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To: Dr. Eckleburg
After discussing Catholicism with RCs for years now, I think I might use Ratzinger's own terminology which he used against Protestant churches to answer that question -- he is a "defective" Christian.

I doubt very much those would be Pope Benedict's words. He is a Holy man, illuminated by the Holy spirit. He would never call another Chrisitan "defective". It is your decision to listen to him or not, but for you to quote him like that is SLANDEROUS, and a little creepy.

James Ch. 4

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil of one another, brothers. Whoever speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law.

3,757 posted on 06/07/2008 12:59:22 PM PDT by mgist (Thus in Psalm 103, we pray, "Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hear)
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To: mgist
I doubt very much those would be Pope Benedict's words. He is a Holy man, illuminated by the Holy spirit. He would never call another Chrisitan "defective".

***********************

And indeed, he did not:

From Pope Benedict/The Holy See:

"The Catholic faithful are required to profess that there is an historical continuity — rooted in the apostolic succession53 — between the Church founded by Christ and the Catholic Church: “This is the single Church of Christ... which our Saviour, after his resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care (cf. Jn 21:17), commissioning him and the other Apostles to extend and rule her (cf. Mt 28:18ff.), erected for all ages as ‘the pillar and mainstay of the truth' (1 Tim 3:15). This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in [subsistit in] the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him”.54 With the expression subsistit in, the Second Vatican Council sought to harmonize two doctrinal statements: on the one hand, that the Church of Christ, despite the divisions which exist among Christians, continues to exist fully only in the Catholic Church, and on the other hand, that “outside of her structure, many elements can be found of sanctification and truth”,55 that is, in those Churches and ecclesial communities which are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church.56 But with respect to these, it needs to be stated that “they derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church”.57

17. Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him.58 The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches.59 Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church.60

On the other hand, the ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery,61 are not Churches in the proper sense; however, those who are baptized in these communities are, by Baptism, incorporated in Christ and thus are in a certain communion, albeit imperfect, with the Church.62 Baptism in fact tends per se toward the full development of life in Christ, through the integral profession of faith, the Eucharist, and full communion in the Church.63

“The Christian faithful are therefore not permitted to imagine that the Church of Christ is nothing more than a collection — divided, yet in some way one — of Churches and ecclesial communities; nor are they free to hold that today the Church of Christ nowhere really exists, and must be considered only as a goal which all Churches and ecclesial communities must strive to reach”.64 In fact, “the elements of this already-given Church exist, joined together in their fullness in the Catholic Church and, without this fullness, in the other communities”.65 “Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church”.66

http://search.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html

3,768 posted on 06/07/2008 1:17:08 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: mgist
I doubt very much those would be Pope Benedict's words. He is a Holy man, illuminated by the Holy spirit. He would never call another Chrisitan "defective". It is your decision to listen to him or not, but for you to quote him like that is SLANDEROUS, and a little creepy.

Apparently you missed Ratzinger's pronouncement last year.

lol. A lot of us didn't.

Ping to post #3,776 and the "defective" words straight from the horse's mouth.

I agree with you, however. Ratzinger's words were mighty "creepy."

3,782 posted on 06/07/2008 1:47:39 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: mgist; Dr. Eckleburg
I doubt very much those would be Pope Benedict's words. He is a Holy man, illuminated by the Holy spirit. He would never call another Chrisitan "defective". It is your decision to listen to him or not, but for you to quote him like that is SLANDEROUS, and a little creepy.

And for the Pope to say something like that would be more creepy?

Defective - Not real churches

3,850 posted on 06/07/2008 3:31:22 PM PDT by OLD REGGIE (I am most likely a Biblical Unitarian? Let me be perfectly clear. I know nothing.)
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