The
Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland (EANI) has welcomed news that Pope
Francis might visit the province in 2018.
Francis
is set to visit the Republic of Ireland but speculation that he might cross the
border into the North has mounted in recent days.
EANI's
public policy officer David Smyth said he wanted to extend a "warm and sincere
welcome to the Pope" and hoped that such a welcome would be shown "by the whole
community".
"Sometimes
we can be concerned that by showing warmth or generosity that that can be
misunderstood as endorsing everything someone stands for," he said.
"Maybe
we need to be bolder in our welcome."
However,
other Protestants are less enamoured with the prospect. Free Presbyterian
ministers have said they will protest if the Pope visits the North. Rev Ian
Brown, pastor of the Martyr's Memorial Church founded by the late Dr Ian
Paisley, told the News Letter that the current Pope was "no closer to
proclaiming the one true biblical Gospel – that salvation is by faith alone
through Christ alone" – than the Catholic church of Martin Luther's day and "the
only proper response to his high publicity visit is a solid protest".
Another
Free Presbyterian minister, Rev David McIlveen, said he believed he had a duty
to hold a "peaceful protest" as he believed the Pope's office as "Vicar of
Christ on earth" usurps the place of Christ. Christianity
Today.
I am of the view that there are a great many theological problems with Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Adventism et al. But, however off beam these may have gone - in the essentials - these are still Christian groups. They are not cults of any description. In that case, it seems logical that we should treat them kindly, like wayward prodigals to be welcomed rather than to be railed and ranted against! (After all - is YOUR Church perfect?)
