THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
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AUTHORITY ON TRADITION
CATHOLIC GOES BACK
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Catholic
You may have noticed that the word "Catholic" has not been used up to now.
To all those who cling to the notion of "sola scriptura" (scripture alone is the sole source of authority for Christian faith ), one has to wonder, since there was no complete Bible for the first four centuries to refer to, what did Christians have to rely on? And we need to remember, copies of Bibles took centuries to copy even before the Gutenberg printing press. And who was responsible for compiling the 73 original books of the Bible in the 4th century? And, by the way, why are there now only 66 books in all Bibles, other than the Douay-Rheims version and it is true, the word "catholic" does not appear in any Bible, as such. Catholic is derived from the Greek word καθολικός (katholikos) meaning "universal" and was first used in the 2nd century to describe the Church in the early 2nd century in a letter of St Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, in 130 A.D. In his "Catechetical Discourses" of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Ignatius used "catholic" to describe followers of Jesus Christ. And the only reasons the Church fathers and leaders began using the word was to distinguish His followers from other schismatic groups who also referred to their gathering as Church. One distinguishing factor with these other groups was their new novel belief that Jesus, although a separate person from God His Father, did not believe Jesus was with God outside of time and space before the founding of the universe. More on this later.
"Now the church had peace throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria; and was edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and was filled with the consolation of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 9:11)
(according to original Greek), “ai men oun ekklesia (the church) kath oles (universal-catholic) tēs ioudaias kai galilaias kai samareias eichon eirēnēn oikodomoumenai kai poreuomenai tō phobō tou kuriou kai tē paraklēsei tou agiou pneumatos eplēthunonto.”
Since the word "catholic" means universal, as in that everyone in the Church all believe in the exact things, everywhere, and throughout the ages, that there is one God, only one begotten Son, not created by divine like His Father, having no beginning nor will have not end. This understanding has been with God's people going all the way back to Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and down to all the apostles and faithful disciples through the ages to this day. They were all "catholic" in that they all had one universal belief in God. It's no wonder Moses referred to ancient Israel as God's Church. (Deuteronomy 23:8), found only in the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible from 380 A.D., which Jerome translated from ancient Hebrew writings, long before there was a "Roman Catholic Church." King David referred to Israel as the Church of saints. (Psalms 149:1) Therefore, it's no surprise that the Lord Jesus Christ called out His followers as His Church, throughout the entire New Testament. Since there was only one group of Christians including Christ apostles and disciple, they didn't need to refer to "the Church" as "Catholic". But it was a universal Church since all over the Roman Empire, middle East, Northern Africa, everywhere the apostles traveled to preach, it was the universal, or katholikos (Catholic) Church, though this is diffult for non-Catholics to accept.
Christ commanded His disciples to preach the "gospel of His kingdom" to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost (spirit). (Matt. 24:14) This is how people from all nations were to view God and the means to be saved from their sins. Even the Israelites believed in God the same way. They believe God would send a savior, His seed, His Son, to redeem mankind. This is also a way to understand "catholic", since even Israel had this universal understanding of God.
While this was good news to those who seek God (Matt. 7:7) Jesus warned His followers that those who follow Him by becoming part of His Church, would become objects of hatred by His enemies, starting with the Jews. The apostate Jewish leaders of His day, the Pharisees, were responsible for orchestrating Jesus death by crucifixion. He warned His followers that the Jews would be the ones to persecute and put many Christians to death in their synogogues. (Matthew 23)
"Do not think I came to bring peace on earth. I came to put, not peace but a sword. I came to set a man against his father, the daughter against her mother. A man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father, mother, daughter or son more than me is not worthy of me. He that does not take up my cross and follow me is not worthy of me." (Matt. 10:34-38) Jesus was not nailed to just an upright "pole" as some latter-day groups teach; i.e., such as the Epischopalian preacher, Henry Ward in 1871. This is how far some will go to NOT believe in what the universal Church and the scriptures teach. Their hatred for the Catholic universal Church is so strong, they ignore the facts.
Why have Catholics always been ridiculed, hated, persecute and martyred to death by non-Catholics?
"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, the world hates you. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:18-21)
"...friendship with the world is enmity with God." (James 4:4)
Why? "The god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers of the world."
"The world is seated in wickedness" (outside His Church)." (1 John 5:19)
For the first three centuries virtually every Father leader in the Church and many Christians (Catholics) died a martyr's death after St Stephen's death in 36 A.D. It took another almost 300 years before the persecution and martyrdom ended in 326 A.D. when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the religion of the state. This allowed the countless Chrisians to come out of the catacombs in 311 A.D. Then in 325 A.D. Pope St Sylvester I convened the Council of Nicea and the Nicaean Creed was adopted, later called the "Apostles Creed" that Catholics recite to this day. Since then, the Catholic Church flourished up through the middle ages down to the 20th century.
The Lord’s Prayer
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name (I AM), God the Father;
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."
Note: "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" does not appear in the gospels anywhere. This is called a "doxology" (from the Greek word, 'opinion') and was added by King Henry VIII in the 16th century. It was not included in St Jerome's original canon of the Latin Vulgate of the 4th century. After the doxology was added, all Protestants include it in their version of the Lord's prayer. This is in direct opposition to Revelations 22:18-19; "do not add to or take away anything in scripture", (specially "our Lord's prayer"). Heresy is a belief or opinion contrary to scripture and contrary to Catholic Church tradition Jesus established. (Click on photo)
The Seven Original Sacraments
of the Church
(Study the picture below)
Sacrament of Baptism
"Go therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Spirit)." Matthew 18:19 "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost (Spirit), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5 Notice 'EENS' in the background.
JESUS BEFORE BAPTISM
CARPENTER
CONFESSION - PENANCE
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful, He will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity.." (1 John 1:9)
(priests receive Holy Orders to stand in Christ's place during confession; Council of Trent)
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The Holy Eucharist
"And taking bread, he gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: THIS IS my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me." (Luke 22:19)
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"First Holy Communion, "Eucharist"
John 6:48-59;
"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. "
(This is Christ "presence", during Holy Communion, the Eucharist, when Christ changes or converts the substance of the host, the bread, into His body as it enters our body; called tran-substantiation)
THE HOLY ORDERS
A manifestations in the Catholic Church is the Holy Orders of the clergy of the Church beginning with Jesus appointing as head and ruler of the Church and the first Pope.
"Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." Matt. 16:18-19 (Click)
St Peter - First Bishop and Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church
"Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: FEED MY LAMBS.(John 21:15)
Jesus told Peter to TEACH His followers to observe ALL His commands; and in doing so, He would be with them until the consummation of the world. (Matt. 28:20) This is also a key scripture that clearly points out that Christ would be with His Church and have His Church visibly flourish until the end, to the consummation of the world. This makes it clear that He would not allow His Church enter into apostacy "until" the last days. Many latter-day groups believe the Church after the last apostle John died the Church went into decline and apostacized right away. This is totally contradictory to Jesus promise that He would provide for His Church all through the ages. The fact that the Church encountered problems, persecutions, and even great sins, was not a reason to believe Christ turned His back on His faithful followers through the last 19 centuries. This is how these latter-day groups justify their existence saying they are restoring the Church to what it was in the first century, even though there is no evidence of this anywhere in scripture or in 19 centuries of Church history.
When Jesus handed Peter the keys of authority of His Church, Jesus wasn't declaring Peter "infallible". While Peter occupied a very important role in Christ Church, Peter was just a man with frailties and imperfections. And though Peter was the chief apostle because Jesus bestowed that unique charism or authority upon him, Jesus also gave all the apostles great powers and authority to cure sickness, heal the blind, even raise the dead, but their primary task was to provide Jesus lambs spiritual food when they needed it. (Matt. 24:45)
When Peter died a martyr's death in 66 A.D., other faithful shepherds, Church fathers, would continue the work of Peter to govern the Church. Although little is written about him, Church tradition has it that Linus successed Peter to be chief overseer, bishop of the Church. (Philippians 4:3)
Jesus also promised He would provide the Church with "... apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizes, some as doctors and some as saints..." to insure the body of the Church would remain all in unity. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
An example of such a "saint" and "doctor" of the Church was St Thomas Aquinas in the 13th Century, "Angelic Doctor of the Church". (Many saints and 33 doctors of the Church) (Click on photos)
St Thomas Aquinas is holding a copy of the Bible in one hand and what appears to be a model of the Church in his other hand, symbolizing the teachings of the Church. In a very real way, like Peter, St Thomas Aquinas is holding the representations of Peter's keys. Remember, there was no completed compiled copy of "the Bible" for many centuries when Jesus gave Peter the keys. So the final say on Christ teachings weren't "sola scriptura", i.e., scriptures only. They taught by word of mouth based on the traditions that Jesus and His apostles passed when the Church was born at Pentecost.
Below are just a few other early Church fathers and theologians.
St Linus, then St Clement - 88 A.D., St Ignatius 108, Justin Martyr 155 and St Siricius in 350. The list of bishops, Church leaders, historians and Saints of the Church seems endless providing clear indication that the Church not only did NOT go into decline and apostacy as the "latter-day" group teach their follower, but the Church, in fact, flourished all through the ages. And just because some proved to be unfaithful and sinned greatly, was no indication Christ abandoned His Church.
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Pope St. Siricius of the 4th century, the 38th Bishop of Rome left behind his original handwritten decrees that is now preserved in Rome. This document provides clear guidance on a significant issue that is crucial for faithful Catholics today. (Click on photo)
THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The Bible or the Church and its teachings and tradition?
2 Thessalonians 2:14, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or written (epistle)." This includes the Old and New Testaments. And the "word" implied any and all words of the apostles including the chief apostle Peter and his successors, the fathers, bishops (teachers), saints and doctors of the Church who passed on the teachings of the Church. Again, remember, the faithful "lambs" in the Church for many centuries did not have a Bible to read, if they even could read. The faithful sheep in the Church had only the oral word(s) spoken to them by bishops, priests and the saints. So, the teaching and guidance came primarily by word(s) of of mouth by local priests (preachers and evangelists) following the governance of the Church.
Below is a photo of one of the oldest complete Latin Vulgate Bible of St Jerome in 405 AD. as directed by Pope St Damasus I in 382 A.D., the 37th Catholic Pontiff in Rome. (Click photo)
So, for nearly 16 centuries, there was only one Bible, the Latin Vulgate and one universal group of followers of Christ, the Catholic Church that Christ established with St Peter at Pentecost in 33 A.D.
But Jesus gave a warning that His Church and the unity therein would come under attack and that Satan would enter right into its midst. about the "days of Noe (Noah) at (Matthew 24:37-39)
The greater Noah, Christ built "ONE" Church holding to one faith, one hope, one Church.
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Genesis 6: “And the earth was corrupted before God's (eyes) and filled with sin; and God said; The end of all flesh is come before me... and I WILL DESTROY THEM….” (OUTSIDE Noah's Ark)
Matthew 24, “Jesus ... said…As it was in the days of Noah, SO IT SHALL BE IN THE COMING DAY OF THE SON OF MAN.” No one will survive. (OUTSIDE His Church)
EXTRA ECCLESSIAM NULLA SALUS
"No Salvation outside THE CHURCH"
See page 7 EENS
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ARE CATHOLICS ANTI-SEMITIC ~ ANTI-JEWS?
First of all, "anti-semitic" is a misnomer (wrong name) that many use to apply to some who do not agree with Jews. The word "Semite" applies to all descendants of Noah's son Shem, including Israel. All Arabs and middle-Easterners are Semites. To accuse someone as antisemitic because they don't agree with the Jews' position on Jesus as the Messiah (Christ) is a misnomer and incorrect. Doing so is harmful to that person's reputation.
St Paul said at Romans 12:9, "...hate what is evil (bad), cleave (cling) to what is good." Catholics cling to Jesus words as outlined in Matthew 23 below; ANYONE, Jews or otherwise, who reject Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, are God's enemies, therefore bad (evil). The Jews have a long history of showing bad-will (evil) toward God and His prophets sent forth to correct the Jews ever since leaving Egypt when God made a covenant (agreement) with them. Because the nation of Israel broke the covenant immediately (Golden-Calf worship) they were enslaved to every world power since Egypt. When their promised Messiah came (Jesus) to introduce them to a new covenant for a heavenly kingdom, the Jews rejected Him and His promises (evil). God extended His grace to the nation of Israel first, but the Jews rejected His grace and crucified Him instead. (Romans 11) Therefore, Jesus said, "your house is abandoned to you". (Matthew 23:38) The Jews today are not the descendants of Abraham or King David. Jesus own words identify who their god is, (John 8:44) "your father the devil".
The Jews have continued to reject Jesus as the Christ (Messiah), the Son of God and therefore, as Jesus said, enemies of God. Matthew 12:30.
"[31] Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets. [32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. [33] You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell? [34] Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify them, (such as St Peter crucified upside down) and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: [35] That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. [36] Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. [37] Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not? [38] Behold, your house (Jews) shall be left to you, desolate (abandoned to you)." (They brought it on themselves by their rejection of the Messiah.)
PROOF JESUS WAS THE FORETOLD MESSIAH?
HE FULFILLED 360 PROPHESIES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
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CATECHISM
of
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
(Click on book below)
Our Lord Jesus Christ made it clear that SATAN the devil is the god of this world and he has blinded people's minds to the truth. To dismiss the reality of this would be a fatal mistake.
2 Corinthians 4:4 & 1 Peter 5:8-10
Ask yourself the following probing questions:
1. Who do you rely on for final authority on these matters?
2. How many quotes are necessary to make it clear what Our Lord Jesus said and the Holy Fathers that it’is absolutely necessary to be baptized into His Holy Apostolic Catholic Church in order to be saved and enter the kingdom of God?
3. A parent shouldn't have to tell his child more than one time to obey them in crossing the street lest they put their lives in danger. Why is it any different with our heavenly Father? Did our Lord not admonish us to be like little children, not haughty self-important "adults"?
4. One scripture and one Papal decree lead by Holy Spirit telling us we must be baptized into Christ Church to be saved should be enough. If it's not enough, we really need to ask ourselves why, if we are truly a Catholic Christian trying to follow Our Lord’s commands. Do we truly trust Our Lord and the traditions of the Church He established with Peter as the first father of the Church, the Pope?