Ann Coulter here displays a staggering lack of knowledge about Catholicism here by saying that maybe Pope Francis shouldn’t be head of the Catholic Church and is in fact more suited to be a host of a CNN show.
The Daily Caller pulled the quote from the Piers Morgan show:
I’m not a Catholic. But I would think the statement by the pope that I find most surprising was his statement that you don’t have to be a Christian to go to heaven. Look, you may think that. Maybe there are a lot of people who think that. But if you’re head of the RNC, you’re not supposed to be saying, ‘oh, don’t bother voting Republican.’ That isn’t supposed to be your position. That’s the most surprising, I mean, I guess except for the anti-papist crowd…
Ok, but if you’re the head of the Catholic Church and your position is, ‘ah, join any church. In fact, you don’t even have to be a Christian.’ Maybe, you know, you can get a show on CNN but maybe you shouldn’t be the head of the Catholic Church.”
The job of the pope isn’t some tribal leader whose job is to increase the numbers in the tribe through any means necessary.
Coulter is way off here.
December 18, 2013 at 4:11 pm
I'd start my comment out with "I'm not a Catholic but…" being part of the problem, but I wonder how many Catholics actually understand the details of the teaching behind the Pope's statement.
December 18, 2013 at 4:26 pm
Actually, I typically have more of a problem with the statements that start out with "I was raised Catholic so…(insert heresy here.)
December 18, 2013 at 5:30 pm
I AM a Catholic, and ProudHillbilly you're right. I DON'T understand the details of the teaching behind the Pope's statement. I ASSUME it's some combination of Lumen Gentium, 16 and Gaudium Et Spe, 22, maybe with a little Rom. 2:14-16 thrown in? Me? I understand Unam Sanctam: “We are compelled to believe and to hold by the burden of faith that there is one holy catholic and itself apostolic Church, and we firmly believe and simply confess this firmly, outside of which there is neither salvation, nor remission of sins."
December 18, 2013 at 5:53 pm
I actually see Ann's point. Francis is dispiriting existing and faithful Catholics by openly suggesting that the Catholic Faith really isn't all that necessary to get closer to God. It's not encouraging anyone to join, but probably is encouraging more than a few to give up and leave.
This papacy cannot end soon enough in my book.
December 18, 2013 at 5:53 pm
I actually see Ann's point. Francis is dispiriting existing and faithful Catholics by openly suggesting that the Catholic Faith really isn't all that necessary to get closer to God. It's not encouraging anyone to join, but probably is encouraging more than a few to give up and leave.
This papacy cannot end soon enough in my book.
December 18, 2013 at 6:53 pm
The Pope's statements are perfectly orthodox and perfectly consistent with the teachings of the Church throughout time. Namely, that Christ's Church is the only means of salvation for mankind, but that membership in said Church is not necessarily limited to members of the temporally visible Roman Catholic Church.
First of all, Baptism in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a Sacrament of the Church and is effective at washing the soul of sin and of binding its recipients to the Church whether it is performed by a Catholic Priest or Deacon – or someone else including a non-Catholic. Thus someone validly Baptized in a Presbyterian or Methodist or Lutheran church is, by that Baptism, incorporated into the Catholic Church, even if they are shut off from the graces of the other Sacraments by virtue of not being members of the visible Catholic Church.
Second, the Church has always taught that those who sincerely seek after God, even if they are not Sacramentally Baptized, may still be spiritually joined to the Church by means of a "Baptism of Desire," even if they themselves are unaware of this saving grace.
So yes – outside the Church there is no salvation. This is a definitive dogma of the Church. But the Church also teaches that membership in the Church is not necessarily limited to what is clearly visible in this world.
The notion that only formal members of the visible Roman Catholic Church are eligible for salvation is a heresy, rightly condemned by the Church (most recently under its 20th Century moniker "Feeneyism.)
December 18, 2013 at 7:17 pm
Maybe Annie C doesn't know about Abraham, Isaac, and Moses showing up glorified before the apostles.
A little N.T. study might be good for her, eh?
December 18, 2013 at 7:57 pm
Dad29, the Transfiguration was Elijah and Moses. Abraham appeared in the parable of Lazarus.
Stephen, while everything you said is true from an abstract theological perspective, the practical implication is that your Jewish friends can go to heaven while rejecting Christ, but if you TELL your Jewish friends they need to accept Christ to get to heaven you risk being a Feeneyite heretic and going to hell.
We are through the looking glass, here. The only "assurance" anyone has is cleaving to the Church and the Sacraments and praying for the gift of final perseverance. Everything else, while possible with God's mercy, is very, VERY speculative. The Pope knows this, but he doesn't SAY that the "saved" jew, hindu, or muslim is the RARE EXCEPTION.
December 18, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Matt – Yeah, I guess that is worse.
Stephen – Thanks for the detailed explanation.
December 18, 2013 at 8:23 pm
I like this pope and I'm glad he has people thinking and discussing. Christianity in this century needs more of that if it is to survive. We are not a people who turn blindly to the village priest for all matters.
December 18, 2013 at 8:50 pm
Disagree. She is quite on the mark. Why the Pope feels compelled to do the extended dance with Atheists is beyond me. Preach Jesus, run the Church, and let others worry about the goodness of atheists or the badness of capitalism. BEtter yet, just stop talking so much.
December 18, 2013 at 9:11 pm
Why the Pope feels compelled to do the extended dance with Atheists is beyond me.
Why? To evangelize, that's why. Lots of Catholics don't even believe that Jesus is God. They have no idea how to bring people to Jesus because they don't know, love and serve him themselves. Sometimes I wonder how the Church evangelized the whole world in the first place. God loves those people who don't know Him, too. Pope Francis is trying to encourage us to bring people to God.
December 18, 2013 at 9:23 pm
Pope Francis has said nothing new and nothing in opposition to the Magisterium. The high-speed babblers who missed their true callings as barkers for the bearded lady at the carnival are irrelevant. As Catholics we neither need nor want the approval or disapproval of Ann Coulter or President Obama. The village priest, well, we should take him seriously.
December 19, 2013 at 3:36 am
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