Can't "Christians" just get along? I mean we're all infidels and all...
Posted on 07/10/2007 12:57:57 PM PDT by Ancient Drive
LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy — For the second time in a week, Pope Benedict XVI has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, reasserting the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church and saying other Christian communities were either defective or not true churches.
Benedict approved a document released Tuesday from his old office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which repeated church teaching on Catholic relations with other Christians.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Can't "Christians" just get along? I mean we're all infidels and all...
Why does that sound like Dr. Zeus on the first “Planet of the Apes”?? LOL!
The original document doesn't even mention the Orthodox Church by name. The only "fault" is the erroneous assertion by Cardinal Levada, who wrote it, and BXVI who approved it, is that because they don't recognize the Pope these churches lack something.
The Orthodox recognize the Pope. It's the extent of his jurisdiction that is in dispute. And it's because of Catholic innovations (theologically speaking) that we are not in communion with him.
The AP, Fox News and the Holy See are wrong.
Well this gives the lie to the entire ecumenical movement.
It was run by Rome, not to unify Christianity, but to enforce the primacy of the pope.
-—Sorry, But I do not consider the pope an authority on anything, let a lone infallible.
I left the RCC, and became a Protestant. I have never regretted that decision. I no longer follow the make-believe fantasy of purgatory, nor do I pray to dead people.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
That pretty much leaves out Mary, and all the other saints.
When I was growing up a Catholic I was taught that people who did not accept the pope would not receive salvation.
A totally unbiblical statement if I ever heard one.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
And that pretty much leaves out the pope.
The popemeister can say whatever he wants. But when he talks crazy talk like this, don’t expect much respect from me.
Pope: Other denominations not true churches Benedict issues statement asserting that Jesus established ‘only one church’
Jews have concerns over Latin mass
July 10: NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports on Pope Benedict XVI's revival of the traditional Latin mass and the firestorm it is generating.
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 9:52 a.m. ET July 10, 2007
LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy - Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.
Benedict approved a document from his old offices at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that restates church teaching on relations with other Christians. It was the second time in a week the pope has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that modernized the church. On Saturday, Benedict revisited another key aspect of Vatican II by reviving the old Latin Mass. Traditional Catholics cheered the move, but more liberal ones called it a step back from Vatican II.
Benedict, who attended Vatican II as a young theologian, has long complained about what he considers the erroneous interpretation of the council by liberals, saying it was not a break from the past but rather a renewal of church tradition.
In the latest document — formulated as five questions and answers — the Vatican seeks to set the record straight on Vatican II’s ecumenical intent, saying some contemporary theological interpretation had been “erroneous or ambiguous” and had prompted confusion and doubt.
It restates key sections of a 2000 document the pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, “Dominus Iesus,” which set off a firestorm of criticism among Protestant and other Christian denominations because it said they were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the “means of salvation.” In the new document and an accompanying commentary, which were released as the pope vacations here in Italy’s Dolomite mountains, the Vatican repeated that position.
“Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one church,” the document said. The other communities “cannot be called ‘churches’ in the proper sense” because they do not have apostolic succession — the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ’s original apostles.
‘Identity of the Catholic faith’ The Rev. Sara MacVane of the Anglican Centre in Rome, said there was nothing new in the document. “I don’t know what motivated it at this time,” she said. “But it’s important always to point out that there’s the official position and there’s the huge amount of friendship and fellowship and worshipping together that goes on at all levels, certainly between Anglican and Catholics and all the other groups and Catholics.”
The document said Orthodox churches were indeed “churches” because they have apostolic succession and that they enjoyed “many elements of sanctification and of truth.” But it said they lack something because they do not recognize the primacy of the pope — a defect, or a “wound” that harmed them, it said.
“This is obviously not compatible with the doctrine of primacy which, according to the Catholic faith, is an ‘internal constitutive principle’ of the very existence of a particular church,” the commentary said.
Despite the harsh tone of the document, it stresses that Benedict remains committed to ecumenical dialogue. “However, if such dialogue is to be truly constructive, it must involve not just the mutual openness of the participants but also fidelity to the identity of the Catholic faith,” the commentary said.
‘Not backtracking on ecumenical commitment’ The document, signed by the congregation prefect, U.S. Cardinal William Levada, was approved by Benedict on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul — a major ecumenical feast day.
There was no indication about why the pope felt it necessary to release the document, particularly since his 2000 document summed up the same principles. Some analysts suggested it could be a question of internal church politics, or that it could simply be an indication of Benedict using his office as pope to again stress key doctrinal issues from his time at the congregation.
Father Augustine Di Noia, undersecretary for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the document did not alter the commitment for ecumenical dialogue, but aimed to assert Catholic identity in those talks.
“The Church is not backtracking on ecumenical commitment,” Di Noia told Vatican radio.
“But, as you know, it is fundamental to any kind of dialogue that the participants are clear about their own identity. That is, dialogue cannot be an occasion to accommodate or soften what you actually understand yourself to be.”
He was even criticized by several of his priests and cardinals.
Rome's daily La Repubblieg, published on 14 August 1993, a front cover illustration of the pope at the top of a minaret calling: "Isus (Warren) Christopher, save us." The Italian Press condemned Pope John Paul for blessing an American air assault on Serb positions and for asking President Clinton to launch it without delay.
On 15 August 1993, Roman Catholic priest, Don Albino Bizzotto, founder of the Beati Construttovi di Pace peace and charity organization, assessed the Pope's call for air strikes on Bosnian Serbs as 'disappointing' and 'double-dealing. "We cannot understand those who speak about mercy and military intervention at the same time," he said. Fr. Bizzotto went on to say: "The Pope's behavior is like a leading big power, who tries to cure their hypocrisies and failures with armed interventions."
No compassion was ever shown by Pope John Paul II for the misery and deaths of Serbian women and children that would follow NATO's air assaults. The civil war in the Balkans was won by images of atrocities on CNN and the other major networks, atrocities alleged to have been committed by Serbian forces when in reality, they were often self-inflicted by Bosnian Muslim forces, "designed to shock the West, especially sentimental and gullible Washington, in order to raise the level of Western sympathy to the Bosnian Muslims and further demonize the Serbs," as well-known author Yossef Bodansky wrote in his 1995 book, "Offensive in the Balkans."
It is well known amongst Orthodox Christians that the Vatican has long desired the demise of the Orthodox church. The pope's justifying the 78-day bombing campaign against the Orthodox Christian Serbs proves it.
“A 16-page document by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Pope Benedict once headed, described Christian Orthodox churches as true churches, but suffering from a “wound” since they do not recognise the primacy of Pope.”
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKL1019535720070710
So this is totaly different than original news title.
It was when the Bishop of Rome elevated himself to Pope thus creating the schism in 1054 where the other four Bishops refused to recognized the "infallibility of the Pope," (as I understand it, it is when the Pope speaks as God on earth, therefore, he cannot err.)
This was considered blasphemous by the other Bishops.
Any thoughts on this?
 |
"Ad hoc, ad loc and quid pro quo! So little time, and so much to know ..." |
The Holy See site gives less than a 16-page document, so apparently now there are two sources. But from what i could read, this is really nothing new. The only flagrant error, which completely caught me off guard, was the assertion that the Orthodox don't recognize the pope because. Pope Benedict is keenly aware that the Orthodox are bound by the Fourth Ecumenical Council and by the Sixth Ecumenical Council to recognize Petrine Primacy. We are arguing with them over the extent of his jurisdictional authority which was different in the first millennium.
True, this document is nothing new, even much softer towards Orthodox churches, and news title was sensationalistic.
Your sincerity is so meaningful during this crisis in our lives, Thank you so much :^)
You need to brush up, or more accurately, actually learn factual history.
Of course he believes this. It’s a basic tenet of the Catholic faith.
This Protestant isn’t at all bothered or offended.
** It is Christ Jesus that will be making these decisions, not any pope or priest or preacher.**
Hopefully you are aware that the Pope is the vicar of Christ on earth??
It's awesome. Maybe someday he'll up and reaffirm the Catholic dogma that outside the Catholic Church there is absolutely no salvation. Most people don't know that's defined Catholic dogma. If someone didn't know it was, does their due diligence and finds out that it actually is dogma, and yet obstinately refuses to believe it after working through the matter with eye to sincerely knowing and believing the Catholic truth, they've just lost the Catholic Faith.
And so what's the controversy here?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.