Tag: ecumenical catholic

Last week the Roman Catholic Church selected its new pope. As pastor of St. Clare, a non-Roman Catholic community, I have been asked a number of times over the past week about my thoughts about the new pope. Since this question has come up so often, in so many contexts, I thought it would be worth sharing my thoughts here.

Last week the Roman Catholic Church selected its new pope. As pastor of St. Clare, a non-Roman Catholic community, I have been asked a number of times over the past week about my thoughts about the new pope. Since this question has come up so often, in so many contexts, I thought it would be worth sharing my thoughts here.

Jesus was not talking about love the way our culture tends to talk about love. This is not about a superficial, “feel good” kind of love. It is not about a short term, self centered kind of love that focuses on me, and mine. Jesus was not saying that what matters is that I am loved, or that I experience that warm fuzzy feeling that we often associate with love.

This isn’t your typical Catholic church.

There’s no incense. No gothic-style building. The congregation doesn’t believe the pope is infallible. And, the priest, the Rev. Tom Altepeter, is married.