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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Orange Standard

Weak Protestants Sell Their Religion

Article 5 ~ June 2003

The naivety of ecumenical-minded Protestants never ceases to amaze, writes 'Observer'.

Once again these good folk, innocent in their intentions, but trusting to the point of absurdity, have been caught completely on the wrong foot by the Pope's encyclical which demeans the sacrament of Holy Communion in Protestant churches.

When will these 'innocents' and like-minded people finally catch on to the fact that where the Roman Catholic church is concerned, there is only one 'true Church' and all the others are but pale imitations?

Rome does not regard the Protestant churches as being equal in any sense of the word with it, and Rome's concept of Christianity Unity is the return of 'heretical Protestantism to the one true fold.'

The present Pope is an ultra-conservative Pontiff, but who can doubt that he speaks for the Cardinals and the hierachy who control the Vatican and its attitude to Protestantism and reunion.

Rome does plan for unity with the Reformed churches, but only on its terms, and that included the Pope being accepted as the leader of Christianity. People might try to pretend otherwise, but that is the true fact. It might be glossed up by public relations style language but Roman Catholicism does not seek to hide its true intentions, and to that extent it must be accepted as being honest and certainly far more realistic than the ecumenical Protestants.

Rome continues to adhere to all its traditional teachings on a whole range of matters, and the Pope does not seek to water down the teachings of 'Mother Church' just to please sympathetic sections of the Protestant churches.

Shortly after his encyclical, the Pope created five more Saints, and he has long preached the virtue and the 'truths' of traditional Roman Catholic doctrine on a whole range of items anathema to true Protestants.

The Church of Ireland Gazette, the official publication of that Church, pulled no punches in its comment on the encyclical which it frankly said "once again denigrates the sacrament of Holy Communion in Protestant churches."

A few years ago the ecumenical Protestants received another set-back when the Vatican declared that it did not regard Protestant churches as proper churches (Dominus lesus encyclical), and now it is followed up by another blast.

Protestants who have been prepared to compromise on the truths of the Reformation and to betray the men and women martyrs who died in the fires of Smithfield and to be slaughtered like the Huguenots in France and the Hussites in Bohemia for the truth of the gospels, should really examine their consciences. They should ask themselves if they would be happier in the ritualistic Roman Catholic Church and give allegiance to the Pope, or accept the truths of the gospels and the scriptures as expounded by the Reformers and the founders of Protestantism - Huss, Luther, Calvin, Knox and many others.

Too many ecumenical folk have tried to have it both ways and to ride two horses. They have been prepared to declare themselves as Protestants, but at the same time working to undermine the great work of the Reformation. Now they must decide whether they would not be happier in the Roman Catholic Church - a step taken by many Anglicans a few years ago when the Church of England accepted women for the priesthood.

The Protestant churches must also decide, in the light of this rigid and uncompromising encyclical whether it is worthwhile to continue to pursue theological dialogue and talks with the Church of Rome. It is patently achieving very little and is certainly not deflecting Rome from its unyielding stance.

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