As Rachel Zoll reports, the Pope made comments yesterday that seem to be directed at the Episcopal Church:
At a Roman Catholic church in Manhattan, the pope later warned other Christian leaders against “so-called prophetic actions” that conflict with traditional views of the Bible, a reference to the debate over Scripture that is fracturing churches in America and around the world.
At his visit with Christian leaders, the pontiff said allowing individual congregations to interpret the Gospel undermines evangelism at a time when “the world is losing its bearings” and needs “persuasive common witness” to salvation in Christ.
“Only by holding fast to sound teaching will we be able to respond to the challenges that confront us in an evolving world,” Benedict said at the evening service with Protestant and Orthodox clergy at St. Joseph’s church, which was founded by German immigrants and still regularly celebrates Mass in German.
“Only in this way will we give unambiguous testimony to the truth of the Gospel and its moral teaching. This is the method which the world is waiting to hear from us.”
Benedict did not mention specific issues troubling the churches. However, many Protestant groups have been arguing for years over how to understand what the Bible says about truth and salvation, and whether it prohibits gay sex.
Read it all here. The full text of the remarks can be found here.
What do you think?
Later: Here’s the ENS report on the Pope’s remarks. A portion:
Benedict decried the “splintering” of Christian churches over “so-called ‘prophetic actions’ that are based on a hermeneutic not always consonant with the datum of Scripture and Tradition.” Such actions, he said, cause Christian communities to “give up the attempt to act as a unified body, choosing instead to function according to the idea of ‘local options,'” thus losing their connections to Christians in other times and places. Some, but not all, interpreted that as a veiled reference to controversy in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.
“I think he did us the honor of giving us a serious address that I think needs to be read and reflected upon,” said New York’s Bishop Mark Sisk. Asked whether he thought Benedict had singled out the Episcopal Church in his remarks, Sisk responded, “It’s possible–but I would be rather surprised. I don’t think he was trying to send shots across the bow at particular churches. I think he spoke in a respectful way and I didn’t see that as a shot at the Episcopal Church.”
The full text of the papal address is here.