Detroit thoughts

We Catholics know that other Christians often outshine us in works of charity. Good stuff.

And with things like the recent $600 million payday for the now grown boys who played with now dead Father, a lack of responsible hierarchy and bank accounts can keep the lawyers at bay.

Plainly, the Bible alone is a powerful message that can produce powerful results in persons and society.

That said, Catholics see their history as the whole of 2,000 years in one long line of Truth. Jesus, the Apostles, ordained successors, the written Canon, Spirit guided development of Revelation. Looking back in time we see no rupture of Truth, and so think that Jesus continues to subsist in His Church.

We are aware that fallen people in the Church do fallen things, yet can not destroy the Truth. We are happy, even though the Church hands out no free passes to accommodate changing times. And it's been long times.

When you have hierarchy, then you have a brighter line between those who teach, and those who are taught. The necessary humility to be taught goes strongly against the grain of self-esteem. Detroit's Free Press give voice.

link

Every time I find myself coming back to Catholicism, the faith I was reared in, something takes place to distance my own beliefs once more. Pope Benedict's holier-than-thou attitude speaks volumes for the infallible position the Catholic Church has long taken.

The doctrine that states other Christian religions "lack elements considered essential to the Catholic Church" is preposterous in lieu of the sanctity placed on the Bible in which all Christianity stems from, and in essence leads to, the same God. This lust for power by the Vatican can only be construed as an attempt at a unified one-world, Christianity-based religion that will further turn away believers in the concept of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Moreover, this could also be taken as an affront to the Islamic faith, that witnesses Catholicism strike out again in its flawed doctrine that it is the one true Church of Christ.

Daniel Kowbell
Toronto, Ontario

Such nerve! Such pretension! He forgets that Rome drifted away from Orthodox Christianity and the original teachings and practices of the early Church by tampering with the Creed, fabricating the "primacy of Peter" and all that "vicar of Christ" stuff. Only when the Bishop of Rome renounces his errors and his papal pretensions will the churches of the apostolic succession be reunited. I'm not holding my breath.

Pauline Costianes
Canton

I hope those who read this who are from other faiths will accept my simple, single apology for the pope's comments. Please know, too, that I am likely not alone in saying that I do not or will not accept his way of thinking on this matter. I am sure my own father, a lifelong Lutheran who sang in the choir, led the church council and served the common good of his fellow congregation members for 60 years, is indeed enjoying salvation.

I hope all of us will start acting more like Jesus -- without ego -- simply passing along love, peace and goodness to others.

Dave Jacobson
Rochester

Permit me to cut and paste the church these people would feel comfortable in...

Pass along love, peace and goodness like Jesus. Some marks of this are belonging to the choir and leading the church council. You will indeed enjoy salvation. Who cares?

The "true church" is -- all people -- trying to live the teachings of Jesus Christ. These teachings are perhaps not what the Catholic Church says they are. Try to live the undefined whatever. Who cares?

When the Bishop of Rome renounces his errors and his papal pretensions the churches of the apostolic succession can be reunited. Otherwise, who cares?

Catholics could be taken as an affront to the Islamic faith. We'll have none of that! Oops, I mean... who cares? No i mean we'll have none of that!