The Pope

[Theodora]

scylla:

He is my spiritual father, who is the successor of St. Peter.

He is a man like St. Peter who has been entrusted to be the earthly pastor of His Church. He kinda sits in the Prime Minister position.

We like to think of the Catholic Church as a big beautiful family, we have brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. He is like the eldest father to us.

I believe he stands for maintaining the truth of the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit guides the Church and will maintain that the Pope, no matter how much of a failure as a man, the Church wont fall.

There have been bad popes, but interestingly enough none has ever in 2000 years taught contradicting doctrine. There is a good book that goes into a little more detail called Pope Fiction by Patrick Madrid.

This is also a show on EWTN.

God Bless
Scylla

As you can see I like to waste time at my job and post on this board.

If this time is to fill the voids between tasks, I don’t consider it wasted time. In fact, you do a good service to many for giving such a sensible answer.

 

[NonDenom]

RiverRock:

The Catholic Church has done more good for the world and charity than any institution on the face on the earth. Hospitals; orphanages; colleges, all came out of the Catholic Church. Missionaries all around the world, Blessed Mother Theresa being one of them. Carrying on, for 2000 years. Perfect? Not at all. Bad people sometimes in charge? Absolutely. Does this negate Christ’s Church on earth? Absolutely not. Regarding the sex scandal, I doubt the Pope covered anything up. He said it was not only a crime, but horrible sin as well. And he is most certainly the successor to Peter. The Catholic Church brought the good news of Jesus to the earth for almost 400 years before it cannonized and protected the Bible. Obviously you haven’t read your Bible with unclouded eyes. The Catholic Church is absolutely Biblical on everything. It should be—devinely inspired Catholics wrote it, and the Church cannonized it. It’s our book. You stole it-deleted it-perverted it and now try to use it out of context to battle us. I won’t even mention the scripture that warns again changing the word of God and of self-interpretation. The Church of today most certainly resembles the early church, because it IS the early church. Read some unbiased history, please. There are also many excellent tracts right here on this website. And pray for Christ to guide you into all truth.

Hi Cats
This is one of the most PRIDEFUL posts I have read on this forum,
‘‘It’s your book’’. I’m sorry to dissapoint you but it’s God’s book, HE wrote it, HE gave it to any who would like to read it. If you could go back and ask the authers of the scriptures I would bet that they would say that they were only a tool used by God to deliver HIS message and not try and take all the credit as it appears you would. God warns us against being prideful.
Thanks

 

[silvano]

NonDenom:

Hi Cats
This is one of the most PRIDEFUL posts I have read on this forum,
‘‘It’s your book’’. I’m sorry to dissapoint you but it’s God’s book, HE wrote it, HE gave it to any who would like to read it. If you could go back and ask the authers of the scriptures I would bet that they would say that they were only a tool used by God to deliver HIS message and not try and take all the credit as it appears you would. God warns us against being prideful.
Thanks

Sorry NonDenom,but truth really hurts,especially for you!Gutenberg first printed the Bible and he was Catholic.The authors of the Bible were first generation Catholics e.g.St Peter,St Matthew,St.Luke et al.I would advise you to start reading history of Christianity,especially the Early Church Fathers.Dont be a Catholic basher,it is unchristian and it contradicts your belief!Don’t be afraid to seek for the truth, as it will set you free!

 

[Eden]

NonDenom:

Hi Cats
This is one of the most PRIDEFUL posts I have read on this forum,
‘‘It’s your book’’. I’m sorry to dissapoint you but it’s God’s book, HE wrote it, HE gave it to any who would like to read it. If you could go back and ask the authers of the scriptures I would bet that they would say that they were only a tool used by God to deliver HIS message and not try and take all the credit as it appears you would. God warns us against being prideful.
Thanks

While I understand your concerns about pride, the fact remains that the Lord entrusted the bishops of His Catholic Church with the responsibility of setting the canon. It benefits no one to try to erase the history of the Bible. Let’s work to promote truth and honesty about the origins of the written Word of God.

``We are compelled to concede to the Papists that they have the Word of God, that we received it from them, and that without them we should have no knowledge of it at all" - Martin Luther - Commentary on St.John

 

[NonDenom]

silvano:

Sorry NonDenom,but truth really hurts,especially for you!Gutenberg first printed the Bible and he was Catholic.The authors of the Bible were first generation Catholics e.g.St Peter,St Matthew,St.Luke et al.I would advise you to start reading history of Christianity,especially the Early Church Fathers.Dont be a Catholic basher,it is unchristian and it contradicts your belief!Don’t be afraid to seek for the truth, as it will set you free!

Hi Cats
I guess this is one area where we differ, I give all credit to God and God only as to where you want to give that credit to Man.
It is truly sad.
Thanks.

 

[ElizabethJoy]

NonDenom:

I guess this is one area where we differ, I give all credit to God and God only as to where you want to give that credit to Man.

:nope: And you complained about what you called a PRIDEFUL post?

“Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, forever and ever!”

 

[RiverRock]

NonDenom:

Hi Cats
I guess this is one area where we differ, I give all credit to God and God only as to where you want to give that credit to Man.
It is truly sad.
Thanks.

God GAVE man (Peter) the authority. Take it up with HIM. Well, we do agree on one thing. It truly IS sad. We don’t differ. You differ. You’ve chosen to manufacture your own “history” to fit your belief system. And herein lies my frustration with Prots. They are so brainwashed, their first attempt is to just ignore history, just as they skim over blatantly Catholic passages in the Bible. When that fails, then they must refute it entirely to the point of re-writing history. I guess I don’t blame them. They must do this in order to keep justifying thier man-made heresy. They do everything backwards. They develop their belief system first, to whatever extent that may be, then build Jesus around them to fit into their beliefs. Poor Jesus, He’s been surgically removed from the Chuch that HE instructed Peter to form as his earthly presence until He returns. Just “Jesus 'n Me”. Don’t need any of that other baggage. I’m free to form my own opinions, without all of those rules. Oh yeah, we’ll take the Bible too. Sort of. Right after we scissor it down and remove books and add words to change meanings. Oops, forgot some of those Catholic verses. Well, we’ll just *ignore * those. Those people must have been wrong the past 1500 years. What do they know? WE know better. After all, a renegade Priest carrying on an affair with a sinful Nun was the beginnings of the Deformation. You must be really proud of your founders. Catholicism holds original Christianity, and deep down, you know it. But to admit this, then your belief system will start to collapse. It’s easier to keep your head in the sand. I understand that. I implore you, please read, read, read. And not just from the Jack Chick Collection. And pray. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and your heart. Please give it a chance. If we’re wrong, well, you can always go back to your church shopping until you find a good fit.

 

[NonDenom]

RiverRock:

God GAVE man (Peter) the authority. Take it up with HIM. Well, we do agree on one thing. It truly IS sad. We don’t differ. You differ. You’ve chosen to manufacture your own “history” to fit your belief system. And herein lies my frustration with Prots. They are so brainwashed, their first attempt is to just ignore history, just as they skim over blatantly Catholic passages in the Bible. When that fails, then they must refute it entirely to the point of re-writing history. I guess I don’t blame them. They must do this in order to keep justifying thier man-made heresy. They do everything backwards. They develop their belief system first, to whatever extent that may be, then build Jesus around them to fit into their beliefs. Poor Jesus, He’s been surgically removed from the Chuch that HE instructed Peter to form as his earthly presence until He returns. Just “Jesus 'n Me”. Don’t need any of that other baggage. I’m free to form my own opinions, without all of those rules. Oh yeah, we’ll take the Bible too. Sort of. Right after we scissor it down and remove books and add words to change meanings. Oops, forgot some of those Catholic verses. Well, we’ll just *ignore * those. Those people must have been wrong the past 1500 years. What do they know? WE know better. After all, a renegade Priest carrying on an affair with a sinful Nun was the beginnings of the Deformation. You must be really proud of your founders. Catholicism holds original Christianity, and deep down, you know it. But to admit this, then your belief system will start to collapse. It’s easier to keep your head in the sand. I understand that. I implore you, please read, read, read. And not just from the Jack Chick Collection. And pray. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and your heart. Please give it a chance. If we’re wrong, well, you can always go back to your church shopping until you find a good fit.

Hi RiverRock
Why does me saying that I give all the glory and credit to God and no one else mean that I have made up my own religon? How can I be wrong giving all the credit to God? Please tell me how that can be wrong. Do you think that giving God all the credit will condem me? I also have not read any of Jack Chicks collection although I’ve heard mention of his name plenty of times on this site.
Thanks.

 

[scylla]

I think the reason you guys aren’t agreeing is you are talking past each other.

Of course Catholics attest all glory and honor is God’s we cannot accomplish anything without God.

The thing is to Catholics Sola Scriptura is prideful as it is rejecting the gift of a Church that God has given to us. That is where Catholics really want to stress that gift of the Church. Yet it can look prideful if we keep stressing it.

It is just that we want to share it. For most people outside the Church though it looks like just a power structure instead of a family God has given us and that is another place where we start to argue.

By making up your religion, people mean that believing in only the Bible alone, from a Catholic point of view looks like just trusting yourself. Catholics see the dozens of interpretations of the Bible of people bickering over thier own interpretation and feel that cannot be the Holy Spirit working. A house divided cannot stand.

There is one truth, things are either right or wrong, yet in this society, there is a stress that each person makes their own truth. Everything else are just little things, which is a good way of dodging the question of divisions in Christianity.

God Bless
Scylla

 

[mark_a]

Singinbeauty:

Again… not trying to be repetative or attack anyone but I would like to know in your words who the Pope is and what function he holds in the catholic church and in other denominations.

I have heard so many things and I know that they aren’t all true. I don’t want to say what I have heard before I hear what you describe and I can throw out the junk and keep the truth. Thank you!

My 2 cents-

The Pope has the authority to say “The buck stops here”.

The Pope is the one who has to eat crow for all the failings of Catholics.

The Pope must reach out to those people that Catholics have hurt and driven away, even though they reject his authority and despise the office of the Papacy.

Even within our own Church, we bicker and behave like brats. One earthly being must have ultimate authority over Catholics, otherwise we’ll all sculpture the Word to suit ourselves.

The Pope’s authority comes from the Church. He is elected by men guided by the Holy Spirit, who’s authority comes from Apostolic succession. These are men of all races, diverse cultures, and many different beautiful and ancient Rites established by many Apostles, who agree that the Chair of Peter has primacy.

Every once-in-a-blue-moon I am able to put my own problems and self-centeredness aside, and I get a glimpse of the beauty of the Catholic Church.

It is awesome.

 

[coyote]

Philthy:

Hi Singin!

You’re right, of course, but your point seems irrelevent. Are you suggesting that people aren’t being added to the Catholic Church DAILY? Since that is the only way your statement would have any relevance, I’ll have to assume thats what you meant (even though that is an absurd allegation). In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that given the size of the Church that a thousand people (in reference to the original poster) are added some days.
You know, you are always so nice in your posts and mine always look like Im trying to be mean - Im not!

“That which unites us is greater than that which divides us”

Phil

Just because a person can’t point to another and say that they witnessed them “coming to the Church today”. And then do it again the next day and the next and so on does not mean that Grace isn’t turning hearts to the Church every day.