ebb tide:
Pope Benedict was my style of Pope, great theologian and one who had a great love for Liturgy. Pope Francis, a Jesuit, is a Pope who will meet with anyone, Jews, Palestinian-Muslims, Pentecostals, evangelicals, and of course with Eastern Orthodox. But one must look, the nature of the meetings are different depending on how Catholic Theology views those groups. With the Orthodox, their is almost full-communion without communion being shared. With evangelicals and Pentecostals, prayer and working together where we can work together, working against abortion, working to help struggling families, etc, and with the Jews and Palestinian-Muslims, a meeting for peace.
That is his pastoral style. Some like it some don’t. Despite that, Pope Francis has not uttered one statement that challenges fundamental Catholic Doctrine. So lets just look at this for what it is, a Pope meeting evangelical-Pentecostal American Christians. Meeting each other is not a bad thing, does not mean The Pope compromised Catholic Doctrine, because he did not.
Again, among Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, I would say Benedict’s style appealed to most, the Late John Paul II next, and Pope Francis the least among the three. Nevertheless, they are all Pope and I respect the office of the Bishop of Rome/Pope even if the current occupant might not fit my pastoral style. In that sense, true faith in Christ promise to Saint Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail over the Church still apply, even when Pope’s do foolish things are sinful things.
As One Cardinal told Napoleon after he conquered Europe when Napoleon stated something to the effect, now that I have conquered Europe, I will destroy the Church to which the Cardinal replied if we Bishops and Cardinals have not managed to do so in 1,800 years, what makes you think you can do so in your lifetime.
Pope Francis has challenged fundamental Catholic doctrine: raising and entertaining the sacrilegious notion that divorced and remarried might be able to receive Holy Communion. As a matter of fact, he used the Eastern Orthodox, whom you mentioned in your post as being in"almost full-communion" with Roman Catholic Church, as an example.
If any religion is compromising their beliefs, it's Pope Francis trying to do it to the Roman Catholic religion.
lol... I'm just funnin' with you. Teasing.
Now skipping to the last, to see if there can be a bit more wrung out;
Oh, I see, so that T.V. Pentecostal Copeland really IS part of The Church, for try as he might, he hasn't been able to destroy it sort-of from the inside any more than Bishops and Cardinals have.
Imagine that -- and that's an order.
LOL, very good.
And we Prots get blasted for being our oWn POPE!