Posted on 01/18/2012 3:19:15 PM PST by NYer
.- Pope Benedict XVI said today that achieving Christian unity requires more than “cordiality and cooperation” and that it must be accompanied by interior conversion.
“Faith in Christ and interior conversion, both individual and communal, must constantly accompany our prayer for Christian unity,” said the Pope to over 8,000 pilgrims gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall on Jan. 18.
The Pope’s comments mark the start of the 2012 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that runs until Jan. 25. It will be observed by over 300 Christian churches and ecclesial communities around the globe.
The Pope asked for “the Lord in a particular way to strengthen the faith of all Christians, to change our hearts and to enable us to bear united witness to the Gospel.”
In this way, he said, they “will contribute to the new evangelization and respond ever more fully to the spiritual hunger of the men and women of our time.”
The Pope explained that the concept of a week of prayer for Christian unity was initiated in 1908 by Paul Wattson, an Episcopalian minister from Maryland. One year later, he became a Catholic and was subsequently ordained to the priesthood.
Pope Benedict recalled how the initiative was supported by his predecessors Pope St. Pius X and Pope Benedict XV. It was then “developed and perfected” in the 1930s by the Frenchman Abbé Paul Couturier, who promoted prayer “for the unity of the Church as Christ wishes and according to the means he wills.”
The mandate for the week of prayer, the Pope underscored, comes from the wish of Christ himself at the Last Supper “that they may all be one.” He observed that this mission was given a particular impetus by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) but added that “the unity we strive for cannot result merely from our own efforts.” Rather, “it is a gift we receive and must constantly invoke from on high.”
The theme for 2012 Week of Prayer – “All shall be changed by the victory of Jesus Christ our Lord” – was crafted by the Polish Ecumenical Council. Pope Benedict said it reflects “their own experience as a nation,” which stayed faithful to Christ “in the midst of trials and upheavals,” including years of occupation by the Nazis and later the Communists.
The Pope tied the victory the Polish people experienced over their oppressors to overcoming the disunity that marks Christians.
He said that the “unity for which we pray requires inner conversion, both shared and individual,” and it cannot be “limited to cordiality and cooperation.” Instead, Christians must accept “all the elements of unity which God has conserved for us.”
Ecumenism, the Pope stated, is not an optional extra for Catholics but is “the responsibility of the entire Church and of all the baptized.” Christians, he said, must make praying for unity an “integral part” of their prayer life, “especially when people from different traditions come together to work for victory in Christ over sin, evil, injustice and the violation of human dignity.”
Pope Benedict then touched on the lack of unity in the Christian community, which he said “hinders the effective announcement of the Gospel and endangers our credibility.” Evangelizing formerly Christian countries and spreading the Gospel to new places will be “more fruitful if all Christians together announce the truth of the Gospel and Jesus Christ, and give a joint response to the spiritual thirst of our times,” he explained.
The Pope concluded his comments with the hope that this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will lead to “increased shared witness, solidarity and collaboration among Christians, in expectation of that glorious day when together we will all be able to celebrate the Sacraments and profess the faith transmitted by the Apostles.”
The general audience finished with Pope Benedict addressing pilgrims in various languages, including greeting a group of men and women from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, before leading the crowd in the Our Father and imparting his apostolic blessing.
How about this angle however as a "type" of teaching for the age of grace we are in. As we all know Faith without works is dead. When we are born again the works we do are done by The Lord Jesus Christ in us. We are just sitting there enjoying the ride. Life becomes an adventure with no expectations! Why even the faith we do have comes from Him!
Why are you changing the subject?
What’s that got to do with addressing the claim that the pope saves souls?
Do you believe that the pope saves souls as well?
Is this a teaching of the Catholic church that Catholics are bound and obligated to believe under the threat of being anathema?
I’m focused on the Literalism presented in post 415.
With postings into the 400s, its late to shift focus.
If I have to discuss horses with riders having breastplates of fire, with jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone...as being symbolic rather than literal, I’d still be explaining in post 666.
If a person refuses to follow 2 Tim. 2:15, he is hopelessly confused and mired in seeming contradictions. Which are not contradictions AT ALL, when His Word is rightly divided.
James is written to the "twelve tribes scattered abroad" (Israel), just as Hebrews is written to...the HEBREWS.
I see. I didn't know I was debating God on here, I thought it was humans.
But, how do you reconcile it? Without "disregarding some scripture as though it doesn't exist to apparently sell your position..."
Paul just does not teach Sola Scriptura. Luther himself had to add the word "alone" to make it work.
This is the problem of proof texting your way to the error of Sola Scriptura, you must change or disregard some scripture, James, Christ, Paul too:
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile
lol! Ping me when post 666 comes up and you start explaining the “symbolism” of Revelation..;)
I answered a ridiculous assertion, making it clear that the phrase crediting him with “saving souls” clearly refers to the fulfillment of Christ’s directive to preach the Gospel.
What do suppose the point of preaching the Gospel is?
For someone incapable of recognizing literalism in Scripture, you’re quite enthusiastic about mischaracterizing a phrase in an article.
Enjoy,
—The POPE saves souls?????
Tell me I didn’t really just read that.....
Does Catholicism REALLY teach that? Do Catholics REALLY believe that?
—
Yes, we do.
OK, no, we don’t.
Chill.
Paul just does not teach Sola Fide...
Chill?
People’s souls are on the line for eternity and it’s *chill* time?
If someone believes that the pope saves someone based on that statement, they go to hell. Period. It’s only Jesus who can save.
It’s no small matter usurping Jesus’ place and leading people down the wide path to destruction.
The casual response of the Catholic in response to that clearly sated comment is very telling. What should I expect form the Jesus isn’t good enough crowd?
Just when I think I’ve heard it all......
When you “rightly divide” out the ministry of Christ, you can know your division skills need work.
Oh, please. You’re elevating tilting at windmills to new heights.
Perhaps you can vent on local ministers who are out there saving souls for Christ.
Great news!
Ratzinger becomes a Presbyterian!
This is your argument for literalism in the Apocalypse?
Pope Benedict then touched on the lack of unity in the Christian community, which he said “hinders the effective announcement of the Gospel and endangers our credibility.” Evangelizing formerly Christian countries and spreading the Gospel to new places will be “more fruitful if all Christians together announce the truth of the Gospel and Jesus Christ, and give a joint response to the spiritual thirst of our timesPope=Gnosticism?
The Pope's acceptance of Evangelicalism and the existence of Christians not in the Catholic denomination is a step in the right direction.
Yes, chill.
It’s ridiculous to accuse the Church of teaching this. And I have never met a Catholic who would believe this.
It’s way beyond the pale.
Just for the record, the Pope speaks of the second evangelization. The first one being when the Church evangelized all of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire.
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