Dear friends, we must live according to the Spirit of unity and truth, and this is why we must pray for the Spirit to enlighten and guide us to overcome the temptation to follow our own truths, and to welcome the truth of Christ transmitted in the Church. - Benedict XVI, Pentecost 2012
After joining 'Catholic' blogger, I was amazed to find that some Catholics did not even acknowledge other Catholics as Catholics(What?).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the effect this had on me, was to make me think we are just as protestant as the protestants in some ways.
I trust the Pope and Vatican 2. (Because he does). If it weren't for him and VAT 2, I think I might be a protestant because there doesn't seem to be anything else to pin and unite my beliefs around?
Or am I missing some other revealed truth re Catholicism?
You are right on track Shadow - you are Roman Catholic and not protestant or English Catholic.
Delete"pray for the Spirit to enlighten and guide us to overcome the temptation to follow our own truths" I agree that this is the key as we acknowledge that there is one truth outside of ourselves in the person of Jesus Christ. I was raised a Lutheran and find that when we compare the Lutheran "Consubstantiation" to "Transubstantiation" we see the problem of "Sola Fide" illustrated. Consubstantiation occurs as the Lutheran receives the communion wafer and places it upon their tongue; the Lutheran believes it is at that point that the host is transformed by the believer's faith. Communion is one of two Lutheran sacraments. The thing to consider is that it would only rank as a sacramental in the Catholic Church as it requires the faith of the believer in order to be accomplished. Luther, I believe knew this but he had to do something about his lack of Apostolic succession in relation to that sacrament.
ReplyDeleteWhere as the Sacraments in the Catholic Church rely on form and substance, which is outside of the control of the individual in the pew, it is a sure vessel of Grace not because of us but because of God.
Sola fide and consubstatiation flip that dynamic and make our faith and ourselves the focus of our relationship with God, not God.
It, of course, deteriorates from there as communion is made a symbol and the emphasis is place strictly upon our personal interpretation of scripture and sacraments cease to exist at all in other denominations. Thus making Jesus not the word made flesh but the word made flesh made word again. A word we form in our own image.
Very good points - thanks much.
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