Pope John Paul seemed to respect everyone. The present Pope thinks non-catholics are inferior. Why bigotry?

Answer 1

The pope, and the Catholic church, has hardly been a paragon against bigotry. Just ask any LGBT person, declared "intrinsically evil" by Herr Ratzinger.

To me, any religion that sets itself up as the "one true religion" is doing a lot more harm than good.

We are all God's children, and should be respected as such.

Answer 2

If you have not read the actual article, please do so, as it isn't very long and it explains the Catholic teaching more clearly than the headlines have done.

Pope John Paul II did an excellent job of entering into ecumenical dialogue with other churches. While Benedict XVI doesn't seem to have the amount of good press that JPII had, ecumenism is still a very important part of the Roman Catholic fatih.

What Benedict DID say was that churches separated from the RCC are lacking in something because they do not have a sacramental succession of clergy. For instance, in the Catholic faith, all Bishops were ordained by other Bishops and so on up the line up to the original Apostles. Hence, we believe that all our clergy come from Apostolic succession.

Benedict was clear to say that other churches are used as instruments of salvation, again, he was just reaffirming the belief that the true fullness in Christ's church is found exclusively in the Catholic Church.

There's nothing new in this encyclical, just a reminder. However, I think that the misinterpretations are causing more damage than this letter was intended to produce.

Peace.

Answer 3

Catholics have always believed this way, John-Paul softened it a bit. The new one, is going back to basics.

That is the Catholic way and to be good Catholics they have to follow.

Hey, Protestants are letting WOMEN and GAYS have a say in the church and ministry. Some don't allow this.

It's about liberal vs. conservative and the new Pope is more conservative.

He might even bring back the ban on Meat on Fridays

He's allowed Mass to return to Latin, but has NOT made it MANDITORY

The thing with Latin, you understand, is that if you are an American Catholic and go to Poland and they say mass in LATIN you'll still undestand it.

Would an American visiting Poland undestand Mass in Polish!

I'm not a Catholic nor a fan of Catholics, but I can appreciate his point of view and see its merits.

If I was him, I'd take it further and say AT LEAST ONE MASS per week HAS to be in Latin.

I think from a international CATHOLIC point of view that would be cool and actually practical.

Answer 4

It's in his personality. Even before he was given his title I had a bad feeling about this pope, but then again, you can't expect a pope to live forever, can you? Even though I am not a christian, I respected John Paul II very much - Benedict XVI has ruined my respect for the catholic church's *earthly* leader completely. He also ruined everything John Paul II carefully built up in his 26 year reign, completely in only 2 years.

I wonder what he's up to.

Answer 5

Have you read the document that Benedict approved it doesn't say non-catholics are inferior, and F.Y.I. Pope John Paul ii passed a similar document on a couple years ago the document passed on by Benedict was practically just reaffirming the beliefs of the Church.

Answer 6

>>>The present Pope thinks non-catholics are inferior.>>>

He never said that. He simply stated that while other religions contain certain amounts of religious truth, only Catholicism contains the fullness of it.

And Catholicism isn't the only religion in the world to say that about itself.

I'd say the Pope's words were much kinder than those of many Protestants out there. There are a lot of Protestants who think that everybody else -- especially Catholics -- are going to hell.

The Pope never said that non-Catholics are going to hell. In fact, if you read the Vatican document, it clearly says that non-Catholics can achieve salvation.

.

Answer 7

in case you have not study the somewhat article, please gain this, as that is not very long and it explains the Catholic coaching extra needless to say than the headlines have completed. Pope John Paul II did an astonishing interest of entering into ecumenical communicate with different church homes. mutually as Benedict XVI does not seem to have the quantity of stable press that JPII had, ecumenism remains a substantial component of the Roman Catholic fatih. What Benedict DID say became that church homes separated from the RCC are lacking in something as a results of fact they don't have a sacramental succession of clergy. case in point, interior the Catholic faith, all Bishops have been ordained via different Bishops etc up the line as much as the unique Apostles. for this reason, we believe that all and sundry our clergy come from Apostolic succession. Benedict became clean to assert that different church homes are used as units of salvation, back, he became in basic terms reaffirming the perception that the real fullness in Christ's church is got here across solely interior the Catholic Church. there isn't something new in this encyclical, in elementary terms a reminder. in spite of the incontrovertible fact that, i think of that the misinterpretations are inflicting extra injury than this letter became meant to offer. Peace.

Answer 8

I wish that Christians- Catholics and Non-Catholics would focus on what's important. A personal relationship with God and following the teachings of Jesus Christ. I can't imagine the Pope would disagree. No, I am not Catholic. I am trying to live my life for God and I want to share that with as many people as possible. It is not my place to figure out who is worshipping the wrong way or living a life unsuitable to God. People do not need to focus on the specifics of religion, but instead the relationship that God seeks for us to have with him through his scripture.

Answer 9

Don't listen so closely to the anti-Catholic media.

Here is the full text of the 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 10

He never said anyone was inferior, he just said that, from his POV, non-catholics are wrong when it comes to religion. How is this bigotry!?