July 28, 2014 19:44 |
Message to the Editor
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Pastor Traettino Pope and embrace
(Caserta) Upon the "private" visit of the Pope by his "friend", the evangelical pastor Giovanni Traettino there were more than 300 selected guests in Caserta. Pope Francis asked the Evangelicals and Pentecostals for forgiveness for the "assault and slander" that were committed by Catholics. Literally, the Catholic Church's leader said: "Among those who are members of the Pentecostals were prosecuted or convicted, as if they were madmen who would destroy mankind, were also Catholics." Next, the Pope said: "I am the shepherd of the Catholics, and therefore ask you for forgiveness for those Catholic brothers and sisters who were possessed by the devil and did not understand anything."
Pope Francis said nothing about the timing, nature, and those responsible for the alleged persecution of Pentecostals by the Catholic Church. He also said nothing more about the "possession" of Catholics. The Pope's visit was based on the evangelical "brothers" visit with him at the Vatican. That's why he came to Caserta to meet the "brothers".
It is "a temptation to say: I am the Church, you are the sect. Jesus prayed for unity. The Holy Spirit creates diversity in the Church. He makes the differences. But then Holy Spirit makes the same unity and the church is one in diversity. A diversity reconciled through the Holy Spirit," said Pope Francis according to Lettera43.
It was the first time in a little more than the one hundred year history of the Protestant Pentecostal movement that the first visit of a Catholic pope at a Pentecostal community took place. The Vatican stressed that the visit of the Pope is "strictly private", but attached great value to the fact that the meeting is known. As mentioned at the meeting at the Vatican a number of leading evangelical preachers from the U.S. and other countries came to the meeting with the Pope to Caserta.
Following his address Pope Francis prayed the Our Father with Pastor Traettino and the invited guests. This was followed by a lunch at the community center of Traettino's Denomination.