[Note: The item below was provided by WRF member Dr. Thomas Johnson who lives and ministers in Prague.  This material does not necessarily represent the position of the World Reformed Fellowship.  It is provided here as a discussion-starter. ] 

The Relationship of the Swiss Evangelical Alliance to the Roman Catholic Church

We sometimes receive strong criticism from evangelical Christians over our friendly interaction, on behalf of the World Evangelical Alliance, with senior Roman Catholic leaders. We have been accused of entering into spiritual union with the Antichrist; some evangelicals have refused to participate in a meeting with us because we have shaken hands with Pope Francis.

(Bonn, 03.11.2016) I have often referred to the signing of the document “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World” by the Vatican, the World Council of Churches, and the World Evangelical Alliance in 2011 as a crucial event in the history of the church. Now I was allowed to witness another event in Lund of at least equal importance. I am neither Catholic nor Lutheran.

The issues, pro and con, on our relationship as Calvinist believers to present day Catholicism, have been laid out quite clearly in recent blogs. I will not add to the substantive arguments here.

Pope Francis in one of the most liked leaders in today’s world. In 2014 Time Magazine voted him ‘Man of the year,’ and his popularity is on the increase, especially outside of the Catholic Church. In secular circles, including left-wing thinkers and LGBT movements, many seem to resonate with his apparent approachability and simplicity. With his insistence on mercy, love and tenderness, Francis likes to make his message simple, inclusive and non-judgmental.

 Why We, As Evangelical Reformed Christians, Seek to Dialogue with Pope Francis

In Vatican Files 113, “What Do You Think About Pope Francis?”, posted on September 24, 2015 [and available both on this website HERE and at this location - http://vaticanfiles.org/2015/09/113-what-do-you-think-about-pope-francis/ ], Leonardo De Chirico and Greg Pritchard criticise those evangelical leaders who visit the Pope.

 He rode into the city in WHAT? 

When our Lord made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he came riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah.  It was then the prerogative and expectation that the king would enter the city on a mount. 

Frankly, I’m Poped out.   News networks have carried much of the Pope’s visit to America live and non-stop.  We have seen him in Washington meeting with the President, speaking to Congress, and holding Mass for thousands of people.

On November 6, we posted here on the WRF website information about a meeting which was held earlier that day at the Vatican in Rome.  The essence of that meeting was an address given by Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Director of the World Evangelical Alliance, in which he urged both Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants to find ways of working together on those matters where both communities may be largely in agreement.

 As a member of WRF and indeed of the Church of Christ  I would like to make a few comments in response to the statement by Dr. Tunnicliffe during his visit to the Vatican regarding what he terms as New Era in Evangelical and Roman Catholic Relations.

WRF member Dr. Thomas K. Johnson recently gave a speech at the Vatican, in the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, where he was representing the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance.

A Response to Mr. Robert Heerdt’s Thoughts on Pope Francis’s EVANGELII GAUDIUM