Who is the Pope?As the Bones says
The Pope is a follower of Jesus Christ and although he is coming to the UK as a Head of State
What is a Catholic?
Catholics are Christians, this means that they are followers of Jesus Christ. They believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the Son of God, their friend, liberator, Lord and Saviour. Catholics believe that Jesus Christ set up the Church (Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 16, verse 18) to pass on the fullness of his teaching, his life, and to carry on his work.
So, to anyone interested in the Papal Visit, be they Catholic or not, let's just run through that once more. According to the visit website, the Pope is a Catholic, a follower of Jesus Christ and he is a Head of State. A Catholic is a follower of Jesus Christ who is not a Head of State? Hmm...I think there is more to being Pope than merely being a 'Head of State', though I'm sure being a 'Head of State' is a marvellous thing.
I am not sure who this website is aimed at but just reading it makes me depressed, it hardly speaks of faith, let alone, "The Faith".
See if you can find some other gems.
15 comments:
Well the way the Chruch in England and Wales is ran you certainly wouldn't think he is anything but a foreign head of state.
Wishful thinking from Eccleston Square perhaps.
Volpius Leonius
I assume you are referring to the Bishops' Conference and secretariate when you refer to "the Church in England and Wales". If so I agree with your comment about wishful thinking.
Thank God there are millions in England & Wales who gladly recognise the Pope as much more than a Head of State
Father, the lead-in to the section from which these quotes are taken says "...Want some basic information on the Pope and the Catholic Church?" As it is 'basic information' the website is obviously geared to non-Catholics and in this respect it does a decent job in stating a few teachings without going into great explanation. Everything in the section mentioned is also in accord with Church teaching, albeit expressed in a simple manner.
As for the issue about the Pope being a head of state, perhaps the website is trying to answer the objection of many who wonder why the UK taxpayer is helping to fund the visit.
Rather than be depressed, I am happy that someone is taking the time to reach out to others. Hopefully the website will sow a seed of interest in Christ and possibly even Catholicism. It's certainly more than some clergy are doing.
Well, under the FAQs, there is the obligatory "environment" question... Nothing about life or other pressing issues.
Enough said.
I have known the priest in charge of the organisation of the Papal Visit for six years and can assure you that he very much believes in God. Any suggestion to the contrary is scurrilous.
'I am not sure who this website is aimed at but just reading it makes me depressed, it hardly speaks of faith, let alone, "The Faith".'
I disagree. I would say it is perhaps written by a younger person/s. If any one of my kids had come up with this, I would be very proud of them. The site provides links to another site where more information can be gained about Catholicism for those new to the faith and lapsed life4seekers.co.uk.
It promotes Jesus Christ as Lord, and the Pope as His top leader on earth. Both fundamental truths in our faith, yet it does this without ramming info down a non-believer's throat, encouraging further exploration. I think there is a definate spirit of evangelism in the heart of it's author/s, and this should be fanned into flame, rather than have cold water poured on it.
The Church needs to use the internet in a relative way to tune in to the ears of the people alive today. This site does that, in my opinion and it just pleases my soul to see someone showing an interest in reaching out with the Love of Christ, during the Pope's visit. My kids would take one look at most of the blogs I visit and wonder what on earth the message of christianity was, and did they miss it, or is it just critique of others. (I include my blog in these descriptions, as I am often found moaning about this and that)
I think the Pope would be pleased at the attempt of the author, as would the Lord Himself, who often longs to gather us, as a hen her chicks.
I expect ALL our attempts at sharing our faith leave much to be desired, when viewed with God's perfect eye, but He sees the love in the heart, and being love itself, overlooks our shortcomings.
Deacon Morgan,
I am sure he does, hence my assumption it was a joke but frankly the website seems to be "faith lite", as did "Heart Speaks Unto Heart".
Communication of faith seems not to be a priority, hence stories such as this can be told.
'Well, under the FAQs, there is the obligatory "environment" question... Nothing about life or other pressing issues.
Enough said.'
Or rather "Judgment made"(by you).
I would like to teach the author when to use "who" and when to use "whom".
Fr Blake,
Thank you for the clarification.
I agree entirely with your 'faith-lite' remark and think the 'Heart speaks unto heart' leaflet was an absolute disgrace. It was so misleading about JHN's views that I removed copies from our two churches.
What is absolutely clear about the entire approach to the visit is that the crisis of faith in the Church in this country has meant that we are completely incapable of a meaningful apologetic. New evangelisation, anyone?
That eminently Sooper-Dooper Professor Dawkins has been getting a whole lot of air-time on the BBC lately,I wonder if he could answer the question.He seems to know everything about everything.
I have been looking at him closely albeit sideways and I can't help thinking that if he had turned up at St Swithins as a new Housemaster he would have been bombed out in record time by the boy's who would have sussed him out immediately.
At least the 'incapables' and the 'misspellers' are having a go though. They are letting anybody who might be spiritually starving know there is food within the Catholic Church. Where that search leads a person afterwards depends first and foremost on the love, and nurture they receive from the body and finally their own intellect. I mean, fools need to get saved too, don't they, or is it only the wisest of the wise? Oh no, their wisdom gets brought to nothing, if I remember the scripture correctly. 1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."( That's from the N.I.V, which I think is a protestant translation, oops, I'm in one of my ecumenical moods today!)
Perhaps God is raising up 'fools' to show us just who the power belongs to. Let's pray for these hopeful, willing little evangelists and also for the elite apologists who suffer such pains because of them! Ha-ha! God's soooo frustrating, and intentionally, it appears.
Pray the rosary for them all, Our Lady is a fine teacher, she knocks all our rough edges off too. And start looking forward to the Pope's visit!
When the ruler of Saudi Arabia came to England on a State visit I wonder if Dr Dawkins objected to the protector of the Moslem Holy Places, a religious figure as well as a Head of State, being given a welcome financed by the British taxpayer?
In addition to bad English ,ie "Protest the Pope" - a slogan which is in American rather than English, secularists seem curiously blind with regard to their most determined enemy.
It strikes me as OK for ten-year olds but it clearly is not intended just for this age group. In this respect it is much like the liturgy in many parishes. Not for an adult audience.
'In this respect it is much like the liturgy in many parishes. Not for an adult audience.'
I wonder how grown-up any of us will feel, standing in the presence of God, on Judgment Day?
Whenever I want to learn about a new topic, I often use a child's book to get me started, it simplifies stuff, brings back the wonder, and I find the diagrams helpful too!
Who was it who said "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." Luke 18:16
And that's taken from the King James translation, because I've woken up in a really protestant mood today!
Oh by the way, it was Jesus.
Let's encourage young people, not poo-poo their efforts.
Remember, Our Lady took a homeless drug addict off the streets and turned him into one of her finest sons.( Fr Corapi). We would have passed him by, tut-tutting at his juvenile behaviour, but God had other plans.
This website tells me, it's authors love God, and love the Church.
All the rest can be added in time, since they have first sought the kingdom, and it's righteousness. (blimey, I do sound very protestant!)
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