From Rome to Christ

Not many people get the opportunity to attend seminary. In an amazing way I have attended two. The first was training for the Roman Catholic priesthood in Ireland and the second at a conservative Evangelical seminary in England.

Raised a Catholic . . . but not knowing God Like most boys in the Republic of Ireland in the 1980s, I was brought up a Roman Catholic. My parents taught me to live a good life, say my prayers, and attend mass every Sunday. I believed there was a God, but I didn't know him personally. I prayed as my mother taught me, but I never knew whether or not God was really listening. I attended confession monthly and did many penances. Conscious of my sinfulness, I hoped that God would accept me into heaven if I did enough good works. I tried to live the best life I could. It was like balancing the accounts, hoping that my credits (good works) would cancel my debits (sins). Zealous to please God, I was just eleven years old when I decided to become a Roman Catholic priest. I told the local priest, but he said I would have to wait until I was eighteen before I could enter the seminary.

During my teenage years I got involved in much sinful behaviour. I rebelled against God and disobeyed his commandments. I loved my sin, but I hated that miserable life and started to cry out to God. I realise now that God was working in my heart. He showed me I was a sinner. I longed to be right with him. This became the focus of my life. I knew that I needed to be saved from my sins. I went on a pilgrimage to a famous Roman Catholic shrine. I ate oatcakes, drank black tea, and crawled on my knees around the Stations of the Cross over three days to do penance for my sins. I fasted and meditated but never knew pardon for sin. I wanted to know forgiveness, but how?

At the age of nineteen, and after checking different possible organisations, I finally decided to join the Society of Missions to Africa (SMA). They are a society of priests who live together in small communities in different parts of the world, seeking to convert pagans to the Roman religion. I entered the Roman Catholic Seminary located in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. During my two years at seminary, I learned about religion and philosophy but there were no biblical studies. I attended daily mass and monthly confession but, alas, there was no teaching on forgiveness for sin. We had set times of prayer as a community - morning, evening, and night. I heard many talks that were focused on pleasing God by doing charitable works and buying favour with God through the church. I also heard a lot about how to use psychology to counsel people spiritually. Not once did I hear how to be reconciled to God through Christ who alone could forgive my sins.

I began to read the Bible (a Protestant translation my parents had given to me). As I read it, I asked the priests serious questions about the religious rituals in the Roman Catholic faith, but they couldn't show me any scriptural basis whatsoever for so much of their superstition and their many traditions. I discovered that the Bible does not promote the veneration of Mary as practiced in the Roman Catholic Church. The official teaching of the Roman Church is that Mary does not necessarily answer prayers but rather intercedes on the Catholic's behalf and prays for them. However, the Bible teaches that she is a sinner: in the famous 'Magnificat' she is found praying to God her Saviour. Mary knew she had sinned and we find her rejoicing in God her Saviour, the one conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit - Jesus Christ her Lord.

I realised that rosaries and prayers to the saints have no scriptural basis. Mary is addressed in Roman Catholic prayers (eg 'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee'), but the Saviour teaches us to pray to the Father directly. Indeed, the Bible warns us against ritualistic prayer. This described me exactly: outwardly very holy and pious, but inwardly my heart was sinful and corrupt. Also, the Roman Church teaches its followers to pray to the saints. There is a saint for almost every circumstance, such as St Christopher for travel, St Anthony for lost property, St Martin de Porres for healing, St Joseph for the dying, St Vincent de Paul for the poor, and St Jude for lost causes. Unable to find anything in Scripture to support these things, I asked the priests many questions, and I was told that these Church traditions could not be questioned.

I was conscious of my sin and longed to have assurance of salvation. I asked the priests but I was told that we could never be sure of salvation until we died. I was instructed to attend the priest for confession, but I did not find that in Scripture either. The Bible instructs us to confess our sins to God, not to human priests. I also realised that as a priest I would have to hear people's confessions and absolve them. I was confused. How could I forgive other people's sins, when I did not even know forgiveness myself? I now realise that the Lord was lifting the veil from my eyes to show me that true faith and forgiveness for sin is to be found in Christ alone.

Eventually, I left the Roman seminary in 1995. The Society had decided that I was not suitable, but the Lord, through his Word, had shown me the errors of Rome and that I shouldn't continue training for the priesthood. I had entered the seminary thinking that I would find God's answer to my sins. When I left, I thought that I had finished with God - but he hadn't finished with me! Over the next two years I lived in Dublin and continued my search for God. I went to various Protestant churches and also met people from different cults. One cult told me that if I was to be baptized again, then I would be born again. This sounded too much like the Roman Church and its teaching of justification by works, so I had nothing more to do with them.

I went to London in preparation for nursing studies. On the first night I met a man who told me how I could know forgiveness for sin. He gave me a leaflet that emphasized the need to trust in Jesus Christ alone. I read this leaflet many times, but still had no peace with God. Although well physically, I became very depressed spiritually.

I knew that I was condemned if I was not converted. The Bible told me that if I did not believe then the wrath of God abode upon me. Then I read 'There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit' (Rom. 8:1). This was a constant challenge to me. I was alone in a huge city with no one to turn to for spiritual help. How my heart yearned to be right with God.

While pursuing my nursing studies, I met some students who seemed to know God. I attended their church where the Bible was central to the whole service. The sermon was preached from the Bible - that was something completely new to me. Deep down I knew these people were genuine Christians. I asked many questions and started to attend the church regularly. About this time, a small Christian group was meeting in my halls of residence. I went along aiming to disrupt the meetings, but slowly began to be drawn to Christ. I saw that they had something that I didn't have - peace with God and a real love for Christ. They knew the reality of 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ' (Rom. 5:1). One of them gave me J. I. Packer's book, Knowing God. I read the book and saw that I too could know God in a personal way.

One Sunday morning, 8th February 1998, I was listening to a sermon from Luke 10:30-37 about the Good Samaritan. The preacher spoke of Jesus Christ being like the Good Samaritan - coming to help us in our wretched sinful state - while revealing that the Holy Spirit gives new life to lost sinners. He also urged the listeners to repent of sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness. I called upon Jesus Christ to save me, 'For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Rom. 10:13). There and then, I knelt down in my room and prayed, 'O God, I know that you have sent your Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. Will you save me? I trust in Christ alone and ask that you would come into my life by the power of your Holy Spirit and make me new.' I felt a huge weight of guilt and sin taken from my heart. As soon as I opened my eyes a deep sense of peace came over me. At that moment I knew that I was a Christian and truly forgiven of all my sins. The Bible became the living Word of God and he was speaking to me as I read. I realised that we are not saved by works but by grace, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast' (Eph. 2:8,9). I was baptised in London as a believer in September 1998. After my baptism I struggled with temptations and trials, but the Lord was my constant refuge: 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble'(Psa. 46:1).

On my first visit back to Ireland, I did not know of a Christian church, so I went to mass with my parents. I realised the priest was re-enacting a sacrifice that was accomplished once and for all on the cross of Calvary (Heb. 9:26; 1 Pet. 3:18). For this reason, I couldn't attend the Roman Catholic mass any longer. As a young Irish man, swearing was second nature to me. Very soon after my conversion this dried up. Worldly pursuits like drinking in pubs and going to nightclubs ceased. Prayer and communion with God became a whole new area of experience. I had learned formal rote prayer as a young boy, but now I began truly to pray from my heart. This is still an amazing experience to me: to be able to lift my heart to God as my Father and know that he is listening and will answer my prayers according to his will.

My family were upset that I had left the Roman Catholic faith. At first they thought it was another religious phase I was going through, but they soon realised that this was different. However, the Lord gave me opportunities to share the true gospel with them. About a year later my youngest brother was converted. What joy filled my heart!

Since my conversion, the Lord has taught me so much from his Word. I am especially thankful to one man from the church in London who helped me to study the Bible. We did a complete overview of the Scriptures together, as well as an in-depth study of the doctrines of grace (Calvinism). The glorious truth that God is sovereign in salvation and reaches out in mercy to sinners is truly humbling and amazing. That God, the Creator and Sustainer of the world, should call wretched sinners to himself illustrates his grace. What a joyful day it will be when all his people are united with him in heaven.

About a year after my conversion I was seeking the Lord about serving him. One Lord's Day evening after the service I was praying to the Lord asking him where he wanted me to serve. I read 2 Timothy 3:16-4:5 and was profoundly challenged. I had never studied this portion of God's Word before. It was impressed on me that this was how the Lord wanted me to serve him - to preach the Word. I graduated and worked for a year in the National Treatment Centre for Alcohol and Drugs. Some of the patients were hardened criminals; others were involved in sordid areas of society due to their addictions. I realised the psychological treatment was not dealing with their real problem: their unpardoned sin. I couldn't witness openly to the patients but some enquired what kept me through the difficult times in my life. I told them that it was my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were amazed. Both my housemate and a Roman Catholic friend were converted and baptised during this time. It was a great privilege to see the Lord use even me to win sinners to Christ. I conducted a Bible Study in Colossians with some Jehovah's Witnesses. They began to seek Christ but their leaders visited and put an end to it. I pray for these people, that the Lord would open their eyes to his truth. As I taught young boys in a Crusaders Class I soon realized that children can be taught the deep truths of Scripture in a simple, understandable way.

The Lord opened up the way for me to study at London Theological Seminary. The lasting memories of my time there are of the nightly prayer meetings with fellow students and the godly men who taught us theology and prepared us for the ministry.

First and foremost, Catholics believe and have always believed that your works cannot save you. You are NOT saved by Christ+works --> please do note make up stories about what we believe

Well you're in a heap of trouble then...

You've got to visit the people in prison...Feed and clothe folks...Or you'll be counted with the goats...

Your religion has been teaching that forever...You'd better get with the program or you'll miss out on the White Throne Judgment...

O come on, you’re not that thick. Surely you can understand the fact that individuals can be fallen while the church’s theology remains OK. Any and all Catholics who want to know the truth know it; it’s just that so many don’t care to know the truth. They want to justify their own actions. Among Protestants, such people can easily find a denomination to tell them what they want to hear. And, sadly, Catholics can probably have little trouble finding a heretical priest. (Case in point: John Kerry, who attended mass at the Paulist Center, rather than risk going to a diocesan church.)

The difference, though, is that the Catholic can know that his priest is a dissident; the Protestant, once convinced of an errant interpretation, has no-one to correct him.

And if you have any doubt that a dissident Catholic knows full well that they are dissident, and not faithful, simply ask them,

Seriously.

Choose any moral topic. Let’s say, birth control. Ask, “Do you agree with the Church’s teaching on birth control?” You’ll find almost no-one who asks, “Whose teaching? You mean the Vatican’s? “ (If you ask 1000 people, You might just get one sophist or two from a leftist political movement, like the NCR, but then again, the NCR has been ordered to stop using “Catholic” in their name.) Nearly to a person, you’ll find they answer “yes” or “no.” Because there’s no confusion about what the Catholic church teaches. They’ll all know exactly what you mean, even those NCR sophists.

>> Then how can any catholic “confess” to a Priest as the mediator between them and God....they don’t past the test. <<

That a priest persists in grave sin is gravely harmful. Moreso, when a bishop tolerates the sin, without discipline or correction, or when the sin is notorious or grave. The failure to correct or remove sinful priests is what John Crysostom meant when he said, “The floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.”

Yet, Chrysostom did not abandon the Catholic Church; and in fact, he argued strenuously that the sacraments conferred by such a bishop or his priests are still valid, so long as the outward signs of the sacrament are present. (Hang out on the Catholic threads, and you’ll read the Catholics protesting “he’s doing it wrong!” all the time!) That’s because it matters not what sins the priest has committed. He is ONLY a mediator; he does not make the sacrament sufficient or not.

Crysostom is not a slanderer. In fact, Crysostom is not even his real name. It’s an appellation he was given by the Catholic Church for speaking the truth, which means, “The Golden Mouth.”

>> Faith in Christ alone is what saves you. Jesus said, “He that believes in him HAS everlasting life.” <<

And if you believe in Him, you will do what he commands.

Suppose a father is pinned inside a burning building. He tells his child, “Just trust in the firemen, and you’ll be safe.” The fireman shows calls to the child, “Come to the window, so we can grab hold of you!” What child would be foolish enough to say, “I don’t have to go to the window! Daddy said that all I have to do is believe you!”

“Believe in me” means, in part, “listen to what I tell you that you need to do.” If Jesus says, “unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, you shall not have life within you,” how can you claim to believe in Him, yet deny you must do these things?

>> What horrified me about his reply was that it was almost word for word the explanation Roman Catholics give for rendering honor to the statues of the saints.”<<

What a damning statement about Catholicism. We have heard that “justification” given by Catholics here.

What a damning statement about Catholicism. We have heard that “justification” given by Catholics here.

Well they do learn Catholicism by repetition so no surprise the "canned" responses are similar. Seems to me Rome not only dictates what they have to believe but also the come backs when challenged....thus "canned" responses which rarely have scripture to support them unless twisted or taken out of context.

I have well noted that in third world countries they often incorporate their pagan rituals, idols, etc. into the catholic churches because the ones already within Catholicism are so similar they see it as a license to bring their own within, and doesn't appear Rome sees it as much of a problem for there is little action taken against it that I could see.

It's the same thing which happened during the middle ages...so their reputation for this is just continuing..par for the course.

So? Are you saying that you are not bound to observe the commandments of God and of the Church, but only to believe??

We CAN'T observe the commandments of God because it impossible for a sin tainted human being to do so, and nobody but anyone who willingly puts themselves under the authority of the Catholic church is bound to obey the RCC.

We are not bound to obey the commandments of God to earn or merit salvation because that's not why the Law was given. The Law was given to lead us to Christ, not as a means of procuring salvation and favor with God.

We are obligated though, as ambassadors of Him, to live lives worthy of His name to bring Him honor and glory.

Not to mention that any true believer hates sin and really doesn't want to sin anyway, even though we all slip and fall.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

So the same hands that molest little boys can consecrate a host to make it holy and serve communion to those little boys and their families and it's all OK because the personal holiness of the life of the priest doesn't have any effect on his ability to perform his priestly duties?

Why do I feel like throwing up?

Galatians 6:7-8 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

“That’s because it matters not what sins the priest has committed. He is ONLY a mediator; he does not make the sacrament sufficient or not.”

The whole concept of “Ex opere operato” has no foundation in the scripture’s sacrficial system.

Heb. 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Jesus has always been “the Lamb slain” even in the Old Testament sacrficial system.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

That's what they're saying...they can overlook that and in fact it really doesn't matter to them.

Can you even imagine where they put there hands on those boys and then dare to stand before the sacrament table, lift the cup and place a waffer into someones mouth!..and catholics don't seem to mind or they'd be ousting these perverts asap....but they aren't....and that speaks volumes of how deplorable and disgusting the vatican and those who support them are.

>> So the same hands that molest little boys can consecrate a host to make it holy and serve communion to those little boys and their families and it’s all OK because the personal holiness of the life of the priest doesn’t have any effect on his ability to perform his priestly duties? <<

>> Why do I feel like throwing up? <<

No, it’s not all OK; it’s fanastically, greiviously evil. And it’s a stupifying, mind-boggling, jaw-dropping straw man AND non sequitur to suppose that it would be OK.

In that example, what happens is the priest goes straight to Hell to rot in agony for eternity, while the VICTIM, having validly received the Eucharist goes to Heaven IN SPITE OF the wickedness of the priest. How could divine justice be otherwise?

"But Part B of Hugh Farrell’s testimony *is* a lie. He writes, “I knew from the teachings of the priests and nuns that I could not hope to go directly to heaven after my death...”

How certain are you of the teachings of the priests and nuns which influenced his belief?

Note he made no mention of "official" teaching of the Catholic Church. His "knowledge" was gained from the teachings of the priests and nuns.

Perhaps it is the priests and nuns you are calling liars?

But now let’s turn the tables on that:

Are YOU supposing that because the priest is a sicko, that the child ALSO is denied salvation? Because that’s the inverse of the position you are suggesting makes you feel like throwing up.

Either way Old Reggie , it's the same old story of bashing whoever disagrees with Catholicism, even if one of their own who has left...unless of course if they agree in some areas...so it's just the same re-runs saying the same thing as the last defense of catholic-ism they make....I think in order to convince themselves.

But what is interesting is how can they be sure of any of Catholicisms teachings? there's no way they can be sure, they can only hope whoever they hear is right. I would not be comfortable at all trusting in any “ism”. The man Christ Jesus is the only one to trust ones salvation in and when He said 'It is finished" he meant it..

that’s the inverse of the position

Once again, and it really is tiring, looking for something which isn't there... But for shame bringing the child's innocence at bay here....again protecting the Priest for his dastardly act by diverting to the child as if he's indirectly to blame......and that's the "inverse" of the position you appear to be carrying.

If what you say is such a ‘grievously evil’ act by a Priest....and deserving of hell as you say....then there is no justification why the Pope and leadership has not outed them whatsoever....and in fact they continue to protect them making them as evil as the pervert who did the act.

Where is the outcry of the church membership...and or at least a grand exodus to protect the children and family members from further harm by these criminals?

Why isn’t there a grand gathering in front of the Vatican to seek justice by the membership? Instead of just the victims and their families. Why isn’t every member crying out that these Priests be outed and that now.?

The silence is overwhelming... which leaves any outside catholicism with the opinion your Priesthood and the perps within it are more significant than it’s members and it’s children....and there is no shame.

By 1990, John Paul II had put a stop to 95% of the sexual abuse, before any of the lawsuits, and before any of the media attention. I’m still waiting for the Southern Baptist Convention to make the very fist steps that the Catholic Church had. Instead, all that comes out from them is, “We’re not Catholic, so we don’t have a problem.”

No, it’s not all OK; it’s fanastically, greiviously evil. And it’s a stupifying, mind-boggling, jaw-dropping straw man AND non sequitur to suppose that it would be OK.

Which is the appropriate response over that kind of evil, HOWEVER, the Catholic church still says that it doesn't affect the priest's ability to be a priest and administer the sacraments and THAT is just something that I cannot wrap my mind around.

I don't understand how lightning doesn't come right from heaven and fry the priest right there at the altar, but that's just me.

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