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Canon 1371, n. 1 of the Code of Canon Law, consequently, will receive an appropriate reference to canon 750 § 2, so that it will now read:
Canon 1371 – The following are to be punished with a just penalty:
1° a person who, apart from the case mentioned in canon 1364 § 1, teaches a doctrine condemned by the Roman Pontiff, or by an Ecumenical Council, or obstinately rejects the teachings mentioned in canon 750 § 2 or in canon 752 and, when warned by the Apostolic See or by the Ordinary, does not retract;
2° a person who in any other way does not obey the lawful command or prohibition of the Apostolic See or the Ordinary or Superior and, after being warned, persists in disobedience.
B) Canon 598 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches will now have two paragraphs: the first will present the text of the existing canon and the second will contain a new text. Thus canon 598, in its complete form, will read as follows:
Canon 598 – § 1. Those things are to be believed by divine and catholic faith which are contained in the word of God as it has been written or handed down by tradition, that is, in the single deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and which are at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn Magisterium of the Church, or by its ordinary and universal Magisterium, which in fact is manifested by the common adherence of Christ’s faithful under the guidance of the sacred Magisterium. All Christian faithful are therefore bound to avoid any contrary doctrines.
§ 2. Furthermore, each and everything set forth definitively by the Magisterium of the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals must be firmly accepted and held; namely, those things required for the holy keeping and faithful exposition of the deposit of faith; therefore, anyone who rejects propositions which are to be held definitively sets himself against the teaching of the Catholic Church.
Canon 1436 § 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, consequently, will receive an appropriate reference to canon 598 § 2, so that it will now read:
Canon 1436 – § 1. Whoever denies a truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or who calls into doubt, or who totally repudiates the Christian faith, and does not retract after having been legitimately warned, is to be punished as a heretic or an apostate with a major excommunication; a cleric moreover can be punished with other penalties, not excluding deposition.
§ 2. In addition to these cases, whoever obstinately rejects a teaching that the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops, exercising the authentic Magisterium, have set forth to be held definitively, or who affirms what they have condemned as erroneous, and does not retract after having been legitimately warned, is to be punished with an appropriate penalty.
5. We order that everything decreed by us in this Apostolic Letter, given motu proprio, be established and ratified, and we prescribe that the insertions listed above be introduced into the universal legislation of the Catholic Church, that is, into the Code of Canon Law and into the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, all things to the contrary notwithstanding.
Another subtlety satan thrives on is the introduction of speed into our daily living. HURRY UP! The mind and the will cannot work well when there is the pressure brought on by our culture propelling it to speed everything up. Our way of life is a far cry from that of our grandparents. In years gone by, there was a more deliberated life. People were not so in a hurry and so could take more time to think more clearly and to do things better. It is an interesting point that, as we have with us fast foods, fast this and that, instant this and instant that, we still complain that we don't have time to do what is expected of us. "Hurry up and wait" comes to the foreground quite often. How does satan gain in all of this? When we try to pray and when we try to serve God, it does not work when we do it in a hurry. The mind and especially the heart need to be in a peaceful state if they are to do their best in the service of their God. God is deprived of so much when we try to give to Him what is His in a hurry.
The process of separating the faithful from their shepherd is also one of satan's subtle ways in gaining control of human beings and revenging himself on God. He, amongst other means, uses the media to accomplish this. There is the dissecting of whatever comes out of the Vatican for the faithful. It is no business of the media, but the media makes it its business and makes it very difficult for the faithful to give respect and obedience to what the Holy Father as the Supreme Shepherd, wishes of his flock. There is so much of the priest bashing going on. Satan has a major part in this, and through it, prods people to lose reverence for their priests upon whom in so many ways they depend so much.
There are many more subtleties, too many for us to go into now. From what has been already put forth, it is clear that satan is shrewd and cunning. He is pulling out all stops and making use of every one of his fallen angels, as also people in our midst into whom he has entered, to bring destruction to faith, to trust, to love, to obedience. We must be careful not to become obsessed by him or his ways, for then, we, too, play into his hands.
To counter satan's strategy of subtleties, we have the strategy of Our Blessed Mother Mary. We are told by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures that Mary's strategy will ultimately win out. This is indeed hopeful.
Mary has been teaching us how to detect satan's subtleties and how to become victorious over satan. This will be treated in next week's column.
NEXT WEEK: Part Six of the sublteties of satan
