Pius VI…

…judges Francis’ idea on the pastor

  • Spiritual or apostolic pretexts may in fact be dangerous inclinations of the heart

The priest should apply himself above all else to developing, with all the love grace inspires in him, his close relationship with Christ, and exploring this inexhaustible and enriching mystery; he should also acquire an ever deeper sense of the mystery of the Church. There would be the risk of his state of life seeming unreasonable and unfounded if it is viewed apart from this mystery. […] Rightly jealous of his full self-giving to the Lord, the priest should know how to guard against emotional tendencies which give rise to desires not sufficiently enlightened or guided by the Spirit. He should beware of seeing spiritual or apostolic pretexts for what are in fact dangerous inclinations of the heart. (Paul VI. Encyclical Sacerdotalis caelibatus, no. 75.77, June 4, 1967)

…judges Francis’ idea on the ‘Bread of Life’

  • Omission about the dogma of transubstantiation is favorable to heretics and dangerous

[…] since by an indiscreet and suspicious omission of this sort knowledge is taken away both of an article pertaining to faith, and also of the word consecrated by the Church to protect the profession of it, as if it were a discussion of a merely scholastic question, dangerous, derogatory to the exposition of Catholic truth about the dogma of transubstantiation, favorable to heretics. (Denzinger-Hünermann 2629. Pius VI, Constitution Auctorem fidei, August 28, 1794)

…judges Francis’ idea on a horizontal Church

  • The Roman Pontiff is superior to other bishops; those who deny it are condemned

Those have been condemned who denied that in blessed Peter, the prince of the Apostles, his successor, the Roman Pontiff, was established by God as the visible head of the Church and the vicar of Jesus Christ, that to him has been transmitted full power of ruling the Church, and that true obedience is due him from all who are considered Christians; and that such is the power of the primacy, which he holds by divine right, that he is superior to other bishops not only by his rank of honor but by the plenitude of his supreme power? (Denzinger-Hünermann 2593. Pio VI. From the Brief Super soliditate, November 28, 1786)

  • It is an error to believe that Christ wished His Church to be governed in the manner of a republic

All the more must be deplored that blind and rash temerity of the man who [the following errors] …was eager to renew […] and insinuated indiscriminately by many ambiguities, that every bishop, no less than the pope, was called by God to govern the Church, and was endowed with no less power; that Christ gave the same power Himself to all the apostles; and that whatever some people believe is obtained and granted only by the pope, that very thing, whether it depends on consecration or ecclesiastical jurisdiction, can be obtained just as well from any bishop; that Christ wished His Church to be governed in the manner of a republic; and that, indeed, for that government there is need of a head for the good of unity, but one who does not dare to interfere in the affairs of others (bishops) who rule at the same time. (Denzinger-Hünermann 2593-2595. Pius VI. From the Brief, Super soliditate, November 28, 1786)

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