Theological Foundations new file

121 The Ecclesial Dimension the spirit that spoke through the lips of the prophets of the king of Samaria and such, too, is the spirit that speaks through the mouths of heretics who proclaim new teachings and invent new gospels, rejecting old traditions, writings and truths established in the Church from the very beginning. Their spirit is the spirit of deceit because it was not sent by the Truth itself, i.e., by Jesus Christ, but was poured in by the father of deceit. 17 Perhaps our author’s words sound rather radical here, yet we can see in them his great concern for the impeccability of the Church’s teaching. We can see what great importance he attached to the Teaching Authority of the Church. As Father Papczynski received dispensation from his vows in the order of the Piarist Fathers, with a still vague plan of establishing a new religious congregation in mind, he promised, in the so-called Oblatio , obedience to the Vicar of Christ and his representatives, and confessed his faith in everything that the Holy Roman Church believes and what it teaches us to believe. 18 Later, in the religious rule of his congregation, he ordered that, out of love of God, the confreres should respect the laws, orders, decisions, rites, customs and dogmas of the Catholic Church. For this is what Christ said: “If a man loves Me, he will keep My word” (Jn 14, 23). In Father Papczynski’s opinion, this admonition refers not only to Christ’s teaching but also to the orders and the documents of the Church which He Himself guides and rules by the Holy Spirit. 19 The fact that Father Stanislaus ordered his confreres to read papal decrees at common meals is another testimony to his ecclesial spirit. The said decrees were to be complied with and the punishments which they imposed were to be applied. 20 Father Stanislaus renewed his order of daily reading of papal decrees in the so-called Recommendations for Marian Brothers 21 , and in his testament he once again called his confr- eres to be zealous in their Catholic faith and to respect and obey the Holy See. 22 Another expression of our author’s devotion to the Church is his lov- ing attitude towards the first Vicar of Christ here on earth. This attitude becomes evident as he meditates upon the words uttered by Christ to