Pope to Meet with Latin Protestants
The Pope invited the faithful to pray for the May 9-14 "apostolic pilgrimage and, in particular, for the 5th General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, so that all the Christians of those regions may see themselves as disciples and missionaries of Christ, the way, the truth and the life."
I find it interesting that the Pope, who is nothing, if not precise, phrased his prayer request in this way: "All the Christians of those regions may see themselves as disciples and missionaries of Christ" If he was talking only about Catholics, he'd have said "the faithful".
I noticed that he is scheduled to meet with the representatives of other Christian confessions and religions and give an address on May 10, 2007. (per the Vatican website)
It will be interesting to who attends that gathering (and who doesn't) and what the Holy Father says.
posted by Sherry W @ 6:55 AM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Pope Benedict often refers to Catholics as "Christians" because that's what we are. The Pope would not necessarily have said "the faithful" in referring to Catholics." In his writings, Pope Benedict often uses "Christians" as a synonym for "Catholics."
He used the same statement you refer to above in his GA address of 5/2/07, but it modifies "ecclesial assembly of bishops." His full statement to the Spanish-speaking pilgrims was: "... let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of hte Virgin Mary, to bless this ecclesial assembly with abundant fruits, so that all Christians may feel themselves to be true disciples of Christ, sent by Him to evangelize our brothers ...."
His remarks to Portuguese Catholics were as follows: "This significant Church assembly should serve to encourage the disciples of Christ...."
I don't know that the Pope is including all Christians, including, as I think you mean, the independent Christians, in his statement. He is going to Brazil, to encourage the Latin American bishops to fight to rise of Pentecostalism (though not at the expense of watering-down the doctrines of the Church). I think the Pope was being inclusive only of Catholics here. He meant that "all Catholics" of those regions might see themselves as disciples and missionaries of the Christian message. I don't think he sees Catholics and evangelicals as being in solidarity here.
The use of the term "Christian" is proper to Catholics, although evangelicals don't think Catholics are Christian for whatever reason and the Pope has always used it for Catholics.
I think it is necessary to ask this question again:
Sherry, Why are you so ambiguous about the Catholic Church? The Pope is obviously not going to Brazil to bolster the fortunes of evangelicals or independent Christians or to gather all of them together as one, big, happy family. He's going there to proclaim the truth of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, every time the question of Christians, other than Catholics, comes up, you always seize the opportunity to try to meld them together, as if the differences do not matter.
Janice:
I have never once been ambiguous about the Catholic Church.
I have never thought, implied, said, or dreamed for one minute that the Pope was going to Brazil to "bolster the fortunes of evangelicals or Independent Catholics". I have never melded the two together, in my own mind or in print.
In fact, I just published a 10,000 word article meticulously outlining how profoundly different they are in worldview. That's what "ecclesial anti-type" means. You presumably have seen this article since you posted several comments on it.
In light of all the coverage on the subject (by John Allen, the Catholic New Service, numerous interviews with Latin bishops, etc.) I just thought it will be interesting to see who attends the meeting and what the Pope says.
I'm interested in all aspects of the Church's life in Latin America but I can't read Spanish so I'm at a real disadvantage and pretty much at the mercy of the English language press.
And I have real work to do.
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