Reason #785 To Be Catholic: Papal Infallibility
With the recent main stream news saying that Pope Francis has changed the Church's view of homosexuality, I knew my evangelical friend would be happily sending me an e-mail showing me that the pope has just reversed 2000 years of Church teaching. Sure enough, within hours of the pope's mis-interpreted statements, I got the e-mail as well as a facebook message from another evangelical friend asking "what's with this?"
I didn't need to read the news or Pope Francis' actual statements in context to already know what he said and didn't say regarding homosexuality. I didn't worry as some do regarding what this pope is going to say. Why? Because of papal infallibility. I trust the Holy Spirit and his promise to lead us in all truth. Regarding issues of faith and morality, the pope is prevented from speaking anything but truth. He couldn't if he wanted to change the Church's teachings on faith and morals.
Knowing this, I rest in my trust of Jesus' promises to His Church. The pope in union with the bishops when speaking ex-cathedra can not change a moral doctrine of the Church. This is a reason to be Catholic. I won't wake up someday to find out that the leaders of my denomination just voted to make homosexual activity among consenting adults no longer a sin.
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 9:44 PM
3 Comments:
Amen to that!
Yes, I've watched pastors from two Protestant denominations agonize over what they were going to do on that day when their denomination decides to condone homosexual behavior - because no Protestant denomination can say for sure that their leadership won't eventually succumb to popular opinion.
But the Church changing Church teaching? That is nowhere on my "worry list"! :)
As an evangelical, I didn't see any change in views in the way Pope Francis answered question. He was fairly consistent with the Catholic church's prior views--which I applaud. But I saw many reports on how it was perceived. A gay priest saw it as a new sign, liberal newspapers took it as a "step in the right directions" etc. My conclusion was that Scripture has no more a challenge with perspicuity than does the magisterium...You may say it's clear what he said....but that's really just one person's interpretation of his statement....as can be seen by the mixed responses....
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