"Pope John Paul met with Protestant leaders in the Vatican Sept.18. 'The commitment of the Catholic Church to ecumenical dialogue is irrevocable,' he told members of a dialogue commission of Catholics and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, which is meeting near Rome Sept. 13-19, according to Catholic News Service. The Reformed churches had considered canceling the meeting after release of Dominus Iesus, which said the church of Christ 'continues to exist fully only in the Catholic Church.' It said Christian denominations without a Catholic-recognized Eucharist and ordained ministry are 'not, properly speaking, churches.'" (Religion Today, Sept.26)

CATHOLICS SAY THEY ARE SUPERIOR

The Vatican's pronouncement last month that Roman Catholicism is the only 'instrument for the salvation of all humanity," that all "other" Christians are "deficient," and Anglican and Protestant churches "are not churches in the proper sense" has left non-Catholic religious leaders around the world in a state of shock. Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, leader of 70 million Anglicans, is dismayed. Some ecumenical evangelicals plan to just "ignore" the supremacist boasting in the 36 page document and to move ahead with local unity and dialogue pursuits with Catholics even though the document states that in such "inter-religious" dialogue, the presupposition of equality "refers to the equal personal dignity of the parties in dialogue, not to doctrinal content, nor even less to the position of Jesus Christ...." The document repeatedly states that "the [Roman Catholic] Church," to the exclusion of other churches, is necessary for salvation. It states: " ... it would be contrary to the faith to consider the [RC] Church as one way of salvation. Alongside those constituted by the other religions ... even if these are said to be converging with the [RC] Church...." The document states that it is proper to attribute "salvific efficacy" to the sacraments. The more Rome changes the more it remains the same [Rev. 18:4]. Calvary Contender, October 1, 2000

From THE RECORD, Louisville Archdiocese, September 7, 2000: New Declaration says church necessary for salvation. Taking aim at the notion that "one religion is as good as another," a new Vatican document emphasizes the "exclusive, universal and absolute" value of Jesus Christ and says the Catholic Church is necessary for salvation.