I can't believe this!?

Question

I read online that the Pope said that Everyone who isn't Catholic are never going to meet Christ. He also said that Protestants are the worst. I'm Protestant, and I know that this has been a belief amongst the Catholic church for a long time but it immediatly makes me think of my first time in a catholic church, before the benidiction the Priest said "Beware of the people who use the one liners, the followers of Martin Luther, they will lead you to Hell, they are the messengers of Satan." I was only 12 when I heard this, and the Pope saying his words made me think of that. I know not all Catholics are like this, the majority of my friends are Catholic. But I ask Do you believe this is wrong, like I do?

Answer 1

But don't you Protestants think that everyone who doesn't follow YOUR set of beliefs goes to Hell?

I think you're all as bad as each other.

Answer 2

The two errors of Luther, it can be seen, contain within them two seeds of truth; salvation is indeed the work of God, and not the work of Man, and Scripture is indeed the very Word of God, which should be accorded the highest authority; but Luther goes wrong when he takes these very true principles and elevates them to the point that they exclude the other truths involved. If salvation is God's work, it is also true that part of God's work is drawing Man up to the status of sonship, so that Man now becomes privileged to share in the work of God - a co-worker with God, as St. Paul put it; if Scripture should be given the highest authority, the next highest authority in the hierarchy is not the individual believer, but the "God-breathed" Magisterium of the Church (cf. Jn. 20:21-23). There can be no eliminating this Divinely appointed "middle man," and substituting the authority of the individual for the authority of the Church.

In sum, we can take these two foundational pillars of the Reformation, and demonstrate how they contain necessary truths in their essence; but we must also show how they unnecessarily truncate the truth, and thus become enemies of the very principles they wish to promote. The Protestant truths here are hampered because they are left incomplete; sola scriptura needs to be understood as prima scriptura, so that the truth concerning the Church can be admitted into the discussion; sola fide needs to be understood as sola gratia, so that the truth about Divine sonship can be allowed to flourish.

Answer 3

Cashelmara: With regard to son-ship, have you missed the old testament? God created us in his image, in the garden of Eden. We are already children of God. Because of free will (which we inherited with original sin) we can choose to reject our Heavenly Father, we can not however choose him, just as we can't pick our birth parents. Likewise Salvation is a gift, freely given by the Grace of God our Father through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ on the cross. Like any gift that we receive, both the gift and the recipient are CHOSEN by the giver. The recipient can choose to reject the gift at any time, before we receive it or after it is opened.

By claiming co-operation in our salvation we are assuming credit that is Christs alone, and thereby cheapening his torturous death that was our due, not his.

Likewise, anything that man kind adds to doctrine over and above what Scripture says, Pope or not, is taking away from Gods word, and defying Gods will, by mocking the Holy Spirit.

Let us all show some Christian Charity. We must remember that God saves the faith-full despite themselves.

May the Lord continue to bless us all.
Amen.

Mark

Answer 4

Well, I just read the entire Dominus Iesus that he wrote in 2000. And no where did it state that we are never going to meet Christ! And it never mentioned any of the protestant denominations.
From the document:
“Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church”.
The lack of unity among Christians is certainly a wound for the Church; not in the sense that she is deprived of her unity, but “in that it hinders the complete fulfilment of her universality in history”."
Ok, so we are a "wound" in the eyes of the Catholic church... we have been since the day that Luther hung the 95 Theses! But it states that we have not been deprived of our salvation. And, reading through the entire thing - it never totally denounces other Christian denominations, only wishes that we would finally agree with them! The Roman Catholic Church has always held itself at THE Church. And that's fine... if that makes them happy, then so be it.
As for me... I confess the Apostles Creed, the Nicene creed (from the Council of Nicea), and the Athanasian creed. I believe in Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and Sola Gratia. I was baptized as a child of God. I'm good to go!

Answer 5

The pope cannot tell anyone who will or will not enter heaven. No one can say that we are not judges of a persons soul. I say go with the convictions of your heart. Be open minded and listen to what different persons have to say, compare and test what they say. Do your own research. After all they cannot take you into hell or heaven. Where you go is up to you.
Many Christians whom you feel will go to heaven may end up in hell and vice verse.
What I am basically saying is no one knows the heart and they can't judge you. They will try but they cannot.
All the best

Answer 6

I am catholic and do not agree with what the Pope has said. our new pope seems to be somewhat of an embarrassment. There are good priests and bad priests the same goes for other religions.

Answer 7

It looks like when the shoe is on the other foot the majority understands how it feels to be condemned. How about all the Protestants who claim that all non-believers and those who don't follow their(your) faith will go to Hell?

Nobody likes a double standard.

Answer 8

Yes, I think this is wrong. I also think it's wrong for Protestants to likewise make claims of what others will experience in the afterlife.

Please use this opportunity to understand how it makes people feel.

Answer 9

Wow-
I take comfort in Jesus's words in John 10,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Nothing that the Pope can say will undermind God's proclamation about us.

Answer 10

All the Christian denominations fight with each other and say that the other denominations aren't "true" Christians. They're like a bunch of 6 year-olds. "My belief in Christ is better than YOUR belief in Christ! Na na na na NA na!!"