Posted on 07/14/2007 12:22:58 PM PDT by franky1
(CNN) -- Non-Catholics who are up in arms of the proclamation by Pope Benedict XVI that the only true church in the world is that of Catholicism shouldn't even bother getting upset. Just chalk it up to an old man trying to get a little attention.
For him to even suggest that only the Catholic Church can provide true salvation to believers in Christ shows that he is wholly ignorant of the Scriptures that I have known all my life.
Sorry, let me take that back. I've really only known the Bible for the last 13 of my 38 years. That's because those first 25 years were spent as a die-hard Catholic.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
The Vatican One-Two Punch
What a breath of fresh air has just issued from the Vatican this week with the publication of two documents on the Mass and the Church. Pope Benedict XVI has lived up to his vocation to "strengthen the brethren" in their faith (Lk 22:32) with these teachings, and as a result, this healthy wind of truth has made us decidedly clear-headed about our identity as Catholics. Just to recap, on Saturday (which, incidentally, was 070707) the Holy Father issued his document clarifying that the Traditional Mass was never abrogated and returning permission to every single priest in the world to celebrate it.
Three days later he issued a document clarifying that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church that Christ founded. These are not theological treatises per se. Rather, they are doctrinal clarifications about precise issues that Catholics need to be clear about in order to, well, be real Catholics. With candor and precision, Benedict sidelined all the muddled theology about the Mass and the Church with a solid one-two punch to the "erroneous interpretations" of the Second Vatican Council as he called them which have been confusing Catholics for four decades. The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of only two
Cardinals at the last conclave who actually attended Vatican II, so he speaks with more than a little authority about that Council. He invented no new teachings and issued nothing that should have been surprising to anyone, but he has fed our minds and spirits with a healthy dose of truth. That, after all, is what doctrine is for.These two subjects, the Mass and the Church, are the most fundamental matters of our Catholic identity, and because of that, they are also the doctrinal sticking points that have been the cause of more schism in the Church than any others.
From the Great East-West Schism of the 11th Century to Henry VIII's usurping of authority in England in the 16th Century to the schism of Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988, doctrinal clarity on the Mass and the Church literally holds Christianity together, and without that clarity, the very mission of Christ is damaged. The average Catholic may not appreciate how vitally important these truths are to our religious identity, but thank heaven Benedict does.Those who downplay, deny or denigrate one or both of these teachings are really hurting the cause of Christian unity rather than helping it.
Despite the somewhat hostile reactions of other non-Catholic Christian leaders complaining that the Pope has set back the cause of ecumenism, the Pope has done a service to those whose religious traditions have rejected the truths about the Mass or the Church.
Friends, we need to pray for our dear Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and thank God for the gift that he is to the Church! He has not left us to dangle in the errant winds of the most recent fad or breathe the noxious fumes of doctrinal dissent. He has revitalized us with the fresh air of truth.both of these documents all week claiming that we are going backwards. But I say, let them rage: Peter has spoken and his judgment is infallible! He is calling all Christians to unity by challenging them to accept the truth of Christ which is experienced in its fullness only in the Roman Catholic Church.
Friends, we need to pray for our dear Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and thank God for the gift that he is to the Church! He has not left us to dangle in the errant winds of the most recent fad or breathe the noxious fumes of doctrinal dissent. He has revitalized us with the fresh air of truth.
Sincerely Yours in Christ, Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,President, Human Life International
As a Bible based Christian, I could never be a Catholic. Catholicisms teachings don’t match the Bible. I put God first for teachings whereas the Catholic church has made up their own religion.
Praying to Mary and dead people and putting the words of man as more important, than God, even when conflicting is something I want NOTHING TO DO WITH. So Catholicism and the pope can do and say whatever and it doesn’t affect me at all.
And if your a Good Bible based Christian, you’ll make it to heaven.
Or at least that’s what the Pope says.
My Dearly Departed Dad once said, “I do more praying on the golf course than in church.” He covered all bases.
die hard....yup, that’s what he’s gonna do someday.
And btw, this cnn guy shows the results of “Spirit of Vatican II” catechism.
**Praying to Mary and dead people and putting the words of man as more important, than God, even when conflicting is something**
These are all heretical statements. Where are you getting your false information about the Catholic Church?
We ask the Blessed Mother and those who have died, such as a mother or father to pray FOR us. (Bet you asked your mother or father to pray for you while they were on earth, correct?) LOL!
God is the most important person/deity in the Catholic religion.
BTW, hopefully you do realize that the CNN rant is only the biased media coming out against the Catholic Church — the one church the media hates, because it has continued to stand for truth, despite the failing of some individuals.
Do you receive Holy Communion, the true Body and Blood of Jesus? Do your leaders have Christ’s authority to forgive your sins? These are ALL BIBLE based, and yet Protestants usually don’t follow these teachings BY Christ, IN Christ’s own words. Do you even go to Church every Sunday?
Thanks for the post franky1!
From the article:
>> That isn’t always the case at some Catholic churches. If you visit St. Sabina in Chicago, Father Michael Pfleger will surely have your soul jumping with his strong sermons and willingness to engage the community to get involved in direct action. <<
Fr. Pfleger is most famous for publicly calling for a mob execution of a local and legal gun dealer.
If the document was irrelevant to them, they wouldn’t have gotten so upset about it.
Secretly, Protestants all know they have absolutely no Biblical or historical foundation.
Anyone who has read his works could never call him ignorant of the scriptures. His :"Introduction to Christianity" is an amazingly profound book that should be read by anyone interested in the fundamentals of Christianity. I simply couldn't take seriously anyones critique of the Pope who hasn't read it; for to criticize him prior to understanding him is absurd, and one will never understand him by reading snippets from CNN.
>>Secretly, Protestants all know they have absolutely no Biblical or historical foundation.<<
Now, I’m not sure that I would go this far. I know tons of Protestants that can beat the pants off me, with Biblical Knowledge. They see things differently than we do. As long as they are not burning me at the stake and are living the Word, even the Pope says they are going to heaven.
While some Protestants jumped on the AP bandwagon, saying how evil the Pope is for saying they won’t make it to heaven, Our Holy Father proclaim them just as Christian as we are, just not of our church. I don’t think they want to be anyway
And BTW, if you look at the reactions, most are not upset about the document, but rather what the MSM is reporting about the document.
what? Wow. Start a war, why don’t you. I have a question, though, where in Paul’s letters does he say he or Peter, or Apollos, or the Apostles were given the authority to forgive sin? Oh, and why we’re discussing theology, why hasn’t anyone since Paul ever killed anyone in church like he did Ananias and his wife Saphira? Just thought I would try and make you all understand the ways of God are Higher than ours and to keep in mind we who love theology are probably all Children of the Most High God.
Easy Hoss... or I’ll conjure up some dead folks to come and get ‘cha.
Secretly, Protestants all know they have absolutely no Biblical or historical foundation.
Take a bow.
I do believe you are right.
Is there anything in his new faith, doctrines that save, that he does not owe to the Catholic Church? That includes the truths that are contained in the book he holds in his hand and calls God's word. I think he has thrown away much that would serve him on his way.
Peter is given that authority (to forgive sins) by Christ Himself in the Gospels, which is why the emblem of the Pope is the two keys (gold for heaven and silver for earth).
I think the problem with relying too heavily on literally conforming one’s Christian life to the Epistles is that many of the accounts of things done by Paul or others relate to particular things that happened under particular circumstances, and were not meant to establish general policies or indicate any underlying doctrine. Thank goodness - I’m not sure killing people in church would be a real missionary draw, so to speak!
I’m not saying that Protestants don’t love God, by the way. It always amazes me to see how many people pass through life without ever giving God a second thought, and you’re right, people who do love to think about Him are certainly blessed. I can’t imagine, personally, never thinking about God, but it seems as if many people nowadays can. Although I think deep down inside, they know something’s missing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.