Jesus not found outside the Church, Pope preaches

Catholic News Agency ^ | 04/23/13 | Estefania Aguirre

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Jesus not found outside the Church, Pope preaches :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/jesus-not-found-outside-the-church-pope-preaches/

April 23, 2013

Pope Francis celebrates Mass in St. John Lateran on March 29, 2013. Credit: Stephen Driscoll/CNA.

Vatican City, Apr 23, 2013 / 07:39 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis said that people cannot be fully united to Jesus outside of the Church during a Mass to commemorate Saint George, the saint he is named after.

“You cannot find Jesus outside the Church,” he said April 23 in the Apostolic Palace’s Pauline Chapel.

“It is the Mother Church who gives us Jesus, who gives us the identity that is not only a seal, it is a belonging,” he declared in his homily.

The pontiff spoke about Christian identity as well as persecution, making it the sixth time in two weeks he has mentioned those who suffer for the faith.

Speaking about the Gospel reading for today from Saint John, Pope Francis underscored that “the missionary expansion of the Church began precisely at a time of persecution.”

“They had this apostolic fervor within them, and that is how the faith spread!” he exclaimed.

It was through the Holy Spirit’s initiative that the Gospel was proclaimed to the Gentiles, the Pope noted, and the Spirit “pushes more and more in this direction of opening the proclamation of the Gospel to all.”

The pontiff also repeated a line from his April 17 homily in St. Martha’s residence, when he emphasized that being a Christian is not like having “an identity card.”

“Christian identity is belonging to the Church, because all of these (the apostles) belonged to the Church, the Mother Church, because finding Jesus outside the Church is impossible,” he said.

“The great Paul VI said it is an absurd dichotomy to want to live with Jesus but without the Church, following Jesus out of the Church, loving Jesus without the Church,” he added.

Pope Francis said that “if we are not sheep of Jesus, faith does not come” and that it is “a rosewater faith and a faith without substance.”

The Pope also commented on Barnabas, who was sent to Antioch and was glad to see that the grace of God had encouraged people there to remain true disciples.

“Let us think of the consolations that Barnabas had, which is the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing,” he preached.

“Let us ask the Lord for this frankness, this apostolic fervor that impels us to move forward, as brothers, all of us forward,” he remarked.

After the Mass in the papal chapel, the Swiss Guard band offered a brief musical performance in the Courtyard of Saint Damaso for the Pope’s name day.

[CatherineofAragon]

You know, I agree with you. I normally don’t take part in the Catholic/Protestant wars. However, just as there are some things a Catholic would consider beyond the pale and decide to speak up about, this evangelical Christian has come across one or two things which demand a response, IMO.

It can all be said respectfully.

[CynicalBear]

>> The Sins of the Holy Spirit involve denying the truth as taught by the Holy Spirit.<<

Thus the reason the RCC has incorporated mostly pagan practices, holidays, and symbols in it’s version of religion. If they were truly taught by the Holy Spirit they would not have incorporated those pagan rituals, symbols, and holidays.

[ebb tide]

Thank you for posting this article, Dr. Kopp. I think it’s the most orthodox thing a Pope has stated since the Second Vatican Council closed.

It’s a breath of fresh air. And I hope the Pope is talking about the Church with a capital “C”, just as his many pre-conciliar predecessors had.

Deo gratias.

[pax_et_bonum]

It can all be said respectfully

I couldn't agree more.

We have such difficulties to face in our country and in the world - if we can face them together united by our love of God, more than in any other way, we can't lose.

:-)

[piusv]

The Pope speaks of the mother church.....a heirarchical and catholic church .....in his homily.

The word heirarchical is the clue.

He’s talking about Christ’s one true, catholic and apostolic church, the Roman Catholic Church.

[tomsbartoo]

The Pope didn’t say that; and the Church doesn’t teach that. The Catholic Church teaches that a person belonging to some religion other than the Catholic Church may be saved––but if they are saved saved it will be *in spite* of the fact that they belong to some other religion, not *because* they belong to the other false religion. But what is most interesting about Pope Francis’ comments on this topic is that he appears to be almost walking back the false ecumenism adopted by the Second Vatican Council.

[piusv]

“There is no salvation outside the Church Christ founded. That Church is the Catholic Church (and the Orthodox but that discussion is outside this debate.)

Anyone who is validly baptized is baptized into the Church. Therefore they can attain salvation. I know how Catholics who lose the state of Grace they receive in baptism by mortal sin can be returned to a state of Grace. That is through sacramental confession. I do not know how non-Catholics who fall from the state of grace through mortal sin can return to a state of grace outside of the means Christ instituted in scripture, i.e., sacrental confession. I do know that those who die not in a state of grace cannot attain heaven so I do fear for the salvation of those outside the Catholic (and Orthodox) communion who commit grave sin.

To characterize basic Catholic belief as offensive is nothing new. What is new is a Catholic pope who is willing to once again state that outside the Church there is no salvation. We’ve lived with false ecumenism so long that non Catholics are shocked and offended now when they hear true ecumenism. In other words the problem isn’t that the pope said what he said, the problem is that what he said has been said so rarely these past 50 years due to false ecumenism.”

AMEN!!! You speak the Truth! May this Pope continue to speak courageously!

[Salvation]

From various sources.

"'Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgivness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.' [Mk. 3:29; Mt. 12:32; Lk. 12:10] There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. [John Paul II, DeV 46] Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss."

 

There are six sins that offend the Holy Spirit. These are: 

 Despair, Presumption of God's mercy, Impugning the known truth, Envy the spiritual good of another, Obstinacy in sin, Final impenitence.

---

"Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." [Mt. 12:32]

"But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin." [Mk. 3:29]

"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." [Lk. 12:10]

[CynicalBear]

All of which the RCC is guilty of.

[Mad Dawg]

And He didn't specify a denomination.

Of course, strictly speaking, we don't consider ourselves a denomination.

It's very interesting (well, to me, anyway) how the idea of "religion" and denomination has developed in the last few hundred years. Karl Barth, I am told, did not consider Xtianity to be a religion! The gap between sacred and secular was not so pronounced as it is these days. And the 1555 idea of "cuius regio, eius religio",with those who could not abide the prince's religion being free to leave hiss realm with their belongings, seems strange to us, which it seems to be bread and butter to the Muslims, or to many of them.

In any case,I think I will be reviewing the growth of the modern idea when I have the time. I think one clear consequence is that we can't let the modern pluralistic idea of "denomination" confuse our ecclesiology.

[FatherofFive]

where Jesus says, "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" ..........do you believe Him? Or not?

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven” Mat 7:21

Do you believe him?

[HangnJudge]

I am reminded of a thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2707584/replies?c=1

In which a long litany of "errors" were “examined”

From one standpoint,
the Protestant Reformation was greatly needed
as the Papacy was badly corrupted and
Great Error was permeating the Church.
The Light of it's witness was severely dimmed

Pope Alexander VI in (1492-1503)
The reports of this Pope include
Murder, Orgies, Incest, and Adultery

Pope Julius II (1503-13)
of which it has been said that
there was “not a trace of Christian piety in him”

Pope Leo X (1513-1521)
“The Pontiff has been accused of atheism,
for he denied God and called Christ,
in front of cardinals Pietro Bembo, Jovius and Iacopo Sadoleto and other intimates,
‘a fable’ ... it must be corrected”.
(Annales Ecclesiastici, op. cit., tomes viii and xi

Pope Adrian VI (1522-23)
was quoted to say

“We, prelates and clergy,
have gone astray from the right path,
and for a long time there is none that has done good,
no, no one”

(Secrets of the Christian Fathers, Bishop J. W. Sergerus, 1685, 1897 reprint, p. 227).

He lasted one year

It was in this context the Protestant Reformation occurred
Not that it has been without error,
it has been

Not that the fragmentation of the Body of Christ
has not been harmful,
it has been

But the context in which it occurred was
also profoundly flawed, and the Papacy Corrupt
Reformation was required

Protestantism also requires Reformation
The Truth of this is Bluntly Obvious
Doctrinal Drift
Teaching of Sinful behavior as Good
I have seen the full range of Sinful Behavior
Willful Breaches of all Commandments
In Professing Christians, Pastors, and Priests

The Body of Christ must
STOP This PROCESS of RECRIMINATION and BLAME
Our Witness is Profoundly Damaged
the Light before the World is severely Dimmed
and the World falls Deeper into Sin and Corruption

[Brian Kopp DPM]

May this Pope continue to speak courageously!

This new Pope is a man of contradictions, who you can love one moment and who can really get under your skin(washing women's feet at Holy Thursday mass, which commemorates the institution of the all male priesthood?!?) the next.

Despite his liturgical indifference, though I am a trad, I don’t agree with the trad Catholics attacking Pope Francis. I can’t give a good theological reason why, so this is going to be my theme song for this pontificate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Adqy-FPuVI

[FatherofFive]

Jesus Christ is the Rock

But that is not what Jesus said,

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Mat 6:18

[Religion Moderator]

Don't make the thread "about" individual Freepers. That is also a form of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

[Salvation]

God will be the judge, and I think you will be enormously surprised as you look on.

[Seraphicaviary]

It should not be scandalous that a pope would say it, though I agree it has become so. If you are the head of a particular church, it would be odd if you did claim God could be found outside your church. The fact that you profess in a certain way is a Truth claim. You are supposed to advertise that your understanding of Jesus as the Way is the one that leads to the fullest understanding of God. Otherwise, why are you there?

Pope Francis’s statement is kinda required by the office, as it is required of every religious leader. If many Freepers already find his statement offensive, how will they act upon finding out the Pope considers the validly baptized Protestants part of the same Church (big C) but fallen away and not privvy to the fullness of Truth?

And yes... we had to bear up under people who want to kill us for what we believe. So what if a few posters declare us wrong?

[Salvation]

Are you misquoting me? I said nothing using the intitials RCC.

Strange.

[Salvation]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3005178/posts

I just had a dad die. Don’t know if that has happened in your life or not.

Tonight all of the estate nonsense is coming out, money here, money there.

Blah, blah from my sister who is the executor of the will.

Yes, I am a little upset and ask your forgiveness if I seemed out of line.

God bless you.

[Religion Moderator]

I’m sorry for your loss.