Nostra Aetate – On Relations with Non-Christian Religions

Source: vaticancatholic.com

6.  Nostra Aetate – Vatican II’s Decree on Non-Christian Religions

Vatican II document, Nostra aetate # 3: “The Church also looks upon Muslims with respect.  They worship the one God living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to humanity and to whose decrees, even the hidden ones, they seek to submit themselves wholeheartedly, just as Abraham, to whom the Islamic faith readily relates itself, submitted to God… Hence they have regard for the moral life and worship God in prayer, almsgiving and fasting.”[95]

Here we find Vatican II teaching that Muslims worship the one God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.  This is similar to, but slightly different from, the heresy that we have already exposed in Lumen Gentium.  The false god of the Muslims (which is not the Trinity) didn’t create Heaven and Earth.  The Most Holy Trinity created Heaven and Earth.

Pope St. Leo IX, Congratulamur vehementer, April 13, 1053: “For I firmly believe that the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is one omnipotent God, and in the Trinity the whole Godhead is co-essential and consubstantial, co-eternal and co-omnipotent, and of one will, power, majesty; the creator of all creation, from whom all things, through whom all things, in whom all things which are in heaven or on earth, visible or invisible.  Likewise I believe that each person in the Holy Trinity is the one true God, complete and perfect.”[96]

Interesting comparison of language between Vatican II and the Council of Florence

Please notice that as the Council of Florence was dogmatically defining the necessity of the Catholic Faith for salvation, it emphasized the prayers, almsgiving and fasts of those inside the bosom of the Church.  It stated that such almsgiving will not profit one who is outside the Church.  It’s interesting that Vatican II, in praising the Muslims and their false religion, uses almost the exact same language as the Council of Florence, but again with a contrary meaning: Vatican II praises the fasts, almsgiving and prayers of members of a false non-Catholic religion.

Nostra aetate 3 also says that the Catholic Church looks upon Muslims with respect, who seek to submit themselves to God wholeheartedly, just as Abraham did.  But Vatican II’s admiration for the infidel Muslims is not shared by the Catholic Church.  The Church desires the conversion and eternal happiness of all the Muslims, but she recognizes that Islam is a horrible and false religion.  She doesn’t pretend that they submit themselves to God.  She knows that they belong to a false religion.

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Basel, Session 19, Sept. 7, 1434: “… there is hope that very many from the abominable sect of Mahomet will be converted to the Catholic faith.”[97]

Pope Benedict XIV strictly forbade Catholics to even give Muslim names to their children under pain of damnation.

Pope Benedict XIV, Quod Provinciale, Aug. 1, 1754: “The Provincial Council of your province of Albania… decreed most solemnly in its third canon, among other matters, as you know, that Turkish or Mohammedan names should not be given either to children or adults in baptism… This should not be hard for any one of you, venerable brothers, for none of the schismatics and heretics has been rash enough to take a Mohammedan name, and unless your justice abounds more than theirs, you shall not enter the kingdom of God.”[98]

In the section on the most specific heresy in Vatican II (earlier), we covered that Nostra Aetate #4 teaches the heresy that the Jews should not be considered as rejected by God.  We will not repeat that here.

Nostra aetate also made sure to remind the world how great Buddhism is, and how this false religion leads to the highest illumination.

Buddhists acknowledge many false gods

Vatican II document, Nostra aetate # 2: “In Buddhism, according to its various forms, the radical inadequacy of this changeable world is acknowledged and a way is taught whereby those with a devout and trustful spirit may be able to reach either a state of perfect freedom or, relying on their own efforts or on help from a higher source, the highest illumination.”[99]

Vatican II says that in Buddhism “a way is taught” whereby men can reach the highest illumination!  This is apostasy.  This is one of the worst heresies in Vatican II.  Further, read how Paul VI (the man who solemnly promulgated Vatican II) understood its teaching on Buddhism.

Paul VI, General Audience to Japanese Buddhists, Sept. 5, 1973: “It is a great pleasure for us to welcome the members of the Japanese Buddhists Europe Tour, honored followers of the Soto-shu sect of Buddhism… At the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church exhorted her sons and daughters to study and evaluate the religious traditions of mankind and to ‘learn by sincere and patient dialogue what treasures a bountiful God has distributed among the nations of the earth’ (Ad Gentes, 11)… Buddhism is one of the riches of Asia…”[100]

Basing himself on Vatican II (which he solemnly promulgated), Paul VI says that this false and pagan religion is one of the “riches of Asia”!

Vatican II also praises the false religion of Hinduism for its inexhaustible wealth of “penetrating philosophical investigations,” as well as its ascetical life and deep meditation.

Vatican II document, Nostra aetate # 2: “Thus in Hinduism the divine mystery is explored and propounded with an inexhaustible wealth of myths and penetrating philosophical investigations, and liberation is sought from the distresses of our state either through various forms of ascetical life or deep meditation or taking refuge in God with loving confidence.”[101]

Kali, one of the approximately 330,000 false gods worshipped by the Hindus – a religion not condemned, but praised by Vatican II

Notice how specifically Vatican II’s praise for the false religion of Hinduism is contradicted by Pope Leo XIII:

Pope Leo XIII, Ad Extremas (#1), June 24, 1893: “Our thoughts turn first of all to the blessed Apostle Thomas who is rightly called the founder of preaching the Gospel to the Hindus.  Then, there is Francis Xavier… Through his extraordinary perseverance, he converted hundreds of thousands of Hindus from the myths and vile superstitions of the Brahmans to the true religion.  In the footsteps of this holy man followed numerous priests… they are continuing these noble efforts; nevertheless, in the vast reaches of the Earth, many are still deprived of the truth, miserably imprisoned in the darkness of superstition.”[102]

Truly Two Different Religions

Amid all of this blasphemy in Vatican II, no mention is made that these infidels must be converted to Christ; no prayer is offered that the Faith may be granted to them; and no admonition that these idolaters must be delivered from their impiety and the darkness of their superstitions.  What we see is praise and esteem for these religions of the Devil.  What we see is an unequivocal syncretism, which treats all religions as if they are paths to God.

Pope Pius XI, Mortalium Animos (# 2), Jan. 6, 1928: “… that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy, … Not only are those who hold this opinion in error and deceived, but also in distorting the idea of true religion they reject it…”[103]

Pope Pius IX, Qui Pluribus (# 15), Nov. 9, 1846: “Also perverse is that shocking theory that it makes no difference to which religion one belongs, a theory greatly at variance even with reason.  By means of this theory, those crafty men remove all distinction between virtue and vice, truth and error, honorable and vile action.  They pretend that men can gain eternal salvation by the practice of any religion, as if there could ever be any sharing between justice and iniquity, any collaboration between light and darkness, or any agreement between Christ and Belial.”[104]