Isn’t it curious that from 110 AD until the advent of Martin Luther, God used the Catholic Church to spread the Gospel of God’s Grace, yet somehow the current Cathoic Church is no longer such a vehicle alongside the Protestant movement ... especially puzzling given the ‘colorful’ History of the Catholic Church over that same period.
where is scripture to support that?
And then God used Martin Luther to correct some wrongs
I find it merely pathetic.
It is so disconnected from reality, and so apparently unaware of its disconnect, that I can only pray for its members to come to repentance and conversion. Other than that, I expect no good to come of it. It has nothing to say to me.
The Catholic Church didn’t officially come into existence until about 400 AD.
There were a lot of missionary journeys made during the time of the Acts of the Apostles and Thomas is reputed to have gone as far east as India. My understanding is that there was a growing church in North Africa during the early Church years as well, but early church history was never much of an interest of mine (well, any history for that matter).
This is a decent summary of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity
The Catholic Church cannot take responsibility for evangelizing the world.
I am fully bilingual (RC-Protestant speak). I frequently translate for Protestants and Catholics who don't comprehend what each other are saying.
This mess has enough to go around for any Christians.
I would observe the following: It is true that other professionals abuse children and adolescents, and it is probably true that the percentage of abusers among teachers and other "caring professionals" is higher than among Catholic priests.
But it is also true that, in the late "scandal", now ending, there was an organized and systematic aspect to it which is lacking in these other cases.
I have no doubt, based on observation, anecdote, and common sense that male homosexuals in the RC clergy engaged in something of a joint enterprise or at least had a mutual interest in a) Finding and exploiting vulnerable teenaged boys, b) Cooperating with one another and with certain bishops to evade detection, and c) Facilitating denial and blame-shifting once cases were discovered.
Because this "mutual aid society" is not yet extirpated, and because its very existence is anti-scriptural AND opposed to sacred tradition, it remains a problem.
This problem, of course, is of use to enemies of the Church. But even the Father of Lies fears God. The problem would be a problem, EVEN IF NO ONE KNEW.
And until the problem is eliminated, the hierarchical structure, believed by Catholics to be prescribed by scripture, is in danger through its own malfeasance.
At least, that's how I see it.