Swedenborg and Vatican II. Part 2

Here Solomon continues his discussion of what has changed within the Catholic Church since the 18th century, as it was formalized by Vatican II. He makes it clear that many of the components that Swedenborg found so offensive have been done away with. Others have not. As a reader of Swedenborg it is important to have a sense of the present, as otherwise one may be inclined to fight battles that have already ended peacefully. Solomon helps us find this understanding. If you happened to miss Part 1, you can find it here. -Editor.

Sole Interpreter of the Word

Another thing that Swedenborg criticized about the 18th century Catholic church was that it claimed to be the sole interpreter of the Word, and that what the church said was actually placed above what the Word said (NJHD 8; AR 737.2, 836, 914.2). Has this changed? The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation of Vatican II states that “This teaching office is not above the word of God but serves it” (Curran p. 11, 147). Because of the overturning of the hierarchy of power in the church, it was recognized that the church as a teacher was not to be considered above learning itself (see Curran pp. 105, 111-112, 147). As a result, both the “clergy and laity are now much better educated and informed” (Curran p. 105). And as one author states:

Whatever the role of Rome in the church of the future will be, the old slogan “Roma locuta, causa finita” (Rome has spoken, and that is the end of the matter) is no longer accepted by the overwhelming majority of Catholics. (Dwyer pp. 394-395)

Click to read more ...

Swedenborg and Vatican II. Part 1

If you are familiar with Swedenborg's work, it's likely that you've come across at least one offensive thing he wrote about another church or people. The Catholic Church was no exception. Solomon consolidates what exactly Swedenborg condemned in the Catholic faith and practice of the 18th century. He then investigates what changed therein as a result of Vatican II. It's obvious that the church Swedenborg was pointing his finger at has taken on a new form. Look for the resolution of this essay next week when we publish Part 2. -Editor.

Has the Catholic church changed because of the second coming? I think so. Recently I studied some of the major reforms that took place in the Catholic church because of the Vatican II council in the 1960s, which was about 200 years after the second coming. I believe it’s really important for readers of Swedenborg to be aware of the fact that the Catholic church of the 20th and 21st centuries is now very different from the Catholic church that Swedenborg described in the 18th century. From a “New Church salvation history” point of view, the changes made by Vatican II could be seen as symptoms of the presence of the New Church within all churches because of the Lord’s second coming.

But aside from that, I think it is important to know exactly where Swedenborg’s descriptions of Catholicism are still accurate in today’s world, and where Swedenborg’s descriptions of Catholicism no longer apply because of Vatican II. In other words, it’s important to know where Swedenborg’s descriptions of Catholicism would be anachronistic if applied to modern Catholicism. This is not to say that the Writings are not true, but rather that if we are not careful, we could be in a position to abuse those truths in anachronistic misapplication.

Click to read more ...

What do We have in Common with Other Christians?

By focussing his attention on what the New Church shares with other Christian denominations Solomon augments a sense of oneness, a sense that we are all part of Lord's church on earth. - Editor

Sometimes it seems like we spend a lot of time distinguishing ourselves from other Christian churches, and in the process we end up distinguishing ourselves from other Christian people, almost as if we were somehow better people. I think this is a bit like eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; believing that we know better than other people.

Swedenborg has some great things to say about this

Click to read more ...