(Update: Christian News has corrected this article now, but there’s still something fishy.)
A headline from Christian News entitled “‘Pope’-Endorsed Ecumenical ‘Together 2016’ Unites Christians, Catholics in Nation’s Capital” reports the following [emphasis added]:
That would be news to me, considering that I watched nearly the entire livestream, and also considering that Together 2016 stated many times on social media past few weeks that no Pope video would be playing on the National Mall. Here’s yours truly actually talking with the organizer about it.
Christian News might have also tried to verify from people on the ground whether a Pope video was played, considering that the event ended five hours earlier than scheduled.
Meanwhile, what actually occurred is that lead organizer Nick Hall brought up a delegation to represent Catholic charismaticism — Lou Engle, “Bishop Robert,” Matteo Calisi and his translator “Bruno” (last name unknown) — to present Roman Catholicism as a legitimate Christian denomination in unity with evangelicals.
The trio of Lou Engle, Matteo Calisi, and Bruno also appeared at the Azusa Now conference.
And Nick Hall endorsed the Azusa Now conference back on April 9th.
Take additional note: of this trio and Bishop Robert, only Lou Engle was on the publicly released list of speakers.
Between this and the slander of Apologia Church, Christian News needs to stop, take a breather, and really think and pray about what it really is, because right now it is neither Christian nor news.
So let’s recap the core here.
- Together 2016’s Nick Hall says that Catholics and Protestants are “on the same team,”
- Together 2016 announces a special video greeting from the Pope,
- Christian discerners rightly go berzerk,
- Together 2016 mysteriously changes the “special video greeting” by deleting social media posts and posting a video invitation and steadfastly refuses to explain the reason for the change,
- people show up after multiple assurances in social media that the Pope will not be delivering a “special video greeting”
- and then Together 2016 siccs a Roman Catholic delegation — unannounced — upon the crowd during the event and proclaims Catholics and evangelicals as both parts of the body of Christ.
More to come concerning what was actually said at Together 2016, as it requires some parsing through. Meanwhile, Christian News, what was not said was anything directly from the Pope.
Dallascernment 
This isn’t discernment. This is being an attack-gnat for your favorite web-famous apologist, to be paid back in back-slaps from your meager twitter followers and a few carnal Calvinists. I’m sad that this is what has become of your discernment ministry, Garrett. If that’s your “gotcha” moment, then we see the ax you’re grinding.
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While I was massively opposed to the goings on at Together 2016 (as much as a man in the UK can be), that article by. ChristianNews was horrific. If it is opinions they want to print, fine – just don’t call it news. (My journalistic snobbery apologises…)
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No snobbery taken, Kofi. This ought to be a discernment blog gold mine. It has Catholic ecumenism, Ronnie Floyd prophesying, no-repentance gospel, women such as Ann Voskamp teaching men, a find-a-church app that now sends you to a Google Maps search for “church,” falsely ascribing racism to police officers, and listening for the audible voice of God. I didn’t make any of that up. With that kind of material, who needs the Pope?
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