As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“…a key issue is frequently overlooked by both Protestant admirers of Rome and those who convert to Catholicism—assurance of salvation. The Roman Catholic Church flatly denies that Christians can have certainty of their salvation.” - 9 Marks
“While reporting relatively low levels of attendance at Mass, almost half of US adults (47%) say they have a personal or family relationship to Catholicism, a new Pew Research Center survey finds.” - RNS
Pope Francis’ recent death is an opportunity for bible-believing Christians to consider what we ought to believe about the papacy. The goal is not to dance on a dead man’s grave, but to think about who oversees Christ’s church. Is the papacy a legitimate institution? Does it have biblical warrant?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (“CCC”) says that:
“On May 8, 2025, the Catholic Church announced the election of a new pope. American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV” - TGC
“Ortlund consistently makes a convincing case, carefully defining what is at stake, showing a conversance with the magisterial documents under critique, drawing from non-Protestant scholarship and arguing for modest, minimalist claims that are difficult to refute.” - London Lyceum
“Within 15 days of the death of a pope, cardinals will begin the conclave — the word is drawn from the Latin ‘cum clave,’ meaning ‘with a key,’ because they are locked in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican to vote on the next pope.” - RNS
“Pope Francis, who sought to be a bridge maker as he led the Catholic Church in a time of deep polarization, died at 7:35 a.m. on Monday (April 21), at the age of 88, a day after surprising faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.” - RNS
Based on Pew data: “Whereas Protestantism, including both evangelical and mainline varieties, loses 1.8 members compared to every new addition, Roman Catholicism loses 8.4. That’s an astounding rate of loss.” - WORLD
“In recent years, several notable Protestant converts to Roman Catholicism have made waves online…. What drives these Christian thinkers to make this jump? Several theories could be explored, but one factor might concern the surprising savvy of online Roman Catholic apologetics, particularly on platforms like YouTube.” - TGC
“Pope Francis suffered a respiratory spasm that led to a sudden worsening of his condition, doctors said on Friday (Feb. 28), after two days of improved reports on the pope’s health.” - RNS
Discussion