When did the Roman Catholic Church begin its decline? When Pope Gregory VII wrote, “The pope can be judged by no one; the Roman church has never erred and never will err till the end of time; the Roman church was founded by Christ alone; the pope alone can depose and restore bishops; he alone can make new laws, set up new bishoprics and divide old ones. ... He alone can call general councils and authorize canon laws; his legates .. have precedence over all bishops. ... A duly ordained pope is undoubtedly made a saint by the merits of St. Peter.” “The Roman church has never erred and never will error till the end of time,” has been taken to mean the teachings of Faith by the Church, but unfortunately the Roman Catholic Church has taken it to mean more. But even if it is only meant to be the teaching of Faith; the Roman church has often deviated from the teachings of Christ and the Holy Bible. When an individual, a clergy, or a religious institution proclaims exclusive knowledge of God’s intentions and/or divine inspiration and/or origin, as Christians, we should run for the door. Be they the pope, a local pastor, or just someone saying things, they are still a man or woman. Man is imperfect, only God is perfect. Saying that even an institution of God, which is run by man, can’t be wrong sets up itself on a level with God and begins a mindset that leads to not only past corruption, but also the current disease affecting the Roman Catholic Church.

Rape and child molestation are seldom about sex, they are about power. And, in my opinion so are most cases of "Super Star" infidelity. Some ask if priests were able to marry would that have stopped this affliction. It may have, but it is not about sex. We see the same thing happen with sports figures, politicians, and even police officers, power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Some of this is ancient history, but to say the Roman church has never erred in its teaching on Faith is a crock. When it sounds like a good idea to raise funds by selling indulgences (Which paid for the persons and/or his/her family’s redemption and absolution) or believe that an ordinary man/woman is incapable of reading and understanding the Bible, or say that someone needs a human intermediary to talk to God and gain Salvation, you are erring in teachings. It is not only my opinion, it caused the Protestant Reformation.

I truly wish it were different, but many people have steered clear of Christianity, because of the Holy Roman Church. The demise of the Roman church will lead to a hole in Christ’s heart (Not literally, but it will be further proof to some that Christians are wrong in their belief). They have proclaimed themselves as Christendom alone. Not everything they have done is bad or against Christ’s teachings, but they are the Church that unbelievers see as Christ’s Church, so when something bad happens in their collective Kingdom it makes all Christians suffer and the persecution of Christ continues. Yes, I said Kingdom, it meets all definitions of the term and for most of history after Christ’s death and resurrection the Roman church has wielded more power than most governments. They have been a shining light in the Darkness, also during their complex reign. I believe the vacuum they leave will be a telling time for all who proclaim Christ as their Savior and hope that it is not filled with extremists, who take liberty with and warp Christ’s teachings.

It never has been about the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, or any other denomination of the Christian Faith, it is about our relationship with God through Christ.

We are told many times in the New Testament to be aware of false teachers and profits. Be aware of your own clergy’s teachings and weigh it against the Holy Scripture, because we really do know them by their fruits. Yes, I am telling you to question the very person or institution that you have relied upon for your teaching of the Faith. It is your obligation and your obligation alone to seek out God’s teachings. That freedom of choice we are given by God doesn’t just cover whether we do good or bad, it also covers who and what we believe or don’t believe. We alone are responsible for our Salvation.

If someone seeks God with his heart and mind and yearns for the Truth, that person will find God and will soon find that God is everywhere. No human intermediary is necessary for Salvation that is a Free Gift from God available for the asking.

Pray for the Church, pray for the misguided, and pray that man’s persecution of Christ ends. It isn’t about whether a particular denomination, individual or other religious institution has failed to live up to the Scripture and God’s law, because they all have, it is about the very rock that Christ laid with Saint Peter. The foundation of the Church is being destroyed, but don’t blame it on God or Christ, unfortunately there was no way to leave it in any other hands than man’s. All mankind is flawed and it doesn’t matter whether they are the pope, clergy or each of us.

I will admit it is hard and really calls for an inner strength to pray for all Christian denominations, and people who proclaim Christianity, especially those we disagree with, but it is about Christ and it is His Church. It is through prayer that we can mend the foundation and bring Christ and God back into the Church. We have made a mess of everything God has entrusted us with; please don’t let man destroy that which is not his to destroy. When Christ returns let us be able to show Him that it is not our particular denomination that we have worshipped or kept apart from His Church as a whole, but that we continued to try through our flawed way to bind His Church together.

Christian denominations have come and gone, but Christ’s mission for Saint Peter continues and will continue until His return. The very thought that you or I are a better Christian because we are a Lutheran, an Episcopalian, a Catholic, or any other denomination is ludicrous and hurts Christianity. The squabbling through Christendom’s history and that which continues is worse than the mudslinging of politicians during an election. At least they can say they didn’t know any better, we aren’t given that luxury, because we supposedly know Christ. Grow up and grow in Christ, not Catholicism or Protestantism or whatever your church might call your denomination.

When you think you are more right than someone else in your beliefs, you are probably wrong and you are not a Christian. There was not a Disciple or a Saint that didn’t struggle and some even rejected Christ at some point. Saint Peter publically denied Christ three times, but Christ entrusted him with the Church. Martin Luther had a worldly youth and punished himself continually, because he didn’t think he could be or had been Saved, and he was able to return Christ to the people. These are two examples, I could go on, but do you think your knowledge of the teachings of Christ is better than these two great Christians? Pride is man’s greatest sin, do away with it and work for Christ, being part of the solution not the problem. Step out of your comfort zone and visit a different Church, so that you can see they too are trying. You may be surprised, if it is Christ’s Church, even though you might not like how they worship or do things, God will be there too. It is God and Christ we should love not a person or institution.