Papa si evanghelicii protestanti

Aflat intr-o vizita in America Latina, Papa Benedict XVI, fostul cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,  si-a exprimat doua din preocuparile sale majore legate de aceasta vizita. Una din ele este legata de problema avorturilor, iar alta este  privitoare la evanghelici.

In privinta evanghelicilor,  Papa a declarat ca, exodul catolicilor catre bisericile evanghelice protestante reprezinata una din „preocuparile noastre cele mai mari”. El a subliniat  totusi ca astfel de convertiri arata ca in inima oamenilor din regiune  este o „sete pentru Dumnezeu”. Bisericile evanghelice, pe care Vaticanul  le considera „secte” au atras in ultimii ani milioane de catolici. Ca sa raspunda unei astfel de tendinte, Papa a sugerat ca biserica catolica ar trebui sa fie ” mai dinamica”.

Mai dinamica oare inseamna mai aproape de Evanghelie si mai departe de multele traditii si superstitii care impanzesc catolicismul din America Latina?

Adevarata credinta …

Adevarata credinta catolica, soborniceasca, universala , ecumenica (aici cuvintele are trebui sa fie sinonime!) nu are ingradiri confesionale.Ea nu anuleaza identitatea specifica confesionala, dar stie sa recunoasca valoarea credintei adevarate si dincolo de gardul propriei denominatiuni.

Cineva a spus ca, atunci cand turnurile gemene de la World Trade Center, New York,   s-au prabusit  in urma atacurilor teroriste, americanii au uitat cu toti ca unii sunt republicani si altii democrati. A contat un singur lucru:ca sunt americani.

In viata de zi cu zi ,dincolo de barierele confesionale, unele nascute mai mult din orgolii personale, relatii defectuoase sau interese politice- si prea rar din ratiuni doctrinare sau morale – ar trebui sa ne aducem aminte ca, indiferent de eticheta confesionala conteaza un singur lucru:ca suntem crestini! Daca suntem.

Mi-a placut un raspuns gasit pe net, raspuns care cred eu ilustreaza elocvent natura adevaratei (ecumenicitati, universalitati, sobornicitati si  catolicitati)  a adevaratei credinte.

„De ce pledeaza un neoprotestant pentru un luteran si ramane neoprotestant? Pentru ca un neoprotestant stie sa aprecieze excelenta spirituala si trairile autentice, fie ca e vorba de Iosif Ton ori Richard Wurmbrand, Dumitru Staniloae ori Nicolae Steinhardt, Maxim Marturisitorul ori Atanasie cel Mare. Dumneavoastra sunteti pregatit pentru asemenea experiente,…sau ortodoxia e prea plina de sine, incat singura experienta autentica e sa vorbeasca cu aroganta nepermisa despre lucruri pe care nu le cunoaste?” (Mario)

O gluma- Noul Pastor

An older preacher told the story of a young minister interviewing for his first pastorate. The Pulpit Committee had invited him to come over to their church for the interview. The committee chairman asked, „Son, do you know the Bible pretty good?”
      
      The young minister said, „Yes, pretty good.” The chairman asked, „Which part do you know best?” He responded saying, „I know the New Testament best.” „Which part of the New Testament do you know best,” asked the chairman. The young minister said, „Several parts.” The chairman said, „Well, why don’t you tell us the story of the Prodigal Son.” The young man said, „Fine.”
      
      „There was a man of the Pharisees name Nicodemus, who went down to Jericho by night and he fell upon stony ground and the thorns choked him half to death.
      
      „The next morning Solomon and his wife, Gomorrah, came by, and carried him down to the ark for Moses to take care of. But, as he was going through the Eastern Gate into the Ark, he caught his hair in a limb and he hung there forty days and forty nights and he afterwards did hunger. And, the ravens came and fed him.
      
      „The next day, the three wise men came and carried him down to the boat dock and he caught a ship to Ninevah. And when he got there he found Delilah sitting on the wall. He said, „Chunk her down, boys, chunk her down.” And, they said, „How many times shall we chunk her down, till seven time seven?” And he said, „Nay, but seventy times seven.” And they chucked her down four hundred and ninety times.
      
      „And, she burst asunder in their midst. And they picked up twelve baskets of the leftovers. And, in the resurrection whose wife shall she be?”
      
      The Committee chairman suddenly interrupted the young minister and said to the remainder of the committee, „Fellows, I think we ought to ask the church to call him as our minister.
      
      He is awfully young, but he sure does know his Bible.”