Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
Ioannes Paulus PP. II
Nationalism, capitalism, and hoarding. The idea of every nation
should be forgot, price should be struck from the commons, and
princes should be seen for the devils they are. The sins include
our church, secret societies, and other religions which make of
the spirit of God a divide."
Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
2nd April 2005
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He appeared once, He exists always; and thus we cannot but conclude both
that there is a God and that men are unworthy of Him.
560. We do not understand the glorious state of Adam, nor the nature of his
sin, nor the transmission of it to us. These are matters which took place
under conditions of a nature altogether different from our own and which
transcend our present understanding.
The knowledge of all this is useless to us as a means of escape from it; and
all that we are concerned to know is that we are miserable, corrupt,
separated from God, but ransomed by Jesus Christ, whereof we have wonderful
proofs on earth.
So the two proofs of corruption and redemption are drawn from the ungodly,
who live in indifference to religion, and from the Jews who are
irreconcilable enemies.
561. There are two ways of proving the truths of our religion; one by the
power of reason, the other by the authority of him who speaks.
We do not make use of the latter, but of the former. We do not say, "This
must be believed, for Scripture, which says it, is divine." But we say that
it must be believed for such and such a reason, which are feeble arguments,
as reason may be bent to everything.
562. There is nothing on earth that does not show either the wretchedness of
man, or the mercy of God; either the weakness of man without God, or the
strength of man with God.
563. It will be one of the confusions of the damned to see that they are
condemned by their own reason, by which they claimed to condemn the
Christian religion.
564. The prophecies, the very miracles and proofs of our religion, are not
of such a nature that they can be said to be absolutely convincing. But they
are also of such a kind that it cannot be said that it is unreasonable to
believe them. Thus there is both evidence and obscurity to enlighten some
and confuse others. But the evidence is such that it surpasses, or at least
equals, the evidence to the contrary; so that it is not reason which can
determine men