Last week I listened to the book “The Warning”. It told the story of Marino Restrepo. When I finished, I began listening to another book about him called “Winning the Battle for Our Souls”. This book is about the teachings that Jesus gave to Marino. In the book, Marino says that Jesus told him that Catholics should not try to convert Protestants because God put them where they are for a reason, and that there are many paths to God and the Catholic Church is just one of them, although it’s the best one. This threw up major red flags for me…..this is not the teaching of the Church. Now, it has me unsure of Marion’s whole story. Has anyone else seen this? What do you think?
We're supposed to go and make disciples of all nations. So that book doesn't sound correct in theology to me...
I haven't read his book, but I watched him talk for a bit after learning his story and I sensed something "off." Just my own feeling, but I moved on pretty quick.
When I was a child, I was taught by Irish nuns that there are indeed many pathways to God but only one TRUE God. And in my class, there were students of different faiths. All were welcomed by the nuns and treated as tenderly and as lovingly as they did us, Catholics. But there was never any attempt to shape our faith to these other beliefs. No diluting either. There was also no disparaging of their faiths. And neither was there any attempt to find common ground with them. In our classes and lessons, it was very clear that there was only the God we knew. What I understood from that time, even as a child, was that there might be many different little roads - different faiths, different journeys but all leading to the one Main Road of this ONE God - the God that we Catholics knew. We were not on "one of the roads" but we were already on the only main road there was and we were also on a journey. So, even if these others were not Catholics (yet), if they stuck to the journey of seeking, they were undoubtably on a journey to The Faith. I don't know if this was what M. Restropo meant.
I am not out trying to convert people to the catholic faith. Maybe that is a fault of mine. I do pray for the conversion of people many times a day though! I did read through his conversion story and it was pretty amazing. Judging by the fruits.
I heard his testimony on his dramatic conversion and read his book Catholics Awake. I don't recall that he ever said that. He did say that to be Catholic is to have received an awesome treasure from God and that outside the Church there is no salvation. That all grace that comes into the world comes through the Church and if you are a Protestant you may have lived as a Protestant but you will die as a Catholic because Jesus will show you the truth and it is up to you to accept it or not. He has said that only the Holy Spirit can convert. All we can do is live our faith as faithfully as we can and keep praying for conversions. He has also said that ALL grace comes through Our Lady. That she is the umbilical cord to Jesus and protestants who deny her or ignore her are incredibly blind and foolish. I don't know if this helps or not but that is what I know of Marino Restrepo.
I am certainly open to correction on this but I am not sure he meant that we do not need to make disciples of all nations.
"You are Peter and on that rock I will build My Church" (Matthew 16v18) (not my churches!!). Why would Christ contradict Himself by saying the Catholic Church is just one path to God of many? Either the Catholic is the Church Christ referred to in Matthew 16v18 or we can all just go and join whatever denomination we want or not bother at all. Protestants are in major error in theology and sacramental life - that is not their fault if they are born into it and we have to respect them in that case if they are sincere in their beliefs and not for changing. But if an opportunity arose if they were open to discussion we should engage.
I read those two books you mention and feel that they don't do his story justice. In the 1st one, his story is described very briefly in a few pages compared to many full-length testimonies you can find online (that book has short excerpts of conversion stories which leave out many details). What I've heard him say is similar to what AED says so well above. Marino's testimony is one of the major stories of conversion of our times. He is a missionary and has spoken in Churches for years. No one is forced to listen to him, but it's a shame if we can't learn from his experience.
I have read his book and was impressed. With regard to theology there is always the problem of communicating effectively - there is no doubt he has had a tremendous conversion experience. It looks like he has an effective ministry too. https://www.marinorestrepo.com/about-us
I was very impressed too by Marino Restrepo's testimony. However, my interest in him declined when I saw him be critical of those not willing to be vaccinated. Sorry I don't have a link to the video.
