Posted on 05/17/2007 10:08:04 AM PDT by Gamecock
Reading Francis Beckwith's interview with David Neff in Christianity Today, reminded me of how idyllic the Roman church can seem in the minds of those who embrace it (Click here: Q&A: Francis Beckwith | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction).
But then this news report appeared today which gives a much different picture of the supposed glories of Romanism (Click here: Pope to canonize first Brazilian saint - Yahoo! News).
All discussion of justification, the authority of Scripture, and reciting the Creed aside, the Pope is heading to Brazil to canonize Antonio de Sant'Anna Galvao, a Franciscan monk who is credited with 5000 miraculous healings. Over 1 million people are expected to be in attendance. The healings supposedly come as a result of swallowing rice paper pills prepared by the monk over two hundred years ago. According to the AP news report . . .
"The Vatican has officially certified the medical cases of two Brazilian women as divinely inspired miracles that justify the sainthood of Galvao. Both of these women spoke of their faith with The Associated Press, claiming that their children would not be alive today were it not for the tiny rice-paper pills that Friar Galvao handed out two centuries ago.
Although the friar died in 1822, the tradition is carried on by Brazilian nuns who toil in the Sao Paulo monastery where Galvao is buried, preparing thousands of the Tic Tac-sized pills distributed free each day to people seeking cures for all manner of ailments. Each one is inscribed with a prayer in Latin: `After birth, the Virgin remained intact. Mother of God, intercede on our behalf.'
Sandra Grossi de Almeida, 37, is one such believer. She had a uterine malformation that should have made it impossible for her to carry a child for more than four months. But in 1999, after taking the pills, she gave birth to Enzo, now 7. `I have faith," Grossi said, pointing to her son. I believe in God, and the proof is right here.'
Nearly 10 years before that, Daniela Cristina da Silva, then 4 years old, entered a coma and suffered a heart attack after liver and kidney complications from hepatitis A. `The doctors told me to pray because only a miracle could save her,' Daniela's mother Jacyra said recently. `My sister sneaked into the intensive care unit and forced my daughter to swallow Friar Galvao's pills.'"
So, if you "return home" to Rome, you get the whole ball of wax, including the beatification of saints who give out Tic-Tac size rice-paper pills which supposedly heal. And Pope Benedict XVI will be there to bless it all.
By the way, confessional Protestants affirm the historical evangelical doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone, and the full authority of Scripture. And yes, we even recite the Creed every Lord's Day and we use a biblical-text based liturgy which is quite similar to that described by Justin Martyr in the second century.
Too bad Dr. Beckwith didn't consider a confessional Protestant church before embracing Romanism. Now he's stuck with Antonio de Sant'Anna Galvao and his rice-paper healing pills.
Since there’s a placebo effect, I guess we better have a few placebo saints.
They’re not really effective, but the recipient thinks they are, so who gives a rip.
They are in the same class as “near beer.”
For the record, though, 2 out of 200 is pretty low even for the placebo effect.
The CONTEXT of Irenaeus comment was in opposition to the heretics he was addressing, and AT THAT TIME, the bishop of Rome was standing for orthodox doctrine. Irenaeus was NOT saying that everyone be submissive to the bishop of Rome as the exclusive, supreme ruler of the universal church at all. Rome has twisted Irenaeus to fit it's later claims of exclusive supremacy. It had a historical context exclusive to that time, and meant that the orthodoxy defended in Rome at that time was to be followed. Irenaeus never meant that the bishop of Rome was to be the supreme ruler, to whom everyone at all times in history are to submit to no matter what.
Your inability to restrain yourself is leading you into making ridiculous comments.
Rome did nothing of the sort. He was only taken off the universal calendar of feast days, along with some other saints. He is still on local calendars, and he is still a saint, historical questions surrounding his life notwithstanding.
Can you sing that? Perhaps with some guitar accompaniment?
Great post. It gives me strength. 8~)
"Yep."
8~)
Exactly!
Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre-eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere.Where do you see the expiration date on this passage? Where do you see anything that indicates that it is a temporary condition...and that the bishop of Rome. And if you're right, that it only holds as long as the bishop of Rome is orthodox, then you are by that very fact saying that *SOMEONE* has to be judging the bishop of Rome heretical. So who did....in all the time you are talking about. What council? What Jean Calvin-like genius got up and said "you are heretical", and we anathematize you?
You entirely miss the point of this passage, which is that the *Bishop of Rome* judges what is heretical....not as long as he just happens to be orthodox, but because the apostolic tradition of Peter and Paul has been preserved there.
“Can you sing that? Perhaps with some guitar accompaniment?”
Did you see the thing about the miracle? I took it as a sign that the guitar is between the Lord and me and I’m to keep hiding it under a bushel, whatever that is.
So that's where the Friday Neeners Caucus got it from.
(I don't know where these lines are coming from. My apron needs starching - if I had an apron.)
You'll wrest it out of our cold dead fingers...because it is no "totalitarian religion" but the very Church of Christ Jesus, the spotless Bride, the very Body of Christ....which only feels totalitarian to those who cannot abide it. "He who hears you, hears me".
I say again...Irenaeus is clear that Rome is the *benchmark* for orthodoxy, not a useful and temporaray ally in the struggle. It is a matter of *necessity* that all churches everywhere agree with this church.
“So that’s where the Friday Neeners Caucus got it from.”
This is as good a thread as any to high jack and I’m going to be traveling tomorrow so here is my contribution to the Friday Caucus:
Just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to, doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
Jim and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there. Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out.
When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna’s heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.
When she went to tell Edna the news she said, “Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you’re being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love, I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness. The bad news is, Jim, hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he’s dead.”
Edna replied, “He didn’t hang himself, I put him up there to dry.... How soon can I go home?”
That’s even sillier. If he doesn’t exist, why is he on any calendar other than ones like “The Simpsons” or “The Muppets?”
That's a lie! I was never a poli sci student, I don't drink beer, and I swear that I was nowhere near the Cuban Embassy in Stockholm that whole time!
I don't know either, but I'm told it goes with a "peck", whatever that is.
I'm not sayin' nothin' 'bout drinkin' and the Irish or the Scottish here at all...
Did you know that when digging the Erie canal and following a day's work (12 to 14 hours), the Irish used to arrange boxing matches with each other?
Is that a different breed, or what? Irish men...
Then, of course, we have the Italian Cardinals who when transporting the coffin of Alexander VI, got into some little tiff (that's hard to believe, isn't it?), dropped the casket and started sword fighting.
Claud is correct. Rome has "acknowledged" nothing of the sort.
And the Orthodox revere St. Christopher, as well.
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