Is The Pope Right To State That The Roman Catholic Church Is The Only Church of Christ?

Question

I was reading the following article about the Pope in today's Times newspaper:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2039932.ece

and in it it states that 'next week the Vatican is due to issue a document reasserting that only the Catholic Church is the Church of Christ'.

Does this mean that the Church of England and other anglican churches are not truly christian churches?

Answer 1

Jesus Christ, not the pope, is head of the Church. The Orthodox Church, which is never mentioned in these arguments, is the original Christian Church. Throughout all the turmoil, reformations and changes, the Orthodox Church is the one which has not changed. If any of you want to learn about Christianity, I would recommend studying the Orthodox Church. It's amazing.

Answer 2

The word Christian means Follower of Christ. In order to be a Follower of Christ, you need to acknowledge him as the Head of the Church because that is what is taught in the Bible.
The Catholic Church claims that the Pope is the head of the Church. Therefore by definition, Catholics cannot be considered Christians. The correct designations for Catholics is Paptist which means Follower of the Pope.
Also, the Catholic Church claims that their religion goes all the way back to the original group of believers and that Peter was the first Pope. However, the idea of one person being Head of the entire Church didn't come into existence until four hundred years after Peter died. Therefore, he could not have been the first Pope.
In summary, Catholics are not Christians. They are using the name of Jesus as a marketing tool to promote their own religion.

Answer 3

Well, consider this:

The Church traces its history to Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, and sees the bishops of the Church as the successors of the Apostles in general, and the Pope as the successor of Saint Peter, leader of the Apostles, in particular.[18] The first known use of the term "Catholic Church" was in a letter by Ignatius of Antioch in 107, who wrote: "Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."[19]

Additionally, Catholic writers list a number of quotes from early Church Fathers suggesting the See of Rome had jurisdictional authority or primacy over other churches,[20] while Orthodox writers dispute this claim which was one of the main issues behind the East-West Schism, historically considering the Pope first among equals.[21]

Central to the doctrines of the Catholic Church is Apostolic Succession, the belief that the bishops are the spiritual successors of the original twelve apostles, through the historically unbroken chain of consecration (see: Holy Orders). The New Testament contains warnings against teachings considered to be only masquerading as Christianity,[22] and shows how reference was made to the leaders of the church to decide what was true doctrine.[23] The Catholic Church teaches that it is the continuation of those who remained faithful to the apostolic and episcopal leadership and rejected false teachings.

Answer 4

I haven't read the article you refere to, but I doubt the pope is in any way trying to put down or degrade other Christian churches. As catholics we believe that the catholic church is the one and only founded by Christ himself on the rock of St. Peter, but we also have a profound respect for our sister churches, after all we are simply different branches on the same tree.

Answer 5

Yes, the Pope is right to state that the Roman Catholic church is the only Church of Christ. All other churches are man-made and not divinely instituted. Since the Roman Catholic church is the only true Church it is the only ark of salvation for all mankind. This is a dogma of the Roman Catholic church and the Pope merely defends this dogma as a faithful Vicar of Christ should.

Answer 6

Most Christian denominations believes that each of them is the fullest version of the Church of Christ.

While the Catholic Church also believes that she is "the highest exemplar" of the mystery that is the Church of Christ.

She does not claim that non-Catholic Churches are not truly Christian Churches. The Catholic Church teaches:

Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.

Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church.

All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him.

With love in Christ.

Answer 7

I'm sure they do not view it in these terms, I am not Catholic but if you discribed the Catholic church in biblical terms they are the only one that really fits - a truely global church. Most other churches like the evangelical churches are basically run but white people - the JW's is a classic example they have a governing body that is entirely white American! and they claim to be the world's true church. This is the case for many other churches.

Answer 8

It is the "one, true Catholic and Apostolitic church" as it says itself. It is true that the Catholic Church carrys on the teaching of Christ down over the last 2000 years in a direct line from St.Peter. That is not to say that Protestant churches are not Christian, of course they are. But the Catholic Church has tradition since St. Peter, the first Pope and apostile of Christ. Protestant churches on the other hand have been "founded", often in dubious circumstances e.g. Henry 8th.

Answer 9

The pope is correct. Christ set down one Church, the Roman Catholic Church, gave Her authority that no one else has, and mandates that everyone be in union with His Church.

Protestants are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they are Christians. They are simply not in union with God’s Church when they should be.

Answer 10

Christ say : "Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam" (Gospel of Matthew 16,18) and the pope is Saint Peter's successor, this not means that who believe in protestant churches isn't christian but that the catholic church conserved the entire apostolic tradition uncorrupted