Cardinal Reginald Pole

In the early 1500's the Catholic Church was wrought with problems, fighting and arguments within, and attacks from the Protestants and the Turks without. Reginald Pole was a brave cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church during these tumultuous times. In the midst of this turmoil, he stood up and gave an amazing address to the Council of Trent Jan. 7, 1546. Instead of blaming society, the heretics or anyone else, Pole insisted, 'The shepherds should make ourselves responsible for all the evils, not in generosity but in justice; because the truth is that of these evils we are in great part the cause…Herein no good is served by a long inquiry as to who are the causes of these evils, seeing that we cannot even name any other causes but ourselves! …It will be found that our ambition, our greed, our cupidity have wrought all these evils on the people of God.'
The Christian church in America is in trouble. Instead of pointing fingers and placing blame, I choose to take responsibility for my part and work to bring God's healing, restoration, and Spiritual empowerment. On behalf of any other pastors willing to accept blame, please forgive us, the church, for not being true representatives of our Savior, Jesus the Christ.

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