Filed under: Theology-Ecclesiology — Kevin D. Johnson
Most of our readers likely know we don’t go around quoting James White on this site, but hey…it’s been an interesting week here. Why not add one more bit of spice to the mix? Actually, the reason I’ve linked to his site is simply to acknowledge and denounce the continued arrogance of the communion of Rome in asserting herself as the ‘one holy catholic and apostolic church’. White quotes the document in full that of late makes it clear that neither Pope Benedict XVI nor the Roman Church is backing down on this point.
This is the one barrier that exists that keeps any real ecumenical progress from happening between Rome and the Protestant communions. Sad and terrible at the same time. May Rome repent of her arrogance!
http://www.reformedcatholicism.com/?p=1225
Speaking for myself, I'm not the least bit offended by the pretensions of Rome.
The only folks who take umbrage are lower case “catholics” who fancy that they are entitled to some sort of honorary membership status in the Mother Church without having to pay their dues. If you want to be included in the Roman Catholic definition of “the Church,” then you have to cough up the membership fee.
They have a childish longing to belong without becoming what they long to belong to.
It's rather ironic that when the rubber meets the road, those who wish to fly under the banner of Rome suddenly change their minds and call Rome "arrogant" for its stand. So much for their high church ecclesiology.
ReplyDeleteSteve once referred to them (RefCath and the like) as "ecclesiastical navel gazers". A concise summary, I think...
ReplyDeleteThe early conventional wisdom on this from Protestant types has been the "Good. I like it when the lines are drawn clearly" and responses such as Steve's. But there is more going on in this statement: I sense a tinge of fear in rank and file RCs when this statement came out. Fear because they prefer to exist 'under the radar' and not so well-defined because now, with statements like this, it kicks up the standard for their own behaviour. Now, all the, for instance, institutional pedophelia in the priest ranks is being carried out by a church that grandiosely says Protestant churches aren't real churches.
ReplyDeleteEspecially in political environments this makes RCs uncomfortable. They know they stand on a sandy foundation. They don't want anybody inspecting too closely their structure. They much prefer all the sophistry-laced nebulousness regarding who they are and what they believe and so on. Don't shine a spotlight on them, especially one that will put into definition their own behaviour, and claiming they are the only true church puts that spotlight on them.