Posted on 09/15/2018 2:33:13 PM PDT by marshmallow
At the northern tip of Via Giulia in Rome, you’ll find the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini. The large dome that crowns this church is one of many that accent the Roman skyline.
If it’s hot, airy churches like San Giovanni provide the weary pilgrim with a spiritual and physical oasis. Most likely, you’ll be sweaty and your feet sore from treading the miles of cobblestone streets in the Eternal City. Walk up the worn marble steps of San Giovanni and enter. Head down the left aisle and, at the end, you’ll notice a striking silver reliquary in the shape of…a foot. Inside this reliquary is the foot of Saint Mary Magdalen. (This is Rome, folks, so get used to seeing bones encased in elaborate gold and silver surrounded by vigil candles and corpses under altars and many other things that will certainly strike some Americans as odd or macabre. The Church has been doing this for ages.)
Spend some time in prayer before the relic of this saint known first for her conversion and later, her unflagging loyalty to Christ when most of his closest friends bolted. Ensnared by sin, she was set free by the Lord, and never left Him again. During the crucifixion, perhaps some choice words were directed at her by people in the crowd. Maybe her past life was well-known. Regardless, she stayed at the foot of the cross. There’s an inscription near the relic stating that the feet of Mary Magdalen were the first to enter the tomb of Christ after the Resurrection. According to tradition, she later lived as a hermitess for the rest of her life, absorbed in prayer and love. She wasn’t a martyr, but she must have been one of the most fearless saints of......
(Excerpt) Read more at creamcitycatholic.com ...
“If you choose to sit in the dark and not see it, no one can help you.”
I don’t know how you could say the above statement about my awareness of the current scandal in the Catholic Church unless you are a dishonest soul (probably a high ranking freemason).
Just read what I posted last, go ahead and read carefully, even if reading comprehension may not be your strong suite:
“Now once you hire homosexual priests who become bishops, now you have absolute narcissists running the show and the results are plain for all to see. But it was freemasons who initiated this.
No Catholic who pursues the life of both natural and supernatural virtue would ever be the cause of this.”
The corruption is plain for all to see, but one must identify who did this, it was freemasons and the homosexuals they hired. Yes in the Church. Yes there are now Catholic priests and bishops, some freemasons and some unconverted homosexual narcissists. However, there is nothing in Catholic spirituality that would be the cause of such egregious heinous obstinate sinfulness.
Here is a parable for you to consider in relation to what has happened to the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, founded by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior to spread the Good News to every corner of the Earth until the end of time:
“The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seeds in his field. [25] But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way.
[26] And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. [27] And the servants of the goodman of the house coming said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it cockle? [28] And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? [29] And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. [30] Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.” Matt 13:24-30
We are definitely seeing cockle in the Catholic Church, no doubt about it.
“The corruption is plain for all to see, but one must identify who did this, it was freemasons and the homosexuals they hired. Yes in the Church. Yes there are now Catholic priests and bishops, some freemasons and some unconverted homosexual narcissists. However, there is nothing in Catholic spirituality that would be the cause of such egregious heinous obstinate sinfulness.”
Priests, bishops, Cardinals, popes.
Worldwide.
Doubt they are all free masons.
It is simply a corrupt organization with a few good people.
You are blaming the farmer for the cockle in his field. But the parable clearly states that the enemy did this.
The cockle will be burned with an unquenchable fire.
“You are blaming the farmer for the cockle in his field. ”
I blame the pedo/homo priests for child sex abuse, the bishops who covered up the criminal acts of the priesthood, the cardinals who supported them, and the last 7 popes who allowed it to continue - even homosexuals and sex/drug parties in the Vatican.
This has happened over decades worldwide.
In Germany, it goes back under at least 7 popes.
There aren’t cockles in your field.
Rome is a cockle farmer that accidentally lets a good person in occasionally.
It is the opposite of your claim.
“Come out from among them and be Holy, says the Lord.”
All of the corruption you see is the enemy-within. There is plenty of documentation for those who are interested in knowing the truth. But if you hate the Catholic Church and are willing to dishonestly attribute to the Mystical Body of Christ the evil acts that are being perpetrated upon Her by freemasons, communists, satanists, and narcissistic homos hired by the infiltrators, you are insulting Jesus Christ.
What level of freemasonry have you achieved? Or is that a secret?
No,
Your whole organization’s leadership is corrupt.
At least 7 corrupt popes in a row that allowed the continuation of priest sex abuse worldwide.
... and it is widely know. The Vatican has a very active and immoral homosexual workforce.
The burden on you is to prove your organization isn’t corrupt.
I don’t see any difference between Rome and the Church of England - except Rome is a larger corrupt former church.
At this point, unless you can demonstrate it isn’t totally corrupt, I don’t see value in you blaming outsiders.
Can you prove it isn’t totally corrupt?
Why do you post comments on a FR article on the relics of Catholic saints? What is your background? Your talking points are indistinguishable from that of a freemason. Besides laying claim that the Catholic Church is totally corrupt, what is it that you believe?
You should know that the gift of divine Faith is not dependent on whether my Catholic neighbor is holy or not. There are many evil people in the world and in the Church. That is due to fallen human nature. Our parish priest mentioned just the other day that the Church actually makes us holy. Insofar as we are Catholic and we adhere to the teachings of Christ as revealed through His chosen instrument the Church through whom the Holy Spirit operates we are made holy by the beliefs, the prayers, the fastings, the liturgy, the Sacraments, not due to our efforts or “works” but because the healing and saving Grace of Jesus Christ flows to us through these helps. Every example you can find in the Catholic Church, every person causing scandal, does so in contravention of everything the Catholic Church stands for and teaches, including the present Pope, who hails from a 1960’s Jesuit Liberation Theology Alinskyite tradition. The Pope causes scandal, not because he is Catholic, but because he is failing to be Catholic.
You have to ask yourself, do you hate the United States of America because Obama was President? Will you abandon this last greatest hope of mankind because the USA may have faltered? Or would you rather rally around the flag and all good that this country stands for? With Trump God has given us a reprieve from what the globalists had in store for us.
It is no different with the Catholic Church. We get a bad Pope, and bad bishops and cardinals. But should we walk away and abandon the Church when she needs us the most? No, we stand and fight, we rally for the truth, we pray for his conversion, we pray and fast for deliverance from the plans hatched against her by all the Judas perverts who have either infiltrated the hierarchy (lots of books written about this) or homos who were hired by the former and rose through the ranks. This game is over. If they don’t step aside, the US judicial system will bankrupt the superstructure.
But that does not matter much to a true believer. We can have our confession heard in a meadow or forest, and we can attend a mass in a house or a cave, we can receive the body blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ every week or every day. it has been done before, for centuries, for millenia.
It is truly a glorious time for us. To suffer with Christ, to bear the insults with Him. To be shamed by others for what we believe.
“Why do you post comments on a FR article on the relics of Catholic saints? What is your background?”
Because I care that falsehood and perversion is not promulgated as truth.
“Your talking points are indistinguishable from that of a freemason.”
If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
“Besides laying claim that the Catholic Church is totally corrupt, what is it that you believe?”
Scripture and Him.
“Our parish priest mentioned just the other day that the Church actually makes us holy ... we are made holy by the beliefs, the prayers, the fastings, the liturgy, the Sacraments, “
Christ alone makes us holy and nothing else.
“We get a bad Pope, and bad bishops and cardinals. But should we walk away and abandon the Church when she needs us the most? ”
Rather, come to Christ and walk away from perversity and beads and relics and the false sacraments.
It seems from your posts that you may not even recognize the depravity that has been Rome for more than a thousand years.
Is the priest/leadership of Rome worse than selling the papacy? Selling indulgences? Gays in the Vatican? The slaughter of believers?
No. It continues to brinf forth evil works. It is a sad situation that has been around forever.
Yet Christ alone offers salvation, eternal life with Him, and forgiveness from all sin.
You cannot put words in my mouth by selectively cutting and pasting my comments. Everything good thing we receive from the Catholic Church, all of the Grace comes from Christ. We are the original Christians, but we don’t generally use that term anymore because it has been co-opted by man-made sects in much the same way as the word “gay” has been ruined by the fudge packers.
Your Word is our gift to you. It was Catholics who carefully transmitted the Sacred Scriptures down through the centuries using monks, ink, and sheep velum. When the printing press was invented, it was a Catholic who invented it.
But if you want to believe that “true” christianity somehow appeared on the planet Earth 1500 years after Christ walked it, I’ve got an Avenatti sexual assault allegation I would like to sell you.
True Christianity has weathered many storms. Often it was up to just a few to stay the course (e.g. Athanasius). But she sailed on. Because the Catholic Church is not the work of man, it is the work of the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is a miracle of Grace that it has persisted. It is the city seated on the hill that cannot be hid.
“”You cannot put words in my mouth by selectively cutting and pasting my comments.”
Didn’t.
“ We are the original Christians,”
No. The original Christians are physically dead and alive in the presence of God.
Your Word is our gift to you.”
No.
GOD, via His Holy Spirit, inspired, transmitted, and preserved His Word.
Rome and it’s defenders are like the foolish rooster, who believes his loud crowing makes the sun rise.
“But if you want to believe that “true” christianity somehow appeared on the planet Earth 1500 years after Christ walked it,”
God has ALWAYS HAD His people, who have not bowed their knee to Baal.
“True Christianity has weathered many storms.”
True. Despite what Rome has done... even slaughtering true Christian men, women, and children.
“Because the Catholic Church is not the work of man”
It is.
“In fact, it is a miracle of Grace that it has persisted.”
Yes! And based on your claim of persistance, Hinduism is a miracle of God too - for longer than Rome.
Every good thing comes from God.
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17 NASB
James seems to have missed the memo about the Roman Catholic church being the dispenser of every good thing.
I am sure the victims of abuse at the hands of Roman Catholic priests would take issue with your statement.
Your Word is our gift to you.
The arrogance of the Roman Catholic on full display.
You presume God could not keep His word over the centuries.
But if you want to believe that “true” christianity somehow appeared on the planet Earth 1500 years after Christ walked it, I’ve got an Avenatti sexual assault allegation I would like to sell you.
True Christianity began with Christ and continues for those who believe in Christ as Savior....and only Christ.
When the printing press was invented, it was a Catholic who invented it.
And Roman Catholicism did their dead level best to keep the Scriptures out of the hands of their members while persecuting those who tried to get the Word into the hands of the people.
Wow, almost word for word Catholic talking points I’ve only seen dozens of times before.
You think there’s a class they take where they have to memorize them?
It reminds me of leftist talking points repeated zombie-like on all the talk shows.
Guess again.
James 1: 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Last time someone took credit for God it didn't end well.
Acts 12:20-23 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
The fairy tales you guys will believe and swallow whole is a testament to how far Catholicism has swerved from the truth.
Semantic
Here's a better idea.
How about imitating JESUS?
Why go through Jesus when He constantly was inviting people to come to Himself? JESUS tells people to follow HIM, not Mary.
Matthew 4:19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 8:22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Matthew 9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Matthew 10:38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Mark 1:17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
Mark 2:14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Mark 8:34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Luke 5:27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.”
Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 21:19 And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 21:22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
Got a chapter and verse on that?
Vast discrepancies?
Such as?
But it's OK when it's CATHOLIC discrepancies in doctrine, right? Then the differences are proof of how wonderful Catholicism is in that it has unity despite the differences?
It's called *hypocrisy* when you have one standard for one group of people and apply a different one to a different group of people.
Making an image of Mary, putting it in a *church* and bowing down before it and lighting candles to it and praying to it violates the second commandment.
No need to even get into the semantic hairsplitting of making up separate words to describe what Catholic do with Mary to excuse it as not being worship.
The bowing down can be clearly and objectively seen. No need to worry about mind reading.
Making an image and bowing before it is sin according to God.
And they try to convince us it's a good organization with a few corrupt people.
The atrocities perpetrated by Catholicism span most of its history. It's not a history of good with a few isolated bad spots, it's a overwhelming history of evil, immorality, and corruption, but a few isolated incidents of good in it.
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.