Let's defend the Truth

A)  The text of the speech by J.M.Bergoglio:

“«What does the Holy Spirit make?…… The Holy Spirit creates “diversity” in the Church….. It’s true this diversity is so rich, so beautiful. But then, the same Holy Spirit creates unity, and this way the Church is one in diversity. And, to use a beautiful word of an Evangelist whom I love very much, a diversity “reconciled” by the Holy Spirit. He does both these things: he creates the diversity of charismata and then makes harmony of the charismata……. We are in the epoch of globalization, and we think about what globalization is and what unity would be in the Church: perhaps a sphere, where all points are equidistant from the centre, all equal? No! This is uniformity. And the Holy Spirit doesn’t create uniformity! What shape can we find? Let us consider a prism: the prism is unity, but all its parts are different; each has its own peculiarity, its charisma. This is unity in diversity. It is on this path that we Christians do what we call by the theological name of ecumenism: we seek to ensure that this diversity may be more harmonized by the Holy Spirit and become unity…..»” (Speech at the Pentecostal Church of Reconciliation, Caserta Monday, 28 July 2014)

“«It is true that the Holy Spirit brings forth different charisms in the Church, which at first glance, may seem to create disorder. Under his guidance, however, they constitute an immense richness, because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of unity, which is not the same thing as uniformity. Only the Holy Spirit is able to kindle diversity, multiplicity and, at the same time, bring about unity. When we try to create diversity, but are closed within our own particular and exclusive ways of seeing things, we create division. When we try to create unity through our own human designs, we end up with uniformity and homogenization. If we let ourselves be led by the Spirit, however, richness, variety and diversity will never create conflict, because the Spirit spurs us to experience variety in the communion of the Church»” (Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Istanbul, Saturday, 29 November 2014)

“«As Christians we are called together to eliminate that globalization of indifference which today seems to reign supreme, while building a new civilization of love and solidarity»” (Patriarchal Church of St. George, Istanbul, Sunday, 30 November 2014)

B) References to Scriptures:

“Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mat 28:19-20)

“About the gifts of the Spirit, brothers, I want you to be quite certain. You remember that, when you were pagans, you were irresistibly drawn to inarticulate heathen gods. Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no one who says ‘A curse on Jesus’ can be speaking in the Spirit of God, and nobody is able to say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit. There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit; there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord. There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all. The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good. To one is given from the Spirit the gift of utterance expressing wisdom; to another the gift of utterance expressing knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit; to another, faith, from the same Spirit; and to another, the gifts of healing, through this one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the power of distinguishing spirits; to one, the gift of different tongues and to another, the interpretation of tongues. But at work in all these is one and the same Spirit, distributing them at will to each individual. For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts — all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body — so it is with Christ. We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink. And indeed the body consists not of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘I am not a hand and so I do not belong to the body,’ it does not belong to the body any the less for that. Or if the ear were to say, ‘I am not an eye, and so I do not belong to the body,’ that would not stop its belonging to the body. If the whole body were just an eye, how would there be any hearing? If the whole body were hearing, how would there be any smelling? As it is, God has put all the separate parts into the body as he chose. If they were all the same part, how could it be a body? As it is, the parts are many but the body is one. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ and nor can the head say to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’  What is more, it is precisely the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest which are the indispensable ones. It is the parts of the body which we consider least dignified that we surround with the greatest dignity; and our less presentable parts are given greater presentability which our presentable parts do not need. God has composed the body so that greater dignity is given to the parts which were without it, and so that there may not be disagreements inside the body but each part may be equally concerned for all the others. If one part is hurt, all the parts share its pain. And if one part is honoured, all the parts share its joy.  Now Christ’s body is yourselves, each of you with a part to play in the whole” (1Co 12:1-27)

C) Comment:

The action of the Holy Spirit of which Saint Paul speaks, does not produce the same action of the spirit mentioned by Bergoglio.

The Spirit of which Saint Paul speaks, brings everyone to the unity in Christ the Lord.

The spirit of which Bergoglio speaks, instead, seems to have a different target: to bring all the churches to the uniqueness but without conforming them to Christ the Lord. Bergoglio, in his speeches on the charismas, repeatedly underlines that “unity does not mean uniformity”. Therefore, it is not possible to be joined together in conforming to the Catholic Christian religion which, in fact, would be dismembered. So one should be joined by harmonizing together, and each, losing part or all of their own identity, to be united in something new that accept everything and everyone, without distinction, finding a common denominator that can apply to everyone, that may be humanly accepted and acceptable to all so that everyone can be “normalized” in the uniqueness.

Bergoglio says, in fact, that Christians are called to “build a new civilization of love and solidarity“.

This idea of religion appears as a new form of syncretism, that starting from Christianity, may arrive to embrace all the ideas of religion in the globalized world and then to unite them.

The one who has worked hard on this draft for the unity of the biggest religions, explicitly speaking of “civilization of love” was the Indian guru Sai Baba, that still lives in the hearts of many who consider him above Christ.

Sai Baba and his teachings are in total antithesis to Christ, and are really anti-Christian.

Those who want to remain firm and grafted in Christ, must follow the authentic teachings of the Spirit of Truth, that bestows His gifts and His charismas so that everything is recapitulated in Christ the Lord, in Him only there is salvation. Outside of Christ there is not and never will be salvation.

Those who have found Christ, are already living the Love in fullness, without pursuing other forms of civilization, based only on humanity and without the presence of Him who only gives life: the Spirit of Love and Truth, that in Christ is manifested in fullness, in all His charismas and all His expressions.

Those who have found Christ in their lives, already have everything and through the Spirit of Truth, they say: “I entrust myself to you. Do not leave me alone. Do with me what pleases You. Let Your will be done“.

(For further reading on the subject, please consult the link: Bergoglio and the ecumenism of Sai Baba)