“And THAT’S the difference between Protestantism and Catholicism: in Protestantism, your interpretation of the bible is only as good as the guy who instructed you.”
Incredible, now that there is heresy in the CHURCH, the position changes to “in Protestantism, your interpretation of the bible is only as good as the guy who instructed you” when Catholics have been arguing all along that that is the genius of Catholicism’s “one church”, while it has been arguing in Protestantism, it was each man interpreting for himself is his own Pope.
>> when Catholics have been arguing all along that that is the genius of Catholicism’s “one church”, <<
THat’s exactly what I’m saying. The church is infallible in its pronouncements. A monsignor speaking extemporaneously is not. He may misspeak. Incidentally, heresy does not subsist in placing the wrong stress in explaining a concept off the cuff... which seems to be all he did here. He did NOT proclaim the heresy of universalism. He DID make it seem like extraordinary instruments of grace were all too ordinary: Someone could make the gravely errant presumption that one could dismiss the proclamation of the gospel and still be saved.
You know, Luther wasn’t immediately anathematized. He was summoned to explain his teachings. Even though they were plainly written and frequently proclaimed, the church was ready to hear Luther convince them that he was not in error, or to accept their correction. Instead, Luther replied by denying the integrity of the bible. When the Church made its case that doctrines like purgatory and participatory atonement were scriptural, Luther did not rebut their interpretation of scripture, but instead sword that the books of James, Revelations, Hebrews, and 2 Maccabees were diabolical in origin.
In modern times, I’m seeing that sort of behavior among the PCUSA, TEC, the ELCA, and EVERY LAST ONE of the denominational traditions formed prior to 1900 (i.e., “St. Paul was writing in a mysogynist society...”). I’m not hearing that monsignor say anything of the sort.