AN INDEPTH STUDY OF CATHOLICISM

What is the Council of Trent? C OUNCIL OF TRENT was the response of Rome to the PROTESTANT REFORMATION. Remember, the Protestant Reformation brought us all of the political liberty that we know of today. There's no such thing as national sovereignty without the Reformation. There's no such thing as private rights without the Reformation. There's no such thing as the Law of Nations, as we know of it today—of Montesquieu and the others, without the Reformation. The Reformation came with the concept that there was no need for the priesthood in order to go Heaven, and that all we need is salvation in Christ as Romans 1:17 states: “the righteous shall live by faith.” When the Reformation came, it completely stripped Rome of its spiritual power. The priests were no longer wanted—because the people were getting the word of God in a Bible, specifically in Holland, England, and Germany. And so, with these great revivals breaking forth, and the Reformation happening, nations were breaking away from the power of the Pope. The Holy Roman Empire was breaking up. Charles V, the Emperor, resigned and became a monk and a gardener. So, the Lord was moving mightily in breaking the power of the Holy Roman Empire, started by Charlemagne and the Pope. The Doctrines Laid Down The Council of Trent consists of 25 Sessions. Those 25 Sessions curse and condemn all the doctrines of the Reformation. It condemns anybody who does not believe that the literal Jesus Christ is in the host [holy communion bread], and that his literal blood is in the wine. This is called “TRANSUBSTANTIATION.” * Anybody who does not believe that [transubstantiation] is an accursed anathema. * Anybody who believes that their salvation is outside the Catholic Church is accursed anathema. * Anybody who believes in justification by grace through faith...anathema, accursed. * Anybody who believes that the Pope is not the vicar of Christ...accursed, anathema. You see, the falsity of all of these doctrines were being exposed as a result of reading the Bible, which produced the Reformation, and so THE JESUITS ACCURSED EVERYTHING THAT THE REFORMERS WERE PREACHING. This is all in Law called the Council of Trent. In the 4th Session, which is probably the most important Session, the Jesuits condemn freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of conscience. So, [according to them!] no man has the right to choose his own religion; no man has the right to publish what he feels is the truth; and no man has the right to freedom of conscience. Scandal and Skulduggery at the Vatican by David Willey 29 June 2013 from The Telegraph Website V ATICAN'S OWN offshore bank has been allowing organized criminals, even terrorists, to launder money with impunity. Can Pope Francis call a halt to the corruption gnawing at the heart of the Catholic Church? "It's like the end of the Berlin Wall," said a high-ranking Vatican official last week after an invisible financial barrier marking the legal separation between the Vatican and Italy was breached for the first time. According to officials at the Bank of Italy, the Institute for Works of Religion—the Vatican's own offshore bank—has, for years been allowing organized criminals, even terrorists, to launder money with impunity. On Friday, Italian tax police arrested a high-ranking Italian prelate, Monsignor [priest] Nunzio Scarano, who until last month, was working as a senior accountant inside the Vatican's financial administration. They also arrested a financial intermediary and an agent from Italy's secret services on charges of conspiring with Mgr Scarano to commit crimes of embezzlement and money laundering. Mgr Scarano is alleged to have masterminded a plot that sounds like an airport novel. He attempted to bring €20million in cash belonging to a wealthy family of ship-owners from a Swiss bank to Rome in a private plane, thereby evading customs and tax controls. Italian prosecutors have had their eye on the Vatican bank for several years but, until now, have had great difficulty in obtaining any information from the Holy See, which has pleaded diplomatic immunity and exemption from normal international banking rules on the grounds that the Institute for Works of Religion, "is not a bank in the normal sense of the word." After the arrest of Mgr Scarano, however, the Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, promised "full collaboration" with Italian justice authorities. This in itself marks a 180-degree turn from the past. Under previous popes, the Vatican has taken refuge behind the Lateran Pacts signed with Italy in 1929 that provide for the complete independence of the Vatican City State and of the institutions of the Holy See under international law. Collaboration with the Bank of Italy, and with Italian justice has hitherto been considered as an attack upon the independence and sovereignty of the Vatican. The American prelate Mgr Paul Marcinkus was in charge of the Vatican bank in the Eighties during the time of its association with dodgy Italian financiers such as Roberto Calvi, the chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, who was found hanging [dead] from Blackfriars Bridge in London in 1982. It is believed that he was a victim of a Mafia hit man taking revenge for funds lost through the bank's collapse. The Vatican was the bank's main shareholder, and Calvi was dubbed "God's banker" due to his close ties with the Holy See. Mgr Marcinkus evaded the serving of court documents by Italian justice authorities by taking refuge inside Vatican City and claiming diplomatic immunity. Mgr Scarano, who comes from Salerno, south of Naples, had a late vocation to the priesthood. He was employed by a big Italian commercial bank before taking Holy Orders, and was nicknamed "Monsignor 500" inside the Vatican, thanks to his habit of flashing his wallet to show colleagues that he only carried €500 banknotes... Only two days prior to the Monsignor being hand-cuffed and taken away, the Pope announced the creation of an internal commission of inquiry into the running of the bank, set up in 1943 to hold the funds of cardinals, bishops, priests, Catholic charities, and religious orders from around the world. The five-member commission includes a Harvard law professor, and only one Italian—CARDINAL RENATO FARINA, THE FORMER HEAD OF THE VATICAN LIBRARY AND SECRET ARCHIVE... In 2010, former Pope Benedict set up a Financial Information Authority to monitor all the Vatican's international transactions and to ensure that international rules relating to money laundering and the financing of terrorism were being respected. Last week, Patrizio Poggio, a former Catholic priest, claimed that he had evidence of misconduct by a group of ROMAN PRIESTS WITH YOUNG ROMANIAN MALE PROSTITUTES, informing the police that he had "grave information harming the integrity of the Church" and giving them a list of alleged clients...all Roman clerics. Poggio claimed that they had used the services of the prostitutes, who frequented a club near Rome's main railway terminal. He alleges that a former policeman took the male escorts in a van marked "Medical emergency - blood transport" to an abandoned chapel in the suburbs, where they met with some of the clerics. The priest, who served five years in jail for sexual crimes committed 15 years ago, was arrested on Friday on charges of criminal defamation. BUT THE PRESENCE WITHIN THE VATICAN HIERARCHY OF GAY PRELATES IS AN OPEN SECRET IN ROME. From time to time, stories emerge in the local media alleging affairs between monsignori and young men...During discussions among cardinal electors that preceded the conclave at which he was chosen to succeed Pope Benedict, time and time again the cloud of scandal that has been swirling around the Vatican bank comes up... A REVIEW OF: What Think Ye of Rome? By Dr. Bill Jackson and Ken Samples Different Types of Catholics (Chapter 8) K EN SAMPLES does a good job of defining the diversities within the Roman Catholic Church; and his statement, "Today the Catholic Church is incredibly divergent" is true, and also interesting. Since Webster defines divergence as "differing from one another," you have to ask “how much divergence can there be for any semblance of unity to remain?” As we explore Samples' explanations of the different types, we may find the Catholic Church guilty of schism instead of unity. [Note: This schism issue is also interesting considering the fact that Catholics often refer to Christians as “divided,” “in discord,” and “not in unity with each other.” Now, even though this is true—discord and divisions concerning Christianity in multiple aspects—many Catholics use this as “proof” that Rome is the true Church, and Christianity is just a “divided mess with too many different beliefs.” In light of their beliefs/statements, and the intents of them to disprove Christianity, it is important to consider the following article and realize that the same faults are present—seemingly to an even greater extent, in the Catholic Church. Different views are just a fact of human nature—no matter if one is in the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, or has different views. This just goes to show how important the BIBLE is in deciding the TRUTH about matters! Making the Bible THE HANDBOOK for life would be the one and only solution for a society that is in constant turmoil! M.W.] It is one thing to be united in acknowledging John Paul II [formerly] unitedly as your pope, but if, in theology and practice you are diverse, that note of unity has a rather hollow tone to it. The group called “traditionalist” by Samples would be the likes of the publishers of “The Wanderer,” and they freely admit to a group they call the “Amchurch,” who have, in their opinion, already received ipso facto excommunication because of theological and liturgical deviations. We want to PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THESE DIVERSITIES because without understanding them (as Samples well noted), we won't understand modem Catholicism. More importantly, understanding these will give us a better handle for Roman Catholic evangelism. In our study, we will use the same designations as Samples used. 1. ULTRA-TRADITIONALIST CATHOLICS. The best example of this group is the St. Pius X Society founded by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Samples well notes of them, "They are extremely critical of the changes brought about by Vatican II and wish the church would return to its earlier course.” To be more precise, perhaps it could be said that they believe the church that has expelled Tradition is not truly representative of the Catholic Church (although they still hold allegiance to the pope). Other ultra-traditionalist groups do not; some follow the course chosen by the Catholic Church of St. Joseph, Cicero, IL. THEY PUBLISHED IN THEIR CHURCH BULLETIN, (7/30/72) THAT PAUL VI WAS THE ANTICHRIST BECAUSE HE CHANGED THE MASS FROM LATIN TO ENGLISH (which was the “abomination of desolations”). Another group that borders on being ultra-traditionalist promotes the apparitions to Veronica Leuken in Bayside, NY. They are kinder to Paul VI; they claim he was kidnaped and secretly locked in the Vatican while a look-alike took his place and enacted all the modern legislation that is abhorrent to them. Samples says "their influence within the church is not of great significance.” This is the decision of most ordinary conservatives (called traditionalists by Samples), but might not be entirely the case. While relatively few would follow an excommunicated archbishop, the teachings of the St. Pius X Society are well received in many general Catholic quarters. Archbishop Lefebvre ordained many priests and was admonished, but never disciplined, by the Vatican. As he was nearing the end of his life, he realized his society would die off if there were no bishops—as a priest cannot ordain a priest. Therefore, contrary to the pope's express command, he consecrated six bishops, after which the pope promptly excommunicated him. To this day, the Society of Pius X claims this excommunication was invalid, and claim therefore to still have communion with Rome. For centuries, Latin was the only liturgical language of the Roman Catholic Church, and was supposed to prove the universality of the Church. The following is from An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, p. 145: "The Latin language is what we call a dead language...because a dead language does not change: another reason why the Church uses it, that nothing may change in its divine service...The living languages...are always changing a little." From Albuquerque Journal, 3/21/92, Page D4. "Immaculate Conception Celebrates Latin Mass. (Rev. Sidney) Lange (S.J., Immaculate Conception Church's pastor) said he likes the Latin rite, because it contains a kind of reverence that transcends the senses. 'I think the Latin Mass brings people closer to God in a mystical way,' he said, 'and it seems to remind Catholics of the stability that characterized the church prior to Vatican II...' Kelly Walters, chairperson for the Latin Mass at Immaculate Conception, said,...‘I feel I am communicating with God in a closer way at the Latin Mass.'" 2. TRADITIONALIST CATHOLICS. Ken Samples has well described traditionalist (or conservative) Roman Catholics. This group "adheres to the whole of creedal Roman Catholicism and obedience to the church as interpreted by the pope.” The size of this group and their complete obedience to papal decrees is a question which will probably never be answered. Richard McBrien (who is on “The Wanderer's” theological hit-list) DESCRIBED AMERICAN CATHOLICS AS BEING "SELECTIVELY OBEDIENT." A Time/Life poll published 10/9/95 shows 70% of American Catholics were in favor of allowing Catholic priests to be married. 60% wanted women priests; 69% were in favor of allowing divorced Catholics to marry in the church. (These are all forbidden by the pope.) The question was asked, "Do you think Catholics should always obey church teachings on such moral issues as birth control and abortion, or is it possible for them to make up their own minds?" Only 15% said one should always obey, and 79% thought they should make up their own minds. When asked, "Do you believe it is possible to disagree with the Pope on official positions on morality and still be a good Catholic?," 80% said "Yes.” 59% of Catholics admitted they have used artificial means of birth control. Andrew Greeley's observations about American Catholics may make sense. He said, that although they don't believe everything or practice everything, most American Catholics "just like being Catholic" [traditionalism!] 3. THEOLOGICAL LIBERALS. An influential American is Richard McBrien, a Catholic priest and theologian from Notre Dame. The efforts of these, and many who are similar, is recalled in Dietrich von Hildebrand's book “Trojan Horse in the City of God.” Von Hildebrand writes, "This new Trojan Horse bears enemies that continually strike at the heart of the [Catholic] Church, spreading confusion and heresy, and leaving Her in disarray. But unlike the enemy that took Troy, this enemy doesn't carry a sword...It hides behind certain modern ideas which seem beneficial to the Faith, but which, like the Trojan Horse itself, bear within themselves the seeds of destruction." Among the seeds, the author numbers the following: “criticism of Tradition, stark contrast between what Vatican II actually said and how it's been interpreted, ‘progress’ applied to Catholic moral and doctrinal teaching, false charity shown toward heresy, ecumenical dialogue with non-Catholics, and relativism supplanting objective truth—even among Catholic theologians...” Mother Angelica countered, "I know enough theology to know when they're wrong, and, so far, liberal Catholics have been wrong on everything." Where have the liberals been wrong on Catholic theology? The Catholic Voice, 12/31/79: "With the approval of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican has stripped a noted Swiss-born religious thinker, Father Hans Kueng, of the right to teach and declared that he can no longer be considered a Catholic theologian. The 51 year old scholar has been accused of denying papal infallibility as defined by the First Vatican Council...";“...To make Vatican II just a conservative Council on the lines of (Pope) Pius XII is just historical falsification." Cases of objectionable practices occurring in Catholic churches abound. Liturgical abuses are common; ONE PRIEST GOT INTO TROUBLE BECAUSE HE OMITTED THE USUAL DESIGNATIONS FOR THE TRINITY IN A BAPTISMAL SERVICE in Massachusetts. Diocesan officials said the baptisms were not valid because the words "Father" and "Son" were not used... We constantly read of homemade liturgies, innovative Eucharistic prayers, and unauthorized practices which either make the sacrament invalid or illicit. In the Light of the World Catholic church in Littleton, CO, at a Mass which I attended, several things occurred. They used an altar girl (this was before any permission had been given), a woman read the Gospel, and communion was handed out to the congregation much like a Baptist Church. 4. POLITICAL LIBERALS. The strongest aberrant political movement is Liberation Theology. [Note: “Liberation Theology” is defined as: “A form of Christian theology (developed by South American Roman Catholics) that emphasizes social and political liberation as the anticipation of ultimate salvation”] This can be described as "the social gospel in a cassock" or "a Roman Catholic movement dedicated to correcting the social abuses originally caused by the Roman Catholic Church.” ...From New Evangelical Christianity Today, 5/15/87: "Liberation Theology is Remarkably Protestant" by C. Rene Padilla, general secretary, Latin American Theological Fraternity. "...hundreds of thousands of Catholic base communities—small groups who gather to read and study the Bible have sprung up throughout Latin America...True, some liberation theologians espouse dangerous and wrong theology, de-emphasize personal salvation, or have used the gospel solely for political ends...[However] (Brazilian priest Leonardo) Boff compared the Catholic hierarchy to the organization of the Soviet Communist party, and denounced the infallibility of the pope...Liberation theologians are also encouraging the Catholic laity to study the Bible...” (Author's Note: we do NOT endorse Padilla's thinking [and for that matter, all newpaper etc. articles are stating the particular Catholic group’s beliefs, not personal beliefs!]) From Albuquerque Journal, Section D, Page 3, 11/27/93. "Brazilian Ex-Priest In High Demand As Leader.” “Theologian Leonardo Boff sipped a draft beer and explained why he still celebrates Mass 17 months after quitting the priesthood. There are two churches,' the father of Liberation Theology said. 'I resigned from the official church, but not from the popular church...”’ In an article for the C.E.C. magazine, Greg Wysocki wrote, "Liberation theology [like all Catholic ideology] is opposed to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Liberation comes through the regenerative work of Christ, not from an external liberation...'" 5. NEW AGE CATHOLICS. Roman Catholic Jesuit priest Pierre Tielhard de Chardin is often called the father of the New Age movement. He wrote that he “dreamed of a time when every man would realize his own godhood.” It is possible to find booklets advocating Transcendental Meditation in many Roman Catholic churches today. TM, as most people know, is a Hindu concept also closely allied to Buddhist meditation aimed at opening the mind to anything and everything with no regard for past sin or future judgment, and the result will be world happiness, peace and health. The aim of this meditation is often called "Self-realization.” IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SELF-REALIZATION, REALIZING YOUR OWN GOD-HOOD, AND THE POPULAR 20TH CENTURY CONCEPT, SELF ESTEEM. Another Hindu philosophy is unearthed in "Silva Mind Control.” The Philippine Star (a respected national daily paper) 8/25/94, reported: "Jose Silva, founder of the world-famous Silva Method [received] the Special Apostolic blessing bestowed on him by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of (Silva's) 80th birthday recently...Reports reaching Silva International say Vatican has given its approval to the Silva training course." The Tara Center calls their New Age ecumenical Messiah Lord Maitreya. He is [SUPPOSEDLY] a world teacher for all humanity, a modern man concerned with modern problems—political, economic, and social. Since July 1977, he has been emerging as a spokesman for a group or community in a well known modern country... Karl Adam, a Roman Catholic priest and historian, in The Spirit of Catholicism, wrote in 1928, "A religious historian of the fifth millennium AD will, without difficulty, discover in Catholicism conceptions and practices which will [be derived] from India, China, and Japan.” A GREAT DEAL OF NEW AGE THINKING IS DERIVED FROM INDIAN AND CHINESE MYSTICISM. A very interesting New Age prototype can be seen in Adolph Hitler. A close study of his thinking indicates he was immersed in Hindu philosophy, yet by religious structure he was a Roman Catholic. It is also interesting to see Hitlerian concepts of genetic control, euthanasia, and racial supremacy surfacing in many places today. From “A Way of Meditating the Jesus Prayer” by Priest Thomas Fidelis, Dove Publications. "One of the more remarkable phenomena of the religious climate of our times is how so many Christians eagerly turn to the Far Eastern religions to aid them in their search for God. Gurus, swamis, and Zen masters also have come to the West and won numerous adherents. "Nearly all these oriental religions make use of the mantra as the first and principal means for prayer and meditation. A mantra is a sacred word, phrase, or sentence. The meditator constantly repeats this word or phrase. (It) is a powerful aid for polarizing the mind and deeper faculties so that they can transcend their own natural operations, and become one with the sacred. "The use of a mantra is not new to Christianity. From Apostolic times, the short prayer, 'Lord have mercy' has been and still is used. "For my formal meditation, I go to a quiet, solitary place, and take up a relaxed sitting position. Closing the eyes, I concentrate my full attention on my eyelids...I tell myself to relax the eyelids. "When the body is completely relaxed, I start the count-down exercise. Beginning with ten, I count down to one very slowly: 10-9-8-7. Here I pause to say, 'I am going down deeper and deeper,’ continuing with 6-5-4. "Again I stop to say 'deeper and deeper’ then finishing with 3-2-1. At this point, a deep calm has come over me... "Now I let the Jesus Prayer come on itself. My chosen formula is Christ—Mercy, inhaling on Christ and exhaling on Mercy. For a few minutes, I breathe the prayer in this manner. As this continues, the breathing becomes slower, until it is hardly noticeable, with the words also getting fainter, more refined. It is at this deep interior level that sometimes the word Christ fades out, leaving me in a sort of felt-immediacy of the Person of Jesus. By experiential faith, I am consciously aware of His Sacred Presence. Thus the prayer mantra has accomplished its work, leading me into the felt-presence of the Mysterious One, the Personal Reality behind the Name...” Quote from “The Different Drummer” by Dr. M. Scott Peck, "Meditation can be best defined as the process by which we can empty our minds...what Zen Buddhists call "No Mind.' Its goal is to make the mind like a blank page...The virtue of meditation is that whatever comes into our emptiness is beyond our control." From “The Sacramento Bee,” B1,B9, April 13, 1992. "Is Priest a 'Danger' to Catholicism?” “Theologian espouses Creation Spirituality...At his Oakland institute, Fox has assembled a faculty that includes an American Indian shaman, a Yoruba priestess, and a witch named Starhawk...Fourteen books by Fox have sold more than 700,000 copies...‘It's a theological Okefenokee Swamp,’ says the Rev. Mitchell Pacwa, a Jesuit priest and professor of Scripture and Hebrew at Loyola University in Chicago. Pacwa studied Fox's writings and discussed them in a recent book, Catholics in the New Age...'CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT CHRISTIANITY, AND DON'T MIX THE TWO UP...If you're going to make a choice for the New Age, then go ahead.’" 6. CHARISMATIC CATHOLICS. This movement, which began in 1969, has become a source of much consternation and confusion among God's people. Their emphasis is to underline love as the only criterion for fellowship among spiritual people. While this sounds harmless and attractive, a love that is not founded upon scriptural truth is a product of the human nature and cannot be compared to the love that is of God. OUR LOVE MUST BEAR SCRIPTURAL SCRUTINY, and although the outcry is that too much probing will tarnish the love, if the love be of God, close inspection will only serve to demonstrate its true nature. We are commanded to “prove all things; hold fast to that which is good” (I Thessalonians 5:21), and to “try the spirits, whether they be of God” (I John 4:1). We know that Satan can transform himself as “an angel of light” (II Corinthians 11:14), and so can his ministers. It is only the searchlight of Scripture that can discern the truth about this movement. Charismatic Catholics do not like anyone to probe beneath their thin veneer of love to find out their true doctrinal foundation. They desire fellowship on the lowest planes—common feelings, experiences, and phrases that sound religious and can mean anything. Because of this, it is imperative that we look carefully, praying that the knowledge God imparts will not only clear our thinking, but will also help us to minister the truth to charismatic Catholics and others in love. Are Charismatic Catholics Christians? To assume this to be true (as some Christians do) without Scriptural foundation would be to undermine a thorough Scriptural investigation. So we must answer this question using clear Biblical guidelines, and proceed from there. The Apostle John tells us, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (I John 5:1). The necessity is belief, not profession. It is not whosoever says they believe, but "whosoever believeth.” What must they believe? "THAT JESUS IS THE Christ.” [Let me also add here that believing Jesus to be the Christ, one cannot pray to saints/Mary, or that person has other gods in their life; therefore, they DO NOT accept Jesus as THE CHRIST!] This was the revelation given to Peter by God (Matthew 16:16), and this is still the CORNERSTONE of God's revelations to men today. Whosoever Scripturally believes this great fact is born of God. In both of these foundation texts, the use of the title Christ applies to Jesus. Today, many do not realize the importance of this title; it is just tacked on to the name of Jesus as a matter of course. It has great significance, for CHRIST IS GREEK FOR MESSIAH, and we understand that believing He is the Christ entails acceptance of and trust in God's revelation of Jesus as Messiah, especially His Deity and Substitutionary Atonement (Isaiah 9:6; 53:4-6). Lip service may be paid to Jesus Christ, but truly believing in Him means we accept and trust His Messiahship. Charismatic Catholics have no trouble ascribing Deity to Jesus, although their soteriology plainly denies this fact because they do not accept the completeness of His sacrifice for sin. They say that they believe He died for them, but have no heart knowledge of His Substitutionary Atonement. Some will point to their baby baptism as the time they were born-again and became Christians; others their first Communion, when, for the first time, they "received Christ.” Some appear to have a more evangelical testimony and came to Christ later in life, perhaps in response to an altar call. But, the vital question they must answer is where does their salvation come from? Do they continue to receive propitiation in the Mass? Since their Church teaches that they do, can they deny this and continue to define themselves as Roman Catholics? Does the sacrament of penance absolve from sin? Anyone, whether altar boy, pope, or charismatic Catholic who believes it does, cannot at the same time be trusting the one perfect substitutionary Sacrifice of Christ, and therefore is not born of God according to I John 5:1. One who answers “no” to these questions is denying Roman Catholic dogma, and because of this, is condemned by the Roman Catholic Church to be living in a state of mortal sin. Feelings, professions, emotions, and experiences are all swept away by the absolute truth of God's Word. A doctrine that tries to SUBSTITUTE a feeling of love for Biblical truth is SATANIC. To anyone who claims to be a Roman Catholic, and does not believe the Mass is truly a sacrifice for sin, does not frequent Confession, and does not pray to Mary—because Jesus Christ is a perfect Mediator, we would ask the obvious question: is he truly a Roman Catholic? Possibly he truly trusts Christ but does not have assurance of salvation because of his Roman Catholic background and associations. At best, he is living a sub-par Christian life, in spite of the effusions of human emotion that may gush forth in seeming love and spiritual power. His experiences are just a lot of candyfloss [US=cotton candy] compared to the solid Christian who not only trusts Christ, but has assurance, is learning Bible truth in a local church ([Ekklesia] Acts 2:42) and shares his faith (not his experience) with others (Mark 16:15). On close examination, we will find that a person who is a born-again Christian, and remains in the Roman Catholic Church, is either IGNORANT, DISOBEDIENT, OR HYPOCRITICAL. Some converted Roman Catholics may be ignorant of the Biblical command to separate from pagan practices, or they may be ignorant of what the Roman Church really teaches. We can help them by lovingly pointing out the contrasts, and showing them what the Bible says. Some know the truth, but find it more convenient to remain in the Roman church. These people are DISOBEDIENT to the Word of God. One charismatic Catholic told me that he would come out of the Church "as soon as the Holy Spirit told him to.” I asked him if he was waiting for a personal letter from the Holy Spirit, or would he take what was written to all in II Corinthians 6? While the word "HYPOCRITE" sounds ugly, it merely means play-acting, or pretending to be what you are not. If you are a truly converted child of God, and you attend Mass—pretending to participate, but knowing that it is a sacrifice void of any spiritual benefit, you are play-acting. You are a hypocrite! On the other hand, there are people who are still convinced Roman Catholics; they look to the sacraments to remove sin, and therefore are not relying on the perfect work of Christ. If they pretend to be evangelical Christians, they are hypocrites. 7. CULTURAL CATHOLICS. ..."The majority of Catholics in the world probably fit into the category of cultural Catholics. This group is unlike any other type...Their identification as 'Catholic' is simply more CULTURAL AND SOCIAL than religious. They might rightly be called 'womb to tomb Catholics [tradition!]' They often are born in a Hispanic, Irish, Polish, or Italian family, and are therefore baptized, married, and buried in the Catholic church...but have little or no concern about spiritual matters. "Cultural Catholics do not understand Catholicism, nor do they seriously follow its ethical teaching. But, they nevertheless have an emotional commitment to the Catholic church. When they attend mass, it is out of habit or family obligation, not religious conviction. Being Catholic to them is essentially a cultural identity..." Samples goes on to explain that this is not unique to Catholicism, but prevalent in Jewish and many Protestant cultures. 8. ECLECTIC CATHOLICS. [Definitions of “Eclectic” : Adjective: “Selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas” Noun: “Someone who selects according to the eclectic method” Eclectic method: “Making decisions on the basis of what seems best instead of following some single doctrine or style”] These are Catholics whose Catholicism is a mixture of Romanism with animistic or pagan concepts. They are found especially in Central and South America, and the Philippines. "African Cults Gain Ground in Brazil," (Albuquerque Journal, 11/29/88). "At a Roman Catholic church, a priest says mass as the congregation sways to the throbbing beat of the...traditional wooden drums used in Candomble spirit rituals. ‘We want to intensify the religious dialogue with our brothers in Candomble and Umbanda. We have more things in common than divergences,’ says the Rev. Antonio da Silva, a leader of the Catholic church's Association of Black Pastoral Agents. The Brazilian Catholic Church has given up trying to repress spirit cults. Instead, some priests want to 'AFRICANIZE' THE CATHOLIC RITUAL TO COMPETE WITH THE CULTS. "Da Silva, a doctor of theology and dean of the Theological School for the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, heads a clerical campaign to bring together Catholicism and African religions." An article in “L'Osservatore Romano” (10 February, 1993) told of the pope's visit to Benin, Africa. He told adherents of voodooism that the Church had respect for the "seeds of the Word" found in all religions. This is in spite of what has always been a Catholic prohibition of voodooism follows: "The Catholic Church looks favorably upon dialog...The Second Vatican Council recognized that in the diverse religious traditions, there is something true and good...Everywhere our attitude is one of respect—respect for true values, wherever they may be found... "You have a strong attachment to the traditions handed on by your ancestors. It is legitimate to be grateful to your forbears who passed on this sense of the sacred, belief in a single God who is good, a sense of celebration, esteem for moral life, and for harmony in society..." The letter continues, "The Vicar of Christ on earth shaking hands with, and PAYING HOMAGE TO, THE SERVANTS OF SATAN, and praising their good qualities? Over the years since Vatican II, there may have been intrinsically worse scandals, but have any been so flagrant? The mind reels. Is the Pope in his right mind? Apparently, yes. He has been steadily treating the enemies of Christ like this for years." We might take a look at Acts 19:18, 19 and see what happened when people were truly saved. They took their paganisms and burned them. The Catholic Church admits taking paganisms and "Christianizing" (sometimes they say "baptizing") them. THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN: SCRIPTURAL AND ROMAN T HE TEACHING of the Holy Scriptures in regard to the forgiveness of sin through the infinite mercy of God, and the atoning death of Christ, is most explicit and clear, and full of comfort. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool " (Isaiah I. 18). "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon " (Isaiah 1v. 7). "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jer. xxxi. 34). "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins " (Isaiah x1iii. 25). "He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea " (Mic. vii. 19). "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." (Ps. ciii. 12). Those passages are from the Old Testament, and their number might be multiplied. We come to the New Testament, and from the lips of Jesus as He went about doing good, forgiving sin, healing the sick, comforting the sorrowing, to the last utterance of the inspired record from the pen of the beloved disciple John, we hear nothing but the exultant note of joy and thanksgiving over sins pardoned through the power and blood of the Son of God...As Paul expresses it: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." When Jesus forgave a man his sins, He imposed no penance, but gave him His blessing, and told him to go and sin no more. When on the day of Pentecost Peter preached to those who, by cruel hands, had crucified the Lord of life, and as they were pricked in their heart and said to Peter and the rest, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins." THINK OF PETER AND THE ELEVEN APOSTLES ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, HEARING THE CONFESSIONS OF THE THREE THOUSAND CONVERTS ON THAT DAY, GRANTING ABSOLUTION, AND THEN ASSIGNING TO EACH ONE A GIVEN AMOUNT OF PENANCE IN ORDER THAT THEY MIGHT MAKE SATISFACTION TO GOD FOR ALL THE WRONG THEY HAD DONE. Such an idea is preposterous, and is as foreign to the Spirit and genius of the Gospel as day is from night. And so all through the history of the Acts of the Apostles, in the founding of the primitive church, we find no trace of priestly absolution or the sacrament of penance. All of that came in after years. The distinctive doctrinal system, and ecclesiastical polity of the Church of Rome has a two-fold object: HOLDING THE LAITY UNDER THE POWER OF THE PRIESTHOOD, AND ENRICHING THE TREASURY OF THE CHURCH. In the confessional, the penitent is taught to believe that the priest has absolute power to forgive sins. Here are a few quotations from the Catechism of the Council of Trent: " Our sins are forgiven by the absolution of the priest;" "The voice of the priest, who is legitimately constituted a minister for the remission of sins, is to be heard as that of Christ Himself;” "The absolution of the priest, 'which is expressed in words, seals the remission of sins, which it accomplishes in the soul;” “There is no sin, however grievous, no crime, however enormous, or however frequently repeated, which penance does not remit. Without the intervention of penance we cannot obtain, or even hope for, pardon;" "The penitent must also submit himself to the judgment of the priest, who is the vicegerent of God, to enable him to award a punishment proportioned to his guilt” (pp. 239, 240, 242, 245). The Church of Rome teaches that the absolution of a wicked priest is as valid as that of a pious one. The Council of Trent declares in one of its canons that "if any one says that priests, under mortal sin, have no power to bind or loose, let him be accursed." The penitent, therefore, holding such exalted notions of the power of the priest, coming into his presence, and in the secrecy of the confessional, unbosoming to him the inmost secrets of the heart and life, secrets that the wife might not reveal to her husband, and thoughts, temptations, possibly partial yieldings, of so delicate a nature that the young maiden would not disclose to her own mother, yet all this must be whispered into the open ear of the confessor, and he in turn "absolves" (?) from sin, and counsels the penitent. WHAT A MIGHTY POWER SUCH A SYSTEM PLACES IN THE HANDS OF A MAN! Further, this same penitent that has been forgiven by the priest, enters the church, and he beholds the priest occupying the place of Jesus Christ himself, changing by virtue of his priestly office the bread and the wine into the body and blood of Christ, believing this puts him under the power of the priest. In proof of the alleged power of the priesthood, I quote a passage from the writings of St. Alphonsus Liguori, who is accepted in the Church of Rome as the great Master of Moral Theology. In his work entitled, "Dignity and Duty of a Priest," translated and published but recently in America, London and Dublin, and printed by "the printers of the Apostolic See," Liguori says : "The priest has the power of the keys, or the power of delivering sinners from hell, of making them worthy of Paradise, and of changing them from slaves of Satan into the child of God. And God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of His priests, and either not to pardon, or to pardon, according as they (the priests) refuse to give absolution, provided the penitent is capable of it.” "Were the Redeemer to descend into a church, and sit in a confessional to administer the Sacrament of Penance, and a priest to sit in another confessional, Jesus would say over each penitent, 'I absolve thee,' and the penitent of each would be equally absolved." The same author also says: "Jesus Christ has also given power to His priests to rescue from hell, not only the bodies but also the souls of the faithful." That the entire doctrinal system and ecclesiastical polity of the Roman Church is planned for the enrichment of its treasury needs but little proof. Note the triple link binding together the mass, indulgences, and purgatory, and see how perfect is the plot for extorting money from the credulous devotee. The Romish doctrine respecting sin has no support in the Bible. The distinction the Church makes between mortal and venial sins is entirely visionary, but it serves well the purpose of the church as it provides for purgatory. And it is the accepted opinion of the doctors of the Church that none who now die go direct to heaven, but are detained in purgatory for an indefinite length of time. Their sufferings, however, in that state are assuaged by what is termed the suffrages of the faithful on earth, that is, prayers, masses, and alms or gifts to the church. Masses, however, for the dead are costly. VAST SUMS OF MONEY are expended for masses for the dead by relatives and friends of the departed, all of which goes to enrich the treasury of the church. The Gibraltar of The Papacy D URING THE WINTER evenings of 1849, my mind and heart were all engrossed in the reading of the Word of God. I examined with care and prayer, to the limit of my ability, every Scripture passage pertaining to the distinctive doctrines of the Roman Church. My experience during those memorable months was a quest for the truth—it was a struggle for light and liberty—the light of revelation, and the liberty of a son of God. I would read the old Book after work hours until midnight. And then as I made my way to my home, I would find myself instinctively crying out on the street, "O that I knew the right path! O God, lead me to Thyself!" The patriarch Job never voiced that prayer with deeper emphasis than did I during that anxious search: “O that I knew where I might find Him! That I might come even to His seat!". Time and again, my attention was directed to other books, but I always returned to the Bible as the true source of light and life. So I can say, as did Paul, THE GOSPEL I RECEIVED WAS NOT AFTER MAN, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, through his Word. A faithful report of the struggles of that winter would fill a volume. I can barely give an outline of them. Having become thoroughly convinced that the Virgin Mary or the Saints had no power to hear or answer prayer, and that, therefore, all worship ascribed to them was vain, useless, unauthorized by the Word of God, unsanctioned by Jesus himself, and therefore meeting with his disapproval. I abandoned entirely all forms of worship pertaining to her or them. At this same time, I was led to question the validity of auricular confession, or confession to the ear, of a priest. As I searched the Bible, I found no warrant for it. James 6:16 proves too much: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." That enjoins a MUTUAL CONFESSION. It has no reference whatever to confession to a priest. Matthew 18:18 is adduced: "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The words bind and loose are employed in the sense of obliging and dissolving, according to the customary phraseology of the Jews—when they would refer to anything that was lawful or unlawful to be done. The passage gave the Apostles authority to declare obligatory or dispensed with in the Jewish law; and thus, by the authority, of the Holy Spirit, of declaring what was to be retained or omitted in the Christian Church. The text also in John 20:23 is brought forward for the purpose of establishing priestly absolution in the confessional: "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained." The idea of auricular confession is not even hinted at in this passage. The thought is the Apostles received from the Lord the doctrine of reconciliation and condemnation. They who believed on the Son of God, according to their preaching, had their sins remitted, and they who would not believe were declared to be under condemnation. This is in accordance with Christ's commission: "He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." And the ministers of Christ in every age have this power of remitting and retaining sins. That no such power as the Roman priests claim was ever invested in the Apostles of Christ, or in the first ministers of Christianity, by the above cited commission, we have this indubitable proof—that they never pretended to exercise such power, but always ascribed the forgiveness of sins to God alone. The primitive Church of Christ never believed that such power, as is claimed by Roman Catholic priests, was ever given by Christ to His ministers. They looked to God alone for this, as they thought He alone was qualified to bestow it. As auricular confession is now the Gibraltar of the Papacy, and as there is a trend in certain Protestant high church circles to the practice of priestly confession, a glance at its rise and history may prove suggestive. Auricular confession had its start under Pope Leo the Great in the 5th century. Previous to that time, it had been the custom for notorious sinners to make a public confession before the congregation; sometimes, they would tell the ministers of their sins, and they would make the confession for them. But, owing to the public scandal produced, it was thought best to abandon the public confession, and a silent, prudent presbyter was appointed to receive the confessions. Pope Leo discouraged the ancient practice of public confession, and advocated with great zeal private confession to the priest alone. Though the evil effects of the change were soon apparent in the general increase of crime, yet this was counterbalanced by the vast addition of influence which it gave the clergy. The conscience of the people was thus delivered over into the hands of the priests. The most secret acts and thoughts of individual imperfections were consigned to the torture of private inquisition and scrutiny; and the first and corner-stone of the papal edifice was laid. However, there was no law requiring private confession until the 4th Council of Lateran, 1215. And until about this time, the form of absolution was "God absolves thee.” Afterward, it was changed to “I absolve thee.” The more I read and thought and prayed on the subject, and especially reflected on my own experience in the confessional, the more clearly I became convinced that no priest on earth had power to forgive me my sins. I had been to confession time and again. I had gone through all the forms prescribed by the church and duly performed the penance enjoined, but never did I have any consciousness of sins forgiven; nor did I receive through the sacrament (?) of penance any spiritual power wherewith I might resist the world, the flesh, and the devil. I learned from the reading of the words of Jesus and his Apostles that if I confessed my sins to God, and exercised a sincere repentance, He would forgive me. I was encouraged by such promises as these: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”