[WikiEN-l] Catholic Encyclopedia

Mon Jan 26 17:12:04 UTC 2004

Sascha Noyes wrote:

>A good example of why it is a bad idea to use the CE as a starting-point for a 
>wikipedia entry: (found on [[Witchhunt]] and quickly removed)
>
>"The question of the reality of witchcraft is one upon which it is not easy to 
>pass a confident judgment. In the face of Holy Scripture and the teaching of 
>the Fathers and theologians the abstract possibility of a pact with the Devil 
>and of a diabolical interference in human affairs can hardly be denied"
>
>;-)
>
Everything needs to be viewed in context.  There is still a lot of 
valuable material in the CE on historical matters and biography.

The quotation, when viewed in isolation, is indeed enigmatic.  It 
nevertheless represents an important turning point in Catholic thought 
on the subject, from the dogmatic view of inquisitorial times to the 
more critical view of the twentieth century  I would put it back and 
give it context.  There is no need to protect the Catholic Church from 
itself.

Ec