Pope to Ecumenists: Fuck Off
Well, Pope Palpatine stuck his foot in the papal bullshit again. As befits the former head of the Inquisition, he declared that the Vatican was the head of the "one true church", that the Orthodox branch which one of his predecessors excommunicated (when Robert Guiscard romped down Italy, kidnapped the pope, and Byzantium did nothing to help) is "close, but wounded", and that all of the various Protestant sects are "just plain fake". Okay, that last quote was mine, but the gist is correct.
Apparently, the Biblical doctrine that "whenever two or more of you are gathered in My Name" just doesn't wash.
Y'see, in order to be a "true" church, a group has to "preserve the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery". That is, the Holy Wafer of bread and the Holy Grail of wine must literally become the Body and Blood of Christ.
No word on exactly why the Lutherans are not considered to have properly preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery, or why the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches have, or just what the differences are.
Booga! Booga booga booga!
Apparently, the Biblical doctrine that "whenever two or more of you are gathered in My Name" just doesn't wash.
Y'see, in order to be a "true" church, a group has to "preserve the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery". That is, the Holy Wafer of bread and the Holy Grail of wine must literally become the Body and Blood of Christ.
"Yet when it reached his stomach, it was still cyanide."
-- Detective Finch, V for Vendetta
No word on exactly why the Lutherans are not considered to have properly preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery, or why the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches have, or just what the differences are.
Booga! Booga booga booga!