Catholic Patriarch: Christmas Marks 'Birth of Palestine State'

Arutz Sheva - Israel National News ^ | First Publish: 12/24/2012, 9:41 PM | Chana Ya'ar

[haffast]

The Patriarch of Jerusalem's Roman Catholic Church declared Christmas is also a celebration of … the birth of the state of Palestine.”

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Jerusalem has added something new this year to the liturgy: Patriarch Fouad Twal declared the holiday of "Christmas is also a celebration of … the birth of the state of Palestine.”

The Jordanian-born Twal made the statement during a procession to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, where he is due to lead midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity.

The church in Manger Square and Bethlehem itself are today both considered part of the Palestinian Authority. One must pass through a checkpoint manned by armed PA security personnel in order to enter the city.

snip

The outpouring, although expected, is seen only on rare occasions these days as the “little town of Bethlehem” becomes more empty of the faithful each year. Its Muslim residents have increasingly harassed their Christian neighbors, prompting many to decide to leave the area and move to a more “peaceful” environment.

snip

In November, the U.N. General Assembly voted to pass a resolution granting the PA upgraded status as a nonmember observer state, similar to that of the Vatican. The move in essence circumvents the mandate to negotiate its final status with Israel, as delineated in the internationally-recognized Oslo Accords signed by both parties.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“There are like three rabid anti-Christian Papists on Free Republic.”

Actually there is no such thing as an “anti-Christian Papist” here or anywhere else.

“Vladimir is one of them.”

That’s flat out untrue, but anti-Catholics lie quite often so no better should be expected from such.

“If you do not abandon Rome and turn to Christ, you are doomed.”

I turned to Christ a long time ago - and that’s why I’m Catholic.

“Just a warning. Turn to Christ. Leave Rome. Trust in Jesus alone.”

I trust in Jesus - and the Church He sent. You’ll stick to your man-made sect and pay the price for your hubris and bigotry. And so it goes. Still, I wish you a Merry Christmas. It’s a shame you deny Christ by denigrating His Church. Perhaps you’ll one day come to know Christ better.

[TheBattman]

In practice congregations are offered no means by which they can oust such blatant wickedness.

Sure they have a means... Its called doing what God-fearing Christians who want the TRUTH, not a lie have been doing for over 500 years... leave the apostate Catholic Church.

And before ANYONE attacks my for that statement - The Roman Catholic Church exercises a strict governance system that goes all the way to Rome. The church knows and ENDORSES these congregations (just as they allow churches in darkest 3rd World countries to teach a hybrid of Catholicism and animism or other pagan religions to keep people under the "roof" of the Catholic church). Any organization claiming to be the "True Church", yet teaches and allows within its own organization blatant ungodly, unscriptural, and even satanic practices and teachings is, by definition even worse than "apostate".

[HiTech RedNeck]

Supposing Rome were all that it claims to be. There’s an inherent difficulty here when a local congregation goes looey. Rome is awfully, well, discreet at times when congregations misbehave (don’t even live up to Catholic standards) right on the internet for anyone including the Pope himself to see. In an evangelical model, congregations CAN fight a hijacking of their local church by walking away from that. There is no equivalent in the Catholic model unless the people are willing to physically depart their diocese.

[TheBattman]

That is the point I’m making. When a church or church body becomes apostate, it is the duty of the congregation/individual members, if a correction can it be made, the. To leave that co gregation(or diocese).

How can someone worship in a setting where the majority and/or the leadership are teaching/preaching/ doing that which is counter to scripture?

[HiTech RedNeck]

It would be odious to imagine trying to render a proper worship in a place that is blatantly violating principles which are affirmed across all serious Christendom. And a church hierarchy that does little about it other than condemning the misconduct on paper, is not helpful. To read the old church fathers from biblical times is to get the idea that they would have made a visible stink at such problems, and that our modern advantages of modern communications and travel would not have gone unused to that end.