Posted on 04/05/2005 10:01:52 PM PDT by Coleus
For the last quarter of a century, this non-Catholic has had a pope. Now that John Paul II is gone, I am even more of an orphan than the Christians in the Roman church. For they will surely have another pope, but that one may not be mine, since I haven't converted.
I am sure I am reflecting the views of many Protestants. Who else but John Paul II gave voice to my faith and my values in 130 countries? Who else posited personal holiness and theological clarity against postmodern self-deception and egotism? Who else preached the gospel as tirelessly as this man?
What other clergyman played any comparable role in bringing down communism, a godless system? What other world leader—spiritual or secular—understood so profoundly how hollow and bankrupt the Soviet empire was, so much so that this tireless writer never bothered to pen an encyclical against Marxism-Leninism because he knew it was moribund?
Has there been a more powerful defender of the sanctity of life than this Pole, in whose pontificate nearly 40 million unborn babies wound up in trashcans and furnaces in the United States alone? What more fitting insight than John Paul II's definition of our culture as a culture of death—an insight that is now clearly sinking in, to wit the declining abortion rates in the United States?
In Europe some time ago, a debate occurred in Protestant churches: Should John Paul II be considered the world's spokesman for all of Christianity? This was an absurd question. Of course he spoke for all believers. Who else had such global appeal and credibility, even to non-Christians and non-believers?
Of course, there was the inveterate Billy Graham. There were many faithful Orthodox and Protestant bishops, pastors and evangelists.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianitytoday.com ...
Cheers,
CSG
well you need to read some of your pope's writings and read what even catholic theologians write about what he believed and taught. He was after all, from Poland where Mary is the premier person worshipped
Exactly. And one can not aruge that Elijah was a more important human figure than Mary was.
SD
When he says "strange" he doesn't mean it is bizarre or unprecedented or impossible to believe. He just means he can not find it explicitly taught in his Bible.
But that's OK, cause I can't find it taught in his Bible where it says that everything is taught explicitly in the Bible.
SD
In other words, you have no evidence for your odd speculations.
SD
Very interesting if true.
Please direct me to where this is written... I would be very interested in reading about it.
ummm... you do know that pope does not mean "king", right?
In the pope's book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope he states Mary's participation in the victory of Christ became clear to me above all from the experience of my people.
"The victory if it comes, will come through Mary".
Christ will conquer through her and on and on he gushes. He also referred to her often, as The Dove
Crossing the Threshold of Hope, and many of Malachi Martin's books
"St. Francis Borgia had great doubts about the salvation of those that have not a special devotion to Mary; because, according to St. Antonine, he who expects graces from God without the intercession of Mary attempts to fly without wings. St. Anselm has gone so far as to say: 'It is impossible to be saved if we turn away from thee, O Mary.' St. Bonaventure has said the same: 'He that neglects her will die in his sins.' Blessed Albertus Magnus says: 'The people that do not serve thee will perish.' And speaking of Mary, Richard of St. Laurence says: 'All those whom this ship does not receive are lost in the sea of this world.' But, on the other hand, he who is faithful in the service of Mary will be certainly saved. 'Oh Mother of God,' says St. John Damascene, 'if I put my confidence in you I shall be saved. If I am under your protection I have nothing to fear; for to be devoted to you is to have certain arms of salvation which God gives only to those whose salvation he wills in a special manner.'" St. Alphonsus De Liguori, in Dignity and Duties of the Priest, p 413-414 (published by the Redemptorist Fathers, copyright Very Rev. James Barron, C.SS.R., 1927, bearing the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur of the Catholic Church).
(PS: We all can participate in the victory of Christ. If I say one thing here that makes one person re-examine their prejudices, I will have participated in that person's salvation. Not of my own merits, but because God is working through me. How does He do this? By giving me grace. How does grace come into the world? Because of Jesus' infinite sacrifice. How did Jesus come to be in the world? Through the freely-given fiat of His mother. What does Mary do today? The same thing she is captured doing in Scripture at Cana: Saying "Do whatever He tells you.")
SD
Is it wrong to apologize to someone for offenses committed against them?
LOL!
And Catholics insist that ALL they do is ask Mary for intercession!
Having suffered for the Church, Mary deserved to become the Mother of all the disciples of her Son, the Mother of their unity....In fact, Mary's role as Coredemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son"
I didn't find "scripture alone" either. But I did find "faith alone"...
Ah, but it is, and the prophets give the warning
Ezekiel 34: and Jeremiah 44: 17-19
Yes, another good quote!
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