Rev. Paisley lambasts Apostate Pope in address
Pastor Dale Morgan
Rev. Paisley lambasts Apostate Pope in address*
The Rev Ian Paisley today lambasted the Pope ahead of his July 12
address to Orangemen in Northern Ireland.
By:Press Association
Northern Ireland`s First Minister criticised Pope Benedict for endorsing
a Vatican document re-asserting that Catholicism was the one true faith.
Democratic Unionist leader Mr Paisley is famous for his opposition to
Catholic doctrine- at one stage dubbing the Pope the anti-Christ- and
said this week`s papal intervention was startling.
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"This excommunication of all Christendom, by the Pope, spells out the
strongest possible message that the Pope of Rome has not changed," he said.
"All outside the pale of Rome are told dogmatically by him that they do
not belong to the true church of Jesus Christ."
Mr Paisley has been reaching out to mainly-Catholic nationalists in his
role as First Minister in the power-sharing government with Sinn Fein.
However, he remains leader of the Free Presbyterian Church which is
opposed to ecumenism and working with other denominations. His statement
was issued by the DUP.
On Tuesday Pope Benedict approved a paper which reasserted the primacy
of the Roman Catholic Church, said Orthodox institutions were defective
and added that other Christian denominations were not true churches.
It was the second time in a week that the Pope has corrected what he
says are misinterpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65
conferences that modernised the church.
In the document the Vatican seeks to clarify Vatican II`s ecumenical
intent, saying some contemporary theological interpretation had been
erroneous or ambiguous and prompted confusion and doubt.
Much of Mr Paisley`s rise to prominence in Northern Ireland in the 1960s
was based upon firebrand-style opposition to the Catholic church. He
founded his congregation in 1951.
The North Antrim MP, who will speak to members of the Independent Orange
Order at Ballymoney, Co Antrim, this afternoon, said the dispute with
the Pope was as relevant today as in reformation times.
"He celebrated the 12th of July by unchurching every church in
Christendom with the exception of his own church," he added.