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What If Pope Francis Isn’t Catholic? (A Protestant reflection)
The Gospel Coalition ^ | 03-20-2018 | Collin Hansen

Posted on 05/20/2018 12:47:05 PM PDT by NRx

In her Nobel Prize-winning book Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, Svetlana Alexievich interviews scores of Russians who lament the loss of the Soviet Empire, even as they recount its horrors in excruciating detail. The Soviet Empire may have been barbaric, but at least they were great! The world feared them! They had defeated Hitler! (No thanks to the British and Americans.)

Several unapologetic Soviets complain they lost their beloved empire without a shot. Why didn’t blood flow in the streets in her defense? They blame Mikhail Gorbachev. As one Soviet observes, the Communist system could withstand any challenge from below. It could suppress any revolution. Except one. What if the party’s leader was no longer a true believer? What if Gorbachev betrayed the cause from within the Kremlin, from the very top, where no one could stop him?

Ross Douthat ponders an analogous takeover within the Vatican in his new book, To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism. What if Pope Francis isn’t Catholic? What if he aims to overturn centuries of dogma? What if he plans to stack the College of Cardinals with liberal allies who will ensure his revolution can’t soon be reversed? What if he banishes his conservative critics to the church’s periphery? Who, then, will enforce the teaching on sexuality and marriage preserved against Western cultural trends by the late Pope John Paul II and self-titled Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI? Indeed, how can the vicar of Christ so confidently dismiss the words of Christ on marriage and adultery from the Gospels?

(Excerpt) Read more at thegospelcoalition.org ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Evangelical Christian; Theology
KEYWORDS: popefrancis
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To: ebb tide
>>You may recall that I am not a Roman Catholic.<<

Doesn't matter; neither is Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

Sorry. No one has made ebbtide the arbiter of who is or is not a Roman Catholic.

Ya'll have told us for years that once a Roman Catholic, always a Roman Catholic.

And I again see you for some reason refuse to affirm the verse posted.

Only a denier of Christ would do so.

Don't let that pride get in your way.

41 posted on 05/20/2018 5:14:44 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ebb tide

Well thats the thing about opinions. Everyone has one. Some are a lot better than others.


42 posted on 05/20/2018 5:15:58 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Rastus

And the Leftist reaction to Francis should tell anyone who cares about our future every thing that they need to know about Francis the Heretic.


43 posted on 05/20/2018 5:28:09 PM PDT by txnativegop (The political left, Mankinds intellectual hemlock)
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To: xp38

Oh, whew!

All is right in the universe.


44 posted on 05/20/2018 5:28:34 PM PDT by dhs12345
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To: DuncanWaring

In case you missed it he is the properly elected head of the Roman church and will remain so until he dies or you guys oust him. According to Catholicism you aren’t catholic if you don’t submit to him. Quite a quandary isn’t it


45 posted on 05/20/2018 5:33:52 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: Mom MD
In case you missed it he is the properly elected head of the Roman church and will remain so until he dies or you guys oust him. According to Catholicism you aren’t catholic if you don’t submit to him. Quite a quandary isn’t it

It's even more extreme than that for the Roman Catholic.

"Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff."

Unam states the Roman Catholic cannot be saved unless they are subject to the pope. So when all of these Roman Catholics say they aren't following the pope they are saying they are not saved based on Unam Sanctam.

Fortunately, this is not a New Testament teaching.

46 posted on 05/20/2018 5:43:38 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: NRx

Argentine + Jesuit + Francis = Marxist.


47 posted on 05/20/2018 5:48:15 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: NRx; Salvation

If he was baptized Catholic, he’s Catholic.

We keep getting told on FR that *Once a Catholic, always a Catholic* and that Catholic baptism leaves an indelible mark on the soul.

Right sal?

If he’s Catholic, he’s yours, like it or not.


48 posted on 05/20/2018 5:51:02 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: Doche2X2
Fr Frances is to the Catholic Church what Obama was to our Republic.

Seems that way.

49 posted on 05/20/2018 5:51:54 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: NRx
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50 posted on 05/20/2018 5:56:15 PM PDT by golux
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To: ealgeone

It doesn’t work that way.

To my knowledge, none of Francis’ pronouncements to date have been Ex-Cathedra and therefore are not matters of Dogma that must be obeyed.

I assume you are not Catholic. You can argue we’re wrong to be Catholic, but don’t tell us how to be one.


51 posted on 05/20/2018 6:17:00 PM PDT by PTBAA
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To: PTBAA

Are you also arguing you’re not subject to the pope.....even though Unam Sanctam says you have to be.


52 posted on 05/20/2018 7:08:48 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: metmom

Amazing isn’t it. Roman Catholics seem to flip flop more than the clintons.


53 posted on 05/20/2018 7:32:17 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Secret Agent Man

No LCMS member wants anything to do with the Roman church other than to expose them to the Gospel of Christ without all the Roman add ons


54 posted on 05/20/2018 8:15:02 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: ebb tide

So you guys get to throw out any of your magisterium that was pronounced before you were born? Cool!


55 posted on 05/20/2018 8:16:49 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: ebb tide

Yes that is your belief. And you are bound by all of it including that you must be subject to the pope. Those of us that see it for the heresy it is not so much. It’s your doctrine and you are bound by it not us. Have fun


56 posted on 05/20/2018 8:18:59 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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Comment #57 Removed by Moderator

To: ebb tide

You state your magisterium is equal to Scripture, not me. So you are the one stating you are bound by your doctrine as if God said it. I’m not telling you anything other than your often quoted Roman wisdom.


58 posted on 05/20/2018 8:43:03 PM PDT by Mom MD ( .)
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To: Mom MD

You really don’t know what you’re talking about.


59 posted on 05/20/2018 8:55:40 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: ebb tide

True! They practice the cardinal rule of protestant societies: it’s OK to bash Catholics.


60 posted on 05/20/2018 9:51:09 PM PDT by Marchmain (good night)
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