Pope: Other denominations not true churches

[mercygate]

bob – you have a lot of trouble making distinctions, don’t you?

The statement that the document has “no relevance” in the context of that post means “no relevance to the ordinary believer because it is not a definitive doctrinal statement.”

My statement that Kaspar’s document is relevant inthe discussion means in the official discussions held among Jews and Catholics.

Bottom line: This is not a document that WE need to wrestle with because it is NOT official Church teaching.

I used to despise the Catholic Church for telling lay people not to bother with things that are none of their business. Frequenting discussions on these Forums has given me much greater insight in to WHY pastors might have taken such a position. As our Lord says, there is stuff “you can’t bear now.”

 

[Nordar]

bob – you have a lot of trouble making distinctions, don’t you?

The statement that the document has “no relevance” in the context of that post means “no relevance to the ordinary believer because it is not a definitive doctrinal statement.”

My statement that Kaspar’s document is relevant inthe discussion means in the official discussions held among Jews and Catholics.

Bottom line: This is not a document that WE need to wrestle with because it is NOT official Church teaching.

I used to despise the Catholic Church for telling lay people not to bother with things that are none of their business. Frequenting discussions on these Forums has given me much greater insight in to WHY pastors might have taken such a position. As our Lord says, there is stuff “you can’t bear now.”

For the umty- twelveth time

 

[rpp]

http://www.thinkawesome.com/pz/ham.gif

Now we are really getting places on this thread!

http://yankeeschick.mlblogs.com/yankees_fans_are_the_true/images/broken_record.jpg

round and round we go…

What they said.

 

[nilofc]

imperfectly joined? c’mon!

What does that mean? According to the Pope, there is only one church, no more gray area!

…and more importantly according to Jesus Himself.

…“On this rock I will build my CHURCH (Singular)”.

So if they’re gonna question the Pope, maybe they should question God first.

 

[KatieD]

I was very disappointed a couple of weeks ago, when I went to a retirement dinner for our DRE, and someone brought up these comments. Almost no one in our group understood what had actually been said. They commented that they couldn’t believe the Pope had said we were the only Church, and “boy, didn’t he finally show his true colors.” This was so upsetting to me! If we within the Church don’t understand what has been said and don’t take the time to learn, how can we expect the rest of the community to understand? Many of us don’t seem to understand what our Church teaches.

 

[brianwalden]

I was very disappointed a couple of weeks ago, when I went to a retirement dinner for our DRE, and someone brought up these comments. Almost no one in our group understood what had actually been said. They commented that they couldn’t believe the Pope had said we were the only Church, and “boy, didn’t he finally show his true colors.” This was so upsetting to me! If we within the Church don’t understand what has been said and don’t take the time to learn, how can we expect the rest of the community to understand? Many of us don’t seem to understand what our Church teaches.

KatieD, you’ve hit the nail on the head. You can lead a Catholic to the Church, but you can’t make him drink…

 

[mdgspencer]

Unfortunately, it seems that many Catholics hear Catholic news only from secular sources such as TV and the newspapers. Some of the writers and newscasters don’t understand Catholicism and some of them like to speak harshly about it. The only answer I can see is to get Catholic news from Catholic sources such as the National Catholic Register. I don’t have a TV but if EWTN carries regular programming of Catholic news that would be a good source too.

 

[breathespirit]

This may highlight misperceptions:

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288976,00.html

 

[vern_humphrey]

This may highlight misperceptions:

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288976,00.html

My church, Saint Mary’s in Mountain View, Arkansas, is technically classified as a “Catholic community,” not as a “Catholic church” because we do not have a priest – we are served by priests from another county.

 

[breathespirit]

I’m confused, please elaborate more on the intention of what you are trying to say.

 

[vern_humphrey]

I’m confused, please elaborate more on the intention of what you are trying to say.

The distinguishing feature of a church is that it has a validly ordained priest. Small, priestless congregations like ours are technically “communities” rather than churches.

This is the same principle the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explained on a larger scale – to be a “Church” rather than a “Community,” you must have a validly ordained priesthood. Those “churches” which do not have the Apostolic succession do not have valid orders.

 

[brianwalden]

The distinguishing feature of a church is that it has a validly ordained priest. Small, priestless congregations like ours are technically “communities” rather than churches.

This is the same principle the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explained on a larger scale – to be a “Church” rather than a “Community,” you must have a validly ordained priesthood. Those “churches” which do not have the Apostolic succession do not have valid orders.

Don’t you need a Bishop to be a church? Isn’t the diocese, not the parish, the smallest unit of the church? You’re certainly under the direction of a Bishop and you celebrate the sacraments when a priest is available. I think that makes you a church regardless of whether or not you have a pastor.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Don’t you need a Bishop to be a church? Isn’t the diocese, not the parish, the smallest unit of the church? You’re certainly under the direction of a Bishop and you celebrate the sacraments when a priest is available. I think that makes you a church regardless of whether or not you have a pastor.

Yes, you need a bishop. However, we are a Catholic Community, not a church, as long as we lack a priest, and that’s how we’re technically classed.

 

[rpp]

I think we are getting the words “church” and “parish” confused in several of the preceding posts.

 

[vern_humphrey]

I think we are getting the words “church” and “parish” confused in several of the preceding posts.

Who is “we?” Technically, Saint Mary’s in Mountain View, Arkansas is a Catholic community, not a Catholic church.

 

[rpp]

Who is “we?” Technically, Saint Mary’s in Mountain View, Arkansas is a Catholic community, not a Catholic church.

I believe when you were trying to distinguish between a “Catholic community” and a “Catholic church” you meant a Catholic Parish. I believe, and I may be wrong, that a “church” is too general a term, and it is a parish which requires an assigned pastor (priest).

As for “we”, I was just trying to say this in a charitable way as I myself sometimes get these two terms mixed up.

 

[estesbob]

Who is “we?” Technically, Saint Mary’s in Mountain View, Arkansas is a Catholic community, not a Catholic church.

I hate the term Catholic community. Made us sound I like a commune

 

[vern_humphrey]

I believe when you were trying to distinguish between a “Catholic community” and a “Catholic church” you meant a Catholic Parish. I believe, and I may be wrong, that a “church” is too general a term, and it is a parish which requires an assigned pastor (priest).

As for “we”, I was just trying to say this in a charitable way as I myself sometimes get these two terms mixed up.

We call ourselves a Catholic church. The Diocese calls us a Catholic community.

 

[estesbob]

We call ourselves a Catholic church. The Diocese calls us a Catholic community.

Our church calls itself a community

 

[rlg94086]

I hate the term Catholic community. Made us sound I like a commune

“Christ’s peace…Dude.”