What the Pope's Anti-ecumenical Statement Means for Non-Catholic Christians

Pope Benedict XVI, head of the Roman Catholic Church, is no newcomer to controversy. He reinstated Latin mass, which had been done away with by previous papal authority because it was seen as creating too many boundaries and was, to some, discriminatory. He has also caught media attention by his insistence to using papal garments previously unused by his predecessors. Whereas other popes have tried to appear humble, the current pope has been seen wearing elaborate garments and robes, as well as sitting on a gold throne. There was even speculation that his shoes were designed by fashion label Prada, but this has been refuted by the Vatican.

However, all of these materialistic and theological controversies have suddenly paled in comparison to the pope's recent declaration: Churches outside of the Roman Catholic Church are, essentially, not really churches.

In a 16-page document, the Vatican said that while Christian Orthodox churches as churches, they are suffering from a "wound" because they don't worship the Pope. What really caught people's attention was its further description of Protestants, saying that their wound is even "more profound." The document then went on to say that it is difficult "to see how the title of 'Church' could possible be attributed to them." It also affirms that the Roman Catholic Church is the "only true Church" on earth.

This decree from the pope undoes numerous years of work by the Second Vatican Council to build relationships and inter-faith discussion between the Catholic church and other Christians. By stating that non-Catholics aren't Christians, the Pope is risking a massive alienation and retaliation by Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and even liberal Catholics who are already up-in-arms by the reinstatement of the Latin mass.