Do you believe the Pope's ruling?

Question

The Pope said if you're not Catholic then you're missing a big part of the faith, what do you think?
The Bible says you can pray to the Father. You don't need a priest to talk to God. Pray through Jesus. He is the Savior.

Answer 1

I think if your not Born Again...you are missing everything.
Jesus said, You MUST be born again!!
We have a mediator..that is Jesus Christ the righteous..we need no other!

Answer 2

>>The Pope said if you're not Catholic then you're missing a big part of the faith, what do you think?<<

I totally agree with the Pope! I converted to Catholicism in 1999 after reaching the same conclusion.

>>The Bible says you can pray to the Father. You don't need a priest to talk to God. Pray through Jesus. He is the Savior.<

Uh, thanks for the news flash. God and I just had a good chuckle together over you thinking Catholics don't talk to God directly.

Answer 3

If the Pope merely said that non-catholics were missing part of the faith, then that is a legitimate opinion, although I do not agree with it. However it was my understanding that he said much more than that, that Protestant (and presumably other religions) had no right to advocate their views. Unfortunately the R.C. church has a long history of war, inquisition, & politics, all designed to that end. I had hoped that the last pontiff had turned that around, but apparently not. It is my belief that anyone who works for all mankind (& the environment we live in) is equally inspired by god, & perhaps those who actively work against understanding and universal brotherhood are inspired by Satan.

Answer 4

The Pope, didn't rule anything.

He just restated what the Catholic Faith has always believed, from time immemorial.

These statements are not new, in fact they were also made in 2000.....

And what did you expect him to say, afterall the Protestant faith is a branch off of the Roman Catholic Faith. Of course, they are missing things in their religion. That is why they left, why does this surprise them?

Answer 5

There was no "ruling". In fact, the statement didn't even come from the Pope. He only approved it before it was published. It didn't include anything new, just a reiteration of what God's Church has always taught. And yes, Protestants are indeed missing a great portion of what Jesus Christ gave to His Church. There is simply no comparison between full Christianity and 2,000 years of unchanging truth and unity in the Church Christ Himself founded for all mankind, vs. watered-down manmade religion that can't even decide what is the truth, and continually fragments into more and more conflicting denominations, in direct violation of the stated will of God, "that they all may be ONE".

Answer 6

i think the ruling was a misconcept on his part, as I also read the bible and no where does it say that you have to have a priest to pray to God for you though i imagine that a lot of religions would prefer that you think the only way to God is through them but that does go against what Jesus taught us so no i do not believe in the pope's ruling

Answer 7

I believe the Pope. Part of the failing he is talking about is indicated in this post where not the whole truth of the article is revealed but, just some crackpot jumped up post that is meant to breed hatred for Catholics

Answer 8

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, following historic Christian theology since the time of the early Church Fathers, refers to the Catholic Church as "the universal sacrament of salvation" (CCC 774–776), and states: "The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men" (CCC 780).

Many people misunderstand the nature of this teaching.

Indifferentists, going to one extreme, claim that it makes no difference what church one belongs to. Certain radical traditionalists, going to the other extreme, claim that unless one is a full-fledged, baptized member of the Catholic Church, one will be damned.

The following quotations from the Church Fathers give the straight story. They show that the early Church held the same position on this as the contemporary Church does—that is, while it is normatively necessary to be a Catholic to be saved (see CCC 846; Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 14), there are exceptions, and it is possible in some circumstances for people to be saved who have not been fully initiated into the Catholic Church (CCC 847).

The Fathers likewise affirm the possibility of salvation for those who lived before Christ and who were not part of Israel, the Old Testament People of God.

However, for those who knowingly and deliberately (that is, not out of innocent ignorance) commit the sins of heresy (rejecting divinely revealed doctrine) or schism (separating from the Catholic Church and/or joining a schismatic church), no salvation would be possible until they repented and returned to live in Catholic unity.

Ignatius of Antioch

"Be not deceived, my brethren: If anyone follows a maker of schism [i.e., is a schismatic], he does not inherit the kingdom of God; if anyone walks in strange doctrine [i.e., is a heretic], he has no part in the passion [of Christ]. Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of his blood; one altar, as there is one bishop, with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons" (Letter to the Philadelphians 3:3–4:1 [A.D. 110]).

Justin Martyr

"We have been taught that Christ is the first-begotten of God, and we have declared him to be the Logos of which all mankind partakes [John 1:9]. Those, therefore, who lived according to reason [Greek, logos] were really Christians, even though they were thought to be atheists, such as, among the Greeks, Socrates, Heraclitus, and others like them. . . . Those who lived before Christ but did not live according to reason [logos] were wicked men, and enemies of Christ, and murderers of those who did live according to reason [logos], whereas those who lived then or who live now according to reason [logos] are Christians. Such as these can be confident and unafraid" (First Apology 46 [A.D. 151]).

Peace and blessings!

Answer 9

I believe the Pope is right and wrong. He is right in the fact that there are more Catholic's than any other faith and thus the biggest part. But, with all the corruption in the Catholic faith it is more like a white washed tomb full of dead men's bones.

Answer 10

I have my own strong faith. I agree, its more to do with having a relationship with Our Heavenly Father than a priest or having the name of Catholic.

Answer 11

I don't follow the pope, therefore he can say whatever he pleases and it bothers me not in the least. I know whom I believe in and He is more than able to redeem me and other Christians because Jesus is the Higher Authority / our High Priest, not the Catholics leader.