I really thought better of the leader of World Catholicism than the statement which he was quoted as making last week.  I am dependent  on a report in the CLARION LEDGER for my information.  If they are incorrect, then I apologize.  But I am really angry at the pope.  He referred to churches other than Roman Catholic as flawed or not the true church.  This language is reminiscent of the "old catholicism" of the Council of Trent and Vatican I.  Because the RCC traces its lineage back to the Apostle Peter and none of the rest of us can do that, then we are not the true church.  We are somehow flawed and defective.  I do not agree.

Actually this attitude of his resulting in the insulting statement has only reinforced in the minds of many Christians that the RCC is really the false church and that the pope is a tool of........ Well, I won't say it.  I feared that Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, was an old hard liner of pre-Vatican II vintage.  He needs to know that the world wide church has moved way beyond that hard line stance, including a great many Catholic Christians.  We all know and believe that the "true church" is really invisible and is made up of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, from whatever denominations they may come.  We work together to advance the Kingdom of God throughout the world.

We are up against a newly militant, aggressive, and growing Islam, not to speak of other religions and cults.  The last thing we need is a bitterly divided Christendom.  No, the Christian world needs to be united in its witness to Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  A great many people  throughout the world do not believe this.  It is one theological belief which separates us from Islam.  There are others, but this is a main  one, maybe the main one.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church needs to be out in front teaching, evangelizing, and formulating apologetics for Christ and His kingdom.  He doesn't need to be playing power games.  That's what the Roman church has does for centuries, play power games.  Islam is about power, but you must capture the hearts of the people before they will grant you the kind of belief and followship that will overcome a militant Islam.  So, take back your statement.  Don't vilify your brother and sister Christians, or you may invite in reply some who think that  you are really not a true Christian, either.  It h asn't been that long since many protestants in this country believed that the RCC was a false church and the protestant churches the true  churches.  We don't need to return to that era.  We need to work together and affirm one another despite our differences and despite our different heritages.