Question, how is someone who is in heaven with Christ, Dead? In theological terms, they are “more alive in Christ” than those here on earth. 2) The Catholic Church does not elevate Mary to the “4th person of the Trinity”. The Catholic Church, along with the Eastern Orthodox, more than any other Christian confession defends the Unity of God and the distinctness of the 3 persons of the Most Holy Trinity. It is many Protestant Confessions that are changing the wording used in Baptisms, Liturgy/Worship, prayer, etc with respect to the Trinity. I know where I live, the largest Presybterian Church in my home town left the Presbyterian Association that it was affiliated with due to exactly what I stated above. And you know what, the arguments used by those who want to change the doctrine of the Trinity use the “Bible” to do so as a) Trinity is not found in the Bible, 2) While Christ Commanded the Apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the “Sola Scripturist” state that no where else did the Scriptures state that Liturgy/worship, and prayer must have a Trinitarian perspective.
Thus, with respect to what I wrote above, it is precisely the principle of “Sola Scriptura” that is used in justifying these spits among Protestant confessions.
I am glad the Pope is being clear. Here is what the Catholic Church believes ,which if the faith of the Church before the 16th century, and thus is the faith now. The more the historic Protestant confessions move away from Apostolic Tradition, the further they are moving from Catholic unity. The lived experience of what has happened in the Protestant communities, what is going on, and what will continue to to on, points to the reality, no matter how hard it is for some of you to admit it, that most Protestant confessions will not only move further away from orthodox Apostolic Tradition (e.g. Catholic and Eastern Orthodoxy), but continue to splinter among itself into more and more groups with doctrinal positions always up for the most recent interpreation that the local Pastor or group of Pastors believes is the correct way of interpreting the Bible.
Regards
Yes, the schism within the Christian world is of great concern to me, and the downside of Protestantism is the lack of unity and the myriad denominations. But for me, as it was with Luther, is a matter of reason, conscience and faith (meaning guided by the Holy Spirit) that I am a Protestant.
My reason and my intellect tell me that all of Marian doctrine has no basis in history or early tradition. My conscience and my faith tell me that it is blasphemy, according to scripture, to attribute to anyone other than Christ the atoning work of redemption. And my reason, conscience and faith tell me that praying to anyone other than the Trinity is idolatry.
Yes, it is.