Posted on 03/27/2009 7:01:07 PM PDT by kellynla
Conservative author and former House speaker Newt Gingrich will celebrate the Easter season this year in a very special way – by converting to Roman Catholicism.
“I have become increasingly drawn to Catholicism over the past several years while attending Mass with my wife, Callista,” Gingrich tells Newsmax. “ After prayer and reflection, I believe this is where God has led me. I’m looking forward with great joy to being received into full communion with the Catholic Church.”
Rumors of the religious conversion began circulating last month when Gingrich, a Baptist since college, told The New York Times that he had been exploring a reaffirmation of the role of religion in public life and found himself increasingly attracted to his wife’s Roman Catholic faith.
Gingrich recently criticized the University of Notre Dame for choosing President Barack Obama as a commencement speaker. The Fox News contributor sent messages via micro-blogging service Twitter saying: “It is sad to see Notre Dame invite President Obama to give the commencement address since his policies are so anti Catholic values."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
It is a little complicated, but the same rules don’t apply to non-catholics. Since he wasn’t married in the eyes of the Catholic church before, he isn’t divorced in the eyes of the catholic church.
Newt and Gov. Sanford are on message, above all others. They both have limitations- but Newt has the edge right now, imo.
Judge and expect to be judged BUMP!
Incorrect. All marriages are assumed to be valid. 30 seconds of reading about annulments will tell you that. I went to a whole day seminar.
In case you haven’t noticed, if Newt is look for a soft berth, he is boarding the wrong ship. The Catholic Church is as much a target of the left as he is.
If his first marriage was in a church, any church, he was married in the eyes of the Catholic Church. I don’t know if #1 is still alive but if she is, then the RCC would consider him married unless they got an annulment. And his present marriage, in the eyes of the church, would be invalid.
My former brother in law was married in (I think) Dutch Reformed Church, got divorced, married my sister. After some years of going to RC Church with her, he began the program for conversion. Halfway through, the priest told him that because of the first marriage in the eyes of the church he wasn’t married to my sister, and unless #1 agreed to an annulment he couldn’t go through with the conversion. Again, complicated, but he was married initially in a non-RCC but the RCC considered it a valid marriage.
Within weeks of the priest’s telling him that, my sister died suddenly (and conveniently), leaving him free to join the Church. And so he did.
Nice to see Newt has seen the light and embraced the true faith. May this be a truly life changing experience for him. Now if he could become a true conservative.
It is my understanding that the Catholic Church recognizes two sacraments of other churches: baptism and marriage.
BTTT!
God isn’t cynical. Why are you?
That’s what I was thinking.
You used the word “assumed”.
All marriages are not valid in the eyes of the church. I can give you several examples.
So? He wants to join the Catholic Church so he can go to Confession!
Blair is an unrepentant pro-abort, as is his wife. His conversion is a joke.
Gingrich is pro-life. Maybe not with a perfect record, as a politician. But that’s what Confession is for.
I don't presume to know the mind of God regarding Newt Gingrich. Why do you?
I do know what I've seen of Mr. Gingrich, fallen sinner himself as we all are, and his particular weakness is political posturing, sometimes involving his religious faith.
Would you be nearly so credulous regarding his conversion, if he were not joining your own church?
The Bible tells us that God is all loving and wants everyone to be saved.
“Many are called, but few are chosen.”
Yes, that’s true. Salvation does not come without repentance, though.
And it would seem that Gingrich has displayed that repentance to a priest.
I am really surprised at your reasoning. Newt is a history buff. Leaving Catholicism out of the question for awhile, just look at it.
He wasn’t happy in the church he was in — supposedly.
So he started studying. Did history there and back further and back further to the Early Church Fathers and then back to the apostles and then back to Jesus Christ himself.
Then he looked for a religion that matched his research. What Protestant or other religion (other than Catholic) could match his research.
He also probably read stories of the saints and their testimonies, martyrdoms, and revelations.
I give it to his brains — discernment and knowledge — which then turned into something for his heart. But it all probably started with the study of religions, wouldn’t you agree?
Once again, remember that he is a historian! (And a good one at that!)
I also forgot one other factor in that study, research, discernment and gaining of knowledge.
The Holy Spirit, through prayer, has inspired the Gospels and writings of the Bibles. The saints’ testimonies are spirit-filled also.
I think it’s just that today’s world doesn’t want to realize that a Holy Spirit, third Person of the Holy Trinity exists and is alive and well in our secular world.
Just go back to Acts and re-read the account of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. It is stunning to think about all the miracles that were worked that day!
With God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who can say that Gingrich has not truly converted. I know I can’t.
But as you mentioned the repentance — someone knows that link. Perhaps it will come out in future stories about his conversion.
Good night.
Statistically, Newt is in line for better times. Maybe the church can purge him of his amoral 33rd degree masonic leanings....
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