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The Death of a Catholic I know I`m dying. No one has told me, but they don`t have to. Somehow, I know it`s true. Yet I am tired of living like this. I`ve been ill so long. I`m tired of the pain and the burden I`ve placed on my family. So I`m not really dreading it. Most of all, I feel confident of my destiny. I`ve been told by my priest that there is nothing to be afraid of. I`ve done everything necessary. The doctors have sedated me so that there is no pain. It will probably just be like going to sleep, except that I will awaken to a new life, a life free of this suffering. I`ve had the last rites of the church, and I am also wearing my scapulars, so I am ready. At worst, I may spend some time in Purgatory, but with all the masses that have been ordered for me, I shouldn`t have to be there very long. My Brown Scapular will keep me out of Hell. It alone is very powerful. "Your Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is a gift to you from your heavenly Mother. It is an assurance of salvation. Whoever dies clothed in this (scapular) shall not suffer eternal fire. The Sabbatine privilege is Mary's promise to release from Purgatory, soon after death, all those who: (1) Wear the Brown Scapular; (2) Observe chastity according to their state of life (3) Say the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary every day." From a leaflet by Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Lindenhurst, NY. "Attach great importance to your Scapular...It bears the Sabbatine privilege (if you keep the Blue Army pledge you will be freed from Purgatory by the first Saturday after your death.)" Leaflet distributed by Blue Army National Headquarters "There are many armors worn by My children that will protect them from......satanists...when you wear your scapular, your rosary, your medals and your crucifix...... Let them call you what they may, for one day they will call upon.....God to have mercy, and He will find them lacking...they will be rejected from Heaven..." From vision of "Jesus", Bayside, MI, 11/1/1985 "I promise you all, when you wear my brown scapular, you shall not be condemned to hell. I REPEAT: IF YOU...ARE WEARING THE BROWN SCAPULAR, YOU SHALL NOT SEE THE FIRES OF HELL!" Vision of "Our Lady" Bayside, MI, 9/14/1985 So the doctrine of `protective medals` and `protective scapulars` is surely documented and proven. The Protestants and Fundamentalists can say what they like, I KNOW BETTER! As for the fate of those `Fundamentalists`, "Our Lady" has already judged them: "My child, make it known that those you call `Fundamenta- lists` ARE NOT OF GOD." Vision of "Our Lady of The Roses" Bayside, MI, 6/15/1974 The doctrine of indulgences has been down-played in recent years in the Catholic church, but I still believe in it. The indulgences are no longer given a time value, but it is perfectly logical that God should hear the prayers of the faithful before rendering judgment upon the deceased. I am aware of the POWER of those masses and prayers. As with other doctrines of my church, I have studied this belief thoroughly, just as I have studied the doctrine of `Purgatory`. "Many people have the custom of saying 500 or 1,000 times each day the little ejaculation, `Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in thee`. Those who say ejaculations 1,000 times a day gain 300,000 days Indulgence. What a multitude of souls they can thus relieve!" From "Read Me or Rue It", by Father Paul O'Sullivan. Imp. Joannes Timotheus, Archiepiscopus, Cincinnatenesis, 8/22/25. "The soul, when it dies, goes straight to God. However, one look at the perfect Holiness in Heaven convinces the soul that it is not ready, so it goes to Purgatory for preparation." Marianhill Fathers, Dearborn, MI "Purgatory is still very much a part of our faith as every Sacrifice of the Mass and every other prayer for the dead attests." From "The Catholic Voice" Oakland, CA 5/18/81 "I ask you now to pray for the souls in `purgatory` and even pray for those who are in hell." Vision of "Jesus" Bayside, MI, 10/1/88 So it is obvious that prayers for the dead, even those in hell, have been proclaimed by Jesus Himself! To think that one of those Fundamentalists once told me prayers for the dead were discouraged by the Bible! They don`t have the power of the Catholic church! In a way, I`m looking forward to moving on to the next life. I`ll miss my family, but they are almost all good Catholics like me. Someday, we will all be together again. I still think back to the time I was able to see the Pope! I didn`t get a very good look at him because all the faithful were ordered to kneel down as the `Holy Father` passed by, but it was an experience that filled me with awe and reverence. It was a moment I will never forget. Soon, I will meet all of the saints that I have revered all of my life. There are so many of them. Saint Peter, Saint Christopher, Saint Monica, Saint Michael, and all the rest. In a way, it is exciting. I especially look forward to meeting Mary and Jesus. Mary and Jesus have a lot in common. Mary was decreed sinless by the church in 1864, so she was sinless like Christ. Both ascended into Heaven, Mary without dying, as decreed in 1950. Mary was decreed a mediator between God and man in 431. The month of May is even set aside for prayers and devotion to Mary. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics are praying to her in thousands of different churches and homes all over the world at the same time. In addition, `Holy Mary` is sort of the patron saint of the dying. That is of great comfort to me in my present condition. My priest even gave me a card with a prayer to her. I`ve been saying it every day, every hour. I know she is helping me to accept my approaching death. It goes: "But if, notwithstanding all, our hearts fail within us at the thought of our sins and miseries, we will entreat our dear Mother who is also the Mother of our Judge, to be to us Felix caeli porta, the gate of a happy eternity, that when all is passing and death is near, she may turn her eyes of mercy towards us, and show unto us at length the ever-blessed Fruit of her womb, Jesus, teaching us to trust Him absolutely and to the full. So may it be for us all we beseech thee, O loving, O kind, O sweet Virgin Mary." (The Teaching of the Catholic Church Macmillan, pages 547-548) If I had a dollar for every "Hail Mary" I have ever said, I would be a millionaire! How many rosaries? Thousands. The "Hail Mary" is really my favorite prayer. The words of that prayer are engraved in my mind: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, MOTHER OF GOD, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, Amen." Soon I will meet `The Mother of God`. She has answered so many of my prayers. She has been as faithful to me as I have been to her. I would give anything to have been one of those blessed persons who has seen visions of Mary. That must be the thrill of a lifetime. What an honor! To think that those Protestants criticize those visions! That is sick! How could anyone not realize that there are times when the `Mother of God` decides to appear to us mortals? The "Holy `Rosary" is probably the most revered prayer among Catholics. Why shouldn`t it be? `Our Lady` has promised so many blessings to the faithful who recite it: "(1) Whoever shall faithfully serve Me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive special graces. (2) I promise My special protection and the greatest grace to all those who shall recite the Rosary. (3) The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies. (4) It will cause abundant virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will left them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means. (5) The soul which recommends itself to Me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish. (6) Whoever will recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortunes. God will not chastise him in his justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God; and become worthy of eternal life. (7) Whoever shall have a true devotion to the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church. (8) Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the pentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise. (9) I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary. (10) The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven. (11) You shall obtain all you ask of Me by recitation of the Rosary. (12) All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by Me in their necessities. (13) I have obtained from My Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death. (14) All who recite the Rosary are My sons, and brothers of My Only Son Jesus Christ. (15) Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of predestination. From "How To Say The Rosary", Imp. Patrick Hayes, Archbishop of New York. "The Fifteen Promises Of Mary To Christians Who Recite The Rosary" "Ventimiglia, the author of an ancient history of the Carmellite order, revealed how God inspired St. Dominic to prophesy that some day the Blessed Mother would give us two devotions to be known as the Rosary and the Brown Scapular, AND ONE DAY, THROUGH THE ROSARY AND THE SCAPULAR SHE WOULD SAVE THE WORLD." From "Heaven`s Weapons", by The Apostolate of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, St. Martinville, LA. Needless to say, those "other" religions do not use rosaries or scapulars. The reason is simple. They do not have the blessing of Our Lady. Therefore, they have none of the POWER that `Our Lady` bestows on us Catholics. The Catholic church`s reverence toward the `Blessed Virgin` is one thing that separates the Catholic church from the rest. That in itself suggests to me that the Catholic church is the only true church. I have even studied the reasons Catholics believe that Mary should be worshipped. They are sound traditions. As Pope Leo XIII said, "God chose the august Virgin Mary from all eternity to be the Mother of the Incarnate Word, and for that reason has so eminently distinguished her among all of His most beautiful works in the triple order of nature, grace and glory, that the Church justly applies to her these words: I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the first-born before all creatures." In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared that "by a singular grace of God, Mary was preserved sinless from the moment of her conception." This is the `Immaculate Conception`. In 1858, Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes under the title, "I am the Immaculate Conception." "The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception simply means that Our Lady, in view of her exalted office, was endowed with God's grace from the first moment of her existence, instead of being conceived and born in original sin...." From "What is The Christian Church", E.R. Hull, S.J., pg. 35 In 1890, Pope Leo XIII said, "As no man can come to the Most High Father except through the Son, so, generally, no man can come to Christ except through Mary." On March 22, 1918, Pope Benedict XV said, "She suffered so much for us, almost to the point of dying with her suffering and dying Son. Therefore we may rightfully say that she has, with Christ, redeemed the human race." In 1954, Pope Pius XII said, "Mary is indeed worthy to receive honor and might and glory. She is exalted to hypostatic union with the Blessed Trinity." "Our Blessed Mother's Rosary concludes with the Mystery of the Coronation of the Immaculate Virgin Mary as Queen of all creation..." "We can hope to attain the divinity of God only in the same way He (Jesus) attained the humanity of man: through Mary. We must travel the identical route, and the name of that Royal Road is Mary. `For by Mary', St. Fulgentius tells us, `God descended from Heaven into the world, so that by her men might ascend from earth to Heaven.' We don't need Mary to be the sons of men, but we do need Mary to become the sons of God." From "Woman Crowned With Stars", by Michael Malone (Imp: Bishop Sullivan, Baton Rouge, 1981) Besides all this, the multiple visions of the `Blessed Mother of God` give Catholics living proof of the truth of "Our Lady`s" power and grace. The power and grace of "Our Lady" have even been proclaimed by pope John Paul II: "This (the rosary) is the remedy of all evil! Pray, pray, and don`t ask further questions! Leave all the rest to `Our Lady`!" John Paul II, 11/19/80 Yes, we Catholics must trust in the power and grace of "Our Lady", if we expect to have any hope of making it to Heaven. If we will just do everything she says, our salvation is practically assured. Although those Fundamentalists say that salvation comes only through Jesus, the traditions of the Catholic church indicate that salvation is available through "Our Lady". The adoration of `Our Lady` is a cornerstone of my church. What are those Protestants going to say to God when they die, when God asks them why they didn`t pay tribute to `The Mother of God`? What can they say? They will be sent to Hell! Saint Jude has answered many of my prayers, too. I just thank God that my church has provided the means to successfully pass through this life, with all of its trouble. I`ve donated to the church all of my life. I`ve heard those Fundamentalists criticize the Catholic church. All those people try to do is to start false rumors about the Catholic church. They know that the Catholic church is the only true church, just like it said in my Baltimore Catechism, (page 73). Those other religions are just imitations. I believe Jesus died for my sins, but I have to do more than just believe that to get to heaven. That's the purpose of the mass and the sacraments. According to the second Vatican Council, the mass is "a sacrifice in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated." Here Jesus is "offering himself to the Father for the world's salvation through the ministry of priests." And about the sacraments, Vatican II said, "... the very act of celebrating them most effectively disposes the faithful to receive this grace to their profit ...." So through the mass and sacraments, my sins are continually paid for. Those Fundamentalists are in for a rude awakening when they die! They think all you have to do is to just believe certain things, and, presto, you`re in Heaven! If that were true, why would the church have all the sacraments? Why say masses for the dead? Why have the `last rites`? Why have `confession`? And why try to be a good person? Nothing is for free. We have to work for what we get. I frankly do not understand how they get their wild ideas. They say the Bible criticizes the Catholic church, but I think that`s hogwash. Would God allow the Catholic church to be in existence for this long if it weren`t the true church? Of course not. My church has been criticized because of the changes in her dogmas. People just don`t realize that the times change. Anyway, all of the Catholic church`s dogmas have been authorized by the `Holy Father`, the Pope. Just as the Catholic church decreed in 1580, the Pope is the only authorized representative for God on the earth. His words carry as much weight as God`s. In addition, in 1545, the man-made traditions of the Catholic church were decreed equal to the Scriptures. "There exists a close connection and communication between sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tends toward the same end. Sacred Tradition and sacred scripture form one sacred deposit of the Word of God which is entrusted to the church." From "Dogmatic Constitution On Divine Revelation", Vatican II, Sections 9,10. That is another aspect of the Catholic church`s being criticized by those Protestants. They just don`t understand that the Catholic accepts on faith the interpretation of the Scriptures, made by the church. But that`s not surprising - that`s how THEY got started, isn`t it? If a person studies religions as I have, they will find that ALL of the `other` churches were started by simple laymen who got their own ideas about how to interpret the Scriptures. And it follows, who is better qualified to interpret Scripture, a bunch of laymen or a priest? What those Protestants and Fundamentalists don`t realize is that the Bible WAS WRITTEN by the early Catholic church! "You can talk on equal terms with Fundamentalists. In the process, you can teach them important truths about the Bible. You can point out to them, for example, that the Bible is an eminently Catholic book. It was written by members of the Church, was preserved by members of the Church, and is interpreted authoritatively by members of the Church." From "Catholics, Fundamentalists, And The Bible", Karl Keating So dogmas like the eternal virginity of Mary (decreed in 431) are, to the Catholic, just as valid as if God Himself had declared them. That eternal virginity dogma is really amazing, since Mary and Joseph had several children besides Jesus. Another fact is that Protestants and Fundamentalists and all the rest refuse to accept the sanctity of the pope. They realize that the Catholic church is the only true church because we are the only church with the pope. The Catholic realizes that every doctrinal ruling by the Pope is utter law; to not heed the Pope is heresy. That can get dangerously close to excommunication! No Catholic would dare to question the church`s authority. That is not our prerogative. We are only to obey, and, by God, I have. Oh, it hasn`t always been easy to be a Catholic. There was that time I had to forbid my daughter from marrying. That was rough, but Heaven and Mary helped me through it. She wanted to marry a Baptist, for God`s sake! That fool boy just refused to do it! He had the audacity to refuse to sign papers promising that their children would be required to be Catholics. He didn`t love my daughter, that was obvious. I guess that`s what they mean by `Jesus freak`. That boy certainly was one. You would think that Jesus was all there was to religion, if you listened to him! And the way some of those Baptists acted in church! Some of them singing and praying out loud; that`s ridiculous. You wouldn`t catch me acting that way in a million years. And that boy didn`t really `go to church`, like Catholics do. He went to `Bible Study`. I just don`t understand why those people do nothing but talk about the Bible. Sure, I believe the Bible just like they do, but that Book was written a long time ago. I believe that the true church must make changes as time goes by. Surely God, being a reasonable Being, would accept the changes made necessary by the changing of the times. Besides, the recent visions and teachings of `Our Lady` certainly outweigh a book written 2,000 years ago! That`s what is so great about the Roman Catholic church. The priests and bishops do all the `spiritual research`. All you have to do is to obey them and believe in God and in Heaven. Another thing that bothers me is the fact that my son has fallen away from the faith. I would never have thought that he would disavow the church. It is something that I have never really `gotten over`. He was a good Catholic for so long. He went to a Catholic school, he was an altar boy, and he was deeply involved in the church. He even took Latin in high school, in order to better understand the mass in Latin. Then he met and married that Protestant woman. She wasn`t really a Protestant specifically, but she and her family were another bunch of those `Jesus freaks`. I guess they filled my son`s head with propaganda. He now says he will never go back to being a Catholic. But what really hurts is that he now criticizes the church. He is like that Baptist boy. He thinks that just anyone can read and interpret the Bible. He just @doesn`t realize that times change, and that Jesus has been gone from the earth for a long time. If the pope, in his infallible wisdom, declares something that sort of `overrules` the Bible, that is what the true Catholic believes. It is heresy to do otherwise. My son criticizes the fact that priests are called `father` and that the pope is often called the `holy father`. He makes such a big deal out of nothing! So what if Jesus might have said something different? That was 2,000 years ago! What really got me upset was his questioning of me. He asked me all these questions about salvation and justification and all the rest of that Fundamentalist propaganda. I think the Bible might say suggest contrary to Catholic traditions, but since these traditions are more recent than the Bible, they should be given more consideration than the Bible. I think no one except the pope has the wisdom to decide things like that. That is the clergy`s role, to decide what to teach or what not to teach. If we do everything we are taught, we have a good chance of going to Heaven. My son even criticizes the pope. He says that the pope is no different in God`s eyes than a prostitute walking the streets! That is blasphemy! I`m afraid there`s no hope for him. I`ve spent a lot of money having masses said for him, in hopes of bringing him home to the Catholic church. I won`t be around to see it happen, if it does indeed happen. Hopefully, if I just trust in Heaven, he will someday return to the true church. I feel myself getting weaker. Soon, the doctor said, I will slip into a coma and pass on. It should be easy. Thank God I am not going to have a painful, drawn-out death. I am lucky. Soon I will be meeting Mary and the rest of the saints. ---------------------- I`m floating. I`m out of my body! It`s over! I`m passing through a dark tunnel. I can`t tell if I`m going 5 or 10,000 miles per hour. It`s very dark, but I can see a Light in the distance. It is drawing nearer to me. The Light is getting near. Now I can see! It`s Jesus! I want to run to him, but I can`t move! Now He is before me. He is magnificent! So beautiful! This is awesome! "You have passed from one life to the next." "Yes, Lord, I know I have." "In your life on earth, you were a devout member of your church." "Yes, Lord, I was an excellent Catholic." "Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God?" "Oh, yes, Lord, absolutely! Positively!" "Do you believe that the Bible should be used for guidance by the religions of the world?" "Oh, yes, Lord, absolutely! Of course!" "Did you verify the teachings of your church in the Scriptures? "Well..uh...no, Lord. I trusted my church to do this for me." "Thus you never read Acts 17:11?" "..they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." "No, Lord. I trusted my church to interpret the Bible for me. "How could you know what to believe without reading My Word?" "Well....I trusted my church to tell me the right things to do." "Did you not realize that there are many false doctrines being taught in the world? "Of course! My church warned me about those Fundamentalists and Protestants!" "In My sight, there is no such thing as a Protestant or a Catholic or a Fundamentalist. Those are labels, created by men. The only thing that concerns Me is whether or not a person has obeyed My Word and The Word of My Father." "Oh....all right." "In your church, the priests are called `father`, and the pope is often called `the holy father`." "Yes, that is true. "Have you never read My Word in the Book of Matthew?" "And call no man your father upon the earth; one is your Father, which is in heaven." Matthew 23:9 "Well, if I had read and obeyed Your Word, I would have had to quit the Catholic church, and I could never do that." "Why?" "Well, after being a Catholic for so long, it would have been... well... inconvenient to change religions. A person my age just doesn`t change religions. My whole family is Catholic. They would have thought I was crazy if I had forsaken my church! They might even have stopped associating with me. I @couldn`t do that!" "I see. What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that Mary, the woman that bore Me, was sinless?" "Well, I didn`t actually check to see. I think that belief is a tradition of the Catholic church. Therefore it carries the same weight as if You had declared it Yourself. The Catholic does not question his or her beliefs." "If you had read and believed My Word, you would have read: "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Luke 1:46-47 "If you had read this and believed it, you would have realized that ONLY SINNERS need a Saviour. Since Mary called God (in the Person of Jesus) her Saviour, that means she was a sinner, just like any other woman who has ever lived. "Oh." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that the virgin Mary ought to be prayed to?" "I didn`t. That is a tradition of my church." The Virgin Mary, who at the message of the angel received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world, is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God...." "Rightly, therefore, the Fathers see Mary not merely as passively engaged by God, but as freely cooperating in the work of man's salvation through faith and obedience. For, as St. Irenaeus says, she, "being obedient, became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race." St. Irenaeus, Adv. Haer, III, 22, 4: PG 7, 959 A, Harvey, 2, 123. From "Dogmatic Constitution on The Church", Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 21 November 1964 "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that there is salvation available through Mary?" "I was taught that Mary and the Saints contribute to our salvation." "So you never read:" "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man goes unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12-13 "I didn`t check that." "So you also did not read in My Word:" "While he (Jesus) yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brothers stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brothers? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brothers! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Matthew 12:46-50 "Well....no." "Do you realize the significance of this Scripture? Do you realize that whoever does the will of the Father can be considered My mother or sister or brother? Do you understand that the adoration of Mary is a fabrication of your church? Do you realize that I had earthly step-brothers, so that the tradition of the eternal virginity of Mary is a lie? Do you understand why the thousands of `rosaries` that you have prayed to Mary have been in vain, and have been instead, prayers to a false god? "I don`t understand. I thought all forms of worship are accepted by God. What`s wrong with praying to Mary or someone other than God?" "Do you not realize that God is a JEALOUS God?" "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..." Exodus 20:4-5 "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" Exodus 34:14 "For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." Deuternomy 4:24 "I understand now, but what about all of the visions of Mary and the other saints?" "How did Mary appear during those visions?" "Well, usually as a being of light" "The `glowing Virgin` was also seen by members of an investigative team.......they saw the vision `clad in light` in the hours just before dawn." "The vision appears in a glowing light that has no source.." From press accounts of the vision of "Our Lady" in Egypt "I was startled to see the lights, the blue lights, coming out from among the trees. And there are two -- you could explain them as being, like a ball in shape; it is very difficult......round. And these lights - in human language I would find it very difficult to explain to you the beauty of them and where they come from. Well, strictly from Heaven because it is a miracle in itself to see these lights." A vision of "Our Lady of The Roses", Bayside, MI, 3/26/83 "Have you never read: "..Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." II Corinthians 11:14-15 "Well.....no." "Your church claims that Mary is a mediator between God and man." "Yes, Lord." "It was through the Redemption that the Savior exercised his mediatorial reconciliation, and that his mother shares in the process." The Catholic Catechism, John A. Hardon S.J., pg. 168, "Doctrines of the Faith" "Have you never read the following?" "There is one God and ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men..." 1 Timothy 2:5-6 "Well...no." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that the priests of your church should not marry? Did you know that Peter, the so-called `first pope`, was married?" "I didn`t realize that. I never had much time to read the Bible." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that the pope is the Vicar of Christ?" "I didn`t refer to any Scripture." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that priests have the power to forgive sin?" "I didn`t refer to any Scripture. The devout Catholic does not question the beliefs of his church." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that your priests have the power to change bread and wine into My Body and Blood?" "I didn`t verify it." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that the use of statues was recommended by Myself or My Apostles?" "I didn`t check." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that there is more than one mediator between God and man?" "I didn`t refer to any Scripture." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that Catholics should pray to `saints` or the dead?" "I didn`t check." "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe that anyone is justified by submitting to the will of priests, bishops, or popes?" "Justified? I am not familiar with that word. You are asking me things I know nothing about." "So you chose to believe the traditions of your church over My Word." "Well...not really. I just trusted my church to determine what things I should believe." "You contributed much money for the support of your church and also for masses and prayers for the dead." "Yes, Lord, I have been a devout Catholic." "In addition, you have been a person that has sacrificed much to help other people during your life." "Yes, that is true." "You have attended the rituals of your church faithfully throughout your life." "Yes, I know that going to church is a very important element in deciding whether or not a person goes to Heaven. I have done my best to be a good person." "Do you not know that these things do not count toward salvation, because they are works, and no man is justified by works, but by faith?" "Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Romans 5:1 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 "I didn`t know that. I was never taught that by my church. I was taught that we must work for our salvation." "Have you been born again?" "Oh, yes...when I was baptized!" "Holy Baptism possesses first place among the Sacraments, because it is the door of spiritual life, for by it we become members of Christ, and of the Body of the Church." Council of Trent "By the Sacrament of Baptism into the crucified and risen Christ man is reborn to a sharing of the divine life." Vatican II "Baptism is the sacrament of spiritual regeneration by which a person is incorporated in Christ and made a member of his Mystical Body, given grace, and cleansed from original sin." From the 1989 CATHOLIC ALMANAC (page 223) "Can you name ONE SCRIPTURE that advocates the baptism of infants? Can you quote one that proves that the process of being born again can be administered by a priest or bishop or pope?" "Uh....no." "You have been guilty of many sins in your life." "Well...that`s true....but surely You know that I have committed very few mortal sins." "You make a distinction between types of sins? "Why, yes! As I was taught: "One who remains in sanctifying grace for any length of time..amasses an abundance of supernatural treasure. But even one mortal sin suffices to deprive a person of this treasure." `The Sins Are Forgiven`, by Francis Connell, C.SS.R., Imp. Francis Spellman. p. 28 "I say that you have been guilty of murder every day of your adult life." "What? I have never killed anyone!" "You have never read My Word!" "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumbles on one point, he is guilty of it all." James 2:10 "Have you ever committed adultery?" "No, Lord! I have never in my life done that!" "Have you ever looked upon a woman with lust in your heart?" "Well....yes." "Then you have committed adultery." " You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whoever looks upon woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28 "Therefore you have unknowingly committed millions of sins throughout your life." "Well...if You say so it must be true." "Did you `confess` these sins to your `priest`?" "No...I was unaware of their existence. I was never taught these things!" "You have gone to your church for more than 70 years, yet you know almost nothing of My Word and My Doctrines. How is that possible?" "That`s the way the Catholic church is! We are not allowed to question the rulings of our church!" "You are filthy with sin, and you have been, all of your life." "Lord, I never knew that! Does this mean that I will be forced to go to Purgatory?" "What Scripture did you refer to in order to believe in the existence of this `Purgatory`?" "Why, I never questioned the teaching....Catholics are not allowed to question the traditions of the church. Pope Pius IX, who defined the tradition of purgatory, ruled that every member of the church must believe it `firmly and with constancy` (without deviation). If this TRADITION is not believed in its entirety a Catholic `cannot be a member in good standing` of the Body of Christ." Therefore, I had to believe this doctrine, or else I would have had to quit the church. I couldn`t do that!" "The word `purgatory` does not appear anywhere in My Word. It is a fabrication of your church. They have twisted the meaning of My Word to suit their purposes. They have inserted this false `tradition`." "I did not know that." "In your church, the pope is considered equal to God." "Many Catholics do not realize this, but it is true, Lord." Pope John XXI I ruled in 1685 that: "To believe that our Lord God the Pope has not the power to decree as he has decreed is to be deemed heretical." Pope Pius X stated: "The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself." "Pope Nicholas I: "The appellation of God had been confirmed by Constantine on the pope, who, being God, cannot be judged by man." "Don`t go to God for forgiveness of sin, come to me." Pope John Paul II Los Angeles Times 12/12/84 "You have been deceived, and that is a sin against My Word." "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:4-5 "However, since you consider the pope to be My representative, I will show you why it is a lie." 1. Christ wore a crown of thorns. (Matthew 27:29) "Among the pope`s insignia (is)...the triple crown" Externals of the Catholic Church Msgr. John O`Sullivan, pg. 9 2. Christ said, "My Kingdom is not of this world." (John 17:36) The pope is "Sovereign of the State of Vatican City" and a "temporal monarch." (Ibid., pg. 9) 3. Christ washed the feet of His Disciples, manifesting the spirit of humility worthy of emulation by His followers. (John 3:15) For centuries, the pope presented his foot to be kissed by devout Catholics. Catholic Dictionary of Theology, Volume III, pg. 178 4. Christ gave His Gospel free to all. The pope authorizes stipends for masses. Priest Conway, `The Question Box` 5. Christ lived a chaste, sinless life. Even Catholic theologians admit many popes were decadent and immoral. Nevertheless, the decadent popes are still considered to "be God", as declared by pope Nicholas I. 6. Christ chose The Holy Spirit to be His Vicar on Earth. (John 14:26) "Christ chose Saint Peter to be His Vicar on earth. These powers were passed on the his successors." Catholic Almanac, pg. 145 7. Christ is the Head of His Church. (Collossians 1:18) "St. Peter....the head of the church...these prerogatives were passed on to his successors." (Ibid) 8. Christ claims infallibility for Himself and The Word of God only. "The successor of Peter....is infallible in matters of faith and morals." Externals of the Catholic Church, O`Sullivan, pg. 5 9. Christ taught that sins were to be forgiven by God. (1 John 1:9) and, The Scriptures teach that "only God can forgive sins" (Mark 2:7). The Baltimore Catechism defines confession as follows: "Confession is the telling of our sins to an authorized priest for the purpose of attaining forgiveness." The book, `Instructions for Non-Catholics`, says: "A priest does not have to ask God to forgive your sins. The priest himself has the power to do so in Christ's name. Your sins are forgiven by the priest the same as if you knelt before Jesus Christ and told them to Christ Himself." 10. Christ taught his followers to pray to God through Him. (John 16:23) The Catholic church teaches followers to pray to Mary. "We often can more quickly obtain what we ask by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking that of Jesus." Glories of Mary, Liguori, pg. 254 11. Christ taught that salvation was by faith and grace alone. (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9) "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God --not by works, so no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) The Catholic church teaches salvation by works. "If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence [faith] in divine mercy, which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies us, let him be cursed." Council of Trent, Sixth Session, Justification, Canon 12 "We sin by presumption when we trust we can be saved by God alone without our own efforts." St. Peter`s Catechism, pg. 33 12. Christ was poor and lowly. The pope is the head of a material empire, the Vatican, that is worth millions of dollars. 13. Christ had no place to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20) The pope lives in a vast palace, surrounded by wealth and pomp. -------- "Do you still believe that the pope and I are similar in any way?" "No." "Do you believe that your priests and the pope are somehow `more holy` than the common man?" "Oh, yes. That was verified by the Council of Trent." "The document on the church repeats in substance the teaching of the Council of Trent that priests and bishops are the representatives of God on earth.....justly, therefore, they are called not only angels, but gods, holding as they do the place of authority of God on earth." Catechism of Trent "You have placed your trust for salvation in your church and in works, instead of placing your trust in Me. Your beliefs have failed you." "But Jesus, I saw miracles in my church! I saw people getting healed; people getting their prayers answered!" "Do you think that a person is `holy` because they have performed miracles?" "Of course!!!" "Not every one that says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that does the will of My Father, who 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 to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you that work iniquity." - Matthew 7:22 "I had to believe these things! I couldn`t leave my church! I was sure that I could trust the Catholic church`s teachings! I would have lost my friends!" "It is written..... "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:37-38 "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26 "For your sake, and for the sake of all men, I visited the earth as a human. I experienced the same feelings that you have. I knew despair, hunger, and loneliness. "The night before I was arrested, I suffered greatly. I sweated perspiration mixed with blood. Many believe this was because I was afraid to die. That is a lie. It was because I knew that I was going to have to bear the weight of the sins of the world. I, the only human who has ever lived who was sinless, would have to bear the weight of the sins of the world. "I was going to have to bear the wrath of The Father. The worst part was that I was going to have to be, for the first time, separated from The Father. That is why I dreaded the crucifixion. "I was arrested without cause. I offered no resistance. I was repeatedly slapped and struck in the face. I was struck in the stomach repeatedly. The soldiers made a game of asking Me questions, and when I did not reply, they slapped Me on the face. They also spat on my face. They mocked Me as being `The King of The Jews`. Throughout it all, I remained silent. "All of my friends had fled. Peter, whom your church falsely calls `the first pope`, denied that he even knew Me three times the day I was arrested. "I was crowned with a crown of thorns, the barbs of which were driven into My head with a hammer. I had justly claimed to be the King of The Jews, so the Roman soldiers gave Me a wooden staff and a purple robe to wear. Then I was taken to be scourged. At all times, the soldiers taunted Me repeatedly. They repeatedly hit Me and spat in My face. I accepted this humiliation without comment. "Before scourging, I was stripped naked and My hands were tied to an upright post. My back, buttocks, and legs were flogged by two soldiers. "The flagrum, with which I was scourged, was a short whip with several braided leather thongs, each having a lead ball or sharp pieces of sheep bones in them. These caused deep contusions and lacerations. The bones would slice and gouge out pieces of flesh as they were withdrawn. "After a time, the outer flesh was literally ripped loose, and then the underlying skeletal areas were exposed to the same treatment. The scourging was designed to shorten the time that a person would live on the cross. My scourging was especially severe. I was given back My purple robe, and was ordered to carry My cross to Calvary. Its weight was about 200 pounds. Once during my walk to Calvary I had to have help in carrying it. I fell many times, digging my bare knees into the stone walkway. "At Calvary, My robe was torn off of Me, reopening the raw lacerations caused by the scourging. I was thrown to the ground. The nails used to crucify Me were spikes about 6 inches long. They had a diameter of about one inch. After having the nails driven through My arms, I was hoisted upright. To affix My feet, My legs were rotated laterally, so that the nail could be driven between the ankle and the heel of My foot. "Soon, insects and birds came around to partake of My flesh, and that of the two thieves that were crucified with Me. The insects landed and burrowed into our eyes and noses. The birds tore at our flesh. "After a time, My bodily weight caused My wrists and shoulders to dislocate. The cause of death in most crucifixions was asphyxiation. In order to exhale, I had to press upward with My legs. This produced excruciating pain. "For three hours I hung there. For three hours I paid the penalty for your sins. For three hours I was taunted by the Roman soldiers. Finally, I died." "That is what I did for you. What have you done for Me?" As I look down from Heaven, I see you attending a church that openly practices idolatry, ascribing that material objects such as statues, crosses and candles have supernatural powers, because they have been `blessed` by the priests of your church. I see a church with vast material wealth, while people are starving around the world. I see a church that prohibits marriage with non-Catholics, unless the non-Catholic agrees to a humiliating submission that any children resulting from the marriage will be Catholics. By doing this, the Catholic church is guaranteed new members. This denies those children the freedom of choosing their own beliefs. I see a church that attributes the power to forgive sin to men, while My Word explicitly says otherwise. I see a church that has even changed the Ten Commandments in its Bible, to better suit its purposes. I see a church that proclaims its priests and pope to literally be God on earth. I see a church that has placed a common woman (Mary) to be equal to Me, with her being called `co-redemptrix` and `co-mediator` while My Word plainly says otherwise. I see a church that collects money for prayers for the dead, so that they can be `prayed` out of a non-existent place, `purgatory`. I see a church that calls its priests `father`, and its `pope` the `holy father`, while My Word explicitly commands otherwise. I see a church that controls its members from cradle to grave, telling its members what books they can read, what movies they may see, and branding any teaching contrary to the beliefs of the Catholic as `Protestant` or `heresy`. I see a church that `venerates` statues, while My Word explicitly commands otherwise. I see a church that worships and prays to hundreds to so-called `saints`, while My Word explicitly commands that God alone is worthy of worship. I see a church that does not deliver the true message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which plainly states that salvation can be guaranteed; instead, the true Gospel is distorted so that its message has been neutralized. I see a church composed of people who are willingly spiritually blind, unable to determine the worth of any teaching, contrary to My Word. Where is your pope now? Here and now, My Word is the only thing that matters. You had, during your life, several opportunities to receive the truth, but you refused them. Your son, who `fell away` from the Catholic church, exposed you to the truth. You dismissed his words as `Protestant teaching`. Did you read My Word in the Bible, to determine if your son`s words might be true? Of course not. That would have required you to think for yourself. That would have been `inconvenient`. Instead, you made excuses, to cover up the lack of foundation for your beliefs. Your son`s words made you very uncomfortable, didn`t they? Do you know why? It was because, deep down inside, you knew that My Word is true, and you knew that the lies you have believed all of your life crumble before the true Word of God. Yet you chose to remain faithful to your church, rather than hearing My Word. You never realized that by rejecting My Word, you rejected Me. You have made Me a liar, preferring to believe the words of your church, instead of My Word. You chose to be a Catholic rather than a Christian. Your church was more important to you than Me, and My Word. If I had personally stood on the steps of your church and declared the Truth to you, you would have, even then, not believed. You would have dismissed Me as an insane person. It is tragic, because there are so many devout Catholics in the world. If they were as faithful to My Word as they have been to their church, they would be some of the greatest Christians the world has ever known. But because they have been misled, because they have been deceived, they are not of My Church. Should I admit to Heaven a person who has been exposed to My Word, and who has rejected it? Should I admit to Heaven a person who has faithfully chosen to attend a church that practices idolatry? Should I admit to Heaven a person who would gladly travel hundreds of miles to see the `pope`, and who has prayed to hundreds of so-called `saints`, thereby elevating them to be worthy of worship, equal to Me? Should I admit to Heaven a person who believes that wearing a `scapular` or medal or cross can guarantee salvation, something that is obtainable ONLY by accepting ME as Lord and Savior? Should I admit to Heaven a person who has denied their children the God-given right to choose their own beliefs, because it was prohibited by the Catholic church? Since you have not believed My Word, but have stubbornly believed in the empty words of pompous men, you are lost." "What? But I believe in God, and in Heaven!!" "SO DO THE DEMONS. I NEVER KNEW YOU. Depart from Me, into everlasting contempt." ".....there was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man`s table; moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham`s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime you received good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot: neither can they pass to us, that would come from hence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore that you would send him to my father`s house: For I have five brothers: that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment. And Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham, (they will not believe them), but if one went to them from the dead, they would repent. But Abraham said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, even though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:19-31 THIS FILE COMPOSED BY A FORMER CATHOLIC THIS FILE MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER AS LONG AS IT IS NOT CHANGED THIS FILE IS FREEWARE! PASS IT ON!