You are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

0
5

[–] Kal 0 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago 

Is this a good source, and is it possibly taken out of context?

No one has ever been able to explain why every pope comes to look like a Sith Lord after a few years. I mean, presidents age quickly as if their time in office is lived in dog years, but they don't come out literally looking evil.

0
0

[–] Guyven ago 

I will say that the source here sensationalizes it a bit. Assuming this is a good translation (I don't speak Italy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGH20H8AV2U

If I were to be generous, what he has said is not so amazing: that supplanting the church body with mere personal spiritualism based on 'Jesus' is dangerous and wrong. That's not terribly far off base from standard New Testament teaching, especially in Hebrews "forsake not the gathering of yourselves together as some do" which exhorts that being a part of a body of other believers is fundamental to healthy Christian life. There are myriad reasons for this, and it stands up logically.

I think that a less generous interpretation is somewhat justified, however. The takeaway seems to be, ultimately, that you're nothing without the Church (which i must interpret as his Catholic Church specifically), and you're too stupid and unrefined to seek a personal understanding with Christ (which I find an especially detestable sentiment, as that runs distinctly counter to the much wider body of New Testament teaching than the one line in Hebrews). At least in this excerpt, he does not qualify his exhortation with the reassurance that you ARE to have a relationship, just within the environment of the Church, he seems to say that your relationship is not to be had, except THROUGH the Church. Which I do not agree with at all.