There are many Catholics that confess Jesus with their lips, yet feel being Catholic is the key to salvation. God has accepted Catholic believers if they believe, but as the Last Days grow close, IMO, he is looking for those to stop relying on false doctrine and come out and come close to Him. A heretic for a pope should shake many RC's out of their slumber. People that decide to follow the RC church, rather than God will not remain blameless, IMO.
This latest horse apple about the environment should wake even the most devout Catholic that something is amiss. Readjusting the beliefs about gay marriage is another. If this guys stays for a couple more years, you may get a Bishop named Caitlyn Jenner formally named Prince or something even more bizarre. I knew we were in for a tough time when I found out he was a Jesuit. Look up Father Michael L. Pfleger to see what brain damage Jesuits have. IMO, RC's are about to discover the fate of Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and others that have forsaken the Word of God for the laws of men. In many non denominational churches, when a preacher goes astray, they are removed and another is voted on. If you rely on a church government, chances are small that things will make a meaningful change. Just as we see in the gay priests molesting alter boys, almost nothing has really been done farther than some adjustments around the edges. Changing thousands of years of RC dogma is as easy as the pope issuing a paper. Glenn Beck was just complaining that his daughter was attending Fordham U and was taught by priests that sodomy wasn't the problem in Sodom. This is universal idiocy, not just Catholics, but everyone must deal with the cards they were dealt.
It's time for all believers, not just RC's, to re examine their faith and make sure it's in Christ alone and not some dogma construct from men. As we see in Revelation, there are churches that are not where Christ would have them be. We have foolish virgins and wise virgins. We have servants that will experience the gnashing of teeth and outer darkness. Servants and virgins are not "lost people" but are church members. Don't be the person saying "Didn't we cast out demons in your name?" and the Lord says "I never knew you."
This is not meant to start a fight, but just to make a statement and quote God's Word. If anyone reading just stops a moment to ponder what was said, then that is the effect I was seeking. Everyone must work out their own salvation, and we have God's own words to guide us. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and an inquiry of Him is the right way and essential. God freely gives to those that ask and opens doors that are knocked on. Relying on a mans opinion is not it. Anyone that really cares will seek out the Truth.
Accepted in the spirit with which it was delivered.
I don’t see any fighting words in there. The truth does
exist within the Catholic Church, but we have certainly swerved into our share of false doctrines over the years.
As have all the other churches. Though it doesn’t get much worse than selling indulgences.
chuckles, I saw no fighting words in your post, only good Christian sense. This human induced climate change/gaia worship encyclical was the last straw for me! I’ve basically putting the RC church at arms length since 2008, when my pastor signed a letter in support of not excluding homosexuals from the seminary. Keep in mind, one of our previous pastors was a pederast and abused boys in the 1970s and it was covered up by the diocese. It rocked my parish badly and we lost a ton of parishioners. Then our new pastor comes out in support of gays being allowed to become seminarians!!! It blew my mind! I won’t place my faith in a man (the Pope) a church but place it directly into the hands of Jesus.