Posted on 04/20/2010 7:56:29 PM PDT by delacoert
VATICAN CITY, JULY 17, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Prompted by questions about Mormon practices, the Vatican recently confirmed that the sect´s baptism is invalid.
Last month the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted the invalidity of the Mormons´ baptism given their misconception of the Trinity and, consequently, the identity of Christ.
Father Luis Ladaria, a theologian at the Pontifical Gregorian University, explained today in L´Osservatore Romano the Church´s view about Mormon baptism.
"The baptism of the Catholic Church and that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," the theologian said, "differ essentially as regards faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whose name baptism is conferred and, at the same time, in regard to Christ, who instituted it."
Father Ladaria pointed out that even non-Catholics can administer baptism validly, as the minister of the sacrament is, in fact, Christ himself. But the baptizer must do so in the name of the Trinity and "with the intention of doing what the Church does," he added.
Joseph Smith founded the Mormons in New York state in 1830. He was inspired to find the place were golden tablets were placed, which expressed the revelations of the prophet Mormon, written by him and his son Moroni. Mormonism is a "sacred history" rewritten in America, in which God revealed the "latter-day saints."
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith´s response is based on research requested by the U.S. bishops.
Father Ladaria said the formula used by the Mormons for baptism states that, "having received Christ´s mandate, I baptize you in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
But there is no real invocation of the Trinity, the theologian said, because, for the Mormons, the "Father," "Son" and "Holy Spirit" are not the three persons in which the one divinity subsists, but three gods who form a divinity.
The term divinity itself has no "substantial" content, because, according to this Mormon concept, divinity has come into existence given that the three gods have decided to unite and form the divinity to bring about the salvation of man. This divinity and man share the same nature and are "substantially the same," according to Mormon belief.
Such divergence in doctrine implies, Father Landaria said, that the Mormon minister does not have the intention, when baptizing, of doing what the Catholic Church does when it confers baptism.
There are three common errors that arise in regard to the doctrine of the Trinity.
The first error to avoid is tritheism. This error comes from an over-emphasis on the function of each of the three persons within the Godhead at the expense of their absolute equality. In essence, tritheism asserts that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct gods. This clearly contradicts the first proposition; namely, that there is one, and only one, true and living God.
The second error to avoid is called modalism. This is the opposite extreme of tritheism. Modalism is an over-emphasis of the unity of God at the expense of the distinction of persons within the Godhead. Modalism will teach that there is one and only one God who manifests himself at various times as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The third and final error is Arianism (named after the 3rd century monk, Arius). This error denies the third proposition by making the Son and Holy Spirit lesser created deities.
Last month the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted the invalidity of the Mormons´ baptism given their misconception of the Trinity and, consequently, the identity of Christ.
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And thats just the start...
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Give me a break. Surely this is a joke. These folks don’t have a corner on Christ. In Fact they need to stop the organized cover-up of child rape before they start with criticizing Mormons.
God said not to foresake our fellow worshipers .
In the 1980’s when asked about the mormons the pope noted a lot of common issues but in the end noted either they are right and we are wrong or we are right and they are wrong.
Guess that is why we call it faith.
The US Catholic bishops actually needed the Vatican to explain this to them?
Unless you can corroborate that, I’m calling that wildly inaccurate, because I am familiar with the actual story which is often misrepresented as such.
Oh my! This will get interesting ... please, Catholics, don't defend mormonism this thread.
“These folks dont have a corner on Christ.”
Ahh, but they do. And if you want to talk about child rape, why don’t we start with the Mormons marring multiple child brides.... (much the same as the ROP folks)
You know what they say about getting flak! Yowsers.
Pass the popcorn! This ought to be good.....
Mormons don’t see dead people but they do baptise them!
We already have one apologist making assertions without proving anything, just to divert readers from the issues raised in the article.
I don’t think Mormons have child brides. Are you talking about the FLDS? I was talking about millions of parishioner dollars paying damages for priest attacking small children by the thousands. and then covering that up like Ratzinger did in Phoenix after the child was raped there by a priest and instead of turning that pervert over to the authorities as is required by law, he moved the criminal to New York where he attacked another child.
“I dont think Mormons have child brides.”
Correct.
That is a knee slapper.
“Are you talking about the FLDS?”
Same thing... Ask them, they will tell you they are Mormons (real Mormons)
In the same vein, Homo Priest that abuse children and do not follow Christ... Are they Catholic? Or are they impostors? (maybe there closet Mormons)
I dont think Mormons have child brides
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Joey Smith had several...
and no they arent real wives, just concubines...
He started his perverted sex practices early in his religion..
To cover his many sexual adventures..
he committed adultery with at least 40 woman and young girls
some were other mens wives and some young as 14 years old..
His D&C 132 allows for many “wives”
and has never been rescinded...
Joey Smith and his friends wrote to use to abuse and threaten his legal wife Emma with death so that she would not stop him from his one night stands...
But the mormon doctrine on bigamy/polygamy is that a mormon male cannot go to the mormon afterlife if he only has one wife...
One man one woman kind of marriage was called “prostitution” by the mormons...
In 1890 the US government made them stop or they would lose their land in Utah and belongings
So a “proclamation” was announced by the mormon “prophet”
But the prophet didnt give up his extra wives...
nor did the “prophets” after that one..
The Utah mormons still practiced polygamy until the 1920-30s
God said not to foresake our fellow worshipers
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Mormons are not fellow worshippers, they believe in an entirely different God, on who was once human (and technically Mormon), who is NOT omnipotent and has a “God” Himself.
Just saying...
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