Salvo thoughts on the Pope

[chaplainjared]

So the pope is very sick again.....
And he has followers that idolise him and his position. What are your thoughts as to the position of the pope and what he does/stands for?

I think its a terrible thing that people look to the pope and not to God.

Will he have alot to answer for when he does finally leave this earth?

[Evangelina]

Will he have alot to answer for when he does finally leave this earth?

I think we all will :sorry:

[Abiel]

I think we all will :sorry:

Well said ITF.

I know plenty of Salvos who idolise the Generals, both alive and dead.

[Abiel]

I think we non-catholics dont really understand the status of the Pope in Catholics lives. I have spent sometime in OBOB, and it seems to me it's like he is their earthly spiritual dad- and as such, the news of his illness and possible death affects them deeply, just as though their biological dad whom they love were dying. In the same way a child thinks their dad is great, so Catholics think their earthly spiritual dad is great. The only salvo parallel I can think of is when William Booth died in 1912. He had led the army for over 40 years in one form or another. Since then we have a regular and quick turnover. Pope John Paul II has been their spiritual leader for 27 years, time to build up reall affection in the flock.

[TheDag]

And he has followers that idolise him and his position.


What are you basing the idolising claim. I think it would be very harmful and most certainly would not glorify God and advance his kingdom in any way if a catholic was to come here to ask a question and come across this statement. My old anglican church in sydney used to have joint services with a catholic church during lent. I have known other catholics who had no animosity towards lutherans even though I often heard people say they did and I also had some catholics come to our door to encourage us wherever we were at with our walk with God. I then met up again with these catholics and spent time understanding their views on things that they do that I don't understand. My conclusion was that I don't see it neccesary to do those things but it would do no harm if I did. We must be careful in what we say about other denominations. All the catholics I've come across would be offended at your idol comment and therefore I tend to be offended as a christian at the comment.

[something from the fridge]

i find it sad that all these people are mourning his death big time. wouldnt' they be glad that his suffering is over and he is in a better place.

i know that when grandpa died i was a little upset but i am confident he is happier now.

[TheDag]

i find it sad that all these people are mourning his death big time. wouldnt' they be glad that his suffering is over and he is in a better place.

i know that when grandpa died i was a little upset but i am confident he is happier now.

you find it sad all these people are mourning his death but you mourned the death of your grandfather???
I don't see anything wrong with mourning the death of someone it doesn't mean the person isn't in a beter place.

[Andy Broadley]

So the pope is very sick again.....
And he has followers that idolise him and his position. What are your thoughts as to the position of the pope and what he does/stands for?

I think its a terrible thing that people look to the pope and not to God.

Will he have alot to answer for when he does finally leave this earth?

At best these remarks could be classed as being in very poor taste, and at worst downright offensive to our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ. And let us never forget that that is indeed what we all are, whatever our denomination, brothers and sisters in Christ.

In fact there is currently a law passing through the British parlement which will create an offence entitlrd 'encitment to racial hatred'. It could be argued that this statement (and I use that word loosely) could well be in contrevention if that law, and certainly would be if it referred in such a way to senior member of the Islamic faith.

I am not, never have been, and never wish to be a Catholic. There are a great many areas where I disagree with them, but like Abiel, I spend a lot of time in OBOB when there is nobody around in Cyber Corps, I have learned a great repect for their devotion and faith. Others might well do well to follow suit.

Whatever your creed, we all must accept that when Christ told Peter he was the rock on which He would build His Church, the first ever Pope was Created. When JP2 died at the weekend we lost the latest in a long line who have carried on the role that Peter began. Not only that, but we lost one of the longest serving and influential Popes in centuries.

The world is a great deal the worse for no longer having him in it. I feel and share our Catholic friends pain and distress. Let us all be united in uplifting them in prayer.

[Abiel]

i find it sad that all these people are mourning his death big time. wouldnt' they be glad that his suffering is over and he is in a better place.

i know that when grandpa died i was a little upset but i am confident he is happier now.


This is one of the huge mysteries of our faith. Yes, we have the Christian hope of heaven, but we greatly miss their actual presence with us. We use the phrase promoted to glory, the most positive way of expressing death I know, yet that doesnt stop the pain in our hearts at our loss.

[something from the fridge]

you find it sad all these people are mourning his death but you mourned the death of your grandfather???
I don't see anything wrong with mourning the death of someone it doesn't mean the person isn't in a beter place.

if you read it properly - i said i was a little upset. i didn't stand in his front yard wailing. i actually went and kicked the football in the street with my cousin until we got told to stop.

[BillR]

The world is a great deal the worse for no longer having him in it. I feel and share our Catholic friends pain and distress. Let us all be united in uplifting them in prayer.

Amen to that Andy its time for all of us to come together in pray, when i heard of the Pope's passing i was sad.

It was the loss of a great man.

[chaplainjared]

This was a general comment to create discussion. Yes the catholics are our brothers and sisters and i respect them. I am not saying ALL catholics idolise the pope, but there is alot of them that do, i have seen this first hand... please dont take this general comment the wrong way!

[kiora]

I think that we should give thanks for the life of the Pope and his devotion to his ministry and to social justice. We may not agree with everything that Catholics believe and practice and vise verse but we all serve and risen saviour and the Pope was a very special servant of our Lord and we should give thanks and praise for his life and mourn the loss of such an influienial and important CHRISTIAN as well as Catholic figure.

Amen

[Andy Broadley]

I think that we should give thanks for the life of the Pope and his devotion to his ministry and to social justice. We may not agree with everything that Catholics believe and practice and vise verse but we all serve and risen saviour and the Pope was a very special servant of our Lord and we should give thanks and praise for his life and mourn the loss of such an influienial and important CHRISTIAN as well as Catholic figure.

Amen

Amen sister.

[TheDag]

This was a general comment to create discussion. Yes the catholics are our brothers and sisters and i respect them. I am not saying ALL catholics idolise the pope, but there is alot of them that do, i have seen this first hand... please dont take this general comment the wrong way!

The problem with general comments is that they are very open to misunderstanding. I think better not to make a general comment or if you do then to explain the context. How many is alot as a percentage of the worlds population there aren't alot of catholics but compared to populations of specific countries there are alot of catholics. A very vague term alot is.

[chaplainjared]

General Comments are better, (so long as people dont get nasty) because it creates more discussion and interest, as people interpret the question differently.
Thus the reason for the question.

[Andy Broadley]

Well this Salvo's thoughts on the Pope are that I'm off onto OBOB now to stand in solidarity and support with my Catholic brothers and sisters, where I shall mark the passing of one of God's truely great warriors.


This man was given a job to do by his Master and carried out his duties extremely well.

[something from the fridge]

i might watch the funeral on tv. but then again, i am trying to watch the show that is on after it and i don't know what time it will finish. it is about drag racing in darwin and i might be on tv.

[Warren Peace]

While I don't understand or agree with many of the unChristianlike rituals of the Catholic church, Pope John Paul II was Christ's biggest cheerleader, and he was definitely a leader by example.

I was especially impressed that the Pope made it his primary importance to meet the man who shot him and offer face-to-face forgiveness. How many Christians do we know would do that?

I am also particularly impressed with the progress that the Pope made in bringing Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders to understand each others' faiths a little better. I don't think there is a more delicate topic on this planet today, and he handled it with precision and grace.

Pope John Paul II will be sadly missed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. My thoughts and prayers go to the Catholic church for both the pope's death, and for the immensely difficult task of replacing him.

Yes, I also agree that too many Catholics put their faith in the Pope rather than in Jesus. My prayer is that the new Pope helps to straighten out the view of his role with the Catholic church.

Amen

[elm0]

I have to agree, SOME Catholics seem to base their entire 'religion' on the Pope, this could be because they were born into a Catholic family and have never really grasped the truth of Jesus. But as others have said, their are a great number who have a wonderful relationship with our Lord and Saviour, I spent several years working with 2 Catholics who proved this to me.

It has to be said though, that this 'idolising' is most definitely not confined to the Catholic church. Within many denominations you will find people whose respect for a spiritual leader is so great that they almost seem fanatical in their following of the person.

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

:clap: to elm0...

I was most pleased to see, on my way to church yesterday, a sign outside a church (not our denomination, and not catholic) sharing their sympathy with their Catholic friends.

That's what the church should be!

Sasch

[Warren Peace]

:clap: to elm0...

I was most pleased to see, on my way to church yesterday, a sign outside a church (not our denomination, and not catholic) sharing their sympathy with their Catholic friends.

That's what the church should be!

Sasch

Amen sister!