Posted on 07/03/2014 4:10:21 PM PDT by NKP_Vet
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "We are not isolated and we are not Christians individually, each on his or her own". Instead, we are all part of the Church, "a large family, where one is welcomed," where "one learns to live as believers and disciples of the Lord Jesus," Pope Francis said.
Speaking in the last general audience before the July break, the Holy Father devoted his catechesis to the Church before a crowd of 35,000 in St Peter's Square. Despite a few drops of rain, he walked extensively among the assembled faithful.
In his address, he warned against those who "think they can have a personal, direct, immediate relationship with Jesus Christ outside of the communion and the mediation of the Church."
In the Church, he noted, there is no "do it yourself", no "free agents." For him, "Our Christian identity is belonging! We are Christians because we belong to the Church. It is like a surname. If the name is 'I am a Christian', the surname is 'I belong to the Church'." Such sense of belonging was born from the alliance between God and Abraham, to whom he donated a great people for his loyalty.
"God's relationship to his people comes before all of us, it comes from that time," and thus, "in this sense, our thoughts go first, with gratitude, to those who have gone before us and who welcomed us into the Church. No one becomes a Christian by himself! Is this clear? Nobody becomes a Christian by himself. Christians are not made in a lab.
(Excerpt) Read more at asianews.it ...
Clearly “the church” owns the concession rights on God’s mercy.
Cult.
Yes, buy your purgatory tickets now. Guaranteed by the Pope. Pre-forgiveness tokens also available.
Category 1: Lust, greed, envy. $100
Category 2: Adultery, theft, taking the Lords name in vain. $500
Category 3: Sodomy, Pedophilia, tax evasion. $1000. Free to participating Clergy and Politicians.
Specials: 1 Random 10 commandment forgiveness. $250. Complete the whole set as a collectible.
” We are Christians because we belong to the Church”
It’s rather we belong to the Church because we are Christians.
The Church is the Body of Believers and is not incumbent in one organization or denomination.
It is created by God and above and beyond human institutions.
We didn’t build that.
Geez the pope is short on doctrine (except the Catholic Doctrine ) which is false. Pure crap coming from one of the most powerful men in the world. Lord, forgive him as he knows not what he says.
Scripture says that WE the believers are the church.
So why hasn’t he even mentioned the Catholic woman in Sudan that the ROP is trying to have murdered?
As a Protestant, I am OK with the Pope on this one. At least he is being honest. The fact he is wrong costs me nothing.
bfl
They disagree with God on that and that is why they think they are better than us.
Bravo! For once, Pope Francis speaks like his pre-VCII predecessors.
El popa is either the most misquoted man in history, or is adding basic Bible to his expanding list of ignorance.... Or perhaps both.
Seems to me its been written somewhere that there is one mediator between God and man and that would be Christ Jesus. Don't remember any mention of the church doing this or having to rely on some kind of mediatrix or some such silliness.
Not necessary.
*facepalm*
This is like saying that the church IS God.
“That we may be one.”
bump!!
We’re not Christians individually, Pope? Getting in touch with your inner collectivist again, apparently...
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