Not really. There are three divisions in Christianity: Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant. Catholics are called papists because they recognize the pope’s authority; the last two emphatically do not.
The Papal Jurisdiction Act of 1560 of Scotland — where the Protestant Presbyterian Church was founded — stipulates that any of its citizens be stripped of their nationality and immediately exiled if ever elected pope.
Why is the pope received with so much pomp and circumstance that is not accorded to other religious leaders? During the pope’s visit, the Dalai Lama spoke at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor without much fanfare.
The pope is considered a head of state because the Vatican is considered as a country – it’s actually a remnant "city-state." Therefore, he is afforded the formalities of this rank, including a security detail.
Both the pope and President Bush in their opening remarks talked of the importance of "faith and reason." Religion in the public square is very controversial. What do they mean by this?
They are speaking of how these two elements should inform our public discourse. I see them as code words for allowing sacred texts to have some authority, along with what a prudent person would determine.
President Bush is from a Methodist (Wesleyan) background, and he is likely familiar with the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. This states the four different sources of testing conclusions: Scripture and Tradition on one axis, Reason and Experience on the other axis. The Catholic Church adds miracles, prophecies, the lives of saints, etc.
Why does the Catholic Church use so much Latin – a dead language? None of the origins of the Christian Church are in Latin.
Good question. The Christian Bible is written mostly in Hebrew and Greek – and Jesus spoke Aramaic. When the early church moved its headquarters to Rome due to persecution in the Holy Land, Rome’s Latin gradually became the official church language. To this day, all papal statements are issued in Latin. As a seminary student, I studied all three languages! Muslims only have Arabic to deal with.
I have never seen so much formality in a religious setting. What is it all about?
The pope communicates symbolically, even through his dress. His new vestments resembled those of Eastern Orthodox priests, while his crosier (staff) was topped with a cross and not a crucifix.
The empty cross is Protestant, indicating Christ’s victory over death; the crucifix is Catholic, indicating Christ’s sacrifice. To me, the pope was trying to be more inclusive … or dominating?
Did the pope discuss the Iraq war with President Bush?
The Vatican described their session together as "cordial." The pope apparently did not go as far as his predecessor, who in 2004 urged Mr. Bush to end the "grave unrest" in Iraq. The pope’s visit was historic, but it was only a piece of the larger interfaith dialogue, which must include all of Abraham’s children.
And that’s where I find that the cross meets the crescent.
The Rev. Connie Regener, a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and chaplain at OrangeCoast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley is a religious commentator in the Southland.
