Pope opens synod, names 2 church doctors

Pope Benedict XVI urged the world's bishops on Sunday to try to bring back Catholics who have left the church as he opened a three-week meeting to reinvigorate the church's evangelization mission.

Some 262 cardinals, bishops and priests from around the world are in Rome for the meeting, or synod, called to give impetus to the pope's efforts to re-evangelize parts of the world where Catholicism has fallen by the wayside.

At the start of the Mass, Benedict named two new "doctors" of the church, conferring one of the Catholic Church's highest honors on the 16th-century Spanish preacher, St. John of Avila, and the 12th-century German mystic, St. Hildegard of Bingen. They join the ranks of only 33 other church doctors who have been singled out over the course of Christianity for their contributions to and influence on Catholic doctrine.

Benedict has long lamented that in Europe and the Americas, Catholics no longer practice their faith or pass it onto their children. That concern is reflected in the synod's working document that will form the basis of discussion over the next three weeks.

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http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004047180339 John Adams

These actions are examples of the corrupt and un-Biblical nature of the roman catholic church.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=58215905 Wesley Woods

when the year of Faith starts on Thursday Roman Catholics know that their church leadership is working to tackle the issues facing the entire body of Christ while many protestants denominations are caving into the cultural issues instead of being the salt and light the Jesus Christ called his followers to be. at the first Church Council in Jerusalem the apostles tackled the friction between the Jewish believers and gentile believers over the Law of Moses. they determined that circumcision was not required in order to be a believer while stating the morals laws were still in affect. many times since starting at the Council of Nicaea church leaders have come together to tackle the issues facing the church. the Roman Catholic Church seeing the schisms created by the reformation decided to tackle the concerns that the Reformers had with the church. Christ has one body not thousands. for there is one Holy catholic and apostolic church. the different denominations need to start looking at what unites the body and not focusing on the differences that continue to drive division in the church which Satan loves to keep in the front of the believers to drive nonbelievers away.
- Bighoss
  
  The Unholy Roman Catholic Cult has brought into their church more un-Biblical, un-Christian, and unnecessary innovations than any other religious body in history.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Patton/592034163 Andrew Patton
    
    And who is your bishop, Bighoss? To whom do you belong? Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Dividing the Church is sin, according to 1 Corinthians 1, and no man can be a pastor unless his bishop lays hands on him to make him a presbyter (1 Timothy 5:22 would be nonsense if there were any way but the Laying of Hands for a man to become a presbyter).
Despeville

The Roman whore is spreading her legs as wide as she can… and she will find clients.
mallen11

Instead of bringing Catholics back to the church; why not bring them to the correct teaching of the Word of God. It is NOT the church or their sacraments that saves; it is the Lord Jesus Christ and the work He did on the cross when He died for our sins, was buried and resurrected to give us confidence in Him that when we believe in Him we will be resurrected and have eternal life with Him.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (also can use accept)
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Patton/592034163 Andrew Patton
  
  Of course the Sacraments save: the Bible says so! 1 Peter 3:21 says baptism saves, and John 6 says that it is the Eucharist that keeps us in Christ and He in us. James 5:14-15 says the Anointing of the Sick effects the forgiveness of a sick man's sins, and John 20:23 says that Jesus gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins, which is a power they pass on to their successors, the bishops, and also to the presbyters, through Holy Orders, also called the Laying of Hands.
  - mallen11
    
    This is what I believe regarding your comment and verses.
    
    I Peter 3:21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt
    from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit not water baptism.)
    Where in John 6 does it say the Eucharist keeps us in Christ when it had even been instituted?
    Acts 11:15-17 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5) Therefore if God gave to them (Gentiles) the same gift as He gave to us (Jews) also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
    Eph 1:13-14 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
    James 5:14-15Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
    (This has nothing to do with salvation; this is talking about those who are members of the church.)
    John 20:23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.
    Only God can forgive sins, and Christ, being God, has the power to do so as well, but He never communicated any such power to His disciples, nor did they ever assume any such power to themselves. The key to understanding the meaning of John 20:23 lies in the previous two verses: “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” He sent them, as He is sending us, to bring the good news of the way to salvation and heaven to the whole world. Jesus was leaving the earth physically but promised God would be with them in the person of the Holy Spirit living in them. As they proclaimed the gospel, they could honestly tell people who believed in that message that their sins were forgiven, and they could honestly tell people that did not believe in the message that their sins were not forgiven and that they stand condemned in God’s eyes. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). Jesus preached a crucial message about forgiving our brothers, as God forgave us. We stand in grace, and He expects us to keep our hearts pure toward others, not holding grudges or harboring a spirit of unforgiveness, especially after He gave us such undeserved love and forgiveness at such a high personal cost to Himself! Jesus said those who have been forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47). He expects us to forgive others 70 times 7 times (Matthew 18:22). We are also told that if we are praying but hold something against anyone, we are to forgive that person so our relationship with God is right and righteous! Colossians 3:13 says, “Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” We know we are His if we love our brothers and don’t hate them or have unforgiveness in our hearts (1 John 2:3-6; 3:14-19; 4:16-21). Forgiveness is a key to showing we indeed have eternal life inside us, according to these passages. If we say we love God but hate our brother, we are liars and no truth is in us. So, our forgiveness of others is a major indicator of true fellowship with God. God looks at the heart and actions, not mere words. Jesus stated while on earth, “These people come near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” So, it’s important we have a living, genuine faith: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers” (1 John 3:14).
    After the Apostles were all passed from death to eternity there are no more people who have the power that they were given.
Joe Anzilotti

Why is it so difficult for the Catholics to see that this wonderful outfit that the "Pope" is sporting on this portrait has nothing to do with The Christ, or anything which He taught? Is that hat designed to give the wearer a headache or the observer? No wonder they are having problems with attendance.
- Despeville
  
  Joe you just don't get Babylonian fashion so entrenched in Rroman religion.