Protestant churches yesterday reacted with dismay to a new declaration approved by Pope Benedict XVI insisting they were mere "ecclesial communities" and their ministers effectively phonies with no right to give communion.
Coming just four days after the reinstatement of the Latin mass, yesterday's document left no doubt about the Pope's eagerness to back traditional Roman Catholic practices and attitudes, even at the expense of causing offence.
The view that Protestants cannot have churches was first set out by Pope Benedict seven years ago when, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he headed the Vatican "ministry" for doctrine. A commentary attached to the latest text acknowledged that his 2000 document, Dominus Iesus, had caused "no little distress".
But it added: "It is nevertheless difficult to see how the title of 'Church' could possibly be attributed to [Protestant communities], given that they do not accept the theological notion of the Church in the Catholic sense and that they lack elements considered essential to the Catholic Church."
Duh! That's why Protestants are not Catholic; we don't have to listen to this guy. Is he's claiming the word "church" can only mean the Catholic church? I guess we need to rename NewSong Church to NewSong Ecclesial Community.
Way to make yourself even more irrelevant to the Protestant community.
1 comment:
Memo to Pope:
Protestants came about because they were protesting the Catholic Church and the Pope. Do you think any Protestants really care about what you say?
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