I heard on Fox News an official Vatican representative say that The Virgin Mary was holding open wide the doors of heaven for the Pope. At least we now know it isn’t St. Peter as all the jokes indicate! Shame on me, this is no laughing matter! Karol Wojtyla, from Wadowice, Poland died on Saturday afternoon EST. Mr. Woljtyla was popularly known as Pope John Paul II and was revered by the blasphemous name, “The Holy Father – vicar of Christ.” Don’t misunderstand me, please. There is good reason for us to respect and appreciate this good man. John Paul II was a key instrument, along with President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minsiter Margaret Thatcher, in bringing an end to Communism is the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He was probably the bravest, boldest proponent of human dignity as any person in the 20th Century. He continued to voraciously argue against the ordination of women or homosexuals. He was a man who heralded peace. He sought to compensate for the failure of the Roman Catholic Church to fight against the slaughter of the Holocaust. By all accounts, John Paul II was a very good and influential man. If anyone could earn heaven, it was Karol Wojtyla.
However, we need to revisit the biblical doctrines of Justification, Imputation of Righteousness, Faith in Christ alone. Many evangelicals, such as Pat Robertson and Billy Graham, have continues to declare John Paul II a m"man of God" and assure us he is a "Christian." Even President Bush, who claims to be evangelical, said Saturday that the Pope had been ushered into his "well deserved eternal reward". Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said generally kind things regarding John Paul II, but they could not bring themselves to even hint that he might be in heaven. But we have the ever compassionate President Bush, who claims to be born again, sending John Paul straight to heaven, even though the Pope insisted that Mary was the “Mother of Grace” and the “Co Mediatrix” with Christ. Take a look at some of the beliefs of John Paul in his own words (emphasis mine):
1. September 8, 1982, Feast of the Birth of Mary, during a papal address to the sick: “Mary, though conceived and born without the taint of sin, participated in a marvelous way in the sufferings of her divine Son, in order to be Coredemptrix of humanity.”
2. From the “Redeemer of Man” – an encyclical letter of His Holiness John Paul II: “if we feel the feel a special need, in this difficult and responsible phase of the history of the Church and of mankind, to turn to Christ, who is Lord of the Church and Lord of man's history on account of the mystery of the Redemption, we believe that nobody else can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Nobody has been brought into it by God Himself as Mary has. It is in this that the exceptional character of the grace of the divine Motherhood consists. Not only is the dignity of this Motherhood unique and unrepeatable in the history of the human race, but Mary's participation, due to this maternity, in God's plan for man's salvation through the mystery.”
John Paul II had clearly declared his devotion to Mary “The Mother of God” and “Mother of the Church.” His own motto he chose for himself was "Totus tuus", "totally yours," addressed not to Jesus, but to Mary! For more from the very writing of John Paul II himself regarding his doctrine of redemption and the role of Mary see the following links:
http://www.cin.org/jp951213.html - Pope John Paul on Mary the Mediatrix
http://www.cin.org/JPIICoRedm.html - Pope on Mary Co Redemptrix
These thoughts ought to put great passion in your souls to share with your Catholic friends, neighbors and family members the true peace available from God in Christ alone. I will try to find time tomorrow to write regarding the doctrine of redemption and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, but for now, please think for yourselves. On what grounds does one enter heaven? Will Mary be holding the door for anyone? Who is the “One Mediator between God and man?” Plenty to ponder.
Do not be “ashamed of the gospel of God, for it is the power of God for salvation to those who believe.” Now is the time to boldly proclaim the grace of God made available by Christ alone appropriated by Faith alone!
Grace to you!
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