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In this newsletter, you will find the latest Vatican File, information on the 2019 Rome Scholars and Leaders Network, an article from one of our partners, and new video resources from our team! Thank you for your ongoing interest and participation in this ministry.
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Newsletter N.25

Pope Francis gave an in-flight interview in which he said that in the ecumenical movement we have to take from the dictionary a word: proselytism. See more: http://evangelicalfocus.com/blogs/3718/Either_Ecumenical_or_Proselytizer_No_There_is_a_Better_OptionVatican File #159.
“Confusion” and “Failure”: Other Roman Catholic Blows Against Pope Francis


by Leonardo De Chirico | March 1st, 2019


The turmoil in the Roman Catholic Church has reached a further disruption point. At the beginning of February, two independent but influential texts circulated widely that expressed strong criticism against Pope Francis. In Europe, the German Cardinal Gerhard Müller issued a Manifesto of Faith that raised serious concerns over the downplaying of Roman Catholic identity under the present-day pontificate and suggested corrections to it. In the USA, the acclaimed journal First Things posted an article by R.R. Reno whose devastating thesis is evident from its title: “A Failing Papacy”. Both attacks came from high-profile Roman Catholic sources and show that the “Annus Horribilis” (Terrible Year) of Rome is getting even worse. On both sides of the Atlantic, Pope Francis is under fire.
 

Away from Confusion, but Where To?
Müller is the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the highest Vatican authority in the area of doctrine after the Pope). He was named Prefect by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and has become known for his conservative views with regards to the interpretation of Catholic doctrine and morals. In doing so he collided with the open-ended and inclusive approach of Pope Francis, especially as to whether or not to re-admit people in “irregular” relationships to the Eucharist. Müller vocally opposed the relaxation of the Catholic attitude towards people living in relationships outside of marriage, as had been adopted by Amoris Laetitia, the 2015 Vatican document on the family that was strongly supported by the Pope. His criticism of the Pope is the reason Francis abruptly dismissed him in 2017, breaking the usual practice that the Prefect is confirmed in his office until retirement and even beyond. The fact that he who used to be the second or third in rank after the Pope in the Vatican hierarchy is now an outspoken opponent of him is a sign of the chaos that the Vatican is going through at the moment.
 

Over the last few years, Müller has become a reference point for those who are concerned with the direction that the Roman Catholic Church has taken under the leadership of Pope Francis. In the Manifesto, the German Cardinal talks of a “growing confusion” about Church doctrine: “Today, many Christians are no longer even aware of the basic teachings of the Faith,” the German cardinal laments, “so there is a growing danger of missing the path to eternal life.” His concern has to do with the undermining of Roman Catholic traditional tenets happening under Pope Francis.

CLICK HERE TO FINISH READING VF159

2019 ROME SCHOLARS & LEADERS NETWORK

We are now accepting applications for the 2019 Rome Scholars & Leaders Network.


Come study in Rome with evangelical leaders and expert theologians like:


Gregg Allison (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
Matthew Barrett (Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
Rachel Ciano (Sydney Missionary & Bible College)
Leonardo De Chirico (IFED Italia, Reformanda Initiative)
Mark Gilbert (Certainty 4 Eternity)
Trent Hyatt (Inst. for Biblical & Theological Studies)
Clay Kannard (Worldventure Italy, Reformanda Initiative)
Reid Karr (
IMB Italy Leader-Church Planting, Reformanda Initiative)
Scott Oliphint (Westminster Theological Seminary - Philidelphia)

 

 

What have previous participants said about their experience at the RSLN?

APPLY TODAY
2019 RSLN Brochure

AN ARTICLE FROM OUR PARTNER


Responding to the Cardinal's Conviction

by Rev. Mark Gilbert


He is the most prominent Roman Catholic leader, Archbishop and Cardinal of the Australian Church and one involved in the election of both Popes Benedict and Francis and until his arrest one of the Pope Francis’ highest ranking Cardinals, now convicted by the Australian legal system, pending appeal, of the sexual assault of two choir boys in the sacristy after Mass whilst he was Archbishop of Melbourne as recently as 1996.

How are we to respond to an event of such seriousness?

Can I suggest that we do so by thinking about the impact this is having on our Roman Catholic friends, family and neighbours?

For many people from a Protestant background, this conviction may evoke feelings of anger, dismay and shame, feeling that the good name of our Lord Jesus Christ has been tarnished and evangelism has been made just that bit more difficult. However for people from a Roman Catholic background, the response is more likely to be either disillusionment or conversely a fierce defense of their Church.

Understanding a Roman Catholic world view can help us understand our Catholic friend’s response and how we might speak helpfully into their situation. For Roman Catholics, salvation occurs, not through faith in Christ alone but through the institution of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church is the continuation of Jesus presence in the world, the Pope is the vicar (or representative) of Christ in the world, and the sacraments that are distributed daily in Catholic Churches throughout the world are according to them; wholly, substantially and completely Jesus Christ in the flesh. So for someone who holds this world view and in Sydney over 1.2 million people identify as Roman Catholic and over 25% of our school students are taught this world view in Catholic schools, George Pell’s conviction provokes a response of either disillusionment or a fierce defense. Disillusionment because their only hope of salvation – The Roman Catholic Church - appears so sullied and discredited, that it can no longer be relied upon, or fierce defensiveness because as broken as the Catholic system seems to be … it is their only hope for salvation. In a recent poll on MSN.com asking the question, “Has Cardinal Pell’s conviction shaken your faith in the Catholic Church?”  19% of respondents indicated, “Yes it is the last straw” which is striking, given that only 27% of Sydney is Roman Catholic and 44% of respondents indicated that they didn’t believe in God.

However in Sydney it is not just the Catholics that have a problem, people from a Protestant background have a problem too, but it is not primarily our own failings of leadership in the area of protecting children, though that certainly is a problem! The greater problem we have is that we have so few connections with people from a Roman Catholic background so as the 10’s, no probably 100’s of thousands of people from a Roman Catholic background in our city that will just drift away from any meaningful faith in Christ … they will do so unknown to us.  They don’t come to our Churches despite whatever activities we engage in to attract them to us because their world view says … the way we relate to God is through the institution of the Roman Catholic Church … Why would I go to another smaller Christian institution? The NSCL data confirms this fact, stating,
 
 “There is very little movement of attenders between the Catholic Church and Protestant churches. It appears that Catholic attenders who make a change tend to leave church life altogether, rather than moving to other churches.” [i]

We find it hard to connect with them through the school years, either as kids or as parents of school aged kids because the Catholic School System educates 25% of our city but only 3% of kids at those schools identify as Protestant or come from Protestant families. Sadly because so many of our ministry strategies don’t take account of what it is like to live as a Roman Catholic in Sydney, we won’t be able to offer many of them the simple line of hope … “You might be giving up on the Roman Catholic Church, but don’t give up on Jesus. Would you like to read the Bible with me?” because we just don’t know enough Catholics well enough. That’s a big problem when they make up over a quarter of our mission field!

So Roman Catholics have a problem and Protestants have a problem … what about some solutions? Here are a few ideas for Individuals, Churches and the diocese.

Individuals … Pray. And act. If people from a Catholic background make up over 1 in 4 people in our city and they are distributed fairly evenly throughout the city, then the vast majority of us will have a Roman Catholic neighbour. If you are unsure who they are, spend some time in the morning outside your home and look at the uniforms the kids are wearing as they head off to school. Pray for them specifically. Then make a point of talking to them in the next week or so and compassionately ask them how the judgment on Cardinal Pell is affecting them and their family? Then be ready with a short testimony and an offer to read the Bible. Another thing you could offer them is the booklet, The Road once Travelled. Matthias Media published this book several years ago for Protestants to give to their Roman Catholic friends, arguing simply … “you might be giving up on the Roman Catholic Church … don’t give up on Jesus … read the Bible with someone.”

Churches … Our churches should be Mission central for our suburbs,  enabling Christians to work together to reach the various people groups that surround us. When was the last time you prayed for people from a Roman Catholic Background specifically? Ask your ministry leaders what your church is doing to help you reach the many thousands of lost Roman Catholics in your suburb and if you’re not satisfied with the answer … keep asking!

Dioceses and Mission Organisations … Despite funding mission to other people groups, the in Sydney the Dioecian organisations continually neglect funding applications to develop ministry to people from a Roman Catholic background. All funding at present comes from individual donors. If you want to personally support ministry to Roman Catholics in this diocese  …  


Let’s respond to Cardinal Pell’s conviction with a wake up call – Many people from a Roman Catholic background desperately need to hear the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus that we can offer … we need to do a better job at offering it to them.
 

[i] NCLS Occasional Paper 8. Sterland et al 2006.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming Conferences


European Leadership Forum (Wisla, Poland) 18-23 May 2019
Rome Scholars Network 2019 (17-21 June 2019)
Pastors' conference (Yverdon, Switzerland) 7-9 November 2019


Speaking Engagements


Lecture at Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando, FL) 27th March 2019
Lecture at Reformation Bible College (Sanford, FL) 28th March 2019
Lecture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC) 2nd April 2019
Launching of the Spanish edition of the book Mary. Mother of God? (Ciudad Real, Spain) 1st May 2019

FEATURED CONTENT

Sola Scriptura: Original Intent, Historical Development, and Current Issues of Sola Scriptura
 
At the Imperial Diet of Worms (1521), Martin Luther courageously affirmed the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. The purpose of this talk is not to treat the doctrine of Sola Scriptura as a doctrinal artifact of a bygone era. Rather, it is to encourage each one of us to embrace the doctrine of Sola Scriptura afresh, if we need to do so. In our secular culture we should take our own stand courageously, just like Martin Luther did, for Christ the Word of God in the flesh based on Holy Scripture, the Word of God written.
The Significance of the Trinity: Underpinning the Great Doctrines of the Reformation

Can we ever afford to be vague about the nature and identity of our God? Reformational thought is often portrayed as having little concern for the doctrine of God and for trinitarian theology. By looking at the challenges that the trinitarianism of the early Reformers presented to the Roman Catholic theology of their day, and how, in the theology of Calvin and the Reformed tradition, the triune being of God came to constitute the shape of all Christian belief, this session will argue that the theology of the mainstream Reformers drew from – and could only have grown in – explicitly trinitarian soil.
Thank you for your on-going interest and support. Please continue to ask people to sign the document and subscribe to the Reformanda Initiative newsletter.

http://IsTheReformationOver.com/
Click here to read the full Statement
Evangelical leaders who have signed the Statement.

Those who want to support the Reformanda Initiative financially may do so with a donation to the Kyra Karr Foundation

 http://kyrakarrfoundation.com/make-a-donation/.
And above all, pray that God will be honored and His gospel will shine forth in whatever we do.


Leonardo De Chirico
Reformanda Initiative, Director
  
The Reformanda Initiative exists to equip and resource evangelical leaders to understand Roman Catholic theology and practice, to educate the Evangelical Church, and to communicate the Gospel.
Copyright © 2019 Reformanda Initiative, All rights reserved.


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