ROME — Pope Francis focused on the person of Mary in statements issued both Tuesday and Wednesday, making assertions that some opine are unbiblical and heretical.
“The Christian who does not feel that the Virgin Mary is his or her mother is an orphan,” he Tweeted on Tuesday, a post that generated much criticism from around the world.
“Sorry fella, you lost me on this one,” one follower wrote.
But over 5,600 followers favorited the Tweet and over 3,600 shared it.
Today, the pope gave his weekly address in Rome, speaking about the Roman Catholic Church serving as a “mother” to the world, and exhorting the Church to follow Mary as an example of how to be a mother.
“In our catecheses, we have often noted that we do not become a Christian on our own, but by being born and nurtured in the faith in the midst of the People of God, that is the Church,” he stated. “She is a true mother who gives us life in Christ, and in the communion of the Holy Spirit, brings us into a common life with our brothers and sisters.”
“The model of motherhood for the Church is the Blessed Virgin Mary, who in the fullness of time conceived through the Holy Spirit and gave birth to the Son of God,” Pope Francis continued. “Her motherhood continues through the Church, who brings forth sons and daughters through baptism, whom she nourishes through the word of God.”
According to the Catholic News Agency, he also urged the crowds to seek the intercession of Mary, and pray that they can “learn from her that tenderness which allows us to be witnesses of maternity of the Church.”
Christian News Network asked Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries in Plano, Texas to share his thoughts Wednesday regarding the pope’s latest Tweet asserting that those who reject Mary as mother are orphans. He expressed disagreement, stating that as per Romans 8:15, those who receive the adoption of sons through the blood of Jesus can never be orphans.
“The pope continues to display his biblical ignorance,” he said. “Pope Francis does not know that Christians cannot be orphans because they have been adopted into God’s eternal family. No one can be an orphan who has received the Spirit of adoption as sons joyfully cry out ‘Abba! Father!'”
Gendron also took issue with the Tweet referring to Christians, stating that Christians and Catholics are two separate entities.
“The pope should stick to Tweeting about Catholics since he does not know how Scripture defines a Christian,” he said. “The Roman Catholic Church not only fabricates heresies concerning Mary, but does the same with her son Jesus by denying that He is the all-sufficient Savior.”
“His religion teaches that a Catholic needs to be justified repeatedly by sacraments and works because he/she loses the grace of justification each time a mortal sin is committed,” Gendron stated. “A Christian is justified once by faith because justification is a permanent declaration of righteousness by God. A Catholic is purified by the fires of Purgatory. A Christian is purified by the blood of Jesus.”
Photo: Agencia Brasil
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