Last week I did a YouTube interview with John-Henry Westen, editor of LifeSite News. It was also written into an article in which Westen begins,
“May 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Today I had the chance to speak with well-known Catholic apologist, author, and veteran tour guide of the Holy Land Steve Ray about a wide variety of topics, including his thoughts on Pope Francis. A former Baptist, Steve shared with me what it was like converting to Catholicism and what his views are on the coronavirus and the crisis in the church.”
For the whole article, click HERE on the image to the right. To watch the interview, view it on the YouTube video below.
This Post Has 9 Comments
I reposted in FaceBook with comment “hoping all my fellow Catholics read view this interview”. Thank you Steve.
Awesome interview. The examples and image of the ship was great.
STEVE RAY WITH INTRO COMMENTS TO PAUL'S COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS: First, thanks for writing Paul. Greetings in the Name of our Lord. I lived in Switzerland for 6 months, up the mountains from Aigle, in Chesiere near Villars. Great country. Glad you enjoyed the interview I did on LifeSite News.
PAUL: That was a excellent interview you gave, thankyou however I have some questions which I would appreciate you answer. What I liked is your clarity and directness .First of all to be clear I am Catholic, 51 years old, my father is a Catholic convert like yourself , I am married to a Protestant . You say you believe in the Catholic doctrine and it doesn’t change. Outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation , that has always meant outside (apart from for supreme ignorance like you have never heard of the Catholic Church) you go to hell if you deliberately stay out of it. So what will happen to your parents who stayed out of the Catholic Church? Did you encourage them to become Catholics?
STEVE: I encourage them to become Catholic but they were already old and could not grasp what I was saying to them. I believe they are invincible ignorant. So, I am quite confident of their eternal salvation. No one loved the Lord Jesus more than my parents
PAUL: To use your analogy the bark of St. Peter, the church of Christ gets you to heaven the rafts, get swallowed up in the storm, they have zero chance, if they do then why not just tie a rope behind the ship and get towed along , buy be your own Pope?
STEVE: This question makes no sense. And no illustration is perfect and you can push it too far and always find flaws.
PAUL: Your line about all Protestants are their own Pope is absolutely fantastic , I never thought of it that way but it is 100% correct. But please explain how can you be a « Pope John Paul 2 Catholic «. Saint JP 2 kissed the Koran and put Buddha on the altar, If we played the devils advocate and every Pope since Vatican 2 had one specific job to do to destroy the church from within then it could be argued SPJ 2 job was to encourage relativism, so why not s he a good Pope?
STEVE: No Pope is perfect as I said in my talk. I would have advised JPII to avoid kissing the Koran, etc. but he was a great pope and taught us all how to be true Catholics, conquered the Soviet Union, lived the faith like a martyr, taught us how to live and how to die. A long way from a Francis.
PAUL: Francis job appears to be to destroy moral authority The prior Popes destroyed the liturgy. So the question is should we not ask why our Bishops and priests are allowing the obvious watering down of faith and morals ? Like yourself I like clarity but what we have is shades of grey where we need black and white.
STEVE: To say they destroyed the liturgy is a very strong and incorrect statement. The Mass is not destroyed. I am going Sunday to received the Body and Blood of Christ and to experience the presence of our Lord in the Holy Mass. I understand that it is often irreverantly celebrated today by liberal priests, but the new young priests coming out of seminary are VERY good and celebrate a very reverant and good Mass.
PAUL: Last question I would like my wife to be Catholic, what would you recommend to do, which books could we read , including your books.
Many thanks and God bless you. Paul Bays Greetings from Switzerland
STEVE: If she reads English, I wrote a book called "Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historic Church." If she is open to reading this book would have a profound effect on her. I know thousands of Protestants have converted after reading it. It our conversion story into the Church. HEre is also an article that may be helpful Six Rules: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/six-rules-for-dealing-with-non-catholic-family-and-friends
God bless you Paul!
If the Church's open before it is and people become ill……….. the Church will be open to lawsuits. Just stay home and watch the Mass on tv…..stay safe.
STEVE RAY HERE: So we give up the Mass and communion and the fellowship of believers because of a flawed view of this whole virus hysteria? People can attend safely and carefully. Don’t fall prey to the scare tactics of the media. We ARE going back to church! People go to get abortions, buy liquor and lottery tickets, go shopping and more. BUT according to you, we should keep the churches closed. Nonsense!
Our churches should be open, with reasonable precautions. I think that the Detroit diocese is doing the right thing with 25% capacity and other measures. I just hope that the parish pastors come along. Some people may not be comfortable or are terribly afraid to attend, so they are dispensed from the obligation to attend until September. The risk cannot be totally eliminated, but we live with risks every day. It is sad that some people want to convert the risk into economic disaster to further their own political ends.
Dear Steve, It has been a long time since we met in Jerusalem. I would love to talk to you and Janet again after so many years. I hope you are well. I live in Rome now, so when things open up ……1
I like the interview very much, and appreciate your example of staying on the ship even if the the crew is not what the ship needs (by the way, Pope Francis has Really changed my priestly life), on whether we are allowed to criticize the Pope. It was interesting to hear comments from US bishops who came for their Ad Limina visit that "the listening attitude of Pope Francis" touched them most. The most important question is what the Scribes adn Pharisees had to respond to, namely "Are wet set in our ways, or are we opened to be renewed by the Holy Spirit?"
In your interview you mentioned that Pope Francis wanted to change in the Our Father the words "and lead us not into temptation", saying that God does not tempt us. So in the Italian text it now says: "do not abandon us in temptation".
STEVE RAY HERE: Oh my goodness. How nice to make connection again after so many years! You always enchanted our two young daughters with your magic tricks and candy. We have very fond memories indeed. Just so you know, our youngest daughter Emily is now a registered medical nurse, married 6 years with two beautiful children. I will e-mail you pictures.
We still visit Notre Dame at least 7 times a year with full buses of 50-100 people, even 150 at times. Such a great ministry of showing people the Land of Our Lord and Lady. We will also be in Rome the end of September (Lord willing) and hope to see you if we have time. We will have a group with us and they are very demanding of our time 🙂
Certainly happy that Pope Francis has blessed your priesthood. Not all priests can claim that since many have to deal with the fallout of the theological and moral confusion recently brought about. But it is good to hear occasionally of a priest that has been blessed. Some of us obviously have a difference in understanding of the phrase "open to be renewed by the Spirit." I would suggest such a phrase would mean a new desire for holiness, a revulsion of sin and a desire to study and apply what the Holy Spirit has previously and continually made so clear in the Church through the centuries," not a change or modification which would alter what has already been infallibly taught and revealed.
I had written an article about the phrase "lead us not into temptation" which you may find interesting. It is short; you can read it in a few minutes. It can be read here: https://catholicconvert.com/blog/2017/12/11/does-god-tempt-us-to-sin-should-we-change-the-words-of-the-our-father-prayer/
Thanks so much for writing and reminding me of happy days. I will send you pictures of our family, especially the two young girls you so delighted at the Notre Dame. God bless you Fr. Guido and Janet and I look forward to seeing you again.
Three questions:
1. Is Pope Francis one of those whom you think is trying to change the deposit of faith?
2. If your answer to question 1 is "yes," in which document has he done this or attempted to do this?
3. Is it, or is it not, part of the deposit of faith that a pope is protected by the Holy Spirit from changing the deposit of faith?
STEVE RAY HERE: Thanks for writing. In answer to your three questions:
1) I think he is one of many who have an agenda to change much of what the Church teaches and practices;
2) In all his documents, speeches and talks. They are too many to list here. But anyone who has been watching, reading and observing.
3) The Pope is protected from infallibly defining a doctrine of the faith which is contrary to the deposit of faith. However, one can change pastoral practice on how such a doctrine is applied which does not change the doctrine itself but can nullify it by changing the way it is applied on a pastoral level.
Thank you, Steve, for speaking from your heart. It comes from my heart also!
Hi Steve thank you for all you do . Would love to hear your talk on jp2 Catholics living in a pope Francis world but cant seem to find the link. Will keep trying . Praying for you and your ministry
STEVE RAY HERE: Thanks! Your kind words are much appreciated. Here is the link: http://www.steveraysstore.com/cd-how-can-a-john-paul-ii-catholic-survive-in-a-pope-francis-world/
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