Pope Benedict's address to the CDF

This afternoon, Pope Benedict addressed the plenary session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Rorate Caeli has a translation of part of the address (Peter speaks).

The Holy Father thanked the Congregation for its work for the unity of the faith and drew attention in particular to two important documents issued during the last year. First he spoke of the Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church issued in June, which "reproposes, in the formulations and in the language, the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, in full continuity with the doctrine of Catholic Tradition". The Holy Father also made this important point about the doctrine of the Church (my translation):
To cultivate a theological vision which would hold the unity and identity of the Church as characteristics "hidden in Christ" with the consequence that historically the Church would exist in fact in multiple ecclesial configurations, reconcilable only in an eschatological prospect, would not be able to do other than to generate a slowing-down and ultimately the paralysis of ecumenism itself.
Secondly he referred to the Doctrinal Note on some Aspects of Evangelization issued in December. He commented (my translation):
The recognition of elements of truth and goodness in the religions of the world and of the seriousness of their religious efforts, the conversation and spirit of co-operation with them for the defence and the promotion of the dignity of the person of of universal moral values, cannot be understood as a limitation of the missionary task of the Church which is committed to announce unceasingly Christ as the way, the truth and the life.
The Vatican website has the Italian text.

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