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If it isn't Roman Catholic then it's not a proper Church, Pope tells Christians -Times Online

The Vatican has described the Protestant and Orthodox faiths as "not proper Churches" in a document issued with the full authority of the Pope.

Anglican leaders reacted with dismay, accusing the Roman Catholic Church of paradoxical behaviour. They said that the new 16-page document outling the "defects" of non-Catholic churches constituted a major obstacle to ecumenism.

The document said that the Orthodox church suffered from a "wound" because it did not recognise the primacy of the Pope. The wound was "still more profound" in Protestant denominations, it added.

It was "difficult to see how the title of `Church' could possibly be attributed to them", said the statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Roman Catholicism was "the one true Church of Christ".

by Fran on Wed Jul 11th, 2007 at 12:35:13 AM EST
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The Pope has also readmitted Latin liturgy for those congregations that wish to follow it. That settles the whole Lefevre rift. The move was made to reconcile Catholics according to the Pope. His decision has brought expression of regret from many Catholic authorities raised in the spirit of Pope John XXIII's ecumenism.

Vatican insiders complain that this Pope has an appallingly bad PR office.

by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Wed Jul 11th, 2007 at 12:48:40 AM EST
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Ratzinger, Wojtila's Chief Inquisitor, is a reactionnary. What else is new?

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jul 11th, 2007 at 05:19:25 AM EST
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There's an interesting diary on Kos about how htis is gonna go down like a cup of cold sick in the with the superstitious in US.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/7/10/163959/658

When the puffs of smoke rose up announcing that Cardinal Ratzinger would become the next pontiff, there were many on the right who rejoiced.  An an arch-conservative, the freshly-minted Benedict was seen as a figure who would be more forceful on social issues.  No namby-pamby forgiveness from this guy.  Here was a pope who would declare the holy war between Christianity and Islam that the conservatives wanted.  Here was a pope who would smite liberals and position the Catholic Church firmly in the conservative Christian club.  Here was a pope to make Dobson proud.  There's only one problem.  Benedict doesn't think they belong in the club.

Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

...

It restates key sections of a 2000 document the pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, "Dominus Iesus," which set off a firestorm of criticism among Protestant and other Christian denominations because it said they were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the "means of salvation."



keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Jul 11th, 2007 at 08:05:00 AM EST
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