The substitution of radical social politics for doctrine spells doom for millions of Catholic faithful, writes Daniel J. Mahoney, professor emeritus at Assumption University, on AmericanMind.org (September 20).
Francis is obsessed with climate change and approaches it with ideology, pagan earth worship, and secularized apocalypticism.
Your average, garden variety Catholic nowadays lives in a state of constant wrestling with God, in the sense that he either thinks that he is right and God is wrong or, hopefully in most cases, that somehow the Church was always wrong then and he and God are right now. All those people who add to “I am a Catholic” that fateful little word, “but”, are doing just that, all the time.
We must find this voice, even regarding the Pope.
He has said some alarming things, hurtful things, and has shown little concern for serious charges against Church officials at the highest levels.
Even in this case we must find our voice. We must respectful but firm and clear that we expect a full investigation of the charges so that this does not happen again.
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The Roman Catholic Church was founded by the Roman Emperor, Constantine, in 313 A.D.??? That is what some anti-Catholics will tell you.
When you ask them for “proof” of what they say, they will refer to the “Edict of Milan” issued by Emperor Constantine in 313 A.D.
This false charge is riddled with errors. Let us examine them one at a time…
1. They use faulty reasoning by saying that since the Catholic Church is called the “Roman Catholic Church”, it must have been founded by a Roman Emperor, namely Constantine. They point to the “Edict of Milan“, issued in 313 A.D., as “proof”. Now if anyone would just read the “Edict” for themselves, they would find that it merely gave Christianity the freedom to practice the faith openly and with no fear of persecution from the Romans. After all, for centuries Christians were persecuted mercilessly by the Romans from the very beginning. It was the Romans who nailed Jesus Christ to the cross and it was a Roman soldier who thrust a spear into His side. Do you recall the Roman Circus and all of those hungry lions?
Nothing at all is said in the “Edict” about Constantine founding the “Catholic Church”, which is not even mentioned by name in the document, and the persons who perpetrate this false charge cannot provide any other genuine historical document which supports it.
2. Their second error is the fact that the term, “Roman Catholic”, was not even coined until about 1200 years later in the 16th century, by Protestant reformers, especially Anglicans, because they wanted to retain the name “Catholic” for themselves.
3. Their third error is their failure to read, and to accept, the documents of the Church Fathers and other Church writers. Hundreds of these documents clearly contain the words “Catholic Church”, and are dated from 107 A.D.. That date is hundreds of years before Constantine’s “Edict” was issued. Genuine historical writings in which the words “Catholic Church” appear, are in every century from 107, up to and beyond the Reformation, and to this very day.
The sheer volume of these genuine historical documents is so overwhelming, that it is a continuity that cannot be denied.
Saint Augustine alone, mentioned the Catholic Church by name over 300 times in his writings. Just to mention a few more, so did Saint Athanasius and Saint Jerome mentioned the Catholic Church by name many times. These are just three examples out of scores of early authors.
4. Their fourth error is in trying to show that the “Catholic Church”, and the “Roman Catholic Church”, are two different Churches, when in fact they are one and the same.
5. Their fifth error is their interpretation of, for example, the Russian Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Catholic Church, etc. They try to show divisions such as Roman, Russian, Ukrainian etc. They fail to realize that there are many Catholics in these, and many other countries, and they are not separate Catholic Churches, but are united to the one Holy Catholic Church. The names just distinguish them from the Orthodox Churches in those countries. It would be proper to say, “the Catholic Church in Russia, the Catholic Church in Ukraine”, etc..
6. Their sixth error is tagged to the first error in that anti-Catholics try to peg the Catholic Church as an “apostate”* or a “Pagan Church“, since they charge that it “was founded” by the pagan Roman Emperor Constantine. If the detractors insist on this false charge, then they will have to admit that the very Bible which they all use, came from that same “apostate” or “pagan” Church, and it was provided by that Church scores of years after Constantine died.
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September 29, 2022
Although I’m very glad Roe v. Wade was overturned earlier this year in the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, I think it’s safe to say the U.S. has been experiencing a cultural backlash of sorts.
We saw this with the recent defeat of the “Value Them Both” amendment in Kansas. And Catholic commentator Michael Voris predicts that Michigan’s ‘Ballot Proposal 3’ on the November ballot “will coast to victory.”
Voris said the referendum “will be a vote to enshrine child murder — at any stage, even after birth — into the state Constitution. That means no law can ever be passed in Michigan protecting children unless another amendment is brought forward overturning this one.”
Voris also predicts that “within five years, every state in the country will follow the lead of Michigan and Kansas” and vote to enshrine abortion into their state’s Constitution.
The middle class has now mortgaged its upward mobility to ensure that they might afford gasoline, heating oil, and skyrocketing electricity.
The duty of the Pentagon is to keep America safe by deterring enemies, reassuring allies, and winning over neutrals.
It is not to hector soldiers based on their race. It is not to indoctrinate recruits in the woke agenda. It is not to become a partisan political force.
The result of those suicidal Pentagon detours is the fiasco in Afghanistan, the aggression of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the new bellicosity of China, and the loud threats of rogue regimes like Iran.
At home, the Biden Administration inexplicably destroyed the southern border—as if civilized nations of the past never needed such boundaries.
Utter chaos followed. Three million poured into the United States illegally. They entered without audit, and largely without skills, high-school diplomas, or capital.
The streets of our cities are anarchical—and by intent.
Defunding the police, emptying the jails, and destroying the criminal justice system unleashed a wave of criminals. It is now open season on the weak and innocent.
Question: What does the Bible say a Christian must do to be saved?
Answer: Be a faithful member of the Holy Catholic Church; the only Church that was ever founded, authorized, empowered and perpetually guaranteed by Jesus Christ, for the purpose of our salvation; Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself; Faithfully cooperate with God’s grace, so as to best accomplish his Divine Will; Continue doing all of the above until death, hoping for the best, since Jesus is the only judge and he alone decides who is invited into Heaven.
View Overcoming the World, the Flesh and the Devil,
In and Through Our Lord Jesus Christ (PDF)
A beautifully illustrated “basic primer” on Christianity
that explains what Christians believe, how they practice, and why.
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At 7am on Friday, September 23, 20 SWAT team members burst into the home of Mark Houck, founder of The King’s Men – an organization that forms men to act as leaders and protectors in their families and communities, especially in the fight to end abortion. These agents had guns drawn and shields up in the faces of Mark, his wife, and their seven young children. Mark was handcuffed in front of his family and arrested.
Ignoring the left when they want to get a rise out of us is only one part of the strategy when we want to win a war for souls.
We also have to see that our greatest weapon is the cross.
When the bad guys increase the crosses of the good guys, there is a hidden victory in that for the good guys.
For example, when a priest-friend of mine had his Church vandalized by pro-aborts, he had the attitude of the Triumph of the Cross that I saw early Roman Christians when he texted me: “Just like in the Acts of the Apostles: when they spoke the Truth the people ground their teeth and stopped their ears. They then acted out in violence on the disciples, but the disciple rejoiced and continued the mission our Lord gave them. Over the 2000 years it is still the same. We will continue the mission of Christ, bringing the Truth to the world despite the violence.”
That is truly the right attitude, since the left wants us to know they’re destroying Church and State. So, even though we have to fight hard spiritually and intellectually for Church and State, I am at the point that I now believe we need to stop acting so outraged on social media just to get “likes.”
The left isn’t even pretending to be good anymore if they are publicly fighting to chemically mutilate children.
Question: Why were many unable to understand the biblical parables of Jesus Christ?
Answer: The parables were specifically crafted to publicly transmit certain key messages/truths to select portions of larger groups. In short, Jesus enlightened the faithful, while at the same time, keeping Satan and all the other “bad guys” in the dark.
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Lord, after this is over,
When I come before you,
Judge me not too harshly,
For I am yours.
Related post:
A close encounter with death and hellfire – and the importance of little “small-minded” rules
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Question: Do you pray up to ten times a day?
Answer: I haven’t prayed that little, in years.
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Related post:
Bob Stanley explains…
From the very beginning GOD commanded,
“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.”
Genesis 1:28, and Genesis 8:17, and Genesis 9:1
GOD did not add, ‘If it is YOUR will’,
or ‘If it pleases YOU’,
or ‘If YOU decide to do so’,
or ‘IF IT IS YOUR CHOICE’, did He?
No. He said ‘DO IT’.
It is GOD’s will, not ours,
that children should be brought into this world.
If you will notice,
this command was repeated at least three times in Genesis alone,
and there are similar verses in other books of the Holy Bible.
Now, why does anyone repeat himself?
To drive home a very important point, that is why!
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