The Truth About The Roman Catholic Part 2

ONE WORLD RELIGION - ECUMENISM

The present ecumenical emphasis and activities of the Roman Catholic Church are also of recent origin. When Vatican Council I was held in 1869 - 1870, the Orthodox Churches refused to participate even though they were invited by the pope. His public appeal to "Protestants and all non-Catholics" to "return to the only true fold" also received resentful refusals. However, in the intervening years, it became increasingly obvious to the Roman Catholic hierarchy that their church needed some serious updating, particularly with regard to relationships with other churches. In 1960, Pope John XXIII established the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity; and in 1962 he convoked Vatican Council II which he called "An ecumenical council for the universal church."

Less than a year later, Pope John XXIII died. His successor, Pope Paul VI, attended four sessions of Vatican II before becoming pope and did everything possible to continue and expand the ecumenical emphasis. His said the Roman Catholic Church could best demonstrate the validity of its teaching, not by condemnation or severity, but with the "medicine of mercy." He emphasized "working for the full visible unity in truth among all Christians" and that this unity should extend also to non-Christians. This new approach of Vatican II was successful in gaining the cooperation of the major Orthodox Church bodies as well as 38 delegated observers from almost all the major Protestant denominations. Of course, Pope John Paul II has apparently expanded the ecumenical emphasis in the Roman Catholic Church to unprecedented heights. While this has received high praise from religious leaders and denominations, the kind of unity sought by the Roman Catholic Church is contrary to the Bible. All unity purchased at the expense of doctrinal purity is satanic and deceptive. 2 Cor. 6:14-18, Eph. 5:11, 2 Tim. 3:1-17; 4:1-8. 
All who join hands in ecumenical fellowship with those who preach a false Gospel are under God's curse. Gal. 1:6-10.

Christ gave a dire warning in Matthew 7:21-23. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The pope and most Roman Catholics call Jesus, "Lord," but since they reject the one true gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, their profession is false. Today they are deceiving many evangelicals, but not God. Unless Roman Catholics trust Christ alone as Saviour before they die, they will one day be identified by Christ as those who were workers of iniquity even though they called Him "Lord."

When Billy Graham began his ministry 40 years ago, he recognized Roman Catholicism as a false religion and warned against it. Then, as Graham's crowds and popularity grew, warnings about Roman Catholicism ceased and those who made professions of faith in his crusades were sent back into the Roman Catholic Church. Later, Graham accepted Roman Catholics as counselors if they took his prescribed training course. Still later, Roman Catholic priests, bishops and cardinals were included in the Graham Crusade committees, and finally, Graham called Pope John Paul II one of the world's great evangelists!!! - a false identification of a biblically defined evangelist if there ever was one! See the SATANIC POPE.

THE SIN OF THE CATHOLIC MASS

True believers need to realize that the Mass is at the very heart of Roman Catholic theology and worship, but its observance is based upon Roman Catholic tradition, not upon the Word of God. We urge you to take the time to study the Roman Catholic teachings concerning the meaning and importance of the Mass, then, compare those teachings with the Scriptures and see the contradictions involved. After such a study, those who are truly born again and filled with the Holy Spirit - as Charismatic Catholics claim to be - will reject the Mass as a contradiction of Bible salvation and separate themselves from the Roman Catholic Church in obedience to the Word of God, the Bible.

What does the Roman Catholic Church teach concerning the importance and meaning of the Mass?
Notice the following official statements:

The following quotations are taken from THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1994 edition, which contains the written approval of Pope John Paul II and makes an appeal to Mary concerning the future in these words: "At the conclusion of this document presenting the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, I beseech the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word and Mother of the Church, to support with her powerful intercession the catechetical work of the entire Church on every level, at this time when she is called to a new effort of evangelization."

Canons (from the Council of Trent) concerning the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist

Canon 1.If anyone denies that in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist are contained truly, really and substantially the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ, but says that He is in it only as in a sign, or figure or force, let him be anathema (CURSED!!).

Canon 2.If anyone says that in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denies that wonderful and singular change of the whole substance of the bread into the body and the whole substance of the wine into the blood, the appearances only of bread and wine remaining, which change the Catholic Church most aptly calls transubstantiation, let him be anathema.

Canon 3.If anyone denies that in the venerable sacrament of the Eucharist the whole Christ is contained under each form and under every part of each form when separated, let him be anathema.

Canon 4.If anyone says that after the consecration is completed, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are not in the admirable sacrament of the Eucharist, but are there only in usu, while being taken and not before and not after, and that the hosts or consecrated particles which are reserved or which remain after communion, the true body of the Lord does not remain, let him be anathema.

Canon 8.If anyone says that Christ received in the Eucharist is received spiritually only and not also sacramentally and really, let him be anathema.

From page 345, Article 5: "The Eucharistic sacrifice is also offered for the faithful departed who 'have died in Christ but are not yet wholly purified,' so that they may be able to enter into the light and peace of Christ."

"not yet wholly purified"??? You're either SAVED or you're going to HELL!!!!!!!!!

To summarize then, in plain terms, Catholics believe that their priest is a magician, with powers to convert the wafer and the wine into the physical, actual body and blood of Christ and then sacrifice Him again. Then, they EAT the physical, actual body and blood of Christ! What an abomination - they're not only heretics, but cannibals!!  

But what does the Bible say concerning the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross?

Hebrews 10:10-14, "By which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man [Jesus Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. " 
THIS IS SO OBVIOUS, IT EVEN DESCRIBES THE CATHOLIC PRIEST STANDING, DAILY, OFFERING THE SAME SACRIFICE - WHICH CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS !!!

What a difference there is between what the Bible teaches and what Roman Catholicism believes and teaches regarding the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross! The supposed continual offering up of Christ by the priests negates His finished work on the Cross. The Bible says, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. " 1 Peter 3:18.

What about the future of the Catholic Church? It is a false church, not a true one. It is a divided church, not a united one. Its present head, Pope John Paul II, is not one of the world's great evangelists, he is one of theworld's greatest deceivers. He has done more to promote the false teachings of Roman Catholicism than any other pope in history. His mild, humble, reverent demeanor makes him especially valuable to Satan since he appears as "an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:13-15). His travels have taken him into almost every region of the world. His ability to speak fluently in several languages makes him an effective communicator. He is a master at the art of "double-talk," for he knows just the kind of language to use with certain groups-evangelical, ecumenical, charismatic, traditional Romanists or liberal, avant-garde Catholics.

PENANCE

What does John Paul II plan for the immediate future? His plans are clearly and concisely set forth in his latest book, "Celebrate 2000!: Reflections on Jesus, The Holy Spirit and the Father" by Pope John Paul II. On pages 8-10 of the introduction by Paul Thigpen, we read, "Pope John Paul II has announced that the Church will observe the year 2000 as a 'Great Jubilee': .... Like all Jubilee years, it will be, he says, 'a year of the remission of sins and of the punishments due them (!!! – It Says NOTHING about this in the Bible!!), a year of reconciliation between disputing parties, a year of manifold conversions and of sacramental and extra-sacramental penance' . .(Not in the Bible!!) .

Let us now take a look at the Sacrament of Penance. According to this point of Catholic doctrine, which is everywhere embraced, acknowledged and studied by Catholics, when men sin they incur the wrath of God and when they repent and receive the Sacrament of Absolution, they are forgiven but not altogether! The Council of Trent sets forth: "If any man shall say that the whole penalty is always remitted by God, together with the guilt, and that the only satisfaction of penitents is faith whereby they embrace that Christ has made satisfaction for them: let him be accursed." 
Are we only HALF forgiven by repentance??? What TRASH. That makes Jesus' perfect sacrifice a sham, a half-job! What Blasphemy.

Thus the Catholic Church teaches that there are two punishments for sin, the eternal and the temporal. Now, by the Sacrament of Penance, the eternal punishment is remitted, but the temporal punishment remains due. Man must do something to appease the wrath of God regarding the temporal punishment. The priest determines what is sufficient to satisfy God in this matter. In Peter Dens’ Theology, a long list of suggested works of satisfaction practiced in the Romanist Church are given: fasting, rising earlier, enduring cold, praying, reciting litanies, reading the penitential psalms, hearing masses, visiting churches, wearing sackcloth, making gift of food, clothes, money and so on. Let us see the gross offense to God’s Word in this. First, it makes God’s forgiveness incomplete. But hear the Lord in the matter: "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Second, it makes Christ only a partial Saviour the ministry of the priest is altogether essential; he must determine what more is necessary in order to satisfy God. But we read of Christ: "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make inter-cession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Get it, my friends! Christ is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him!
Finally, as already stated, it makes the priest an absolutely necessary mediator and in this we see the design of the Catholic Church to bind the people to herself through her system of priests and sacraments which they alone can administer. But hear the apostle Paul in this matter: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5). There is one mediator; that mediator is Jesus Christ and that eliminates the Catholic priest from God’s order.

Remember that all the teachings of Pope Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church (like all religious leaders, churches and organizations) must be carefully examined in light of God's Word, the Bible. Of course, some of the statements of the pope and a few portions of the Roman Catholic Catechism contain, (amazingly enough!!), scriptural truths. This is why so many people are being deceived today. They do not realize that counterfeit religions, like counterfeit money, must resemble the genuine in order to deceive those who lack spiritual discernment or those who have not had the opportunity or taken the time to compare Roman Catholicism with the truth of God' s Word. Only when one compares men' s words with Scripture will it become obvious that Roman Catholicism is a carefully crafted counterfeit, not the pure, genuine, biblical faith.
Roman Catholicism makes salvation a long, complicated process with no assurance of eternal life and forgiveness of all sin. Baptism, the Mass, Confession, prayers to Mary and the Saints, good works, and purgatory are all added to faith in Christ.

By contrast, the Bible teaches salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 2:13. Bible salvation is God's free gift to any sinner who believes with the heart that Christ died for his sins and rose again for his justification. 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 10:9-13. Bible salvation gives immediate assurance of eternal life. 1 John 5:10-13. Carefully read and believe John 1:12; 3:16-18; 3:36; 5:24; 14:1-6; 20:30, 31. No church ever saved anyone, but Christ can and will save everyone who will come and trust Him as their Saviour. Acts 4:12; John 6:37; 10:27-30.

Membership or faith in a church does not secure salvation for anyone, but trust Christ and Him alone and you will be saved for all eternity!

May God Bless all those who read this to seek the Truth. For he that hath an ear, let him hear!!

Main Reference & with thanks:  H. Reynolds, Foundation Magazine, Vol. XIII, Issue 1, 1995 

copy write: Saint Paul Okoyeocha