Other Catholics

[PopeClementI(MorClemis)]

Hyper is right to state that the Roman Church is one of the Catholic Church, the various Eastern Churches also make up the Catholic Communion.

[PopeClementI(MorClemis)]

What exactly is your "issue" with these? Ur perspective may be helpful in understanding where you disagree.

1. The immaculate conception of Our Lady.

2. Her Assumption.

3. The Bible and Tradition being co-equal. - (In my opinion, this one is a given. No protty church in the world functions without Tradition, Catholics (and Orthodox) just happen to recognize the reality.)

4. Papal/ecclesial infallibility.

5. The necessity (as opposed to the advisability) of an ordained priesthood.

6. The necessity (as opposed to the advisability thereof) of auricular confession.

7. The necessity of good works for salvation. - (again, I think a given. James is pretty clear on this. Of course Luther disregarded the Book of James and excluded it from his Bible.)

[Saint Therese]

[quote name='hyperdulia again' post='1435387' date='Dec 17 2007, 07:00 PM']Some people will gladly take communion (sharing) with Christ as they understand Him over communion with the Pope any day (not to mention considering their baptism and faith in Jesus Christ as things sufficient to make them members of the Catholic Church, with or without the Pope's acceptance of this fact) and readily recognize a sharing with all other Christians irrespective of their opinions on peripherals (ecclesiology, mariology, etc).

I do not find the Immaculate Conception and Assumption burdensome, I find them unwarranted assertions (Biblically and only scantly witnessed in the Fathers), that can at the very best be held as a private opinion, not declared a truth necessary for salvation. Note these are not denials of Mary as New Eve, Mother of God and the Church, etc.

I believe every constituent member of the Body of Christ is "centered entirely around Christ" this includes the Church headed by the Pope (I fear Roman Catholic will be offensive, but cannot in good conscience call your ancient church, "the Catholic Church" as opposed to a part thereof). I don't need to be convinced of the sincerity of Catholic faith, or that the Roman Catholic Church is a Christian Church, if I needed to be convinced of these things I would not be raising my children Catholic (why? children need stability in their spiritual lives and the Catholic Church is a safe home for them). I simply, and really for the very first time in my life, find myself not believing many of its assertions about itself and its history.[/quote]

Dude, crack is whack!