Pope Benedict has long been known for his scholarship and he's probably a nice guy over a game of cribbage but he has annoyed me -- again. For some reason he has felt compelled to claim once more that Protestants aren't really in line for salvation "as is" and that our churches really aren't churches. Doesn't he have anything better to do in the summer than diss other members of the body of Christ?
This latest statement is actually a reiteration of ideas expressed in a document called Dominus Iesus http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFUNICI.HTM. In his attempt to uphold the Christian faith the pontiff has once again alienated sisters and brothers in Christ. You might figure he learned from the debacle with the Muslim community last year and took some sensitivity training.
Our United Church moderator, David Guiliano, wisely declined to get worked up about this statement in his public response. He pointed out that we would continue to be the Christian community, thank you very much, whether the pope conferred that status or not.
I'm going to keep in mind the many years of good relationships with Roman Catholic priests in different communities. I'm going to be grateful for the hospitality extended by various convents and monasteries while I was on retreat. I will continue to benefit from the richness of RC theology which has always been part of my reading.
I might even say a prayer for Pope Benedict.
Our United Church moderator has it right. We don't need to worry about what comes out of the Vactican.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they live in this century.