The Vatican issued a document Tuesday [July 10, 2007] ratified and confirmed by Pope Benedict reasserting that the Roman Catholic Church is the only "true" church and that other denominations do not hold "the means to salvation."
Those might sound like fightin' words in an era in which interfaith events are commonplace, but, for the most part, representatives of other denominations sounded more forgiving than angry.
Many in the Minnesota faith community said that they've heard the same assertion from Roman Catholics before. Photo
"This is who they've always been," said the Rev. Barbara Anne Keely, associate professor of Christian education and congregational spirituality at United Theological Seminary, an ecumenical seminary in New Brighton operated by the United Church of Christ. "I was raised Irish Catholic. That's what I was taught then, and that's what they teach now."
For Bishop Sally Dyck, resident bishop of Minnesota for the United Methodist Church, the timing of the Vatican's statement was ironic. She was attending a conference at St. John's University in Collegeville -- a very Catholic place -- when she got a call on her cell phone about it.
"We enjoy a good relationship with Roman Catholics, as well as all other faiths, and we will continue to do so," she said. "Locally, I don't think this will have an effect in terms of how we embrace our Catholic brothers and sisters." Read complete article – StarTribune.com/MINNEAPOLIS – ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
Photo La Pietà (1499) a Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
Is Pope Benedict turning back Catholic clock?
By Philip Pullella – Analysis - www.reuters.com
Supporters say that by allowing a wider use of the Latin Mass and reasserting Catholic primacy over other religions, he is trying to revitalize his 1.1 billion-member church and prepare it for an uncertain future.
"Basically, what we are in the grip of at the moment, and Benedict is one of the engineers of this, is what I would call a strong re-assertion of traditional Catholic identity," said John Allen, author of several books on the church and the Vatican.
Some saw his decision to allow a wider use of the old-style Latin Mass as a blow to the reforms of the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council, which substituted Latin for local languages, modernized the church and encouraged inter-religious dialogue.
Catholics who thought the days of incense and dead languages were behind them were puzzled. Jews voiced concern over the possible use of prayers for their conversion in the old Mass.
Benedict also approved a document which said all other Christian denominations apart from Catholicism were wounded and not full churches of Jesus Christ, drawing the ire of a number of Protestant groups who said it would hurt dialogue.
"This is the Pope being the German professor who is going to clarify language in his classroom," said Father Tom Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. "And he thinks the world is his classroom."
"The problem with that is that he defines what a church is and by doing so takes any discussion of what a church is off the table in dialogue (with other religions)," said Reese, a leading U.S. Jesuit author. Read complete article – Reuters - www.reuters.com
by Fr. Marty Kurylowicz
Important note: I mean no disrespect to Pope Benedict XVI or the hierarchy, the one and only concern is the safety and well-being of children. Kids are being hurt!!!
With all due respect to Benedict XVI reasserting that the Roman Catholic Church is the only "true" church and that other denominations do not hold "the means to salvation" is truly a sacrilege. In addition, it needs not to be let go unchallenged by the Roman Catholic Church at large. Benedict XVI’s sacrilegious reassertion is not in accord with the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II or with our Lord Jesus Christ, anymore than the sun revolves around the earth, Galileo. True love, the love Christ, is always the deciding factor, and a sign of Christ's true disciples,
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13: 34-35 Photo La Pietà (1499) a Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo in St. Peter's
Important note: I mean no disrespect to Pope Benedict XVI or the hierarchy, the one and only concern is the safety and well-being of children. Kids are being hurt!!!
To be continued...
1 comment:
In response to the comment: "the Vatican issued a document Tuesday [July 10, 2007] ratified and confirmed by Pope Benedict reasserting that the Roman Catholic Church is the only "true" church"
I must point out that this document does not even contain the word "Roman," (except in a footnote) but rather refers to the "Catholic Church." This is important because the Catholic Church to which it refers is made up of more than twenty Churches in union with Rome, only one of which is the Roman Catholic Church.
Post a Comment