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Christianity Today, April (Web-only), 2008 |

Pope Benedict Goes to Washington

Pope's U.S. visit is expected to strengthen evangelical-Catholic relationship.

Sheryl Henderson Blunt | posted 4/16/2008 03:55PM

President Bush welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the White House today in a grand arrival ceremony that coincided with the pope's 81st birthday.

White House staff said the event, with its unprecedented number ...

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Catnip

Posted: April 23, 2008 10:05 AM

I find the comments on this thread lacking in any knowledge of the Catholic Church. It's no wonder to me that evangelicals are so anti-Catholic when they lack basic information. Even Dr. Richard Mouw lacks basic information on Catholicism, as is evidenced by a recent article he wrote on Catholic religious orders, comparing them to evangelicals who wander from church to church as seekers. You guys have a loooooooong way to go.

anonymous

Posted: April 22, 2008 4:21 PM


i love the pope its not really hard 2 believe he is 81

Susan

Posted: April 21, 2008 12:15 AM

Much talk which is good, but we must, must, MUST PRAY for Christian unity. We need each other now more than ever in history. The Body of Christ, the Church is broken as Christ's body was on earth, and must be healed through the untiy of all Christians. The world needs us whole. The "church" is no more "invisible" than we are! The Church is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, the one that Jesus founded which the "gates of hell will not prevail against." Our protestant brothers and sisters are imperfectly united with us Catholics, just as are many Catholics imperfectly living out their Catholic faith. Let us PRAY for unity!!! The Catholic Church needs it's protestant brothers and sisters to come home to us, and when you do, you will inflame the whole family of God, the Catholic Church, with your love and zeal -- we need you NOW. For the ones who feel "excluded" from the Eucharist, remember, you are wanted and needed at Mass - come home to your Holy Mother Church!

Peter F. Benson

Posted: April 20, 2008 10:50 AM

I find it interesting, the article takes note of the difference, what some call a deep rift, between Evangelicals and Catholics. The early (very early) church at Rome which sort of morfed into the Catholic Church over the first two hundred years of the Church, sort of set the mold for the Gentile Christian Church. Evangelic revivals, such as Methodists under Wesley, early Congregationalists, and the ever-present Baptists restored a kind of true faith coupled to solid study and reading of God's Word and prayer. But their days of worship were still distinctly "Catholic" (except for early Congregationalists). Few consider what the Church was in the first 250 years in Asia Minor--Judeo-Christian, observing voluntarily the Sabbath and Holy Days of Leviticus 23. For an interesting study of this period, see http://www.unityinchrist.com/history2/index3.htm . Catholicism is a far cry from the early Christian church. Now God has restored the Jewish branch of the body of Christ...

Dave N.

Posted: April 20, 2008 12:27 AM


Why in the WORLD would CT quote Deal Hudson of all people as a Catholic representative?? The reason he is the "former" adviser to President Bush is because he resigned embroiled in a nasty sex scandal involving an admitted affair with one of his students. Out of the millions of Catholics, why would anyone seek his opinion and publish same? Disgraceful.

Charles Horton

Posted: April 19, 2008 9:22 PM

If I rightly read the news, only Catholics attended the Mass at St. Patrick's. How sad to the extreme it is that other clergy with whom the pope spoke to and with earlier this week were not a part of this most important ritual that the universal Church celebrates: Communion, Eucharist, or whatever you want to call the service where we re-live the Lord's Supper with Jesus Christ. All Christians basically agree on its meaning and deep significance. There must be heavy weeping in heaven every time this celebration occurs while at the same time, other openly confessing Christians are excluded from it. To all my Roman Catholic friends out there: you've got to get over this. Let us visit you and share our faith together and celebrate the Lord's Supper together.

John	Posted: April 19, 2008 11:18 AM


And some of the Evangelicals have also provoked the unrest. The Reverend Billy Graham stated in his autobiography that some local Evangelical Pastors in Latin America may have unecessarily provoked Catholics through inflammatory preaching, or the distribution of inflammatory phamphlets etc. .

h. D. Schmidt

Posted: April 19, 2008 8:33 AM

The words of President George W. as to how good America is as a nation, will remain, very far from the truth when compared to true facts as they have been developing especially so, under his watch. Yes, he more than any President of recent has the Founding Fathers weeping in their graves as never before, and especially in light, that he claimed Jesus as his heroe and prays daily and reads Scripture daily. He is sitting there in the Oval Office with finger on the trigger in a figure of speech, and with never a word of redemptive attitude to any one leader anywhere that does not bow low to him he threatens to blow out of the map. Even evil Saddam, a former friend and ally of America, begged to speak to him, and so have done others. Yet the response sort of: Get the hell out of my way! Where is the command of Jesus to love our enemies? Zero out of George W.'s mouth, right? Yes, while America is the mass grave of 50+ million of unborn babies, and adding daily thousands more! Satan smiling?

JIM from Nevada

Posted: April 19, 2008 8:22 AM

WHAT IS IN A NAME OR TITLE ? ONE SAYS I AM A CATHOLIC, ANOTHER SAYS I AM A BAPTIST, ANOTHER SAYS I AM LUTHERAN, YET ANOTHER SAYS I AM INDEPENDENT. THE FOREMOST COMMAND IS TO LOVE THE LORD, THE TRUE GOD, WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH - PERIOD ... THE LORD JESUS ASKED PETER THREE TIMES, 'DO YOU LOVE ME?' ... AND THE ONLY WAY FOR A PERSON CAN LOVE FROM A PURE HEART THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IS BY THE 'NEW BIRTH' ... YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN. BOTTOM LINE, DO YOU LOVE YOUR CHURCH'S NAME MORE THAN THE LORD OF THE CHURCH, JESUS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD?

Tracy Lewis

Posted: April 19, 2008 6:49 AM

All who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are my brothers and Sisters regardless of any other distinction "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your with your heart you believe and are justified and with your mouth you confess and are saved"Romans10:9-10 We all need forgiveness of sin "If we confess our sin he(Jesus) he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to purify us from all unrighteousness" 1John1:9

Kevin

Posted: April 19, 2008 1:35 AM


Salvation in is Christ and not in holding the correct theology per se. There are those Catholics who trust in Christ, and far be it from us to usurp God's place and judge their eternal salvation. And far be it from us to divide the body of believers whom Jesus prayed should be one. That's not relativism, just perspective.

Robertson

Posted: April 19, 2008 12:09 AM

I appreciate the truth in Pope Benedict's message and his admiration of the American blend and practice of Christianity - much more evident than in Europe. Although I disagree with some Roman Catholic traditions that seemingly obscure our direct access to God through prayer, I do not doubt the sincere reliance on God's grace and Christ's death for our salvation as taught by the RC Church. I also think that the RC Church has a historic legitimacy that is missing from other assorted Christian denominations. As far as quoting proof texts: "This is my body," "Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven . . ," " You are Peter (the rock), and upon this rock I build my church." Do you recall that many people left Jesus due to his teaching of his believers eating his body? It seems he might have loved them enough to say, "Wait! That's not exactly what I meant." I think we need to rejoice in our common faith and agree to disagree as Christian brothers and sisters where we must.

George T.

Posted: April 18, 2008 7:36 PM


The Pope is demonstrating the world that his theological and spiritual message is for understanding of the Faiths. It is no coincidence that American intuitively love this great man of wisdom and patience and understanding.

Bill Scudder

Posted: April 18, 2008 6:38 PM

Cardinal Joseph Radzinger (now the pope) signed the notorious 'Criminale Solicitacciones' instruction first issued by Pope John XXIII and re-issued by John Paul II. This documentation proves that no fewer than three popes knew of both widespread pedophilia and sex with animals by members of its clergy at least as early as 1960, and allowed it to continue, instructing the Roman Catholic hierarchy to protect sex criminal nuns and priests at the expense of not protecting the little children whose lives these criminal sex perverts destroy by the thousands. Azusa755@sbcglobal.net

Matthew

Posted: April 18, 2008 12:55 PM

Alpha-Omega-outreach, Sounds like you are a disciple of the "illustrious" Jack Chick. As most anti-Catholics go, you know so little about Catholic teaching that it is embarassing to you and your "cause." By the way, Mary did need a savior, and she got one...her own son who saved her even before His birth. Be wary of your disdain of Mary, no Son likes to hear others speak ill of their mother. Get the point? In Truth, Matthew

Guy	Posted: April 18, 2008 12:35 PM

Evangelicals have baggage. It includes exaggerated emphasis on doctrines that mirror Roman Catholic "heresies". Most catholics and most evangelicals would explain "faith" and "grace" in identical terms. Their theologians refine nuanced differnces that find the other view damnable. Oh they are real differences that really do matter. But they often amount to so much irrelevant, refined esoterica to simple believers on both sides. It doesn't help that we may have more popes than they do!

CRABBY APPLE MICK LEE

Posted: April 18, 2008 10:46 AM

We still have profound differences with Catholicism and those should not be passed over. Yet, we must admit the Christ also works within the Catholic Church (imperfect it may be). Protestants have a few funky differences among themselves--sometimes exceeding ones between with the Catholic Church. I've sat through more than one argument in which one Baptist told a Methodist or Pentacostal (and vice-versa) that he wasn't a true Christian because their church wasn't true Christianity. The Lord will sort this all out. What I do know is that Christians are facing an increasingly hostile world. Many so-called "friendly" nation look the other way when Christians of all varieties are beaten and churches are burned to the ground. Like it or not, we're going to need each other. P.S. Luther said that the true Church was wherever the sacraments are kept and the Word of God is preached. You like Luther so much? Deal with that. Or maybe you don't know what "by faith alone" means at all.

Maryann

Posted: April 18, 2008 9:23 AM


Wow! I got chills reading some of the angry comments about this article. I can only imagine some of the writers brandishing their swords and screaming "Death to the Catholic infidels!" May God and Jesus Christ have mercy on all of us and judge each of us, as scripture says, according to the light that we have been given.

Mickey Addison

Posted: April 18, 2008 9:16 AM

I am disappointed that in the internet age, when information is available at one's fingertips, a commenter like Mr Shaw above would still be so uninformed about the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church teaches that salvation comes from Jesus Christ alone. She also teaches that the Church is the Body of Christ. She does not, nor has she ever, taught that "salvation comes from Mary or the Pope. She does not teach that one must be a member of the visible Body in order to be saved...put more simply, we know where the Church is, we don't know where it isn't...and we leave room for God to be sovereign to save whom He pleases. An excellent site that has simple, easy to understand explanations for those who have questions is http://www.catholic.com.

Patricia

Posted: April 18, 2008 8:54 AM


Protestantism and Catholicism are equally valid forms of Christianity. Christians need to stop this "my church is better than your church" and just go about the business of serving Christ. I do realize that some will want to burn me at the stake for these comments. Oh well...

John Servorum

Posted: April 18, 2008 7:15 AM

The Catholic Church is the one and only Church founded by Jesus Christ. All those who stubbornly choose to remain outside of the body of Christ, which is His Church, risk the loss of their immortal soul in Hell. It is your choice. Make up any sort of lie about the Catholic Church that entertains you. It does not matter. You will face the Lord at the Particular Judgment when you die. At that time you will have to explain to Him why you refused to become a part of the Body of Christ which is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by our Lord and testified to by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic tradition handed down to the Church, the writings of the Church Fathers and every other believer in the Church who chose to remain faithful to the Lord rather than following the heretics Luther, Calvin and all of the other heretics that have proceeded from them since the 16th century. You have built your house on sand and great will be the fall of it. Extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

circuitrider

Posted: April 18, 2008 5:04 AM

Having lived in a part of the Developing World where the Catholic church has actually incited unrest towards Evangelicals there is a part of me that longs for catholics to acknowledge these acts of violence and to seek forgiveness. Balanced against this, I recognize as a resident of North America that I have known a number of devout born-again believers who have remained within the Catholic church. I also recognize that when it comes to matters relating to social ethics I as an Evangelical frequently have more in common with the positions of the Catholic church than I do with the pronouncements emanating from mainstream protestant denominations. Unfortunately, my friends in the developing world are not always appreciative of this fact. It is a quandry!

emmanuel

Posted: April 18, 2008 3:28 AM


Catholic Church has been the only church to fight the secularism and the Church that has not changed with the change of public opinion. She was the only one to fight pro-life stance when many protestant churches rejoiced in front of legalization of abortion in USA. She was the main religious institution to fight against communism and atheism.

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: April 18, 2008 12:42 AM


Each with deep identity crisis and without the faintest clue of who Jesus Christ really is and how He can continue to be revealed firsthand to posterity, it will make no positive difference at all whether or not the two churches lower the barriers between them!

NotLukeWarm

Posted: April 18, 2008 12:14 AM

Most American Christians today sadly have the mistaken idea that no one should be judged, and certainly no one is condemned. I guess if your church does not teach the Bible is the infallible word of God, what Paul says in Galatians 1 doesn't count Galatians 1:6-10 "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

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