People's power is a SIN.

1. The spirit of liberalism is condemned.
     The so-called modern errors begun around the 1800. Unlike the earlier heresies, the modern errors are a combination of several errors put together. Sometimes it is a combination of all errors against all the teachings of the Catholic Church put together....an example is the heresy of liberalism. This can be aptly be represented by the statue of Liberty, the sister of the prostitute raised by the French revolutionaries. Some authors had called liberalism the religion of America, of Europe, South America, China, Japan, etc..It has worldwide membership because all men were born with original sin. All men are born member of this religion.  And as we have shown, liberalism is nothing else than 'original sin' deified.
     But Christ had come. He had freed us from this slavery and showed us the way to eternal life. But men had preferred living on earth for all eternity rather than dwell with God for all eternity. The trouble is there is no such thing as life on earth for all eternity. There is death; then judgment. Then either eternal life or eternal condemnation. It had been very difficult to convince men of these truths that God revealed to us and are found in the teachings of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
     But that is the role of the Magisterium of which the Pope is the official spokesman. And Pope Gregory XVI did a good job. He confessed his times were difficult times 'because the power of darkness are winnowing the elect like wheat. Man had transgressed the law, they have changed the ordinance, they have broken the everlasting covenant,' he wrote describing liberalism.
     He did not say that this is  the beginning of the victory of Satan. He said; this was a winnowing period for the Church. So it is God's work of testing the Church. And Pope Gregory was helping the  Church passed the test with his encyclical 'Mirari vos,' on liberalism. Like a good teacher, in it, he was telling us what was the right answer and what was the wrong answer to God's test.

     Pope Gregory XVI reviewed for us all the previous teachings of Christ; keep the Faith, respect the discipline of the Church, respect the canonical degrees of the Popes, defend celibacy, defend marriage, there must be union of church and state in Catholic countries and unceasing prayer for God's help. Then the Pope condemns a practice based on the heresy of liberalism. And that is the popular practice of 'People's Power.'
                                                                 

2. An expression of liberalism is 'People's Power.'
     The Pope wrote; 'We have learned that certain teachings are being spread among the common people in writings which attack the trust and submission due to princes.' It is treason for the faithful to go against elected officials whoever they may be. This treason is being practice everywhere today. Small or large groups of people demonstrating against governments. Government against other governments, U.N. against foreign governments.  And the removal of heads of states by other bully governments are common.

     The heresy of liberalism is when people, following their own personal and private desires impose these desires on the head of states and on others in complete disregard to the Will of God. The head of a nation is always God's will either as a chastisement for their infidelity or a reward for their fidelity. You get the head that you deserve. Who the head is is always the Will of God, direct or permissive, as St. Thomas would say. So their authority, whether he is Nero or Constantine the Great is from God. And the Christian should respect that.
     The admonition of the Apostle is clear; 'there is no power but from  God and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God . And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation.
     Pope Gregory decries the world wide practice of deposing heads of states for the silliest reasons. The head of state cannot be removed for any reason. Because he is there by the Will of God. To do so is to go against the Will of God and will purchase for himself damnation. This is the spirit of liberalism condemned by the Church; sadly introduced by the state and had backfired on the state, itself, world wide.

    Let us take one example on how the heresy of liberalism removed one head of state in this country, in fact, they repeated this heresy three times.  The three were removed because a small group wanted to be liberated. They were not even clear from what. Pope Gregory states; they were liberated from God's Will because they wanted to insist on their own will. That is the heresy of liberalism and will purchase for themselves damnation. Pope Gregory continues ; 'both Divine and human laws cry out against those who strive by treason and sedition to drive heads and force them from their government.' The U.S. does that as a government policy. But they are Protestants and would not know Catholic Doctrine. But the Philippines is supposed to be Catholic. A small group wanted to impose their own private will against God's Will on a head ruling with God's authority. Their intention was clear; to impose their own will on the state and on the nation, completely is disregard to God's Will. This is the heresy of liberalism. To make matter worse; they were encouraged by a Catholic cardinal to go against Catholic teachings. Worse, the demonstrators were led by seminarians and nuns who had no idea whatsoever about Pope Gregory XVI and the encyclical 'Mirari Vos.' And; probably it would not go worse than this; that most of the priests, bishops and cardinals stood silent as the president was deposed. This silence made them participant in the deposition of a head and in the heresy. The newspapers became part of the heresy of liberalism that engulfed the whole country. Considering that liberalism is the denial of Faith and Charity, the entire country had, indeed, committed apostasy from the Catholic Faith. And we celebrate that apostasy from the true Faith every year!

3. The heresy of the mob was that they insisted on their own private selfish will without finding out first what is the Will of God. Though, they had no idea what was God's will anyway. The Cardinal made a mistake on what was the Will of God because he was ignorant of 'Mirari vos.' that should have guided him. He, himself, followed his own private opinion having fallen into liberalism himself. He should have studied the teachings of  God as revealed in Divine Revelation and the writings of previous Popes.

4. People's power is against God's Will as shown by the Apostle Paul and the tradition of early Christians.
     The first Christians served their pagan emperor faithfully in everything; except when commanded to disobey God. When told to disobey God, they did not depose their leaders but, instead, were willing to be martyred. They would not depose the emperor even if they were huge in number to do so.  
     They were the best soldiers of the emperors when defending their countries. St. Augustine wrote; Christian soldiers served an infidel emperor. But when the issue is Christ they acknowledge Him alone. St. Mauritius of the Theban legion served a pagan emperor. With his own soldier he could have deposed the emperor and lived freely as a Christian. But no. He fought for the emperor. But when made to chose between God and idolatry, instead of rebelling and deposing the emperor, he chose to be martyred with his legion. Remember he had a legion enough to overthrow the emperor.

     The deposing of heads of states around the world were never for spiritual reason. It is for political reason which is an invalid, liberal reason that is against the teachings of the Catholic Church. All the elements in deposing a head of state were sinful. Confiscating of their properties without legal procedure, destroying of their reputation, inability to forgive their sins if there were, rash judgments, made up evidences, etc. etc.Every step in the process of removing them was sinful and worthy of condemnation, Look at the total lack of Charity led even by the Church leaders.

5. Because of the above teaching of the Church, rulers are made to know that it is to their great advantage that they have many true Christians. The more true Christians they have the less enemies they have. Thus the union of Church and state is of great advantage for the state. But of course, if the Christians are not truly Catholic this union will have bad repercussions.

6. The guilt of those involved in removing  a head of state goes far and wide. The ordinary secretaries who typed the orders of deposition, the police and army who executed the deposition, the foreign countries who help physically removed the rulers, etc. Then there are the courts and offices who confiscated illegally the possessions, the newspaper who defamed the ruler. There is no end to those who are to blame and are worthy of condemnation.
     Most of those involved in disobeying this command of God are now old and close to death. Others have died. Where are they now knowing that Scriptures have words of condemnation in store for them.

7. A bishop who has liberalism tendencies will tend to have priests and followers who are, also, liberal. The probability is great that because the bishop and his surrogates are guilty of liberalism, most of the members of the diocese are guilty of liberalism. Recalling the definition of liberalism the whole diocese could be Protestant; since Protestantism is the first fruit of liberalism in the Church. Manila could have been Protestant then. But more so now because  that was several years ago. It could be worse today since liberalism tend to continuously corrupt the soul it possesses.

8, Demonstrations, mobs, rebellions are rampant today. Attempts to remove duly elected heads of states are a daily occurrence everywhere. The world is awashed with the spirit of liberalism. And since liberalism is Satan's 'I will not serve.' Pope Paul VI was right in saying that the devil have controlled the whole world. As a consequence  the world will not escape the just condemnation God has stored for such treason. Being liberal, the Catholic world lost all her visible signs of Catholicity mentioned in the Nicene Creed;  because she had fallen into that primal heresy.....liberalism, wherein  souls went against all Catholic doctrines in believing that  conscience is free and;  that  absolute truths, that there is a God, does not exist.

The ASSUMPTION....the first SALVOS

1. . The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a feast that teaches us the eschatology and the prophetic message of Scriptures. Note how nothing about the bodily assumption of Mary is mentioned in the whole Mass. Of course, Mary was assumed to heaven body and soul. But that is the historical aspect of the event. The Liturgy does not recall historical events. It prepares the people of God for what is coming and how to prepare for it. But both the eschatology and prophetic aspects of the message is based on the historical event.

2.  The Feast of the Assumption is suppose to prepare the Church for the final battle between the forces of evil and the City of God.  The first reading describes the preparation between the two camps. A great sign appears in the sky a woman clothed with the sun. She is the Church and she is prepared by God. God gives her two giant wings and lets her fly to the desert in a place specially prepared for her. She is there with her children, the people of  God. There God takes care of the entire Church. The desert is the 'new monasticism' described by St. Bonaventure and quoted by Pope Benedict. Benedict's 'new' evangelization is preparing the city of God in a fort (the desert) for the last battle.

    The forces of evil which had already engulfed the world follows the woman in the desert (into the monastic life) and floods the desert hoping to drown her (with worldliness.)  But God opens the desert to swallow the waters to save the Church. God, Himself, is leading the final battle.
                                                                 
3. In this scenario, the battle continues in the peripheries; i.e. in the unnatural, natural and supernatural levels. But the major battle will be in the sphere of the natural intellect between the devil  who is pure intellect and the intellect of the soul.  Though Satan will, also, tempt the emotions and passions, at these times the battle will be in the intellectual sphere. The Church must also do battle in the intellectual sphere. And the soul will have an advantage if he has the supernatural virtue of Faith. For man to win,  Faith is of the utmost importance. Because Faith is a supernatural  act of the intellect. So it will be a battle between the intellects of the evil spirit and the Faithful. Obviously, Catholics without Faith would easily fall on the side of Satan.
   
    The weapon the devil will use will be in the sphere of the intellect; and these are heresies. And the only weapon the Church can yield against heresies is a perfect Faith. This Faith consists in perfect knowledge of the teachings of Christ in the New Testament. Of course, this Faith must be enlivened with Charity.

4. The forces of the Church will be led by 12 champions referred to as 12 stars. Though this refers, historically to the twelve apostles, eschatologically it refers to 12 holy popes that will lead the battle for the Church on these days. Who among the Popes seems to have begun the battle against the onslaught of the heretical attacks on the Church?  Pope Gregory XVI. From him down to Benedict XVI will make up 12 Popes represented by the 12 stars which according to St. Grignon de Montfort,  are the apostles of the end times.

5. The first salvo fired on the Church is Liberalism. It was Pope Gregory XVI who noticed and exposed it. Liberalism will be the foundation, the root from which all other heresies will grow from. From Pope Pius IX to Benedict XVI we will see different expressions of liberalism.
                                                                                 

6. Liberalism is a heresy, a mortal sin against Faith. It is the sin of Lucifer "I shall not serve." It is Lucifer's false promise 'You shall be like God.' And it will bring us to where Lucifer is.....to hell. Liberalism is the flood that have spiritually drowned the whole world, the convents, religious orders, monasteries, and most bishops and cardinals......because they do not know exactly where is that special place prepared by God for the Woman of the Apocalypse.

7. Faith vs. Liberalism.
     Liberalism is essentially the opposite of Faith. While Faith brings us to heaven, Liberalism will bring us to hell. Let us define Faith and contrast liberalism to it.
     Faith is an assent of the mind to the truths of Divine Revelation because they are revealed by God. So Faith is an assent to the truth that there is a God. That God had revealed His truths. And those truths can be known by men.
     Liberalism is the denial that there is a God. A denial that He spoke. And that he does not know the truths revealed by God  Liberalism is the belief that one decides what should be the truth and what should be moral. But it has no proof that what one decides is true nor what one decide is truly moral.

8. Charity vs. Liberalism
     Faith dictates to the free will what is true and what is good. The free will's consent to the intellect's assent is called Charity.
     Liberalism has no proof that the intellect knows the truth. So the intellect cannot inform the free will what is true and good. Thus the free will is forced to decide without any  basis for certitude. So it chooses what ever it wants.

9. Liberalism is heresy because it goes against the act of Faith. It is a sin because it goes against the rules of morality. So liberalism contains all heresies and it contains all infraction of Divine Law.  While  Catholicism is ruled by dogmas, liberalism is ruled by one's own personal opinion. Liberalism is the rebellion of the intellect against God and the refusal of the free will to love God.
    Liberalism cannot prove that its truths are true; and it cannot prove that what it considers  good is truly good. Everything is based on one's personal opinion. The truth is true according to his opinion and the good is good according to his opinion.

    Liberalism is the root of all heresy. All heresies come from liberalism. It is the tree of evil. All its fruits are evil. And it is the evil of all evil. It is the supreme rebellion against the authority of God. Liberalism is Lucifer in person.

10. All Protestant sects are products of liberalism shown in that all sects have their own personal definition of Faith. They interpret Revelation based on one's own judgment. All of America and Europe have liberal cultures. Liberalism was condemned earlier by Gregory XVI (1832) and later on by Pope Pius IX (1864) in 'Quanta Cura.'.

11.Liberalism can only be detected by an expert theologian; and not by the ordinary laymen. When the bishop or parish priest of a locality is liberal, it almost always follow that their subordinates have imbibed liberalism. That is a whole parish or diocese going to hell. The Pope was the greatest force against liberalism, as proven up to Pope Benedict. But what happens when the Pope, himself is liberal, as Cardinal Arinze noted. The main cause of liberalism is ignorance of Catholic teachings. It is purely devilish when one is intentionally liberal in spirit. Because the spirit of liberalism is the very sin of Lucifer.

12.  The Feast of the Assumption announces the positioning of the two forces for the beginning of the last great battle. The first salvo had been fired by the devil in the spirit of liberalism. And the return fire of the Church was ordered by Pope Gregory XVI's 'Mirari vos', 1832,  the encyclical against the first modern error......liberalism. He who holds the heresy of liberalism is by definition anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Divine Revelation, anti- Church (the keeper of Revelation), anti- Magisterium because he goes against all the teachings of the Church, anti-pope because he goes against all the teachings of the valid Popes, anti-truth because he believes only in subjective truth, anti-religion because he goes against everything supernatural and anti-self because he cannot prove anything he believes in. He is surely anti-the Blessed Virgin in her Assumption.

Forgiveness and Elpidio Quirino

1. The 19th and 20th Sunday in Ordinary time spoke about the 'Bread of Life.' And St. Thomas commented on how to eat this 'Bread of Life.' He said by walking towards the Bread asking God in every step to forgive one's sins and the next step in forgiving those who have sinned against us. Walk towards that Bread by reciting that part of the 'Our Father' forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us.
     God will forgive our sins only if we forgive those who sinned against us. If we do not forgive those who have sinned against us, no matter how many times we confess, those sins will not be forgiven. The 'Our Father' is clear, that forgiveness of our own sins depend on our first forgiving those who sinned against us.
     The 'Our Father' is precisely recited before Holy Communion so that our forgiving of those who have sinned against us would remove all our past sins thus preparing us for our own worthy reception of Holy Communion. In fact, in any situation where we need to be in the state of grace, like before Holy Communion or before dying, if we find ourselves in sin the fastest way to prepare ourselves is to forgive all those who sinned against us. Since this act will make us deserving to be forgiven by God.

2. Asking for God's forgiveness for our own sins should always accompany forgiving those who have sinned against us. Both are a difficult combination because it entails much knowledge of Catholic Doctrine. If even one heretical doctrine contaminates one's knowledge of Catholic teaching, both act of asking forgiveness and forgiving others become difficult. And it is unfortiunate that today we live in very evil days, St. Paul wrote to the Ephesias (second Reading.) The evils of today had drowned everyone's ability to ask for forgiveness on one hand and to give forgiveness on the other hand. Thus everyone is in that state in which God will not forgive them.  And they aggravate the situation  because they all go to Mass and receive Holy Communion thus committing a second sin by receiving Holy Communion sacrilegiously unto their condemnation.

3. A bishop.
    I know of a bishop who gathers people who do not think of their sins and consequently cannot forgive those who sinned against them. He aggravates their situation by making them recall sins against them,  arousing their hatred and desire for vengeance by telling them how they can earn money by feeding their hatred. He calls it 'retreats.' He does this to every soul who shows him they cannot forgive. Alone, this bishop can drag the whole world down to hell, first, because of their inability to forgive, God will not forgive them. Secondly since he celebrates Mass with them and gives Holy Communion, what is meant to be the 'Bread of Life,' becomes poison for them, according to St. Thomas.
                                                                           

4. A Catholic Politician.
     Elpidio Quirino was the second President of the Philippines during my time. That was just after the end of the second World War. I was 4 yrs old.  Japan had been defeated and there were many Japanese prisoners in the island. The wife of Elpidio Quirino, Alicia Syquia, one of his son and two daughter were earlier killed by the Japanese. And five other members of his family, it seems. And Elpidio was now the President of the Philippines. The Japanese soldiers, now Philippine prisoners,  had all been duly sentenced according  to their crimes; death sentence, life sentence and other minor punishments.  As President, Elpidio Quirino could have allowed the wheel of justice to role since sentence had been given. Let the heads role.
     It is not clear when Quirino begun to think; but he needed a delicate medical procedure in the U.S. that would probably endanger his life. Being a devout Catholic, he begun to think. If he did not forgive the Japanese who killed millions of Filipinos and his own family, then God would not forgive him as the 'Our Father' states. On the other hand, if he forgave the Japanese the Filipinos who suffered grievously under their cruel occupation would hate him. He would lose the love of the Filipino people.  Besides, presidential election is around the corner. If he loses the love of the Filipino people he would certainly lose the election. His opponent then was Ramon Magsaysay.
   
Elpidio Quirino was faced with a test of Faith. He had to choose between the tree of life and the tree with the forbidden fruit; in the first place, either to be enshrined perpetually in the hearts of the Filipino people by executing those Japanese murderers. And consequently to win the presidential election against Magsaysay. Or, to do God's will and forgive by executive clemency the Japanese prisoners of war,  that God may forgive him in return. Elpidio was a lawyer; he was a thinking man and his choice was clear. He asked for a microphone and broadcasted the executive clementy; all Japanese prisoners are free and may return to Japan. Elpidio forgave in his desire to be equally forgiven. He chose to do God's will. He was an intelligent man (as the reading of the 20th Sunday states.). To win God's pleasure, he paid dearly with his political career. The Filipinos, unable to understand at first his actions hated him. And he lost the election against Magsaysay. The most vocal were the Spanish mestizos whose population was decimated by Japanese atrocities. They switched and suported Magsaysay.

But the story of a good Catholic man does not end there.  The released Japanese prisoners went home with great joy . They could not understand Elpidio's gesture which is unparelleled in the history of wars. No president or country had ever done anything like this before.  All they could think of is; he was a Christian. Even now, the loved one of those freed solders would reverently bow in gratitude and awe every time the name of Elpidio Quirino is mentioned.  And the Spanish mestizos, interviewed many years after in a chapel, answering if they understood what Elpidio did, would answere; 'he was right. What he did was right. After all they were also Catholics and interviewed in obviously a chapel they could not miss the fact that the Our Father that motivated Elpidio was always recited before Holy Communion. 'Forgive us our sins as we forgive trhose who sinned against us.....' The documentary showed many good points of Elpidio Quirino. But as the documentary ended, the most important aspect of his life was featured by a choir.....I think that was inside the Vigan catedral, singing the 'Our Father.' And forgive us our sins. As we forgive those who sinned against us.
     It is funny. I have been looking homilies for the 19th and 20th Sunday in Ordinary time in the internet. I did not find any that impressed me. I heard the story of the bishop mentioned above. But he was the anti-thesis of the important message on forgiveness.  And, it was, I think a National Geographic documentary that I watched all about  Elpidio Quirino, a Filipino president, a shinning example of forgiveness unequaled today amidst politicians. See how they have not forgiven past presidents.  And, therefore, their own sins remain unforgiven. But isn't it even funier. That the good example is that of a Catholic politician; while the bad example is that of a bad Catholic bishop?

There is a wind blowing.

1. A good wind is blowing.
     There is no such thing as a bad wind. As there is no such thing as a bad weather. Things that come from God is always good; that includes winds and weathers. But this is another kind of wind. It is a book by St. Robert Bellarmine. Many of his writings had been translated in English. But these two are still in Latin as of a few months ago. But now had had recently been  translated. 'De notis Ecclesiae' and 'on the Popes.'

2. It is causing destruction.
     Suddenly everybody is in panic.The book enumerating the 15 Marks of the true Church and the true Catholic is beginning to show that most laymen, nuns, brothers, priests, bishops and cardinals are not Catholics at all. Because they do not have the 15 Marks of Catholicity. To be a Catholic one has to have the 15 Marks. Though it is enough to have three or four signs like the ones we have discussed in the past posts but to be sure it is better to have all the 15 Marks.
     Suddenly, it is noticeable that parishes and dioceses do not have the 15 Marks and, therefore, those who carry the label Catholic are not really Catholic.
     Suddenly most of the Catholic groups, from the Neo-Catechumen to the Foccolare do not have all the 15 Marks of the Church.
     Suddenly, the Chinese Catholics, the Japanese Catholics, the Korean Catholics and the European and Asian Catholics do not have all the Marks of the true Catholic Church. The book had caused total chaos. It is just like the times of St. Jerome. When he woke up the whole world was Arian. Today, as we woke up, got the book of St. Bellarmine, and find the whole world was not-Catholic.

3. Of course, there are a few who have all the 15 Marks of the Church. But it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
                                                                         

4. What is more distressing is that when we apply the 15 Marks of the true Church on the Pope, he, too, does not have any of the Marks. The poor Jesuits who translated the book are at a total lost to explain how come the Pope does not have the Marks of Catholicity. What makes it more difficult is that the poor Jesuits find themselves, also, without the 15 Marks of Catholicity. No problem. Even the Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans and most religious orders do not have the 15 Marks either. The book is like the Angel of Death passing like a wind in Egypt and labeling each 'non-Catholic'  spiritually dead. It is a good wind, like the angel of death. But it is declaring who are those who are spiritually dead......those who do not have the 15 Marks of the Church.

5. I have just discussed five Marks; antiquity, apostolicity, the spirit of prophesy, and no. 14 and 15; the latter was taken from the wise advise of Gamaliel to the Sanhedrin in Acts.  With these five Marks, most Catholics have already failed; meaning they don't have any of the sign. . But they still cannot believe it; they are still stunned. They don't know what to make of it. Will they just set aside St. Bellarmine's book. We cannot because the whole document 'Lumen Gentium' is based on the Ecclesiology of St. Augustine and St. Bellarmine. Those four visible signs recited in the Nicene Creed were expanded by St. Robert into 15 Marks. While we can fool ourselves and belief that we have the four visible signs because of their general description, it is impossible to attribute the 15 signs to anyone. All can  really see they do not have most of those signs.

6. The laymen are in the most pitiable situation in that, not only are they ignorant of the Marks of Catholicity, both the four and the 15 Marks   No priest or bishop could explain it to them for fear of being exposed that they, themselves, do not have the Marks.

7. But worse is the portion of the book on the Pope. First, while showing that the present Pope does not have the 15 Marks of Catholicity, it even shows that he has the opposite signs as enumerated by St. Bellarmine, as signs of Protestantism.  St. Bellarmine proceeds to state that a Pope in heresy cannot be a Pope because he is not even a bishop or a priest because he is not even a Christian.
This is  because of the spirit of 'Liberalism' prevalent among the clergy after Vatican II and more specially after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. From Bellarmine's examples of Protestantism we can see that the present Pope is more a Protestant than a Catholic due to his 'liberalism' beliefs.

8. The heresy St. Bellarmine was tackling was the liberalism prevalent among the Catholic clergy and as a result contaminating the entire laity. Few escaped this heresy in Bellarmine's time.

9, It is strange that the ones propagating the book are members of the SSPX. They have discovered that they have more Marks of the true Church than the Church of the Vatican. Evidently, they do not have all the 15 Marks due to their schismatic stand. But they have more Marks than the Catholic Church. In fact the Vatican does not have any Mark of the true Church, though individuals may have them. The signs of a predestined soul is different from the signs of the Church as a society.

.  The Oriental \Church is excited because they, too, have more Marks than Rome. And this is true. So why join a Church with less Marks? That is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The SSPX and the Orthodox should remain where they are until they can find the true Church with the 15 Marks of the Church. The head of Russia is more Catholic than the Pope.  At least he had forbidden same sex marriage.  While the Pope was  proposing and encouraging  same sex in the Synod and want  it approved by force this coming 2015  Synod. If he does that, what do we do?

10. There are Marks that individuals can develop on their own, like 'antiquity.' There are signs that can only be acquired in community, like 'holiness. There are signs that are pure gifts from God and, therefore, we just have to wait for it, like prophecy and No. 15, i.e. temporal favors  and eternal life. And there are signs we should fear, like No. 14,i.e. those who oppose the true Church of Christ should expect a painful death and the flames of fire. Having all these signs will take time. The earlier we start the better or as Pope John Paul and Benedict XVI wrote in describing it in their 'new' evangelization, the fastest way to acquire all these visible signs of the true Church is to work it out within monastic life of the primitive observance as described by St. Bonaventure.

The new religion and the new god.

1. The Church before and after the Fall.
     Adam and Eve, before the Fall, were an image of the Catholic Church. But their status as first members of the Church had not been confirmed by God because they had not passed their test of obedience. Adam and Eve, after the Fall, were an image of the Catholic Church as 'viatores', i.e. on their way back to Paradise. Working their repentance on earth they passed their test the second time around thus they are included in the list of saints.

2. The Fall.
     When Adam and Eve fell, thus becoming the first bad Catholics,  we see the beginnings of the devil's long range plan to start a new religion with a new god that will compete with the old true religion of God. It all started in Paradise.

3. The Fall happened within Paradise.
     It would happen within the physical boundaries of the Church. The Fall is the beginning of the 'new' religion. As Eve demonstrated, this new religion will consist in doing one's own will contrary to the known Will of God.  And as Eve did afterwards, she enticed Adam to do the same.
 Its  followers will do the same. They will choose their own will  contrary to the known Will of God. And then will entice others to do, also, their own will. This is the essence of this new religion. It's god is the devil whose will the followers will obey in the belief that it is their own will.

     Let us see how Eve practiced this new religion. Eve knew the expressed Will of God; that she could eat the fruits of all the trees in Paradise except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. So Eve knew exactly what was the expressed Will of God; what she could eat and what she could not eat. She had made two judgments with her intellect. First, she correctly judged what was God's Will; to eat any fruit of the garden and not to eat the fruit of the tree at the center.  Secondly, she correctly judged what was her own will; to eat of the fruit of the tree at the center. . Acting  according to this new religion she chose her own will over and above the known will of God. . This intellectual judgment to choose one's own will over and above the known Will of  God is the essence of this new religion. It consists in giving to someone else the obedience that is  due to God.
     Eve, forgot that that was not her own will. It was the will of the devil presented to her in the form of a temptation. There was a failure of intellectual judgment on the part of Eve. There was a defect in her human act. St. Thomas would describe it this way; the goodness of God was lacking in her act. And that made her act evil.  She was not doing her own will. She was doing the will of the devil.
                                                                           
4. The new religion and the new god after the Fall.
     So after the Fall, the new religion with the new god was established. It's god is the devil. And the worship of the devil will consist in doing his will, erroneously thought as one's own will,  over and above the known Will of God.
                                                                 

5. God revealed His Will to begin the testing of men;  as He tested Adam and Eve.
    When God tested Adam and Eve, He first expressed His Will clearly to them; 'You may eat of all the fruits in Paradise except the tree in the middle. ' Then God threatened them; 'If you even touch it, you will die the death.' There is the occasion of sin; to touch the fruit. And there is the actual sin; to eat the fruit.
     The devil toned down God's threat thus removing Eve's fear of God by telling her. 'You will not die.' So she willed what the devil willed. That act of choosing the will of devil thought to be one's own will over and above the known will of God is called disobedience. This act of disobedience is the sign of the absence of Faith that is necessary for salvation. Adam and Eve, at this point, should have gone straight to hell. But God in His mercy, prolonged their lives, sent them out of paradise, revealed to them once again His Will on their sojourn on earth and, this time, they preferred God's Will over their own will.

6. Each man must passed his test to go to heaven. The test is identical to that of Adam and Eve. To help us pass God gave us Divine Revelation. Divine Revelation contains the test all men will undergo and how to pass those test. It is basically choosing between the old religion of the 'antequated' God  and the 'new' religion of the 'new' god; it is a choice between the true God and bad angel who wanted to be like god.

7. God had set up the stage for the test.
     With His Divine Revelation, God had revealed to us His expressed Will. Now, we should only find out the will of the devil which we will always erroneously think is our will. So here, we should make three intellectual judgments; first, which is God's Will. Secondly, which is the devil's will. And thirdly, which is our own will.
     God's Will is easy to know because it is written in our hearts, St. Paul reminds us. It is further written down in Sacred Scriptures and explained by both the apostles and the Fathers of the Church. And the main obligation of the Catholic Church is to teach the Will of God from these sources. It cannot be known from any other source.
    How can we know the will of the devil. Well, if it goes against the Will of God; in exactly the same way the devil told Eve to go against God  and even called God a liar. How can we know it is our will? By introspection,  ( 'know thyself' is a great help.) Here the stage is set for the intellect to judge which is whose will.
                                                                       
8.  The free will chooses.
     After the intellect had made the above three judgments, the intellect informs the free will of its findings. Now the free will must choose. To follow God's Will, to follow the devil's will or to follow one's will. Since the devil constantly tempts men, the last two wills are always identical.

9. There are only two choices in this battle.
     The old God and the old religion on one hand. And the 'new' god and the 'new' religion. This is a real battle and we can witness it through the visible marks of the two contenders. The former is signed with the four visible  Marks of the true Church of Christ. The latter do not have the four signs enumerated in the Nicene Creed.

10, Let us view one of this battle. The one in the Vatican on 2014.
     Like Eve, the participants in the Bishop's Synod of 2014, knew the expressed Will of God revealed in the Old and New Testament and in all the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church; that adultery and sodomy are the forbidden tree cultivated in the middle of all modern culture. 'Do not even touch it. Or you will die.' All the bishops had made the intellectual judgment that those two acts are against the Will of God and are, therefore, sins. They, surely, had made this first judgment with their intellect. Secondly, everybody intellectually knew that adultery and sodomy is from the devil. St. Paul said so. Thirdly, one third of the bishops expressed their will to propose that these two commands of God may be disobeyed. And like Eve,  they offered it to the other bishops for approval.  So, one third of the bishops in the Synod were in fact practicing the 'new religion' where they followed their own will over and above God's will even though they knew this is a temptation from the devil. Following the devil's will they have the devil as their god.
     Two thirds of the bishops, on the other hand, seems to have passed that test. They will still have many other test to pass in the future. But at the present, one third failed.  They have to repent to be able to rise again to their previous spiritual level, as St. Peter immediately recovered when he repented having denied Christ three times.
     But there is a problem. In their proposal to recommend a life of supervised repentance for the remarried before they can receive Holy Communion, their proposed life of supervised repentance was defective. It is very different from the evangelical repentance Pope Benedict ordered discussed during  the Bishop's Synod of 2012  and which they intentionally omitted. Thus they do not really know how to repent.

11. Now, let us look at the overall picture.
     Let us look at the testing scenario; i.e. God testing men..
     First; God expressed His Will to be obeyed by all men. God's Will is expressed in three levels. God's Will is expressed in the first natural level through the commands of God as expressed in the Old Testament. This is available to all men. The second level is God's Will as expressed by Christ in the New Testament. This cannot be known by men unless they have Faith that comes with sanctifying grace. The third level of God's Will is expressed by the Holy Spirit. This is revealed to all who have received the Holy Spirit. This is the mystical life that is available to very few.
     Due to a defective evangelization, most souls do not know the Revealed Will of God. Not even in it shortest form, the 'Golden Rule.' Ignorance of the Will of God as expressed in the supernatural level of the New Testament is all the more unknown because Faith is needed to know this. All the more the Will of God as expressed to Mystics is not known. Christ called this state the 'decay of Faith' while Pope Benedict called it the crisis of Faith. This can be seen during the Bishop's Synod of 2014 and in every day conversation. Most men are unconscious of the supernatural world; they do not know the face of God.
     This is due to men's complete involvement in the things of the natural world. It prevents them from knowing the supernatural world.  As a consequence, men is conscious, only, of his own likes or the will of the devil as presented to him as his own personal likes and dislikes. Men is conscious of what he likes and everything is judged by that. And who presents to him the countless worldly likes, from NBA games to trips to the beaches of Thailand?  The life of fun and enjoyment which essentially consist in doing what one likes is the forbidden tree, according to the 'Following of Christ'...and it.come from the devil. Nobody will believe that because most do not have the Faith necessary to see supernatural realities.
                                                                 
12. We cannot die in this state.
     In the recent crash of Malaysian Airline, where was all the emphasis? At the search for the black box, at the erratic flight path it took, where it probably crashed. And now at the pieces of debris found near Reunion island. The only important thing is where are all those people who died?  Each has to answer this question though it is too late for all because they have suddenly found themselves in places they have never imagined.
     For Catholics it is simple. If you belong to the 'antiquated' or old religion, as St. Robert Bellarmine described it, you will surely find yourself in heaven. But if you belong to the 'new' religion', doing the will of the devil whose cousin is Lady Liberty, and forcing others to do your own will, then you certainly will be in hell. It would not matter where the debris of the wings are found.

13. The latest translation of St. Robert Bellarmine's 'In Controversiis' is causing waves. There are not enough copies to go around. Some had voiced reprinting the copies and distributing it around free of charge. It is a book all Catholic should read......at least, this week. It contains the 15 Marks of the true Church of Jesus Christ. These 15 signs are an expanded list of the four classical visible signs of the true Church of Christ that Catholics recite in the Nicene Creed.
     We must find out if we have these 15 signs before we take a plane ride. If we have them we do not have to worry where the debris of wings will be. If we do not have these signs, it will not matter where those debris will be.

14. The book is causing alarm because most Catholics do not have the signs of true Catholicity; whether they are laymen, priest, bishop or cardinal. Neither Jesuits, Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans or diocesans have them. Everybody can find this out for themselves by getting that book.
     If it is difficult to have the four visible signs recited in the Nicene Creed, how much more the 15 MARKS since St. Bellarmine added signs implicit only in the four visible signs. This is the most urgent need for the Church to do today.....not tomorrow. Those 15 signs are like a winnowing fan that will separate the chaff from the grain. The majority of Catholics will be shocked to know where they belong. Until you know where you belong....don't fly.

The Schismatic Phenomenon

1.Why are many Catholics joining Protestant sects?
     A big Protestant sect in the U.S. is made up of ex-Catholics. Former South American Catholics are turning born again. The vast number of members of new Protestant sects in the Philippines started by mere laymen are ex-Catholics.
     If these ex-Catholics simply  had a problem of weak Faith and lost their Faith, they would not leave the Catholic Church and join Protestant sects. These ex-Catholics have a more serious problem; they never had the Catholic Faith at all.
     If they even  had a small Faith, they may loss that Faith but they would never leave the Catholic Church and join another Protestant sect. The weak or dead Faith  can sustain them and keep them Catholics. Catholics with weak Faith who lose their Faith never leave the Church and join Protestant sect. Those who do so have never had an iota of true Catholic Faith.
     So we have to look for another reason why this phenomenon is rampant all around the world. As the first readings of these past week day masses state; because of incompetent shepherds. The shepherds never fed them the Faith because they themselves did not have Faith.

2. As we have seen in the past posts, the devil will always aim at the head just as we, also, must aim at the head of the snake when destroying him. Satan starts with corrupting the seminaries in the hope that most of the graduating priests will be corrupt. This is in accord with  Satan's aim of having many corrupt bishops chosen from the corrupt priests. With many corrupt bishops, the probability is great  that one of them would be a cardinal. And from there, Satan knows that he is just one step in having a group of corrupt bishops electing  a corrupt Pope. While Satan is concentrating on the priests, bishops, cardinals and pope, the laymen are completely neglected.
     And so the sayings goes; the parish or diocese is just a little below the spirituality of their own priests or bishop. With spiritual leaders without Faith, this will be reflected among the Faithful in that they will be a little less than pagans.

3. The phenomenon called Schism had existed from the beginning of history.
     Schism is the breaking away from both the teachings of Christ as revealed in Scriptures and interpreted by the Fathers of the Church. It is, also, the breaking away from unity from obedience to a valid Pope .
     So schism have two elements; the breaking away from Divine Revelation and submission to the legitimate Pope.
     Schism, therefore, is rending away from the social unity of the Mystical Body of Christ and is often accompanied by embracing heresy.  It is rare for a schism to be a mere refusal to subordinate to lawful ecclesiastical authority. The insubordination is always motivated by a heresy. In effect, a mixed schism, is a heretical act. It not unusual for this heresy to become a full blown apostasy where there is a complete rejection of all  Catholic truths.
     Schism, heresy and apostasy are committed by those who from the very beginning had never made a mature act of Faith as defined in the Catholic Church. They were often already in the state of schism, heresy and apostasy before they become openly so. In short, schism, heresy and apostasy was already there all the time before it comes out in the open.

4. Schisms existed from the beginning of the Catholic Church.
    There were schisms in every century. The Corinthians were one of the first. The fourth century was overloaded with schisms. And its ugly nose was present up to Vatican I. It's worse form as Apostasy became full blown during Vatican II.  That time, unlike earlier times, the Catholic Church never recovered.
     The leaders of schisms, heresy and apostasies were mostly bishops. And it will be repeated during Vatican I and Vatican II up to the Bishop's  Synod of 2014. And it is expected to worsen during the upcoming Bishop's Synod of 2015.
                                                                       

 
5. Pope John XXIII and the preparatory commissions were thoroughly Catholic.
    When Pope John XXIII,  the bishop heads of the preparatory commission and their seven schemata were prepared to begin Vatican II.....they were a vision of the true Church of Christ with the evident four visible Marks of the Catholic Church. That was without doubt. The prepared schemata was thoroughly Catholic because it was based on Divine Revelation as interpreted by the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church. It was the sight of a boat calmly sailing on untroubled waters. Everyone was confident the Holy Spirit was in charged so much so Pope John XXIII expected the Counsel to finish its job in three months time, by December of that same year.
     But Christ, always,  tries His Church as the Gospel last Sunday narrated. Christ was going to feed five thousand. Before He does it, He tries the Faith of St. Philip. 'Do you think I can feed this five thousand hungry men?' And Phillip fails the test. 'Even several month's salary cannot feed this crowd.
     Vatican II was not another Pentecost. It was a test of Faith. After the theologically well made schemata was presented, the fathers of the Counsel totally  rejected the schemas. Rejected all the schema?
     Note how visible the Marks of the Catholic Church were on October 1962.  By December all the visible Marks of the Catholic Church as described in the Nicene Creed were gone.  It was not just a schism. If we based it on all the documents of the proceedings we do not see a mere refusal to subordinate to the Pope; it was a rejection of all dogmas of the Catholic Church, starting with the Catholic concept of the family, all of which were found in the original schema. And the Counsel began to proceed in its deliberation by describing an entirely new natural religion based on private belief.
     The original members of the preparatory committees fought a running battle to preserve the Faith but it was a losing battle. The final document of Vatican II was described as a devastated vineyard.

6. The apostasy was irreversible during Pope Paul VI.
     Pope Paul VI saw that 'Gaudium et Spes', was going to the dogs. The Catholic doctrine on the family had been rejected. To save the Catholic concept of marriage intact he issued 'Humani Vitae' prohibiting family planning. Even if he tried very hard to soften the doctrinal basis of the family planning, the bishops and priests rejected the Catholic Doctrine and declared their disobedience to the teaching of Magisterium, to the Pope and their separation from the Catholic Church. This rebellious phenomenon was world wide.
    Schism, heresies and apostasy are usually led by bishops in the past. During Vatican I and II they were led by German bishops. Today it is still led by German bishops. And as with King Herod, King Henry the VIII and Cardinal Kasper it begins with adultery, a heresy on the family. And it ends with complete separation from the Church, as the German Bishop's conference had already publicly declared, with the establishment of the hermeneutics of discontinuity and the beginning of a new  German church.

7. Rampant schisms.
    Schism and heresies are rampant today thus leading to apostasies. We saw it clearly during Vatican II. The records of the proceedings of Vatican II are testimonies to this. It is happening in Bishop's Synod. A recent secret meeting in the Vatican shows they intend to spread this apostasy around the world through local  Bishop's conferences during the up coming 2015 Bishop's Synod. This vast apostasy is being masterminded by bishops and cardinals. The rest are just ignorant docile followers going with the current of apostasy.

8. The quota.
    God is good, merciful and compassionate. But these virtues must be viewed with the back draft of His justice. Divine goodness, mercy and compassion cannot be understood without Divine Justice. In fact, it is God's justice that prompts Him to be good, merciful and compassionate. And it is His justice that makes Him give us 'a quota.' The Fathers of the Church, especially St. Augustine discussed this 'quota.' It says that each one is given by God a quota for doing good and doing evil. When someone reaches his quota of doing good, then God declares him meritorious of salvation. And if he goes over his quota of good, then he receives an extra reward over and above the salvation of his soul. But it often happens that when a  person reaches his quota of doing good God takes him to receive his reward.
     God, also, gives all men their quota of doing evil. They cannot do more evil than their quota. When they reach their quota, they die and receive their just punishment in hell.
     The problem is no one knows how much is their quota. They could reach their quota today, tomorrow or the next day. But which quota are they reaching? Is it for doing good or evil. While it is admirable that we soon reach our quota of good, it is fearful if we first reach our quota of evil.

     What is happening today is that, with schisms, heresies and apostasies, everybody is fast reaching their quotas of evil. While they are not prepared to face their judgement. The last Bishop's Synod was not only going into schism and committing heresies. They were going to full apostasy as exhibited by the hermeneutics of discontinuity and in their establishment of an entirely new religion adapted to the desires of modern man. Not according to the desires of God.

     Our present great interest in the visible Marks of the Catholic Church is because the more we reach our quota of doing good, the brighter the visible Marks of the Catholic Church shines in us. While the more we reach our quota of evil, the more the visible Marks of the Catholic Church cannot be found in us. Now, do you know why we cannot find the four visible signs of the Catholic Church in our Catholic parishes and dioceses? Or better still, now do you know why we do not even understand what those four visible signs are?

The Catholic Credentials.

1. The Catholic credentials.
     One of the big controversies during St. Bellarmine's time was on the Marks of the true Church . This controversy is useful, he wrote,  because the true remission of sins, and the hope of eternal salvation can, only, be found in the true Church alone.
     Even heretics claim that theirs is the true Church and everyone else are outside. So St. Bellarmine had to dive into the controversy and clarify the teachings of the true Church. And his teachings had been the foundation of 'Lumen Gentium,' the Vatican II document on Ecclesiology which, sadly, nobody is taking seriously.
     God had given His true Church proper credentials by which she can be differentiated from false churches. Some credentials are supernatural in nature; like Charity. ' By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.' Others are natural and visible easily discernible by all men; like One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Though these latter 4 Marks are natural visible signs they cannot be imitated by false religions because these signs are still in the border of both the natural and supernatural.  So Catholics can rest assured that no one can duplicate these signs and fool Catholics. Not even the devil can make imitations of these signs. The devils can make very bad imitations but not close imitations of them.  The devils are quite content to invent other signs of authenticity that are not based on the true teachings of the Catholic Church; , for example, what St. Robert Bellarmine described, like.'.knowledge of Scriptures ' was never a visible sign of the true Church nor a baptismal certificate nor proof of ordination or episcopal consecration nor an election by a conclave. Sit down and read the 4 Marks enumerated by the Nicene-Constantinople Creed and none of the just mentioned signs are part of it.
     The true and orthodox teaching of Christ is that the true Church had four visible signs; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. There is no other way by which we can know the true Church. The same goes with individual members. Just as the Catholic Community should exhibit the four visible signs, each individual Catholic should, also, exhibit the four signs. It is easier to see the signs in a community. It is still easy to find them in individuals but a little more difficult to do so.

2. All Catholics must have credentials.
    Since witnessing is the best way of evangelization, God wants that pagans be converted because they see the 4 Marks of the Catholic Church. These Marks are philosophically convincing and needs no arguments to convert. So the signs should be visible, hanging on every Catholic's neck like an ID card for all to see. It must be exhibited by the Pope, the cardinals, the bishops, the priests, every husband and wife and every child. Because they make up the Church, thus they must all exhibit their Catholic credentials.

3. We must know those credentials to be able to check on each other's credentials because as St. Bellarmine wrote, the Protestants have many erroneous opinions on what are the true marks of the Church. So he found it necessary to , first, refute the protestant's opinions and, secondly to teach and defend the true Catholic teaching.
     St. Robert Bellarmine noted that Martin Luther, in enumerating his own marks of the Church, was very careful in avoiding the authentic 4 visible signs mentioned in the  Creed. He knew that if he used these signs the Protestants will certainly not have them.
     We had mentioned the seven marks of the Church according to Martin Luther where he cleverly avoided the 4 Catholic Marks knowing his churches would not  have those 4 visible signs. Let us look,  however, at some erroneous concepts Catholics think are signs of Catholicity. That those who are baptized and who have received the other sacraments are Catholics. That those who are members of the hierarchy are Catholics. That the one elected Pope is automatically a Catholic. That Catholic schools are Catholics. That Catholic religious orders are Catholics. That Catholic organizations are Catholic. Well, none of the above are official credentials of Catholicity. The official credentials is whenever two or three are One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic......then there is the Catholic Church and the two or three are true Catholics.

4. To understand the 4 Marks, we must know their dynamics, i.e. how those signs work. Here are brief descriptions of each Mark. 'One' - the members of the community must believe in exactly the same truths in their minds. There must be no differences in their beliefs. Aside from believing the same truths, all members of the community must believe in all the truths and not only know partial truths.  The first truths are natural truths making up the spirituality of the Old Testament. Then it is followed by the teachings of Christ taught as the spirituality of the New Testament. Oneness in the knowledge of this latter truths, in a complete way which are in the supernatural level,  is what makes us Catholics.
     Secondly; 'Holy'. The complete truths learned is the way to holiness so, therefore, the soul should advance in holiness. A Catholic cannot be stagnant spiritually. He must grow spiritually everyday. Starting from living the life of repentance which is the first knowledge our intellects must acquire and gradually rising to the theological virtue of Faith which is knowledge of the teachings of Christ, which when put into practice makes us Holy; this is the second Mark.
     Thirdly, since knowledge of one or two of the teachings of the commands of Christ in the New Testament is a work of the Holy Spirit and is never the accomplishment of the seminary, the teachings worldwide should be  identical. Thus the Church is 'Catholic', i.e. universal because there is no African Church, no Latin Church, and no Asian Church, etc.
     Fourthly, The initial intellectual knowledge that the community must possess must come, both, from Scriptures, specially the apostles' writings and as interpreted by the Fathers of the Church. Scriptures and the Fathers make up the so-called Apostolic teachings. It must not come from anyone outside those two sources.

5. Why must we be certain which is the true Church and why should we be inside that Church.
     Because forgiveness of sin is only within the Catholic Church. If your parish or diocese does not have the four visible signs, sins cannot be forgiven there. The true sacraments, specially the Holy Eucharist, in only within the true Church. Where there are no  visible signs there is no Mass. Where there is no four  visible signs there is no knowledge of the truth, Bellarmine continues. And there is no salvation where there are no four  signs.
     In the past posts we had reviewed the seven common marks Protestants enumerate as the signs of the true church. Bellarmine had refuted all of them. Except today, most Catholics use those erroneous signs as proofs that the Catholic Church is the true Church; like the mere use of the name 'Catholic.' Or believing that mere reception of the Sacraments make us Catholics.  Of course, the sacraments are true instruments of grace but those are not part of the visible marks of the true Church because most Protestants have those same Sacraments.
                                                                       
6. St. Bellarmine's Marks are expansions but are still part of the four because they are found in Scriptures.
     Let us return to the 14th and 15th Mark. Both are enhancements from the four Nicene visible signs. And these is found in Acts;  those who oppose the true Christian community is opposing Christ, Himself. While those who defend the community defends Christ, Himself. These two Marks were taken from the wise advise of Gamaliel who said;" Theudas and Judas started something man-made and it came to nothing.' Then,  referring to the early Church in the person of the Apostles he continued. "I advise you 'Leave these men alone.'  Let them go.  For if their purpose or activity is of human origin it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourself fighting God."
     If I am faced with a Christian community and I have to judge them,  I will do it the simplest way. I will master the Marks of the Church, and see if they have it. If I know the marks, it should take me just a few weeks to judge them. If they have it and I defend them, God will reward me. If they have it and I oppose them God will condemn me.

     But what if I do not know the signs of the true church. What if after one, two to three years I  still do not know whether they are from God or not; because I, myself, do not have  the visible signs.  I would be in grave danger in not 'leaving them alone.' Then I would not 'be wise like Gamaliel. I will 'try to stop them' and expose myself to the great possibility of  fighting God.' And end up with a dreadful way of dying and being cast into eternal flames. Being unwise and opposing the community, I would probably add an unrepentant adulterous life and a life of sodomy and assure my condemnation. He who is unwise will surely commit this mistake. So St. Robert Bellarmine tells us to be wise and master the 15 Marks of the Church. And judge everything around by these criteria.

7. Only one act, 'Oppose' or 'defend', can bring us to hell or to heaven.
     St. James wrote; 'obedience to one command is obedience to all the commands of Christ. Disobedience to one is disobedience to all. In the 14th Mark, it states that to 'oppose' the christian community is enough to bring you to an unhappy end and damnation. You do not have to add adultery and sodomy to your sin of 'opposing the community' to go to hell because all the sins, including adultery and sodomy are included in the sin of 'opposing the community' as Christ reminded St. Paul on his way to persecute the community of Christians.
     On the other hand, note that to be rewarded by God it is enough to defend the truth. Because within the act of defending the truth is contained all the acts of virtue; like when Dimas defended Christ on the Cross from the other thief. It was enough for him to do that to be with Christ, that day, in Paradise.

8. It is enough to 'oppose  the christian community' to go to hell. But, merely, to know the truth is not enough. We must outwardly defend the truth; this is the 15th  sign that we are Catholics. Today Catholic truths are under attacked from all quarters. Because many do not know the complete truths they are silent before these attacks, or worse, for lack of Faith, take part in these attacks. Unable to defend outwardly the truth they do not deserve the promise.

9. Bad signs of the times.
    The last 2014 Bishop's Synod was a bad sign of the times. It had been a traumatic experience for the Catholic world while, at the same time, a cause of great rejoicing for the enemies of the Church. One third of the attendees led by Bishop Baldiserri opposed the teachings of Scriptures, the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church by proposing the admission of unrepentant adulterers to Holy Communion among others. Fortunately two thirds of the Bishops led by Cardinal Burke defended the apostolic teachings. With one third 'opposing' and two thirds 'defending.' the Bishop's Synod held in the Vatican lost all her four visible signs of being the true Church of Christ with one third destined for a dreadful death and eternal fire while two thirds looking forward for temporal blessings and life everlasting. The worrisome thing is that the Catholic Church disappeared from the Vatican. But as some of the other news observed; the idea of a Catholic nation or country had long ago disappeared from the face of the world. Neither Europe, Ireland nor the Philippines, as nations, have the four visible signs. Though a few individuals might still have them, by the grace of God.

10.. We are living in winnowing times. Angels are sorting the cockles from the wheat. The fruits of the wheat and the fruitlessness of the cockles are now evident. Time for choosing sides is over. Most have made their choices. Next, we are just awaiting the fearful judgement of God.