Concerned over Pope Francis quote

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CompSciGuy

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Hello all,

I recently became aware of an address of Pope Francis to the John 17 movement because of a quote in someone’s CAF signature (not going to say whose). The quote goes something like this:
"The devil knows that Christians are disciples of Christ, that they are one, that they are brothers! He doesn’t care if they are Evangelicals or Orthodox, Lutherans, Catholics or Apostolic … he doesn’t care! They are Christians.”
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Pope Francis to the John 17 Movement, 2015.

Really? He doesn’t care? God doesn’t care if Luther broke off from the Church that Jesus founded and established his own? God doesn’t care about heresies and schisms? I suppose he wouldn’t care if I left the Catholic Church and went back to the Presbyterian church I grew up in, and rejected all the Church’s theological and moral teachings, and used contraception in good conscience. I suppose he wouldn’t care if I rejected the papacy and the sacraments and stopped going to confession. I don’t suppose any of this has any bearing on my salvation, does it, as long as I profess a faith in Jesus Christ? Why don’t our parishes just stop offering RCIA programs, CCD and adult faith formation. Why doesn’t Catholic Answers stop its mission of apologetics? Is there any need for these if it doesn’t even matter what denomination we belong to?
 
The devil hates creation and everything in it. He’s an equal opportunity hater. He doesn’t hate the righteous more, and he doesn’t hate the wicked less. He hates everyone as much as he is capable of hating. He does not care who you are, or what you do, or where you go to church. He hates you and he hates me.

Christians (of all faiths) are more problematic for him because they have received valid Christian Baptism, so we are lost to him until and unless we commit a mortal sin (and don’t go to Confession). Most protestants have valid Baptism, but not Confession.

God cares about the things you named, but not the devil.
 
Ummm, the quote is suppose to be what the devil thinks, not God.

The devil wants the soul of a believer and is not terribly picky.
 
quote:

"The devil knows that Christians are disciples of Christ, that they are one, that they are brothers! He doesn’t care if they are Evangelicals or Orthodox, Lutherans, Catholics or Apostolic … he doesn’t care! They are Christians.”

In the passage you quoted, the pope obviously isn’t trying to explain what the devil cares about, he’s warning us:
  1. The devil does exist. He is not a metaphor for “evil” or a literary symbol.
  2. Christian unity is crucial. We are all in this boat together. That does not necessarily mean the different denominations are equally true, but that Christians are all precious in God’s eyes - and all Christians should be precious in our eyes, too
The pope is showing what Christians should care about. Each other.
 
CompSciGuy said:
Hello all,

I recently became aware of an address of Pope Francis to the John 17 movement because of a quote in someone’s CAF signature (not going to say whose). The quote goes something like this:

Pope Francis to the John 17 Movement, 2015.

Really? He doesn’t care? God doesn’t care if Luther broke off from the Church that Jesus founded and established his own? God doesn’t care about heresies and schisms? I suppose he wouldn’t care if I left the Catholic Church and went back to the Presbyterian church I grew up in, and rejected all the Church’s theological and moral teachings, and used contraception in good conscience. I suppose he wouldn’t care if I rejected the papacy and the sacraments and stopped going to confession. I don’t suppose any of this has any bearing on my salvation, does it, as long as I profess a faith in Jesus Christ? Why don’t our parishes just stop offering RCIA programs, CCD and adult faith formation. Why doesn’t Catholic Answers stop its mission of apologetics? Is there any need for these if it doesn’t even matter what denomination we belong to?
Click to expand...
Don’t know the source of the quote you provided but it sounds like the evil one doesn’t care what denomination of Christian. I’m sure God doesn’t care what church we belong to either. We nailed His Son to the cross, constantly sin against Him, yet He still loves us. Even those who don’t love Him back, He still loves. How great is our God? 👍
 
808Catholic said:
Don’t know the source of the quote you provided but it sounds like the evil one doesn’t care what denomination of Christian. I’m sure God doesn’t care what church we belong to either. We nailed His Son to the cross, constantly sin against Him, yet He still loves us. Even those who don’t love Him back, He still loves. How great is our God? 👍
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Agreed, but it seems to be very upsetting to the ultra conservative Catholic
 
DavidFilmer said:
The devil hates creation and everything in it. He’s an equal opportunity hater. He doesn’t hate the righteous more, and he doesn’t hate the wicked less. He hates everyone as much as he is capable of hating. He does not care who you are, or what you do, or where you go to church. He hates you and he hates me.

Christians (of all faiths) are more problematic for him because they have received valid Christian Baptism, so we are lost to him until and unless we commit a mortal sin (and don’t go to Confession). Most protestants have valid Baptism, but not Confession.

God cares about the things you named, but not the devil.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure what the Holy Father meant by “Apostolic”, but if he meant the Apostolic Pentecostal movement, they don’t accept the Trinity and thus their baptisms would be invalid.
 
808Catholic said:
Don’t know the source of the quote you provided but it sounds like the evil one doesn’t care what denomination of Christian. I’m sure God doesn’t care what church we belong to either. We nailed His Son to the cross, constantly sin against Him, yet He still loves us. Even those who don’t love Him back, He still loves. How great is our God? 👍
Click to expand...
God doesn’t care what church we belong to? Then why did he start the one true Church?

Jesus died for us. He also gave us the beautiful Eucharist. You don’t think God is bothered that nobody but Catholucs receive him body, blood, soul and divinity?
 
CompSciGuy said:
Hello all,

I recently became aware of an address of Pope Francis to the John 17 movement because of a quote in someone’s CAF signature (not going to say whose). The quote goes something like this:

Pope Francis to the John 17 Movement, 2015.

Really? He doesn’t care? God doesn’t care if Luther broke off from the Church that Jesus founded and established his own? God doesn’t care about heresies and schisms? I suppose he wouldn’t care if I left the Catholic Church and went back to the Presbyterian church I grew up in, and rejected all the Church’s theological and moral teachings, and used contraception in good conscience. I suppose he wouldn’t care if I rejected the papacy and the sacraments and stopped going to confession. I don’t suppose any of this has any bearing on my salvation, does it, as long as I profess a faith in Jesus Christ? Why don’t our parishes just stop offering RCIA programs, CCD and adult faith formation. Why doesn’t Catholic Answers stop its mission of apologetics? Is there any need for these if it doesn’t even matter what denomination we belong to?
Click to expand...
The quote says the devil doesn’t care, it doesn’t say God doesn’t care. Pope Francis certainly cares. He thinks that everyone ought to belong to the one true Church:

“It is an absurd dichotomy to think of living with Christ without the Church, of following Jesus outside his Church, of loving Jesus without loving the Church.” source
 
Regina7 said:
God doesn’t care what church we belong to? Then why did he start the one true Church?

Jesus died for us. He also gave us the beautiful Eucharist. You don’t think God is bothered that nobody but Catholucs receive him body, blood, soul and divinity?
Click to expand...
I can’t accept the idea that God will send a Non - Catholic to hell. If the person loves Jesus, keeps the Commandments, and follows what Jesus has taught…how can God condemn him?
 
truetofaith said:
I can’t accept the idea that God will send a Non - Catholic to hell. If the person loves Jesus, keeps the Commandments, and follows what Jesus has taught…how can God condemn him?
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Here is a problem, one could sincerely love Jesus, keep the commandments, and follow what Jesus taught, yet reject who Jesus has sent. By their own standards of judgment, they feel the ones that Jesus sent are corrupt and not from Jesus. They think they are saved. Objectively, by Jesus’ own words, they have rejected Him. Can someone who has rejected Jesus be saved?
 
Regina7 said:
God doesn’t care what church we belong to? Then why did he start the one true Church?

Jesus died for us. He also gave us the beautiful Eucharist. You don’t think God is bothered that nobody but Catholucs receive him body, blood, soul and divinity?
Click to expand...
I hope you’re not suggesting only Catholics will be saved by God’s design.:eek:

Jesus came to save all. Yes, He established one church so that we can bring others INto the church not to keep them OUT. Please pray on this.
 
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