One of the traditionalist priests on Sensus Fidelium (Fr. Isaac Relyea) gave a sermon on humility and as he stood in front of the fully Trad filled hall he said that some of the most proud people in the Church were sitting right in front of him. He then began to humble them. So anyone who says traditional priests don't have the guts to preach about uncomfortable things to an audience who may not want to hear it is wrong. I must admit I am guilty too! I try to curb myself though. Honestly I think it is a byproduct of being honored with seeing relatively clearly in these times of confusion. We must remember though that pride comes before the fall. When I see mistakes like those made even by modern Popes and saints I wonder how well I would do with the amount of demonic attack they must have been under constantly. Probably not nearly as well as they did.
I'm sorry, but unfortunately Mother Teresa was under the false idea of ecumenism as were some of the popes. Her well documentaries quotes regarding helping muslims become better muslims and Hindus better Hindus etc. is absolutly not in accord with Sacred Scripture or the centuries long perennial teaching of the Church. Everyone seems to forget that Jesus Christ said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all whatsoever I have commanded you." He didn't say to help the pagan be a better person, he commanded to baptize and teach him to observe His commands. The problem is that we are all so ill-catechized these days that we have no clue as to "what the Church has always taught" in regards to other religions. The popes wrote extensively on the heresy of religious indifferentism, and yet the error persists in some form or other with many well-meaning Catholics that one religion is as good as another, or that all may attain heaven in any religion as "long as you're a good person." This is false, and has been repeated as false century after century up until the heretical ecumenical movement took off during the second Vatican council (which by the way is the only council in the Church to be completely non-binding on the faithful). Mother Teresa had said that she "loved all religions" in a question about Hinduism. However this is directly against the First Commandment. The Bible says "All the gods of the heathens are devils" - Psalm 95:5 "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens." 1 Chronicles 16:36 "But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should be partakers with devils." 1 Cor 10:20 The popes have said: "Finally, some of these misguided people attempt to persuade themselves and others that men are not only saved in the Catholic religion, but that even heretics may attain eternal life." - Pope Gregory XVI summo lugiter studio 1832 ".....man, according to the testimony of the sacred scriptures, has been created to enjoy life and eternal happiness, which none may obtain save through faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. 'Go yea and teach all nations.' He said all, without exception, for all are capable of receiving the doctrines of the faith...By virtue of our apostolic authority We define and declare by these present letters... that the said Indians and other peoples should be converted to the faith of Jesus Christ by preaching the word of God and by the example of good and holy living." - Pope Paul III Bull sublimus deus 1537 "So unless they were born again in Christ they never would be justified." - Council of Trent session 6 on Justification ".....our Catholic faith, 'without which it is impossible to please God' (Hebrew 11:6) - Council of Trent session 5 on Original Sin "This true Catholic faith, outside of which no one can be saved, which I now freely profess and truly hold." - Pope Pius IX First Vatican Council session 2 Profession of Faith "There is indeed one universal Church of the faithful outside of which no one at all is saved..." - Pope Innocent II Fourth Lateran Council 1215 "But it is also necessary for eternal salvation that he faithfully believe in the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ...." - Pope Eugene IV Council of Florence Athanasian Creed 1439 "Against these experienced sophists the people must be taught that the profession of the Catholic faith is uniquely true, as the apostle proclaims: one Lord, one faith, one baptism...Indeed no other name than the name of Jesus is given to men by which they may be saved. He who believes shall be saved; he who does not believe shall be condemned." - Pope Pius VIII Traditi humilitati 1829 "With the admonition of the apostle that 'there is one God, one faith, one baptism' (Ephesians 4:5) may those fear who contrive the notion that the safe harbor of salvation is open to persons of any religion whatever. They should consider the testimony of Christ Himself that 'those who are not with Christ are against Him' (Luke 11:23), and that they disperse unhappily who do not gather with him. Therefore 'without a doubt they will perish forever unless they hold the Catholic faith whole and inviolate' (Athanasian Creed)." - Pope Gregory XVI Mirari vos 1832 "'The holy universal Church teaches that it is not possible to worship God truly except in her and asserts that all who are outside of her will not be saved.' Official acts of the Church proclaim the same dogma." - Pope Gregory XVI quoting Pope St Gregory the Great summo lugiter studio 1832 "You are not to be looked on as holding the true Catholic faith if you do not teach that the faith of Rome is to be held." - Pope Leo XIII Satis cognitum 1896 --------------- Considering the above quotations, the Constitution of the Missionaries of Charity state: "We shall not impose our Catholic Faith on anyone, but have profound respect for all religions." ----------------- To continue with the popes: "Every familiarity should be avoided, not only with those impious libertines who openly promote the character of the (Masonic) sect, but also with those who hide under the mask of universal tolerance, respect for all religions..." - Pope Leo XIII Custodi di Quella Fede 1892 Finally, lest anyone accuse me of harshness, ill-will, meaness, without mercy and hard hearted, please note that the (human) love of my life - my husband for more than ten years, is a hardened sinner who refuses to convert to the Faith and jokingly brags that if there is a Hell, he will sit in it happily when he dies. So please bear in mind that I don't view the words of scripture and the constant teachings of the popes from some lofty height where I sit comfortably. I merely accept the "harsh sayings" of the Lord and pray for mercy and grace every day.
Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. We also know from Scripture that whatsoever we do to the least of our brethren, we do unto Jesus Yes, He wants us to be equally yoked but He has a plan There is the wheat and the weeds He doesn’t want us to pull up the weeds too soon for a reason He also has laborers coming at the end of the workday and they will be paid the same wages as those who worked all day
I agree. What would Jesus have said to the Pope kissing a book which denies that Jesus is the Son of God? And to Popes who allowed people of pagan faiths to invoke their gods in a Catholic Basilica? “All the invocations of the pagans are hateful to God because all their gods are devils.” Saint Francis Xavier wrote these words to Saint Ignatius about the pagan religion of Hinduism. Francis Xavier, writing from India at the time, merely restates the truth from the infallible Sacred Scriptures: “The gods of the gentiles are devils”. (Psalm 95:5) This immutable truth was trampled under foot at the latest Assisi gathering." https://www.catholicfamilynews.org/...d-in-catholic-basilica-at-benedict-xvis-event
Discipleship involves conversion - conversion of heart and mind to the truths of the faith -- Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (Romans 12v2) Last Sunday's Mass 2nd reading (Ephesians) was so powerful Brothers and sisters: I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; that is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.
Dear Divine Mercy, I agree with you that no one can enter heaven without sanctifying grace. We all need it. Sanctifying grace is an indwelling of God in us. It “perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God” (Catechism, 2000). Sanctifying grace can be lost by a single mortal sin (Catechism,1861). But we must remember.... “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of baptism, but he himself is not bound by the sacraments” !!(Catechism, 1257). In other words, God can grant salvation even to a non-Christian who by definition has not received the sacraments. How exactly God works in this case is a mystery. Even though I realise you discount the Holy Catholic Church's second Vatican Council; I believe we were given so much nourishment and wonderful insights that ratified many long held Catholic beliefs through this Council! As regards to people who have died without baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God. “Indeed,” the Catechism in 1261 says, “the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: ‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,’ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism.” We must always remember the great mercy of God. Jesus died for every single person, salvation is meant for everyone. The Holy Spirit offers every person, in a way known only to God Himself, the possibility of being made partakers of the Paschal mystery (Lumen Gentium, 16). “Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved” (CCC 1260). So that is our hope: We believe that God can and does open heaven to those who tried to live good lives or who died before having a chance to receive baptism. These are comforting teachings, connected to the theological virtue of hope! What I personally believe is that as Catholics, we have a special place in the salvation of the world; it is a specific part of our responsibility in the communion of saints ! We have a God given power to save souls from hell [just as Our Lady has requested at Fatima] this noble power is given by Jesus to His Church. Do we Catholics do this well? No! Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI stated: “It is important to mankind that there is truth in it, this is believed and practised. That one suffers for it. That one loves. These realities penetrate with their light into the world as such and support it. I think that in this present situation it becomes for us ever more clear what the Lord said to Abraham, that is, that 10 righteous would have been sufficient to save a city, but that it destroys itself if such a small number is not reached.” We get a clearer picture of this truth when we look at the Holy Innocents who were murdered after Our Lords Birth! they were not "Christian martyrs", when they died, they were Jewish and possibly also pagan children aged before the age of reason. They are celebrated as "Christian martyrs" today and rightly so! They help us understand Gods Mercy and His Love! Do not despair about your husband and his hardened heart! Love Him! as I know you do and persist in your calling as a Catholic to love the unlovable! God bless
The Baltimore Catechism of 1962 states that souls can be saved and enter Heaven through the merits of the Catholic Church I wish I had a copy so that I could quote exactly
Thank you for your kind words Josephite. I don't despair, but some days the tears do flow. I agree that we don't know how God works sometimes, but I also think that too many ecumenical excuses leads to Bishop Barran's "reasonable hope that all men are saved" mentality (which of course is NOT Church teaching in the slightest). We are so incredibly relaxed in our modern world, so confident that such and such a sin is "not that bad, Jesus loves me." It pervades Western society, and leads to the sin of presumption in many cases. St Alphonsus Liguori (considered the greatest moral theologian the Church has ever had, and the only saint the popes have declared that "you can faithfully and safely adhere to any opinion expressed by Alphonsus simply because he said so") talks about this in his Preparation for Death, which I highly recommend for everyone regardless of their age.
I think concerning Mother Angelica was that in the first place she was a saint. Which kind of puts her in a league all apart. But my understanding was that after she blew her top on her (or round about that time) she came in for very, very heavy weight criticism and attack ffrom very high levels of the USA heirarchy (which did not get much support from the Vatican I think). They even tried to start their own Network to undercut the poor woman. My guess would be that given her role in EWTN that there wasn't much going on the USA Church (or indeed the Universal Church) that she didn't get to hear about. That includes all the warts and skeletons in the cupboard. (Perhaps members in the States would be better informed on this than myself) I would also think founding and running EWTN she was one very, very savvy woman indeed. I think you can see some of this in Raymond Arroyo now. The bottom line being she had a very good idea where she was at with regard to the Church, she was no dozer. Call her Conservative or not.
Excerpt from Steve Skojec's article above (as posted by BrianK) : But this third group, the ones who offered such a pleasing compromise, are the ones who are currently suffering the most. They are the ones who, having adopted the Conservative Novusordoist Creed recited by Mother Angelica at the start of that speech, are now thrown into confusion, frantically denying what is unfolding before their eyes because it fails to fit into their parameters. As Hilary correctly noted, this error, Weigel’s error, Conservative Catholicism‘s error, is a refusal to recognize that the problems they think they need to fight are baked into the institutions and ideas they seek to defend. This is why so many faithful Catholics in the pews of even the best suburban parishes are at a complete loss as to how to grapple with all that is currently transpiring in the Church. It’s why they are perplexed by the debate over divorce and “remarriage” and Amoris Laetitia; why they struggle with so many utterances of Pope Francis; why they can’t understand how anyone could have a problem with their liturgies. It is the reason people are so shocked to discover that the Lincoln Diocese – known for as long as I can remember as the home of the fabled Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz and the American vocations boom and that particular breed of Midwestern American conservative orthodoxy – has some terrifying skeletons in its closet. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ SgCatholic has posted: As many on this forum have said, they prefer the TLM over the NO mass. Some go to the TLM exclusively. The sense of the sacred is very obvious in the TLM; the opposite is true of the NO mass. Some have also voiced their views that without the TLM, the Church/world would be in deep trouble. All these make me question why it is so. If the NO mass were every bit as valid and licit as the TLM, surely we wouldn't believe that we cannot do without the TLM? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Definition of intrinsic 1 a : belonging to the essential nature or constitution of a thing I think we're entering stormy waters on the Forum again. Is there an intrinsic link between the Novus Ordo and the modernist assault on the Church? Steve Skojec's inclusion of Bishop Bruskewitz in his article and his connection of Mother Angelica to a Novusordoist Creed indicate to me that he believes so. The attack of JoeJerk during this "century" permitted by God (as Pope Leo XIII witnessed in his vision), has been vicious and multi-leveled. We all concur that abuses that have taken place in the implementation of the Novus Ordo. But to argue that Catholic heroines and heroes of the last 40 years have been duped and that the fundamental necessity of the Church is a return to the TLM at the expense of the Novus Ordo is overly simplistic. If the Novus Ordo is invalid then it can't be validly celebrated. If it is valid, then abuses to be found in its celebration have been concocted by liturgists and clergy. To focus energies on upending what is valid is not addressing the root of the problem. It is tempting to focus our energies on a single dynamic to resolve a multi-layered problem. This simplification was the primary cause of the Donatist Schism in the 4th century. Let us not go down that path again. There is great power in faithful Catholics praying and offering sacrifices. The heart is the focus of spiritual warfare. Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.
On this note, can we have a discussion on this phrase - "There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church"?
Great post, I second this. Also, Mother Angelica took on tremendous personal suffering in the last years of her life. Due to her strokes, she could not speak. She depended on her sister nuns for her care. For a vital woman, that is a very heavy cross. She bore it for Jesus and His Church. (just as this Scripture from Colossians) She is a saint, I know this in my heart. May the Church recognize this soon.
From the Baltimore Catechism: Q. 514. What excuses do some give for not becoming members of the true Church? A. The excuses some give for not becoming members of the true church are: 1. They do not wish to leave the religion in which they were born. 2. There are too many poor and ignorant people in the Catholic Church. 3. One religion is as good as another if we try to serve God in it, and be upright and honest in our lives. Q. 515. How do you answer such excuses? A. 1. To say that we should remain in a false religion because we were born in it is as untrue as to say we should not heal our bodily diseases because we were born with them. 2. To say there are too many poor and ignorant in the Catholic Church is to declare that it is Christ's Church; for He always taught the poor and ignorant and instructed His Church to continue the work. 3. To say that one religion is as good as another is to assert that Christ labored uselessly and taught falsely; for He came to abolish the old religion and found the new in which alone we can be saved as He Himself declared. Q. 516. Why can there be only one true religion? A. There can be only one true religion, because a thing cannot be false and true at the same time, and, therefore, all religions that contradict the teaching of the true Church must teach falsehood. If all religions in which men seek to serve God are equally good and true, why did Christ disturb the Jewish religion and the Apostles condemn heretics?
Yes she was very,very special. I would love to see her declared her a saint before I die. But given that the kind of peole she so opposed are now ruling the Church I am not going to hold my breath. Raymond Arroyo , for instance her spiritual son is not for instance flavour of the month in the current Vatican.
I must try and get a copy of the Baltimore Cathchism. It reminds me of the old penny Cathchism we had as children.( I must try and get a copy of this too). I don't suppose you know what the Baltimore Catechism says about Capital Punishment? Anyway I remebr once meeting a very holy old Catholic priest in England and he told me most insistently I should take the modern Catholic Catechism and use it for prayer. This was something I never thought off before.
