Talking about context and applying what is said to one specific audience as if it applies to all slaps Christ Himself in the face for what He said in the verses following John 3:16, verses Protestant folks ignore. If someone is already deluded into a heresy that denies the perfection of the Holy Spirit and preaches the same thing Korah was swallowed alive into Hell for I guess slapping Christ in the face is no big deal.
catholics should not kid themselves in order to reject the Truth of what The Word of God declares. Saying magic words is a catholic schtick. A Born from Above Christian knows with the heart man believes in order to receive God’s Life in them. They that walk after the flesh to try and eat Jesus to get Him inside of them are contrasted with those thaqt walk after the Spirit. The Spirit gives Life to the spirit. The belly gives life to the flesh. The proof is at the sermon of Peter on Pentecost, and in the house of Cornelius when Peter preached there. with the heart those receiving God’s Life believed unto righteousness.
I wish Catholics would really read the scripture proof texts their church uses ..
The "bread of life' discourse ended at John 6:61...
Jesus went on with His teaching about salvation
Jhn 6:62 [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
Jhn 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
Jhn 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Jhn 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Jhn 6:66 From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
They did not like hearing that salvation had to be given them and much like the manna in the desert, it was totally a gift of the Father. They could not do anything on their own to earn it, they only had access to it by faith ( remember the Jews could only gather enough manna for the one days meals, and for 2 days on the day before the sabbath, they had to have faith in God to provide what was necessary for their life) . The idea that salvation was all of God and not found in law keeping was blasphemy to the law oriented Jews that felt their salvation was based on their will, their law keeping etc
How do we know that the bread was a metaphor ??
What did your "first pope " say??
Did he ask for some of that bread ???
John 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him,“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Peter did not seek after that "bread" , he understood the metaphor.. He wanted to hear the WORDS of eternal life