I Didn’t Know That !!!

 

I read in the Boston Globe on Sunday April 23rd that in an interview between Cardinal O’Malley and the Boston Globe and astounding statement was made.

‘The Cardinal said in a relaxed and candid conversation that while the church’s doors are open to dissenters, its doctrine is not. “The church’s teachings go back to the time of Christ and the apostles and can’t be changed,” he said’. This last quote is what astounded me. Is this claim true!

The only record that we have to the time of Christ and the apostles are the scriptures (New Testament) and reading these in any language will show huge differences between what Rome does and what the scriptures actually say.

Let me list a few challenges to the Cardinal’s statement. Please note that the words ‘doctrine’ and ‘teachings’ are quite inter-changeable.

 

  1. Celibacy came in during the 11th century. As the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster said many years ago, Celibacy is not God’s divine law, but man made.
  2. Transubstantiation (declaring the ‘real presence of Christ’s actual body’ being now in the wafer given to Catholics during the Mass, in place of the bread and wine as clearly shown by Christ and the apostle Paul. This change came in 1215 after over 300 years of debate.
  3. In 1184 the Holy inquisition was put into practice---it was doctrine at the time.
  4. The Rosary, invented by Peter the Hermit in 1090
  5. Veneration of angels and dead saints, and use of images about 375
  6. Calling Mary the ‘Mother of God’ in 431
  7. The Mass as a daily celebration in 394
  8. The Bible forbidden to lay-people and placed in the index of forbidden books 1229
  9. Kissing the Popes foot 709
  10. Holy water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest 850

 

NOT ONE OF THE ABOVE CAN BE DEMONSTRATED AS GOING BACK TO THE TIME OF CHRIST OR THE APOSTLES.

 

None of this is intended to be “Catholic Bashing” as there are scores of books (many written by disaffected former Catholics as well as those written by modern writers (Gary Wills for instance) that expose the church for what it has been and is.

On the jacket of Mr. Wills’ book, Papal Sin, structures of deceit, it reads, “In the past Papal sin was blatant, as Catholics themselves realized when they painted popes roasting in hell on their own church walls…yet, the sin of the modern papacy, as revealed by Gary Wills in his penetrating new book, is every bit as real, though less obvious than the old sins.”

From its inception as the State Religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine 313 and onwards the Catholic Church has made unbelievable claims for its authority.

Who does one believe?

We have just gone through 2 Easters and one Passover to celebrate the death of Christ.

The Roman Easter was held on April 16th (according to the Gregorian calendar) and the Eastern Orthodox one held on April 23rd (according to the Julian calendar). Both churches holding to different dates, traditions and practices. Why? Both claim to go back to Christ and the apostles.

Then there is the Christian Passover which is celebrated on the annual Passover date set by the Jewish or Hebrew calendar. After all, Jesus died on the Passover day in Jerusalem and told his followers to take the bread and wine in remembrance of Him. For more information on knowledge and practices that do truly go back to the time of Jesus and the apostles write for (or go on line) and read our booklet; Holy Days or holidays, which?

John 8:32 tells us, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” Do you really want to know?