Is the Pope Catholic?

Pope Benedict: Drawing the Line

According to sources that I don't trust (the secular-extremist establishment media) Pope Benedict is reported to have issued a clarification of the Roman Catholic Church's position on other churches. The gist of his position is that the Roman Catholic Church is the one true church, and that the protestant churches can't strictly be called "churches" in his way of looking at it because they lack "apostolic succession" and the "means of salvation".

Let's assume though, since he is the Pope, that a miracle occurred and the secular media accurately reported the words and intent of the Pope correctly. People have asked me if those statements offended me as a Protestant Christian. Of course not. I would expect the head of the Roman Catholic church to feel something like that. I would urge my fellow Christians who are "out of fellowship with the one true Church" to not get bent out of shape over it either. Nobody has a "right" to anyone else's approval. We don't have a "right" to the Pope's approval. In fact, contrary to the One False Church of Politically Correct Tolerance Worshippers, the Pope has every right to determine for himself who and what he approves and disapproves of. And so does each of you. If the Pope is somehow required to approve of my church then how much does his approval mean?

In the times we live in, the high priests of tolerance represent a jealous god- nothing can be right except "tolerance" and nothing can be wrong except "intolerance". But the tolerance of evil is itself evil, and sometimes true love is the force which motivates confrontation and correction. Do I think the Pope is correct in where he draws his lines? Most of them, yeah I do. I disagree with him on this one, but overall I find it is refreshing that he is not afraid to confront even (and especially) the evils that our modern culture is determined to insist be redefined as good. After all, how much moral courage does it take to confront an evil that everyone already disapproves of?

Protestant churches are in danger of falling into silly irrelevancy. The "emergent church" is emerging into post-modern confusion, doctrinal weakness, and moral relativism. When the last Protestant church abandons moral absolutes, I will convert to Catholicism. By then, I will share his disapproval of the other religious organizations that I too will be unable to see as real "churches". Until then, your Holiness, I disapprove of your hat.