Testimonies from ex-Roman Catholic Priests

CARM ^ | 1997 | Richard Bennet

[Gamecock]

The following quotes are taken from the book by Richard Bennet, Far from Rome, Near to God: Testimonies of 50 Converted Roman Catholic Priests, Carlisle, PN: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1997.  They are quite interesting and valuable since they give an insight to Catholicism from those who were priests in the Catholic Church and then left it to find salvation in Jesus.

Following are excerpts from only a few of the fifty testimonies in the book:

1. Henry Gregory Adams.  Born in Saskatchewan, Canada. He entered the Basilian Order of monks and adopted the monastic name of "Saint Hilarion the Great."  He was ordained as a priest and served five parishes in the Lemont, Alberta area. 
   1. Sacraments.  "The monastic life and the sacraments prescribed by the Roman Catholic Church did not help me to come to know Christ personally and find salvation...I realized that the man-made sacraments of my church and my good works were in vain for salvation.  They lead to a false security." (p. 3)
2. Joseph Tremblay.  Born in Quebec, Canada, 1924.  He was ordained a priest in Rome, Italy and was sent to Bolivia, Chile where he served for 13 years "as a missionary in the congregation of the Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate."
   1. Salvation by works.  "My theology has taught me that salvation is by works and sacrifices....my theology gives me no assurance of salvation; the Bible offers me that assurance....I had been trying to save myself on my works...I was stifled in a setting in which I was pushed to do good works to merit my salvation." (pp. 9, 11-12)
3. Bartholomew F. Brewer.  He applied to the Discalced Carmelites, a strict monastic order.  He received training of "four years of high school seminary, two years in the novitiate, three years of philosophy, and four years of theology (the last after ordination)."  He was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in Washington, D.C.  He eventually served as a diocesan priest in San Diego, California and entered the Navy as a Roman Catholic chaplain. 
   1. Upon questioning Rome's Beliefs, "At first I did not understand, but gradually I observed a wonderful change in mother.  Her influence helped me realize the importance of the Bible in determining what we believe.  We often discussed subjects such as the primacy of Peter, papal infallibility, the priesthood, infant baptism, confession, the mass, purgatory, the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven.  In time I realized that not only are these beliefs not in the Bible, they are actually contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture." (pp. 21-22)
   2. Relying on works.  He left the Roman Catholic Church, got married and through conversations with his wife and other Christians, "I finally understood that I had been relying on my own righteousness and religious efforts and not upon the completed and sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  The Roman Catholic religion had never taught me that our own righteousness is fleshly and not acceptable to God, nor that we need to trust in his righteousness alone...during all those years of monastic life I had relied on the sacraments of Rome to give me grace, to save me." (p. 25)
4. Hugh Farrell.  Born in Denver, Colorado.  Entered the Order of our Lady of Mount Carmel, commonly called the Discalced Carmelite Fathers.  Ordained as a priest.
   1. Priestly power to change elements:  "The priest, according to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, has the power to take ordinary bread and wine, and, by pronouncing the words of the consecration prayer in the sacrifice of the Mass, to change it into the actual body and blood and soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.  Hence, since one cannot separate the human nature of Christ from his divinity, the bread and wine, after being changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, are entitled to the worship of adoration." (pp. 28)
   2. Temporal punishment due to sins. "I knew from the teachings of the priests and nuns that I could not hope to go directly to heaven after my death.  My Roman Catholic catechism taught me that after death I had to pay for the temporal punishment due to my sins.  The Roman Catholic Church teaches that 'the souls of the just which, in a moment of death, are burdened with venial sins or temporal punishment due to sin, enter purgatory.'" (p. 29)
   3. Penance.  Regarding life in the monastery and doing penance.  "These penances consist of standing with the arms outstretched to form a cross, kissing the sandaled feet of the monks, receiving a blow upon the face from the monks, and, at the end of the meal, lying prostrate before the entrance to the refectory so that the departing monks must step over one's body.  These, and other penances, are supposed to gain one merit in heaven and increase one's 'spiritual bank account.'" (p. 36)
   4. The Mass and sorcery.  "According to the teaching of the Roman Church the priest, no matter how unworthy he may personally be, even if he has just made a pact with the devil for his soul, has the power to change the elements of bread and wine into the actual body and blood, soul and divinity, of Jesus Christ.  Provided he pronounces the words of consecration properly and has the intention of consecrating, God must come down on the altar and enter and take over the elements." (p. 39)
5. Alexander Carson.  Baptized into the Roman Catholic Church as an infant.  His priesthood studies were at St. John's seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts.  He was ordained by Bishop Lawrence Shehan of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1955 and was a priest in Alexandria, Louisiana.  Also, he was pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rayville, Louisiana.
   1. Bible or Tradition.  "...the Holy Spirit led me to judge Roman Catholic theology by the standard of the Bible.  Previously, I had always judged the Bible by Roman Catholic doctrine and theology." (p. 53)
   2. Mass contrary to scripture.  "In my letter of resignation from the Roman Catholic Church and Ministry, I stated to the bishop that I was leaving the priesthood because I could no longer offer the Mass, as it was contrary to the Word of God and to my conscience." (pp. 54-55)
6. Charles Berry.   He entered the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine and became a priest after 17 years.  He was given orders to continue studying until he achieved a Ph.D. in chemistry and was then "transferred to the headquarters of the Augustinian order in the United States."
   1. Superstition.  "In the United States the Roman Catholic Church is on its best behavior, putting its best foot forward because of its critics and opponents.  In a Roman Catholic country, where it has few opponents or critics, it is a very different matter.  Ignorance and superstition and idolatry are everywhere, and little effort, if any, is made to change the situation.  Instead of following the Christianity taught in the Bible the people concentrate on the worship of statues and their local patron saints." (p. 59)
   2. Idols and Statues.  "When I met in Cuba a genuine pagan who worshiped idols (a religion transplanted from Africa by his ancestors), I asked how he could believe that a plaster idol could help him.  He replied that the idol was not expected to help him; it only represented the power in heaven which could.  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." (p. 59)
7. Bob Bush.  He went to a Jesuit Seminary and studied for 13 years before being ordained in 1966.  He entered a post graduate program in Rome.
   1. Works:  "When I entered the order, the first thing that happened was that I was told I had to keep all the rules and regulations, that to do so would be pleasing to God, and that this was what he wanted for me.  We were taught the motto, 'Keep the rule and the rule will keep you.'" (p. 66).
   2. Salvation is by faith:  "It took me many years to realize that I was compromising by staying in the Roman Catholic Church.  Throughout all those years I continued to stress that salvation is only in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and not in the infant baptism; that there is only one source of authority which is the Bible, the word of God; and that there is no purgatory but rather that when we die to either go to heaven or hell."  (p. 69)
   3. Salvation by works:  "The Roman Catholic Church then goes on to say that in order to be saved you must keep its laws, rules and regulations.  And in these laws are violated (for example, laws concerning birth control or fasting or attendance at Mass every Sunday), then you have committed a sin....'individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary way by which the faithful person who was aware of serious sin can be reconciled with God, and with the church' (Canon 9609)." (p. 75)
   4. Works: "The Roman Catholic Church adds works, and that you have to do these specific things [keeping its laws, rule and regulations] ]in order to be saved, whereas the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 that it is by grace that we are saved, not by works." (pp. 75-76)

As you can see, even Roman Catholic Priests can discover the truth found in God's word and escape the error of the Roman Catholic system of works righteousness.  To God be the glory.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast," (Eph. 2:8-9).

[af_vet_1981]

Nothing sacred about 100AD, if Paul => Titus => A => B ... => Z, then you can still have an unbroken chain of doctrinal truth and unity from the Apostles to this day. If not Rome, which denomination ? There are a lot of Protestant denominations, and some you may consider Protestant don’t consider themselves Protestant. They may claim apostolic succession themselves.

[Steelfish]

Wow! Go tell that to Oxford University where Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica” is placed next to the Bible at the famous Bodelian Library! No we know how and from where street preachers like the David Koreshs, Jim Jones’, Schullers, the Grahams, and Rev. Wrights get their congregations from. Nice way to build up small fortunes for themselves and the support of their families with suckers born every minute. Joel Osteen is a prime example.

[Luircin]

I think I already answered that. The true church is everyone who proclaims Jesus and confesses him as the risen Lord and depends on him as the sole source of salvation.

[af_vet_1981]

Both, legitimate children come from a legitimate marriage, and it is the same for churches

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Nothing sacred about 100AD, if Paul => Titus => A => B ... => Z, then you can still have an unbroken chain of doctrinal truth and unity from the Apostles to this day.”

... and that is my point. You have a couple hundred years of a gap, during which pagansim was added to the Roman Broth.”

“If not Rome, which denomination ?”

It has nothing to do with denominations. Category mistake.

[Luircin]

And if someone who was appointed teaches falsehood?

[NKP_Vet]

A hundred years from now Catholicism will still be the dominate religion in Brazil.

[af_vet_1981]

Except that churches usually identify themselves by a denominational label and doctrinal statement, although if they are TV churches, prosperity churches, and a host of other new start ups they may not have a denominational tag yet. There was no gap. There were churches in every generation. You hold that the Great Commission failed, in that paganism corrupted the churches until ... when exactly, and who exactly renewed the apostolic doctrinal truth and fellowship ?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“A hundred years from now Catholicism will still be the dominate religion in Brazil.”

That’s an unknowable truth claim that you can’t prove. As such, it is just an assertion.

Will you still count them if they never attend or practice the faith - as 90% of Belgian Romans do not?

If it were my church, I wouldn’t count them. At that point, membership is meaningless to the 90%.

Given the roman church is bleeding brazilians as it an artery was severed, I find your claim doubtful. 42 million gone to Protestant churches and counting over a few decades. Now you want to talk about a century from now...

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“There was no gap.”

There is a gap in doctrine you cannot fill.

[af_vet_1981]

The Arminians will say they committed apostasy, did not repent, lost their salvation, and died in their sins. The Calvinists will say they were never born again to begin with and thus were never saved. Their heretical offspring would share their fate unless they repented but there would still be a genuine remnant that maintained apostolic succession, just as Israel always has a remnant, so does the true church.

[af_vet_1981]

I think you speak for yourself that there is a gap in doctrine you cannot fill, and so you hold the Great Commission failed to sustain itself and died. Who resurrected it, if you think it is reformed ?

[af_vet_1981]

Good, someone in authority to teach the truth, discipled by, and appointed by, an unbroken chain in direct succession from the Jewish Apostles; now we agree.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

1. Not me, history. Ok, satisfy yourself - please provide evidence that the Apostles ever taught that Mary was sinless, that she remained a virgin, that she was assumed. I’ll stop there, although there are many other false teachings I could raise. Please show these doctrines were taught before 125ad. Expand your search to include art, writings from outside the church, etc. knock yourself out. Get back to me in a couple weeks. I’ll be here.

1. I’ve never claimed the Great Commission failed, but it appears you are trying to speak for me. Stop that.

[FourtySeven]

I currently attend a PCA (Presbyterian) church. We used to attend a wonderful Baptist church but switched for personal reasons which had nothing to do with the church. I’m not wedded to a particular denomination as long as they preach the gospel at least reasonably correct. I prefer a Reformed church though they are few and far between.

This seems to be common. Many say something similar. Many say, "I belong to a local church, but not because I agree with everything they teach" And then it's left there.

What always strikes me about this could probably be summed up in a few questions that you or anyone else should feel free to answer if you like: "If you already know how the gospel should be preached, why do you belong to a church at all? Or, is there something just as or more important to belong to a church than hearing a sermon every week, and if so, what is that and why? If not, then again, why not just stay at home and watch football (or whatever)?"

[af_vet_1981]

Per your post 143, They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Your definition needs a caveat, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that forth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

[af_vet_1981]

I find Miriam, whom you call Mary, to be the the most blessed virgin of all Israel and worthy of great respect, admiration, and brotherly love. It is wise not to speak a word against her. She is the mother of the Messiah by immaculate conception and she is with the LORD now. The Catholics finalized their dogma about her rather late and I really haven’t studied how that came about, perhaps Fatima brought it to some decision. I’m not very familiar with the particulars and I find no scriptural evidence to prove she was sinless or assumed into heaven but there are logical arguments for them and scriptural precedents (Enoch, Elijah,
Perhaps even Moses whose body was never found and who appeared with Elijah; surely Miriam was as important ?).

2. By writing that there was a gap, and failing to propose an alternate, you imply it failed to reproduce itself. I asked when you think it recovered, and by whose authority ?

[Deo volente]

Wow, over 1000 ordained Protestant pastors have become Catholic in the last decade, compared to 50 Catholic priests who have become Protestants.

We’re leading 20 to 1! I think the mercy rule needs to be called here.

What was the point of this thread again?

[imardmd1]

Post 79: So... you’re claiming that apostolic succession exists and that only the Roman Catholics have it... because some people who came after the Apostles said so.
And what authority do they have? Upon what are they basing this claim? (Luircin)

Post 96: Because Christ said so. (Salvation)

Post 100: Two words: Citation Needed. (Luircin)

Post 111: Christ breathed on the Apostles giving them the Holy Spirit and saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." (Salvation)

This citation is from the DRB, which is a translation of a translation (the Vulgate), neither of which languages are precisely translating what The Holy Ghost is saying in the Koine of this passage. A more precise translation of this is found in Wittman's "The Gospels: A Precise Translation" as follows (after Jesus showed the assembled disciples his hans and side):

21 Therefore, /Jesus said to them again,
peace to you&! Accordng as The Father has sent Me, I also myself am sending you&.
22 And after saying this, He breathed* into |them to begin new life|. And he says to them,
Certainly soon receive&** Holy Spirit!
23 Whose& ever /sins you&*** ~forgive, they are being forgiven to them. Whose& ever /sins you&*** ~retain, they stand ^retained.
24 (Now Thomas, one of the& twelve, the+ one termed, Didymus, was not with them when /Jesus came.) (Jn. 20:21-24 APT)

======

Keys:

/ = articular construction (uses the definite article in the Greek)
& = plural
* = citation of Gen. 2:7, Ezek 37:9, illustrating what it means for God/Jesus to breathe on someone
| -- | = intended meaning understood
** = use of the dramatic aorist, with a future certainty meant. More fully, "Certainly soon you-all are to receive the Person titled "Holy Spirit" into your assembly.
*** = corporately
~ = subjunctive
^ = consummative perfect tense use; completed process of the action emphasized

=======

Since we know that the Person of the Holy Ghost has not yet been sent to be in their presence at this moment (see Jn. 16:7) because Jesus is still with them, and because we know that they will be without Holy Spirit guidance until ten days after Jesus leaves them (Acts 1:4-2:4); we thus know that at this point he is not imparting to them the Holy Spirit. He is breathing into their assembly (not individually) a newly created life.

He is also verbally giving them corporately and with equal voice the authority to start laying down the procedure for organizing and administrating the first local church by common agreement.

They do not individually or corporately determine what is a sin. The transmitted and written Word will do that, subsuming the oral instructions of the apostles until their deaths.

But they can forgive or retain sins of which they find themselves, as a group, the objective.

This infers no passing on of this prerogative to any other future group, and no apostolic succession.

Your intended use of the citation you gave is not logical or Scriptural. Your conferring of exceptional powers upon church rulers subsequent to these primary apostles is not valid, IMHO.

[narses]