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To: NYer

“Each of these Catholic Reformers retained the unity of Christ’s Church, submitted to church leadership, and patiently brought about renewal”

Hypothetical: Would it be possible for the Roman Catholic Church to reach such a level of corruption that it was cut off or discarded by God?


3 posted on 07/01/2010 10:56:28 AM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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To: PetroniusMaximus
Would it be possible for the Roman Catholic Church to reach such a level of corruption that it was cut off or discarded by God?

No. The Church is Christ's bride (Ephesians 5:29) and has "no spot, wrinkle or blemish" (Ephesians 5:27). Christ also stated that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18) so how can the Church commit error? Individual clergy may commit sins, even popes commit sins because in the Church there are both "weeds and wheat" (Matthew 13:30).

4 posted on 07/01/2010 11:01:58 AM PDT by NYer ("God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar." St. Maximilian Kolbe)
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To: PetroniusMaximus

Following your wording-No. Is there a level that would bring such action by God? Surely, but the Church cannot reach that level. The historical upwelling of reform from within is the what maintains the Church. God is working with fallible humans whom he has endowed with free will. He does not cut them off for small deviations or reparable corruption which is inevitably repaired.


5 posted on 07/01/2010 11:08:04 AM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's "Economics In One Lesson" to have your econ arguments at hand.)
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To: PetroniusMaximus

You wrote:

“Hypothetical: Would it be possible for the Roman Catholic Church to reach such a level of corruption that it was cut off or discarded by God?”

No. The Church comes from God. The Church is never corrupt - people in it often are, however.


10 posted on 07/01/2010 12:21:47 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Part of the Vast Catholic Conspiracy (hat tip to Kells))
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