Posted on 09/05/2015 10:15:40 AM PDT by Salvation
Msgr. Charles Pope OSV Newsweekly, September 13, 2015
Question: A Protestant co-worker said to me recently, “Who needs a pope? We have Jesus and the Bible and don’t need some man to tell us what to do.” How do I respond?
— Name withheld, location withheld
Answer: At the heart of the office of the papacy is the uniting of the faithful around a visible vicar (or representative) of Christ. Denominations and groups that left the Church and severed their ties to the pope demonstrate this very fact by their subsequent disunity.
The fact is that thousands of denominations have emerged in the wake of the Protestant movement that broke from Catholic Church and rejected the pope’s authority. And though they claim that Christ and Scripture are the only sources of authority and unity, the remarkable disunity among these denominations belies their claim. Simply put, if no one is pope, everyone is pope.
It is not enough to say, “the Bible clearly teaches ‘A,’” because too easily another person will say, “No, Jesus and the Bible actually say ‘B.’” Both camps are invoking the Bible and what they sense Jesus and the Holy Spirit are saying to them. So now what?
What usually happens is just what has happened among Protestants: divisions into new denominations or branches of denominations. They all claim the authority of the Bible and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit but cannot agree even on essentials, such has how one is saved, and if once saved, are they always saved? Protestants also have serious divisions regarding the moral issues of our time: abortion, same-sex unions, euthanasia, etc. These are very serious divisions, and there is no real way for Protestant denominations to resolve them. They say Scripture alone is an adequate source of authority. But without an authentic and authoritative interpreter, their own history shows that Scripture can divide as often as it unites. A text, even a sacred text, needs an interpreter that all agree who can authoritatively deal with differences.
And this is a central reason of why we need the pope. Jesus said to Simon Peter in Luke’s Gospel, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Lk 22:31-32). Peter and his successors therefore represent (not replace) Christ, and through the grace of the Jesus’ prayer, accomplish the necessary work of uniting the Church. This ministry of unity is shown in many events in the Acts of the Apostles.
>>The Catholic Church looks to Christ too. In fact the entire Mass is focused on Christ — The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
I didn’t say that it didn’t. I’m not guy who thinks that Roman Catholics are idol-worshipers who are going to hell. I just get tired of the whole “Protestants split and the Roman Church never did, so they aren’t a true church” meme.
Luther never set out to split the church. He wanted to reform it, and in the Council of Trent, you enacted many of his reforms. But not before you excommunicated him and his followers and killed many of them for heresy (or, more correctly, had secular authorities kill many of them as a favor to the Pope). So, the Roman Church did split by sending Luther and his followers (and then Calvin and his followers, etc) away. If no splits is the mark of the True Church, then the True Church is some little Coptic Church in Egypt who was probably massacred by muslims last year.
I suspect the thread will get pulled but maybe not..
In the meantime, we can concede without the Pope, the world would not have the Pope Gregory calendar that the world uses today.
And when one studies Daniel and history, the fact that something out of the 4th Beast/Kingdom would think to change times and laws, those first reformers were ahead of the times calling Rome and the papacy ‘the seat of antichrist’ and popes ‘antichrist’..
Because that was his God-given role. His role was not to lead His Church. That was Peter’s role.
Wow! You have so many denominations!
Are you believing the lamestream media? The one that you disagree with on politics?
Do you read the Gospels? Most of Christ’s message is in the Gospels.
The Catholic Church certainly didn’t need THIS pope who is about as Catholic as the Castro brothers.
“Are you believing the lamestream media? The one that you disagree with on politics?”
Why don’t you go read what he says and what he is advocating for
“Do you read the Gospels? Most of Christ’s message is in the Gospels.”
Do you read them ? Does the pope read them ?
Where do they say we need a world tax to fight global warming ?
Oh that’s right Jesus never said to tax the world did he
“Are you believing the lamestream media? The one that you disagree with on politics?”
Tell me where in the gospels does it call the earth our mother ?
Your pope says - “LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”
These are his own words and you can read the rest of his communist twisted gibberish here
None of this nonsense is biblical , none of this nonsense was taught in the New or Old Testament
Setting up a one world government and tax is seen in the bible though .... it was NIMROD that tried to do it and their was NOTHING holy about Nimrod
Christ is the head of the church and .....
Ephesians 4:4-12 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
No mention of a pope.
Hmmmmmmm..........
Source please.
No they are all Catholic. Look at the chart again, please.
They are different “rites” not denominations. A Catholic can attend Mass in any of these rites.
Oh yeah. Protestants can attend worship at any denomination just like you claim about your religions denomination.
We don’t have the amazing religious costumes though.
I thought FR was getting rid of these kind of threads?
They seem to be creeping back in.
For some reason, this OP and one other continue to post them every day.
You can see the importance of the Pope in so much of everyday life. So many in secular life can't wait for the next Papal pronouncement so they can agree or disagree with reason and focus.
I wish two things today.
First, I wish so many in disagreement would do so with less visible hatred for the institution. There are a billion or a billion and a half Catholics in the world. A vast number of these are good and decent people. Critics should stop hating them because they are Catholic.
Second, I want a Pope who understands the importance of his office. I want him to stand tall on important moral issues. I want him to not waste paper, ink and air talking about the earth as a rock in need of worship.
That is true, I believe all the Bible is inspired by The Holy Spirit, most of the New Testament was given to us through Paul though.
They are different “rites” not denominations. A Catholic can attend Mass in any of these rites.
A Christian can attend church and take communion in any Evangelical/Protestant/non-denominational/independent church that professes salvation through faith in Christ.
The doctrinal differences between most of those isn't as great as the ones that exist between the Roman *rite* and the Eastern Orthodox.
It's hypocritical for Catholics to condemn other churches for Catholicism does itself.
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