Over the weekend, Francis, the Presiding Bishop of the Romano-Unitarian Church, had some interesting words for some high school students in Rome.
In a dialogue with Catholic high school students in Rome this weekend, Pope Francis responded to a question about how to deal with atheists and people of other faiths by saying that Christians should never proselytize — and any who do are not truly Christians.
"But listen: Never, never bring the gospel by proselytizing."
"If someone says they are a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, they are not a disciple of Jesus."
The first is all. In front of an unbeliever the last thing I have to do is try to convince him. Never. The last thing I have to do is speak. I have to live consistent with my faith.
But with faith there is no proselytism.
Despite the fact that shortly before His resurrection, the Lord told us that that was precisely what we should be doing?
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20).
In a dialogue with Catholic high school students in Rome this weekend, Pope Francis responded to a question about how to deal with atheists and people of other faiths by saying that Christians should never proselytize — and any who do are not truly Christians.
"But listen: Never, never bring the gospel by proselytizing."
"If someone says they are a disciple of Jesus and comes to you with proselytism, they are not a disciple of Jesus."
The first is all. In front of an unbeliever the last thing I have to do is try to convince him. Never. The last thing I have to do is speak. I have to live consistent with my faith.
But with faith there is no proselytism.
Despite the fact that shortly before His resurrection, the Lord told us that that was precisely what we should be doing?
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20).
5 comments:
Stretching to give Francis all possible benefit of the doubt, some third-world politicians use "proselytize" to denote some kind of coercion. Indian Christians are accused of paying people to convert, as if they had that kind of money (which they don't). Sadly, I don't think Francis means it this way. Failure to preach the gospel is a failure of his life's work.
Episcopalians who took the gospel seriously used to talk of becoming Catholic, and some have done so. It looked a lot more attractive when Benedict was the active Pope.
Gave up my best-case scenario nickname (*Pope Clousseau*) some time ago, my proposed replacements were too nasty for even me, so am delighted to now have *Presiding Bishop of the Episco-Unitarians*. Thanks Chris!
Misread, sorry. Romano-Unitarians. Equally excellent fun.
"Episcopalians who took the gospel seriously used to talk of becoming Catholic, and some have done so. It looked a lot more attractive when Benedict was the active Pope." I was one of them, Katherine. Total waste of time. The Catholic Church is going to hell even faster than the Anglican, if possible.
And I've got some very nasty names for that idiot too, Sybil. "Jimmy Carter in a dress" was my first impression, and it's all been downhill on a bad knee since then.
Dr., I ruled out Anti-Christ early on because if my instruction was correct, the AC is expected to be affable and... smart....
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