More Proof of the Anti-Christ Nature of the Catholic Church
"… it could prove extremely useful that the general congregation reaffirm … especially … the pastoral care of homosexual persons"
We have been warned, no, threatened, that if we don't seek unity with all peoples, including Catholics of course, as well as jews, that we cannot win this religious war. Our answer to that threat is that unity with evil has never been in the cards for the House of Israel
THE CHURCH IS FORBIDDEN FROM RE-INTERPRETING THE SCRIPTURES OR BIBLICAL TRUTH
Pagan symbols of the RCC.
By their fruits ye shall know them.
In a Bilateral Commission Meeting between the Vatican delegation and the Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen in Jerusalem in 2007 Here an agreement was made which recognized that “Jewish tradition emphasizes the Noachide Covenant as containing the universal moral code which is incumbent upon all humanity.” (Cf Genesis 9).
So then? Not only are Jews “absolved” by the Vatican of their guilt for crucifying the Messiah Jesus — now Pope Benedict recognizes their leadership since they are the “Chosen People of God” and that the “Noahide Laws are Jewish tradition.” Hence who will ultimately be the moral authority that governs the so-called Noahide Laws? Jews, that’s who. Anti-Christian Jews!
In Galatians 1, Paul writes that even if HE HIMSELF or an angel from heaven
preach any other gospel than the one written, LET HIM BE ETERNALLY CONDEMNED
NOWHERE does the scripture say that "The Church is empowered by Christ to act as
our interpreters and guides in matters relating to Holy Writ."
Marriage is a sin. (
Matrimony is impure and unholy, a means of sexual passion. (Origen)
Marriage is a moral crime, more dreadful than any punishment or any
death...spurcitiae, obscenity, filth. (Tertullian)
Marriage is corruption, a polluted and foul way of life. (Tatian)
Marriage is a crime against God. Marriage is prostitution of the
members of Christ. Married people ought to blush at the state in which they
are living. (St. Ambrose)
The primary purpose of a man of God is to cut down the wood of
marriage with the axe of virginity. (
Jesus taught everything publicly. And yet Catholics depend on things that
Jesus DID NOT teach publicly.
Then why didn't Jesus teach publicly --
o the divinity of His mother, despite teaching that NO ONE IS
GOOD. FUNNY JESUS NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
o after teaching IN DETAIL how we are to pray, he never
mentioned that INSTEAD of what Jesus actually taught we should pray instead to
His earthly mother. FUNNY JESUS NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
o that the Passover cup offered in remembrance of Him would now suddenly
require a priest, although the Passover never did before.
FUNNY JESUS NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
o that after criticizing the central leadership of the Jewish religious
system, He was setting up exactly the same thing, a new centralized
bureaucracy,. FUNNY JESUS NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
o despite calling Peter -- the first Pope -- SATAN and
criticizing Peter's lack of faith from time to time, that Peter would now speak
infallibly as the voice of God. FUNNY JESUS NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
o despite being explicitly ASKED which
apostle was the greatest, and repeatedly invited to say, Jesus
criticized those who "LORD IT OVER" others, and NEVER said anything
about Peter being the leader of the church or the Apostolic succession from
Peter. FUNNY JESUS NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
o after criticizing the Pharisees explicitly for adding their own
interpretations and traditions to contradict and undermine the explcit commands
and teachings of God, that the Christian church should commit exactly the same
sin. FUNNY JESUS NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
SO, IF JESUS TAUGHT EVERYTHING IN PUBLIC, WHERE DID ALL THIS PRIVATE
CATHOLIC TEACHING SNEAK IN???
Remember what Jesus DID teach:
God comes in through the front door.
Satan sneaks in through the window.
"An Expose of the Roman Catholic Church," by Charles A.
Weisman states on:
page 63: "America has always been recognized as a nation established on Godly
or Christian values and law. It was founded and rose through the aid of Divine
Providence. Christian institutions and principles of government were setup and
followed in this land and are part of the foundation. It is a "Christian
nation." Thus if Catholicism is Christian, why has it no part in the foundations
of America? Not only does America have a non-Catholic foundation, it has in fact
an anti-Catholic foundation.
Page 64; From the earliest colonial times there was a rejection of Catholicism
or of the "Romish" or "Popish" religion. Many of the early charters and laws
passed contained declarations which specifically excluded Catholics from having
an equal standing with Christians or Protestants. Some of these are as follows:
(F. Thorpe, "American Charters & Constitutions, 1909, 7 volume)
Inorder to excuse
the gross idolatry on which her system of worship isfounded, the Church of Rome
must excuse the Second Commandment (theCatholic'
Exodus 20:4-6
(Catholic Catchism, §2083),
'Thoushalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of any thingthat
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is inthe water
under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, norserve them: for I
the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting theiniquity of the fathers upon the
children unto the third and fourthgeneration of them that hate me; And showing
mercy unto thousands ofthem that love me, and keep my commandments.
Ofcourse, when
challenged, the self-professing 'Holy Mother Church'vehemently denies that she
practises image-worship, but consider thefollowing from §1161 of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church which reinforces the doctrine of the
Seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicea (A.D. 787) on images:
'Followingthe
divinely inspired teaching of our holy Fathers and the tradition ofthe Catholic
Church [Note: there is no mention of following thedivinely inspired teaching of
the Bible] we rightly define with fullcertainty and correctness that, like the
figure of the precious andlife-giving figure of the cross, venerable and holy
images of our Lordand God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, our inviolate Lady, the
holy motherof God, and the venerated angels, all the saints and the just,
whetherpainted or made of mosaic or another suitable material, are to
beexhibited in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels and vestments,walls
and panels, on houses and on streets.'
To designate an
image as 'venerable' and 'holy' is blasphemy. The word 'venerable' is derived
from the Latin word venerare meaning 'to worship'. Moses was commanded by
God:'Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear
you up astanding image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in yourland,
to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.'(Leviticus 26:1) God calls idols 'abominations' (Deuteronomy
29:17). Noone or no thing but God is to be worshipped. Accordingly, Jesus,
whentempted by the Devil to worship him, said:
'Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship
the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve'
(Matthew 4:10)
Tobow down to
statues and pray, to venerate the relics of 'saints', tokiss crucifixes and
adore 'sacred' images or icons of a Madonna – allthat is contrary to the
teaching of the Bible; yet even the Pope bowsdown to images of Mary. No wonder
Rome banned and burned the Bible andthose who preached from it, for her whole
system of deception is tooeasily exposed in light of God's Word.
Inorder to avoid
any possible accusation of not having addressed theforbidden practice of
worshipping graven images – which is evenmentioned in her own Bible – she tucks
away a reference to it in asub-section (Catechism, §2112-2114) of her
commentary on the Biblical FirstCommandment, defining idolatry as the
'condemnation of polytheism'(
False view of Mary
1.
The CatholicChurch says Mary was a perpetual virgin having no other children
afterJesus, but Jesus had brothers and sisters (Matthew 13:55,56, Mark 6:3,Acts
1:14, Galatians 1:19). Mary remained a virgin only until Jesus wasborn (Matthew
1:25). Even Psalm 69, which has many predictions aboutour Lord's earthly life,
reads, 'I am become a stranger
unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children'
(Psalms 69:8).
2.
The Catholic Church says that Mary, and saints ingeneral, are a mediator between
God and man; whereas, the scripturesreveal that Jesus is the only
mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5, 1 John 2:1, Acts 4:12).
3.
The Catholic Church says Mary was sinless, scripture says everyone,except
Christ, has sinned (Romans 3:23). Even Mary herself knew sheneeded a Saviour
(Luke 1:46-47) and went through purification for hersins (Luke 2:22,24). Mary, a
Jewish woman and a sinner, had to make asin-offering (Leviticus 12:6,8). Why
does the Roman Catholic churchinsist she was sinless when the scripture says she
was not? Mary was sopoor, she and Joseph could not bring the required lamb
forsacrifice (Leviticus 12:6,8). They could only offer a pair ofturtledoves, or
two young pigeons (Luke 2:24). However, Mary didn'tneed the lamb, she held Him
in her arms! She had the Lamb who couldsave her from her sins! A Saviour her
heart rejoiced in!
4.
The Catholic Mary no way resembles the Jewish Mary ofthe scripture. Even in the
days of Jesus, people tried to elevate Maryin a position that was not hers (Luke
11:27). But Jesus immediatelycorrecte
False view of Peter
1.
The Catholic Church says that the apostle Peter was the first pope; yet Popes
didn't exist until 600AD.
2.
The Catholic Church says Peter, being the first Pope,wasn't married. Yet Peter
had a wife (Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke4:38; 1 Corinthians 9:5).
3.
The Catholic Church says Peter was first in rank andauthority, but Jesus said he
was not (Luke 22:24,26, Mark 10:44,Matthew 20:27).
4.
The Catholic Church says Jesus supposedly commissionedPeter to build a Gentile
Roman Catholic Papacy upon a 'rock' (Matthew16:18)
5.
Peter cursed and swore (Matthew 26:74).
6.
Peter denied and abandoned Jesus Christ 3 times (Mark 14:67-72).
False view of church leaders
1.
The Pope is the highest office in the church, and the Catholic Church considers
him God in the flesh; yet this is not found in the scriptures! (2 Thessalonians
2:3-4).
2.
The Pope is called 'Holy Father.' This title was usedby the Lord Jesus Christ
when he was praying to God (John 17:11). Itonly occurs one time in the entire
scripture. Hence, for the Pope todemand his followers to call him by this title
is blasphemy!
3.
The Catholic Church says that priests are to be called 'Father', yet Jesus
forbade this (Matthew 23:9, John 17:11).
4.
The Catholic Church says that 'Bishops' must not bemarried: whereas the
scripture shows that Bishops must not only bemarried but must also have children
(1 Timothy 3:2-4; Titus 1:5-7).
5.
The Catholic Church says that all priests, bishops& Popes are forbidden to
marry; The scripture calls 'forbidding tomarry' a
'doctrine of demons'
(1 Titus4:1-4). Not only was Peter married (who they claim was the first
Pope),but the apostle Paul preached that he had the prerogative to take awife
and bring her on his journey's with him as other apostles did (1Corinthians
9:5)! This shows the fallacy of those who promote celibacyamong the clergy.
6.
The Catholic Church says that a Priests are a specialclass of followers, but
scripture teaches that every Christian is apriest (1 Peter 2:5,9, Ephesians
2:19-22, Revelation 1:6; 5:10;. Isaiah61:6).
7.
The Catholic Church says that a 'Saint' is anexemplary individual who has been
dead for many years and has beenvoted upon by leaders to become a saint, but
scripture says everyChristian is a saint while they live (Romans 1:7, 1
Corinthians 1:2).
8.
The Catholic priests and pope wear fancy clerical dress, but Jesus condemned
this (Matthew 23:5-6).
False view of salvation, heaven &
hell
1.
TheCatholic Church says that infants inherit their parent's & Adam'ssin, but
scriptures say they don't (Deuteronomy 24:16, 2 Chronicles25:
2.
The Catholic Church sprinkles when the Greek workfor baptism literally means
total immersion (Acts 8:34-39, Romans 6:4,Colossians 2:12).
3.
The Catholic Church expects people to suffer fierypunishment in proportion to
their sins in purgatory after which theywill cross over to paradise. Yet our
fate is eternally sealed at deathand there is no crossing over (Luke 16:26-31;
Hebrews 9:27). Jesustaught unconditional forgiveness of our sins, not penance.
False view of worship
1.
FromGod's 10 commandments, the Catholic Church deleted God's 2ndCommandment!
2.
The Catholic Church believes in communion(transubst
3.
The Catholic Church demands the drinking of this'literal' blood of Jesus during
communion, but scripture says that todrink the blood of any flesh is
wrong (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:14, Acts 15:29; 21:25)!
4.
'Communion' (this word does not appear in scripture) isderived from the Lord's
Supper in scripture, in which the bread andwine are symbolic of Christ's
body and blood. Until veryrecently, in some parts of the world, only the priests
would drink thecup in communion; Yet Jesus commanded all Christians to both
drink thecup and eat of the bread (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28).The
lack of uniformity both over time and in different places, provesthat Catholic
doctrine is constantly changing and inconsistent! Thequestion is, why, for many
years were only the priests allowed to drinkthe cup, when the scripture says
that all believers are to drink thecup?
5.
The Catholic Church prays using repetitive wordswith a rosary; and pray in front
of people, but Jesus warned us not topray like that (Matthew 6:5-7).
6.
The Catholic Church believes the church is a buildinginstead of Christians
themselves (1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19-20, Acts17:24).
7.
Mass is often conducted in Latin, in an unknowntongue, in North America, but the
scripture forbids this (1 Corinthians14:
8.
The Catholic Church observes special 'holy days' on a yearly calendar, yet
scripture calls this 'weak and
beggarly elements' (Galatians
4:9-11).
9.
The Catholic Church abstains from certain meats at certain times, but scripture
calls this 'doctrines of
devils' (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
10.
The Catholic Church trusts in
and prays to saints, but God himself puts no trust in his saints (Job 15:15).
11.
The Catholic Church says we can
pray to Mary and angelsto intercede for us, but the scripture forbids the
worship of angels(Colossians 2:18, Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9).
12.
The Catholic Church bows down
and makes gravenimages of things in heaven and earth (Exodus 20:4-5). God does
not givehis praise to graven images (Isaiah 42:8).
False view of the Catholic Church
as the only source of religious authority
1.
The Catholic Church believes that Peter is the foundation of the church. Christ
is the foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11).
2.
The Catholic Church says that only the priests canunderstand the scripture and
the common man cannot; But the scripturessay that when anyone reads they can
understand (Ephesians 3:4, Romans15:4, 1 Timothy 3:14-15, 1 John 1:4).
3.
The Catholic Church will not personally defend theirfaith from the scripture but
will instead refer to what the priestteaches. Yet every Christian must be able
to defend the faiththemselves (1 Peter 3:15, 2 Timothy 3:16,17).
4.
The Catholic Church says we are to confess to priests,but the scripture says we
are to confess only to God (Psalms 32:5,Romans 14:11).
5.
The Catholic Church places their church traditions greater than God's Word
(Matthew 15:3,6, Mark 7:7-9,13, Colossians 2:8).
What the Catholic Church says about
the Sabbath
The Catholic
Church fully admits that the establishment of Sunday as a 'Holy Day' is
completely their act! The following page appears in the Catholic
Publication 'The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine.'
(Remember, the papacy, in 364AD, changed and rewrote God's Ten Commandments -
their third commandment is really the fourth!)
The Third Commandment
Q:
What is the Third Commandment?
A: The Third Commandment is: Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath
day.
Q: Which is the Sabbath day?
A: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church
transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.
Q: Why did the Catholic Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A: The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday, because Christ rose from
the dead on a Sunday, and the Holy Ghostdescended upon the apostles on a Sunday.
Q: By what authority did the Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A: The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plenitude of that
divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her.
Q: What does the Third Commandment command?
A: The Third Commandment commands us to sanctify Sunday as the Lord's
Day.
Why does the Catholic Church Oppose
the scripture?
The reason the
Catholic Church opposes the scripture is because it opposes them.
No religiousinstitutio
'Of all the
advicethat we can offer your holiness we must open your eyes well and use
allpossible force in the matter, namely to permit the reading of thegospel as
little as possible in all the countries under yourjurisdiction. Let the very
little part of the gospel suffice which isusually read in mass, and let no one
be permitted to read more. So longas people will be content with the small
amount, your interest willprosper; but as soon as the people want to read more,
your interestwill fail. The scripture is a book, which more than any other,
hasraised against us the tumults and tempests by which we have almostperished.
In fact, if one compares the teaching of the scripture withwhat takes place in
our churches, he will soon find discord, and willrealize that our teachings are
often different from the scripture, andoftener still, contrary to it.'
The
scripturesgive us clear commandments concerning our handling of heresies in
thechurch (Romans 16:17-18, Titus 3:10-11, 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14,15).
Here's how the "APOSTOLIC LETTER" of the
Catechism ends:
To
Mary, Mother of Christ,
whose Assumption body and soul into heaven we celebrate today, I entrust these
wishes so that they may be brought to fulfillment for the spiritual good of all
humanity.
From Castel
Gandolfo, August 15, 1997, the nineteenth year of the Pontificate.
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/aposletr.htm
"I am the LORD [YHVH]: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images." -Isaiah 42:8
God
Will Not Share His Glory
God will NOT share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). In Exodus 20:3-5
we read that God is a jealous God, so jealous that we are commanded NOT to even
BOW to a statue or image.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee
any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that
is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt
not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a
jealous God" -Exodus 20:3
God is more jealous than any husband or wife could ever be. It is a
dangerous thing to commit idolatry. It is a sin to bow to any saint.
Roman Catholicism twists the Bible, actually condoning the idolatrous glorifying
of dead people (saints).
HERESIES are those doctrines and practices which are contrary to the Bible.
They are also called "human traditions" or "doctrines of men". Both Peter and
Paul predicted and warned that in the later times "false teachers" would rise
within the Church and bring in "damnable heresies" and "doctrines of devils".
(Read II Peter 2:1-3, and I Tim. 3:2-5). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, for
they transgressed the commandments of God by keeping their traditions. "in
vain," He said, "they worship me by keeping for doctrines the commandments of
men" (Matt. 15:3,9).
Roman Catholicism openly admits that many of their doctrines did NOT originate
from the Bible, but from the church itself. It is blasphemy to recognize
the writings of the church fathers as inspired by God. For example, in
1834, the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope
Pius IX.
Roman Catholics Reject the Commandments of God
Peter Was NOT The Rock Upon Which the Church is Built
Rosary From Hell
The Catholics teach that the rosary should be performed every day. I'd
like to have ANYONE show me that from the Bible. Where did God tell us to
perform a rosary? The Rosary, or prayer beads, was introduced by
Peter the Hermit, in the year 1090...copied from Hindus and Mohammedans.
The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is expressly condemned by Christ
(Matthew 6:5-13).
Devotion to Mary is Unscriptural
The following excellent article was written by a former devout Roman Catholic (Tony
Capoccia) concerning the unscriptural following of Mary:
"No one who has carefully examined the events of and surrounding Fatima could
possibly share your opinion of the Blessed Mother.
I was a Catholic for 34 years. I was a great devoted follower of Mary.
But after I became a Christian, I went to four years of seminary and made it a
point to carefully study the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. I
compared their doctrines to the truths of the Bible, and they (the Catholic
Church) are without a doubt full of false doctrines, and therefore a false
religion.
Mary was a wonderful person, and blessed, but she, like every other human was a
sinner, before and after the birth of Christ. So was Joseph, and the
Apostles. The Bible says "all" have sinned, there is not one who does
good, no not one! Mary was a sinner and needed a Savior. The lie of
the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, is that Mary (just like
Jesus) was born without sin. But this is a direct contradiction to the
Bible.
The Catholic Church also claims that Mary, was a perpetual virgin all of her
life. Yet the Bible says this is simply not true, for Mary was a virgin
until Jesus was born, and then had normal sexual relations with her husband
Joseph, and had other children, see Matthew 1:23-25:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call
him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the
angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he
had no union with her "until" she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the
name Jesus. [Matthew 1:23-25]
The Catholic Church dishonors Mary by giving her honor God never intended.
There was an incident when Jesus' mother and "brothers" (Mary's children), went
to get Jesus: "When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of
him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." [Mark 3:21]
"Someone told Jesus, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to
speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother, and who are my
brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, Jesus said, 'Here are my mother and my
brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and
sister and mother.'" [Matthew 12:47-50]
The point Jesus was making is that Mary, his earthly mother, had no special
position or honor over any other Christian who does God's will. Mary is
blessed, as was the Apostles, they were used by God in a special way, but she
was never to be worshipped and elevated as the Catholics do--this is a dishonor
to her and to Christ. Mary is in heaven and doesn't have clue what we are
doing here and could care less, she is focused on Jesus her Lord and Savior.
The prayers of Catholics to Mary and the other saints are an abomination and a
stench in the nostrils of God, for, "there is one God and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus." [1 Timothy 2:5]
See that, only one mediator! Mary is not a mediator, she can't hear us nor
intervene in any way.
You are caught up in a great deception, and will someday pay a tremendous price
of eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire unless you bow down to Jesus, and Jesus
alone, repenting of your sins, confessing belief in who Jesus claimed to be:
God, the "ONLY" mediator, the only way of salvation, and then submitting to His
Word and will.
Also, Fatima is a lie straight from the pit. Satan stages false healings,
or removes his crippling effects at the right time to give "Our Lady of Fatima"
the credit, in order to keep the people duped. It is like a bunch of
pagans bowing down and praying to a rock. If the rock never answered a
prayer, then in time they would throw the rock away, but if "once in a while"
the rock would do something for them, then they will keep praying to the rock.
Fatima is the Catholic rock, a plaster statue, that Satan uses once in a while
to fake a healing to keep the Catholics deceived and it seems to be working." -Tony
Capoccia (former devout Roman Catholic for 34 years).
Catholicism is Straight From the Pits of Hell
"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world" -Revelation 12:9
Tradition Verses the Bible
Here is the Scripture that I think describes Roman Catholicism the best...
"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites,
as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is
far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye
hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such
like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the
commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." -Mark 7:6-9
The Roman Catholic Church is a BIG HOAX because it teaches the TRADITIONS of men
instead of the commandments of God. In so doing, the Vatican has created a
non-spirit based religion that offers faithless heathens a structured system of
religion from the cradle to the casket.
In my personal experience, I've never encountered such "cultified" Roman
Catholics as the ones on this list.
Straight out of the Dark Ages -- which they've never left behind.
UPDATE:
In Argentina, a former police chaplain
has been sentenced to life in prison for
torture, kidnapping and murder of dissidents during Argentina’s so-called ‘dirty-war.” Roman
Catholic priest Christian Von Wernich is the first clergy member to go on trial
for crimes committed by U.S.-backed military regimes in Latin America during the
1970s and 1980s. Outside the courtroom in the city of La Plata, crowds cheered
and set off firecrackers as the verdict was announced. Adriana Calvo, who was
detained under the Argentine junta, hailed the ruling.
St. Thomas More, who was martyred for the sanctity of
Marriage, pray for us.
Dina
In Boston, a devastating loss for marriage and the
Church
by Phil Lawler
special to CWNews.com
Boston, Jun. 14, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The fight is over
here in Massachusetts. We lost. Again.
Meeting in a constitutional convention on June 14, the
state legislature defeated a proposed constitutional
amendment that would have defined marriage as a union
between a man and a woman. That amendment-- the only
realistic hope for reversing a decision by the state's
highest court-- is now dead. Same-sex marriage is here
to stay.
Understand, now, that the pro-family movement did
not need a majority of the legislators' votes. Because
the "Marriage Amendment" had already been endorsed by
over 100,000 registered voters, the constitutional
process only required /one-fourth/ of the legislators
to support it, in order to put the proposal on the
ballot for a final statewide vote.
We needed just 50 votes. We held just 45.
In a legislature dominated by people who describe
themselves as Catholics, more than three-fourths voted
to scuttle the Christian conception of marriage, in
favor of a new definition concocted by four judges.
Just yesterday, friends who have been actively
lobbying the legislature told me that they were still
confident they could count 50 votes in favor of the
Marriage Amendment. But the pressure from Governor
Deval Patrick, the Democratic leadership, the mass
media, and the gay-rights lobby proved overwhelming. A
few lawmakers wavered, and soon the rout began.
How did it happen? As a longtime resident of
Massachusetts and a scarred veteran of the local
political wars, I think I can answer that
question.It's a simple matter, really. Unprincipled
politicians, like flowing water, will always follow
the path of least resistance. In this case,
the "easy" vote was a vote against marriage.
Any lawmaker who supported the Marriage Amendment
knew that he would pay a price for his vote. He would
face the wrath of the legislative
leadership. He would be a target for angry
editorials, and the butt of jokes on talk-radio shows.
Gay-rights groups might picket his office
or his home; they would surely support his opponent
in the next election.
Those who /opposed/ the amendment, on the other
hand, had nothing to fear but the disappointment of
their constituents. There would be no
angry editorials, because no influential newspaper
in Boston was behind the Marriage Amendment. Many
voters will be unhappy with their
elected representatives, but the next election is
almost 17 months away; the furor will have died down
long before the campaign season.
As always in Massachusetts, the balance of political
forces was severely skewed. Governor Patrick and the
Democratic Party leadership were openly promising
rewards for votes against the Marriage
Amendment. The tiny Republican Party was essentially
neutral. The influential /Boston Globe/ hammered away
in support of same-sex marriage; the ineffectual
/Boston Herald/ hoped that the issue would go away.
Most important of all, the Catholic Church-- which
once dominated Massachusetts politics-- was missing
from this political battle.
Oh, I don't mean to suggest that the hierarchy was
silent. There were several strong statements from the
bishops of Massachusetts, with the
most recent
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=5176
coming on the eve of the fateful June 14 vote. But
those statements never translated into concrete
action. The bishops did not name names
and demand action from specific politicians. Most
Catholic pastors declined to be actively involved in
the signature-gathering campaign for the Marriage
Amendment; most Catholic priests didn't even sign the
petitions.
Legislators never had any reason to fear that if
they voted to support same-sex marriage, they would be
called /personally/ to account by
their Church leaders. Many of the lawmakers who
voted to kill the Marriage Amendment today will be at
Mass on Sunday, shaking hands with
their pastors. If any Catholic cleric in
Massachusetts has actually said that it would be
morally wrong-- sinful-- to support same-sex
marriage, I missed that statement.
The Church in Massachusetts has been gravely
weakened by the sex-abuse crisis. But the recent
troubles of the Boston archdiocese do not fully
explain this failure of Catholic political power in
2007. Massachusetts was already a bastion of
liberalism--a stronghold of legal abortion, a pioneer
in embryo research--before the explosion of
the sex-abuse scandal in Boston.
Today's vote in the Massachusetts legislature was
the culmination of a process that has visible for
years: the steady of erosion of Catholic
public influence. For the past generation
Catholicism has been in retreat in Massachusetts,
ducking public battles for fear of a painful
loss. But political power is like any other kind of
muscle: If you don't use it, you lose it.
We lost the vote today, but we lost the influence a
long time ago. In a state where nearly 50% of the
voters are Catholic, the legislature
has endorsed a conception of marriage that is
completely alien to the Christian understanding. This
is a devastating loss for Catholicism in
Massachusetts. In theory, we could make another effort
to amendment the state constitution and restore a
coherent legal understanding of marriage.
But the process is a long and difficult one; a new
citizens' initiative could not be approved until 2012
at the earliest.
And it would be foolish to ignore the reality that
the tide is running against us. In another year or
two-- or maybe five or ten years, but
inevitably the time will come-- the state
legislature will face another test vote on another key
moral issue. Unless Catholics take
action to reverse the trend, we can expect to lose
that vote as well. If we don't have a plan to restore
Catholic influence in Massachusetts, we can only plan
for surrender.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Dina
http://tree-in-the-sea.blogspot.com/
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Insurance/World/vatican_lawsuit_040706.html
Suing the Vatican Insurance Official Charges Racketeering
Lynda Edwards The Associated Press
J A C K S O N, Miss., July 6, 2004 �� The torching of financier Martin Frankel's $3 million mansion in Greenwich, Conn., was meant to destroy evidence of an insurance scam that cost Mississippi and other states millions, police said. But not everything went up in flames.
Firefighters searching the rubble found Frankel's pornographic videos, jewel-encrusted mobile phones, Ouija board and "Things to Do List." No. 1 was: "Launder more money NOW."
The financier, who initially fled to Europe, was extradited and pleaded guilty in 2002 in Mississippi to stealing $208 million in five states.
But that did not end the case for Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale.
Trail Leads to Vatican
While unraveling Frankel's web of trickery, Dale found a thread that led into the secretive halls of the Vatican. And he is determined to follow it, even though, as he says, "This step meant some soul searching."
In a lawsuit Dale filed, which is moving toward a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Jackson, he claims Vatican officials violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Damages, if Dale prevails, could be more than $600 million.
A Vatican spokesman denies the Roman Catholic church profited from business dealings with Frankel or accepted funds he stole. The church has filed a motion to dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction, and a ruling is expected this summer.
Dale remains determined to pursue his suit against "The Holy See aka Vatican City State" and others.
"The evidence of wrongdoing my investigators accumulated was so clear," he says. "State officials are always slammed as paper pushers. But two federal agencies fumbled the ball with Frankel. The Internal Revenue Service approved Frankel's taxes. The FBI had suspicions but made no moves. In the end, insurance commissioners brought this guy down."
Just days before Frankel's mansion burned in 1999, he and his associates were summoned by Dale to Jackson to discuss a possible tie between Vatican officials and the insurance scam. Frankel didn't show.
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=85315
20-January-2008 -- Catholic World News Brief
Pope Prods Jesuits on Loyalty to Church
Vatican, Jan. 18, 2008 (CWNews.com) - In a message to the 35th general
convention of the Society of Jesus, Pope Benedict XVI has called for a revival
of traditional Jesuit loyalty to the Catholic faith and the Holy See.
"I heartily hope that the present congregation affirms with clarity the
authentic charism of the Founder so as to encourage all Jesuits to promote true
and healthy Catholic doctrine," the Holy Father wrote in a message to the 225
Jesuit delegates meeting in Rome. The Pope's letter was dated January 10, but
made public on January 18, the day before the general congregation was scheduled
to elect a new superior general.
Pope Benedict called the Society of Jesus to a "renewed ascetic and apostolic
impulse." In more specific terms he suggested that:
… it could prove extremely useful that the general congregation reaffirm, in the
spirit of St. Ignatius, its own total adhesion to Catholic doctrine, in
particular on those neuralgic points which today are strongly attacked by
secular culture, as for example the relationship between Christ and religions;
some aspects of the theology of liberation; and various points of sexual
morality, especially as regards the indissolubility of marriage and the pastoral
care of homosexual persons.
The Pope also reminded the delegates of the special loyalty that Jesuits owe to
the Holy See, confirmed "in a vow of immediate obedience to the successor of
Peter." That loyalty is urgently needed today, he said, to help preach the
Gospel message faithfully to a society "distracted by many discordant voices."
Pope Benedict offered his "most heartfelt gratitude" to the outgoing Jesuit
superior, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, for nearly 25 years of leadership. He
also thanked all of the Jesuits who have worked faithfully for the Church. He
promised his prayers for the success of the general congregation and the future
of the Jesuit order.