Shock: Pope Declares “Only Catholics Are Catholic”
I mean, sorry but yawn. Oh sure, rags like the Grauniad would love to see some christian infighting
Protestant churches yesterday reacted with dismay to a new declaration approved by Pope Benedict XVI insisting they were mere “ecclesial communities” and their ministers effectively phonies with no right to give communion.
Coming just four days after the reinstatement of the Latin mass, yesterday’s document left no doubt about the Pope’s eagerness to back traditional Roman Catholic practices and attitudes, even at the expense of causing offence.
but really, isn’t he just restating what he’s supposed to state? I think he fears, rightly, that all these talks of “ecumenical community” need to take place in an atmosphere of clearly delineated belief, and when he sees how squishy the Anglicans and many Protestant denominations have gotten he, rightly, in my view, says “we ain’t going there.” The proof of this is right there in the Grauniad’s reporting:
“even at the expense of causing offence”
You can not be the leader of a religion, or frankly an adherent either, if your primary concern is someone else’s widdle feewings; religion is your relationship to God, not man.
I mean, as a Presbyterian I don’t overly value what the Pope says (we settled that point four hundred years ago) but unless you are unafraid to firmly say “This is what I believe” …then you don’t really believe it, do you?
And in a world that is increasingly becoming dominated by a crowd that fervently believes in something and is very willing to act decisively, indeed is required by that faith to act so, being “squishy” very quickly becomes “squashed.”
Hot Air as always has an interesting comment thread going.
Morality | Mr. Bingley | 
July 11, 2007 8:03 am
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Gee. Dontcha just love that the picture on the link for the slide show is a Hitler Youth pic?
Currency Lad, an inactive blogger and semi-active commenter, made this comment about the Pope’s statement. Sounds likes yours, only with citations.
I am staunchly Protestant, at times anti-Catholic (the Church, not the members of the Body), but I’ve got no problem with this. My Baptist minister should not be giving communion. He doesn’t report to the Pope, and he should not be administering sacraments.
In fact, “giving communion” is one of the major sticking points (along with the semi-pagan cult of Mary and the Saints) I have with the teachings of the Catholic Church – as a Protestant, I accept the Communions as a gift from God, and no man is going to stand between me and it. I take the wafer and the wine off of the tray freely with my own hands as a symbol of my free-will acceptance of God’s gift. No human gives it to me either symbolically, or spirtitually. I am in total agreement with the Pope that my minister has no business messing with Catholic rites. Vive la difference.
That being said, as I get older I come more and more to appreciate the historical role of the Catholic Church as a preserver of traditions and a defense against heresies. I have come to believe that the role the Vatican plays is a necessary part of the Christian whole. And this is just one more instance where I find myself agreeing with those I am nominally protesting against.
(Don’t think I haven’t been forwarding your smug Dunkin’ Donut jibes on to a higher power, little man. You are going into the bowels of Hell with a chocolate creme-filled tattooed to your heretic forehead and all your scientific jibberish isn’t going to mitigate the inestimable damage you’ve caused…)
Gee, all that gnashing of teeth out there you would think he said something like “death to all non-Catholics”…whoops…that comes from those guys with things wrapped around their heads.
But THS, they have one in Barcelona and not in Pensacola. Is this not a sign that you are already living in Purgatory?
Well, since no one else has seen fit to say it, I guess I’ll have to.
Two, four, six, eight
Time to transubstantiate
It needed to be said.
Oh, as if I need YOU to tell me I live in Purgatory…
And remind me of it over and OVER again…
They’re building another Dunkin’ Donuts about half mile from me. Jersey must be Heaven
Of course, there’s always this REALLY cheer up the resident pagan…..
How far is it from Pensacola to Oviedo?
According to Yahoo! Maps, 469.3 miles. That comes to 6 hrs and 50 minutes travel time. Of course, that is based on city to city; I didn’t plug in any street addresses.
Also, THS may beat that time, just for a Dunkin’ Donut. Although a radar detector would be a good idea.
Kcru – I know what you mean. There’s a new DD goin’ up right along my commuting route. Of course there were two farther along, but this just means that I get my fix 20 minutes sooner, and that’s the whole point.
LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA
I can’t HEAR you…you’re breaking up…type SLOWER…
(And I got a doll and pins for you, too, Jeffy boy…)
Oops, THS, I gotta take my daughter home from pre-school this afternoon. Maybe we’ll swing by the grocery store.
Interesting that Christians don’t recognize their own doctrine which has been held and taught since the earliest days of the Christian Church:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Salvation_Outside_the_Church.asp
What part of John 15 and the vine isn’t understood?