tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670360131617205450.post8025572693872692816..comments2023-06-18T05:01:03.708-05:00Comments on Popin' Ain't Easy: The Worst Popes of All TimeThrowbackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14896446477292839087noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670360131617205450.post-51702371823320257732009-01-27T13:26:00.000-06:002009-01-27T13:26:00.000-06:00The teaching authority is protected by the Holy Sp...The teaching authority is protected by the Holy Spirit. Gates of hell not prevailing and all that. Plus, the curious historical fact that the great heresies infected every see of the world at some point in time, except for the See of Rome.<BR/><BR/>Everything else as far as personal papal character goes is subject to the same sinful what-not that the rest of us have to deal with. There is no guarantee that a pope won't do something evil, ill-advised, or outright stupid. Peter not eating with the Gentiles and being rebuked by Paul for doing so is an excellent example.Throwbackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14896446477292839087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670360131617205450.post-19344657454049829872009-01-27T08:34:00.000-06:002009-01-27T08:34:00.000-06:00I don't know how much God works through me. Probab...I don't know how much God works through me. Probably not enough, and that's probably my fault.<BR/><BR/>But unlike the pope, I have no power to change the overall direction of the Church. I can't write an encyclical or declare an infallible truth. <BR/><BR/>How do we know the our popes are having "good" moments when they do these things that are within their power. <BR/><BR/>And yes Karl, I'm sinful. Very. <BR/><BR/>vita dulcedo spesPhiliphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05008515647735957831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670360131617205450.post-43485394849677474242009-01-26T21:57:00.000-06:002009-01-26T21:57:00.000-06:00A Church full of sinners is going to have some bad...A Church full of sinners is going to have some bad popes. Peter denied Christ 3 times. Even Christ Himself didn't pick an impeccable bunch in His selection of Apostles. The good ones ran away. The bad one betrayed Him.<BR/><BR/>The bad popes are actually one of the things that convinces me most about the Truth of the Church. Sort of like what Pius VII said. How can all these guys have been in charge and not only fail to destroy the Church but also fail to corrupt Her teachings? Even Cardinal Newman was amazed by this.Throwbackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14896446477292839087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670360131617205450.post-25224339698316132422009-01-26T15:38:00.000-06:002009-01-26T15:38:00.000-06:00Christians follow Christ, not the pope. Or rather,...Christians follow Christ, not the pope. Or rather, the pope is the vicar of Christ, but isn't Christ. Does that make any sense?<BR/><BR/>Christians follow the Triune God, who is pleased to work through fallible human beings, and who also works through these human beings without making them perfect. After all, to make a human perfect, whether he wills or not to be perfect, is to make him not free and not human.<BR/><BR/>I think I'm being obscure. God works through sinful popes, just as he works through sinful me and sinful (I presume) you.Karlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10773904547340912042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1670360131617205450.post-43088874579168707982009-01-26T10:16:00.000-06:002009-01-26T10:16:00.000-06:00Since you're wondering if you still have readers.....Since you're wondering if you still have readers...<BR/><BR/>I must say that bad popes are one of the things that tries my faith. What kind of Church is it that would pick a bad pope? Why should we follow the pope's teaching so closely if we don't have confidence that the pope, while not perfectly good, is at least extremely good?Philiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05008515647735957831noreply@blogger.com