Or get them both focused in both eyes.
Posted on 07/12/2014 8:50:54 AM PDT by Legatus
Some Papal Quotes that somehow and in some way beyond my meager intellect are in continuity with each other, or something.
First Quote
Pope Eugene IV, the Bull Cantate Domino, 1441. ex cathedra (infallibly defined):
“The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has persevered within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church.” http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/FLORENCE.HTM#4
Second Quote
“I’m not interested in converting Evangelicals to Catholicism. I want people to find Jesus in their own community. There are so many doctrines we will never agree on. Let’s not spend our time on those. Rather, let’s be about showing the love of Jesus.” --Pope Francis 2014
Yeah. Umm. So. Discuss. Or something.
Bonus Quotes for discussion purposes.
Pope PIUS IX, the Holy Office-- THE SYLLABUS OF ERRORS CONDEMNED :
15. Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true. --condemned Allocution "Maxima quidem," June 9, 1862; Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
16. Man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation, and arrive at eternal salvation. --condemned Encyclical "Qui pluribus," Nov. 9, 1846.
17. Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ. -- condemned
Encyclical "Quanto conficiamur," Aug. 10, 1863, etc.
18. Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion, in which form it is given to please God equally as in the Catholic Church. --condemned Encyclical "Noscitis," Dec. 8, 1849.
http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9syll.htm
ll.htm
However, the thing you have to keep in mind is that there's such a thing as inculpable ignorance. (Note to the folks in Rio Linda: "ignorance" and "stupidity" aren't the same thing. "Ignorance" is the state of not knowing something that is nevertheless true. Everyone is ignorant of many things at all times; it's not pejorative.)
That's why VC 2 said:
In explicit terms [Jesus] Himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the Church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the Church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved.(Lumen Gentium 14)
That clause beginning with "... knowing" is a restrictive clause. Some people never hear of Christ. Some people never hear that the Church claims "[to have been] made necessary by Christ". Some people hear it but don't agree with it.
Despite that, God may be able to save some of those people. Should we have "good hope" of their salvation? Not necessarily, although we shouldn't despair of it, either.
Where I fail to be impressed with the Pope is that he failing to preach clearly that truth contained in the clause beginning with "knowing that".
Or get them both focused in both eyes.
But God created all men in his image.
Since we have divorced sexual activity from procreation by the use of artificial contraception and the abortion culture. it has become considerably more difficult to understand not only why it is better to be married to a person of the same belief system. It also has made it questionable as to whether it is even important if the person you marry is even of the opposite sex. Or even as to why you couldn't marry multiple people of multiple sexes.
To put it bluntly. If the Catholic Church is ,as so many here on FR believe, the Whore of Babylon, than all Catholics will go to Hell.
If it is, as the Church of Rome and it's two dozen aligned Churches agree, only possible to gain access to heaven through adherence to the teachings of the one true Church, than all Protestants, Jews and any other who professes and follows a different religion will most certainly burn in Hell for all eternity.
Take heart, either way we will have lots of company with all the Cafeteria Catholics and probably myself as I am certainly full of sin.
As I always tell the Jehovah’s Witnesses when they come to my door: “I am a Catholic. I can not be saved. Have you seen the rules of the Catholic Church? They publish them in the Catechism. No One can live like that!”
That was a very succinct and ultimately unhelpful and somewhat silly response.
That often happens when one’s own reality is shattered by the facts.
That makes the contrast even more difficult to bear. Can we have our Pope BXVI back now, please?!?
Wouldn’t that be great.
Could you elaborate?
I think the Pope appears to have a rather minimalist, charismatic view of Christianity, where it’s all about feeling and all about “me” and how I feel - that, at least, seems to be a big part of his very 1980s style.
That’s all well and good, and I do think we can certainly find common ground with Protestants on many things in the Faith. But again, that’s only with Trinitarian Protestants - and why do I stress that?
Because in a sense there is no such thing as Protestantism, since the only thing these groups have in common is that they reject the Church. Some Protestants are Trinitarian, many are only vaguely so, and many really aren’t at all and are just Unitarians without the New England background; some Protestants accept the traditional Christian moral code, but many if not most have abandoned it and some openly advocate against it; and - well, you get the idea.
What the Pope appears not to understand is that the Church is all about preserving the deposit of Truth. Some Protestant churches preserve more of it than others. But none of them would have preserved it without the Church, the foundation, and I think the Pope has got to remember that he is the one responsible for preserving that foundation.
Engaging in devotional activities together is a good thing and I think we should do more of it. But making it sound as if there is no such thing as truth and nothing really matters is not only wrong but defeats and disappoints Protestants as much as it does Catholics.
“I think I will leave condemning to hell to Jesus.”
As a Christian, we’re supposed to be and act like Jesus as much as possible, except when it comes to judging and condemning, because only He has been granted these powers, which is what He claims.
“Pretty sure that Christians should focus on themselves and not worry about the spiritual status of their neighbors.”
Jesus didn’t come here to focus only on Himself and His followers. He came here to save us all spiritually. And in His Great Commission, he commanded His followers to make disciples of others. So Jesus would disagree on your point.
Jesus made a point of shaming Pharisees. Jesus was no fan of people clucking quietly under the breath at sectarian nonsense. Jesus could see the heart, we cannot.
Jesus was, is, God. We are not.
I will leave being God to God. I, you, we are not qualified.
That does not mean that we cannot choose with whom we associate with. I steer clear of drug and alcohol abusers, wife beaters, thieves, larcenists, and pedophiles. I am also not a big fan of evangelical atheists, global warming fanatics and lesbian feminists.
Don’t care for child abusers, or people who fight dogs. I make all kinds of distinctions as does everybody else who wants to live long and prosper.
"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me."
As much as to say: I follow Christ; but the Body of Christ? Strictly optional.
Ex Cathedra...Infallible...Right from the lips of God...No Protestants in heaven...No one in heaven except a water dripped Catholic...
This papal bull is just that, Bull!!!!
I can't believe you people fall for this...
I'm so glad that "Sola scriptura" thingy is so bogus / S
Not to put too fine a point on it, but you sound like an atheist. I fell for this madcap teaching that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, crucified, died, buried, risen then ascended to Heaven... I already believe the most insane things.
Believing that only those who enter through the narrow gate abide with God in Heaven isn't really a stretch, that's why I became Catholic in the first place, because I didn't want to spend eternity in hell with the rest of the semi-believers.
Now we have a pope who makes statements that sound like I was fine where I was after all. That confuses and annoys me.
Good post!
There was a letter or paper by Benedict, I think, in which he referred to protestants as Christian communities. Do you know what I’m talking about? It was, I believe, a few years ago...maybe at the beginning of his papacy (is that the right way to say it?)
Serious question. I’m not know as a Catholic basher.
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.