Our brothers and sisters in the Society of St. Pius X have an irregular communion and are in a virtual state of schism and our Orthodox brethren continue on in their national, but schismatic churches. In spite of this, we have more off-the-cuff and heartfelt commentary directed to an assembly of Pentecostal preachers.
I must admit, I am virtually speechless after viewing the video below, you've probably seen it as it is beginning to make the rounds. I really don't know what to think. We have our Holy Father, or perhaps better the Bishop of Rome, reaching out to Christian pastors who have taken ten, no hundreds even millions of Catholics away from the Church. They preach a false history about the Church, they reject the Eucharist, the Mass, Our Blessed Mother the Saints. Yet, many of them live upstanding moral lives and often better than most Catholics.
We long for what Our Blessed Lord said, "that they may all be one" and we can honestly admit that a video message such as this may open a door in some hearts. Let's face it, if "Sir" reminded them of the Eucharist, the Mass and that there is no salvation outside the Church--the Catholic Church, this post would not be even written because the video would never have been broadcast. Truly, you have to meet people where they are.
What I find most frustrating, goes back to the first paragraph above, what about our friends and neighbours in the Society of St. Pius X, at least them! I mean, if it is a "schism" is it not the most recent? Should our overtures not be at least first to them? Should every effort not be made to restore unity with the Orthodox? Do they not already share our faith and doctrine?
No doubt, Pope Francis has the world talking and maybe it disturbs some of us; maybe it disturbs me. But why? Why am I disturbed? Is it because there is so much mistrust with the machinations and upheaval that we have dealt with for the last half century? Is it because we are overloaded with just one more sermonette that we start to tune them out? Is it because those that take notice lie and distort from TIME Magazine to Rolling Stone? Look the Grand Lodge of Italy and that of Argentine are still applauding the election of Pope Francis and the accolades still sit on their web pages. Do we have reason to be concerned about any of this?
We are attacked in our culture by homosexualists and abortion activists and radical secularists. Millions in France protest the lie government's destruction there of the family and marriage and Rome is silent! Yet, we are told not to obsess over these issues, that we are pelagians and we follow fads.
Be careful friends, be very careful about those who advocate the coming wave or unity. On the other hand, let the lesson here be that of Gamaliel; we cannot set ourselves against God the Holy Spirit. So, we pray and hold fast to our faith and tradition, our prayers, the Mass Eucharist, confession and the rosary and we leave it up to Him; because this is just a little above my pay grade.
I must admit, I am virtually speechless after viewing the video below, you've probably seen it as it is beginning to make the rounds. I really don't know what to think. We have our Holy Father, or perhaps better the Bishop of Rome, reaching out to Christian pastors who have taken ten, no hundreds even millions of Catholics away from the Church. They preach a false history about the Church, they reject the Eucharist, the Mass, Our Blessed Mother the Saints. Yet, many of them live upstanding moral lives and often better than most Catholics.
We long for what Our Blessed Lord said, "that they may all be one" and we can honestly admit that a video message such as this may open a door in some hearts. Let's face it, if "Sir" reminded them of the Eucharist, the Mass and that there is no salvation outside the Church--the Catholic Church, this post would not be even written because the video would never have been broadcast. Truly, you have to meet people where they are.
What I find most frustrating, goes back to the first paragraph above, what about our friends and neighbours in the Society of St. Pius X, at least them! I mean, if it is a "schism" is it not the most recent? Should our overtures not be at least first to them? Should every effort not be made to restore unity with the Orthodox? Do they not already share our faith and doctrine?
No doubt, Pope Francis has the world talking and maybe it disturbs some of us; maybe it disturbs me. But why? Why am I disturbed? Is it because there is so much mistrust with the machinations and upheaval that we have dealt with for the last half century? Is it because we are overloaded with just one more sermonette that we start to tune them out? Is it because those that take notice lie and distort from TIME Magazine to Rolling Stone? Look the Grand Lodge of Italy and that of Argentine are still applauding the election of Pope Francis and the accolades still sit on their web pages. Do we have reason to be concerned about any of this?
We are attacked in our culture by homosexualists and abortion activists and radical secularists. Millions in France protest the lie government's destruction there of the family and marriage and Rome is silent! Yet, we are told not to obsess over these issues, that we are pelagians and we follow fads.
Be careful friends, be very careful about those who advocate the coming wave or unity. On the other hand, let the lesson here be that of Gamaliel; we cannot set ourselves against God the Holy Spirit. So, we pray and hold fast to our faith and tradition, our prayers, the Mass Eucharist, confession and the rosary and we leave it up to Him; because this is just a little above my pay grade.
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