Is Feeneyism Catholic? - Society of St. Pius X

36 IS F EENEYISM C ATHOLIC?
Lord mentioning the water as the obligatory means (necessary “re
aut voto–in fact or in desire”) to obtain that spiritual rebirth. Contrary
to what the followers of Fr. Feeney pretend, the emphasis of
this whole passage is not on water, but on rebirth. By holding
with the Church that the rebirth is what is absolutely necessary,
and that water is necessary “re aut voto,” one respects the truth of
the words of Our Lord and the truth of the interpretation of the
Church. By pretending that water itself is absolutely necessary
without any exception whatsoever, one departs from the interpretation
of the Church, thereby being unfaithful to Our Lord Himself.
IS JOHN 3:5 A LAW?
Bro. Robert Mary objects thus: “It is not totally correct to say
that the above quote from Our Lord is a law. A law, strictly speaking,
is a command or a prohibition. The words of Our Lord [...]
are given by St. John in the form of a proposition, a statement of
fact. It is either true or it is false. [...] God is not bound by the laws
He has set. However, God is bound by the propositions He has
made. [...] If God is not bound by water in terms of salvation,
then we may ask, why bind Him to His word in any of His teachings?”
(op. cit., p.99).
His reasoning falsely presupposes that baptism of blood and
baptism of desire would make Our Lord’s proposition false. This
objection had been answered many times by the best theologians
(e.g., St. Thomas quoted above) unanimously. For instance Billuart
44 : “He who said generally, unless one is reborn, etc., has said
with no less generality: everyone who believes in him shall not be
confounded, 45 whosoever shall invoke the name of the Lord shall
be saved, 46 he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, 47 and
other similar statements. Hence the Church rightly understands
this general sentence of Christ unless one is reborn of baptism of
water in re vel in voto–in fact or in desire.” Thus the proposition of
44 Summa Sancti Thomae, III, p.233 (Part VI, Ch.1, A.6; he has 12 pages on
baptism of desire).
45 Rom. 9:33, 10:11, quoting Is. 28:16.
46 St. Peter in Acts 2:21, St. Paul Rom. 10:13, both quoting Joel 2:32.
47 Jn. 14:21; for other texts, see for instance Jn. 11:26.