Pope Reads Augustine, Converts to Christianity

ROME, ITALY – No matter how long you are in the news business, there are some things you just cannot predict.

TBNN has learned of a scandal going on within the Vatican. Although no official announcement has yet been made, our sources tell us that Pope Benedict has converted to Christianity. How could this happen? How could the leader of the Roman Catholic Faith convert to another religion? The Pope’s journey is interesting and educating for us all. Several months ago, the Vatican began encouraging all Catholics to read great Catholic theologians. The thought was that this would increase the people’s faith in the work of Rome. Possible authors included Thomas Aquinas, Johann Eck, Karl Rahner, and Mel Gibson.

In the midst of all this, one thing occurred which no one could predict. The Pope himself began to read Augustine. The Pope apparently did not realize that both Catholics and Protestants claim him as one of their great theologians. The Pontiff reportedly started by reading “Confessions.” One source told us that he couldn’t put the book down and was late to a mass because of it.

Augustine’s journey through his “Confessions” apparently resonated with the Pope. He quickly moved on to “The City of God.” We have learned that he finished that book in just three nights.

Protestants have never claimed that Augustine’s theology was purely biblical. He made some mistakes along the way. However, he also greatly affected Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other Reformers for the good. His stress on the sovereignty of God could be heard throughout the turmoil of the 1500’s. We at TBNN assume that Pope Benedict did not know that Augustine had such impact upon Luther, etc. We don’t think Luther has yet been declared a favorite son of the Vatican.

Pope Benedict’s journey through Augustine was completed when he tackled “On the Trinity.” The Pope reportedly struggled a great deal with this one because the Virgin Mother does not play an important role in this text. In fact, she is not mentioned as a significant part of the God-head at all. She is not even mentioned as Co-Redemptrix.

This is when things got out of hand. Due to the influence of Augustine, Pope Benedict began to read the bible. He learned about the grace and sufficiency of Christ. Furthermore, he couldn’t find any mention of the immaculate conception, the assumption of Mary, transubstantiation, extreme unction, purgatory, or even a Pope. He couldn’t even find anything about those funky, red Cardinal outfits.

After finishing the books of Genesis, John, and Romans, the Pope experienced what can only be called a “dark night of the soul” that lasted for three days. He neither ate nor drank. He remained in his quarters praying and singing.

What happened next is difficult to believe, but has been verified by three different sources. The Pope came out of his room after the third night with a big smile on his face. He addressed the Cardinals in normal, everyday clothing (khakis and a Polo shirt), and told them that after reading Augustine and the bible, he had become a Christian.

It is difficult to determine with clarity what occurred after that. The Vatican is being extremely secretive about it. We do know that there was a large argument within the body of Cardinals about it. Some were excited while others were aghast. The Pope himself seemed to be filled with joy.

Pope Benedict has scheduled a public speech in front of St. Peter’s Basilica this coming Friday afternoon. We do not know what he will say, but TBNN has heard rumors about the title of the address. It will be called, “I read Augustine, and now I don’t get the Mass.”

Posted by Elder Eric

http://tominthebox.blogspot.com/2007/12/pope-reads-augustine-converts-to.html

Augustine of Hippo on the Incarnation « Prydain

Augustine of Hippo on the Incarnation « Prydain
Augustine of Hippo on the Incarnation
Filed under: The Fathers and others on the Incarnation — Will @ 9:18 am

This first quote is a repost from Advent 2004–a short but meaningful excerpt from a sermon by Augustine of Hippo:
He by whom all things were made was made one of all things. The Son of God by the Father without a mother became the Son of man by a mother without a father. The Word Who is God before all time became flesh at the appointed time. The maker of the sun was made under the sun. He Who fills the world lays in a manger, great in the form of God but tiny in the form of a servant; this was in such a way that neither was His greatness diminished by His tininess, nor was His tininess overcome by His greatness. (St. Augustine, Sermon 187)

Here is another quote from Augustine–this one from De Trinitate, chap.2:

For perhaps our meaning will be more plainly unfolded, if we ask in what manner God sent His Son. He commanded that He should come, and He, complying with the commandment, came. Did He then request, or did He only suggest? But whichever of these it was, certainly it was done by a word, and the Word of God is the Son of God Himself. Wherefore, since the Father sent Him by a word, His being sent was the work of both the Father and His Word; therefore the same Son was sent by the Father and the Son, because the Son Himself is the Word of the Father. For who would embrace so impious an opinion as to think the Father to have uttered a word in time, in order that the eternal Son might thereby be sent and might appear in the flesh in the fullness of time? But assuredly it was in that Word of God itself which was in the beginning with God and was God, namely, in the wisdom itself of God, apart from time, at what time that wisdom must needs appear in the flesh. Therefore, since without any commencement of time, the Word was in the beginning, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, it was in the Word itself without any time, at what time the Word was to be made flesh and dwell among us. And when this fullness of time had come, “God sent His Son, made of a woman,” that is, made in time, that the Incarnate Word might appear to men; while it was in that Word Himself, apart from time, at what time this was to be done; for the order of times is in the eternal wisdom of God without time.

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