Pope appoints Presbyterian minister to lead Vatican newspaper in Argentina
By Julio
Severo
Pope
Francis has appointed a Protestant pastor as the editor of the
new Argentinian version of the Vatican’s Catholic newspaper, L’Osservatore
Romano.
 |
| Pope Francis and Marcelo Figueroa |
The Presbyterian
leader also said that the Argentinian edition of L’Osservatore will include not
only prominent Catholic figures such as Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández,
rector of Argentina’s Catholic University, but also members of other religions,
highlighting Francis’s ecumenical and interreligious efforts.
“I
believe that those who want to listen to the pope’s voice, following his
pastoral work, with some additional commentary, will be enriched by our
edition,” Figueroa said. “I believe it’ll be good for the soul of every
Argentine, to follow carefully the voice of who today is the world’s most
relevant spiritual leader.”
Figueroa
is a friend of Francis. In the spring of 2015, when he had to undergo a
delicate surgical operation back in Argentina, Francis stayed close to him with
continual telephone calls and letters. After he recovered, in September of the
same year the pope gave a long interview to him for FM Milennium 106.7, a
Buenos Aires radio station. And a year later, he even promoted him not only as
director of the Argentine weekly edition of L’Osservatore Romano, but even as a
columnist for the bigger daily edition.
The
two worked on an ecumenical television show together when Pope Francis was an
archbishop in Argentina.
What
does the pope intend by appointing a Presbyterian minister? To draw the
attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who is a Presbyterian? Both are in a
conflict since February 2016 when Francis
said that it was not right Trump’s attitude of surrounding the
United States with a wall preventing the entry of illegal immigrants.
But
is right to appoint a Presbyterian minister for a Catholic post?
According
to the Catholic news site LifeSiteNews, “Catholics and Protestants disagree
about what is required for salvation, the authority of the pope, various Marian
teachings such as whether Mary was perpetually a virgin, the Mass, and other
major facets of Christian life.”
LifeSiteNews
is correct. It is not proper for a Presbyterian or other Protestant to lead a
Catholic group, and it would be equally improper for a Catholic to lead a
Protestant group. Can they be friends? Of course. But friendship or partnership
in pro-family and pro-life causes should never be equal to ecumenism.
When
possible, there should be unity among Christians for the common good, to fight
abortion, the homosexual agenda, Islamic fanaticism and to support Israel.
But spiritual
unity is impossible. Catholic doctrines require Mary and determined saints to
be intercessors between God and man while Protestant doctrines teach that Jesus
is fully enough for mediation and intercession.
Francis
and the Presbyterian minister should separate their friendship from their religious
obligations.
At
least, the pope did not appoint a pro-abortion and pro-sodomy man. In contrast,
the most
prominent Presbyterian university in Brazil has hired Marxist, pro-abortion and
pro-sodomy professors.
Even
so, Catholics are very discontent with the pope’s appointment. And why should evangelicals
be content?
It is
correct to say that Francis is a great pro-family leader. But it is very
problematic for a former head of Argentina’s Bible Society to say the Francis is
“the world’s most relevant spiritual leader.”
With
information from LifeSiNews, EWTN and Cruxnow.
Portuguese
version of this article: Papa nomeia pastor
presbiteriano para liderar jornal do Vaticano na Argentina
Source: Last Days Watchman
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