Posted on 02/05/2012 2:58:27 PM PST by marshmallow
Fidel Castro will be received back into the communion of the Roman Catholic Church during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the island in March, the Italian press is reporting. If true, this is a remarkable story — and one that has yet to catch the attention of editors this side of the Atlantic.
On 1 Feb 2012, La Republicca — [Italy’s second largest circulation daily newspaper, La Republicca follows a center-left political line and is strongly anti-clerical; not anti-Catholic per se but a critic of the institutional church] — reported that as death approaches, the octogenarian communist has turned to God for solace.
ABC’s Global Note news blog is the only U.S. general interest publication I have found that has reported this story. It referenced the La Republicca story and said that Castro’s
daughter Alina is quoted as saying “During this last period, Fidel has come closer to religion: he has rediscovered Jesus at the end of his life. It doesn’t surprise me because dad was raised by Jesuits.” The article quotes an unidentified high prelate in the Vatican who is working on the Pope’s Cuba trip: “Fidel is at the end of his strength. Nearly at the end of his life. His exhortations in the party paper Granma, are increasingly less frequent. We know that in this last period he has come closer to religion and God.”
Some Italian websites have even speculated as to when Fidel will make his confession and credo — setting the date as 27 March 2012 at 17:30 when the two ottantacinquenni, Pope Benedict XVI and Castro, will meet at the Palacio de la Revolución when the pope makes his official visit to the head of state, Raul Castro.
During Pope John Paul II’s 1998 visit to Cuba, Castro attended mass, but did...........
(Excerpt) Read more at geoconger.wordpress.com ...
But you're telling me that it is the CHURCH who grants absolution for our sin? And that the Church can decide who gets absolution and who doesn't? Then why did Christ have to die for our sins?
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, HAVING FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESPASSES." Col. 2:13.
God's Word says that HE forgives us all trespasses. It doesn't say the "CHURCH" does.
Does God know that it may be beyond the Church to grant absolution to anyone, even Castro? "Sorry. I know that you are part of ALL, and I died for your sins, just as everyone else, but the Church says it cannot absolve you. So..."
**turned to God for solace.**
This happens with many lapsed Catholics as they approach death. They realize that the only way for them at that point in their life is to be reconciled with Jesus.
Like my niece said after my step-father’s funeral in December, too much God in the service (offending her les-bi-an liberal senses... and to which her lesbian mother, aka, my sister replied “yea too much religion”. After mentioning to them that many of the churchs in Europe have only old in attendance, they both said they would live their lives in sin up to their old age and then convert, but for now they are in doubt of God. Maybe they will live long and convert or maybe the reaper will cut them down without salvation.... Who knows, and really at some point who can really waste their time on Earth caring about those who reject religion. Safety net and Obama is all they need.
Fear of death will do that to you.
The prodigal son syndrome.
Unless Castro accepts Christ as his savior and puts his trust completely in him for salvation there is nothing the RCC can do to prevent him from going to hell.
We probably won’t be privy to his private discussions. But we would know a lot about the genuineness of his conversion by the nature of what he has to say about it.
If he knows he needs Christ, does he then accept that Cuba also needs Jesus Christ? Does he recognize that his life’s project, separate from Christ, could only bring misery? Does he understand that his legacy, his attempt to banish Christ from Cuba is fifty years of misery for his people?
When you accept Christ one of the first things you must do and want to do is profess it openly. If he is genuine that is one of the things he will do. So doing he undermines everything his regime stands for. If he can’t do it, we will have our answer.
Kings can be saved. Not every king will have that kind of humility, though, even facing the end. Castro was King of Cuba for fifty years but even kings die and face judgement. He faces a dilemma; if he professes Christ and does so openly and humbly he admits his entire kingship was illegitimate but he saves his soul. If he tries to save his place in history, he forfeits his soul.
Aunt Bea and Castro are the same, in God's eyes. Lost sinners, dead in their sins, and in need of Christ's finished work for their salvation. That is, according to God's Word. But not according to the Catholic Church. Aunt Bea could not POSSIBLY be in danger of going to hell. She's just....so GOOD...and Castro is obviously so BAD...
They stumble at the stumblingstone.
What would you do without the strawman church you’ve invented for yourself?
Good article, if true
Fortunately Gods mercy is beyond our understanding. St Paul, Judas, and millions of other horrific sinners are a testament to that. That is the amazing beauty of Jesus. Maybe like Judas, Castro was simply serving God’s plans for redemption for a nation that abandoned His teachings. Castro was raised with a quality Jesuit education, and like many Cubans of his genre abandoned his faith for worldly pursuits. He would not be the first to stray and eventually go back to his roots. Assuming this Article is true, of course.
Fortunately Gods mercy is beyond our understanding. St Paul, Judas, and millions of other horrific sinners are a testament to that. That is the amazing beauty of Jesus. Maybe like Judas, Castro was simply serving God’s plans for redemption for a nation that abandoned His teachings. Castro was raised with a quality Jesuit education, and like many Cubans of his genre abandoned his faith for worldly pursuits. He would not be the first to stray and eventually go back to his roots. Assuming this Article is true, of course.
The attitude of the son who stayed home is similar to the attitude of those who were hired for vineyard work at the beginning of the day, when they found out they received the same wages as those who were hired at the end. God asks, “Are you angry because I am so generous?”
The Mercy of God is His greatest attribute because He wills It to be so.
It’s not contrition when you keep sinning.
Throw open the jails, and make restitution to the widows, and then we can talk about “contrition.”
Castro needs to meet Mussolini’s end. As to the hereafter, that’s out of my hands.
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid unto them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Cor. 4:3,4.
Castro is 85 years old and he is scared...just plain scared. So, he runs back to God. Just like a bad little boy who knows he's done bad but has nowhere to go. He skulks back home to face the music, rather than be in worse trouble.
FEAR OF THE LORD.
Would you deny him the chance of salvation?
God won’t. No church would, and I don’t care if it is the pope himself hearing Castro’s repentance or the most humble Baptist preacher you can find.
He committed great sins. If he truly repents, he will eventually be with God, and that is a cause for celebration.
Of course, according to our theology, he is going to spend a LONG time in purgatory ....
Oh, good lord.
Replied to the wrong person - AGAIN!
My apologies!
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ “
Don’t bother getting distracted by the haters. Just some misguided souls that were led astray, like St. Paul who felt that attacking Christians beliefs was/is a noble pursuit. They didn’t get certain parts of Jesus’ teachings such as “whoever is not against us”, is with us. As well as “stop looking at the splinter in your neighbors eye, and remove the log in your own” (not verbatum) lol
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.