if he is indeed guilty? Considering in the past that records have been destroyed to protect priests (though not by him) and the catholic church in general has a history of "circling the wagons" and protecting their own - and this guy is in charge of their extremely ample money - color me skeptical of a fair, level trial. What say you word forge? http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/28/asia/cardinal-pell-australia/index.html
A God that would smile down on the wickedness and madness of the Roman Catholic Church would be some kind of face eating demon from a horror movie. Don't mock their pope though. You're a bad guy if you mock their pope.
You rightly get criticised because that's bullshit. Kiddy fiddling doesn't disqualify them. Anyway, if he's guilty one hopes that he dies behind bars.
Ok, I'll bite. And, I know this has nothing to do with the topic, but why are Catholics not real Christians?
Such as? And, BTW, you do know that no matter what version of Christianity you practice, it's all based on Catholicism, right? As for what does or doesn't appear in the New Testament, the Catholics are the ones who determined what books go into the New Testament at the First Council of Nicene?
The position of pope for one. And before you claim that Peter was established as the first pope, the fact that Paul publicly rebuked Peter over the issue of Gentiles being forced to become Jews prior to becoming Christians shows this not to be true. If Peter was intended to serve as an earthly head of the church, Paul would never have disagreed with him. Much less publicly. And one would expect Catholics to claim they are the basis for all versions of Christianity whether it is true or not.
I'm not Catholic. I know history. Also, "If Peter was intended to serve as an earthly head of the church, Paul would never have disagreed with him. Much less publicly." Where on Earth do you get this? Are you suggesting Christ's followers were not human?
I'm saying that if the first century church acknowledged that Peter was its head (pope) then Paul would never have publicly disagreed with Peter. Probably simply accepted Peters position on Gentile converts and leave it at that
Doesn't it stand to reason that if Paul accepted that Peter was pope, designated by Christ himself as the earthly head of his church that he would never have publicly disagreed with him?
A Christian is one whose religion is based around Christ. The specific doctrines that one holds to are secondary. It is mere sectarianism that causes you to hold the view that you do.
Stand to reason? Is he human or not? If he's human, he is just as susceptible to ego, greed, power, whatever, as anyone alive today.
Assuming what Paul wrote was the inspired word of God (except for those parts that Paul says outright was his opinion such as his advice for a Christian not to marry to they can better focus on serving God) then I think it is reasonable to conclude the answer to your statement would be no.
I can think of a few eastern rites Christian groups which predate Catholicism but, yes, all the others are off shoots of Catholicism. Even the eastern Orthodoxed groups. Damn schizmatic Greeks.