Posted on 01/02/2021 6:05:47 PM PST by ebb tide
This Sunday, January 3, 2021, is the 500th anniversary of the excommunication of Martin Luther as a heretic and schismatic – the greatest damage ever done to the Holy Catholic Church. He died unrepentant, without the sacraments and outside the One True Church.
Yes, Pope Leo X, who issued the excommunication decree and the previous Exsurge Domine warning (6/15/1520) to Luther, had a mixed record of papal righteousness – but in this event he is nearly unsurpassed and fairly vindicated.
In this writer's view, these documents are two of the most formidable, necessary and courageous decrees emanating from the Chair of Peter, defending the Holy Roman Catholic Church from doctrinal attack. They were subsequently, fully upheld by the Council of Trent – also one of the greatest Councils in Church history – to which we owe very much, especially on the Eucharist!
We still face great danger. With Luther, there was no warning, just 95 absurd theses appearing out of thin air.
Here today, we had a warning in 1917 at Fatima. “Russia will spread her errors throughout the world,” did Our Lady alert the three children and us Catholics.
We feel these effects today – a far more serious warning than Luther. In full deference to Our Lady and the Most Holy Trinity – it is extremely doubtful (despite assertions to the contrary) that the full, correct Consecration to Russia was done; or that the decisive 3rd Secret text was totally revealed.
The errors, it is said, will lead to “The Great Apostasy.” There seems no appetite in the Vatican, at any level, to humbly accept and remedy those grave errors. Rather, a desire to hurtle into the future with Pachamama; Amazon Culture; ecology; and global secular solutions – as moral virtue is completely ignored and vocations and faithful Catholics disappear at record speeds.
Will the Church (and our Country) continue its decline? Will we still continue to receive God’s Divine Mercy and Graces? Are we due for a severe Divine Chastisement?
I am not going to advance an opinion here – only to charitably say, we would all do well to place our own souls in a state of grace, and urge our families, friends and others to do the same.
And Pray. God is very good.
See you in the clouds
As said before, One would have a hard time in Bible times explaining kneeling before a statue and praising the entity it represented in the unseen world, beseeching such for Heavenly help, and making offerings to them, and giving glory and titles and ascribing supernatural attributes to such which are never given in Scripture to created beings (except to false gods), including having the uniquely Divine power glory to hear and respond to virtually infinite numbers of prayers individually addressed to them.
Moses, put down those rocks! I was only engaging in hyper dulia, not adoring her. Can't you tell the difference?
Which manner of "adulation" could constitute worship in Scripture (Words for worship in the NT (http://peacebyjesus.net/Words_used_for_worship.html)), yet Catholics imagine that by playing word games then they can avoid crossing the invisible line between mere "veneration" and worship. The Catholic Encyclopedia speculates that a further reinforcement of Marian devotion, “
As https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavenly_Mother attests, there is a strong psychological appeal to a Heavenly Mother. In Egyptian mythology there is the sky goddess "Nut." In the Ascended Master Teachings (a group of religions based on Theosophy) the Heavenly Mother is called Omega. Within Mormonism there is bwelief a Heavenly Mother as the wife of God the Father. In the Unification Church some members occasionally address God as "Heavenly Mother." Within the Unification Church sometimes God is addressed as "Heavenly Mother." The Korean group World Mission Society Church of God believes that Zahng Gil Jah is the spiritual wife of God making her the heavenly new Jerusalem Mother. In Hindism there is the worship of a Mother deity. Devī (the middle name of Kamala Harris) is the Sanskrit word for "goddess." The Rigveda calls the divine female power Mahimata (R.V. 1.164.33), literally Great Mother and also called Mother Earth. In places, the Vedic literature alludes to her as Viraj, the universal mother, as Aditi, the mother of gods, and as Ambhrini, the one born of the Primeval Ocean. Durga, the wife of Shiva, is a warrior goddess who represents the empowering and protective nature of motherhood. An incarnation of Durga is Kali, who came from her forehead during war (as a means of defeating Durga's enemy, Mahishasura). Durga and her incarnations are particularly worshipped in Bengal.
The Catholic Encyclopedia speculates that a further reinforcement of Marian devotion. "was derived from the cult of the angels, which, while pre-Christian in its origin, was heartily embraced by the faithful of the sub-Apostolic age. It seems to have been only as a sequel of some such development that men turned to implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. This at least is the common opinion among scholars, though it would perhaps be dangerous to speak too positively. Evidence regarding the popular practice of the early centuries is almost entirely lacking...,” (Catholic Encyclopedia > Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Yet as expected, the Catholic Encyclopedia imagines this practice came from the apostles and NT church, but which never exampled or instructed it, and instead the NT shows that the believer has immediate access to God in the Divine (http://peacebyjesus.net/DEITYofCHRIST.html) Christ, (Heb. 10:19 (http://biblia.com/bible/kjv1900/Heb.%2010.19)), who is the all sufficient and immediate intercessor between God (the Father) and man. (Heb. 2:17 (http://biblia.com/bible/kjv1900/Heb.%202.17),18 (http://biblia.com/bible/kjv1900/Heb%202.18); 4:15 (http://biblia.com/bible/kjv1900/Heb%204.15),16 (http://biblia.com/bible/kjv1900/Heb%204.16)) To the glory of God
“ So you are judging the Catholic Church based on man made heretic interpretation of Scripture. ”
No.
Pointing out that the RC Church is a man made religion that incorporates the pagan religions in the Roman Empire.
“ To reject the Catholic Church that Jesus founded may lead you to the latter.”
Not a chance.
Salvation comes in Christ alone, through saving faith alone.
Not a church that can save a single soul.
Are you saved adsum?
Why??
“ So you didn’t thank the Catholic Church that you have access to the written Scriptures!”
I hear the Prideful Roman Rooster crowing that his voice made the sun rise!!
God inspired the scriptures - most before the birth of Christ.
God moved men He chose to record the Scriptures.
God preserved His Word.
“ It is too bad that your religion tries to question the role of the Blessed Mother of God. ”
Contrary to your claim, we follow Scripture, calling her blessed *among women* - no over women.
Nor do we make her into a demigoddess and worship her.
“ Perhaps you missed the Blessed Mother’s warning:
You misspelled “demonic apparition.”
“Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.”
Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
Some hardened hearts may never recover and understand God’s Truth.
“If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hated. My reason for doing this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world. Look for the Church that is hated by the world as Christ was hated by the world. Look for the Church that is accused of being behind the times, as our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned. Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord because He came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils. Look for the Church which, in seasons of bigotry, men say must be destroyed in the name of God as men crucified Christ and thought they had done a service to God. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because He called Himself the Truth. Look for the Church which is rejected by the world as Our Lord was rejected by men. Look for the Church which amid the confusions of conflicting opinions, its members love as they love Christ, and respect its Voice as the very voice of its Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly it is other worldly. since it is other-worldly, it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ Himself. But only that which is Divine can be infinitely hated and infinitely loved. Therefore the Church is Divine.”
by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
“At Cana, [Mary] gave Him as a Savior to sinners; on the Cross He gave her as a refuge to sinners.”
Fulton Sheen
Fulton sheen was wrong - twice!
Sheen - wrong again!
If I were looking for an antiChrist church, I’d look for a gay church.
I’d look for a child abusing church.
I’d look for a church that lost the Gospel of Grace.
I’d look for a church filled with idols and demigods.
I’d look for a church where Mary is approachable, but the Father is not.
I’d look for a church filled with demands for false rituals, candles and beads.
This is Rome.
Hearts need turning to Christ alone, as recorded in His Word.
May you turn to Him for salvation.
“May you turn to Him for salvation.”
Yes as a life long Catholic, I attempt to follow the path of Christ through His Catholic Church, the Mass, the Sacraments (especially Confession) and not the path of the world with false man-mad teachings that stray from God’s Truth.
I believe that when one sins, they need to confess their sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation for absolution. Protestant theory that Christ’s death on the cross forgives all sins, past, present and future is false and not biblical. Yes, Catholics are sinners and we have the ability to ask for forgiveness and receive in the Sacrament of Reconciliation no matter how bad our sins are. Protestants may have more difficulty in receiving forgiveness, and hopefully you won’t spend too much time in Purgatory.
I don’t know fully why pharisees were so hardhearted and not willing to listen to God’s Truth, and it seems to me that protestants have followed in their footsteps.
You do realize that it is difficult to persuade some one to your point of view without relevant facts? In other words, you don’t add to the discussion, only your anti-Catholic feelings. I think it is time for me to give up on you as a lost cause of someone who is not interested in learning God’s truth.
May you truly find God’s Truth and not the man-made version.
“ Yes as a life long Catholic, I attempt to follow the path of Christ through His Catholic Church, the Mass, the Sacraments (especially Confession) and not the path of the world with false man-mad teachings that stray from God’s Truth.”
I know. That’s where you went wrong.
None of that saves a soul - or you’d be saved already.
Are you saved now?
Do you have assurance of salvation now??
There’s really only one response that adequately gives your statement what it deserves... 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
“ hopefully you won’t spend too much time in Purgatory.”
Never in scripture - not once.
So no worries there!
“ You do realize that it is difficult to persuade some one to your point of view without relevant facts?”
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you post a fact.
“ May you truly find God’s Truth and not the man-made version”
No worries! I left Rome when I came to saving faith in Christ.
Your posting tells me that Luther was on the right track!
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.