Posted on 03/09/2011 6:16:29 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Tuesday that it had suspended 21 priests from active ministry in connection with accusations that involved sexual abuse or otherwise inappropriate behavior with minors.
The mass suspension was the single-most sweeping in the history of the sexual-abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, said Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, which archives documents from the abuse scandal in dioceses across the country.
The archdiocese’s action follows a damning grand jury report issued Feb. 10 that accused the archdiocese of a widespread cover-up of predatory priests, stretching over decades, and said that as many as 37 priests remained active in the ministry despite credible accusations against them.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
the Roman Catholic Council of Trent "infallibly" defines that one is,
"justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ", and that his justification is increased by personal works. (Council of Trent, Canons 24, 32) The more recently Roman Catholic catechism states,
"Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification and for the attainment of eternal life (Catechism of the Catholic church, Part 3, Life in Christ, Merit, 2010)
The term “merit” refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members..., (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2006)
"Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification and for the attainment of eternal life (Catechism of the Catholic church, Part 3, Life in Christ, Merit, 2010)
The term “merit” refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members..., (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2006)
Trent concludes that,
"nothing further is wanting to the justified [baptized and faithful], to prevent their being accounted to have, by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life, and to have truly merited eternal life." (Trent, Chapter XVI; The Sixth Session Decree on justification, 1547)
“Hence, to those who work well unto the end and trust in God, eternal life is to be offered, both as a grace mercifully promised to the sons of God through Christ Jesus, and as a reward promised by God himself, to be faithfully given to their good works and merits.” (Trent, Chapter XVI; The fruits of justification, that is, the merit of good works, and the nature of that merit)
Canon 32 similarly states,
"If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit an increase of grace, eternal life, and in case he dies in grace, the attainment of eternal life itself and also an increase of glory, let him be anathema." (Trent, Canons Concerning Justification, Canon 32. Also see The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1919 ed., Decree on Justification, Chapters V, VI, VII, X, XIV, XV, XVI) (emphasis mine)
For those who do not cooperate with grace enough to gain Heaven directly upon death (as canonized saints are held as having done), Rome provides a place called ''Purgatory'', where they are said to suffer to various degrees for an indeterminate time, before being granted entrance into the abode of God. “It is a divinely revealed truth that sins bring punishments inflicted by God's sanctity and justice. These must be expiated [atoned, be compensated] either on this earth through the sorrows, miseries and calamities of this life and above all through death, or else in the life beyond through fire and torments or 'purifying' punishments.” (INDULGENTIARUM DOCTRINA; cp. 1. 1967)
But as said in post 94 of 117, with its doctrine of justification and assurance, etc., Rome says two things in this regard, as it teaches that because a faith without works is dead, then one truly merits eternal life by works done by God, while it also affirms baptism by desire (”Baptismus flaminis sive Spiritus Sancti”) and perfect contrition ( “contritio caritate perfecta” ) - the latter which allows for sola fide, though as with the Reformers, it must be a kind of contrite faith that shows forth works, if and when able.
“if the contrition be perfect (contritio caritate perfecta), then active justification results, that is, the soul is immediately placed in the state of grace even before the reception of the sacrament of baptism or penance, though not without the desire for the sacrament (votum sacramenti). If, on the other hand, the contrition be only an imperfect one (attritio), then the sanctifying grace can only be imparted by the actual reception of the sacrament.” (cf. Trent, Sess. VI, cc. iv and xiv)
This perfect contrition is the only way Rome sees Prots as obtaining forgiveness, after baptism.
Good point!
Thank God, but needed more proof reading as usual.
If a person can be "truly sorry" for his sins at his death, and thus be saved, who needs Rome or any of its extraneous sacraments and self-meritorious good works?
"...that his justification is increased by personal works."
Thus the Councils of Trent and all of Rome are ignorant of what true justification entails -- a one-time event of imputation of Christ's righteousness onto His sheep which occurred at Calvary and is made known to men when they are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
I missed your post 94 until now and it is great. The more Christians understand about the precise understanding of justification, the better, since justification is the primary doctrine of Christianity - Christ wins for the sinner an acquittal from his sins which, without Christ's imputed righteousness and sacrifice for sin, would send that person to hell. From post 94...
“God converts no adult without preparing him; but “God breaketh not all men’s hearts alike” (Baxter). Some conversions, as Goodwin said, are sudden; the preparation is done in a moment. Some are long-drawn-out affairs; years may pass before the seeker finds Christ and peace, as in Bunyan’s case. Sometimes great sinners experience “great meltings” (Giles Firmin) at the outset of the work of grace, while upright persons spend long periods in agonies of guilt and terror. No rule can be given as to how long, or how intensely, God will flay each sinner with the lash of conviction. Thus the work of effectual calling proceeds as fast, or as slow, as God wills; and the minister’s part is that of the midwife, whose task it is to see what is happening and give appropriate help at each stage, but who cannot foretell, let alone fix, how rapid the process of birth will be.”"J.I. Packer states that...
AMEN!
Whew! Woe to the wolves in sheep's clothing.
I also agree that there is no sin that God will not forgive when true repentance is shown - and he sees the heart. My main point is here we have people who, for all practical purposes, appear to be servants of God. The world looks up to them and holds them in high esteem yet inwardly they are full of dead men's bones, whited sepulchers. My gut feeling is they have never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Whatever "religious" experience they have had has been superficial and has NEVER gotten into their soul. They are those whose consciences have been seared with a hot iron - nothing but unfeeling scar tissue.
They are truly ravenous wolves devouring and destroying other's souls. They WILL answer to a just and holy God and it will NOT go well for them.
Imagine that. A Catholic misrepresenting non-Catholic action.
Who woulda thought?
That’s one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever read and I couldn’t even finish it.
This is what Catholics are condemning non-Catholics for speaking out against, and are in effect protecting when they try to deflect the attention away from the issue.
1Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." 2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
No wonder the Catholic church does not take Scripture as the final authority. It condemns most of Catholic church practice for centuries.
Hebrews 10:25-31 26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
THANKS for the ping.
As usual, James is explained away with the old “they weren’t really saved anyway” argument.
And by the way - it’s bad enough to have to wade through haughty posts. It’s worse when they’re overly long and almost entirely bolded besides.
Good works are the result of our salvation; not the cause of it.
James says a faith without good works is not a true faith since true faith brings with it the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Was that easier for you to understand? All one color and much shorter.
Oh, were you assuming I didn’t understand? I certainly did.
It was the haughtiness and the unnecessary bolding that were so off-putting.
James is not referring to a faith which is not a true faith. That’s reading more into the Scripture than is there.
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." -- Matthew 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
7Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." 9So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
There are whole chapters of Scripture that explains and clearly states that salvation is thorough faith alone, apart from good works.
Here are more passages.
Romans 4:1-25 1What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." 4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."
9Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."
19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." 23But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Paul meant works of the Law. Elsewhere, he says just that. And here he says “you have been saved,” which is initial justification, which comes by unmerited grace, which is exactly what the Church teaches. That is not the same as ongoing salvation, which must be “worked out in fear and trembling.”
2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband...
5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
AMEN!
Truly, Christianity is the most satisfying, harmonious way to go through life - married with children, all serving and glorifying the Triune God alone.
That all people don't understand this fact is sad, but to be expected in a fallen world. When even men who call themselves Christian don't know this, it's even more piteous.
Where does he say that?
What other good works could there be? Are there works outside the Law that are good and how do you know?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.