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What If Pope Francis Isn’t Catholic? (A Protestant reflection)
The Gospel Coalition ^ | 03-20-2018 | Collin Hansen

Posted on 05/20/2018 12:47:05 PM PDT by NRx

In her Nobel Prize-winning book Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, Svetlana Alexievich interviews scores of Russians who lament the loss of the Soviet Empire, even as they recount its horrors in excruciating detail. The Soviet Empire may have been barbaric, but at least they were great! The world feared them! They had defeated Hitler! (No thanks to the British and Americans.)

Several unapologetic Soviets complain they lost their beloved empire without a shot. Why didn’t blood flow in the streets in her defense? They blame Mikhail Gorbachev. As one Soviet observes, the Communist system could withstand any challenge from below. It could suppress any revolution. Except one. What if the party’s leader was no longer a true believer? What if Gorbachev betrayed the cause from within the Kremlin, from the very top, where no one could stop him?

Ross Douthat ponders an analogous takeover within the Vatican in his new book, To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism. What if Pope Francis isn’t Catholic? What if he aims to overturn centuries of dogma? What if he plans to stack the College of Cardinals with liberal allies who will ensure his revolution can’t soon be reversed? What if he banishes his conservative critics to the church’s periphery? Who, then, will enforce the teaching on sexuality and marriage preserved against Western cultural trends by the late Pope John Paul II and self-titled Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI? Indeed, how can the vicar of Christ so confidently dismiss the words of Christ on marriage and adultery from the Gospels?

(Excerpt) Read more at thegospelcoalition.org ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Evangelical Christian; Theology
KEYWORDS: popefrancis
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To: ebb tide; Luircin
>>You repeat proudly over and over how much you go to Confession, right?<<

No, I have never done so. Why do make stuff up?

You've never been to confession?? With all the mortal sins you've committed??

161 posted on 05/22/2018 4:35:01 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Luircin; ealgeone; boatbums

What exactly is y’alls “Record”? You don’t even agree with each other.


162 posted on 05/22/2018 4:35:18 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide
What exactly is y’alls “Record”? You don’t even agree with each other.

You really don't understand things do you?

163 posted on 05/22/2018 4:36:28 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Luircin

May the “record” show that I said no such thing.


164 posted on 05/22/2018 4:36:55 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ealgeone

.
LOL!
.


165 posted on 05/22/2018 4:37:07 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: ealgeone

Show now, all of sudden, you’re defending Luther?

I’m not surprised.


166 posted on 05/22/2018 4:38:00 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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Comment #167 Removed by Moderator

To: ebb tide

Me: >>You repeat proudly over and over how much you go to Confession, right?<<

You: No, I have never done so. Why do make stuff up?

***

Sounds a lot like saying that you never go to Confession to me. Also sounds like you’re accusing me of lying, which is against the RF rules.

You want to correct yourself?


168 posted on 05/22/2018 4:39:19 PM PDT by Luircin
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To: ebb tide
Show now, all of sudden, you’re defending Luther? I’m not surprised.

Nope.

I do point out though where you quote Luther out of context which is so very typical of Roman Catholics to do so.

However, I do note the two of you have a lot in common.

169 posted on 05/22/2018 4:39:25 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ebb tide
May the “record” show that I said no such thing.

Is that a 45 rpm or a 78 rpm?

170 posted on 05/22/2018 4:40:19 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: editor-surveyor

Your personal attack has been reported.


171 posted on 05/22/2018 4:40:51 PM PDT by Luircin
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To: Luircin; ebb tide

.
Did you also report the false accusation that ou delivered againstr ebb tide?


172 posted on 05/22/2018 4:43:50 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor; Religion Moderator

Did you also report the false accusation that ou delivered againstr ebb tide?

***

Accusations of lying are against RF rules.


173 posted on 05/22/2018 4:44:41 PM PDT by Luircin
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To: Luircin; Religion Moderator

.
“False accusation” was the term I used.

It was a false accusation.


174 posted on 05/22/2018 4:46:34 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Luircin; ealgeone; boatbums

Don’t change the subject. You stated that I, “repeat proudly over and over how much you go to Confession”.

I never have posted that.

I also have never repeated proudly over and over how often I go to Mass.

Pride is a sin. So stop insinuating that I don’t partake of the Catholic Church’s Sacraments.


175 posted on 05/22/2018 4:52:05 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: Luircin

What attack? I merely pointed out you had made a false statement about my posting.


176 posted on 05/22/2018 4:54:41 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide

Pride is a sin. So stop insinuating that I don’t partake of the Catholic Church’s Sacraments.

***

Why the heck didn’t you just say that in the first place instead of going on a rant then?

Fine, you go to confession. Am I to say that means that you confess that you’re a sinner, right?


177 posted on 05/22/2018 4:55:36 PM PDT by Luircin
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To: ebb tide

Other than daily complaints and threads condemning Popes after Vatican II on an Internet forum, what are you and your co-complaintants doing about your OWN Pope? I can certainly understand why you would want to change the subject to Luther, but it won’t work.


178 posted on 05/22/2018 4:56:28 PM PDT by boatbums (The Law is a storm which wrecks your hopes of self-salvation, but washes you upon the Rock of Ages.)
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To: Luircin

I went on no rant.

I merely asked why you posted a falsehood about my posting history.


179 posted on 05/22/2018 5:00:32 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide

Do you go to confession? A simple yes or no will suffice.


180 posted on 05/22/2018 5:01:02 PM PDT by ealgeone
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