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The Roman Catholic Church says it never changes; yet it invents new doctrines which are contrary to the Bible / Objections to the Magisterium & Sacred Tradition In this section, I shall comment on the verses that are put forward to prove the falsity of Sacred Tradition. 5] 2 Tim. 2:2, "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." How can this verse be used to validate Roman Catholic Sacred Tradition when its context is that Paul was instructing Timothy to entrust what he said to faithful men who can then teach others? Nothing is there about then transferring that knowledge down an apostolic line with intended apostolic authority. This comment denotes its author misunderstands what Tradition is, but which I have explained in Section I. Since Tradition is the handing on of the Faith, what St. Paul is asking St. Timothy to do is exactly what Sacred Tradition is: passing on Divine Revelation from one generation to the next. This passing on (traditio) is secured by the Apostolic Succession of bishops throughout the ages. This verse also shows Apostolic Succession, since Timothy was made a bishop by St. Paul, an Apostle, who by imposition of hands passed on his authority to Timothy [1], which same authority St. Paul received from St. Peter and the other Apostles, and who is now directing Timothy to follow his example by entrusting Divine Revelation to faithful men, that is, to men who have proven orthodoxy and are learned in the Faith; which same men are able to teach others, or as the Douay-Rheims translates it, are "fit to teach others". St. Paul doesn't tell Timothy to chose any Tom, Dick or Harry for this ministry, but only those men who are proven. And by this we understand that there are no better nor more fit men for preaching than the priests and deacons, which St. Paul himself mentions. Neither Paul nor Timothy were ignorant of what St. Peter later wrote regarding the unlearned and their twisting of Scripture according to private interpretation (which Protestants engage in). [2] Thus St. Paul is really asking St. Timothy to ordain faithful men to preach the Gospel. In this way, St. Paul's authority passes to Timothy and to the other men Timothy appoints. [3] And yet, even if we admit that St. Paul here did not mean ordained clerics, but laymen, this still would not destroy Apostolic Succession or Sacred Tradition because these men would be receiving religious instruction by their bishop, St. Timothy, who was taught and ordained by another bishop, St. Paul, who himself was taught and ordained by another bishop, which was St. Peter based on Galatians 1:18. So, Apostolic Succession has secured the Deposit of Faith which Timothy will expound to the faithful men he is teaching. The Deposit was originally handed on orally, until the Holy Spirit inspired certain men to write down their teachings. This is Sacred Tradition at work: oral and written teachings passed on from one generation to the next. I, today, cannot learn nor teach the Faith unless the Deposit was secured from nigh 2,000 years of Apostolic Succession. The fact that the Gospel has been perfectly preserved by the Church for so long, even after heresies have arisen to rob Her of the truth (including Protestantism), is a sign of Divine Intervention. Only God could keep the Church preaching the Gospel for so long. This is, also, a sign of the Church's Divine Commission, and a proof that She has been founded by Jesus Christ; unlike Protestant sects who, over the years they have existed, have changed their doctrines and swayed to and fro from one fancy to another. 6] 1 Cor. 11:2, "Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you." How can this verse be used to validate Roman Catholic Sacred Tradition when its context is either about avoiding idolatry or the restating the tradition concerning head-coverings, authority, and prayer. There is nothing here about RCC Sacred Tradition where authority and tradition is passed down from apostle to apostle. Let us make a simple exposition of this. 1) If this text refers to avoiding idolatry, that is part of the Sacred Deposit, and thus part of Sacred Tradition. Divine Revelation warns us to stay from idolatry, and the Church warns us against idolatry, and even warns us to be on guard lest, in our piety, we corrupt the simple veneration of the Saints and make it into idolatry. 2) If it is about authority or prayer, they are both part of the Sacred Deposit, and so are part of Sacred Tradition. The Catholic Church has the true authority which Christ has endowed Her with, and the Sacred Scriptures teach us to obey the authorities of the Church, and to be in communion with them. In terms of prayer, there is no greater nor more pleasing prayer that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is the highest prayer the Church can offer to God, the greatest adoration She can render to Him, since the Mass is none other than Christ the Priest offering Himself as a Pure Sacrifice to the Father; the Once-for-all Sacrifice re-presented to the Father on the Altar. 3) If it is about head-coverings for women, the Church has determined that this is a custom, or discipline, which is not part of Sacred Tradition, but only a human tradition that can, and has, been changed as the Church sees fit. [4] Customs and disciplines are merely human traditions, although venerable, which can be changed if required. However, it should be noted that such ancient customs or disciplines should not be suppressed or discontinued except for a very grave pastoral reason. The ceasing of the enforcement of the veiling of women in Church was done, it has to be said, not for any theological or grave pastoral reason, but simply because during the 1960's certain officials of the Church wanted the Church to look more "modern". Ironically, the use of veils for Catholic women is becoming more popular, even amongst young women. Another custom is the use of Latin in the Sacred Liturgy. The Catholic Church is made of various Rites, each having their own language. The largest Rite is the Latin Rite, which, as its name suggests, uses Latin. After the Second Vatican Council, the use of the Latin was (wrongfully and against the Council's intentions) abandoned in favour of purely vernacular liturgies. Again, ironically, more and more Catholics, especially young Catholics, are returning back to exclusive Latin Masses. We have to ask some questions regarding the traditions St. Paul mentions here. 1) Was St. Paul one of the Twelve? No he wasn't. 2) So where did St. Paul learn of the traditions he is handing on? From the original Apostles. 3) Does he mention any specific Apostle? Yes he does. St. Paul tells us in Galatians 1:16-18 that after the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he fled to Arabia for three years, and afterwards returned to Jerusalem to see Peter for fifteen days. Why? Because he had to have St. Peter, the Pope, confirm his election to the episcopacy [as every bishop does], give him Apostolic Authority, and to instruct him in the Christian faith. Thus, what St. Paul is handing on is none other what he has received from Peter: i.e. Apostolic, or Sacred, Tradition! This is why in 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26, when talking about the Blessed Eucharist, he starts by saying that he has "received of the Lord" what he is handing on to them. Now, Christ Himself did not teach his about the Eucharist directly; rather St. Paul is here saying: What I preach here came from Christ through the Apostles to me, and now I hand it over to you. In this way, Sacred Tradition, that is, the transmission of Revelation, is being fulfilled here. St. Paul wasn't present to witness the Last Supper (or First Mass!), so he clearly received it from the other Apostles, most likely from St. Peter when he visited him for fifteen days. Thus, St. Paul is here handing to the Corinthians the very Tradition he has received from St. Peter and the other Apostles. 7] 2 Thess. 2:15, "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us." How can this verse be used to validate Roman Catholic Sacred Tradition when its context is about the return of Christ, not about apostolic succession? There is nothing here about RCC Sacred Tradition where authority and tradition is passed down from apostle to apostle. This verse clearly validates Sacred Tradition since St. Paul mentions "the traditions" which the Thessalonians were taught "by word of mouth", that is, oral tradition, "or by letter from us", that is, written tradition. We have to keep reminding ourselves: what is Sacred Tradition? It is the handing on of the Faith in diverse forms: oral, written, liturgical, artistic, etc. St. Paul is referring to two of those modes of tradition: oral and written. And this verse obviously doesn't refer to Apostolic Succession as he is asking the Thessalonians at large to hold the Faith; he is not directing his writing to any specific person. When he writes to St. Timothy or St. Titus, he mentions the Succession. The context here is not about the return of Christ, but of the obtaining of the glory of the Lord [2 Thess. 2:12-14]. He connects the obtaining of the glory of the Lord with keeping the traditions, meaning you cannot receive the former if you don't hold the latter. In fact, in 3:6 of this same letter he says: And we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they have received of us. [5] What tradition is this? Non other than the Gospel itself preached by word and letter, and by other diverse means. 8] 2 Thess. 3:6, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us." How can this verse be used to validate Roman Catholic Sacred Tradition when its context is about working hard and not being idle? There is nothing here about RCC Sacred Tradition where authority and tradition is passed down from apostle to apostle. See Note [5] below that explains how St. Paul used his very actions as a mode for tradition. 9] Matt. 15:4-6, Jesus said, "For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ 5 “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” 6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition." Does this teaching of Jesus speak against tradition in general or a specific kind of tradition? If so, which kind? In order to answer this question, we must first put the above quote into perspective, as it has been isolated from its context. If we put the above quote into context, we immediately understand what Our Lord was condemning. Then came to Him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying: Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But He answering, said to them: Why do you also transgress the Commandment of God for your tradition? For God said: Honour thy father and mother: And: He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death. But you say: Whosoever shall say to father or mother, The gift whatsoever proceedeth from me, shall profit thee. And he shall not honour his father or his mother: and you have made void the Commandment of God for your tradition. Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men. [Matt. 15:1-8; Douay-Rheims] Some suitable commentary may help to understand this passage. I quote here from Bishop Challoner's commentary. "The gift": That is, the offering that I shall make to God, shall be instead of that which should be expended for thy profit. This tradition of the Pharisees was calculated to enrich themselves; by exempting children from giving any further assistance to their parents, if they once offered to the temple and the priests, that which should have been the support of their parents. But this was a violation of the law of God, and of nature, which our Saviour here condemns. It becomes evident that Christ was condemning man-made traditions that circumvented the Law of God. Note that Our Lord does not condemn tradition in general, but only those traditions that transgress the Law of God. Naturally, Apostolic Tradition is the very Tradition of Christ Himself, for He commanded the Apostles and their Successors to hand down His Doctrines, and as Challoner above mentions, the Church Herself is so imbued with His Authority, that whenever She establishes a law, such as times and lengths of fastings, this is to be received as if Christ Himself had directly commanded it. Such is the reverence Catholics show to their Holy Mother Church, who Christ Himself has founded to minister to us in His Name. It is naturally evident that some traditions of men are bad, whilst others are good. Sadly, most Protestants cannot tell the difference, and consider all tradition as bad and contrary to the teachings of Scripture, even though they themselves engage in the very tradition they claim to condemn. Many of these same Protestants have problems with Catholic tradition, but have no problem with celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, the handing down of family customs and heirlooms, all of which are man-made traditions. And to say nothing of civil or political traditions, which have been handed down through the centuries! When the United States was founded, did God command that her citizens forever observe the 4th of July as a holiday? Of course not, because such an observance is purely a human tradition that - alas! - even Protestants keep! But, is keeping such a man-made tradition contrary to the Law of God? Many traditions provide stability in an ever-changing world, so long as they are not contrary to the laws laid down by God, whether moral law, natural law, etc. Naturally, if we find something worth handing down, we just tend to do it. I doubt God ever judged anyone damned because they observed some civil holiday, or even some religious holiday like Christmas or Easter. Many Protestants - like the Pharisees of old - are far too scrupulous about the externals of such festivals - such as condemning the use of trees or eggs in these festivals - rather than judging the interior intentions, which is to celebrate the Nativity and Execution of Salvation, respectively. Incidentally, it must be added that the attendance of Church on Sundays was never ordered by God, and was a tradition established by the Apostles. Thus, from a Protestant view, this is a tradition of men, and must therefore be wrong. Yet, most Protestants attend church on Sundays, despite it being a purely human tradition. From a Catholic point of view, we have no problem with this, since the Apostles had Divine Right to establish such a tradition, because they were directly given the authority by Christ to do such a thing, and Christ Himself has, over the centuries, that such a tradition - although established by the Apostles - was actually started by Divine Inspiration, and repeatedly Christ Himself has made it know of His approval of it, and even warns those who break His Holy Day. 10] Mark 7:8-9, "‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ 8 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” " Do you see this verse as a warning about the tradition of men? If so, what are the traditions of men? It is clear that the only traditions of men Christ warns against are those which contradict the laws which God has laid down. The traditions of men are, as the name implies, traditions created by men. In the context of the Church, even traditions that are not directly commanded by God - such as fasting for Lent - and which are the product of the Church's faith, are to be received with reverence, since they are ordained by the Church, who has the right to bind and loose laws upon the faithful. Yet, respecting long established laws, it is usually considered a scandal if centuries old custom is abrogated. Lastly, in the the verse quoted above, Our Lord condemns the Pharisees for claiming their traditions were doctrines from God, rather than affirming that they were merely human. Interestingly, even after all this condemnation, Christ does not deny that the Pharisees have the authority to bind the Jewish people to pious customs. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them. [Matt. 23:1-4; Douay-Rheims; Emphasis mine] Some commentary from Fr. Haydock on this passage with help to enlighten our understanding. The Scribes. They, who professed the greatest zeal for the law of Moses, and gloried in being the interpreters of it, sat upon the chair of Moses, succeeded to his authority of governing the people of God, of instructing them in His law, and of disclosing to them His will. Such, therefore, as did not depart from the letter of the law, were called Scribes. But such as professed something higher, and separated themselves from the crowd, as better than the ordinary class of men, were called Pharisees, which signifies, separated. (Origen) --- God preserveth the truth of the Christian religion in the apostolic See of Rome, which in the New Law answers to the chair of Moses, notwithstanding the disedifying conduct of some few of its bishops. Yes, though a traitor, as vile as Judas himself, were a bishop thereof, it would not be prejudicial to the integrity of the faith of God's Church, or to the ready obedience and perfect submission of sincere good Christians, for whom our Lord has made this provision, when he says: do that which they say, but do not as they do. (St. Augustine, Ep. clxv.) 11] Col. 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." Paul warns about the traditions of men. How do you determine the difference between good tradition and bad tradition? Remember, if you say the Church tells you then you are assuming a tradition to validate tradition and that is a fallacious argument. Christ Himself has already defined bad traditions - those that contradict or circumvent the Laws of God. Apostolic Tradition, by the fact that it was founded by Christ as the means of handing on the Deposit of Faith, is per se a good tradition. From that, it doesn't become too difficult to use common sense to determine the difference. Notes:
[1] - 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6; The imposition of hands to pass on authority comes from the Patriarchs of old, who imposed their hands upon their sons to pass on to them their authority and the blessing of God. In the Church, this imposition of hands takes on the new meaning of passing the Apostolic Authority from one man to another, as a father to his son. Priests and bishops have their authority passed to them by the imposition of hands by other bishops (who have the fullness of the priesthood). ----------------------------------- [2] - 2 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:15-16. ----------------------------------- [3] - The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament says about this verse: Timothy is the second link in a chain of succession that stretches from the apostles of the first century to the bishops of the present day. Having received Paul's authority and mission, he is charged with passing on both the priestly ministry and the apostolic faith to the next generation. Timothy must transmit these traditions in the same way he received them from Paul: through public instruction, the sacramental imposition of hands, and the witness of his life (1:6, 13-14; 3:10; 1 Tim 5:22; 6:20). ------------------------------------- [4] Inter Insigniores, No 4: Another objection is based upon the transitory character that one claims to see today in some of the prescriptions of Saint Paul concerning women, and upon the difficulties that some aspects of his teaching raise in this regard. But it must be noted that these ordinances, probably inspired by the customs of the period, concern scarcely more than disciplinary practices of minor importance, such as the obligation imposed upon women to wear a veil on their head (1 Cor 11:2-16); such requirements no longer have a normative value. However, the Apostle's forbidding of women to speak in the assemblies (1 Cor 14:34-35; 1 Ti 2:12) is of a different nature, and exegetes define its meaning in this way: Paul in no way opposes the right, which he elsewhere recognises as possessed by women, to prophesy in the assembly (1 Cor 11:15); the prohibition solely concerns the official function of teaching in the Christian assembly. For Saint Paul this prescription is bound up with the divine plan of creation (1 Cor 11:7; Gen 2:18-24): it would be difficult to see in it the expression of a cultural fact. Nor should it be forgotten that we owe to Saint Paul one of the most vigorous texts in the New Testament on the fundamental equality of men and women, as children of God in Christ (Gal 3:28). Therefore there is no reason for accusing him of prejudices against women, when we note the trust that he shows towards them and the collaboration that he asks of them in his apostolate. [Emphasis mine] ------------------------------------- [5] - The Ignatius Commentary says about this verse: The teaching that Paul handed over to his readers, whether in writing or by oral instruction. This was the standard against which doctrinal claim (2:5) and moral behaviour (3:6) were to be measured and judged. Even Paul's personal example was a form of apostolic catechesis (3:7-9; 1 Cor 11:2; 2 Tim 1:13) (CCC 75-76, 82). - The apostles did not hand down everything in writing; many unwritten things were handed down as well, and both written and unwritten are worthy of belief. So let us also regard the tradition of the Church as worthy of belief (St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on 2 Thessalonians 4). St. John Chrysostom's actual quote on 2 Thess. 2:15: Hence it is manifest, that they did not deliver all things by Epistle, but many things also unwritten, and in like manner both the one and the other are worthy of credit. Therefore let us think the Tradition of the Church also worthy of credit. It is a Tradition, seek no farther.
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Claim: The Roman Catholic Church says it never changes; yet it invents new doctrines which are contrary to the Bible / Objections to the Magisterium & Sacred Tradition Introduction The objections put forward here are common amongst Protestants. It stems from their erroneous beliefs regarding Scripture and its place in the Christian life. These erroneous beliefs are together called Sola Scriptura, or Scripture alone. Sola Scriptura was divined by Martin Luther, using his private interpretation. Before Luther, no Christian ever believed in Sola Scriptura, but rather understood Scripture to be a part of the overall source from which we derive our Catholic teaching, called the Deposit of Faith. Thus, the teachings which comprise Sola Scriptura say that Scripture is: (1) the sole source of Christian doctrine, (2) the sole norm of doctrine, (3) the supreme, infallible and sole authority in the Church, (4) that every single statement, doctrine, command, of the Bible calls for instant and unqualified acceptance, without the use of reason, (5) sufficient, that is, that Scripture has no deficiencies to be supplied by oral tradition, pronouncements of the Roman Pontiff, Bishops, theologians or Councils, (6) Perspicuous, that is, that the Scriptures sets forth all the doctrines on Christian faith and life in most clear terms that both the unlearned and learned can understand, and that Scripture needs not wait for any Pontiff, theologian or Council to make clear its teachings, (7) its own authentic and infallible interpreter, that is, no human authority, or even reason, is needed to divine its true sense. (8) That is it is the privilege and duty of all Christians to read and study the Scriptures, (9) That every man can use his private interpretation to come to the knowledge of saving truth. Every one of the nine sub-teachings of Sola Scriptura printed above are erroneous and dangerous. Numbers (4) and (7) specifically deny the need for reason when understanding or interpreting Scripture. Yet, the Catholic Church cautions us that we must use reason, firstly because we are given reason by God to understand, and secondly because Scripture is a product of both Divine and human reason. In addition, without reason to guide us, we end up with a mess of interpretations, as the Protestants have. Couple that with numbers (6), (8) and (9) which, joined together, say that even the unlearned man has the duty to study Scripture and privately interpret it, and you have a disastrous cocktail which can only lead to one thing: schism. And after that, when men become disillusioned with the manifold schisms and confusion as to which is true, indifferentism and then finally atheism. Now, it must be understood that differing Protestant sects have slightly different views as to Sola Scriptura. For example, one may say the use of Councils, traditions, Church Fathers etc., are okay, as long as they are subject to the Scriptures (and one's interpretation of them), whilst others reject anything other than Scripture. Whilst pondering on how to work out this Apologetics article, I stumbled across an article entitled Questions for Catholics on Sacred Tradition, by CARM, a Calvinist ministry. In its introduction, the author, the anti-Catholic Matt Slick, boasts how after posing these questions, "I do not believe that any Roman Catholic will answer them all." I wish to use these questions as a tool of providing a general answer to objections regarding Sacred Tradition, the Magisterium, etc. I shall use his format, albeit slightly adapted. As there are 65 questions posed, this will mean that this article may be of some length, yet it may not be necessary to answer each question individually, as some original answers may also answer later questions. I shall break the article according to section, and each section shall be a fresh page. I shall link to each section as more are published. Section I: Sacred Tradition 1] What exactly is Sacred Tradition? Well, we have to ask what tradition is. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditio, meaning to hand on. Thus anything that is handed on, like the Bible or the Faith, is a tradition. Unfortunately for Protestants, even their particular creeds are traditional, because they are handed down from one generation to the next, whether in written form or orally. So, whether they like it or not, Protestants actually observe the very thing they oppose. In fact, the Bible itself is a product of tradition, since, for example, Moses records events that took place centuries before his birth. These events were orally handed down, protected by the Holy Spirit, until He moved Moses to finally record these oral traditions as written traditions. Over the course of many centuries, God slowly revealed Himself to man in stages. [1] He began with Creation itself, then by the creation of our First Parents, Adam and Eve. Since then, God has revealed Himself over the centuries of Sacred History, and His Revelation is that He is a loving Father Who wishes us to be with Him in beatitude. The completion of Divine Revelation came in the Person of the Divine Word, Jesus Christ.[2] After the death of St. John the Apostle, all public Revelation ceased, so that everything which God wished to reveal about Himself is now revealed, though it is not yet fully expounded, or made explicit. [3] This complete Divine Revelation was given by Christ to the Church as the Deposit of Faith [4]. A deposit is something entrusted to someone else, such as money entrusted by a person to a bank, for example. In a similar way, the Lord entrusted His Revelation to the Apostles, gave them authority and commissioned them to hand on (traditio) His Gospel to all men [5]. By this, Sacred (or Apostolic) Tradition originates with Christ Himself, since He commanded the Apostles to hand on the Deposit to other men. The Holy Apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, fulfilled this commission in two ways: - orally, by which the Apostles "by their oral preaching, by example, and by observances handed on what they had received from the lips of Christ, from living with Him, and from what He did, or what they had learned through the prompting of the Holy Spirit". - in writing, "by those Apostles and apostolic men who under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit committed the message of salvation to writing". [6] Thus, the preaching of the Apostles was both oral and written. This is what St. Paul meant when he instructed the Thessalonian Church to "hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle".[7] Of course, some of the written parts of Apostolic Tradition became the New Testament, that is, the received, inspired, Scriptures. The Apostles were preaching before they wrote anything down, meaning that the Catholic Church is older than the New Testament. Those teachings of the Gospel never committed to writing under Divine Inspiration (in the form of Scripture), have been handed down within the Church from age to age in various ways, always protected by the Holy Spirit. Many are found in: (a) the works of the Fathers of the Church, who lived before A.D. 750 and whose orthodoxy is specially recognised and celebrated by the Church: Pope St. Gregory the Great, the last of the Latin Fathers, died in A.D. 604; St. John Damascene, the last of the Greek Fathers, died in A.D. 749; (b) The Acts of the Martyrs, which record in several instances the express doctrines for which the martyrs suffered; (c) The Professions of Faith (such as the Creeds), and the teaching of both the Popes, in their capacity as Supreme Teacher, and the Ecumenical Councils of the Church; (d) The practises and customs of the Universal Church, expressly, and in the first place, the Sacred Liturgy. (e) And even through Christian art, which depict what we believed and how we worshipped over the centuries. [8] However, this was not enough. The question arises: by what authority does the Apostolic Tradition, that is, all that the Apostles taught, come down to us? Well, the Lord already sorted that part out! The Apostles were to appoint successors, who they would teach and to whom they would pass the mantle of authority. These successors were the bishops.[9] For example, St. Paul appointed St. Timothy as bishop of Ephesus, and St. Titus as archbishop of Crete. They in turn appointed successors, and on and on it goes. Every Catholic bishop today has Apostolic Succession, which they receive at their consecration as bishops.[10] Not only that, but "Revelation which as written or orally handed down is transmitted in its entirety through the legitimate succession of bishops and especially in the care of the Roman Pontiff himself",[11] that is, the Roman Pontiff has the supreme duty above all to protect Revelation, and properly expound it, and at times, when prompted by the Holy Spirit, to define a doctrine ex cathedra. [12] In communion with him are the College of Bishops, who may as a College under the authority of the Pope, also define a doctrine ex cathedra. This is usually done in an Ecumenical Council. However, neither the Pope nor the bishops can define a new Revelation, nor accept any supposed new public Revelation. [13; 14] In brief: 1) What is tradition? It is the handing on of teachings. 2) What is being handed on? Divine Revelation. 3) How is it handed on? Through the preaching of the Apostles, the Sacred Scriptures, and various methods in the Church. 4) What is this tradition called? Apostolic Tradition. 5) Who founded Apostolic Tradition? Christ, when He commanded the Apostles to hand on the Faith. However, it is the Apostles who executed this Tradition when they went forth to preach, hence this is why it is named after them. One may also call it Divine Tradition, since this is the means by which Christ Himself Willed that His Doctrines be handed on. 6) Who protects and teaches this tradition? The Apostles and their Successors, the Bishops, through Apostolic Succession. In the first place, the Supreme Guardian and Teacher is the Roman Pontiff, the Successor of St. Peter. 7) Can the bishops or the Pope proclaim a new Revelation? No. Neither the Pope nor the College of Bishops can proclaim a new Revelation, but only expound and define more clearly what Christ has already taught. 8) Who guides the Pope and the Bishops? The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, Who was promised to the Church by Christ Himself. 9) Are there other traditions in the Church besides Apostolic Tradition? Yes. The Church has other traditions, which, although not of Apostolic origin, are still binding upon the faithful. The rule is usually that if a tradition is practised for more than one hundred years, it is considered binding. Some of these traditions (also known as customs) include such things as fasting for forty days in Lent, how long to fast before receiving the Holy Eucharist, etc. Although these traditions are human in origin, their inspiration is given to the Holy Spirit, Who guides the Church in all Her activities. The Church has the authority to bind and loose the faithful according to the laws and customs which She has deemed, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to be most beneficial to the salvation of Catholics. Since the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ - and thus is Christ Himself on earth - we receive Her laws as if it where Christ Himself directly binding us. The Church cannot bind Catholics to a law that is detrimental to their salvation, since She is always guided by the Holy Spirit. 2] How is Sacred Tradition declared to be such in the Church? In short, it is declared by Christ Who commanded the Apostles to hand on (traditio) Revelation to other men. However, He has given the Church the means to determine whether a teaching or practise is of Apostolic origin or not. 3] What is the means of the Church determining what is true Sacred Tradition? See (a) - (e) above. 4] Did the Apostles intend for there to be Sacred Tradition or is Sacred Tradition something invented by the Church? Since Tradition was the means by which Christ Himself willed for the Deposit to be handed on, it stands to reason that the Apostles did not have to intend for there to be such. And, likely, since it is of Divine Origin, Tradition is not an invention of the Church. Notes:
[1] - Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 54-64. ---------------------------------- [2] - Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 65-67; Dei Verbum, para. 2: By this revelation then, the deepest truth about God and the salvation of man shines out for our sake in Christ, who is both the mediator and the fullness of all revelation. ----------------------------------- [3] - Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 66: Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries. ----------------------------------- [4] - Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 84; Dei Verbum, para 10; 1 Tim 6:20: O Timothee, depositum custodi, devitans profanas vocum novitates, et oppositiones falsi nominis scientiae...[Latin Vulgate; emphasis mine]; 2 Tim 1: 12-14: Ob quam causam etiam haec patior, sed non confundor. Scio enim cui credidi, et certus sum quia potens est depositum meum servare in illum diem. Formam habe sanorum verborum, quae a me audisti in fide, et in dilectione in Christo Jesu. Bonum depositum custodi per Spiritum Sanctum, qui habitat in nobis. [Latin Vulgate; emphasis mine] ------------------------------------- [5] - Dei Verbum, para 7: Therefore Christ the Lord in whom the full revelation of the supreme God is brought to completion (see 2 Cor. 1:20; 3:13; 4:6), commissioned the Apostles to preach to all men that Gospel which is the source of all saving truth and moral teaching, and to impart to them heavenly gifts. -------------------------------------- [6] - Dei Verbum, para 7: This commission was faithfully fulfilled by the Apostles who, by their oral preaching, by example, and by observances handed on what they had received from the lips of Christ, from living with Him, and from what He did, or what they had learned through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The commission was fulfilled, too, by those Apostles and apostolic men who under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit committed the message of salvation to writing. - John 14:16-17; 14:26; 16:12-15: In these verses Christ promises the Spirit of truth to the Apostles to guide them into all truth. He even tells them that He has many more things to say to them, but cannot until later. Thus, the Spirit will come and reveal to them these teachings. This is a reference to the Church expounding Revelation. Christ knows that we cannot receive His Gospel all at once, so He kindly reveals it slowly, so that we may properly understand and believe. Some teachings, like the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation and the True Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist are mysteries, that is, they cannot be comprehended by human reason, and thus will take longer to expound due to their mystical nature. For example, the Dogma of the Holy Trinity took some 300 years to define, and even then it was still being defined in detail! So profound and mystical is the Lord's heavenly Word, that even after two millennia expounding it, Holy Mother Church still does not fully comprehend, and most likely has not made even a dent in Divine Revelation. The Church could spend eternity just meditating on one teaching, so profound it is! --------------------------------------- [7] - 2 Thessalonians 2:14. ---------------------------------------- [8] - Sacred Scripture Depends on Sacred Tradition, Catholic Answers, para 5. - John 21:25: In this verse, St. John reminds us that not everything Jesus did was written down, because such a record would be so voluminous, not even the whole face of the earth could store it. Thus, other means of transmitting the Gospel were used, such as the Sacred Liturgy, Christian iconography and the like. In addition, it must be remembered that most Christians for c. 1900 years were illiterate. Thus, the use of art and Liturgy were the primary instruments through which the Church taught the people. A Catholic knew his faith through the Mass and the Liturgy and the icons and statues in his Church, not through the written word. This is why the Sacred Liturgy recreates many Biblical events, so that the illiterate Christian could re-play the very events recorded in Scripture. So, for example, when Christ enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; it becomes a physical celebration in which Catholics would carry blessed palms from one Church to another, singing Latin chants, and recreating the Entry into Jerusalem. Thus, even though they could not read the Scriptural account, they could participate in it by their actions and chants. Even today, most Catholics still get their understanding of the Gospel from the Liturgy. Thus, contrary to Protestant assertion, Christ could not have commanded His disciples to read the Scriptures, since such a command would have been an unreasonable burden upon most Christians, who could neither afford monies nor time to literacy. At least for Catholics, Christ is not so heartless as to command that which He knew would be unattainable for c. 1900 years! ------------------------------------------ [9] - Dei Verbum, para. 7: But in order to keep the Gospel forever whole and alive within the Church, the Apostles left bishops as their successors, "handing over" to them "the authority to teach in their own place." - Dei Verbum, para. 8: And so the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by an unending succession of preachers until the end of time. ----------------------------------------- [10] - Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paras. 1555 & 1556. ----------------------------------------- [11] - Lumen Gentium, para. 25. ------------------------------------------ [12] - Lumen Gentium, para. 25: And this is the infallibility which the Roman Pontiff, the head of the college of bishops, enjoys in virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, who confirms his brethren in their faith, by a definitive act he proclaims a doctrine of faith or morals. And therefore his definitions, of themselves, and not from the consent of the Church, are justly styled irreformable, since they are pronounced with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, promised to him in blessed Peter, and therefore they need no approval of others, nor do they allow an appeal to any other judgment. For then the Roman Pontiff is not pronouncing judgment as a private person, but as the supreme teacher of the universal Church, in whom the charism of infallibility of the Church itself is individually present, he is expounding or defending a doctrine of Catholic faith. -------------------------------------------- [13] - Lumen Gentium, para. 25: The Roman Pontiff and the bishops, in view of their office and the importance of the matter, by fitting means diligently strive to inquire properly into that revelation and to give apt expression to its contents; but a new public revelation they do not accept as pertaining to the divine deposit of faith. ---------------------------------------------- [14] - Pastor Aeternus, Vatican I: For the Holy Spirit was promised to the Successors of Peter not so that they might, by His revelation, make known some new doctrine, but that, by His assistance, they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the Revelation or Deposit of Faith transmitted by the Apostles. Indeed, their Apostolic teaching was embraced by all the venerable Fathers and reverenced and followed by all the holy orthodox Doctors, for they knew very well that this See of St. Peter always remains unblemished by any error, in accordance with the Divine Promise of our Lord and Saviour to the Prince of His disciples: "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren." Commentary #8 of 2021: Toldya: Covid cases now dropping in the UK after WHO changes testing criteria18/2/2021 In Commentary #5, I covered how the WHO had changed the Covid testing criteria, which would lead to a drop in cases. Well, it's beginning to happen in the UK. This from my Lunchtime Briefing email from the Spectator:
We are being told that the lockdown we're under here in the UK will be coming to an end soon, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The essential places - pubs, shops, restaurants - won't be opened yet, not until picnics are allowed again. Considering it's still cold here in the UK and we keep having bouts of snow every other day, I think picnicking is not on anyone's list of things to do just yet. The fact the Government are not prioritising the hospitality and retail sectors shows their painful disconnect from the ordinary lives of the people who pay their gross salaries, as well as from reality.
If this lockdown does end, and doesn't morph into another Tier criteria we had between July and November 2020, it will be a miracle. And since it's Lent now, I will be offering my fasting for the complete end of lockdown, the annihilation of Covidism, and all that it implies. Claim: The Bible was forbidden to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by the Council of Valencia. Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read by all. (Read John 5:39; 2nd Timothy 3:15-17). It is a common objection of many Protestants that the Catholic Church banned laymen from reading the Bible, and/or banned vernacular translations. The above objection, which was sent to me, pushes that same claim. However, it's false. The Church promoted correct translations of the Scriptures, as is evidenced when one reads the Catholic Encyclopaedia's article on versions of the Bible. Indeed, the printing press was invented by a Catholic German, and the first book he printed was the Bible. When one reads the list of the various vernacular translations, one becomes immediately aware of the proliferation of Bibles. If the Catholic Church had banned people from either reading the Bible, or translating it, then She sure did a very poor job of it! Another important read would be Catholic Answers tract on Scripture, especially its Section VI Attitudes of the Church on reading the Bible in the vernacular, which clears up some of these conspiracy theories about the Church banning Scripture. Thirdly, there are the three Papal Encyclicals on Holy Scripture: Providentissimus Deus, Spiritus Paraclitus and Divino Afflante Spiritu, which openly show the Papal patronage of Scripture and its correct interpretation. The Protestant claims of ecclesial prohibition of Scripture reading usually comes in the form of the claim repeated above, that the Council of Valencia (Spain) of 1229 banned laymen from reading the Bible, and placed the Bible on the Index of Forbidden Books. The claim has many holes in it: 1] There was no such Council of Valencia that convened in 1229. I don't know how Valencia got into the claim. 2] The Council that did convene in 1229 was the French Synod of Toulouse. 3] The Synod was convened to solve the problem of the Albigensians and Cathars, who were neo-Manichaean cults that believed the created world was evil, and thus men should commit suicide in order to free their souls from their bodies. Manichaeism is a form of Gnosticism. The aforementioned cults were rife in France at the time, and were posing a serious threat. One of the ways they spread their heretical teachings was by falsely translating the New Testament, but changed what it said (like the Jehovah Witnesses) in order to make the Scripture fit their perverted beliefs. 4] In order to starve the heretics of their twisted Scriptures, the Synod of Toulouse placed a ban on translations of Bibles, and even prohibited laymen from having Bibles, except to have the Psalter for devotional reasons, and these were to be in Latin. Canon 14 of the Snyod stated: "We prohibit also that the laity should be permitted to have the books of the Old or New Testament; unless anyone from motive of devotion should wish to have the Psalter or the Breviary for divine offices or the hours of the blessed Virgin; but we most strictly forbid their having any translation of these books." 5] The Synod's prohibition only had force within the jurisdiction it covered, that is, in France. Its rulings had no force anywhere else in the Church. This fact seems to have escaped Protestant objectors. Other such Synods did similar things, like in England, when the Synod of Oxford prohibited Bibles from being published unless they were approved by the Church. This, likewise, was to stop the Lollards who were publishing false translations. Only Ecumenical Councils have universal binding force. 6] Lastly, no Ecumenical Council ever prohibited laymen from reading Bibles. Local councils have done such as a means of quashing heresy, but these councils only had force within their jurisdictions, and local councils are never dogmatic, as only an Ecumenical Council can be infallible. I know a lot of Protestants get very confused between Ecumenical and local Councils, and think any Council is universal and infallible, when actually that is not the case at all. 7] The above claim that the Council put the Bible on the Index of Forbidden Books is completely ludicrous when one does a little research and discovers that the Index only began to exist from 1559 onward - 330 years after the Synod of Toulouse made its temporary prohibition of Bibles. So, how could Synod place the Bible on an Index that was 330 years in its future? As for reading John 5:39, this verse is taken in isolation. Jesus nowhere here commands for us to read the Bible. He rebukes the Pharisees, who believed that salvation would come from the Scriptures, or rather, their false interpretation of it. They read the Scriptures every Sabbath to the people, and read the Prophecies of the Messiah, and when the Messiah came to them, they could not recognise Him. That's why He says: Search the scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting. For you think! He was rebuking their blindness. He was not commanding people to read the Scriptures. I would direct the reader to read the whole of John 5. Bishop Challoner's commentary on John 5:39 says: "Search the scriptures": Scrutamini. It is not a command for all to read the scriptures; but a reproach to the Pharisees, that reading the scriptures as they did, and thinking to find everlasting life in them, they would not receive Him to Whom all those Scriptures gave testimony, and through Whom alone they could have that true life. Protestants seem forgetful that mass literacy is a recent phenomenon. So, Jesus apparently, according to the Protestants, commanded 1,900+ years of mostly illiterate men to read the Scriptures. If that sounds absurd, it is. As for 2nd Timothy 3:15-17, this in no way is a command to read the Scriptures. And to read that into the text is pure twisting and deceit. St. Paul is only stating the inspiration and usefulness of Scripture, nothing more. And, to note, the Scriptures he is referring to is the Old Testament alone, not the New. I shall here include the commentary from the Haydock Commentary: All scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, or admonish, to instruct others in justice, and in the ways of virtue, that thus he who is a man of God, a minister of the Gospel, may be perfect and instructed unto every good work. Inquisition is here!
St. Mark's has now become Inquisition with a new logo, motto and a simplified site. The domain is the same stmark.blog, but everything else has changed. Inquisition is now dedicated to helping to expose the lies that have been wrapped around us, both in the Church and in the world. I endeavour to bring about the Inquisition Podcast as a audio commentary on various topics, as well as written commentary. Keep checking regularly for posts. The Inquisition is now in session! From antiquity, Mary has been called "Theotokos", or "God-Bearer" (Mother of God). The word in Greek is "Theotokos". The term was used as part of the popular piety of the early first millennium Church. It is used throughout the Eastern Church's Liturgy, both Orthodox and Catholic. It lies at the heart of the Latin Rite's deep Marian piety and devotion. This title was a response to early threats to orthodoxy, the preservation of authentic Christian teaching. A pronouncement of an early Church Council, the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D., insisted "If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the Holy Virgin is the "Theotokos" (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the Word of God become flesh by birth) let him be anathema." (The Council of Ephesus, 431 AD)
The Council's insistence on the use of the title reflected an effort to preserve the teaching of the Church that Jesus was both Divine and human, that the two natures were united in His One Person. Not only was that teaching under an assault then, it is under an assault now, and failing to "get it right" has extraordinary implications. The reason that the early Church Council pronounced this doctrine was "Christological", meaning that it had to do with Jesus Christ. One of the threats was from an interpretation of the teachings of a Bishop of Constantinople named Nestorius. Some of his followers insisted on calling Mary only the "Mother of 'the Christ'". The Council insisted on the use of the title (in the Greek) "Theotokos," ("Mother of God" or "God-bearer") to reaffirm the central truth of what occurred in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Rejection of the truth revealed in this beautiful title of Mary has led to a diminution in the understanding and role of Mary, impeding some Christians from grasping a deeper truth concerning the meaning of Mary's life - her Fiat, her "Yes" to God's Will. It is a privation, leading to a reduced understanding of the call to every Christian to live our lives for God as Mary did. It has undermined our mission to bring the world to the new world, recreated in her Son, the Church which is His Body on earth and a seed of the Kingdom which is to come. The Church, of which we are members through baptism, continues His redemptive mission until he returns. When we fail to receive the gift of Mary as Mother we can also miss the call of every Christian to bear Jesus for the world as she did. It is time to re-examine the deeper implications of the treasure that is found in the life example and message of the little Virgin of Nazareth. This wonderful title, Mary, the Mother of God, "Theotokos", reveals a profound truth not only about Mary, but about each one of us. We are now invited into the very relationship that she had with her Son. We can become "God-bearers" and bring Him to all those whom we encounter in our few short days under the sun. (Catholic.org) ______ (Additional commentary by St. Mark) To deny the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin is the heresy of Nestorianism. Nestorianism divides Christ into two Persons. This heresy was condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431, and the same Council infallibly defined that Christ is one Person with two Natures (the Hypostatic Union) and since both Natures came through the Holy Virgin, though His Divinity preceded Her, She is truly Mother of God, Jesus Christ. Thus, sadly, when Protestants deny this venerable Title of Our Lady, they are really professing Nestorianism, whether knowingly or unknowingly. It must also be understood that the title of Mother of God is the first of all titles for the Virgin. Her preeminence in salvation is due to Her being Mother of God, and because She consented with full heart and mind to become that very Tabernacle of the Living Word made flesh. Thus, any honour, privilege or title ascribed to Her is due to this one great title: Mother of God. Also, by the very fact that She is Mother of God, and Our Lord is called our "Brother" because He stooped down to taken upon Himself our humanity, She thus becomes Mother to all Christ's faithful brethren, which is the Catholic Church, and thus She becomes in very deed our Mother. This Maternity is executed by Providence upon all the Church's children, and She has become the very mantle to which we fly in times of danger. Without grasping this fundamental dogma concerning Our Blessed Mother, no man can truly understand the mystery of the Christian Religion, and thus cannot be set free by the Truth, which Christ Himself promised. Without understanding this great mystery of Our Lady, one cannot appreciate the immensity of Our Lord's loving condensention to become Son of Man. It is truly a remarkable, nay, sublime thought, that God should take unto Himself a Mother, like common man, and being subject to Her by the very Law He commanded to Moses, He deigned to show us the right observance of the Law, which He fulfilled and brought to perfection with the New Convenant which is faithfully executed by the Holy Catholic Church. Since a mother gives birth to the entire person, both the flesh and spirit, even though she did not create the spirit since that comes from God, she is truly called "mother", as the Decalogue attests. The entire person, both flesh and spirit, is placed under her guidance and maternal love, and she takes it upon herself to tend to both: by feeding the flesh and caring for it; by teaching the True Religion to the spirit, so that it can have a hope of eternal life in the Kingdom. Thus, even though Our Lady did not create or precede the Divinity of Jesus Christ, nevertheless, She gave birth to the Person of Christ, constituting both the Divine and Human, so that She is truly called Mother of God. Apologetics #1: Protestant claims that Catholic don't read the Bible; Catholic doctrine man-made15/2/2021 Claim: Catholics don't want to read the bible. They wanna hear made up man made Catholic doctrine and feel happy about their Babylonian goddes [sic] Queen of Heaven. 1500 yrs [sic] ago Catholics would kill us for heresy! 1] Catholics don't want to read the Bible.
Such a statement is ironic considering that Catholics were the first to have the Bible in its complete form, and then invented the Printing Press in order to print it, translated it into diverse languages, and have education so people could read it. It is also ironic that the very people who claim to read the Bible (Protestants) are also the ones who greatly twist it and mistranslate and misinterpret it. Let us remember that the Bible is a volume of Sacred History, recounting the deeds of God and His People, not a compendium of all Doctrine on all matters of life, as Protestants absurdly seem to think. Scripture cannot make a judgment on something centuries in its future. Thus, how would a Protestant using the Bible alone be able to make a judgment regarding something like stem-cell research? The answer is, they wouldn't. 2] They wanna hear made up man made Catholic doctrine and feel happy about their Babylonian goddes [sic] Queen of Heaven. The reason why Protestants make such statements regarding Catholic Doctrine is because of their erroneous views on the source of that Doctrine. When Luther began butchering the Faith, removing those points of Doctrine he didn't personally agree with, he had to find new doctrines with which to fill the void. These he plucked from the Bible via his own fallible, private [mis]interpretation of Scripture, rejecting 1500 years of correct teaching from various sources, including the venerable Fathers of the Church. Thus, to a Protestant, if a doctrine cannot be easily sought in Scripture, it must therefore be man-made and thus false. This is their criteria for determining true doctrine from false doctrine. Yet Protestantism's five big Solae, such as Sola Fide (Faith alone) and Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), are to be found no where in Scripture, and are opposed by the express teaching of the same Holy Writ. Therefore, using the Protestants' own criteria, they must be man-made and therefore false. But Protestants will never agree to that, even though this ruling is based on their own criteria. By this very fact, they are shown to be harbouring false, man-made doctrines which are contrary to Christian teaching. Luther himself conceded nothing when arguing his false doctrine, famously declaring that he was more faithful than even St. Augustine! Only pride and lofty arrogance can be the mistresses that fan a man's rebellious passions. Thus when Luther says that Romans 3:28 proves "faith alone", we ask where such words are printed in this verse, because it is evident that no such phrase can be read. But to compound it, we read in Romans 2:6 that God judges according to our works, and in Romans 2:7 that eternal life is given to those who are patient in good works. Then, as if to answer this very point, James 2:24 expressly states that man is justified by his good works, and not by faith alone. This provides such a thorn to the pretended Reformers, as to make them need the aid of sophistry in order to rework this verse. In answer to the second part of the sentence, the Protestants have it in mind that everything contrary to their worldview must be pagan. Therefore, since the pagans used sacral water, the Church must be pagan for using the same element, even though God commanded the use of holy water in the Old Testament [Numbers 5:17]. Thus, because an ancient pagan goddess was referred to as queen of heaven, a title given by all pagans to their chief goddess, this must mean that Catholics are worshipping a false goddess when they call Mary "Queen of Heaven". Yet, by this same argument, one could accuse the Protestants of paganism, since in their hymns they call Our Lord "King of Heaven" (such as in the hymn - Praise my soul the King of Heaven). Yet, did not the Romans call Jupiter the king of heaven? Yea, did not also the Greeks name Zeus such? Therefore, we must charge the Protestants with adoring a false god by the very fact they use this title! "Ah", say they, "but God is the true King of Heaven". Agreed; and Mary is the true Queen of Heaven, and every pagan idol named as such is either a foreshadow of the real Queen, or a corruption of that image. For if Lucifer corrupted God's Image on earth by the making of idols, then surely he would most certainly corrupt the image of the One who would crush him under foot - the Blessed Virgin Mary. 3] 1500 yrs [sic] ago Catholics would kill us for heresy! I believe this is a typing error, as Protestantism did not exist 1500 years ago, as even Protestants themselves will agree. Why should this person be so shocked? Would he be as equally surprised to learn that Protestants killed Catholics, and indeed killed each other. They would even kill their own kind, as Thomas Cranmer, Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, showed when he was altogether willing to kill those he favoured in order to appease the King, Henry VIII, and in order to retain his power. In fact, in England the barbarism with which the pretended Reformers laid prey to Catholics and drawn and quartered them is well documented. If they only meant to reform the Church, then why did they leave, rebel and then murder innocent people? Were they not doing the same as they condemned the Catholic Church for doing? What is different between the Inquisitions and the Reformation? Only that the Reformers were most barbaric in their treatment of not only Catholics but of their own. Whilst in the Holy Roman Empire Protestants were tolerated so long as they did not disturb the civil order, and were even allowed into the Imperial Army, in Protestant countries Catholics were afforded no such comfort. They were hounded out of house and home, hung, cut open, and their entrails became a sport for blood-thirsty savages. Being branded a Papist was as good as being a criminal. This from one of the Spectator emails I get each day. Covid Passports are a reality. You can't travel for business, or enter a restaurant without proof you've had a vaccine in Denmark. That sounds awfully like the Mark of the Beast doesn't it? And it's coming soon to your country.  A guide for Governmental Gaslighting of the population: 1. Publish the official statistics in a report and publish it on your website, knowing that no one will read it. 2. Get the same website, along with MSM, to push the false statistics 24/7, imbibing people with the lie that there is a pandemic. Below is a screenshot of the NOIDs (Notification of Infectious Diseases) report for the week ending 24 Jan 2021. Public Health England publish this report every week, detailing how many cases of various infectious diseases there are, including the plague. The Report can be read HERE. On page 14 it gives the figures of how many people have Covid in England. The official number of people in England who have Covid, according to the Government, is.......63.Yep. And yet, the UK Government's officials Covid website has the inflated numbers, claiming that on 30 January 2021 there were 23,275 people infected with Covid (see below under the NOIDs screenshot). How do you get from 63 to tens of thousands? Oh, wait, it's called B.S.  NOIDs report showing that only 63 people in England had Covid in the week ending 24th January 2021.  UK Goverment's Covid website claiming that in the whole of the UK, on 30 January 2021, 23,275 people tested positive for Covid. LifeSite reportage here.
Ann Barnhardt's coverage here. So, the WHO has come out and admitted that current PCR tests are wrong, like all Covid-sceptics kept saying, and so are calling for a change in the testing, this time requiring that a second test be taken to prove positivity. Since we know that the current PCR tests have a 95% false positive rate, we can expect to see - should this change be enacted - a MASSIVE reduction in the number of cases around the world. They did this ONE HOUR after Biden was installed as Putative President of the United States. This is clearly designed to make it look like Biden has saved everyone from Covid. You just KNOW this is all political and none of this Covid bulls**t was EVER about people's lives or health. The Elite not only couldn't give a toss about your life or your health, but they are on record as wanting to END your life! Just another day under the World-Wide Scamdemic. Gospel for the Second Sunday after Epiphany (Latin Mass): And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the Mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come. His Mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. “And the wine failing, the Mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine” JOHN ii. 3.
In the Gospel of this day we read that Jesus Christ, having been invited, went with his holy mother to a marriage of Cana of Galilee. ”The wine failing, Mary said to her divine Son: ”They have no wine.” By these words she intended to ask her Son to console the spouses, who were afflicted because the wine had failed. Jesus answered: “Woman, what is it to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come.” (John ii. 4.) He meant that the time destined for the performance of miracles was that of his preaching through Judea. But, though his answer appeared to be a refusal of the request of Mary, the Son, says St. Chrysostom, resolved to yield to the desire of the mother. ”Although he said, my hour is not yet come, he granted the petition of his mother.” (Hom, in ii. Joan.) Mary said to the waiters: “Whatever he shall say to you, do ye.” Jesus bid them fill the water-pots with water the water was changed into the most excellent wine. Thus the bride groom and the entire family were filled with gladness. From the fact related in this day’s gospel, let us consider, in the first point, the greatness of Mary’s power to obtain from God the graces which we stand in need of; and in the second, the tenderness of Mary’s compassion, and her readiness to assist us all in our wants. First Point. The greatness of Mary’s power to obtain from God for us all the graces we stand in need of. 1. So great is Mary’s merit in the eyes of God, that, according to St. Bonaventure, her prayers are infallibly heard. “The merit of Mary is so great before God, that her petition cannot be rejected.” (De Virg., c. iii.) But why are the prayers of Mary so powerful in the sight of God? It is, says St. Antonine, because she is his mother. “The petition of the mother of God partakes of the nature of a command, and therefore it is impossible that she should not be heard.” (Par. 4, tit. 13, c. xvii., 4.) The prayers of the saints are the prayers of servants; but the prayers of Mary are the prayers of a mother, and therefore, according to the holy doctor, they are regarded in a certain manner as commands by her Son, who loves her so tenderly. It is then impossible that the prayers of Mary should be rejected. 2. Hence, according to Cosmas of Jerusalem, the intercession of Mary is all-powerful. ”Omnipotens auxilium tuum, Maria” It is right, as Richard of St. Lawrence teaches, that the son should impart his power to the mother. Jesus Christ, who is all-powerful, has made Mary omnipotent, as far as a creature is capable of omnipotence; that is, omnipotent in obtaining from him, her divine Son, whatever she asks. ”Cum autem eadem sit potestas filii et matris ab omnipotente filio, omnipotens mater facta est.” (Lib. 4, de Laud. Virg.) 3. St. Bridget heard our Saviour one day addressing the Virgin in the following words: “Ask from me whatever you wish, for your petition cannot be fruitless.” (Rev. 1. 1, cap. iv.) My mother, ask of me what you please; I cannot reject any prayer which you present to me; “because since you refused me nothing on earth, I will refuse you nothing in Heaven.” (Ibid.) St. George, Archbishop of Nicomedia, says that Jesus Christ hears all the prayers of his mother, as if he wished thereby to discharge the obligation which he owes to her for having given to him his human nature, by consenting to accept him for her Son. ”Filius, exolvens debitum petitiones tuas implet.” (Orat. de Exitu Mar.) Hence, St. Methodius, martyr, used to say to Mary: “Euge, euge, quæ debitorum habeas filium, Deo enim universi debemus, tibi autem ille debitor est.” (Orat, Hyp. Dom.) Rejoice, rejoice, holy virgin; for thou hast for thy debtor that Son to whom we are all debtors; to thee he owes the human nature which he received from thee. 4. St. Gregory of Nicomedia encourages sinners by the assurance that, if they have recourse to the Virgin with a determination to amend their lives, she will save them by her intercession. Hence, turning to Mary, he exclaimed: “Thou hast insuperable strength, lest the multitude of our sins should overcome thy clemency.” O mother of God, the sins of a Christian, however great they may be, cannot overcome thy mercy. “Nothing,” adds the same saint, “resists thy power; for the Creator regards thy glory as his own.” Nothing is impossible to thee, says St. Peter Damian: thou canst raise even those who are in despair to hopes of salvation. ”Nihil tibi impossibile, quæ etiam desperates in spem salutis potes relevare.” (Ser. i. de Nat. B.V.) 5. Richard of St. Lawrence remarks that, in announcing to the Virgin that God has chosen her for the mother of his Son, the Archangel Gabriel said to her: “Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found grace with God.” (Luke i. 30.) From which words the same author concludes: “Cupientes invenire gratiam, quæramus inventricem gratiæ.” If we wish to recover lost grace, let us seek Mary, by whom this grace has been found. She never lost the divine grace; she always possessed it. If the angel declared that she had found grace, he meant that she had found it not for herself, but for us miserable sinners, who have lost it. Hence Cardinal Hugo exhorts us to go to Mary, and say to her: O blessed lady, property should be restored to those who lost it: the grace which thou hast found is not thine for thou hast never lost the grace of God but it is ours; we have lost it through our own fault: to us, then, thou oughtest to restore it. “Sinners, who by your sins have forfeited the divine grace, run to the Virgin, and say to her with confidence: Restore us to our property, which thou hast found.” 6. It was revealed to St. Gertrude, that all the graces which we ask of God through the intercession of Mary, shall be given to us. She heard Jesus saying to his divine mother: “Through thee all who ask mercy with a purpose of amending their lives, shall obtain grace.” If all Paradise asked a favour of God, and Mary asked the opposite grace, the Lord would hear Mary, and would reject the petition of the rest of the celestial host. Because, says Father Suarez, “God loved the Virgin alone more than all the other saints.” Let us, then, conclude this first point in the words of St. Bernard: ”Let us seek grace, and let us seek it through Mary; for she is a mother, and her petition cannot be rejected.” (Serm. de Aquæd.) Let us seek through Mary all the graces we desire to receive from God, and we shall obtain them; for she is a mother, and her son cannot refuse to hear her prayers, or to grant the graces which she asks from him. Second Point. On the tender compassion of Mary, and her readiness to assist us in all our wants. 7. The tenderness of Mary’s mercy may be inferred from the fact related in this day’s Gospel. The wine fails the spouses are troubled no one speaks to Mary to ask her Son to console them in their necessity. But the tenderness of Mary’s heart, which, according to St. Bernardine of Sienna, cannot but pity the afflicted, moved her to take the office of advocate, and, without being asked, to entreat her Son to work a miracle. ”Unasked, she assumed the office of an advocate and a compassionate helper.” (Tom. 3, ser. ix.) Hence, adds the same saint, if, unasked, this good lady has done so much, what will she not do for those who invoke her intercession? “Si hoc non rogata perfecit, quid rogata perficiet ?” 8. From the fact already related, St. Bonaventure draws another argument to show the great graces which we may hope to obtain through Mary, now that she reigns in Heaven. If she was so compassionate on earth, how much greater must be her mercy now that she is in Paradise? “Great was the mercy of Mary while in exile on earth; but it is much greater now that she is a queen in Heaven; because she now sees the misery of men.” (St. Bona. in Spec. Virg., cap. viii.) Mary in Heaven enjoys the vision of God; and therefore she sees our wants far more clearly than when she was on earth; hence, as her pity for us is increased, so also is her desire to assist us more ardent. How truly has Richard of St. Victor said to the Virgin: “So tender is thy heart that thou canst not see misery and not afford succour.” It is impossible for this loving mother to behold a human being in distress without extending to him pity and relief. 9. St. Peter Damian says that the Virgin “loves us with an invincible love.” (Ser, i. de Nat. Virg.) How ardently soever the saints may have loved this amiable queen, their affection fell far short of the love which Mary bore to them. It is this love that makes her so solicitous for our welfare. The saints in Heaven, says St. Augustine, have great power to obtain grace from God for those who recommend themselves to their prayers; but as Mary is of all the saints the most powerful, so she is of all the most desirous to procure for us the divine mercy: ”Sicut omnibus sanctis potentior, sic omnibus est pro nobis sollicitior.” 10. And, as this our great advocate once said to St. Bridget, she regards not the iniquities of the sinner who has recourse to her, but the disposition with which he invokes her aid. If he comes to her with a firm purpose of amendment she receives him, and by her intercession heals his wounds, and brings him to salvation. ”However great a man’s sins may be, if he shall return to me, I am ready instantly to receive him. Nor do I regard the number or the enormity of his sins, but the will with which he comes to me; for I do not disdain to anoint and heal his wounds, because I am called, and truly am, the mother of mercy.” 11. The blessed Virgin is called a “fair olive tree in the plains:” “Quasi oliva speciosa in campis.” (Eccl. xxiv. 19.) From the olive, oil only comes forth; and from the hands of Mary only graces and mercies flow. According to Cardinal Hugo, it is said that she remains in the plains, to show that she is ready to assist all those who have recourse to her: “Speciosa in campis ut omnes ad earn confugiant.” In the Old Law there were five cities of refuge, in which not all, but only those who had committed certain crimes, could find an asylum; but in Mary, says St. John Damascene, all criminals, whatever may be their offences, may take refuge. Hence he calls her “the city of refuge for all who have recourse to her.” Why, then, says St. Bernard, should we be afraid to approach Mary? She is all sweetness and clemency; in her there is nothing austere or terrible: “Quid ad Mariam accedere trepidat humana fragilitas? Nihil austerum in ea, nihil terribile, tota sauvis est.” 12. St. Bonaventure used to say that, in turning to Mary, he saw mercy itself receiving him. “When I behold thee, O my lady, I see nothing but mercy.” The Virgin said one day to St. Bridget: “Miser erit, qui ad misericordiam cum possit, non accedit.” Miserable and miserable for eternity shall be the sinner who, though he has it in his power during life to come to me, who am able and willing to assist him, neglects to invoke my aid, and is lost, ”The devil” says St. Peter, ”as a roaring lion goeth about seeing whom he may devour.” (1 Pet. v. 8.) But, according to Bernardine a Bustis, this mother of mercy is constantly going about in search of sinners to save them. “She continually goes about seeking whom she may save.” (Maril. par. 3, ser. iii.) This queen of clemency, says Richard of St. Victor, presents our petitions, and begins to assist us before we ask the assistance of her prayers; “Velocius occurrit ejus pietas quam invocetur, et causas miserorum anticipat.” (In Can., c. xxiii.) Because, as the same author says, Mary’s heart is so full of tenderness towards us, that she cannot behold our miseries without affording relief. ”Nee possis miserias scire, et non sub venire.” 13. Let us, then, in all our wants, be most careful to have recourse to this mother of mercy, who is always ready to assist those who invoke her aid. ”Invenies semper paratam auxiliari,” says Richard of St. Lawrence. She is always prepared to come to our help, and frequently prevents our supplications: but, ordinarily, she requires that we should pray to her, and is offended when we neglect to ask her assistance. ”In te domina peccant,” says St. Bonaventure, “non solum qui tibi injuriam irrogant, sed etiam qui te non rogant.” (In Spec. Virg.) Thou, blessed lady, art displeased not only with those who commit an injury against thee, but also with those who do not ask favours from thee. Hence, as the same holy doctor teaches, it is not possible that Mary should neglect to succour any soul that flies to her for protection; for she cannot but pity and console the afflicted who have recourse to her. ”Ipsa enim non misereri ignorat et miseris non satisfacere.” 14. But, to obtain special favours from this good lady, we must perform in her honour certain devotions practised by her servants; such as, first, to recite every day at least five decades of the Rosary; secondly, to fast every Saturday in her honour. Many persons fast every Saturday on bread and water: you should fast in this manner at least on the vigils of her seven principal festivals. Thirdly, to say the three Aves when the bell rings for the Angelus Domini; and to salute her frequently during the day with an Ave Maria, particularly when you hear a clock strike, or when you see an image of the Virgin, and also when you leave or return to your house. Fourthly, to say every evening the Litany of the Blessed Virgin before you go to rest; and for this purpose procure an image of Mary, and keep it near your bed. Fifthly, to wear the scapular of Mary in sorrow, and of Mount Carmel. There are many other devotions practised by the servants of Mary; but the most useful of all is, to recommend yourself frequently to her prayers. Never omit to say three Aves in the morning, to beg of her to preserve you from sin during the day. In all temptations have immediate recourse to her, saying: “Mary, assist me.” To resist every temptation, it is sufficient to pronounce the names of Jesus and Mary; and if the temptation continues, let us continue to invoke Jesus and Mary, and the devil shall never be able to conquer us. 15. St. Bonaventure calls Mary the salvation of those who invoke her: “salus te invocantium.” And if a true servant of Mary were lost (I mean one truly devoted to her, who wishes to amend his life, and invoke with confidence this advocate of sinners), this should happen either because Mary would be unable or unwilling to assist him. But, says St. Bernard, this is impossible: being the mother of omnipotence and of mercy, Mary cannot want the power or the will to save her servants. Justly then is she called the salvation of all who invoke her aid. Of this truth there are numberless examples: that of St. Mary of Egypt will be sufficient. After leading for many years a sinful and dissolute life, she wished to enter the church of Jerusalem in which the festival of the holy cross was celebrated. To make her feel her miseries, God closed against her the door which was open to all others: as often as she endeavoured to enter, an invisible force drove her back. She instantly perceived her miserable condition, and remained in sorrow outside the church. Fortunately for her there was an image of most holy Mary over the porch of the church. As a poor sinner she recommended herself to the divine mother, and promised to change her life. After her prayer, she felt encouraged to go into the church, and, behold! the door which was before closed against her she now finds open: she enters, and confesses her sins. She leaves the church, and, under the influence of divine inspiration, goes into the desert, where she lived for forty-seven years, and became a saint.
Her Majesty's Government is engaging in full on fear mongering with its new campaigns. Here are some posts with posters. Remember: these are official posters, part of official Government campaigns. And don't forget what the Health Secretary said: There is no schedule to ending Lockdown III.
Another move in the Ecclesial Revolution of Vatican II that has recently come about happened on Sunday last, 10th January 2021, which in the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) was the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and in the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) was the Feast of the Holy Family. During the course of this day, Bergoglio issued a Motu Proprio in which he amended Canon 230 to allow women to be instituted by their bishops into the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte. These ministries were once part of the Four Minor Orders (Porter, Lector, Exorcist, Acolyte), which were the cursus honorum for entering the Priesthood. Naturally, they were restricted to men. During the "reforms" following Vatican II, it was decided to abolish the Orders of Porter and Exorcist in the Novus Ordo, but retain the Orders of Lector and Acolyte as Ministries. The Ministry of Acolyte was merged with the Major Order of Subdeacon, which also was abolished in the Novus Ordo. Even after the "reform", Paul VI still restricted these Ministries to men only. They can be conferred upon any layman who is found worthy of holding such ministries by his bishop, and an official rite of imposition of these ministries exists, though nowadays the only men likely to receive them are seminarians studying for the Priesthood. I myself have been to several of these ceremonies. They're very simple, and there's not really much to them. They are stepping stones to the Priesthood. However, as of Sunday of the Baptism/Holy Family, Canon Law has been amended to permit women to be granted these Ministries. The Ministry of Lector permits the recipient to formally read the First, Second and Psalm Readings at Mass in the Novus Ordo, and the Ministry of Acolyte permits its recipients to serve at the altar and, when needed in extraordinary circumstances, to distribute Holy Communion. Now, you may be thinking: But, I have women reading, serving and distributing Holy Communion at my parish every Sunday. Yes, and there's a reason. The Modernists at Vatican II were hoping that the Diaconate and Presbyterate would be open to women, but that didn't happen. So, when Paul VI came and "reformed" the Minor Orders, they hoped the Holy Father would permit them to women.......he didn't. So, in order to get around the restrictions and allow women to get up into the Sanctuary and at the Altar, the Modernists decided not to formally use the ceremony of installing Lectors and Acolytes (all of whom would be men), but instead restrict the ceremony to seminarians (who are all men anyway) and leave a void open in the parishes for women to......"volunteer"......their services in lieu of men officiating in these Ministries. In other words, the Modernists restricted the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte to cause an artificial void in the parishes so as to allow women to fulfil these roles without formally breaking Canon Law. It's called using a loophole. Hence why Novus Ordo parishes already have women reading, serving and acting as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (wrongly called Eucharistic Ministers). This move by Bergoglio just canonically solidifies the Modernist Revolution even further. Now, whether this will have a knock-on effect later remains to be seen. As I said above, these Ministries are stepping stones to the Priesthood. If this is a Modernist tip-toe to opening Holy Orders up to women, I wouldn't be surprised. On the bright side, remember that this move by Bergoglio only concerns the Antichurch, of which he is head. It doesn't - nay, CANNOT - affect the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Also remember that the Antichurch eclipses the True Church of Christ, and uses all Her organs to operate, like when Satan possess a person. The Antichurch is currently "possessing" the True Church, and making it seem as if She is doing all this. She isn't. Don't be deceived. For your convivence and reading, I have copied the entire text of the Motu Proprio below. APOSTOLIC LETTER ISSUED "MOTU PROPRIO" SPIRITUS DOMINI BY THE SUPREME PONTIFF FRANCIS MODIFYING CANON 230 §1 OF THE CODE OF CANON LAW REGARDING ACCESS OF WOMEN TO THE MINISTRIES OF LECTOR AND ACOLYTE The Spirit of the Lord Jesus, the perennial source of the Church's life and mission, distributes to the members of the People of God the gifts that enable each one, in a different way, to contribute to the building up of the Church and to the proclamation of the Gospel. These charisms, called ministries because they are publicly recognised and instituted by the Church, are made available to the community and its mission in a stable form.
In some cases this ministerial contribution has its origin in a specific sacrament, Holy Orders. Other tasks, throughout history, have been instituted in the Church and entrusted through a non-sacramental liturgical rite to individual members of the faithful, by virtue of a particular form of exercise of the baptismal priesthood, and in aid of the specific ministry of bishops, priests and deacons. Following a venerable tradition, the reception of “lay ministries”, which Saint Paul VI regulated in the Motu Proprio Ministeria quaedam (17 August 1972), preceded in a preparatory manner the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, although such ministries were conferred on other suitable male faithful. A number of Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops have highlighted the need to deepen the subject doctrinally, so that it may respond to the nature of the aforementioned charisms and the needs of the times, offering appropriate support to the role of evangelisation that is incumbent upon the ecclesial community. Accepting these recommendations, a doctrinal development has taken place in recent years which has highlighted how certain ministries instituted by the Church are based on the common condition of being baptised and the regal priesthood received in the Sacrament of Baptism; they are essentially distinct from the ordained ministry received in the Sacrament of Orders. A consolidated practice in the Latin Church has also confirmed, in fact, that these lay ministries, since they are based on the Sacrament of Baptism, may be entrusted to all suitable faithful, whether male or female, in accordance with what is already implicitly provided for by Canon 230 § 2. Consequently, after having heard the opinion of the competent Dicasteries, I have decided to modify canon 230 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law. I therefore decree that canon 230 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law shall in future have the following wording: “Lay persons of suitable age and with the gifts determined by decree of the Episcopal Conference may be permanently assigned, by means of the established liturgical rite, to the ministries of lectors and acolytes; however, the conferment of such a role does not entitle them to support or remuneration from the Church”. I also order the amendment of the other provisions having the force of law which refer to this canon. I order that the provisions of this Apostolic Letter in the form of a Motu Proprio have firm and stable effect, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, even if worthy of special mention, and to be promulgated by publication in L'Osservatore Romano, coming into force on the same day, and then published in the official commentary of the Acta Apostolicae Sedis. Given in Rome, at Saint Peter's, on the tenth day of January in the year 2021, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the ninth of my Pontificate. Francis
The UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, admitting on live TV that he hasn't got a schedule for ending the current National Imprisonment in my home country of the United Kingdom. Yep, that's because these lockdowns will be going on per omnia saecula saeculorum. For ever and ever, essentially.
Welcome to the New World Order, to the Kingdom of Antichrist.
The extraordinary events in the US are nothing short of astounding. Not only did the Democrats commit the biggest election fraud in US history, but the Republican Party failed to stand by him and effectively challenge the fraud and the Electoral Votes. His own Vice-President himself failed to do his job and send the Electoral Voters back to the States. Pence essentially stabbed Trump in the back via his ignorance of what the extent of his powers are. I mean, how on earth does a man get into a high state office and not bother to read the proverbial manual that lists the extent of his constitutional powers?! Duh! If I got elected to office, I'd make it my task to know EXACTLY what I can do - you know, just in case.
Then on 6th January - the Epiphany - Trump held a rally in Washington DC, during which some of his supporters got duped by Antifa-in-disguise-as-Trump-supporters to invade Congress. That, and the Capitol Police actually LET them in. It was clearly a set-up. Four people got killed during the rioting at Congress. One woman was an unarmed-veteran who was shot by the police. Now, Trump is being blamed for inciting violence because during the rally he called on his supporters to "fight back" against the establishment and to "march to" the Capitol. That, apparently, is inciting violence. As of writing, the US House of Representatives is going ahead to impeach Trump a second time. Apparently, it looks like the Senate will also vote to impeach Trump - yes, Republicans are probably going to impeach Trump. Why? Because GOP politicians are dumb enough to believe what the extremely, in-your-face, anti-Trump MSM have claimed, i.e., that Trump incited violence. We are now seeing Republicans and former Trump supporters now turning on Trump, well, those in the Government anyway. As far as I am aware, very few actual Trump voters believe the MSM narrative, naturally, because they aren't dumb or have amnesia when it suits them. And let me be frank: Trump was always a one-man army within the Government. He was an outsider. The GOP only got behind him when it was politically expedient to do so. I had a feeling that they'd turn on him/dump him at some point, whenever the Trump Train came to a stop either after four years or eight years. And for those on the right who accept the MSM narrative that Trump called for violence, here is my response: Do you honestly believe that a man who for four years repeatedly condemned violence, condemned radical ideologies, didn't start any new wars, supported the police, re-established law and order, achieved historic peace in the Middle East between Israel and three Arab nations, and achieved some peace with North Korea, would tarnish his image and reputation of being the "President of Peace" by calling on his supporters to commit acts of violence that him himself spent four years condemning? If you do believe that, then you are terminally stupid, incurably moronic and functionally retarded. You were clearly never a Trump supporter, you were only riding the train for as long as it was good for you, and obviously haven't been engaged with what Trump has been doing and saying for the past four years. [EDIT 14/01/21: You are also a moron for believing the lies of the same MSM who have been lying about Trump for 4+ years. You all defended him against the lying MSM, but now you BELIEVE what they're telling you?! You really are that stupid, aren't you? Admit it.] Conservatives who have come out against Trump have clearly proven that stupidity, moronity and retardation affects both sides of the political spectrum; that it's not only leftists that suffer with being cretins. Obviously these "conservatives" have forgotten that calling for people to "fight back" is used by politicians all the time in reference to voters legitimately voting out of party, or for lawmakers to democratically fight against another party. My God, are people that dimwitted? Are we going to start prosecuting anyone who uses the phrase even in a lawful, democratic manner? The world fell asleep and woke up to find itself afflicted with full-on mental retardation! This video explains the Filioque, and why the Eastern Orthodox are wrong in rejecting the Filioque29/12/2020 No, that's not a fictional headline. It's real.
THIS LOON CLAIMS THAT SINCE CHILDREN DON'T CONSENT TO NATURAL PUBERTY, THEY SHOULD BE PUT ON PUBERTY BLOCKERS UNTIL THEY CONSENT! Folks, Diabolical Disorientation is very REAL. And it's aided by Diabolical Narcissism. Sister Lucy of Fatima warned of the coming Diabolical Disorientation. It is one of the causes of our sick, depraved society. Satan and his demons cause men and their societies to be become disorientated - to be in a state of confusion - in practically everything: Spiritual disorientation causes Catholics - especially the clergy - to quite literally go doctrinally bonkers, become Modernists, and thus heretics and finally apostates. Want to know why the Vatican is the way it is right now? Rome is under the evil cloud of Satan. Moral disorientation causes society to morally collapse by permitting, and then enforcing, every sexual depravity imaginable....and then some. Hence the whole push with sodomy and sodomitical "marriage" (which was only ever a means to an end: the destruction of true marriage), transgenderism (which is just hardcore homosexuality in reality), the acceptance of paedophilia (which I predicted years ago was going to happen), and other moral depravities. [SEE HERE: THREE GAY MEN IN A POLYAMOROUS RELATIONSHIP RAISING TWO CHILDREN]. Political disorientation causes governments and their members to corrupt the political order of society, as evidenced by the rampant tyranny thrust upon us in the name of "saving lives". Covidism in now here: a religion based on the wearing of the Masonic Burqa (masks) and now the pushing for forced vaccination as a litmus test of obedience to the New World Order, aka, the Kingdom of Antichrist. You can be damn sure that the Covid vaccine is either the real Mark of the Beast, or a really good precursor to it. And let's just pretend we didn't see the nurse fainting within MINUTES of taking the vaccine, shall we?! Educational disorientation causes the education system to become corrupted which leads to students of all ages being what I call "intellectually lobotomised". Students are no longer taught how to think, they are taught WHAT to think. Our education system is now completely taken over by Marxists and others, and is entirely within the hands of the Devil. University students come out with worthless degrees in fake subjects like "Race Studies" or some bee-ess like that, and they can't write legibly, or talk coherently, or even reason. Hence why they only throw around buzz-words like "racist" or "fascist" etc. They also have never read history, hence why they don't know that physically attacking people because they have different political beliefs to you is the definition of being a fascist. What did the Communists, Fascists and Nazis all have in common? They were political parties that had a paramilitary wing to them: men dressed in a uniform (like the Brown-shirts of the Nazis) whose job was to attack political opponents and terrorise the population into submission. Sound familiar? Yep, Antifa/BLM/the Democrat Party. We all see the mass insanity rampant in the general population. We see how Leftists in particular are extremely susceptible to contradiction. These are the same Leftists who say segregation is racist, whilst simultaneously promoting segregation in order to supposedly fight racism. They are also the same people who claim that for a white man to enjoy other cultures is cultural appropriation, whilst simultaneously promoting globalism. Fortunately, we are two days away from celebrating the Birth of the Divine Word made flesh, the Logos. In Greek, the word logos means reason, logic. Thus, Jesus is the Divine Logic/Reason that became flesh. Maybe, as an intention for this Christmastide and throughout 2021, you could pray and ask that the Divine Reason keep you from Diabolical Disorientation, and keep you SANE. Or, Proof Protestants don't know what the Hell they are talking about. Or, Proof Protestantism is a man-made religion. Some interesting videos on the length of the Israelites in Egypt & when the Flood actually happened24/11/2020 NB: Below is a re-print of Ann's article explaining how DN's openly show their fraud, and explains another facet of Diabolical Narcissism. I hope that Ann's article helps to explain what's going on in the US with the massive open fraud being committed by the Democrats (who are the party of DN's). ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE.
-------------------------------- I was having a conversation with someone not long ago about a case of a priest (Fr. Thomas Williams) who kept a female concubine/baby mama (Liz Lev) for many years, and how openly and shamelessly Fr. Williams and Liz Lev carried on their sacrilegious fornication. The person I was visiting with then postulated that either Fr. Williams, Liz Lev, or both of them WANTED to be caught, wanted to be exposed, wanted people to know the truth, even though they both were inveterate, dead-eyed, facile liars whenever confronted about their brazenly scandalous conduct. I assured him that he was in fact correct, they DID want “to be caught”, but not for the reason he thought. He thought that they wanted to repent, to have the burden of their guilt lifted from them. Would that it were so. That would indicate even a flicker of psycho-spiritual normalcy. Sadly, the reality is exactly the opposite, and we see this today all around us, but most especially in the realm of politics, and the Antichurch. The hideous truth is that Diabolical Narcissists / sociopaths / psychopaths have no interest in repentance, reform or apologies. DNs define themselves by, and their entire warped psycho-spiritual existence revolves around, the notion that they are superior, a separate caste, distinct from and above other human beings. They are “the elite”. They are “oligarchs”. They are a “nouveau-aristocracy”. One of the main ways that this psycho-spiritual psychosis expresses itself is in terms of the law, and the Rule of Law. Hence the wildly disproportionate numbers of these demoniacs in government. (Remember The Barnhardt Axiom: seeking and/or holding public office, especially national-level office, is, in and of itself, proof that a given person is psychologically and morally unfit to hold public office.) Have you noticed that the further a government descends into tyranny and evil, the thicker and thicker the code of statutes becomes? On the surface, one would think that flagrant law-breakers in positions of power would tend toward anarchy, removing the “roadblocks” from the law that might jeopardize or imperil them as they pursue ever-increasing levels of power through criminal activity. This is exactly wrong. DNs, because they define themselves as “elite”, need a metric against which to measure and quantify their “eliteness”. That metric is The Law, specifically the extent to which The LAW DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM. It is precisely for this reason that DNs tend to be VERY enthusiastic about law qua law in a Pharisaical and tyrannical sense – because every new law is yet another potential way for the DN to manifest their superiority and otherness – by dispensing themselves from it. DNs wallow in hypocrisy like hogs wallow in fecal mud. If there were no law for DNs to dispense themselves from, there would be no distinction, no “otherness”, no over-and-aboveness relative to the unwashed masses. This is why satan and the demons are, in fact, legalists. They do not “love the law” in the good and healthy sense that we see and hear so often in scripture, and contemplate in the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary- the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, but in the sense that it is the law – and their shamelessly hypocritical flouting and breaking of it – that defines and “elevates” them above not only mankind, but also above the non-fallen angels, in their sick, warped, loveless rational intellects. And remember, DNs are the human analogues to demons. But wait. It gets worse. When DNs are confident that they have enough power, be it over a small group of people (family members, co-workers, social circle, cult), or on a macro scale, such as in a government, large corporation, or The Church, they will become progressively more bold and VISIBLE in their crimes in order to generate ever-higher amounts of diabolical narcissistic satisfaction. Now here is where it gets interesting. For DNs, the commission of their crimes and malefactions themselves are NOT the most potent source of diabolical satisfaction. No – the real rush, the “high” that they crave more than anything is THE GETTING AWAY WITH IT. Specifically, DNs luxuriate in watching other people, whether it be out of fear or sycophancy, pretend to not see, or better yet lie to cover, or even better yet, positively defend and justify, their crimes. Having planned and fantasized about his malevolent actions, the DN will watch and study those around him in the aftermath. Every instance of “looking the other way” the DN sees gives him an even more intense rush, because to look away from his crimes is to capitulate and submit to him – an even more complete capitulation than the actual victim. Every lie that a sycophant tells to cover for the DN is a rush. Every groveling justification made on the DNs behalf for the DNs unjustifiable, or even criminal behavior, is like the rush of a drug – and far more psycho-spiritually potent than the initial act itself. If your mind is cross-referencing islam, dhimmitude and the jizya tax, you’re right on. If your mind is cross-referencing to the CoronaScam, yessir. If your mind is cross-referencing to Antipope Bergoglio and his uncontested war against God and His Holy Church, you’re right on. Do you now understand what drives Hillary Clinton, and what the whole “homebrew email server” thing was about? That was entirely about flouting the Rule of Law – consequences to others be damned, up to and including getting people killed. Then Clinton, knowing full well that she is untouchable AND guilty as sin, sat back, watched, and luxuriated in the fact that her crimes, plastered all over the media, resulted in exactly ZERO consequences, while any other person would have been sent to prison for DECADES for doing exactly what she did. What is going on now simultaneously with CoronaCold, the Masonic Burqa of Submission, and the lockdowns AND the obvious, open vote fraud in the 2020 election is exactly this – they want you to see, know, and GIVE UP. It is your giving up that is their ultimate psycho-fetish.Do you understand what drives Antipope Bergoglio? Bergoglio knows EXACTLY what he is doing, and the consequences his actions are having, and he luxuriates in the fact that there are no consequences to him. The remaining handful of so-called “conservative” Cardinals and Bishops (excepting +Viganò) are capitulating to him by looking away and remaining silent, and scores of others are lying and putting forth mendacious justifications on his behalf. And Antipope Bergoglio wallows in his porcine diarrheal mud sty, loving every second of it. When a DN looks you in the eye, either in person, or on camera, and lies to your face, he thinks that you should be GRATEFUL to him for deigning to speak to you at all. When a DN commits a crime against you, he thinks you should be GRATEFUL to him for tolerating your existence at all, and that you should come back for more abuse and be grateful for it, because you are, after all, a lower form of life. This is why the pathological effeminacy of our culture is super-fuel for DN tyrants. They are watching you. They are watching your utter passivity, and it feeds them. The musloids are watching as the men of Europe literally stand and stare as they rape their women and children in front of them. The Deep State regime is watching you as they destroy your culture and stoke Civil War in front of you. Antipope Bergoglio and the fags and Freemasons behind him are watching you as they scourge Christ and rape His Bride in front of you, and you defend him, and thank him for it – and continue to defend the lie that he is the Pope or ever was. They are all watching others actively and even enthusiastically defend and justify their wicked, heinous crimes, and it feeds them. And it will only get worse from here, on a quadratic escalation curve, because once these people have power and momentum they never, ever back off. They are like sharks frenzying in chum. Soon mere lying, mere treason, and mere contract killing will not generate a sufficient rush of diabolical satisfaction. Soon, as with Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Kim, they will only be satisfied by committing their crimes in full, open view, as in public executions, “shoot on sight” orders, and then demanding not just your capitulation, but your undying gratitude. “It was FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.” So yeah, they want to get caught. They all want to get caught. But not because they have any interest in repentance or reform. They want you to see them break the rules, break the law, disenfranchise, enslave, and kill you, and then watch you fold in front of them and prove, once again, how vastly superior to you they are. Did you know that America isn't a nation....it's a religion? Oh, you didn't. Well, watch these videos for the truth. And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard. Be not you therefore like to them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask him. [Matthew 6:7-8]
Below is a transcript of a prayer from an evangelical on YouTube that I happen to watch (not for the religion part, just for their coverage of other things). This "prayer" - which in truth was more of a lecturing to God - is exactly what Jesus taught against. This is why the Church has structured prayers, like the Mass, the Divine Office, the Rosary, etc, because it helps to focus the mind and stop it from wondering off. Now, there is nothing wrong with personal prayer - but we do have to be cautious about it getting out of control. This is why the Collect prayers at Mass are short and to the point: the Roman way of prayer was short and simple. They remembered what Our Lord had taught. God already knows what you are going to ask of Him, so there is no need to drone on and on. Just say what you need to say in a short and simple way. This prayer was in response to the in-your-face fraud going on in the US: Lord God, we come before You right now. I thank You for the patriots who are in Arizona out there on their knees praying and the patriots in Pennsylvania, Michigan and I just pray that every legal vote counts. And that You’re able to throw away all the dead, ghost votes, and the wrong votes and the invalid votes and I pray that You’re able to expose the corruption for what it is because, God, fair and balanced…there is no fair and balanced with Russia, Russia, Russia, there is no fair and balanced with the media, so skewed and lying to people, there is no fair and balanced with the fake impeachment, there is no fair…this is not what our Founding Fathers intended. But we do know, that throughout history, there have been filibusters, there have been, you know, censors… censoring of, you know, of John Quincy Adams, and the House, and, people have used this wonderful Constitution and wonderful things You’ve sent. You have helped our Founding Fathers set up all this, they’ve used it wrong. But we also know that when it can be used for good, and rightly, when it’s done rightly, then it works. And so, we pray for the lawyers out there, we pray You give them wisdom and pray that You uncover every abnormality and You set it right. Not just to discover it, but it get set right. Cause that’s the most important thing, it’s not enough to just discover it, it has to be made right that invalid votes have to be invalidated, that counts have to be right, and I pray that nobody calls the presidency until the one that You have called to be president is called. And that no network will be able to call it; You’ll stop their malice. We just pray for Angels at all these polling places, we thank You for ballots for Trump will be found, and that any were thrown away and You make it right, because we know that we serve a God of miracles. And Father God, those other people aren’t praying to You, they’re not calling on Your Name, they’re not asking for forgiveness or mercy, they’re not asking You to convict them of their sins like we are. We’re coming and we’re asking You to set up a righteous leader and Your word, we’re asking according to Your word, and we know if we ask something on Your word that we have what we ask. So, You know, Your word says that when the righteous are in power the people rejoice. So Father God, there are righteous people in the White House. There are good people who are led by You: Kayleigh McEnany, and Donald Trump, and You know, Mike Pence. Father God, it’s not about those people. As much as we love Donald Trump, its not about him. But, Father God, we also know that there is injustice happening and that Donald Trump is just a representation of what we’ve been trying to say and do and voice for years. And I pray, Father God, that out of this, there is more than millions of righteous Donald Trumps, so we’re not putting our hopes on one guy, but we just have people all over the country, Christians, who just take the gloves off and are willing to be the David and fight. Who are willing to be the Israelites and take the cities and I mean this, You know, in a spiritual way. And they’re willing to, not just roll over and be the polite Christian that they think makes them somehow virtuous. But a righteous Christian fights for what is right. And I pray that You give a proper interpretation in the New Testament when Jesus says to turn the other cheek. It doesn’t mean to lay down and let the wicked walk all over the righteous because, Jesus, You came to give justice to the innocent, and there’s no way to give justice to the innocent when the Democrats are in power, because they want to kill babies, and so right now, Father God, again like I prayed last night that You give voice to the babies in the wombs, that You give voice to people who want freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, the righteous defend themselves. And I just thank You for all the patriots and I pray that You encourage every single heart listening to me right now and every single heart in America, and I just pray that You show them, 1) what is Your will, 2) You give them peace that passes all understanding 3) You give them joy, because it where the Lord will be their strength. And I pray that we will not live through a time of anxiety or anxiousness but that the Devil will be back on his heels and that the demonically led people will be back on their heels, because they know that they’re time is short. And they only have a few ways to make this happen, but they didn’t account for the God-factor. They didn’t account for prayer. They didn’t account for angels. They didn’t account for You moving. And they didn’t account for the fact that this is not an election. If God be before us, no man can stand against us. Amen A Catholic version of this prayer would probably be: Dear Lord Jesus, hear the cries of Your people in the United States, who travail under the yoke of corruption. Have mercy on this Nation, which rests under the mantle of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, who in the first instant of Her conception, crushed the proud head of Lucifer. Grant, we pray, O Lord, that Your Mother may crush his head once more, and that the wickedness of corrupt men may be brought into the light and the works of darkness are exposed. And we pray that by Your grace, justice may be done to the peoples of the United States, who hunger and thirst for justice in this election. May you continue to bless the President and his family, especially at this time, and may You bring them all into the Church, and thus to the Kingdom of Heaven. O Immaculate Conception, Queen of America, pray for us! Amen So, the US elections... This is painful even for a Brit like me who doesn't even live in the US! The sheer in-your-face fraud being committed by the Democrats is remarkably bold. I mean, we all knew that the Democrats were going to defraud the vote (they always do) but to defraud it SO EVIDENTLY, it's just not funny at this point. They have shut down States where Trump is in the lead, and the Dems aren't allowing lawful supervision of the vote counting. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE STEALING THE ELECTION!!! Er, hello! To all those people who under the above post by President Trump who are bitching and complaining about Trump "undermining democracy" two things that you'll never understand: 1) Voter fraud and stealing an election undermines democracy. 2) Voting AFTER election day undermines democracy. Trump had his first term essentially taken due to the Dems performing their RussianGate, UkraineGate, ImpeachmentGate hoaxes, that cost the American taxpayer millions (if not billions) of dollars. And now, they want to take his second term. At this point, Trump should just be given eight new years in office, and sod what anyone says. No, no, you know what? In fact, just to spite the Dems and to shove their interference in their faces, Trump should retain the Office of the Presidency for LIFE! Declare yourself President for Life and really give the Dems something to bitch about! Trump needs to come out in a press conference, or something like that, and just lay out the facts. The Dems are trying to steal the election, there is massive voter fraud going on all over the place (the West Coast was called for Biden minutes after they polls closed! Err, that doesn't stink of something bad, does it?!!!), and the Dems have committed brazen, public criminal acts. It rather makes me laugh how America, touted as the bastion of democracy, can't hold a simple election because of the extensive fraud. Looks very much like a third-world country trying to host an election, really. Whatever America used to be, she ain't it anymore. She is clearly, at this point, fast becoming a Banana Republic. And she WILL be one if that creepy, paedophile Joseph Biden gets in, with hisadulterous, incestuous, paedophile, crackhead of a son Hunter Biden at his side. Roses are red, Harris ain't black, Joe's in the basement, Hunter's on crack. |
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