American Papist is doing some fine coverage and provides a a roundup of reactions. He notes "Pope: Only Catholics Have ‘Means Of Salvation’" is winning the race thus far and in another post "Vatican hits ‘wounded’ Christian churches."
In yet another posts he wonders about the journalistic coverage since the majority of pulled phrases have been from the commentary and not the actual document itself.
Part of the negative reaction is that anytime you start a phrase with "One true …" you are bound to have the highly relativistic media reaction. They see this a great opportunity for a theological cat fight between the Catholic Church and Protestantism by playing up that within the Church’s view of ecclesiology that Catholic don’t call communities without apostolic succession churches. They will of course not mention that we will call anybody validly baptized a Christian, something that some Protestants are willing to do with Catholics (though this is much improved.)
Though some Protestants are also reacting negatively to this document. It is rather interesting that you rarely ever hear Protestants refer to their church as "the one true Church." It would seem to me that such a claim would be natural to any "church", though I do believe that the Mormons try to make the claim. Maybe since Protestantism is much more highly individualistic and with much of the theology not directed at the visible church that the claim is much more rare. Plus the historical pedigree of so many Protestant churches is tied much more to the current pastor and his preaching style than to a specific set of unchangeable doctrines that can be traced back to their founding.
The Catholic Church can both make the claim as the one true Church and at the same time be able to defend it rationally and historically. Sure some Baptists rely on the phony trail of blood to imagine proto-Baptists that were persecuted throughout history, but it doesn’t bear close inspection. For many the so-called Reformation is the beginning of church history and for others than relate it to when Pastor Bob took over at a non-denominational church (which for the first time in history is finally the one that is fully bible believing). "I found the one true church and really lucked out since happens to be in my neighborhood!"
The great thing about being Catholic is that it can satisfy you on so many levels. If someone asks you who founded your church you can reply "Jesus" with a straight face and don’t have to account for some 1500 year gap or how the church Jesus founded so quickly apostasized. Though of course the only reason to become a Catholic is that you believe it is the one true Church in the first place. Sure there are theological divisions such as in Protestantism, but there is also a magisterium to handle them. People can still dissent from the authentic teaching magisterium, but you know that they are in fact dissenting.
Not to engage in Catholic Triumphalism, but it is really great to be Catholic!
13 comments
What always stuns me is how the Catholic Church can say the same thing over and over and over again and still it shows up on the “news” as a “shock” or “bombshell”.
I understand that non-Catholics would of course disagree with Catholic ecclesiology (duh) but how can any of these documents be considered shocking news?
Second Vatican Council says that one must apply objective criteria when deciding what methods of family planning are licit and says that the true church subsists in the Roman Catholic Church.
Humanae Vitae reiterates a SVII teaching on family planning and the news drops like a bombshell apparently harkening back to the pre-Vatican II dark ages.
Dominus Iesus reiterates SVII teaching on subsist and another bombshell harkening back to pre-Vatican II dark ages.
And now a practical clone of Dominus Iesus comes out and shocks the world again. Comedians around the world must envy the Roman Catholic Church’s charism of being able to create shock without needing to invent new material.
hey…here is the best one….from cnn’s front page…
“vatican stresses inferiority of protestants”
“Comedians around the world must envy the Roman Catholic Church’s charism of being able to create shock without needing to invent new material.”
I actually snorted root beer out my nose reading this. Not only is it funny, it’s so true.
I’m so tired of the rampant, flat-out ignorance about the Church… and the media just makes it worse. Sheesh.
I read much more coverage of these things, and I’ll be snorting beer…
Times like this make me glad I’ve pretty much given up on TV. Keeps the blood pressure down. =-p Or at least the desire to wring someone’s neck…
Jeff, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to write about this. I wrote a little letter to some of my friends on the issue on my own blog! Most college students take the news media for its word.
Peace and all good.
Thank you, Angela, for the reminder/warning. Surely the media spin AND “catholic” reactions will constitute reality to the general public. Which means that when I go to the grocery store today, strangers are likely to approach me (no kidding, it happens every time there’s an ISSUE–could it be my Miraculous Medal that prompts them?) and start telling me the top ten things they hate about the Catholic Church, and the first thing will be our hostility and mandatory prejudice towards other “churches”. I may as well start praying for patience now!
Joanne,
DON’T pray for patience!!!
How does God help us to increase our patience?
By giving us every chance to learn to exercise that patience!
How do I know? I prayed for patience once several decades ago. A much wiser person – my wife – pointed out the error of my ways (or prayers).
Better to pray that God’s will be done and you be given the words and Christian Charity for an understanding and loving reply.
Patience is often given as a gift when the prayer is “God’s will be done”.
Been there, done that, praising the Lord for his mercy and love.
Come to think of it, John, it may be my prayers for patience that send strangers in grocery stores to demand from me explanations on “What the Church is up to now!!” (Ironically, most of these strangers are Catholic; RI is a Catholic state.)
“How does God help us to increase our patience?
By giving us every chance to learn to exercise that patience!”
My prayers are heard! Still, I pray to conform to the answers with all the gifts God gives me, including or especially the poverty of being empty-handed and powerless on my own!
The most I’ve ever been able to give the suspicious folks is some consolation that the Pope and the Church are not the enemies of humanity!I think mistrust and the fear of repeated betrayals has left people vulnerable to paranoia–the media plays on insecurity too often, and that doesn’t help. So, no issue is seen on its own, but as “one more thing” to add to the list…
Joanne wrote:
Come to think of it, John, it may be my prayers for patience that send strangers in grocery stores to demand from me explanations on “What the Church is up to now!!”
Ah ha! Now I know why the ushers scold me over the noise my children make at mass. God is answering my prayers to make me more patient and give me better control over my temper.
I’ve always wondered why it was that in all my years of living a publicly sinful and anti-catholic lifestyle – no one dared to challenge me on my despicable conduct. But when I dared to repent, marry my fiancee, and have children – every little infraction of my little ones brought humiliation from all corners of the Church.
Thanks Joanne
Burnt, I wish that was the only reason people in Church would crane their necks and criticize you for your children being children. I won’t say more for the sake of charity.
Last time I checked in Scripture, salvation was through faith in Christ Jesus. I have yet to find in the Bible that salvation comes through the Catholic Church specifically. I would also like to point out that there is no such thing as “the Protestant church,” never was. I’ll bite on the fact that the Catholic Church is the oldest DENOMINATION in existance, but being old doesn’t mean they are correct. I find it interesting that the church is compaired to a “city on a hill.” Cities are not made up of one building or one house, but many houses. Many building, but one city. Another question, why do Catholics not fellowship with one another? Every Catholic service I have been to, they bum rush the door once The Mass is concluded. If Catholics have the love of Christ why do they not show it among themselves, why is church membership down? Why is the Catholic Church failing to meet the Spirital needs of it’s people? Why are Catholics letting Satan gain a foothold? Instead of the debates there should be dialogue. Catholics should be trying to heal the gap between the “One True Church” and the “Spereated Brethren” not make arrogant declarations.
regardless of what you say , i believe in salvation by faith in jesus christ only . not in any church . when i find in the bible that there is no salvation outside of the catholic church , then i will become one . for there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be save . no one can save me , exept jesus christ , the only begotten son of god