Yah think? From the purple rages I have seen here and at LP, one would think the Pope declared Jihad - ooops someone else declared Jihad.
They're just jealous 'cause they got no Pope!
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
All religions should claim that their teaching is the only truth available for salvation and should pray for members of the other religions for their conversion. If one is not totally convinced that his/her religion is the only one to possess the fullness of truth he/she has the obligation to look for it elsewhere. Remember that in matters of religion there is no gray - it’s either truth or falsehood. In matters of religion one can only deal with moral absolutes.
Now, if I carry on and on, in a verbal hissy fit, feel the need to go on CNN to continue my tirade, I must consider the moonbat who is the target of my anger a real threat.
Or something.
Just saying.
OK.....so I wrote this essay about them but they're still irrelevant......OK???!!!
That's pretty much the case with me. I couldn't care less what the pope has to say. He's completely irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.
I too am glad that the Pope showed his true colors, and manifested more of what Catholicism historically has taught, rather than the spin Vatican two put on things when the liberal hijacked it. After all it is far easier to spot a thief when he is no longer disguised.
Hopefully he will keep it up and plainly affirm the ex cathedra Unam sanctam, “Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
Give him a sword and he can put those Bible quoting, hymn singing, gospel preaching, born again, Acts 17:11 type Christians in their place.
With those pesky - “chapter and verse please” - Protest-ants out of the way, just think how many wonderfully per-verse additions to Scripture and contradictions of it one can add, after all, it’s been a long time since the last Ex Cathedra statement.
The fundamental evangelical types say Scripture does not substantiate the perpetuated Petrine papacy of Rome, that the Bible makes Jesus the Rock (Dt. 32:4; 1Cor. 10:4), to which Peter himself attests(1Pt. 2:8. And that is not even one command is given in the New Testament for the church to submit to Peter as it’s singular supreme head, nor even one example of them doing so (in Acts 15 James gives the definitive sentence), nor does Peter ever refer to himself as such, but as “an” elder and “an” apostle, and “a servant” (1Pt. 5:1; 2Pt. 1:1). And that in contrast to the Roman papacy, humble and pious Peter was evidently poor (Acts 3:6), and was married (Mt. 8:14; 1Cor. 9:4), would not even let a man bow down to him (Acts 10:25, 26).
And finally, that there is no formal provision given by the Holy Spirit in Scripture for a successor to his seat!
Well, that is no problem for a autocracy patterned after Rome. All that is needed is a little circular reasoning, namely that “according to out interpretation (or Mt. 16:13-19), only our interpretation can be correct in any conflict.” Rome has been such a wonderful example of how to silence enemies by other means as well.
And thus Catholicism can go on it’s merry way fostering faith and dependence upon herself and her self proclaimed powers, as well as one own merits gained thereby, for salvation. And so add to the masses of the deceived damned who do so, rather than coming before God as sinners, destitute of any merit whereby they may escape Hell and gain Heaven, and thus cast all their faith upon Christ and His blood for justification and regeneration (Rm. 3:9 - 5:8; Eph. 1:13; Titus 3:5). And having turned from sin to Him, be baptized under water (Acts 8:37) and walk in newness of life (Rm. 6). And so glority God alone!!!
Yah think? From the purple rages I have seen here and at LP, one would think the Pope declared Jihad - ooops someone else declared Jihad.
They're just jealous 'cause they got no Pope!
I know a Calvinist who believes that his way is the correct way.
I know Catholics who believe they are the only ones that can track apostolic succession so they are the true church.
I work with a guy that attends the Church of Christ and if your not a part of the CoC, your going to hell.
On and on and on. Jesus is probably just shakin his head at us all and how we have so perverted and wounded the body of Christ.
The area in which I live, several Church's in the area pray for one another. Anglicans, nondenominational Church's, baptist and so forth.
I find it really neat that the “Christ honoring” Church's support each other in prayer and ministry.
I have also heard that because the catholic church can track apostolic succession they are the true church.
I have been apart of the Anglican church for quite sometime and we too claim to be able to track apostolic succession dating back to Jesus.
My point.......how bout the body of Christ stop falling for the traps of the father of lies, satan himself and get on with the business of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The essentials-unity, nonessentials-liberty, in all things-love and charity.
No, that's because those first 25 years were spent as a SUPER-DUMB, NOT-LISTENING, DUH-I-DON'T-GET-IT Catholic.
Which made you easy pickins to become what you are now.
And we thank God for all the traffic you must have past moving in the opposite direction: those who have left the errors you're mired in now have made some of the best Catholic converts we've been blessed with in a long time!
Oh and you're welcome for the big thank you I know you meant to send out to your former Church for having put together that Bible you're so fond of at the Third Council of Carthage, which - of course - sent their work to Rome for the Pope, as Successor of Peter (Matt 16:18) to ratify. You've got most of it in your Protestant Bible, except the stuff Martin Luther took out because it didn't support his denial of Purgatory, etc. He would have zapped James as well ("Faith without good works is dead") but another apostate priest like himself, Melanchton, stopped him. Yup - good luck! I don't know which is sadder: where you've ended up spiritually or where you've ended up on television!
I plan to convert to Roman Catholicism in the near future after spending the last 40 or so years as an Episcopalian and watching that denomination slide into irrelevance both theologically and institutionally. To my mind, “Episcopaliaism” as a Protestant church finds itself in its present predicament precisely because of those defects or wounds that the Catholic church finds present in Protestant Christianity. I find no need to defend Roman Catholicism in my present status as one who seeks its communion and membership; but I do think I can safely say that my experience and observations indicate no neglect of the bible nor improbable interventions between myself and my Creator. It may be that those who find Roman Catholicism arrogant in their claim regarding the foundational status of the Church do so by failing to investigate the nuances of their theological pronouncements and the fact that the Church has ministered to 2000 years of different adherents who have lived in different places, in different times, in different cultures, and under different circumstances. It has prevailed and it is difficult to argue with that track record as a matter of historical, if not theological, credibility. And I do agree with the CNN commentator that the Pope’s comments in this instance are irrelevant to non-Catholics except to the extent that Protestant’s might want to argue otherwise only within the context of what the comments actually mean.