Posted on 09/20/2010 11:13:54 AM PDT by marshmallow
Only a few days ago we were being assured by many voices on the BBC that Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain might well turn out to be a damp squib.
It was widely predicted that few would turn out to see him.
Some even suggested that protests against the heinous crimes of child abuse in the Roman Catholic Church might so dominate and disfigure his visit that there would be no room for the Pope to talk about anything else, or for us to listen.
In the event, the crowds were larger than had been forecast, if not as big as they were when the charismatic Pope John Paul II came to this country 28 years ago.
Particularly noticeable were the many enthusiastic young people among an estimated 80,000 congregation at a prayer vigil in Hyde Park in London on Saturday evening.
As for the protests about child abuse, they did not overwhelm the visit. Pope Benedict effectively admitted the guilt of the Roman Catholic Church.
At a mass in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday afternoon, he moved some members of the congregation to tears when he appeared to liken the victims’ suffering to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
He spoke of the ‘shame and humiliation’ brought to the Church by the scandal.
This was a much more successful visit than the Roman Catholic hierarchy had dared to hope.
But I have a feeling it was more than that. In a manner wholly unlike our home-grown clerics, the Pope spoke to the soul of our country, affirming eternal moral verities which our own political and religious leaders normally prefer to avoid.
In essence, he has been asking us to examine what kind of country we want this to be.
He warned Britain not to lose sight of its Christian heritage...........
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
If the archbiship were filled with the spirit he would speak with authority.
That ability to speak with authority is not a function of his position, it is entirely a function of spirit. Once the spirit departs a church it is gone. If the spirit is not present, it doesn’t matter what your title is.
The way to reclaim a church is to first reclaim the spirit. The way to reclaim a country is to first reclaim the spirit.
Post-Christian Britain is a mission field. It has to be reclaimed for the faith. If you are catholic or evangelical, the answer is the same. It has to be reclaimed. Don’t be shy. Preach Christ and let the chips fall.
So so true. As a protestant, I don’t always agree 100% with everything the Pope says. BUT at least i never doubt that he is fighting on *our* side. I don’t always think that about the leaders in the church of England.
Modern popes, since at least 1980 have been good guys, on the right side of history.
Certainly that was the buzz here on FR. Will it or won't it?
So what is it, FReepers? Did the Pope's visit turn out to be a damp squib?
I am not a Catholic and I don't think that I will ever become one. (I am Protestant.)
But the last two Popes have both been great men and seem to be doing good for humanity.
May God bless them.
Doesn't matter if it was or wasn't (in my opinion). This isn't a one-shot deal. This has to be the opening shot of a war to reclaim Britain to the faith.
I'm not catholic either. Thats ok; you guys work your side of the street and we'll work ours and we'll celebrate when we meet in the middle. Its one battle. When its done we'll buy you a beer and you can buy us a soda.
On the somewhat superficial level of butts on seats, media reaction and people cheering in the streets it was definitely not a damp squib. However, I'm not sure what, if anything, this means.
The real outcome of this visit will not be immediately obvious and it will depend on longer term issues; whether the powers-that-be take to heart his warnings about the place of religion in the public square, whether Catholic bishops get with the game plan, whether the C of E starts to move toward the Ordinariates, whether Catholics start to return to the practice of their faith etc.
The predictions of a "damp squib" emanated largely from the media and the talking heads who have the happy knack of being wrong about almost everything, so it's no real surprise that their predictions didn't come to pass.
I wouldn’t trust the judgment of anyone who knew what a damp squib was.
The long-term success of il Papa’s visit to the UK will be determined by millions of conversations held over the dinner table, or pub rail in Great Britain.
That is why he spoke to individual Anglicans directly,and not so much to their church heirarchy.
The bottom line: “I, as the holy descendent of St. Peter, and the Roman Catholic Church, are here, we haven’t changed, and we’re not going away.”
That and the "global authority" he keeps pushing.
You should look into the history of the popes. They’ve been fighting communism since it originated in the 19th century.
He didn’t appoint himself Pope, did he? The conclave appointed him. As it has every other pope.
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Amen, friend.
And may God bless you, friend.
So glad their papers print the truth.
In no way was the Pope’s visit to Great Britain a damp squid.
Watch for the conversion, reverts coming back to the church and in four years or so — an explosion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life.
It WILL happen.
Note the prideful interpretations boasted about by many purporting to be christians but merely mirroring those described in Lk 12:9 and Mt 10:33.
No wonder Jesus suffered so in the Garden seeing the rejection of His work by those exercising their prideful free will.
Did you notice many of these threads like the one from the British newspaper, The Daily Mail, mentioned crowds of 80000 unlike the smaller numbers mentioned by bigoted naysayers.
Could you inform us as to why one would delibertly downplay the numbers as if that meant anything since the MESSAGE was the main focus.
God bless.
Don't expect too many Anglicans to think that's swell.
There are so many buildings and churches named for Newman these days you'd think he was divine.
I suppose that's next.
There is no such beast as "apostolic succession." There is "apostolic teaching" which is all founded on the word of God.
The Holy Spirit protects believers. Christ protects His church.
Read your Bible and side-step the confusion.
Do you have any children?
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