Pope's Visit to the UK: He Came, He Saw, He Conquered Hearts. Now the Work Begins

Catholic Online ^ | 9/21/10 | Deacon Keith Fournier

[tcg]

There is a near universal acclaim for the pastoral visit of the successor of Peter to the United Kingdom. The crowds, the depth of his messages in every venue, the obvious hunger of the faithful for the truth of the ancient faith, all added together to make this trip both memorable and historic.

However, though Pope Benedict has physically departed and returned to Rome, the mission he elaborated in this historic four day visit has only just begun. It is the New Evangelization of the Church in the United Kingdom and then, through her, the unfolding of a new missionary age dedicated to re-Christianizing the European continent.

The reaction of the secular Press to this Papal visit is worth noting. Only a few months ago that press was predicting the Pope would be arrested upon arrival. If not, that he would at least be greeted with throngs of angry protestors. Ironically, though there were some protests, the numbers were relatively small. The real numbers in this story were the massive crowds which gathered in every one of his venues to listen to this humble and deeply reflective Christian leader. The response of the secular press is revealed in comments made by David Wiley of the BBC news:

"What has struck seasoned observers of papal tours is that people everywhere have responded spontaneously to the Pope's evident humility and his ability, even when talking serious theology, to communicate simple moral concepts in plain language. As David Cameron plans to say later, as he bids farewell to the Pope, the 83-year-old pontiff has caused the whole country to sit up and think."

However, the Pope did more than call the UK to "sit up and think", he called the Nation to kneel down and pray...

[Cronos]

The Church is as ordained by Christ -- the community of believers in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, true to the teachings of Christ as handed down through His Apostles. That is why even Rabbinical Judaism makes it a point for teachers to identify their teachers and so on to the beginning to keep the faith true.

The Rabid CalvinistCult may be an institution, but Christ's Church is not.

oh, and we do see true Christian Protestants as brothers in Christ -- but not the pinko mafia who have hijacked the ECUSA and now are hijacking the ELCA. We have more in common with Traditional Anglicans and orthodox LCMS than with the pinkos and secularists.

Christ did say that the world would hate His people, His Church, the One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church. And, the more we get haters here, the more it seems apparent.

[TSgt]

However, the cult of your group of ten doesn’t even gather in the Name of God — if there is no Trinitarian belief, then your group is properly spoken of as Unitarian or some other cult.

Hey Cronos, quit making it personal.

[TSgt]

Salvation isn’t determined by religion however there are many religions who are navigating people away from simple salvation.

The Roman Catholic church is one of them...

[fatboy]

Cronos said: ...and we do see true Christian Protestants as brothers in Christ -- but not the pinko mafia who have hijacked the ECUSA and now are hijacking the ELCA. We have more in common with Traditional Anglicans and orthodox LCMS than with the pinkos and secularists.

Ok, by correctly observing the obvious you attempt to draw the conclusion that the RCC has it all right. Problem is, we have a book and according to that book, the RCC (by her dogmas) also has it wrong. Also, not that I need the approval of those following the Bishop of Rome to validate my beliefs, I've noticed that more catholics wax poetic on the negative with respect to what you call "protestant brothers". Question? Why do catholics appear more concerned with the progress of liberalism in the mainlines than in their own scandals?

[Cronos]

that’s not personal — you are criticising my community, The Church, so I point out the nature of your grouping of ten.

[Cronos]

The cult of your group, whichever group of 10 or less individuals it is, is one of the cults navigating people away from simple salvation.

[Cronos]

For the same reason that you jumped on a thread with regard to the Pope — if you jump on such a thread to spout your views on the Church rather than talking about the article, how can you then ask Why do catholics appear more concerned with the progress of liberalism in the mainlines than in their own scandals?

[Cronos]

By the way, it’s more than a book — it’s the outcome of the canon councils of The Church that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit closed the canon and left out correctly the “Gospel of Thomas” and for some reason didn’t add in the “Didache” or the “Shepherd of Hermas’

[TSgt]

that’s not personal — you are criticising my community, The Church, so I point out the nature of your grouping of ten.

You've lost all credibility by making it personal. Get back to me when you can converse without making personal attacks.

[Cronos]

If you criticise my Church, do you call that “making it personal”? If you say no, then why is criticising your grouping “making it personal”?

[fatboy]

Cronos said: By the way, it’s more than a book — it’s the outcome of the canon councils of The Church that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit closed the canon and left out correctly the “Gospel of Thomas” and for some reason didn’t add in the “Didache” or the “Shepherd of Hermas’

There are those of us who believe that the Holy Bible is Jehovah Gods gift to man. You see it as the product of a particular institutional church, which is of course your right to believe. But if you are correct, at best the RCC doesn't play by it's own rule book. Not that I care, you are after all an adult I presume, but 3/4 of the Bible was already in the wraps before that institutional church of yours graced the planet.

I have said it before and will repeat again, we can never go back to the "unity" that you all think existed before the reformation. Why? because before the reformation very few had the scriptures for themselves. Now, there are so many copies of the Bible in circulation and on computers and inscribed in literature, architecture and folk lore that there will always be those who if they desire will find the Bible and compare it to the teaching of the Bishops. They will conclude, as I have that there is a problem nestled along the Tiber.

[fatboy]

Cronos said: ...how can you then ask Why do catholics appear more concerned with the progress of liberalism in the mainlines than in their own scandals?

I guess the cat's out of the bag so can you answer the question? I would guess that the answer is no, you cannot answer this question, followed by some choice words of indignation. But I mean it's a good question. Why do catholics save their harshest criticism for their supposed separated brethern?

and now fatboy scratches his fat head

[Cronos]

Then why do you call it just a book?

The Bible as compiled together through The Church is Gods gift to man.

Do you accept it and God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

The problem is that splinter sub-groups do not believe in a Christian God, but rather seem to have to follow their little Creflo Dollar.

[Cronos]

Groups that have "pastors" like Jesse Duplantis are loony cults. For those that don't know, Jesse Duplantis who has a story beyond all others. He has gone to heaven and has quite a tale to tell. Unlike the apostle Paul who kept quiet for 14 years Jesse stays quiet for 9 years after the Lord tells him to tell everyone, and he agreed, he then disobeyed. Do we need Duplantis to tell us Jesus is coming back? But he says this is the very reason he was brought to heaven, to let us know he’s really coming.

In his hotel room on August 1988 he “felt a suction as if I was being pulled up out of the room” which he describes as” zooming along at a phenomenal rate of speed, being carried in something like a cable car. It was a chariot without a horse” He notices a “ blond-headed angel” and asks, “Where are we going?” He smiled and said, “You have an appointment with the Lord God Jehovah”

Duplantis decribes Jesus as a “ shaft of light. He was so glorious! He turned toward me, and I fell at His feet. I said, reverently, “Oh, God!” He said, “I'm here.” As I was kneeling down, I noticed Jesus' feet looked like burnished brass. I thought there would be scars in His hands and feet. But it wasn't like He had been cut and scarred. I could see the holes in His feet. They were so big - about the size of a nickel (Heaven Close encounters of the God kind p.88).

After Dupantis says to Jesus, “I'll do anything for You.” He smiled at me and said, “I chose you. No one else wanted you, and I need you, Jesse.”

Before Jesse is sent back home to earth Jesus explains how He dreads the day when He has to send some of the creation He loves to hell. “I wanted to reach out and comfort Him, so I put my hand on the Lord. . .I could tell that Jesus was hurting” (p.127).

Why would one believe this rot?

[Cronos]

For the same reason that you jumped on a thread with regard to the Pope — if you jump on such a thread to spout your views on the Church rather than talking about the article, how can you then ask Why do catholics appear more concerned with the progress of liberalism in the mainlines than in their own scandals?

[Cronos]

Why exactly do you (whichever grouping you are from) appear more concerned with The Church’s movement against militant atheism than in your own grouping’s scandals?

[fatboy]

Cronos,

By reading over your remarks, you actually make it easy for me to understand why some folks rely on an institutions explanation of what the Bible teaches instead of just picking up the book and reading it with understanding.

By not answering my question, you actually answer it. A paradox so to speak.

[Cronos]

Firstly, your question is wrong -- if you peruse any of the Catholic caucus threads here you can see that we don't suffer our fools gladly.

Secondly, we are concerned with the progress of liberalism in the ECUSA, ELCA, PCUSA, etc because we know that the secular Christian-hating left has
1. targetted these smaller congregations because they were smaller, easier targets to attack first --
2. an attack on any Christian group by the Islamists or leftists is an attack on us all -- they see no differentiator between lutherans or anglicans or catholics or others. When the ECUSA elected a gay bishop, Christians (Anglicans, reformed, Catholics, etc.) were attacked and killed by Muslims in Nigeria. When the Florida pastor of a group of 30 people threatened to burn the Koran, Catholic Churches in Kashmir were burned and schools attacked. You think they see any difference? No. We are all followers of Isai -- madmen to follow what the Koran says is just a prophet (incidently, you should read the dialogue the Koran says that Jesus said -- dialogue not found anywhere in the bible or anywhere else for 640 years until Mohammed). I get no joy that the lefties succeed in another Church like the ELCA, because that is an attack on me, as well.

And thirdly, you pose a question "why do you talk about us, when you have problems of your own" -- I turn the question on to you why do you talk about us, when you have problems of your own?