The lead from an article posted July 10 by the Associated Press, dateline: Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy —
“Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.”
And then,
“"Christ 'established here on earth' only one church," the document said. The other communities "cannot be called 'churches' in the proper sense" because they do not have apostolic succession - the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ's original apostles.”
Great.
I thought for sure we had moved beyond this kind of divisive rhetoric in modern Christianity. (Well actually, I thought it had been co-opted by the Bible thumping Protestant groups which live under a delusion that they have some kind of exclusive patent on what it means and looks like to follow Jesus.) As the eminent street theologian of his generation, Rodney King, would ask, can’t we all just get along?
I have no animus toward, no judgment against, no death wish for the Roman Catholic Church. I value its tradition. I celebrate its membership. I thank God for its necessary role in nurturing the Body of Christ through its first 16 centuries. Some of my best and longest-standing friends in the Quad Cities happen to be Catholic. Without fear or flinch I celebrate Catholicism’s place at the table of our – that would be OUR – Lord.
Now why can’t it return the favor?... And it’s not even a favor! Why can’t “The One True Church” acknowledge what Jesus mandated: that all who love each other, tell his story, and follow his commandments are his church?
You might think I am on an anti-Catholic rant, but I’m not. As intimated earlier, Protestants engage in equally mystifying and, I think, unbiblical division of sheep and goats; some of the things Protestants have said about Catholics over the last five hundred years make the Pope’s latest treatise sound flattering. My point is that while it’s sinful when any follower of Jesus diminishes or marginalizes another follower of Jesus because of his or her denominational tradition, when the traditions themselves engage in that diminishing or marginalizing, the sin becomes a destructive curse.
Think about the intrusion of religion into the current political climate. Mitt Romney’s Mormonism has been an issue. Why? Are Mormons spiritually inclined not to care about Iraq, education, or the health care crisis?
Journalist Christopher Hitchens – a self-described “anti-theist” – has published a scathing diatribe against religion called “God Is Not Great,” a best-seller that has been raised temperatures on a host of news channel talk fests. In large measure he strikes out against the practice of religion – oh, I don’t know, maybe the way Christian denominations and traditions speak of each other? – rather than the experience of faith. Can we really blame Hitchens?
I have small ambitions for this piece. I want you to know, and I hope you will share with others the following declaration: Whatever your tradition, in whatever form of faith community you were reared and are now fed, if you call yourself a follower of Jesus, if he is Lord of your life and head of your church, I am humbly proud to believe us parts of the same family. We may disagree on some things, on all things theological, but that's okay because what matters is not what distinguishes us, but who unites us.
The Apostle Paul, who was definitely NOT a member of my denomination, said it for the ages when to the Christians in Galatia he wrote:
So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus. *
Today Paul would write, “There is no longer Catholic or Protestant, Orthodox or Anglican, Methodist or Pentecostal.” Not that the Church(es) would listen....
Pray with Me:
Remind us, God, that we are the keepers and stewards, not the designers, of the flame of Christ on earth. When we, whatever our background, get too high on our holy horses, get our attention – knock us off, if necessary – then remind us of the blessing and promise of your Son, our Lord, Jesus, the one whose Church we ALL are, and in whose name we pray, Amen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* Galatians 3.26-28 (NLT)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Boy, oh, boy, did this morning's newspaper (yes I am still one of those dwindling few who pick up the newspaper each morning from the driveway -- most mornings anyway, my carrier is not all that reliable, but anyway ...) get my blood boiling. I gently woke my wife to say goodbye as I was off to work and she said, as usual, "any news in the paper." "We're going to hell," I told her. "But nothing new. Benedict has it out for us heathens."
Carla could feel the sarcasm dripping on the summer-weight comforter of our bed ... but I was beyond sarcastic, I was downright bitter. And I know that's not a highly Christian emotion, but it was real for me this morning.
I have dedicated much of my Christian life to working on issues of tolerance and diversity. As a Catholic by upbringing, and now a Methodist by choice, even as a child I lived in a home that valued people of all races and creeds. We hosted people from around the world in our home and we learned to value their culture, their religons and the differences that paint God's world with wonderful colors and textures. What a rich world He has created for us.
On World Communion Sunday a couple years ago, I had a chance to preach a sermon of inclusiveness and as the pastor prepared to break the bread, she reminded us who all sat down with Jesus at that last supper. I don't think it was only the Catholics. And it sure wasn't the followers of Religious. He welcomed all ... it did not matter. It does not matter ... we are all God's children. We are all welcome to the table.
Somewhere, and I can't quote the Bible as well as some, I know it says that that way to heaven is through Jesus. I don't recall it says it's Jesus as worshiped by the Catholics or any other particular practice of religion.
I too had hoped we had moved beyond this kind of divisiveness. We can see what the right wing Protestants have done to the country politically (though personally I have somewhat enjoyed watching the disintegration of the GOP as it has been hijacked by the zealots of the religious right)and I'm not sure what Benedict is trying to accomplish by driving a wedge between the Catholics and the billions of others in the world.
I'm over my bitterness. I am over my anger. Right now, I am more sad. Sad that the leader of this giant congregation with a grand tradition and beautiful pageantry would use his power and his pomposity to divide and not unite.
But I also know that Benedict is not the final authority and that Jesus showed us the way and God is watching over us and ... in the end ... the Holy Spirit will fill us all.
The only true church - it is amazing what is said on behalf of religion and understood as truth. I find myself responding not to the statement itself, but to the challenge we have in stating the truth as we understand it - I assume that the Pope believes his statement to be true - it realy is frightening to me when I think about how what we believe to be true does influence our actions and brings us nearly endless grief, especially when what we believe to be true falls short and our very best insights while they have value and can bring much good to the world, still are us looking in a mirror dimly - it seems to me that those who study the most and know the most should be among the most humble - how can a person who follows Jesus not be more aware of human frailty - the only true church - that is an incredible statement. I believe that we can not sacrifice honesty for unity, but I also believe those of us who seek to follow Jesus must find a way to seek some form of unity because Jesus teaches us to, truth and unity - I have lived on this earth for 48 years and have more questions then answers - but when I am exposed to such a statement as this - the only true church - I realize I do have a few answers and they conflict greatly with what the Pope has articulated - I wonder if catholics in the United States will experience a significant tension with in their own souls, wanting to respect the Pope, but not being able to accept his proclamation as valid or true. Thanks for the dialogue. Greg
Post a Comment