Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, says the Catholic Church is "not a Church that is there to convert" — and that in monotheistic religions "proselytism is poison." Joe McClane reads the whole interview and lays it next to the words of Christ.
Matthew 28:19, John 14:6, today's Gospel from the 1962 Missal, Pentecost, Paul VI's Evangelii Nuntiandi, Cardinal Sarah, and even the Protestant C.S. Lewis — all on one side. A cardinal prince of the Church on the other.

In an October 23 interview with the Belgian Catholic outlet Cathobel (reported by AdVaticanum), Cardinal Vesco said the Church in Algeria aspires "to be one of the components of this people," not to seek conversions, and that Christians have "another card to play than re-establishing a regime of Christendom." It follows years of similar statements: that the Gospel "does not necessarily lead to a change of religion" (Le Point, 2018), that "the purpose of the Church is not to try to convert Muslims," and that Christians must "free ourselves from the idea that we must evangelize" (cath.ch, 2022). Joe answers with Scripture, Pentecost, and the witness of St. Louis IX — and prays for the Cardinal's repentance.

"Where in our Savior's words does He say 'go and give them spiritual experiences'? He says go and make disciples — convert them, baptize them."

CHAPTERS
0:00 "The Church is not there to convert"
0:45 Welcome to A Catholic Take
1:08 Cardinal Fernández says nobody was interested — the 10 red flags callback
1:57 Cardinal Vesco's Cathobel interview: "not a Church that is there to convert"
3:17 Somebody explain this to me — the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)
4:12 "Proselytism is poison" vs. John 14:6
5:00 Disparaging beliefs? Today's Gospel: "They hated me without cause" (John 15)
6:51 The gods of the Gentiles and the father of lies
7:22 Truth is a Person — crucified for every soul on earth
8:02 Democracy, "fraternity," and the lodge
8:44 "Besieged fortress or fraternity?" — why not besiege theirs?
10:20 The "Great Replacement," Raymond Ibrahim, and St. Louis IX
13:09 "A regime of Christendom" — do you mean the One who established it?
14:30 Synodality buries "Vatican III"
15:08 2018: "does not necessarily lead to a change of religion" — the narrow way
16:12 A prayer for the Cardinal — Constantine was a sinner too
17:19 "Not that a Muslim becomes a Christian" — Pentecost and Acts 2
18:47 Show me the pre-1960 document — Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi
19:16 2022: "porosity, not proselytism" — Romans 1 and the natural law
20:30 Truth is a Person — even C.S. Lewis knew (The Last Battle)
21:27 Cardinal Sarah and Cardinal Koch on the duty to evangelize
23:09 Bishop Barron: "conversion is not a dirty word"
24:02 Why we share the Gospel — the greatest act of charity
25:03 Sign-off — explain it to me

SCRIPTURE (Douay-Rheims)
Matthew 28:19-20 — "Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
John 14:6 — "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me."
John 15:17-25 — Gospel for Ss. Simon and Jude (1962 Missal): "The servant is not greater than his master... they hated me without cause."
John 3:16 — "For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son."
Psalm 95:5 — "For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils." (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:20)
Luke 23:39-43 — the Good Thief
Matthew 7:13-14 — wide is the gate, narrow is the way
Acts 2:37-38 — "What shall we do?... Do penance, and be baptized every one of you."
Romans 1:19-20 — "so that they are inexcusable"
1 Corinthians 9:16 — "Woe unto me if I preach not the gospel."
1 Corinthians 13 — charity

REFERENCED
Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco,
https://advaticanum.com/article/cardinal-vesco-says-catholic-church-is-not-there-to-convert-in-interview-on-evangelisation/

JOE'S BOOKS
Catholic By Design — https://a.co/d/0c1cuDZ8
He Is Coming — https://a.co/d/09UaO3pE

A Catholic Take with Joe McClane airs weekdays on The Station of the Cross / iCatholicRadio.
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