Terry Mattingly: Make converts to Catholicism? That is now controversial

For centuries, missionaries from the Church of Rome ventured into foreign lands, often risking their lives while seeking converts to Christianity. Their motivation came from the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.'“ kAm%96 BF6DE:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ r2C5:?2= ':4E@C |2?F6= u6C?2?56K[ AC6764E @7 E96 '2E:42?VD A@H6C7F= s:42DE6CJ 7@C E96 s@4EC:?6 @7 E96 u2:E9[ :D 9@H D9@F=5 E9:D 4@>>:DD:@? 36 244@>A=:D965 :? 2 492?8:?8 H@C=5]k^Am kAm“%96 r9FC49 4@?D:56CD 96CD6=7 E96 5:D4:A=6 2?5 >:DD:@?2CJ @7 E9:D {@G6i >:DD:@?2CJ @?=J :?D@72C 2D D96 :D 2 5:D4:A=6[ 42A23=6 @7 36:?8 2EEC24E65 4@?DE2?E=J 2?5 H:E9 C6?6H65 H@?56C 3J E96 v@5 H9@ 92D =@G65 FD 2?5 H9@ =@G6D FD 7:CDE[” HC@E6 u6C?2?56K :? “'6?:E6 25 |6 WVr@>6 E@ |6VXi r@?D:56C2E:@?D @? E96 %C2?D>:DD:@? @7 E96 u2:E9 :? 2? tA@492= r92?86]”k^Am kAm%96 42C5:?2=VD E6IE H2D 2D 4@>A=6I 2D :ED E:E=6[ 3642FD6 96 E96? 25565i “%96 r9FC49 5@6D ?@E 6?8286 :? AC@D6=JE:D>] x?DE625[ D96 8C@HD 3J V2EEC24E:@?V“ E9C@F89 H9:49 “E96 r9FC49 ]]] 244@>A=:D96D 6G6CJ @?6 @7 96C H@C:E2E:@? @7 E96 =@G6 @7 96C {@C5]”k^Am kAm%96 4@?EC@G6CD:2= H@C5 U=5BF@jAC@D6=JE:K6UC5BF@j :D 567:?65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^s:4E:@?2CJ]4@>Qms:4E:@?2CJ]4@>k^2m 2D U=5BF@jE@ 4@?G6CE WD@>6@?6X 7C@> @?6 C6=:8:@FD 72:E9 E@ 2?@E96C]UC5BF@j qFE >2?J >@56C? r2E9@=:4D 2C8F6 E92E E96 E6C> DF886DED AC6DDFC:?8[ 6G6? EC:4<:?8[ A@E6?E:2= 4@?G6CED]k^Am kAm%9FD[ r2C5:?2= y62?\!2F= '6D4@ @7 p=86C:2 C646?E=J E@=5 2 q6=8:2? r2E9@=:4 AF3=:42E:@? E92E “H6 2C6 ]]] ?@E 2 AC@D6=JE:K:?8 r9FC49[ ?@E 2 r9FC49 E92E :D E96C6 E@ 4@?G6CE[ 3FE 2 r9FC49 E92E 2DA:C6D E@ 36 @?6 @7 E96 4@>A@?6?ED @7 E9:D A6@A=6]” w6 25565 E92E “:? >@?@E96:DE:4 C6=:8:@?D[ AC@D6=JE:D> :D A@:D@?[ 3642FD6 :E :>A=:6D 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 @E96C A6CD@?VD C6=:8:@? 72=D6]”k^Am kAm%9:D 5C6H 2 3=F?E C6DA@?D6 7C@> @?6 @7 p>6C:42VD >@DE @FEDA@<6? 3:D9@AD]k^Am kAm“(96? $E] !2F= 42>6 E@ r@C:?E9 @C pE96?D @C %96DD2=@?:42[ 9:D AFCA@D6 H2D ?@E E@ =:DE6? @C E@ 7@C> 2 5:D4FDD:@? 8C@FA[” ?@E65 q:D9@A #@36CE q2CC@? @7 E96 s:@46D6 @7 (:?@?2\#@496DE6C[ |:??6D@E2[ G:2 D@4:2= >65:2] w6 :D 2=D@ E96 7@F?56C @7 (@C5 @? u:C6[ 2 8=@32= r2E9@=:4 2A@=@86E:4D >:?:DECJ]k^Am kAm“"F:E6 @3G:@FD=J[” 96 25565[ “?@ @?6 E9:?2??6C WAC@D6=JE:K2E:@?X[ 3FE 7@C v@5VD D2<6[ =6EVD ?@E E9C@H E96 323J @FE H:E9 E96 32E9H2E6C] x7 x C62==J E9@F89E E92E E96 r9FC49 5@6D ?@E 6I:DE E@ 3C:?8 A6@A=6 E@ r9C:DE[ E96? x H@F=5 C6D:8? 2?5 86E 2? 9@?6DE ;@3]”k^Am kAmr2C5:?2= '6D4@ C6DA@?565 3J :?D:DE:?8 E92E 9:D G:6HD C67=64E65 E96 E6249:?8D @7 C646?E A@A6D \\ $E] y@9? !2F= xx[ q6?65:4E )'x[ uC2?4:D 2?5 {6@ )x'] w:D 3@EE@> =:?6i “*6D[ x 36=:6G6 E92E E96 36=:6G6CD @7 E96 E9C66 >@?@E96:DE:4 C6=:8:@?D 92G6 36EE6C E9:?8D E@ 5@ E92? E@ D66< E@ 4@?G6CE @?6 2?@E96C] #2E96C[ E96J D9@F=5 2446AE E92E E96C6 :D 2 >62DFC6 @7 H92E E96J 42??@E A@CE2?E E92E E96 uC6?49\3@C? '6D4@ D6CG6D 2D E96 2C493:D9@A @7 p=86C:2[ 2 ?@CE9 p7C:42? =2?5 E92E :D hhT |FD=:>] p44@C5:?8 E@ &]$] $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E C6A@CED[ :ED 76H r9C:DE:2? 4@?8C682E:@?D =:G6 F?56C =2HD E92E 4C:>:?2=:K6 3=2DA96>J[ @776?5:?8 xD=2> 2?5 “AC@D6=JE:K:?8 3J ?@?\|FD=:>D]”k^Am kAmr2C5:?2= '6D4@ 42? 2=D@ BF@E6 2 A:G@E2= 5@4F>6?E 7C@> '2E:42? xx]k^Am kAm“%96 A=2? @7 D2=G2E:@? 2=D@ :?4=F56D E9@D6 H9@ 246? v6?E:F> W{:89E @7 E96 }2E:@?DX” E6IE] “x? E96 7:CDE A=246 2>@?8DE E96D6 E96C6 2C6 E96 |FD=:>D[ H9@[ AC@76DD:?8 E@ 9@=5 E96 72:E9 @7 p3C292>[ 2=@?8 H:E9 FD 25@C6 E96 @?6 2?5 >6C4:7F= v@5[ H9@ @? E96 =2DE 52J H:== ;F586 >2?<:?5] }@C :D v@5 72C 5:DE2?E 7C@> E9@D6 H9@ :? D925@HD 2?5 :>286D D66< E96 F?6? =:76 2?5 3C62E9 ]]] 2?5 2D $2G:@FC H:==D E92E 2== >6? 36 D2G65]”k^Am kAm|62?H9:=6[ r2C5:?2= u6C?2?56K \\ 52JD 27E6C E96 C6=62D6 @7 “'6?:E6 25 |6” \\ E@=5 E96 $A2?:D9 ?6HD @FE=6E #6=:8:@? r@?7:56?4:2= 96 H2D 5:D2AA@:?E65 3J E96 2A2E96E:4 C6DA@?D6 E@ 9:D H@C< 2>@?8 49FC49 =6256CD]k^Am kAm%96 AC@3=6>[ 96 6IA=2:?65[ H2D E92E AC@8C6DD:G6 3:D9@AD 2?5 E96@=@8:2?D 2C6 AC:>2C:=J “A2DD:@?2E6 23@FE DECF4EFC2= 492?86D 2?5 5:2=@8F6 H:E9 D@4:6EJ” 2?5[ E9FD[ 2C6 ?@E :?E6C6DE65 :? 6?4@FC28:?8 2 “A6CD@?2= 6?4@F?E6C H:E9 r9C:DE]” ~? E96 @E96C D:56[ 96 D2:5[ 5@4EC:?2= 4@?D6CG2E:G6D 2AA62C E@ 36 7:I2E65 @? E96 “EC2?D>:DD:@? @7 D6IF2= >@C2=:EJ]”k^Am