Pope says baptism is for everyone, even Martians

Agence France Presse (AFP) via GMA News ^ | 13 May 2014

[Gamecock]

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis on Monday declared that everyone has the right to be baptized, even aliens should they come knocking on the church's door.

Christians cannot "close the door" to all those who seek baptism even if they are "green men, with a long nose and big ears, like children draw," the pope said at his daily Mass, according to Vatican Radio.

[Iscool]

So what? A common misconception among Protestants seem to be that any random comment the pope makes must be definitive comment on doctrine. Perhaps it should be, but its not.

The Church does not hold that animals have souls, regardless of a comment by some pope.

Then that's no more definitive that what your pope says, is it...

[fatima]

Maybe he knows something we don’t.

[Iscool]

I sure am seeing a lot of "buyer's remorse" going on this past year....that's not supposed to happen, either, is it?

And that 'some pope' is one of them who just became an official Saint of the Catholic church...

[Biggirl]

What the Pope means is that, Christians are to obey the “great commission” given by Jesus at the end of the Gospel of Mathew to go forth and baptize all peoples of all nations.

Though it did sound silly, the Pope was simply refering to the need to obey that command of Jesus.

[Iscool]

And it is only the rational soul of man which has the power to love or to sin.

If it is the so-called rational soul that loves, some animals have an abundance of 'rational soul'...

[fatima]

I was told everything has a soul just not immortal.on my iphone

[Gamecock]

What the Pope means is that, Christians are to obey the “great commission” given by Jesus at the end of the Gospel of Mathew to go forth and baptize all peoples of all nations.

Is that your private, personal interpretation of what the Pope said or from someone else?

[fatima]

This is true and as Pope Benedict said Aliens might not need to be Baptized.Crazy stuff.

[Biggirl]

What it all comes down to is that what the Pope means is that do not be afraid to preach the Gospel to the nations.

[Gamecock]

Is that your private, personal interpretation of what the Pope said or from someone else?

[Biggirl]

No comment.

[Gamecock]

OK, thanks for playing.

I guess your comment what the Pope means is answers my question.

[Alex Murphy]

What the Pope means is that, Christians are to obey the “great commission” given by Jesus at the end of the Gospel of Mathew to go forth and baptize all peoples of all nations.

That's not how the bishops see it, and their view seems more consistent with the current pope's message:

[The Rev. Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., executive director of cultural diversity for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explains that]...the term ‘evangelize’ includes the “conversion of the human heart and the promotion of social justice.”
-- from the thread Study: Catholics losing the faith

[Biggirl]

ALL Christians are CALLED to witness for Jesus and the Gospel, regardless of what the higher-ups say. It comes with having been BAPTIZED in the Lord Jesus.

[Alex Murphy]

ALL Christians are CALLED to witness for Jesus and the Gospel, regardless of what the higher-ups say. It comes with having been BAPTIZED in the Lord Jesus.

Are you suggesting that the Catholic church doesn't require their membership to witness for Jesus, and that Catholics should act in defiance with what their "higher-ups" do require?

What constitutes "witnessing for Jesus" within Catholicism? Does it include advocating for "social justice"?

[bramps]

So can a parent of a muslim ask a priest to sprinkle water on his 30 year old muslim son while he is sleeping and would this be considered a baptism?

[Biggirl]

Good grief, did you not know there is a command by Jesus in Mathew 28 called the “great commission?”

[Alex Murphy]

Maybe they have their own Christ already.

[Biggirl]

Goes all the way back to the apostles in Acts of the Apostles.

[ravenwolf]

It would be nice if pope’s were perfect human beings capable of saying and doing no wrong, but such is not the human condition. Paul rebuked Peter, after all.

---

Yes, if Paul could make a mistake then I think it is natural to assume that any one could.

What I can not understand is that the Pope can make an amusing comment and every one takes it serious, obviously he was only making a point with a little joke.

I don`t think any one should be baptized unless they plainly understand what baptism is all about but that’s another argument.