What is the new Pope thinking?

I have been having an email conversation with a daughter and a son-in-law about a document coming out of The Vatican on Tuesday. The subject line of our emails has been: "not true Christians."

Our discussion started with the publishing of a document out of the Roman Catholic Church. The jest of the paper said Christian denominations outside the Roman Catholic Church were not full churches of Jesus Christ. In the paper they say that all other churches are suffering from a "wound" since they do not recognize the primacy of the Pope. It was a prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Pope Benedict used to head before he became pope.

What is this guy thinking? How in the world, in this time when we need each other in the church more then ever (or as much as ever), do you publish such a document? What kind of message does this view send to the world?

Now I am all for knowing who you are and what you believe. I think folks spend much too much time figuring out what wrong with other people’s views without every being able to state their own views. We know what we don’t believe – but what about what you do believe? I do want people to know what they believe and then step up to live out these views. Take responsibility for who you are and what you believe.

I think Mother Teresa had it right when she said…(paraphrase) “I respect all people of faith and their devotion to what they believe… but I love Jesus…”

She knows what she believes, surely she took responsibly for what she believed, but she was gracious enough and humble enough to respect the belief and devotion of others.

This seems to me how we need to be living in the church.

Let’s rejoice in what brings us together. Let’s lift up what is central to our life in Christ. Let’s live out what we believe about the love, compassion and grace of God in what we are doing in our churches. Let us be so good at being the church of Jesus Christ in our world that we learn from each other by our good deeds and our transformed lives. Let's be humble partners in this important work.

We seem to major in the minors and complete miss the point of what we are called to do and be. How can we get all worked up over what we believe about how God is present in the bread and wine of communion when children are dieing in our world over oil rights? Let’s be humble and know our theology is important but only an educated guess at best. We will certainly learn from other faith traditions if we humbly listen, trusting that God is big enough to be speaking to others as well. And a far as devotion to the Pope...

I must admit I have been suspicious of this new Pope from the start. I loved Pope John Paul. He knew what he believed (and I did not always agree with his views) but was so humble and gracious with people of other faith traditions. He seemed to show a respect of others. If this paper is a product of the new Pope's thoughts what a huge step back in Christian unity under his watch. So much for me recognizing the primacy of the Pope. He is going to have to earn my respect.

Taking my own advice I guess I will have to pray that God will use this Pope for the common good of the church and hope he keeps praying for us who are still part of the "wounded" Church.

Check out this link for our Presbyterian Pope's response