Pope Says All Christians Must Face Together Challenge of Secularization

Catholic News Service ^ | Cindy Wooden

[marshmallow]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Sharing an obligation to spread the good news of salvation in Christ, all Christian communities are challenged by the fact that many people today do not think they need God, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"The spiritual poverty of many of our contemporaries, who no longer perceive the absence of God in their lives as a privation, represents a challenge for all Christians," the pope said Nov. 15 in a meeting with members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Pope Benedict said authentic ecumenical prayer, dialogue and cooperation cannot ignore "the crisis of faith that vast regions of the planet are experiencing," nor can Christians ignore signs that many modern people still feel a need for some kind of spirituality.

Efforts to reunite all Christians are an essential part of the new evangelization, the pope said. Responding to the obligation to share the Gospel and to heal a divided Christianity, he said, every Christian must "return to the essential, to the heart of our faith, giving the world a witness of the living God, that is, a God who knows us and loves us and in whose gaze we live; a God who awaits the response of our love in our everyday lives."

Pope Benedict said the theological dialogues the Catholic Church is engaged in with other churches and Christian communities are important means of keeping the ecumenical focus on finding unity in the faith and not simply on trying to find ways to get along better.

"Even when one cannot see in the immediate future a possibility for the re-establishment of full communion," he said, the dialogues "allow us to become aware not only of resistance and obstacles, but also of the richness of experiences, spirituality and theological reflections that can become a stimulus.....

[PetroniusMaximus]

“Efforts to reunite all Christians are an essential part of the new evangelization, the pope said”

I appreciate the sentiment, but the last thing we need is “Big Government” Christianity.

What we DO need is an outpouring of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit on those Christians who are willing to pay any price and go any distance to server their Lord.

Jesus Christ turned to world on it’s head with a handful of fully committed men and He can do it again - it that is His will.

Gideon didn’t need a massive army.

[Mamzelle]

It might have helped, Holy Father, if you had had something to say about awarding Obama sainthood or whatever at Notre Dame several years ago.

It would help if you excommunicated Sibelius, who is the repulsive abortion-promoting ghoul (to the tune of MILLIONS, Holy Father!).

It would help if you had scolded Pelosi instead of giving her such a warm welcome.

You could have helped, but now you want other Christians to do the work...

[I want the USA back]

Dear Holy Father. How about trying again to get the other Christian churches to work with you to save Christianity? Militant hordes of bearded savages would just love to defecate all over your churches.

[MayflowerMadam]

Hey, Pope! Every Catholic I know voted for Obama this year. Do you not understand that they do not care what you or “the church” dictates or suggests? They actually laugh when the subject of contraception comes up. “Oh, yeah. Why do you think we only have two kids? “I had my tubes tied after the second baby.” They’ve suggested that their daughters have abortions for financial reasons. But they still traipse off to Mass every Sunday, sing in the choir, etc. It’s become a social club; not a religion.

What signal do you send by annulling the Kennedy boys’ marriages after a bazillion children? Why is that disgusting troll Pelosi still a Catholic? You could excommunicate her ass.

[Bayard]

Most of your complaints make no sense.

I hardly think the Pope is an American Bishop.

He is the Bishop of Rome, not the local ordinary of each of those persons.

There is a world beyond the US that the Holy Father is responsible for. He is responsible for over a billion Catholics I believe, not just the ones in the US.

[Bayard]

Man this thread is riddled with knee jerk, anti-Catholicism.

Most of these complaints make absolutely no sense.

Do people read anymore?
Do people know what the Bishop of Rome is, or what his role is in the Catholic Church is?

Stop and think, before you post a complaint.

“Do I know what I am talking about before posting?”

To what extent do I know what Catholics believe, or what function the Church hierarchy performs in the Catholic Church.

If such subjects are vague to you, don’t bother posting because you add to the confusion.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Unfortunately, American Catholics have not the slightest intention of understanding American Fundamentalist Protestants. In fact, American Catholics define themselves in opposition to American Fundamentalist Protestants. How else to explain the nonsensical rejection of the first eleven chapters of Genesis in the name of "science" while believing every other irrationality that science excludes? Or the ridiculous campaign to defend "halloween" merely because "trailer trash" doesn't like it?

The only reason American Catholics still believe in transubstantiation is that Fundamentalist Protestants don't.

Catholics in the United States have based their entire presentation to the country as "we're not fundies." It's going to be a little hard to unite against secularism after that . . . especially since Catholicism seems to regard Fundamentalist Protestantism as a greater evil than secularism.

[marshmallow]

Generally, when a thread which deals with the Pope's talks or writings is posted, a significant number of the responses will fall into the category of "why don't you do something about.... (insert pet peeve).... instead of yapping about this... (thread topic)"

Aside from the common misconception about the Pope's job description and extent of his reach, there appears to be a compulsive urge to naysay even the most reasonable suggestions.

[Bayard]

Catholics have believed in doctrine of “transubstantiation” since the council of Trent, before that, since the words of Christ in Gospel of John were spoken: “my flesh is true food, my blood is true drink” Jn 6:55.

The idea that Catholic belief in transubstantiation is predicated on the non-belief of protestants is completely nuts.

Nor do Catholics regard fundamentalists as a greater evil than secularism.

I certainly don’t and I’m a Catholic.

[Bayard]

Yes you’re right, its extremely irritating that a plea for Christian unity is not only completely misunderstood, but used as vehicle by Christians as a means to attack other Christians.

To quote Charlie Brown: Aaugh!

I think Jesus would say the same.

[Rashputin]

Why should anyone believe anything posted by someone who states that “Christ is a false Gxd”?

What that sort of person has to say about Fundamentalist, Evangelicals, Catholics, or any other group of Christians will be part and parcel of their desire to attack Jesus Christ by spreading divisions within the body of Christ.

People who deny the deity of Christ and blabber on about thier own “GxD” “Gxd”, “xGx”, “xxx”, or any other bogus New Age twisting of another faith are by definition anti-Christ and working to undermine Christianity.

Their desire to undermine Christianity makes them every bit as much a puppet of the Father of Lies as the democrat fascist media or the millions of liars who claim to be Christian but deny Christ.

[Biggirl]

It is time for all Christians to come together, regardless of denomination of Christian church for the spread of the good news of the Gospel.

[Natural Law]

"In fact, American Catholics define themselves in opposition to American Fundamentalist Protestants."

Please tell me you see the hypocrisy of that statement in light of the very definition of "Protestant".