1. For the Church is one body, one spouse, one flock, as Scripture teaches everywhere, as well as in the creed of the Council of Constantinople, where we say 'one Church'.
Moreover, the particular union of the body consists in the union of the members with the head, and among themselves. We must speak on each union, even in the first place on the foremost, that of the Roman Pontiff. However, since we have already given a treatise in another place on the Head of the Church, here we merely bring a few testimonies of the Fathers to the fore, whereby we will show that union with the Roman Pontiff was always held as a mark of the true Church among the ancient Fathers.
St. Irenaeus clearly says, ' it is necessary for every Church (that is, those who are, in all respect, faithful) to agree with the Roman Church on account of a mightier pre-eminence.
Whoever shall eat the lamb outside this house, is profane; if anyone was not in the ark of Noah, he perished while the flood was master. Whoever does not gather with you scatters that is, who is not of Christ is of Anti-Christ.
Pope Leo the Great in his epistle to the bishops of Vienna; 'The Lord so wished the oath of preaching the gopel to pertain to the duty of all apostles, that he principally placed it in the most blessed Peter, chief of all the apostles, the his gift might defuse from that head as into every head, so that I would exhort anyone who had dared to recede from the solidity of Peter, to understand this is itself a divine mystery.
Add to these testimonies experience, we see indeed all those Churches, which divided themselves from that head, just as branches cut away from the root, immediately wither.
2. The members.
Let us now come to the agreement of the members among themselves. It is certain, concord is a sign of the kingdom of God, which ought to stand in eternity. Discord, however, is of the kingdom of the devil because, at length, it ought to come to ruin. Every kingdom divided against itself will be despoiled.
St. Augustine says; 'the devil desired to effect through heretics that in the Church of Christ there might be free dissensions, just as there were in the academies of philosophers; that as these through many divisions at length died out, and were consumed by each other, so it will be in the Church.
Accordingly, in the first place, all the holy writers in our Church wonderfully agreed among themselves, although there were different men in different places, times and languages who wrote, which St. Augustine observes on the matter.
Thereupon all decrees of legitimate councils and popes agreed among themselve, even in all dogmas, although they were promulgated by different men, in different places, times, occasions and against very different, nay more, contrary heresies.,
This is an obvious sign of one and the same Holy Spirit, governing the Church. The diligence of heretics shows this is true, that although they laboriously pursue all things, nevertheless, they have not discovered anything of any importance which they could condemn as we showed in the disputation on Councils.
Thereupon, now all Catholics, dispersed throughout the whole world believe the same things on all dogmas of faith. Nor can they think otherwise, since all subject their sense to the sense of one and of the same supreme pastor from the chair of Peter with the counsel of other pastors directing the Church.
There was never any sect of heathen, or of heretics, in which there was such a consensus, and this can easily be shown. First, on the pagan sects, St. Augustine teaches that both Juno and Hercules, and other gods disagreeing with themselves belonged to the same religion, and even waged war among each other. Concerning all philosophers it was known, as St. Basil says, 'it is not fitting that we should fight against the philosophers, since these suffice in their mutual dissensions to overturn the other's doctrine.
At the time of St. Bellarmine, Luther's sect had already been divided into 100 different sects.
3. Objections against the Catholic Church.
Calvin says, from this 7th mark can be gathered that the Catholic church is not the true Church since there are as many assemblies of schismatics and divisions as there are monasteries. Some are called Benedictines, other Franciscans and other Dominicans, Thirdly, some add more sects, Thomas, Scotists and the like which are among us.
The doctrine of the Church in itself gives birth to union and association of souls but heresy in itself and from its own nature, blossoms forth into divisions and schisms.
4. The elements that make up the Catholic Church.
St. Bellarmine enumerated the elements that make up the Catholic Church; namely, Jesus Christ as its head. The Pope, who is the vicar of Christ. The bishops who assists the Pope in his role. Then we have the priests who assist the bishops in their territories. Below the pyramid are the faithful who will guided to enter the Catholic Church through an act of Faith.
The most important thing in this pyramid is that all of them must be liken to branches attached to the vine as Christ, Himself, described the Catholic Church. Anyone who is cut off from the vine will wilt and will be good for nothing except to be thrown away and burnt. The sap from the main vine must flow without impediment and without contamination to all the branches that are attached to the vine.
The worst thing that can happen to any of the branches is to be cut off.
5. Keeping the line open.
The flow of life from Christ down to the laypeople must be without any impediment or cut off. The impediment or cut off is heresy, schism or sins.
6. How a free flowing pipeline should look like.
A free flowing pipeline that portrays the image of the Catholic Church should look something like this.
First, Jesus Christ is on the top with His Divine Revelation. The Divine Revelation contains God's plan of salvation for man.
Secondly, the Son of God became man and came down to earth to teach men this Divine Plan. Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man chose 12 apostles and taught them the complete Divine Plan.
And gave them the grace to know the complete plan, to know how to explain perfectly the Divine Plan and to know how to put that Divine Plan into practice.
Thirdly, seeing how the apostles were always discussing things He decided that only one should be in charge of teaching the complete Divine Plan, to avoid lengthy group discussions. Christ appointed St. Peter and his successors to be imbued by the Holy Spirit with the knowledge and wisdom to understand and implement the Divine Plan that Christ had revealed to the first apostles. Christ and the apostles made up the first Church and comforted to the fact that the apostles were branches attached to the vine Jesus Christ. Though one branch, Judas, was cut off; a tragedy we want to avoid.
At this point we have a picture of the Catholic Church; with Christ as the head and His Divine Revelation. St. Peter, a branch attached to Christ, as the first Pope. And the rest of the apostles, also, attached to the vine Jesus Christ (except Judas). So far the pipeline through which the Divine Revelation flows from Christ, down to the apostles is free flowing. All are attached to the vine excepting Judas who was cut off. He was not part of the Church.
7. After St. Peter.
After St. Peter, the message of salvation contained in Divine Revelation continued to come from its head Jesus Christ. And the pipeline is now transferred and connected to the next Pope and the next Pope ......and of late to Pope Benedict XVI. The plan of salvation contained in Divine Revelation is still in Christ and it is connected to Pope Benedict who must, under pain of damnation, must see to it that he receives this plan in all its purity; as God liked to say 'without adding and without subtracting. Without modifying and changing. Without contamination.
So the Pope should imitate Christ in transmitting the plan of salvation contained in Divine Revelation. Christ reveals it to the Pope and watches over him to see that he obeys the Plan in exactly the way He gave it......every second of the Pope's life until his death that he does not commit any mistake. Thus the infallibility that is given to the St. Peter alone and his successors. So, it is important to know who is the true Pope. And no Pope is allowed to retire and shut down the valve of the pipeline from head down to the bishops.
8. Bishops and priests.
Then from Christ to the Pope, the pipeline must continue down to the bishops. And from the bishops, down to the priests and to the laymen. Divine revelations should flow down from the Pope down to each laymen in all its purity without any contamination. And while the Pope, during his entire lifetime, must see to it that the bishops get Divine Revelation perfectly and observed in exactly as it was given from the beginning, the bishops and priest must continue this transfer down to each laymen and maintain its observance in exactly the same way as it was given from Christ without any alteration.
The purity of morals and doctrines must be pure from Christ down to the laymen. This transfer of doctrine and morals is kept pure by the work of the Holy Spirit. And this is the only way the union among the members of the Catholic Church and its head can be realised. This is not a human endeavour. It is a Divine action. Thus Christ reminds us that this peace and unity can only come from God and not from men. Thus this 7th Mark is a true sign of the true Catholic Church.
9. This pipeline does not exist in the present church headed by Pope Francis.
Obviously, the pipeline from Christ to the Popes was open and active, up to Pope Benedict XVI. But the pipeline from the Popes down to the Bishops were shut down even from the time of Pope Pius IX; there were only drops coming from the Pope down to a few handful of bishops and priests.....and down to the faithful. All those centuries, it was only drops.
But with Pope Francis, the pipeline from Christ to Pope Francis is complete cut off. As a priest, I have learned the contents of Divine Revelation which is available from the New Testament and explained by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. And I can see that not a drop is passing from Christ to Pope Francis, none from Pope Francis down to the bishops, priests and laymen. The Catholic Church, as we know it, is a vine with completely dry branches. The entire vine is dry, completely without fruits and completely dead ready for the fire.
10. Is there something that can be done?
Ordinarily, when the branches of a tree is completely dead and dried up, an attempt to revive it is to chop down all the dried branches even down to the roots and hope that there is a little life left in the roots. With all the burden of the dried branches sawed off down to the little life by the roots, shoots may begin to sprout and a completely new tree may grow.
Do you recall the emblem of the Benedictine monastery of Monte Casino established by St. Benedict? It is a cut down tree that is bearing new shoots. Pope Benedict reminded us of this.
In the church today that does not have this 7th Mark of the true Church, the only thing left to do is to completely chop it down to the root base and hope that new shoots sprouts.......only a new brand of monasticism can restore the Catholic Church today.
Monday, April 02, 2018
7th Mark of the true Church. The Union of members among themselves and with the head.
1. For the Church is one body, one spouse, one flock, as Scripture teaches everywhere, as well as in the creed of the Council of Constantinople, where we say 'one Church'.
Moreover, the particular union of the body consists in the union of the members with the head, and among themselves. We must speak on each union, even in the first place on the foremost, that of the Roman Pontiff. However, since we have already given a treatise in another place on the Head of the Church, here we merely bring a few testimonies of the Fathers to the fore, whereby we will show that union with the Roman Pontiff was always held as a mark of the true Church among the ancient Fathers.
St. Irenaeus clearly says, ' it is necessary for every Church (that is, those who are, in all respect, faithful) to agree with the Roman Church on account of a mightier pre-eminence.
Whoever shall eat the lamb outside this house, is profane; if anyone was not in the ark of Noah, he perished while the flood was master. Whoever does not gather with you scatters that is, who is not of Christ is of Anti-Christ.
Pope Leo the Great in his epistle to the bishops of Vienna; 'The Lord so wished the oath of preaching the gopel to pertain to the duty of all apostles, that he principally placed it in the most blessed Peter, chief of all the apostles, the his gift might defuse from that head as into every head, so that I would exhort anyone who had dared to recede from the solidity of Peter, to understand this is itself a divine mystery.
Add to these testimonies experience, we see indeed all those Churches, which divided themselves from that head, just as branches cut away from the root, immediately wither.
2. The members.
Let us now come to the agreement of the members among themselves. It is certain, concord is a sign of the kingdom of God, which ought to stand in eternity. Discord, however, is of the kingdom of the devil because, at length, it ought to come to ruin. Every kingdom divided against itself will be despoiled.
St. Augustine says; 'the devil desired to effect through heretics that in the Church of Christ there might be free dissensions, just as there were in the academies of philosophers; that as these through many divisions at length died out, and were consumed by each other, so it will be in the Church.
Accordingly, in the first place, all the holy writers in our Church wonderfully agreed among themselves, although there were different men in different places, times and languages who wrote, which St. Augustine observes on the matter.
Thereupon all decrees of legitimate councils and popes agreed among themselve, even in all dogmas, although they were promulgated by different men, in different places, times, occasions and against very different, nay more, contrary heresies.,
This is an obvious sign of one and the same Holy Spirit, governing the Church. The diligence of heretics shows this is true, that although they laboriously pursue all things, nevertheless, they have not discovered anything of any importance which they could condemn as we showed in the disputation on Councils.
Thereupon, now all Catholics, dispersed throughout the whole world believe the same things on all dogmas of faith. Nor can they think otherwise, since all subject their sense to the sense of one and of the same supreme pastor from the chair of Peter with the counsel of other pastors directing the Church.
There was never any sect of heathen, or of heretics, in which there was such a consensus, and this can easily be shown. First, on the pagan sects, St. Augustine teaches that both Juno and Hercules, and other gods disagreeing with themselves belonged to the same religion, and even waged war among each other. Concerning all philosophers it was known, as St. Basil says, 'it is not fitting that we should fight against the philosophers, since these suffice in their mutual dissensions to overturn the other's doctrine.
At the time of St. Bellarmine, Luther's sect had already been divided into 100 different sects.
3. Objections against the Catholic Church.
Calvin says, from this 7th mark can be gathered that the Catholic church is not the true Church since there are as many assemblies of schismatics and divisions as there are monasteries. Some are called Benedictines, other Franciscans and other Dominicans, Thirdly, some add more sects, Thomas, Scotists and the like which are among us.
The doctrine of the Church in itself gives birth to union and association of souls but heresy in itself and from its own nature, blossoms forth into divisions and schisms.
4. The elements that make up the Catholic Church.
St. Bellarmine enumerated the elements that make up the Catholic Church; namely, Jesus Christ as its head. The Pope, who is the vicar of Christ. The bishops who assists the Pope in his role. Then we have the priests who assist the bishops in their territories. Below the pyramid are the faithful who will guided to enter the Catholic Church through an act of Faith.
The most important thing in this pyramid is that all of them must be liken to branches attached to the vine as Christ, Himself, described the Catholic Church. Anyone who is cut off from the vine will wilt and will be good for nothing except to be thrown away and burnt. The sap from the main vine must flow without impediment and without contamination to all the branches that are attached to the vine.
The worst thing that can happen to any of the branches is to be cut off.
5. Keeping the line open.
The flow of life from Christ down to the laypeople must be without any impediment or cut off. The impediment or cut off is heresy, schism or sins.
6. How a free flowing pipeline should look like.
A free flowing pipeline that portrays the image of the Catholic Church should look something like this.
First, Jesus Christ is on the top with His Divine Revelation. The Divine Revelation contains God's plan of salvation for man.
Secondly, the Son of God became man and came down to earth to teach men this Divine Plan. Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man chose 12 apostles and taught them the complete Divine Plan.
And gave them the grace to know the complete plan, to know how to explain perfectly the Divine Plan and to know how to put that Divine Plan into practice.
Thirdly, seeing how the apostles were always discussing things He decided that only one should be in charge of teaching the complete Divine Plan, to avoid lengthy group discussions. Christ appointed St. Peter and his successors to be imbued by the Holy Spirit with the knowledge and wisdom to understand and implement the Divine Plan that Christ had revealed to the first apostles. Christ and the apostles made up the first Church and comforted to the fact that the apostles were branches attached to the vine Jesus Christ. Though one branch, Judas, was cut off; a tragedy we want to avoid.
At this point we have a picture of the Catholic Church; with Christ as the head and His Divine Revelation. St. Peter, a branch attached to Christ, as the first Pope. And the rest of the apostles, also, attached to the vine Jesus Christ (except Judas). So far the pipeline through which the Divine Revelation flows from Christ, down to the apostles is free flowing. All are attached to the vine excepting Judas who was cut off. He was not part of the Church.
7. After St. Peter.
After St. Peter, the message of salvation contained in Divine Revelation continued to come from its head Jesus Christ. And the pipeline is now transferred and connected to the next Pope and the next Pope ......and of late to Pope Benedict XVI. The plan of salvation contained in Divine Revelation is still in Christ and it is connected to Pope Benedict who must, under pain of damnation, must see to it that he receives this plan in all its purity; as God liked to say 'without adding and without subtracting. Without modifying and changing. Without contamination.
So the Pope should imitate Christ in transmitting the plan of salvation contained in Divine Revelation. Christ reveals it to the Pope and watches over him to see that he obeys the Plan in exactly the way He gave it......every second of the Pope's life until his death that he does not commit any mistake. Thus the infallibility that is given to the St. Peter alone and his successors. So, it is important to know who is the true Pope. And no Pope is allowed to retire and shut down the valve of the pipeline from head down to the bishops.
8. Bishops and priests.
Then from Christ to the Pope, the pipeline must continue down to the bishops. And from the bishops, down to the priests and to the laymen. Divine revelations should flow down from the Pope down to each laymen in all its purity without any contamination. And while the Pope, during his entire lifetime, must see to it that the bishops get Divine Revelation perfectly and observed in exactly as it was given from the beginning, the bishops and priest must continue this transfer down to each laymen and maintain its observance in exactly the same way as it was given from Christ without any alteration.
The purity of morals and doctrines must be pure from Christ down to the laymen. This transfer of doctrine and morals is kept pure by the work of the Holy Spirit. And this is the only way the union among the members of the Catholic Church and its head can be realised. This is not a human endeavour. It is a Divine action. Thus Christ reminds us that this peace and unity can only come from God and not from men. Thus this 7th Mark is a true sign of the true Catholic Church.
9. This pipeline does not exist in the present church headed by Pope Francis.
Obviously, the pipeline from Christ to the Popes was open and active, up to Pope Benedict XVI. But the pipeline from the Popes down to the Bishops were shut down even from the time of Pope Pius IX; there were only drops coming from the Pope down to a few handful of bishops and priests.....and down to the faithful. All those centuries, it was only drops.
But with Pope Francis, the pipeline from Christ to Pope Francis is complete cut off. As a priest, I have learned the contents of Divine Revelation which is available from the New Testament and explained by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. And I can see that not a drop is passing from Christ to Pope Francis, none from Pope Francis down to the bishops, priests and laymen. The Catholic Church, as we know it, is a vine with completely dry branches. The entire vine is dry, completely without fruits and completely dead ready for the fire.
10. Is there something that can be done?
Ordinarily, when the branches of a tree is completely dead and dried up, an attempt to revive it is to chop down all the dried branches even down to the roots and hope that there is a little life left in the roots. With all the burden of the dried branches sawed off down to the little life by the roots, shoots may begin to sprout and a completely new tree may grow.
Do you recall the emblem of the Benedictine monastery of Monte Casino established by St. Benedict? It is a cut down tree that is bearing new shoots. Pope Benedict reminded us of this.
In the church today that does not have this 7th Mark of the true Church, the only thing left to do is to completely chop it down to the root base and hope that new shoots sprouts.......only a new brand of monasticism can restore the Catholic Church today.
Moreover, the particular union of the body consists in the union of the members with the head, and among themselves. We must speak on each union, even in the first place on the foremost, that of the Roman Pontiff. However, since we have already given a treatise in another place on the Head of the Church, here we merely bring a few testimonies of the Fathers to the fore, whereby we will show that union with the Roman Pontiff was always held as a mark of the true Church among the ancient Fathers.
St. Irenaeus clearly says, ' it is necessary for every Church (that is, those who are, in all respect, faithful) to agree with the Roman Church on account of a mightier pre-eminence.
Whoever shall eat the lamb outside this house, is profane; if anyone was not in the ark of Noah, he perished while the flood was master. Whoever does not gather with you scatters that is, who is not of Christ is of Anti-Christ.
Pope Leo the Great in his epistle to the bishops of Vienna; 'The Lord so wished the oath of preaching the gopel to pertain to the duty of all apostles, that he principally placed it in the most blessed Peter, chief of all the apostles, the his gift might defuse from that head as into every head, so that I would exhort anyone who had dared to recede from the solidity of Peter, to understand this is itself a divine mystery.
Add to these testimonies experience, we see indeed all those Churches, which divided themselves from that head, just as branches cut away from the root, immediately wither.
2. The members.
Let us now come to the agreement of the members among themselves. It is certain, concord is a sign of the kingdom of God, which ought to stand in eternity. Discord, however, is of the kingdom of the devil because, at length, it ought to come to ruin. Every kingdom divided against itself will be despoiled.
St. Augustine says; 'the devil desired to effect through heretics that in the Church of Christ there might be free dissensions, just as there were in the academies of philosophers; that as these through many divisions at length died out, and were consumed by each other, so it will be in the Church.
Accordingly, in the first place, all the holy writers in our Church wonderfully agreed among themselves, although there were different men in different places, times and languages who wrote, which St. Augustine observes on the matter.
Thereupon all decrees of legitimate councils and popes agreed among themselve, even in all dogmas, although they were promulgated by different men, in different places, times, occasions and against very different, nay more, contrary heresies.,
This is an obvious sign of one and the same Holy Spirit, governing the Church. The diligence of heretics shows this is true, that although they laboriously pursue all things, nevertheless, they have not discovered anything of any importance which they could condemn as we showed in the disputation on Councils.
Thereupon, now all Catholics, dispersed throughout the whole world believe the same things on all dogmas of faith. Nor can they think otherwise, since all subject their sense to the sense of one and of the same supreme pastor from the chair of Peter with the counsel of other pastors directing the Church.
There was never any sect of heathen, or of heretics, in which there was such a consensus, and this can easily be shown. First, on the pagan sects, St. Augustine teaches that both Juno and Hercules, and other gods disagreeing with themselves belonged to the same religion, and even waged war among each other. Concerning all philosophers it was known, as St. Basil says, 'it is not fitting that we should fight against the philosophers, since these suffice in their mutual dissensions to overturn the other's doctrine.
At the time of St. Bellarmine, Luther's sect had already been divided into 100 different sects.
3. Objections against the Catholic Church.
Calvin says, from this 7th mark can be gathered that the Catholic church is not the true Church since there are as many assemblies of schismatics and divisions as there are monasteries. Some are called Benedictines, other Franciscans and other Dominicans, Thirdly, some add more sects, Thomas, Scotists and the like which are among us.
The doctrine of the Church in itself gives birth to union and association of souls but heresy in itself and from its own nature, blossoms forth into divisions and schisms.
4. The elements that make up the Catholic Church.
St. Bellarmine enumerated the elements that make up the Catholic Church; namely, Jesus Christ as its head. The Pope, who is the vicar of Christ. The bishops who assists the Pope in his role. Then we have the priests who assist the bishops in their territories. Below the pyramid are the faithful who will guided to enter the Catholic Church through an act of Faith.
The most important thing in this pyramid is that all of them must be liken to branches attached to the vine as Christ, Himself, described the Catholic Church. Anyone who is cut off from the vine will wilt and will be good for nothing except to be thrown away and burnt. The sap from the main vine must flow without impediment and without contamination to all the branches that are attached to the vine.
The worst thing that can happen to any of the branches is to be cut off.
5. Keeping the line open.
The flow of life from Christ down to the laypeople must be without any impediment or cut off. The impediment or cut off is heresy, schism or sins.
6. How a free flowing pipeline should look like.
A free flowing pipeline that portrays the image of the Catholic Church should look something like this.
First, Jesus Christ is on the top with His Divine Revelation. The Divine Revelation contains God's plan of salvation for man.
Secondly, the Son of God became man and came down to earth to teach men this Divine Plan. Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man chose 12 apostles and taught them the complete Divine Plan.
And gave them the grace to know the complete plan, to know how to explain perfectly the Divine Plan and to know how to put that Divine Plan into practice.
Thirdly, seeing how the apostles were always discussing things He decided that only one should be in charge of teaching the complete Divine Plan, to avoid lengthy group discussions. Christ appointed St. Peter and his successors to be imbued by the Holy Spirit with the knowledge and wisdom to understand and implement the Divine Plan that Christ had revealed to the first apostles. Christ and the apostles made up the first Church and comforted to the fact that the apostles were branches attached to the vine Jesus Christ. Though one branch, Judas, was cut off; a tragedy we want to avoid.
At this point we have a picture of the Catholic Church; with Christ as the head and His Divine Revelation. St. Peter, a branch attached to Christ, as the first Pope. And the rest of the apostles, also, attached to the vine Jesus Christ (except Judas). So far the pipeline through which the Divine Revelation flows from Christ, down to the apostles is free flowing. All are attached to the vine excepting Judas who was cut off. He was not part of the Church.
7. After St. Peter.
After St. Peter, the message of salvation contained in Divine Revelation continued to come from its head Jesus Christ. And the pipeline is now transferred and connected to the next Pope and the next Pope ......and of late to Pope Benedict XVI. The plan of salvation contained in Divine Revelation is still in Christ and it is connected to Pope Benedict who must, under pain of damnation, must see to it that he receives this plan in all its purity; as God liked to say 'without adding and without subtracting. Without modifying and changing. Without contamination.
So the Pope should imitate Christ in transmitting the plan of salvation contained in Divine Revelation. Christ reveals it to the Pope and watches over him to see that he obeys the Plan in exactly the way He gave it......every second of the Pope's life until his death that he does not commit any mistake. Thus the infallibility that is given to the St. Peter alone and his successors. So, it is important to know who is the true Pope. And no Pope is allowed to retire and shut down the valve of the pipeline from head down to the bishops.
8. Bishops and priests.
Then from Christ to the Pope, the pipeline must continue down to the bishops. And from the bishops, down to the priests and to the laymen. Divine revelations should flow down from the Pope down to each laymen in all its purity without any contamination. And while the Pope, during his entire lifetime, must see to it that the bishops get Divine Revelation perfectly and observed in exactly as it was given from the beginning, the bishops and priest must continue this transfer down to each laymen and maintain its observance in exactly the same way as it was given from Christ without any alteration.
The purity of morals and doctrines must be pure from Christ down to the laymen. This transfer of doctrine and morals is kept pure by the work of the Holy Spirit. And this is the only way the union among the members of the Catholic Church and its head can be realised. This is not a human endeavour. It is a Divine action. Thus Christ reminds us that this peace and unity can only come from God and not from men. Thus this 7th Mark is a true sign of the true Catholic Church.
9. This pipeline does not exist in the present church headed by Pope Francis.
Obviously, the pipeline from Christ to the Popes was open and active, up to Pope Benedict XVI. But the pipeline from the Popes down to the Bishops were shut down even from the time of Pope Pius IX; there were only drops coming from the Pope down to a few handful of bishops and priests.....and down to the faithful. All those centuries, it was only drops.
But with Pope Francis, the pipeline from Christ to Pope Francis is complete cut off. As a priest, I have learned the contents of Divine Revelation which is available from the New Testament and explained by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. And I can see that not a drop is passing from Christ to Pope Francis, none from Pope Francis down to the bishops, priests and laymen. The Catholic Church, as we know it, is a vine with completely dry branches. The entire vine is dry, completely without fruits and completely dead ready for the fire.
10. Is there something that can be done?
Ordinarily, when the branches of a tree is completely dead and dried up, an attempt to revive it is to chop down all the dried branches even down to the roots and hope that there is a little life left in the roots. With all the burden of the dried branches sawed off down to the little life by the roots, shoots may begin to sprout and a completely new tree may grow.
Do you recall the emblem of the Benedictine monastery of Monte Casino established by St. Benedict? It is a cut down tree that is bearing new shoots. Pope Benedict reminded us of this.
In the church today that does not have this 7th Mark of the true Church, the only thing left to do is to completely chop it down to the root base and hope that new shoots sprouts.......only a new brand of monasticism can restore the Catholic Church today.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
6th Mark of the true Church. Agreement in Doctrine with the ancient Church.
1. Agreement in Doctrine with the ancient Church.
Indeed, the true Church is called apostolic, as Tertullian witnesses, not only on account of the succession of bishops from the apostles, but even on account of the kinship of doctrine; in that it retains the doctrine which the apostles handed down.
Moreover, it is certain that the ancient Church was the true Church for the first five hundred years, and hence retained apostolic doctrine whereby Theodosius the emperor is praised by
Sozomen because by this method he restrained the heretics of his time.
He bid the leaders of the sects to come together, thereupon he asked whether they thought the ancient Fathers, who ruled the Church before their separation, which then had arisen from religion, to have thought rightly and truly that the apostles were saints, and when they conceded to this, enjoined them; 'Then let us examine your doctrine against their writings, and if it should agree with them, it may be retained but if not let it be thrown out.'
2. Two ways.
Now we can prove in two ways from this Mark that the Catholic
Church is the true Church and not that of the adversaries. First, by advancing the teachings of the Fathers. This manner is very lengthy. The second way is shorter and more certain, without a doubt by showing first from the confession of our adversaries, that our doctrine is indeed the doctrine of all the ancients. Then showing whether the dogmas of our adversaries were held in the ancient Church by exploring their heresies. The it will be certain, our doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient Catholics, but their doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient heretics.
3. St. Robert Bellarmine proceeds.
St. Bellarmine proceeds to analyse all the heresies; the Arians, the Pelagians, the Donatist, the Manichees etc..and showed how their teachings differed from the ancient teachings of the Christian Church. Then he continues in treating the sects of Calvin, Luther and the Centuriators of Magdeburg. This is followed by descriptions of the Simonians, the heresy of Florinus, the heresy of Origen, the Peputiani heresy, the heretic Proclus, Sabellius, etc..
4. Overlappings.
The 15 Marks of the true Catholic Church as described by St. Robert Bellarmine are all overlapping. This 6th Mark overlaps with the 2nd Mark, Antiquity. If one Mark is absent, the rest of the Marks would, also, be absent. On the other hand, if one is present the probability is that the rest will be present.
5. This 6th Mark is difficult to use as a gauge of true Catholicity for two reasons. First, knowledge of the entire ancient teachings of the Christian Church is necessary. And secondly, knowledge of the heresies of adversaries which goes against the ancient teachings, is, also, necessary.
Knowledge of the ancient teachings can only be obtained through mastery of the New Testament and its correct interpretation as given by the so-called Fathers and Doctors of the Church. These doctrines are outlined in the Catechism; but the Catechism does not have the interpretation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Besides there are many Catechism that are filled with errors.
For most Catholics, it is nearly impossible to use this 6th Mark of the true Church in checking the Catholicity of one's parish, diocese or even on checking on the VaticanChurch of Pope Francis. Much knowledge is required. Yet this is the most reliable Mark of the Church. It is a perfect Mark. This Mark, alone, can show that a church is, indeed, the true Catholic Church.
6. A feeble attempt.
A life time study of the teachings of the ancient, primitive Catholic Church is needed to use this 6th Mark of the true Church. And much prayer to obtain grace to understand the teachings of Christ and the explanation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. This is why nobody knows where the Church is. They do not have this immense knowledge necessary to discover the Church.
For the same reason, few know if their parish or diocese is Catholic. Few know if the Vaticanchurch of Pope Francis is Catholic. Few even know if they are Catholics.
But a feeble attempt to acquire the knowledge necessary to apply this 6th Mark so we can check on our parish, diocese and even on the Vatican of Pope Francis, can be attempted. Use the 'Compendium of Pope Benedict XVI.' This 'compendium' was rushed by Pope Benedict to counteract the thick CCC post Vatican II catechism that was printed and issued prematurely though filled with errors.
Pope Benedict's 'Compendium' is highly Scriptural and based on the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. So it gives us a close semblance to the ancient teachings of the ancient Christian Church.
7. The Philippine experience.
A skill to be able to use this 6th Mark was attempted so priests can see if their parish or diocese are Catholic. It was meant also to give everyone the skill to detect if they, the bishops, priests and laymen are Catholic. Of course, if this skill was developed it would, also, give anyone the skill to see if the Vaticanchurch and Pope Francis is Catholic.
A newsletter was published containing the teachings of the Fathers of the Church explaining every line of the New Testament together with the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church. This contained the ancient description of the Catholic Church.
The newsletter was published for more than 40 years and send to all priests in the archipelago (and a few priest abroad). Apparently the results were not so good. Nobody could still find the Church and most still could not see that they were not Catholic. And most still think that Pope Francis is Catholic.
What went wrong? The grace to understand the teachings of the New Testament and the grace to understand the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. The grace that comes only with the supernatural and theological virtue of Faith was not there.
8. Up to this point we can, already, judge which is the true Church.
This 6th Mark gives us a very clear knowledge which is the true Church. It is a very tedious process, impossible without the help of grace. Today, nobody seems to have this Mark. We know it is somewhere around. But where? Not in the Chinese Patriotic church, not in Europe, not in Ireland, not in the Philippines and not in the Vatican. St. Bellarmine had explained this Mark. Anybody can apply it on any parish, diocese, religious order, or any person. Try it and you will be surprised at what you find.
The VaticanChurch of Pope Francis does not have the six signs just enumerated. In a recent interview with Spadaro, he just said that the doctrines of the church changes. That is precisely against this Mark showing Pope Francis' church is not identical with the ancient Catholic Church.
Catholic truths are perfectly explained during the ancient times and today, too. It cannot change. A deeper understanding is possible but it cannot change.
Indeed, the true Church is called apostolic, as Tertullian witnesses, not only on account of the succession of bishops from the apostles, but even on account of the kinship of doctrine; in that it retains the doctrine which the apostles handed down.
Moreover, it is certain that the ancient Church was the true Church for the first five hundred years, and hence retained apostolic doctrine whereby Theodosius the emperor is praised by
Sozomen because by this method he restrained the heretics of his time.
He bid the leaders of the sects to come together, thereupon he asked whether they thought the ancient Fathers, who ruled the Church before their separation, which then had arisen from religion, to have thought rightly and truly that the apostles were saints, and when they conceded to this, enjoined them; 'Then let us examine your doctrine against their writings, and if it should agree with them, it may be retained but if not let it be thrown out.'
2. Two ways.
Now we can prove in two ways from this Mark that the Catholic
Church is the true Church and not that of the adversaries. First, by advancing the teachings of the Fathers. This manner is very lengthy. The second way is shorter and more certain, without a doubt by showing first from the confession of our adversaries, that our doctrine is indeed the doctrine of all the ancients. Then showing whether the dogmas of our adversaries were held in the ancient Church by exploring their heresies. The it will be certain, our doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient Catholics, but their doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient heretics.
3. St. Robert Bellarmine proceeds.
St. Bellarmine proceeds to analyse all the heresies; the Arians, the Pelagians, the Donatist, the Manichees etc..and showed how their teachings differed from the ancient teachings of the Christian Church. Then he continues in treating the sects of Calvin, Luther and the Centuriators of Magdeburg. This is followed by descriptions of the Simonians, the heresy of Florinus, the heresy of Origen, the Peputiani heresy, the heretic Proclus, Sabellius, etc..
4. Overlappings.
The 15 Marks of the true Catholic Church as described by St. Robert Bellarmine are all overlapping. This 6th Mark overlaps with the 2nd Mark, Antiquity. If one Mark is absent, the rest of the Marks would, also, be absent. On the other hand, if one is present the probability is that the rest will be present.
5. This 6th Mark is difficult to use as a gauge of true Catholicity for two reasons. First, knowledge of the entire ancient teachings of the Christian Church is necessary. And secondly, knowledge of the heresies of adversaries which goes against the ancient teachings, is, also, necessary.
Knowledge of the ancient teachings can only be obtained through mastery of the New Testament and its correct interpretation as given by the so-called Fathers and Doctors of the Church. These doctrines are outlined in the Catechism; but the Catechism does not have the interpretation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Besides there are many Catechism that are filled with errors.
For most Catholics, it is nearly impossible to use this 6th Mark of the true Church in checking the Catholicity of one's parish, diocese or even on checking on the VaticanChurch of Pope Francis. Much knowledge is required. Yet this is the most reliable Mark of the Church. It is a perfect Mark. This Mark, alone, can show that a church is, indeed, the true Catholic Church.
6. A feeble attempt.
A life time study of the teachings of the ancient, primitive Catholic Church is needed to use this 6th Mark of the true Church. And much prayer to obtain grace to understand the teachings of Christ and the explanation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. This is why nobody knows where the Church is. They do not have this immense knowledge necessary to discover the Church.
For the same reason, few know if their parish or diocese is Catholic. Few know if the Vaticanchurch of Pope Francis is Catholic. Few even know if they are Catholics.
But a feeble attempt to acquire the knowledge necessary to apply this 6th Mark so we can check on our parish, diocese and even on the Vatican of Pope Francis, can be attempted. Use the 'Compendium of Pope Benedict XVI.' This 'compendium' was rushed by Pope Benedict to counteract the thick CCC post Vatican II catechism that was printed and issued prematurely though filled with errors.
Pope Benedict's 'Compendium' is highly Scriptural and based on the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. So it gives us a close semblance to the ancient teachings of the ancient Christian Church.
7. The Philippine experience.
A skill to be able to use this 6th Mark was attempted so priests can see if their parish or diocese are Catholic. It was meant also to give everyone the skill to detect if they, the bishops, priests and laymen are Catholic. Of course, if this skill was developed it would, also, give anyone the skill to see if the Vaticanchurch and Pope Francis is Catholic.
A newsletter was published containing the teachings of the Fathers of the Church explaining every line of the New Testament together with the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church. This contained the ancient description of the Catholic Church.
The newsletter was published for more than 40 years and send to all priests in the archipelago (and a few priest abroad). Apparently the results were not so good. Nobody could still find the Church and most still could not see that they were not Catholic. And most still think that Pope Francis is Catholic.
What went wrong? The grace to understand the teachings of the New Testament and the grace to understand the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. The grace that comes only with the supernatural and theological virtue of Faith was not there.
8. Up to this point we can, already, judge which is the true Church.
This 6th Mark gives us a very clear knowledge which is the true Church. It is a very tedious process, impossible without the help of grace. Today, nobody seems to have this Mark. We know it is somewhere around. But where? Not in the Chinese Patriotic church, not in Europe, not in Ireland, not in the Philippines and not in the Vatican. St. Bellarmine had explained this Mark. Anybody can apply it on any parish, diocese, religious order, or any person. Try it and you will be surprised at what you find.
The VaticanChurch of Pope Francis does not have the six signs just enumerated. In a recent interview with Spadaro, he just said that the doctrines of the church changes. That is precisely against this Mark showing Pope Francis' church is not identical with the ancient Catholic Church.
Catholic truths are perfectly explained during the ancient times and today, too. It cannot change. A deeper understanding is possible but it cannot change.
6th Mark of the true Church. Agreement in Doctrine with the ancient Church.
1. Agreement in Doctrine with the ancient Church.
Indeed, the true Church is called apostolic, as Tertullian witnesses, not only on account of the succession of bishops from the apostles, but even on account of the kinship of doctrine; in that it retains the doctrine which the apostles handed down.
Moreover, it is certain that the ancient Church was the true Church for the first five hundred years, and hence retained apostolic doctrine whereby Theodosius the emperor is praised by
Sozomen because by this method he restrained the heretics of his time.
He bid the leaders of the sects to come together, thereupon he asked whether they thought the ancient Fathers, who ruled the Church before their separation, which then had arisen from religion, to have thought rightly and truly that the apostles were saints, and when they conceded to this, enjoined them; 'Then let us examine your doctrine against their writings, and if it should agree with them, it may be retained but if not let it be thrown out.'
2. Two ways.
Now we can prove in two ways from this Mark that the Catholic
Church is the true Church and not that of the adversaries. First, by advancing the teachings of the Fathers. This manner is very lengthy. The second way is shorter and more certain, without a doubt by showing first from the confession of our adversaries, that our doctrine is indeed the doctrine of all the ancients. Then showing whether the dogmas of our adversaries were held in the ancient Church by exploring their heresies. The it will be certain, our doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient Catholics, but their doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient heretics.
3. St. Robert Bellarmine proceeds.
St. Bellarmine proceeds to analyse all the heresies; the Arians, the Pelagians, the Donatist, the Manichees etc..and showed how their teachings differed from the ancient teachings of the Christian Church. Then he continues in treating the sects of Calvin, Luther and the Centuriators of Magdeburg. This is followed by descriptions of the Simonians, the heresy of Florinus, the heresy of Origen, the Peputiani heresy, the heretic Proclus, Sabellius, etc..
4. Overlappings.
The 15 Marks of the true Catholic Church as described by St. Robert Bellarmine are all overlapping. This 6th Mark overlaps with the 2nd Mark, Antiquity. If one Mark is absent, the rest of the Marks would, also, be absent. On the other hand, if one is present the probability is that the rest will be present.
5. This 6th Mark is difficult to use as a gauge of true Catholicity for two reasons. First, knowledge of the entire ancient teachings of the Christian Church is necessary. And secondly, knowledge of the heresies of adversaries which goes against the ancient teachings, is, also, necessary.
Knowledge of the ancient teachings can only be obtained through mastery of the New Testament and its correct interpretation as given by the so-called Fathers and Doctors of the Church. These doctrines are outlined in the Catechism; but the Catechism does not have the interpretation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Besides there are many Catechism that are filled with errors.
For most Catholics, it is nearly impossible to use this 6th Mark of the true Church in checking the Catholicity of one's parish, diocese or even on checking on the VaticanChurch of Pope Francis. Much knowledge is required. Yet this is the most reliable Mark of the Church. It is a perfect Mark. This Mark, alone, can show that a church is, indeed, the true Catholic Church.
6. A feeble attempt.
A life time study of the teachings of the ancient, primitive Catholic Church is needed to use this 6th Mark of the true Church. And much prayer to obtain grace to understand the teachings of Christ and the explanation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. This is why nobody knows where the Church is. They do not have this immense knowledge necessary to discover the Church.
For the same reason, few know if their parish or diocese is Catholic. Few know if the Vaticanchurch of Pope Francis is Catholic. Few even know if they are Catholics.
But a feeble attempt to acquire the knowledge necessary to apply this 6th Mark so we can check on our parish, diocese and even on the Vatican of Pope Francis, can be attempted. Use the 'Compendium of Pope Benedict XVI.' This 'compendium' was rushed by Pope Benedict to counteract the thick CCC post Vatican II catechism that was printed and issued prematurely though filled with errors.
Pope Benedict's 'Compendium' is highly Scriptural and based on the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. So it gives us a close semblance to the ancient teachings of the ancient Christian Church.
7. The Philippine experience.
A skill to be able to use this 6th Mark was attempted so priests can see if their parish or diocese are Catholic. It was meant also to give everyone the skill to detect if they, the bishops, priests and laymen are Catholic. Of course, if this skill was developed it would, also, give anyone the skill to see if the Vaticanchurch and Pope Francis is Catholic.
A newsletter was published containing the teachings of the Fathers of the Church explaining every line of the New Testament together with the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church. This contained the ancient description of the Catholic Church.
The newsletter was published for more than 40 years and send to all priests in the archipelago (and a few priest abroad). Apparently the results were not so good. Nobody could still find the Church and most still could not see that they were not Catholic. And most still think that Pope Francis is Catholic.
What went wrong? The grace to understand the teachings of the New Testament and the grace to understand the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. The grace that comes only with the supernatural and theological virtue of Faith was not there.
8. Up to this point we can, already, judge which is the true Church.
This 6th Mark gives us a very clear knowledge which is the true Church. It is a very tedious process, impossible without the help of grace. Today, nobody seems to have this Mark. We know it is somewhere around. But where? Not in the Chinese Patriotic church, not in Europe, not in Ireland, not in the Philippines and not in the Vatican. St. Bellarmine had explained this Mark. Anybody can apply it on any parish, diocese, religious order, or any person. Try it and you will be surprised at what you find.
The VaticanChurch of Pope Francis does not have the six signs just enumerated. In a recent interview with Spadaro, he just said that the doctrines of the church changes. That is precisely against this Mark showing Pope Francis' church is not identical with the ancient Catholic Church.
Catholic truths are perfectly explained during the ancient times and today, too. It cannot change. A deeper understanding is possible but it cannot change.
Indeed, the true Church is called apostolic, as Tertullian witnesses, not only on account of the succession of bishops from the apostles, but even on account of the kinship of doctrine; in that it retains the doctrine which the apostles handed down.
Moreover, it is certain that the ancient Church was the true Church for the first five hundred years, and hence retained apostolic doctrine whereby Theodosius the emperor is praised by
Sozomen because by this method he restrained the heretics of his time.
He bid the leaders of the sects to come together, thereupon he asked whether they thought the ancient Fathers, who ruled the Church before their separation, which then had arisen from religion, to have thought rightly and truly that the apostles were saints, and when they conceded to this, enjoined them; 'Then let us examine your doctrine against their writings, and if it should agree with them, it may be retained but if not let it be thrown out.'
2. Two ways.
Now we can prove in two ways from this Mark that the Catholic
Church is the true Church and not that of the adversaries. First, by advancing the teachings of the Fathers. This manner is very lengthy. The second way is shorter and more certain, without a doubt by showing first from the confession of our adversaries, that our doctrine is indeed the doctrine of all the ancients. Then showing whether the dogmas of our adversaries were held in the ancient Church by exploring their heresies. The it will be certain, our doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient Catholics, but their doctrine agrees with the doctrine of the ancient heretics.
3. St. Robert Bellarmine proceeds.
St. Bellarmine proceeds to analyse all the heresies; the Arians, the Pelagians, the Donatist, the Manichees etc..and showed how their teachings differed from the ancient teachings of the Christian Church. Then he continues in treating the sects of Calvin, Luther and the Centuriators of Magdeburg. This is followed by descriptions of the Simonians, the heresy of Florinus, the heresy of Origen, the Peputiani heresy, the heretic Proclus, Sabellius, etc..
4. Overlappings.
The 15 Marks of the true Catholic Church as described by St. Robert Bellarmine are all overlapping. This 6th Mark overlaps with the 2nd Mark, Antiquity. If one Mark is absent, the rest of the Marks would, also, be absent. On the other hand, if one is present the probability is that the rest will be present.
5. This 6th Mark is difficult to use as a gauge of true Catholicity for two reasons. First, knowledge of the entire ancient teachings of the Christian Church is necessary. And secondly, knowledge of the heresies of adversaries which goes against the ancient teachings, is, also, necessary.
Knowledge of the ancient teachings can only be obtained through mastery of the New Testament and its correct interpretation as given by the so-called Fathers and Doctors of the Church. These doctrines are outlined in the Catechism; but the Catechism does not have the interpretation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Besides there are many Catechism that are filled with errors.
For most Catholics, it is nearly impossible to use this 6th Mark of the true Church in checking the Catholicity of one's parish, diocese or even on checking on the VaticanChurch of Pope Francis. Much knowledge is required. Yet this is the most reliable Mark of the Church. It is a perfect Mark. This Mark, alone, can show that a church is, indeed, the true Catholic Church.
6. A feeble attempt.
A life time study of the teachings of the ancient, primitive Catholic Church is needed to use this 6th Mark of the true Church. And much prayer to obtain grace to understand the teachings of Christ and the explanation of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. This is why nobody knows where the Church is. They do not have this immense knowledge necessary to discover the Church.
For the same reason, few know if their parish or diocese is Catholic. Few know if the Vaticanchurch of Pope Francis is Catholic. Few even know if they are Catholics.
But a feeble attempt to acquire the knowledge necessary to apply this 6th Mark so we can check on our parish, diocese and even on the Vatican of Pope Francis, can be attempted. Use the 'Compendium of Pope Benedict XVI.' This 'compendium' was rushed by Pope Benedict to counteract the thick CCC post Vatican II catechism that was printed and issued prematurely though filled with errors.
Pope Benedict's 'Compendium' is highly Scriptural and based on the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. So it gives us a close semblance to the ancient teachings of the ancient Christian Church.
7. The Philippine experience.
A skill to be able to use this 6th Mark was attempted so priests can see if their parish or diocese are Catholic. It was meant also to give everyone the skill to detect if they, the bishops, priests and laymen are Catholic. Of course, if this skill was developed it would, also, give anyone the skill to see if the Vaticanchurch and Pope Francis is Catholic.
A newsletter was published containing the teachings of the Fathers of the Church explaining every line of the New Testament together with the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church. This contained the ancient description of the Catholic Church.
The newsletter was published for more than 40 years and send to all priests in the archipelago (and a few priest abroad). Apparently the results were not so good. Nobody could still find the Church and most still could not see that they were not Catholic. And most still think that Pope Francis is Catholic.
What went wrong? The grace to understand the teachings of the New Testament and the grace to understand the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. The grace that comes only with the supernatural and theological virtue of Faith was not there.
8. Up to this point we can, already, judge which is the true Church.
This 6th Mark gives us a very clear knowledge which is the true Church. It is a very tedious process, impossible without the help of grace. Today, nobody seems to have this Mark. We know it is somewhere around. But where? Not in the Chinese Patriotic church, not in Europe, not in Ireland, not in the Philippines and not in the Vatican. St. Bellarmine had explained this Mark. Anybody can apply it on any parish, diocese, religious order, or any person. Try it and you will be surprised at what you find.
The VaticanChurch of Pope Francis does not have the six signs just enumerated. In a recent interview with Spadaro, he just said that the doctrines of the church changes. That is precisely against this Mark showing Pope Francis' church is not identical with the ancient Catholic Church.
Catholic truths are perfectly explained during the ancient times and today, too. It cannot change. A deeper understanding is possible but it cannot change.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
5th MARK of the true Church. Apostolic Succession of Bishops in the Roman Church.
1. The Succession of Bishops deduced from the apostles even up to our present time.
All the Fathers of the Church used this succession as a most clear argument to who's the true Church, wrote St. Robert Bellarmine. 'Let them unfold the order of their bishops. Others fall away from that succession, others simply ceased while others are obscure. St. Cyprian specifically described it thus; 'the Church is the people united to the bishop, and the bishop is in the Church, and the Church in the bishop.
'The second note; only those who are within the Church have always been held to be true bishops. That is, those who were shown to descend from the apostles through a legitimate succession and ordination. All others were thieves and robbers, obviously who did not enter through the gate.
The case of St. Paul is unique and will illustrate the importance of the spiritual aspect of this succession. St. Robert Bellarmine continues; '.....among the people of the New Testament, they are multiplied by spiritual generation, so that none are Christians, except converted through the apostles, or their successors or those sent by them; none are bishops, unless they succeed legitimately to the same.
St. Bellarmine continues; ....at some time, the people, together with the clergy, chose the bishop, and at other times only the clergy. In either case, succession and ordination are required.
A bishop may be deposed if legitimately judged and condemned by legitimate judgment. 'It doesn't necessarily follow, that there is a church where there is a succession.
2. Two levels of succession.
One level of succession might be described as 'Liturgical.' This is a true Mark of the true Catholic Church established by Christ. This Mark is when the bishop of a place is able to show that he is a direct successor of the apostles. Ordinarily very difficult to ascertain, every bishop in good standing has a published record of his direct descent from the Apostles usually available in the Internet.
It can happen that along the line of succession, there is the possibility of a 'break' in the succession for many reasons. Usually this defect is in the 'liturgical' line of succession, like when the line of succession is not clear, or it has disappeared. According to the above quotation from St. Bellarmine, the more common defect in succession is when the bishop has spiritually been unsuccessful in entering the Catholic Church due to lack of Faith. In which case, he will not have the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed or the 15 Mark of the true Church mentioned by Bellarmine.
In other words, the bishop may have all the physical and 'Liturgical' proof that he descended from the Apostles but, spiritually, he was not able to make the Act of Faith. In such a case he will not have either the four visible signs or the 15 Marks of the Church.
3. Let us look at the different combinations.
First, a Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. This is the ideal truly Catholic Church. God will make certain the truly Catholic community will have a holy successor to the apostles. Both will be exhibiting the four visible Marks and the 15 Marks of the true Church.
Second, a Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This will happen when God would wants to test this community. This often happens when a new young bishop replaces a retired bishop. Being young, the spirituality of the new bishop is imperfect and most often he has not entered the Catholic Church due to his inability to make a mature act of Faith. This happens every time the older bishop retires and a new young bishop takes over. So, the retirement of bishops at 75 as provided for by Vatican II was a very unwise decision. Bishops and Popes should never retire. Like Abbots they should be for life....to prevent this image of a Catholic community with a non-believing bishop. That image will not project the true image of the Catholic Church. This often happens when the previous bishops are truly Catholic, then a replacement comes in who is not Catholic. With a non-catholic bishop, such communities will eventually cease to be Catholic.
Thirdly, a non Catholic community with a Catholic Bishop. This happens when God sees that the community is worthy because, like the early Gentiles, they believe. This is common in mission countries. The mission country is usually non Catholic. A Catholic bishop is sent to such a country to evangelise. So we see the beginning of a mission country where we have a non-Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. Hopefully, the Catholic bishop can evangelise the community into becoming a Catholic community.
Fourthly, a non-Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This is a chastisement to an unfaithful formerly Catholic community who have lost the faith. This is the most common situation today. We have a community that have ceased to be Catholic. Vocations come from this no longer Catholic Community. They enter the seminary remaining non-Catholic, are ordained priest and become bishop still remaining non-Catholic due to their inability to make the mature act of Faith. This is the situation of the Catholic Church today. We have parishes, Dioceses and a Vatican where most of the bishops are not Catholics ruling the world, the dioceses and parishes that are no longer Catholic.
4. We cannot find the Catholic Church today.
Neither in the Pope, in most bishops, priest nor the community. Neither in the Vatican, the dioceses, the parish nor the family. Though we know it is somewhere.
This is a chastisement for an unfaithful church. This state of affairs is common in the history of the Catholic Church. The Church is filled with stories of unfaithful parishes, dioceses and nations led by unfaithful priests, bishops, cardinals and Popes.
An unfaithful community will definitely produce unfaithful priests, bishops and Popes since the one will come from the other. And today, we see an unfaithful community reaching since the 18th century led by struggling holy Popes like Pius VIII, doing their best to sustain the Church but almost to no avail. Suddenly we have no holy Pope; a non-Catholic Pope as head of a non-Catholic church. What we feared.
Using the four visible signs of the true Church as enumerated by the Nicene Creed........and using the 15 Marks of the true Church, which are the expanded version of the four visible signs, ....we cannot find the Catholic Church today. Why? As the Book of Revelation writes; ' because God have placed the Church in the desert in a very special place prepared for her,' where the devil can do minimal harm to her. Where she is, she exhibits most brilliantly the four visible and the 15 Marks of the true Church. Entrance is by invitation only. Here, the community is Catholic; and the spiritual heads are Catholics.....the Catholic Church par excellence. The bishop will not be as Linus, the direct successor of St. Peter. He will be like St. Paul. Direct successor of no apostle.
All the Fathers of the Church used this succession as a most clear argument to who's the true Church, wrote St. Robert Bellarmine. 'Let them unfold the order of their bishops. Others fall away from that succession, others simply ceased while others are obscure. St. Cyprian specifically described it thus; 'the Church is the people united to the bishop, and the bishop is in the Church, and the Church in the bishop.
'The second note; only those who are within the Church have always been held to be true bishops. That is, those who were shown to descend from the apostles through a legitimate succession and ordination. All others were thieves and robbers, obviously who did not enter through the gate.
The case of St. Paul is unique and will illustrate the importance of the spiritual aspect of this succession. St. Robert Bellarmine continues; '.....among the people of the New Testament, they are multiplied by spiritual generation, so that none are Christians, except converted through the apostles, or their successors or those sent by them; none are bishops, unless they succeed legitimately to the same.
St. Bellarmine continues; ....at some time, the people, together with the clergy, chose the bishop, and at other times only the clergy. In either case, succession and ordination are required.
A bishop may be deposed if legitimately judged and condemned by legitimate judgment. 'It doesn't necessarily follow, that there is a church where there is a succession.
2. Two levels of succession.
One level of succession might be described as 'Liturgical.' This is a true Mark of the true Catholic Church established by Christ. This Mark is when the bishop of a place is able to show that he is a direct successor of the apostles. Ordinarily very difficult to ascertain, every bishop in good standing has a published record of his direct descent from the Apostles usually available in the Internet.
It can happen that along the line of succession, there is the possibility of a 'break' in the succession for many reasons. Usually this defect is in the 'liturgical' line of succession, like when the line of succession is not clear, or it has disappeared. According to the above quotation from St. Bellarmine, the more common defect in succession is when the bishop has spiritually been unsuccessful in entering the Catholic Church due to lack of Faith. In which case, he will not have the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed or the 15 Mark of the true Church mentioned by Bellarmine.
In other words, the bishop may have all the physical and 'Liturgical' proof that he descended from the Apostles but, spiritually, he was not able to make the Act of Faith. In such a case he will not have either the four visible signs or the 15 Marks of the Church.
3. Let us look at the different combinations.
First, a Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. This is the ideal truly Catholic Church. God will make certain the truly Catholic community will have a holy successor to the apostles. Both will be exhibiting the four visible Marks and the 15 Marks of the true Church.
Second, a Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This will happen when God would wants to test this community. This often happens when a new young bishop replaces a retired bishop. Being young, the spirituality of the new bishop is imperfect and most often he has not entered the Catholic Church due to his inability to make a mature act of Faith. This happens every time the older bishop retires and a new young bishop takes over. So, the retirement of bishops at 75 as provided for by Vatican II was a very unwise decision. Bishops and Popes should never retire. Like Abbots they should be for life....to prevent this image of a Catholic community with a non-believing bishop. That image will not project the true image of the Catholic Church. This often happens when the previous bishops are truly Catholic, then a replacement comes in who is not Catholic. With a non-catholic bishop, such communities will eventually cease to be Catholic.
Thirdly, a non Catholic community with a Catholic Bishop. This happens when God sees that the community is worthy because, like the early Gentiles, they believe. This is common in mission countries. The mission country is usually non Catholic. A Catholic bishop is sent to such a country to evangelise. So we see the beginning of a mission country where we have a non-Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. Hopefully, the Catholic bishop can evangelise the community into becoming a Catholic community.
Fourthly, a non-Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This is a chastisement to an unfaithful formerly Catholic community who have lost the faith. This is the most common situation today. We have a community that have ceased to be Catholic. Vocations come from this no longer Catholic Community. They enter the seminary remaining non-Catholic, are ordained priest and become bishop still remaining non-Catholic due to their inability to make the mature act of Faith. This is the situation of the Catholic Church today. We have parishes, Dioceses and a Vatican where most of the bishops are not Catholics ruling the world, the dioceses and parishes that are no longer Catholic.
4. We cannot find the Catholic Church today.
Neither in the Pope, in most bishops, priest nor the community. Neither in the Vatican, the dioceses, the parish nor the family. Though we know it is somewhere.
This is a chastisement for an unfaithful church. This state of affairs is common in the history of the Catholic Church. The Church is filled with stories of unfaithful parishes, dioceses and nations led by unfaithful priests, bishops, cardinals and Popes.
An unfaithful community will definitely produce unfaithful priests, bishops and Popes since the one will come from the other. And today, we see an unfaithful community reaching since the 18th century led by struggling holy Popes like Pius VIII, doing their best to sustain the Church but almost to no avail. Suddenly we have no holy Pope; a non-Catholic Pope as head of a non-Catholic church. What we feared.
Using the four visible signs of the true Church as enumerated by the Nicene Creed........and using the 15 Marks of the true Church, which are the expanded version of the four visible signs, ....we cannot find the Catholic Church today. Why? As the Book of Revelation writes; ' because God have placed the Church in the desert in a very special place prepared for her,' where the devil can do minimal harm to her. Where she is, she exhibits most brilliantly the four visible and the 15 Marks of the true Church. Entrance is by invitation only. Here, the community is Catholic; and the spiritual heads are Catholics.....the Catholic Church par excellence. The bishop will not be as Linus, the direct successor of St. Peter. He will be like St. Paul. Direct successor of no apostle.
5th MARK of the true Church. Apostolic Succession of Bishops in the Roman Church.
1. The Succession of Bishops deduced from the apostles even up to our present time.
All the Fathers of the Church used this succession as a most clear argument to who's the true Church, wrote St. Robert Bellarmine. 'Let them unfold the order of their bishops. Others fall away from that succession, others simply ceased while others are obscure. St. Cyprian specifically described it thus; 'the Church is the people united to the bishop, and the bishop is in the Church, and the Church in the bishop.
'The second note; only those who are within the Church have always been held to be true bishops. That is, those who were shown to descend from the apostles through a legitimate succession and ordination. All others were thieves and robbers, obviously who did not enter through the gate.
The case of St. Paul is unique and will illustrate the importance of the spiritual aspect of this succession. St. Robert Bellarmine continues; '.....among the people of the New Testament, they are multiplied by spiritual generation, so that none are Christians, except converted through the apostles, or their successors or those sent by them; none are bishops, unless they succeed legitimately to the same.
St. Bellarmine continues; ....at some time, the people, together with the clergy, chose the bishop, and at other times only the clergy. In either case, succession and ordination are required.
A bishop may be deposed if legitimately judged and condemned by legitimate judgment. 'It doesn't necessarily follow, that there is a church where there is a succession.
2. Two levels of succession.
One level of succession might be described as 'Liturgical.' This is a true Mark of the true Catholic Church established by Christ. This Mark is when the bishop of a place is able to show that he is a direct successor of the apostles. Ordinarily very difficult to ascertain, every bishop in good standing has a published record of his direct descent from the Apostles usually available in the Internet.
It can happen that along the line of succession, there is the possibility of a 'break' in the succession for many reasons. Usually this defect is in the 'liturgical' line of succession, like when the line of succession is not clear, or it has disappeared. According to the above quotation from St. Bellarmine, the more common defect in succession is when the bishop has spiritually been unsuccessful in entering the Catholic Church due to lack of Faith. In which case, he will not have the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed or the 15 Mark of the true Church mentioned by Bellarmine.
In other words, the bishop may have all the physical and 'Liturgical' proof that he descended from the Apostles but, spiritually, he was not able to make the Act of Faith. In such a case he will not have either the four visible signs or the 15 Marks of the Church.
3. Let us look at the different combinations.
First, a Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. This is the ideal truly Catholic Church. God will make certain the truly Catholic community will have a holy successor to the apostles. Both will be exhibiting the four visible Marks and the 15 Marks of the true Church.
Second, a Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This will happen when God would wants to test this community. This often happens when a new young bishop replaces a retired bishop. Being young, the spirituality of the new bishop is imperfect and most often he has not entered the Catholic Church due to his inability to make a mature act of Faith. This happens every time the older bishop retires and a new young bishop takes over. So, the retirement of bishops at 75 as provided for by Vatican II was a very unwise decision. Bishops and Popes should never retire. Like Abbots they should be for life....to prevent this image of a Catholic community with a non-believing bishop. That image will not project the true image of the Catholic Church. This often happens when the previous bishops are truly Catholic, then a replacement comes in who is not Catholic. With a non-catholic bishop, such communities will eventually cease to be Catholic.
Thirdly, a non Catholic community with a Catholic Bishop. This happens when God sees that the community is worthy because, like the early Gentiles, they believe. This is common in mission countries. The mission country is usually non Catholic. A Catholic bishop is sent to such a country to evangelise. So we see the beginning of a mission country where we have a non-Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. Hopefully, the Catholic bishop can evangelise the community into becoming a Catholic community.
Fourthly, a non-Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This is a chastisement to an unfaithful formerly Catholic community who have lost the faith. This is the most common situation today. We have a community that have ceased to be Catholic. Vocations come from this no longer Catholic Community. They enter the seminary remaining non-Catholic, are ordained priest and become bishop still remaining non-Catholic due to their inability to make the mature act of Faith. This is the situation of the Catholic Church today. We have parishes, Dioceses and a Vatican where most of the bishops are not Catholics ruling the world, the dioceses and parishes that are no longer Catholic.
4. We cannot find the Catholic Church today.
Neither in the Pope, in most bishops, priest nor the community. Neither in the Vatican, the dioceses, the parish nor the family. Though we know it is somewhere.
This is a chastisement for an unfaithful church. This state of affairs is common in the history of the Catholic Church. The Church is filled with stories of unfaithful parishes, dioceses and nations led by unfaithful priests, bishops, cardinals and Popes.
An unfaithful community will definitely produce unfaithful priests, bishops and Popes since the one will come from the other. And today, we see an unfaithful community reaching since the 18th century led by struggling holy Popes like Pius VIII, doing their best to sustain the Church but almost to no avail. Suddenly we have no holy Pope; a non-Catholic Pope as head of a non-Catholic church. What we feared.
Using the four visible signs of the true Church as enumerated by the Nicene Creed........and using the 15 Marks of the true Church, which are the expanded version of the four visible signs, ....we cannot find the Catholic Church today. Why? As the Book of Revelation writes; ' because God have placed the Church in the desert in a very special place prepared for her,' where the devil can do minimal harm to her. Where she is, she exhibits most brilliantly the four visible and the 15 Marks of the true Church. Entrance is by invitation only. Here, the community is Catholic; and the spiritual heads are Catholics.....the Catholic Church par excellence. The bishop will not be as Linus, the direct successor of St. Peter. He will be like St. Paul. Direct successor of no apostle.
All the Fathers of the Church used this succession as a most clear argument to who's the true Church, wrote St. Robert Bellarmine. 'Let them unfold the order of their bishops. Others fall away from that succession, others simply ceased while others are obscure. St. Cyprian specifically described it thus; 'the Church is the people united to the bishop, and the bishop is in the Church, and the Church in the bishop.
'The second note; only those who are within the Church have always been held to be true bishops. That is, those who were shown to descend from the apostles through a legitimate succession and ordination. All others were thieves and robbers, obviously who did not enter through the gate.
The case of St. Paul is unique and will illustrate the importance of the spiritual aspect of this succession. St. Robert Bellarmine continues; '.....among the people of the New Testament, they are multiplied by spiritual generation, so that none are Christians, except converted through the apostles, or their successors or those sent by them; none are bishops, unless they succeed legitimately to the same.
St. Bellarmine continues; ....at some time, the people, together with the clergy, chose the bishop, and at other times only the clergy. In either case, succession and ordination are required.
A bishop may be deposed if legitimately judged and condemned by legitimate judgment. 'It doesn't necessarily follow, that there is a church where there is a succession.
2. Two levels of succession.
One level of succession might be described as 'Liturgical.' This is a true Mark of the true Catholic Church established by Christ. This Mark is when the bishop of a place is able to show that he is a direct successor of the apostles. Ordinarily very difficult to ascertain, every bishop in good standing has a published record of his direct descent from the Apostles usually available in the Internet.
It can happen that along the line of succession, there is the possibility of a 'break' in the succession for many reasons. Usually this defect is in the 'liturgical' line of succession, like when the line of succession is not clear, or it has disappeared. According to the above quotation from St. Bellarmine, the more common defect in succession is when the bishop has spiritually been unsuccessful in entering the Catholic Church due to lack of Faith. In which case, he will not have the four visible signs of the true Catholic Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed or the 15 Mark of the true Church mentioned by Bellarmine.
In other words, the bishop may have all the physical and 'Liturgical' proof that he descended from the Apostles but, spiritually, he was not able to make the Act of Faith. In such a case he will not have either the four visible signs or the 15 Marks of the Church.
3. Let us look at the different combinations.
First, a Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. This is the ideal truly Catholic Church. God will make certain the truly Catholic community will have a holy successor to the apostles. Both will be exhibiting the four visible Marks and the 15 Marks of the true Church.
Second, a Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This will happen when God would wants to test this community. This often happens when a new young bishop replaces a retired bishop. Being young, the spirituality of the new bishop is imperfect and most often he has not entered the Catholic Church due to his inability to make a mature act of Faith. This happens every time the older bishop retires and a new young bishop takes over. So, the retirement of bishops at 75 as provided for by Vatican II was a very unwise decision. Bishops and Popes should never retire. Like Abbots they should be for life....to prevent this image of a Catholic community with a non-believing bishop. That image will not project the true image of the Catholic Church. This often happens when the previous bishops are truly Catholic, then a replacement comes in who is not Catholic. With a non-catholic bishop, such communities will eventually cease to be Catholic.
Thirdly, a non Catholic community with a Catholic Bishop. This happens when God sees that the community is worthy because, like the early Gentiles, they believe. This is common in mission countries. The mission country is usually non Catholic. A Catholic bishop is sent to such a country to evangelise. So we see the beginning of a mission country where we have a non-Catholic community with a Catholic bishop. Hopefully, the Catholic bishop can evangelise the community into becoming a Catholic community.
Fourthly, a non-Catholic community with a non-Catholic bishop. This is a chastisement to an unfaithful formerly Catholic community who have lost the faith. This is the most common situation today. We have a community that have ceased to be Catholic. Vocations come from this no longer Catholic Community. They enter the seminary remaining non-Catholic, are ordained priest and become bishop still remaining non-Catholic due to their inability to make the mature act of Faith. This is the situation of the Catholic Church today. We have parishes, Dioceses and a Vatican where most of the bishops are not Catholics ruling the world, the dioceses and parishes that are no longer Catholic.
4. We cannot find the Catholic Church today.
Neither in the Pope, in most bishops, priest nor the community. Neither in the Vatican, the dioceses, the parish nor the family. Though we know it is somewhere.
This is a chastisement for an unfaithful church. This state of affairs is common in the history of the Catholic Church. The Church is filled with stories of unfaithful parishes, dioceses and nations led by unfaithful priests, bishops, cardinals and Popes.
An unfaithful community will definitely produce unfaithful priests, bishops and Popes since the one will come from the other. And today, we see an unfaithful community reaching since the 18th century led by struggling holy Popes like Pius VIII, doing their best to sustain the Church but almost to no avail. Suddenly we have no holy Pope; a non-Catholic Pope as head of a non-Catholic church. What we feared.
Using the four visible signs of the true Church as enumerated by the Nicene Creed........and using the 15 Marks of the true Church, which are the expanded version of the four visible signs, ....we cannot find the Catholic Church today. Why? As the Book of Revelation writes; ' because God have placed the Church in the desert in a very special place prepared for her,' where the devil can do minimal harm to her. Where she is, she exhibits most brilliantly the four visible and the 15 Marks of the true Church. Entrance is by invitation only. Here, the community is Catholic; and the spiritual heads are Catholics.....the Catholic Church par excellence. The bishop will not be as Linus, the direct successor of St. Peter. He will be like St. Paul. Direct successor of no apostle.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
4the Mark of the true Church. Extend, Multitude and Diversity of Believers. Part IV.
1. Robert Bellarmine writes'
'Indeed, a Church that is truly Catholic ought not only to embrace all times but all places, all nations and all races of men. Therefore, St. Vincent of Lerin explains what a Catholic might be in his 'Commonitorium' where he says that they are properly Catholics, who hold to that which has been believed always, everywhere and by all. '
' The following must be observed. First, from St. Augustine and St. Bede namely, that for the Church to be Catholic, first, it is required that it should not exclude any times, places or races of men, whereby it is distinguished from the Synagogue, which was a particular Church, not a catholic one, because it was bound to one time, that is, even to the coming of the Messiah, likewise, in one place, that is the temple of Solomon, outside of which they could not sacrifice and to one family, that is the sons of Jacob.'
'Secondly, as noted by St Augustine, that the Church might be catholic, it is not required that it must be in every place of the world, but merely that it becomes conspicuous in all provinces and bears fruit in them, so that in all provinces someone should be from the Church, until this should happen, the day of the Lord will not come, as obviously is predicted in Matthew.'
'Thirdly, it is not required that in this it happens together so that in one tine there ought to necessarily be some faithful in all lands, it is sufficient enough if it happens successively. Whereby it follows that if only one land should retain the true faith, still truly and properly it could be called the Catholic Church, provided that it should be clearly shown that it was one and the same with that which was in some time or at different times in the whole world, in so far as now whichever diocese you like is called Catholic.
2. Heresies are everywhere, too.
St. Augustine teaches beautifully that, as the Church is everywhere so also heresy is everywhere. But the Church is one and the same everywhere. Heresy, however, is not the same but very different which does not know one from the other, and hence non of them can be Catholic.
3. The bishop's Synod of 2015.
During the Bishop's Synod of 2015 where Pope Francis tried to have the outline of 'Amores Laetitia' approved, with the help of Baldiseri, Kasper and Tagle, the Vatican church no longer had this fourth Mark of the true Church. They were no longer agreeing on Catholic doctrines.
4. How do you check on the teachings of the true Church?
As St.Augustine wrote, just as the Church teaches the same identical doctrines all over the world, heretics are, also, all over the world teaching different heretical doctrines. This is found among the pagan religious and even among the different Protestant sects. Everybody is all over the world like the true church but everybody is teaching different doctrines.
This is what happened after Vatican II. There were many groups that branched off from the Catholic Church, all teaching different doctrines but all of them fall under the umbrella of the ideology of discontinuity. That is, their only similarity is that they believe that the Catholic Church have ceased to exist and that they are now the continuation of the original Catholic Church. All christian sects make the same identical claims. All post-vatican sects make the same claim. And the more popular is the FrancisChurch headed by Pope Francis. But they do not have this fourth Mark of the true Church.
5. Checking doctrines from the teachings of Christ.
From the very beginning of the Catholic Church, her doctrines were based on Scriptures as interpreted by the Fathers of the Church; and fortified by the doctors of the Church and her saints. These are the doctrines of the Catholic Church everywhere, by Catholics in all nations, by different peoples and all races. This is not the case in the Bishop's Synod of 2015.
Let us take one example; Pope Francis' proposal to the Synod backed up by his lieutenants Baldiseri, Kasper and Tagle, was to allow remarried Catholics living in adultery to receive Holy Communion. He even tried to include tolerating aberosexual relationships, etc. These are, indeed, against Catholic doctrines. So the majority of the fathers in the Synod rejected and outvoted his proposal.
Evidently, the Synod was not a Catholic gathering since it did not have this 4th Mark of the Church. The group of Cardinal Burke, backed up by most of the bishops of Poland and Africa were acting like Catholics because they had the 4th Mark. Pope Francis, with Baldiseri, Kasper and Tagle were not acting like Catholics because they did not have the 4th Mark. There was a schism with Pope Francis and his group leaving the Catholic Church. The cry 'schism' resounded in news around the world.
6. The separation of the different groups holding the ideologue of discontinuity have gone further away from the Catholic Church and the farthest is the FrancisChurch. All these groups do not have the 4th Mark including a big group in the Philippines Bishop's conference who are attached to the FrancisChurch.
7. The present situation.
We have total confusion in the Catholic Church with no one teaching the Catholic truth on salvation, with many teaching the opposite on how to go to hell. We have most of the priests, bishops and cardinals more concerned with global warming and political issues rather saving souls, we have Catholics who do not have Faith, we have parents divorcing, remarrying and receiving Holy Communion and going to hell and we have a Pope teaching no one goes to hell, souls disappear and God forgives without repentance......so what do we do. Ask the Pope and most of the bishops, priests and nuns to resign, abandon our adulterous parents, impeach the President? Well, no. Let everything stay as they are. These things are happening because it is God's permissive will, as St. Thomas would say. And we must always be resigned to the unavoidable permissive will of God; as the first Christians were resigned to the rule of Emperors Domitian or Diocletian as they martyred. Did the first Christians lift a finger to change the status quo? No. They let it be in resignation of God's unavoidable permissive will.
It is a test God gives all men 'to see if they will continue in their Faith,' the main message of the 5th weekday of Lent. When we are given a test, we do not change the test questions that we cannot answers. We answer them as best we can. St. Thomas comments on the Gospel writing; 'God initiates Faith in us, and then test us to see if we will continue in the Faith.'
God is testing all men to see if they will remain Catholic in this present situation. Or are we going to sacrifice to the idols of the NuChurches of post-Vatican II. This blog aims at helping souls pass the test.
The present situation will continue. The 'dubia' will not accomplish anything. Pope Francis will not answer and will continue as Pope. But it does not matter. We all know what the answer should be. What is important is that we are on the side of the Catholic Church who knows all the answers. Let the rest of the world chose their own sides. They have their own free wills. Let Pope Francis pass his own test.
'Indeed, a Church that is truly Catholic ought not only to embrace all times but all places, all nations and all races of men. Therefore, St. Vincent of Lerin explains what a Catholic might be in his 'Commonitorium' where he says that they are properly Catholics, who hold to that which has been believed always, everywhere and by all. '
' The following must be observed. First, from St. Augustine and St. Bede namely, that for the Church to be Catholic, first, it is required that it should not exclude any times, places or races of men, whereby it is distinguished from the Synagogue, which was a particular Church, not a catholic one, because it was bound to one time, that is, even to the coming of the Messiah, likewise, in one place, that is the temple of Solomon, outside of which they could not sacrifice and to one family, that is the sons of Jacob.'
'Secondly, as noted by St Augustine, that the Church might be catholic, it is not required that it must be in every place of the world, but merely that it becomes conspicuous in all provinces and bears fruit in them, so that in all provinces someone should be from the Church, until this should happen, the day of the Lord will not come, as obviously is predicted in Matthew.'
'Thirdly, it is not required that in this it happens together so that in one tine there ought to necessarily be some faithful in all lands, it is sufficient enough if it happens successively. Whereby it follows that if only one land should retain the true faith, still truly and properly it could be called the Catholic Church, provided that it should be clearly shown that it was one and the same with that which was in some time or at different times in the whole world, in so far as now whichever diocese you like is called Catholic.
2. Heresies are everywhere, too.
St. Augustine teaches beautifully that, as the Church is everywhere so also heresy is everywhere. But the Church is one and the same everywhere. Heresy, however, is not the same but very different which does not know one from the other, and hence non of them can be Catholic.
3. The bishop's Synod of 2015.
During the Bishop's Synod of 2015 where Pope Francis tried to have the outline of 'Amores Laetitia' approved, with the help of Baldiseri, Kasper and Tagle, the Vatican church no longer had this fourth Mark of the true Church. They were no longer agreeing on Catholic doctrines.
4. How do you check on the teachings of the true Church?
As St.Augustine wrote, just as the Church teaches the same identical doctrines all over the world, heretics are, also, all over the world teaching different heretical doctrines. This is found among the pagan religious and even among the different Protestant sects. Everybody is all over the world like the true church but everybody is teaching different doctrines.
This is what happened after Vatican II. There were many groups that branched off from the Catholic Church, all teaching different doctrines but all of them fall under the umbrella of the ideology of discontinuity. That is, their only similarity is that they believe that the Catholic Church have ceased to exist and that they are now the continuation of the original Catholic Church. All christian sects make the same identical claims. All post-vatican sects make the same claim. And the more popular is the FrancisChurch headed by Pope Francis. But they do not have this fourth Mark of the true Church.
5. Checking doctrines from the teachings of Christ.
From the very beginning of the Catholic Church, her doctrines were based on Scriptures as interpreted by the Fathers of the Church; and fortified by the doctors of the Church and her saints. These are the doctrines of the Catholic Church everywhere, by Catholics in all nations, by different peoples and all races. This is not the case in the Bishop's Synod of 2015.
Let us take one example; Pope Francis' proposal to the Synod backed up by his lieutenants Baldiseri, Kasper and Tagle, was to allow remarried Catholics living in adultery to receive Holy Communion. He even tried to include tolerating aberosexual relationships, etc. These are, indeed, against Catholic doctrines. So the majority of the fathers in the Synod rejected and outvoted his proposal.
Evidently, the Synod was not a Catholic gathering since it did not have this 4th Mark of the Church. The group of Cardinal Burke, backed up by most of the bishops of Poland and Africa were acting like Catholics because they had the 4th Mark. Pope Francis, with Baldiseri, Kasper and Tagle were not acting like Catholics because they did not have the 4th Mark. There was a schism with Pope Francis and his group leaving the Catholic Church. The cry 'schism' resounded in news around the world.
6. The separation of the different groups holding the ideologue of discontinuity have gone further away from the Catholic Church and the farthest is the FrancisChurch. All these groups do not have the 4th Mark including a big group in the Philippines Bishop's conference who are attached to the FrancisChurch.
7. The present situation.
We have total confusion in the Catholic Church with no one teaching the Catholic truth on salvation, with many teaching the opposite on how to go to hell. We have most of the priests, bishops and cardinals more concerned with global warming and political issues rather saving souls, we have Catholics who do not have Faith, we have parents divorcing, remarrying and receiving Holy Communion and going to hell and we have a Pope teaching no one goes to hell, souls disappear and God forgives without repentance......so what do we do. Ask the Pope and most of the bishops, priests and nuns to resign, abandon our adulterous parents, impeach the President? Well, no. Let everything stay as they are. These things are happening because it is God's permissive will, as St. Thomas would say. And we must always be resigned to the unavoidable permissive will of God; as the first Christians were resigned to the rule of Emperors Domitian or Diocletian as they martyred. Did the first Christians lift a finger to change the status quo? No. They let it be in resignation of God's unavoidable permissive will.
It is a test God gives all men 'to see if they will continue in their Faith,' the main message of the 5th weekday of Lent. When we are given a test, we do not change the test questions that we cannot answers. We answer them as best we can. St. Thomas comments on the Gospel writing; 'God initiates Faith in us, and then test us to see if we will continue in the Faith.'
God is testing all men to see if they will remain Catholic in this present situation. Or are we going to sacrifice to the idols of the NuChurches of post-Vatican II. This blog aims at helping souls pass the test.
The present situation will continue. The 'dubia' will not accomplish anything. Pope Francis will not answer and will continue as Pope. But it does not matter. We all know what the answer should be. What is important is that we are on the side of the Catholic Church who knows all the answers. Let the rest of the world chose their own sides. They have their own free wills. Let Pope Francis pass his own test.
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