “the result of theoretical speculations rather than authentic meditation on the word of God” and cause serious harm to souls.[1]
What do such “reinterpretations” lead to? The pontiff enumerates: “In some cases, either Christ’s …More