What is the Protestant response to Pope Benedict XVI's resent statements?

Question

As you may or may not have heard Pope Benedict XVI confirmed the Catholic doctrine that the Catholic Church is the true Church established by Jesus Christ Himself. That non-Catholic Christian churches are "defective" because they fail to recognize the Sacred Tradition steming from apostolic succession. He also said that the non-Catholic Christian churches DO play a major role in salvation and are a benefit to their communities.

As a former Protestant now Roman Catholic I can understand why he needed to clarify this. It is a serious issue.

Before commenting yourself on the Pope's statements please read the letter where he explains this before jumping to any conclusions.

I just want to know how the Protestant community will respond to this.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html

I really appreciate these respoces. Even if you may disagree.

The Catholic Church is somewhat complecated when explaining it's positions. Yet when you take the time to really look into them you'll see that they are sound in scripture and historically accurate.

Cari, wonderful responce but I'd have to disagree with you concerning the origin of the Catholic Church.

Answer 1

I'm so sorry, because I really tried to read the whole letter by the Pope that you included in your link, but I don't have that much time to kill and it is quite lengthy and its wording repetitive and at times difficult to follow (I am college degreed and I found it a little difficult to read). So, based upon what I DID see in the letter, I can appreciate the intent behind what the Pope is saying, but I still disagree with the overall attitude.

The Catholic Church is not the only church of Jesus Christ. In the early days after the death of Christ, the Church consisted of the disciples and followers of Christ. There was debate over which disciple's teachings were the most correct and Paul wrote a letter to his fellow Christians, telling them that it is not important which disciple's teachings to follow because the focus should be on following the teachings of Christ. The same applies today. There are many Christians denominations, including various Protestant denominations and the Catholic one. Do we all serve Jesus Christ? If so, then we are all part of the Christian Church and the Body of Christ.

Because we do not all subscribe to the Catholic tenets and beliefs does not make us any less of a part of the Christian Church. In fact, the Catholic Church itself was a spinoff of the early Christian Church and itself has undergone many changes through the years. It was corrupted at one time to the point of where people believed their sins could not be forgiven without penance done to a priest (contrary to the teachings of Christ and the early apostles - forgiveness can only come from God). It was corrupted to the point of where people were not allowed to read the Scriptures themselves, because only priests had access to the Word of God and were allowed to read it. If people were allowed to read the Bible, they would have discovered the corruption of the priests in the early Catholic church and realized that the early church was getting away with many atrocities because the church had political power over people, as well as religious influence.

The Catholic Church has undergone a lot of transformation through the ages, as has many Protestant churches. When people became aware of the misuses and abuses done by early church leaders, and they finally had access to the Bible and could see the teachings of Christ and interpret them for themselves, they began to break away from the church, or protest, if you will - hence the Protestant Reformation. The Christian Church as a whole, which includes Catholics and Protestants alike, has undergone a lot of transformation through the ages. Christ came to do away with the legalism and rigid traditions of the Jewish Law and provide a way to Heaven through a faith in Him and a relationship with Him. He paid with His life, as an unblemished sacrifice, for our sin so that we would not be subjected to legalism in order to be accepted by God. While the Catholic Church has its merits, such rigidity in what is acceptable in order to be considered part of the Church is contrary to early Christian teachings and the teachings of Christ. The basic beliefs are the same, but the practice of the beliefs which makes us Protestants differ from Catholics is not what count. It is our relationship to Jesus Christ and our acceptance of Him as the Son of God and Lord and Saviour in our lives, that is important here and what makes us ALL who believe this a part of the Church.

Answer 2

I think the Pope has every right to express his views, even to the chagrin of those who disagree with him. More, the views he expressed reflect actual (rather than imagined) Biblical principles. He is basically just doing his job. And doing it correctly. That his words come across as irrational to some of us is irrelevant. I'm pretty sure that if the Pope turned round and said homosexuality and all the rest of was the best thing since sliced bread the LGBT community would be calling him every good ol' boy under the sun. As an atheist I think the Pope is far from a reliable source of wisdom. As a heterosexual I find it hard to get worked up about a perceived insult to homosexuals. And as an earthling with a vested interest in living I quite like the idea of protecting the rain forests. I know of no religion that promotes acceptance regardless of lifestyle. The whole point of religion is to govern lifestyle, not compromise with it.

Answer 3

As you requested, I have taken the time to read the Pope's declaration and am willing to respond as a protestant christian.
Of the 23 sections in this document, it would not surprise me if the first 15 sections were written by a Baptist preacher. Other than a seeming failure in section 13 to recognise that the first christians were in fact jewish, they are completely scriptural and there is no substantial difference between catholic and protestant doctrine represented there. But that should not surprise us, because the contentions which define the "Protest" do not relate to the revelation of divine truth or the divinity of Christ, but to the extra-biblical traditions of the "Roman Catholic Church" and the definition of the Church as re-stated in sections 16 to 20. Specifically I highlight the failure to see the church as the worldwide, universal and "catholic" body of believers, rather than a bureaucratic institution governed by a man instead of Christ.
I also reject the premise of apostolic succession as a misunderstanding of the Lord's comments to Peter. Of all the apostles, Peter was appointed by Jesus to be the leader of the church, but how that transcended into a succession of infallible Popes is not scriptural. In fact, the whole notion of infallibility is laughable when you examine the biblical accounts of Peter who was frequently jumping to the wrong conclusions and was definitely fallible. The overwhelming characteristic that drew Jesus to honour Peter above the others was his transparent sincerity, his willingness to accept correction, and undiluted faith in Jesus as God's Messiah.

In the latter sections of the declaration, there are many statements made about the church with which I agree, but only with reference to the worldwide church of believers, not "The Catholic Church" organization. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church is so convinced of it's own inherent importance, that it has lost sight of the fact that it is the people that God has called to take the gospel to all the nations. The Declaration makes it clear that the "Catholic Church" is the instrument that God will use, and the people just belong to the Church. But the bible is clear that the individual believers are the instruments that God will use to build His church and Peter was selected to be a unifying leader until the New Testament letters were written to take over that role.

The Pope makes an interesting concession to those members of churches outside the "true" Catholic Church, when he says that they are participants in salvation by merit of their baptism and other "rays of truth" that are manifest in these other doctrines. I would turn that around and say exactly the same thing about the Catholic Church. It is my belief that there are many true christian believers in the Catholic Church, but it is in spite of Catholic Church doctrine, not because of it.

Answer 4

The intelligent ones that take the time to actually read what he said instead of relying on the Associated Press for their information will not see much new in it.

The others that insist on bashing us without any (or very little or wrong) knowledge of what our beliefs are will use this as an excuse to bash some more.

I am a former Protestant that is now Catholic, but I do not bash the Protestants, I have many friends that are really good, spiritual people and I am not worried about their salvation, and they are not worried about mine either.

The enemy is not the Catholic Church, the enemy is the Devil.

We are all Brothers and Sisters in Jesus.

God Bless us all!

Answer 5

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 6

The piece stumbles, and I use the term carefully, on a capital letter.
That there is a catholic church, the congregation of all believers, is not a controversial idea for Christians.
That it must be identified with the Catholic church (to those outside the Roman Catholic church) is not obvious to protestants, happy as they (mostly) are to accept that all Christians are not to be found in their particular denomination.
But the documant is very clear that an invisible catholic church breaking all boundaries of local church organisation is not what is being referred to.: "This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world... the Church of Christ... continues to exist fully only in the Catholic Church."

I can't see it being taken well, if that is in one hand while the other is supposed to be reaching out to the protestant churches.

But then I'm an atheist
An ex-Christian atheist except to those whose doctrine does not allow of such a thing.

So perhaps of greater interest to me is the attitude to broader ecumenicalism, and an interesting but not unfair usage of "equality".

"Equality, which is a presupposition of inter-religious dialogue, refers to the equal personal dignity of the parties in dialogue, not to doctrinal content, nor even less to the position of Jesus Christ — who is God himself made man — in relation to the founders of the other religions. "

I can live with that, provided everyone involved is clear what's going on, and that my disrespect for elements of religion is not disrespect for the individuals holding them, as individuals.

Answer 7

I am Catholic and most media sources have misrepresented the Clarification.Many Protestants are upset since they think that the Catholic Church is condeming them as dommed and worthless, which is contrary to what is being said. The defect or lack is not being united fully with the Catholic Church and Protestant Churches(ecclesial communities) are instruments of salvation(question3 responsa)

Answer 8

Honestly? I don't care what the Pope thinks about the Protestant church. Is there any particular reason why I should? So, he said something that was negative about us? So what???

Answer 9

Those Catholics are a bit of a crazy lot...worshipping Mary, praying to various "saints", and thinking that poor Peter was a pope, of all things! (I'm afraid the thought of Peter in that silly hat always makes me smile. Sorry!)
And now their leader wants to say, in a whole bunch of big words, that, even though we're wrong, we do some good work...we aren't Christians, exactly, but we are doing God's will.
How will we respond?
Most of us will just shrug and say "eh!" and not give it a second thought.
Of course, there are some who will get quite upset about it, of course...some may try to fight about it, and, of course, Catholics who feel threatened will want to fight back...and this pope will have more violence to lay upon the bloody past that is the Roman Catholic Church. What a load of guilt she is carrying!
Although there are some very fine Catholics. They do try to do God's will.
Eh!

EDIT:
Jonathan put it so much better than I did!

Answer 10

I think many true protestants care very little about what the pope said and what he will continue to say; popery is a man-made self-serving spiritually dead religion that controls its followers like brute beasts.

let the dead bury the dead and the blind lead the blind, we will walk in the land of the living:

Matthew 8:22 - But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Luke 9:60 - Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. - Matthew 15:14.

"A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself." - Titus 3:10,11.

Concerning your edit: "The Catholic Church is somewhat complecated when explaining it's positions. Yet when you take the time to really look into them you'll see that they are sound in scripture and historically accurate."

What makes you believe that those who disagree do not understand what is being said? What audacity. Many were, just the opposite of you, Catholics who left for the freedom of Christ. So it looks like you went fishing with your question and caught a few little suckers.

no suprise, I think you are just trying to buff up your own "piety" and quite feebly, I may add.

atrocious.