Pope Francis Denounces Christian Division In Speech Addressed To Evangelicals

(CHRISM NEWS/ CHRIS POTRATZ) Addressing an Evangelical Protestant delegation form the World Evangelical Alliance, Pope Francis affirmed that Sacred Scripture "makes it clear that the Gospel is not merely about our personal relationship with God."

Pope Francis' statement is a direct blow at the "Jesus and me" mentality so prevalent among the Evangelical community, which has little to no hierarchy and certainly no tie to historical Christianity whatsoever.

In a year filled with controversial statements coming from the Magisterium, it is refreshing to hear Pope Francis so publicly uphold the truth of the Catholic faith, which rejects the legitimacy of separated Christian communities which have failed to stay faithful to the teachings of the Apostles and our Savior.

Pope Francis went on to assert that Christian division is counterproductive to spreading the Gospel, saying, “This weakens our ability to fulfill the Lord’s commandment to preach the Gospel to all peoples … The effectiveness of the Christian message would no doubt be greater were Christians to overcome their divisions, and together celebrate the sacraments, spread the word of God, and bear witness to charity.”

The Holy Father ended his staments with the following prayer: "I trust that the Holy Spirit, who inspires the Church to persevere in seeking new methods of evangelization, will usher in a new era of relations between Catholics and evangelicals, so that the Lord’s will that the Gospel be brought to the ends of the earth may be more fully realized…. With this prayer, I ask you to pray for me and for my ministry.”

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