Is this Yahoo Article wrong about what Pope Benedict XVI said?

Question

Is this information accurate?
or a Lie? I've heard Roman Catholics deny this. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070710/ap_on_re_eu/pope_other_christians

Answer 1

Roman Catholics no longer believe that you have to be a Roman Catholic to attain salvation, although they continue to believe that their (our) way is the best way.

If you didn't think your way was the best why are you still doing it?

Answer 2

The Pope actually didn't say anything. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith did.

The information is twisted to Catholic Bash. Are the Protestants as blind as the Muslims in cherry picking what they want to read in order to get their panties tied up in a bunch? Such failure to read is disregarding the "Sister Church" and focusing on hate rather than friendship.

"Fourth Question: Why does the Second Vatican Council use the term "Church" in reference to the oriental Churches separated from full communion with the Catholic Church?

Response: The Council wanted to adopt the traditional use of the term. "Because these Churches, although separated, have true sacraments and above all -- because of the apostolic succession -- the priesthood and the Eucharist, by means of which they remain linked to us by very close bonds,"[13] they merit the title of "particular or local Churches,"[14] and are called sister Churches of the particular Catholic Churches.[15]

"It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches that the Church of God is built up and grows in stature."[16] However, since communion with the Catholic Church, the visible head of which is the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter, is not some external complement to a particular Church but rather one of its internal constitutive principles, these venerable Christian communities lack something in their condition as particular churches.[17]

On the other hand, because of the division between Christians, the fullness of universality, which is proper to the Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him, is not fully realised in history.[18]

Answer 3

The story makes some overstatements. For example, the story says that the document says "Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation". This is not 100% correct. I do not have the Catechism in front of me, but Catholicism teaches that non-Catholics can attain salvation. That is something for God to decide.

Unlike some denominations which are very black and white: If (blank) then you are saved and if (blank) then you are damned, you will often hear Catholics and Catholic theologians saying things like "we will never know in this world, it is for God to decide".

Answer 4

The Pope did not even speak on the subject. He simply approved a new document that states nothing new: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html

Most Christian denominations believe 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. 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.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 819: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#819

With love in Christ.

Answer 5

That is what he said.He is trying to turn the Clock back to before the 1960ties when Roman Catholicism was very Fundamentalist and narrow minded and did not have any time for People who thought differently than them. This was the Era of Paedophilia and Child Cruelty carried out in Orphanages by Nuns and Prelates of the Catholic Church.

Answer 6

It is essentially correct, and consistent with positions Joseph Ratzinger has taken before. He actually wrote the original document as prefect for the Congregation of the Faith (the old Holy Office of the Inquisition), where he relentlessly hunted own and decertified Catholic theologians with "liberal" positions.

The announcement doesn't surprise me, only the timing. I guess he thought that releasing it in the same week as his endorsement of the old Latin Mass was as good a time as any. It is my hope that his attempt to circle the wagons and lead a "small" church will encourage rank and file Catholics to take ownership of their faith. Nostalgia is seldom as great in practice as imagined.

Answer 7

the article is accurate,and quoted the church.
i have yet to see a single catholic recognize this fact.the bashing of the church they keep claiming is understanable.and the fact that they believe that nobody read the 'REAL' statement is ridicules.
i have read the official statement,and numerous other articles.they all say the same thing in essence.
we've beaten the horse to death on this.
and nobody's beliefs are going to change.[just my opinion on that part.]
the catholic church has changed position from time to time,[not here of course],and at least shows me that they recognize that they are imperfect just like everyone else.
hebrews7:23-28
romans8:26-39
hebrews8:1-2
god bless you always!!

Answer 8

in the event that they have new information, that coach to be actual and point out that Pius XII did extra effective than became before regular, then i'm going to revise my opinion. Going of the present tips that I easily have Pius worked very secretly and intensely silently certainly. So secretly and silently that it appeared like he became having 0 bring about any respect. I nevertheless ask your self what would have occurred if he had come out and today noted as the Nazis in this. From my point of view, to correctly known that it truly is going on, yet to forget approximately it truly is immoral. we can argue the toss on whether via having the ability to function interior of Germany allowed sympathetic clergymen to assist the Jews, or whether popping out and condemning the main suitable answer would have unfolded adequate German's eyes to verify that their Fuhrer became not their savior, yet a small-minded, xenophobic lunatic. mutually as many Catholic clergymen somewhat did help smuggle Jews out of Germany and the occupied lands I see no indication that this became something yet a private/community attempt. there have been additionally some that luckily surpassed over names and human beings to the Germans. we can ought to verify what's created from those new information.

Answer 9

As with any news article,sometimes the media misquotes quotations . It is up to the Vatican to come to it's own defense. In this case I would say what we have read is the actual truth This pope has been described as much more conservative as the previous pope,hence my opinion.

Answer 10

There is no salvation outside of Christ, and the Church is the Bride of Christ -- become His Body, one Flesh in marriage. Therefore, there is no salvation outside of the Church and not belonging formally to the Catholic Church is objectively sinful:

Matthew 18:17
"If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican"

Luke 10:16
"He that heareth you heareth Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me, and he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me"

Mark 16:16
"He that believeth not will be condemned"

John 3:18
"He that believeth not is already judged"

Luke 11:23
"He that is not with Me is against Me and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth"

This does not mean, however, that if one is necessarily damned if one is not a formal member of the visible society of God's Kingdom on earth -- the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. What it means is that: Christ founded one Church with Peter as His Vicar; that this Church was given the powers of binding and loosing, that this Church exists today; that it is the source of the Gospel and the earthly source of the Sacraments without which, normatively, one cannot be saved. Those who are not formal members might be saved and become associated with the soul of the Church if they:


are validly baptized by water and spirit, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (all who are baptized are subject to the Church even if they are not formal members because Baptism belongs to the Church), and

have not committed a mortal sin (or who, if they have committed a mortal sin, have made a perfect act of contrition), which means a sin concerning a grave matter committed with full knowledge and consent of the will, and

are animated by charity and a supernatural Faith in God's existence, and

seek Him, and
firmly believe that their religion is the true religion such that there is no conflict or doubt about such in their ill-formed conscience, and

are not formally outside of the Church in spite of doubts about the possibility that the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ (if one believes it is possible that the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ, one is duty-bound to investigate)

In addition, those individuals who, through no fault of their own, have no means to hear of Christ-given Baptism and are invincibly ignorant -- who've never heard the Name Jesus, know nothing of the Church, or misunderstand Church teachings -- but who obey the Natural Law written in all men's hearts and who truly seek God are left to the mercy of Christ Who may save them as He desires. Christ will judge our wills, hearts, intellects, and deeds, and shall have mercy and compassion on whom He will have mercy and compassion (Romans 9:15); those whom He deigns to save He can well give the grace of the Sacraments to in a manner beyond our ken -- perhaps even in their final breath, by illuminating their souls in a supernatural way such that they desire Baptism, even if implicitly, and therefore become associated with the Soul of the Catholic Church, outside of which there is no salvation. This is something we can never presume -- but we can pray for.