Was the Pope absolutely correct when he said all Protestant Churches are not TRUE CHURCHES ?
Here's what I think: I think the Catholic church forfeitted any right it may have had to call itself the true Church and make the assertion that it alone had the means of salvation when it started adding a whole lot of extrabiblical dogma to the lot (purgatory, rosary, Mary this and that) and demanding that people believe it or become anathema. Oh, and then there was that little matter of selling indulgences. Or how about the merits of the saints issue? Or persecuting other Christians and those of other religions to their death? Or how about popes keeping their own personal harems? I could go on and on all day. But I'll tell you one more thing: I have been to the Vatican, and it glorified man a WHOLE lot more than it glorified God. When I left I felt contaminated by idolatry and in need of a hot bath. The Church has no head but the Lord Jesus Christ. I follow HIM alone. He is sufficient. And anyone who says He's not, well, that person is antichrist.
Apostolic succession does not mean tracing the blood lines of their bishops back to the original apostles. The Pope is not descended from the apostles and he had to be a bishop before he became a cardinal and then a pope. Rather apostolic succession means the transfer and conference of authority as a spiritual leader through prayers and laying on of hands. In other words, the apostles laid hands on or ordained people for ministry, and those people did it to others and on an on to the present day. The Anglican Communion claims apostolic succession as well. Perhaps the former Cardinal Ratzinger missed that.
