Benedict has chosen a poor route to take in attempting to reconcile Protestants with the Church in Rome.
The pope?
Yawn.
I don’t know why anybody is up in arms about what the Pope said. Obviously, he doesn’t think other churches are doing things right or he wouldn’t be Catholic. I disagree with him, but I don’t see why I’d be offended at him stating what he or his church believe.
This reminds me of some Jews that were all outraged that Mormons were doing ‘proxy baptisms’ of Jews killed in the Holocaust. Like, what do you care?
Of course, there are those of every ideological persuasion who spend their entire day looking to be insulted or outraged. They apparently enjoy milking this little nugget for all it's worth.
Meanwhile, the one true church stays below the fray.
All I know is when I wash with my Pope on a rope soap, I feel cleaner...
VI. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the Church against Christ, and all that is called God.
I don't think so, but it isn't any worse than what the Pope said against Protestants.
Not many of the various sects of Christianity believe other sects are equally valid.
I don't see the big deal with the statement. I thought it was understood that the Church of Rome considered themselves the only true church.
If Rome claims to be the true church, fine ... let's examine the claim ... and if it is false, strongly and publicly refute it. But enough of the whining ... "Mommy, the Pope said something mean to me!"
If Catholics believe that their church is the only reliable path to salvation, it is not "hatred" or "bigotry" to say so.
Conversely, if I believe that the Roman church is "the great harlot, mystery Babylon, drunk with the blood of the saints" ... I shouldn't be called a hater or anti-Catholic bigot for saying so.
My, haven't we become soft! At any rate, maybe the poor liberal Protestants whining about how this "doesn't help the cause of reconciliation" will get a clue about the type of reconciliation Rome has in mind.
I love this pope. I hope he’s having a wonderful, restorative vacation.
I can’t adequately address this major question. In fact, I still don’t understand why, if Jesus was a Jew, His parents gave him a Puerto Rican name....
“and Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation”
Funny, I always thought Jesus was the only WAY to the Father. Silly me reading this silly book.
The Pope’s opinion of my faith is as important as a fart in a hurricane.
I’m only concerned with the Lord’s opinion, and that ain’t Pope Benedict.
Benedict needs to be calling for a Crusade against the islamofascists, not attacking fellow Christians.
The press has been full
of “Vatican Denies Other Christians Have a Right to Have Churches,” “Pope
tells Protestants They’re Going to Hell,” and other frothing nonsense.
I guess it’s too much trouble to expect headline writers to actually read
the flippin Vatican document.
It’s very short (5 paragraphs) and it contains nothing new: basically a
precise and carefully-worded definition of how the Catholic Church uses the
word “church.”
It does not deny the presence of God’s grace in other Christian communions,
but reiterates -— to nobody’s real surprise, I should think -— that the
Catholic Church still holds the unbroken historic succession from the
Apostles, upon whom Christ built His church, and which is an essential element of how Catholics define ‘church.’
Others will disagree, naturally. But it does help for people to state
straight out how they define their words. Otherwise, there’s no real
grappling with solid ideas, and “ecumenical dialog” sinks into a blather
of
whipped egg whites, corn syrup, and air.