The Church is not an elitist group, it is open to all. There is only one Church. All are called but some don't answer the call or are misled into believing that they have. There are many good people outside the Church (how many times am I expected to say this) but they live outside the fullness of truth found ONLY in the Catholic Church and our role is to persuade them of the fact not to leave them in their various errors or even more seriously to congratulate them for being in error.
Ok. Got it. But as Pope Francis has said, one must tend the wounds FIRST, then bring them to the water of life, which is truth. If I cannot ACT like a Christian, and all I can do is spout doctrine, that is no way to bring someone to truth. Loving a person into truth is the surest way. That is what the saints have proven. That is what Francis is doing....ALL THAT IS REQUIRED IS AN OPEN HEART...THAT IS what our Lady has been saying FOREVER....
These are the people that you are talking about, they are 'saved', 'bible only', prosperity gospel enthusiasts. It is a great 'stretch' to connect their 'theology' to Catholicism. They are in need of conversion not approval. http://www.kcm.org.uk/
But then again Stephen they could point to our covering up of child molesters, as a matter of fact I think there is one Police Archbishop whom the police are chasing and he has been given diplomatic immunity in the Vatican. They could come up with a thousand good reasons to point the finger right back at us. They could talk about the Vatican money laundering and the links to the Mafia. The jealousies and power grabbing amongst the Roman Curia; need I go on? John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
He did seem a little when he told Tony there is only one sinless ,blameless ,the Lord. Somehow forgetting the Blessed Virgin? or would that be to hard for the evangelists to swallow?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/archbishop-jozef-wesolowski-extradition_n_4577241.html Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski will not be extradited to his native Poland, despite accusations of sex abuse there and in the Dominican Republic, where he served as papal nuncio until his August 2013 dismissal. The Warsaw Office of the Prosecutor reported the the Vatican had tersely replied to their extradition request, saying that "Archbishop Wesolowski is a citizen of the Vatican, and Vatican law does not allow for his extradition," according to Catholic Culture. Polish TV channel N24 commented that "The Holy See's response is concise and fits in a half-page. The letter's authors noted that the Vatican is investigating the Catholic hierarch about the alleged practice of pedophilia," according to Dominican Today. The Vatican recalled Wesolowski to Rome before Dominican prosecutors announced their investigation, though it said that it was cooperating with prosecutors. Wesolowski is the highest-ranking Vatican official to be investigated for sex abuse, and his case raises questions of sovereignty when it comes to prosecution. At the time of the recall, Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi denied that the Vatican was trying to shield Wesolowski. According to The Tablet, Wesolowski is currently believed to be living in the Vatican.
An ex-member of the 'Word of Faith' speaks. They want your money and the Pope greets them! (Last word on the matter). You want money, promotion, love? - then just give to the org.
Seems like you are claiming to know more about theology than the Pope? Our Lady was redeemed by the merits of the precious blood of the Lamb like all other creatures. It was by God's grace she remained sinless. 'My spirit rejoices in God my saviour'.
wow. I'm glad my 'heartfelt' sentences are not picked apart to death...sounds like all of you will never be happy. I would take my bible thumping baptist brothers and sisters who love Jesus and the Father and Son without reserve and without being ashamed in a heartbeat....there are SOOOOO many catholics who are so darn afraid of the Holy Spirit and of being 'uncomfortable' living the life of the spirit that I am ashamed of them. They know NOT what they are missing...truly! Pope Francis http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=19966 “Yes, for me ecumenism is a priority,” the Pope said in response to a question on ecumenism. “Today there is an ecumenism of blood. In some countries they kill Christians for wearing a cross or having a Bible and before they kill them they do not ask them whether they are Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic or Orthodox. Their blood is mixed. To those who kill, we are Christians. We are united in blood, even though we have not yet managed to take necessary steps towards unity between us, and perhaps the time has not yet come. Unity is a gift that we need to ask for.”
That is the first thing I thought of too actually when I watched the video but then again I thought he probably just left this out for the reasons you mentioned. I also heard from a very holy priest this past year that John the Baptist was also sinless in the womb but was not born immaculate like Mary but became sinless in the womb as we see by this passage: Luke 1: [11] And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense. [12] And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. [13] But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John: [14] And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity. [15] For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother' s womb. The priest claimed that whenever we see the term "filled with the Holy Ghost" that one is sinless. Now what we don't know is if John remained sinless but it would sugges that he was born without original sin.
or that he was 'Baptised' in his mother's womb so he was not born with original sin, but with the grace of Baptism already done. On EWTN all this came up nit-pik-ing about Francis saying Jesus was the only 'blameless' one....of course someone called in and said, "What about Mary? What about Job? They were also called Blameless!!!" Well, thankfully the host said, "Hey, put it in perspective folks. The Pope is making a point. He doesn't have to quote every darn scripture that applies!!!"
Steve should the Pope not greet them? Should Jesus not have greeted Mathew or Mary Magdalen. Should he not had dined with and stayed with sinners? My parish prays for and asks for money every sunday for the church's building fund (trying to raise money for a perpetual adoration chapel and some much needed renovations). I am not saying that what they are doing is right but when it comes to money and asking for money, Catholics are not much different in that regard. All religions ask for money and that is one of the largest attacks on religion from Atheists.
In the mid nineties as an ex-cradle Catholic college dropout, new age loving lost sheep it was a USA baptist girl (now Catholic) who argued against me for Jesus. I hadn't a hope against her she really spoke the Holy Spirits words. In a matter of days I had the conversion of a lifetime which I would like to write about again. I flirted with evangelical protestantism for a while but a few things like the lack of the mystical elements caused me to fall away at the time. So for me they have helped me as a stepping stone back to the Universal Church. These are amazing times, wow. PS. After conversion I went back to college and it went really well....
The Pope has a degree in theology and has been bishop, cardinal, now Pope. I think he knows the Catholic faith much, much better than anyone on this forum. In the context of his 'chat' he mentioned that it was sin that caused schism and there was sin on both sides but that there was only one who is blameless, the Lord. Why would he mention the blessed Virgin Mary in this context?
I dont see why you pesist Garabandal. He said 'WE ARE ALL SINNERS,THERE IS ONLY ONE WHO IS BLAMELESS AND SINLESS' This is simply not true, The Church allows her children to critcize ,and it is not a sin if one points out with due respect the faults of the eccesiastical hierarchy.
