In 1981, Pope John Paul II revived the “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,” a new name for the organization of the Inquisition, presided over by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Since Ratzinger’s appointment as Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, Cardinal William Levada has been Prefect of the Congregation.
Pope John Paul II also appointed tough disciplinarians to the hierarchy of the Church and stated in 1987 that the “Catholic Church is not a democratic institution…It is an institution governed by Jesus Christ, a theocratic one.”i
He was convinced that all opposition to the Church is unacceptable, as TIME noted in 1993:
"Opposition to the teaching of the church's pastors cannot be seen as a legitimate expression either of Christian freedom or of the diversity of the Spirit's gifts," writes John Paul. "It is prohibited — to everyone and in every case — to violate these precepts. They oblige everyone, regardless of the cost."ii
Despite these bold moves, he expressed confidence that the ecumenical movement would succeed in uniting the churches once again. His book Crossing the Threshold of Hope says this:
Pope John XXIII, who was moved by God to summon the Council, used to say: “What separates us as believers in Christ is much less than what unites us.” In this statement we find the heart of ecumenical thinking...we need to be more united, more willing to advance along the path toward the unity for which Christ prayed on the eve of His Passion. This unity is enormously precious. In a certain sense, the future of the world is at stake.iii
In September 1995, Pope John Paul II issued a statement claiming that recognition of the primacy of the Pope is essential for unity. An article in a 2005 Catholic Moment read, “Pope: For unity, all churches must accept papal authority.”ivFor the Catholic Church, this unity does not only apply to the Reformation churches, but includes all the people of the world:
Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time.v
All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God...And to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God’s grace to salvation.vi
The final object of ecumenism, as Catholics conceive it, is unity in faith, worship, and the acknowledgment of supreme spiritual authority of the Bishop of Rome.vii
Ahead to the next section: Unity among Christian Denominations
ii. John Moody and Richard Osling, "A Refinement of Evil," TIME (October 4, 1993).
iv. Cindy Wooden, "Pope: For Unity, Churches Must Accept Papal Authority," Catholic Moment (August 10, 1995).
v. Article 820, Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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Persecution in the First Centuries
An Era of Spiritual Darkness The Waldenses
John Wycliffe Huss and Jerome
Luther's Separation From Rome
Luther Before the Diet The Swiss Reformer
Progress of Reform in Germany
Protest of the Princes The French Reformation
The Netherlands and Scandinavia
Later English Reformers
The Bible and the French Revolution
The Pilgrim Fathers Heralds of the Morning
An American Reformer Light Through Darkness
A Great Religious Awakening A Warning Rejected
Prophecies Fulfilled What is the Sanctuary?
In the Holy of Holies God's Law Immutable
A Work of Reform Modern Revivals
Facing Life's Record The Origin of Evil
Enmity Between Man and Satan
Agency of Evil Spirits Snares of Satan
The First Great Deception
Can Our Dead Speak to Us?
Liberty of Conscience Threatened
The Impending Conflict
The Scriptures a Safeguard The Final Warning
The Time of Trouble God's People Delivered
Desolation of the Earth The Controversy Ended
Is Revelation a Sealed Book?
Revelation 1: Jesus, The Heart of Revelation
Revelation 1 Commentary
Revelation 2-3: Letters to Seven Churches
Revelation 2 Commentary
Revelation 3 Commentary
The Lamb and the Sealed Book
Revelation 4 Commentary
Revelation 5 Commentary
Revelation 6 Commentary
Revelation 7 Commentary
Revelation 8 Commentary
Revelation 9 Commentary
Revelation 10 Commentary
Revelation 11 Commentary
Revelation 12 Commentary
Revelation 13 Commentary
Revelation 14 Commentary
Revelation 15 Commentary
Revelation 16 Commentary
Revelation 17 Commentary
Revelation 18 Commentary
Revelation 19 Commentary
Revelation 20 Commentary
Revelation 21 Commentary
Revelation 22 Commentary
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