The Heresy Hunter

Grady Vs. Benedict

Charisma Magazine editor J. Lee Grady has hit the roof over Pope Benedict's recent announcement that the only true church is the Roman Catholic church. He writes:

Pope Benedict’s Outrageous Announcement

At a time when Roman Catholics ought to join the 21st century, the pontiff has declared that he is the head of the only true church. Give me a break.

As one who has tried to build bridges between Protestants and Roman Catholics, I cringed last week when Pope Benedict XVI released his shocking statement on “Catholic Identity.” In clear, non-negotiable and jaw-dropping terms, the pontiff stated that (1) only Catholics are true Christians; (2) other Christian denominations are “not true churches”; and (3) all non-Catholics lack the “means of salvation.”

...With all respect to the most revered religious leader in the world, I think someone needs to wake up the pope and remind him—and the rest of the guys hibernating inside the Vatican—that we are living in the year 2007. His Excellency’s announcement sounded more like a press release from the 11th century.

The communiqué, released on July 10, was written in Italian. Given its medieval tone, you might have expected it to be handwritten on parchment in Latin. (Which, by the way, is the dead language Pope Benedict thinks all Catholics should still use during worship.)

As concerned as he should be, he fails to mention that this is not a new teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Secondly, he uses bad arguments when he says this is 2007, not the 11th century and that he would have expected it to be written on parchment. I believe these are the same arguments people liberal "Christians" use to justify their positions. Just because something is old it doesn't mean it's outdated and wrong or that something new is better. He would have been better to appeal to Scripture instead.

Labels: Roman Catholicism

posted by Bob Hunter @ Tuesday, July 24, 2007