Catholics argue that their doctrines are misquoted and
misunderstood by Protestant opponents. When confronted with some of these
facts, Catholics often react emotionally with, “Oh, that’s not what the Church
teaches!” Or, “The Church doesn’t believe that anymore!” But the truth is, the teachings of Catholicism have not changed.
Unfortunately, most Catholics do not receive a systematic understanding of
their own faith. Because many Have been influenced by
their Christian neighbors and friends, American Catholics have on their own,
softened some of their own views. But of course, not all have. It is true, however, that some of the published doctrinal material
from Catholic writers and publications has softened some teachings. But these
writings are misleading because doctrinal belief is controlled by and centered
in Rome, not in America!
Some writers are publishing what they wish the Church were teaching. In
reality, no major beliefs have actually been altered. All the books quoted, but one, has Imprimatur
approval of Catholic authorities. Most used in this article are modern
publications.
Salvation Outside of the Catholic Church?
Is there salvation outside of the Catholic Church? From their own
publications, the answer is a loud and firm, No! However, while in their
teachings they make they affirm this view, at the same time they put forth a
form of universalism. They argue that, if one does not intentionally repudiate
the Catholic Church, but in their ignorance do not come under its authority,
they may somehow in God’s mysterious providence ascend ultimately to the light
and experience salvation. This is stated in almost all of their writings,
though it is more accepted and taught in newer books rather than older ones.
This view blunts somewhat their traditional dogma that
there is no redemption outside their Church. It is also attractive in their
thinking in that it allows them to encompass the world and offer some form of
hope to pagan societies. However, they also teach that if one willfully rejects
the Church, such as evangelicals do, such people are doomed because they are
refusing the leadership of the Pope and not partaking of the saving grace found
in the Mass.
Membership of the Church
A Catholic seminary textbook notes, “The members of the
Church are those who have validly received the Sacrament of Baptism and who are
not separated from the confession of the Faith, and from the unity of the
lawful communion of the Church.” (Funda, 309)
This important sentence is loaded with key words and phrases, such as Church,
Sacrament of Baptism, and, the confession of Faith. Written in capital letters
is the giveaway meaning, the Roman Catholic Church and Teaching.
On the same page is written, that real members of the
Church are those who have been regenerated by the waters of Baptism and profess
the true faith, and, have not cut themselves off from the structure of the
Body. Catholic Baptism is absolutely essential for belonging to the Church.
And, apart from the Roman Church, there is no salvation. A Catholic must have
“unhindered perpetuation of their membership of the Church which is initiated
by Baptism.” (Ibid., 310) And, the Council of
Trent adds, “The Church exercises jurisdiction over nobody who has not
previously entered the Church through the gates of Baptism.” (Ibid.)
More direct, the textbook continues, “Membership of the
Church is necessary for all men for salvation.” (Ibid.,
312) And quoting Pius IX, “By faith it is to be firmly held
that outside the Apostolic Roman Church none can achieve salvation. [The
Church] is the only ark of salvation. He who does not
enter into it, will perish in the flood.” (Ibid.)
This Pope went on and said, “those
who suffer from invincible ignorance of the true religion, are not for this
reason guilty in the eyes of the Lord.” The textbook author Ott
comments: “The last proposition holds out the possibility that people who in
point of fact do not belong to the Church can achieve salvation.” They do this,
he adds, by their moral readiness they can faithfully fulfill the will of God,
and thus, outside the Catholic Church achieve salvation. How this is
accomplished is not explained.
To make sure no one misunderstands, Ott
concludes, “The Church rejects the dogmatic tolerance which would concede the
same power of justification and the same value to all religions, or to all
Christian confessions.” (Ibid., 313) For certain, this
“blessing” is not extended to rebellious Protestants, who hold to other
“Christian confessions”! More recent Catholic textbooks confirm this teaching
that salvation by necessity is only in the Roman Church:
The necessity of the church for salvation means that the
salvation accomplished by God in Jesus Christ is historically mediated in and
through the church, so that membership in the church is the way to
participation in this salvation. This in turn means that there is no salvation
outside the church. (Handbook, 506)
Infant Baptism and Church Membership
According to Catholic teaching, “Christian tradition knows
nothing of unbaptized members of the Church.” (Ibid., 360) And that must include, in the reasoning of
Church doctrine, also infants and children. Otherwise, how could they be saved,
especially if they died young? “It follows from the validity of child-Baptism that
baptized infants are full members of the Church, and that, after attaining the
use of reason, they are obliged to fulfill the baptismal vows taken on their
behalf by their godparents.” (Ibid.)
This of course creates an entire system of fear. No parent
would want his or her child “unsaved.” Therefore, he or she must be baptized in
the Church for his or her protection. This system breeds members of the
organization, without any real biblical evidence for its practices. In fact,
the Church admits it cannot fully demonstrate the requirement for infant
baptism: “The validity of child-Baptism cannot be proved with absolute
certainty from Holy Writ.” Having admitted this, Catholic theologians go on and
try to make a case for infant baptism.
Falsely, the Church argues for infant baptism from
“household” baptism in Acts 16:31-34, but fails to point out that all in the
house were those who could hear the gospel and believe on it. The disciples
“spoke the word of the Lord to [the jailer] together with all who were in his
house.” Note, he “believed in God with his whole household” (v. 34), or, “his
whole household along with him believed.” The “household” constituted those who
could make a decision for Christ and believe.
The Catholic Church also argues that baptism replaced
Jewish circumcision. This is a ludicrous argument because it leaves out women
who are not circumcised and who form half of the population! (Ibid.)
The Church presents the fact correctly that baptism was
the ancient practice “when adult baptism was the norm.” (Inside, 36) And
the Church goes on and admits, “Before Vatican II, infant baptism was generally
regarded as the ordinary means of entrance into the Church.” (Ibid.)
The Totality of the Catholic Church
According to Catholic doctrine the fullness of Christ’s
heritage is found only in this outward, visible Church, with its headquarters
in Rome. The Church is the
“totality of his revelation, totality of his sacraments, and totality of
authority to rule the people of God in his name.” (CathCat,
213) And as well, it is the Church “of which the bishop of Rome
is the visible head.” (Ibid.)
The reader must be reminded at this point that the
Catholic Church speaks of itself as an outward, visible organization. To be
saved is not simply a matter of belief in Christ. It is imperative to belong to
the Roman Catholic system. At the Second Vatican Council, it was reaffirmed
that all men must enter into the Church through the gateway of baptism. (Ibid., 235) “This means that it would be impossible for men
to be saved if they refused to enter or to remain in the Catholic Church,
unless they were unaware that her foundation by God through Jesus Christ made
it a necessity.” (Ibid.)
But a few pages over in The Catholic Catechism, an
opposite teaching is put forth. Those in other
churches who have “been truly baptized and believe in Christ,” they are
“established in a fellowship with the Catholic Church, even if the fellowship
be incomplete.” (Ibid., 242) Their churches, “though
deficient by Catholic standards,” may still be employed as means of salvation.
It is easy to see where this reasoning is going. The
Catholic Church is now saying that the wayward brothers are recipients of
grace, though not in the Church. Therefore, the way is open for “the unity of
Christians” all gathering together back in the arms of the Church.
“Will the Real Catholic Church Stand Up?”
At this point one feels that he is hearing a tremendous
amount of “double-talk.” What is the real truth about salvation and the
Catholic Church? Are others saved who
do not belong to this system? At the turn of the century, thousands of Catholic
youngsters cut their teeth on Deharbe’s
Catechism. It was a standard text and one of the most popular one volume
Catholic theology reader. The book makes no bones
about salvation and membership in the Church. To belong to the Church virtually
means salvation.
Some Catholics today will argue, “but
that’s an old view. The Church is more open for others outside of its fold to
be saved.” If this is so, there is incredible contradiction in the Church. That
would mean that, at the turn of the century, millions of nonCatholics were not saved; but now they may be! Can
the Catholic Church switch itself on a supposedly eternal truth? Can such truth
be manipulated so by this system that it becomes an opposite “fact” of what it
once was? Judge for yourself the dogmatic statements made by Deharbe (Deharbe).
“Every one is obliged,
under pain of eternal damnation, to become a member of the Catholic Church, to
believe in her doctrine,…and to submit to her
authority.” (Ibid., 148) Heretics are those who
profess a doctrine that has been condemned by the Church. (Ibid.)
A heretic is one who knows the Catholic Church, and is convinced of her truth,
but does not join her. (Ibid., 149) “We profess to
believe that Jesus Christ has established a visible Church, endless in her
duration, and infallible in her doctrine, which we must believe and obey
without reserve, if we would obtain eternal salvation; and that this is no
other than the Roman Catholic Church.” (Ibid.,
150)
Putting it Plainly
As already mentioned previously, the most important
Catholic Church Council, Vatican II, makes it clear that there is no salvation
apart from this ecclesiastical system. This Council said, “Outside the Church,
no salvation.” (Modern Man) Vatican II goes on to argue, “it is only
through Christ’s Catholic church, which is ‘the
all-embracing means of salvation,’ that [the Protestant brother] can benefit
fully from the means of salvation.” And, “we believe that Our Lord entrusted
all the blessings of the New Covenant to the apostolic college alone, of which
Peter is the head, in order to establish the one Body of Christ on earth to
which all should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the people of
God.” (Ibid., 185)
“Therefore those men cannot be saved, who though aware
that God, through Jesus Christ, founded the Church as something necessary,
still do not wish to enter into it, or to persevere in it.” (Ibid.,
202)
Ecclesiology and Mary
Mary is considered by Catholics to be “sinless from the
moment of her conception, by a special gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Essential,
129) It is said that Jesus “declared Mary to be the spiritual mother of all
his disciples (Jn 19:25-27),”
and that she is the “new Eve” and the “Spouse of the Holy Spirit.” (Ibid., 130) The Spirit would be given to all Jesus’
disciples at Pentecost, after they had waited in prayer with Mary.
Catholic theologians are notorious for misquoting
Scripture. John 19:25-27 is a case in point. Jesus did not say to “all his
disciples” that Mary was their spiritual mother. On the cross he said to “the
disciple” (only one, probably John), “Behold, your mother.” He was actually
asking John to be responsible for her because she apparently had no one to take
care of her. Verse 27 adds, “And from that hour the disciple took her into his
own household.”
Concerning the waiting at Pentecost for the Spirit, the
Catholic writers again reverse the emphasis stated in Acts 1:12-14. The passage
takes note of the fact that all the disciples gathered with one mind and were
continually devoting themselves to prayer. The text then adds, “along with the
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus.” The implication is that Mary was attached
to the disciples, not the other way around. The Catholic statement is a case of
intellectual dishonesty!
On October 11,
1954, at the conclusion of the Marian Year, Pius XII published an
Encyclical entitled Ad Caeli Reginam,
“To the Queen of Heaven.” (DictMary) The
Encyclical proclaims her “Divine Mother-hood” and speaks of “her dignity above
all creation.” (More will be quoted about Mary from Catholic documents in later
articles.) But here, we want to focus on her relationship to the Church.
Affirmed by Vatican Council II, Mary is called the
“prototype of the Church,” and a “preeminent member” of the Mystical Body, as
well as “Mother of the Church.” “Everything the Church is, Mary is first,
personally and perfectly.” (Ibid., 66) “She personally
assumes care of the new race of the saved.”
“It is in Mary that God, in the Person of the Word,
entered into union with humankind. And this is why she announces and represents
the Church, i.e., a permanent union and communication between God and human
beings.” (Ibid., 68)
Mary and Christ are the new counterpart
to Adam and Eve. Both Mary and Christ “give to God the Father a posterity. Mary furnishes the Body its Head; the Church
gives this Head a Body. Both are mothers of Christ.” (Ibid.,
67)
“Every prayer addressed directly to Mary, invoked as
Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Help of Christians, or Mediatrix, finds in God its ultimate terminus…To those who
pray to her, she brings the motherly help of her own prayer.” (Ibid., 256)
In heaven, Mary has taken up her “saving office” by “her
manifold intercession [she] continues to bring us the gifts of eternal
salvation.” (Essential, 172)
“Mary is designated mediatrix of
all graces.” “Since her Assumption into Heaven no grace is conferred on man
without her actual intercessory co-operation.” (Funda,
212) “Nobody can approach the Supreme Father except through the Son, similarly nobody can approach Christ except through the
Mother.” (Ibid., 214) Mary is “the dispenser of all
gifts, which Jesus has acquired for us by His death and His blood.” (Ibid.) And, “Nobody can achieve salvation except through
Thee [Mary].” St. Bernard of Clairvaux added, “God
wished that we have nothing, except by the hands of Mary.” (Ibid.)
Having said all of that, the Catholic theologians admit:
“Express scriptural proofs are lacking” concerning her role as Mediatrex. “Express testimonies, though few in number, to
Mary’s position as mediatrix of grace are found since
the eighth century. They became more numerous during the peak of the Middle
Ages.” (Ibid.) And, “The idea of the spiritual
Motherhood of Mary is part of the Ancient Christian tradition.” (Ibid.) In other words, biblical proof is lacking. It must
be remembered that the Catholic Church sites tradition as having the same
weight as Scripture! Therefore, its theology is being continually constructed
and is not found solely in the authority of the Bible. The Church can therefore
make changes by decree to either build a new doctrine or dismantle an old
belief. This has happened with the requirement of eating fish on Fridays, or
concerning the once sacred doctrines of Limbo and Purgatory, that are no
longer being admitted to by modern Catholic theologians—though they are still
the teachings that are held by Rome.
Finally, St. Alphonsus claimed
Mary in a vision told St. Bridget, “I am the Queen of heaven and the Mother of
Mercy. I am the joy of the just and the door through which sinners come to
God.” (DictMary, 298) How contrary to Christ’s statement, “I am the
way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).
Putting all the evidence together, it would seem
impossible for anyone to accept the Catholic view of the Church. Most of what
the Church theologians teach is not found in implication or actual teaching in
the Word of God. Evangelicals who desire some kind of union with Rome
are simply fooling themselves. And, they have not totally submitted themselves
to the authority of the Bible as the only guide for understanding salvation.
However, Rome is on the move!
Catholics are sweet-talking spiritually and seducing blind evangelicals and
supposed believers from other denominations into their web.
May this article be circulated in order to warn those
falling for the lies!
References
Almost all the books below carry the Catholic Imprimatur,
which means the work “is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error.”
Even the volumes that do not carry this seal are still written by Catholic
theologians and agencies that are a part of the Catholic body of teaching.
Note abbreviations:
The Catechism of Modern Man, All the Words of Vatican
II, Edited by Team of Daughters of St. Paul
(Boston: Daughters of St. Paul, 1968). Imprimatur: Richard Cardinal Cushing,
Archbishop of Boston. (Modern
Man)
The Catholic Catechism, John A. Hardon (New York: Doubleday, 1981). Imprimatur:
Joseph T. O’Keefe, Vicar General, Archdiocese of New York.
(CathCat)
Catholicism, by Richard P. McBrien (New York: HarperCollins, 1974). Introduction by Theodore M. Hesburgh,
President Emeritius, University of Notre Dame.
(Cat)
Deharbe’s Catechism (One of the most popular Catholic catechisms in America
at the turn of the century.), Joseph Deharbe
(New York: Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss,
1912). Imprimatur: John Farley, Archbishop of New
York. (Deharbe)
Dictionary of Mary, No author named (New Jersey:
Catholic Book Publishing, 1997). Imprimatur: Patrick J. Sheridan, Vicar
General, Archdiocese of New York.
(DictMary)
The Essential Catholic Catechism, Alan
Schreck (Ann Arbor, MI.: Servant Publications, 1999).
Imprimatur: Most Reverend Gilbert I. Sheldon, Bishop of Steubenville.
(Essential)
Fundamentals of Catholic Faith, Ludwig
Ott (St. Louis: Herder Book Company, 1962).
Imprimatur: Cornelius, Ep. Corgagiensis et Ap. Adm. Rossensis; Jeremiah
J. O’Sullivan, Censor Deputatus. (Funda)
Handbook of Catholic Theology, eds.
Wolfgant Beinert, Francis Schussler Fiorenza (New York:
Crossroad, 1995). (Handbook)
Inside Catholicism, Richard P. McBrien (San Francisco: Collins Publishers, 1995).
The author is a professor of theology, University of Notre Dame. (Inside)
