Yes seriously. The Catholic Church has taught in no uncertain terms that outside of her is no salvation, that’s one of the main reasons I became Catholic because I believed that. It would have been self-righteous of me to remain outside, it would have been hypocritical for me to remain outside. Now we have a pope saying “stay where you are” and I find that confusing and annoying. I could have saved my family a world of grief and agony if I’d just stuck it out 20 more years.
I brought my mother to tears when I told her I was entering the Catholic Church, my father didn’t speak to me for years. I gave up everything because I believed I had no choice if I wanted everlasting life and now pope Francis seems to be saying it was all for nothing.
My righteousness (such as it is) doesn’t come from me it’s entirely from God... as for hypocrisy, well, probably but I try to constantly remind myself that I am among the worst of sinners and my efforts are worthless outside of Christ.
I think you would say that anyone who rejects Christ is destined to hell, yes? I believe that part of rejecting Him is in rejecting His Church. You can’t have one without the other.
Matthew 17-18: If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will bee bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will bef loosed in heaven.
19“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Tell me, how is it the Lord himself says take it to the church before the doctrine of apostolic ascension came into being ?
There was no Roman Catholic Church at the time ?
How did you determine the bible and your parents were wrong and the Catholic religion was right???