Roman Catholicism Compared To Biblical Christianity

[PurplePuppy]

Roman Catholicism Compared To Biblical Christianity

written and compiled by Barbara Wilhelm


The following contain excerpts and/or references from Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition by Mike Gendron, head of "Proclaiming the Gospel”; James G. McCarthy, author of The Gospel According to Rome and the tract What You Need To Know About Roman Catholicism; and T. A. McMahon of The Berean Call. Mr. Gendron, Mr. McCarthy and Mr. McMahon are former Catholics and present born-again Christians with ministries to Catholics. The author of the following position paper, a former Catholic of 35 years and a born-again Christian of 23 years, has, in recent years, taken a course from the Catholic Church itself dealing with their current beliefs. Annotated references to Catholic doctrine were obtained from the official Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Austin Flannery edition of Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents.



*There is also a section entitled Catholic Doctrinal Guide with definitions of various Catholic terminology. The source book for the Guide was a Catholic family Bible which carries the “imprimatur” (official authorization) of the Roman Catholic Church.



INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS



“It is important to realize that most of the clergy and lay people that teach Roman Catholic doctrine are not deceiving people with malicious intent. They are simply passing on what has been passed on to them, sincerely believing that they have the truth. Catholics must believe ALL dogmas of their church or be anathema (eternally condemned and accursed) by their church. Prayer, love, compassion and understanding are needed along with the power of the Word of God to penetrate their hearts. Patience is needed to untangle Roman Catholics from the dogmatic web in which they are held captive” (Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition by Mike Gendron).



It must also be remembered that there are those in the Catholic Church who love the Lord and have had a genuine born-again

experience yet remain in that church out of ignorance of her doctrines.



In 2 Cor 11: 2-4 Paul states: “For I am zealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to

present you a chaste virgin to Christ. But now I am fearful lest even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds

may be seduced from the simplicity of Jesus. For you seem readily to endure it if a man comes and preaches another Jesus

than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you once received, or a different gospel from the

one you received and welcomed.”



In what is called the “unity chapter”, John 17, Jesus Himself states that doctrinal truth is to be the primary unifying factor

between believers and the basis for sanctification: v.17 “Sanctify them by Thy truth; Thy Word is truth.”



A CLARIFICATION OF TERMS



Before we can even start a meaningful discussion of the differences between Catholicism and Biblical Christianity, it is

imperative to clarify what different words and terms mean when viewed from each perspective. Some of the following words

may sound the same to Bible-believing Christians as they do to Catholics – but their meanings will differ sharply. In addition,

there will be terms totally unfamiliar to Christians but which must be discussed because they play such an integral part in Roman

Catholic theology.



CATHOLIC DOCTRINAL GUIDE



Preface: We Catholics maintain that the Bible is not the sole source of Christ’s teaching, but that we have a double rule of

faith, namely, Bible and Tradition. Tradition is the sum of revealed doctrine which has not been put down in Sacred Scripture

but has been handed down through legitimate pastors of the Church from age to age.



Baptism: the sacrament of spiritual cleansing and rebirth, instituted by Jesus Christ. In baptism a human being is born again

spiritually and made capable of receiving the other sacraments.



Church Legislation: (Canons 1391, 1399 1400) the faithful are not permitted to read vernacular translations of the Bible

which do not have the approval of the Holy See (Pope) and are not published under the vigilance of the bishops. For the

Catholic, the private interpretation of the individual is regarded as worthless, and only the authoritative verdict of the

infallible (Catholic) Church, exercising in this sphere its divine commission to teach, is valid. “If anyone believes any

scriptures beyond those which the Catholic Church has received are to be regarded as authoritative or held in esteem, let him

be anathema.”



Confession to and Absolution by a priest: (Confession is) the clear avowal of all sins committed after Baptism, made to a

priest who has the power to absolve (those sins). The priest imposes upon the penitent sinner acts of penance to make

reparation for his sins. These acts of penance may include saying specified amounts of “Hail Marys” and “Our Fathers”,

self-denial, or performing good works. The priest’s role in this sacrament is as representative of Christ.



Council: The assembly of the bishops (including the Bishop of Rome, the Pope) convoked to define questions of faith, morals

and discipline. (Throughout history) there have been numerous councils: Nicea (325), Trent (1545-1563), Vatican I (1869) and

Vatican II (present-day).



Dogma: When this word is applied to Catholic teaching, it refers to a formal statement of doctrine, as contained in divine

revelation, concerning faith or morals, made by the Pope as universal teacher, or by an ecumenical council in union with him.



Eucharist: From the Greek word meaning to thank, a sacrament of the New Law in which, under the appearances of bread

and wine, the Body and Blood of Christ are truly, really and substantially present, as the grace-producing food of the soul. The

priest, who alone has the power given him by God to prepare the ingredients for this sacrament, by pronouncing the words of

consecration, changes the substance of bread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood. The Holy Eucharist is the living

(emphasis in original) Christ: the wafer containing the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ (1374) that is to be

worshipped, consumed and sacrificed (1378).



Expiation: The work of expiation continues through the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass for all time. Hence, for us (Catholics),

the greatest work of expiation is through the sacrifice of the Mass by which God is placated.



Grace: Grace is lost through mortal sin; it is preserved and increased through prayer and works done under the influence of

God, and by means of the sacraments duly received.



Indulgence: The means of remission of the temporal punishment for sins of which the guilt has been forgiven, either in the

sacrament of Penance or because of an act of perfect contrition, granted by the competent ecclesiastical authority from the

Treasury of the Church to the living by way of absolution, to the dead by way of others prayers for them. When the guilt of a sin

is removed from the soul there always remains temporal punishment due to sin and this temporal punishment must be removed

before a soul can enter heaven. An indulgence is received by good works and penances and can be applied to the sins of the

living and the dead (1471-79).



The Council of Trent stated – “Since the power of conferring indulgences has been granted by Christ to His Church, this Holy

Synod teaches and orders that the use of indulgences is to be retained in the Church. It also condemns under anathema those

who say they are useless or who maintain that the Church has not the power to confer them.”



Infallibility: The belief that the pope and bishops are said to be incapable of error when proclaiming definite doctrines

involving faith and morals.



Vatican Council I stated – “It is divinely revealed dogma that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra (that is, when

acting as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, he, by his supreme apostolic authority, defines a doctrine touching faith or

morals, which is to be held by the whole Church) said definitions are of themselves irreformable (infallible). If anyone shall

presume to contradict this our definition, let him be anathema”.



Mortal Sin: A grave sin committed with full knowledge and consent (1857 from the Catholic Catechism). Those who die in

this state descend into hell (1035).



Penance (Also known now as the Sacrament of Reconciliation) The sacrament of confessing sins after baptism to a priest and

asking for his forgiveness so that you are reconciled back to God (1456)



Pope: this word comes a Greek term for father. As bishop of Rome, the pope is St. Peter’s successor and is therefore the

visible head of the Church on earth.



Purgatory: The place and state in which souls suffer for a time after death and are cleansed of their sins, before entering into

Heaven. Here, venial sins, which have never in this life been remitted by an act of repentance or love or by good deeds, are

removed. The debt of temporal punishment due to grave (mortal) sins, the guilt of which with its eternal punishment has indeed

been remitted by God in the Sacrament of Penance must also be removed here. It is of faith that the souls in Purgatory can be

helped by the prayers and sacrifices of the Faithful on earth and especially by the Mass.



Rosary: an expression of devotion to Mary which uses beads to count 53 repetitious prayers to Mary, six to God the Father

and six to the Trinity.



Sacraments: The Catholic Church teaches that there are seven sacraments and each of them contain grace. The seven

sacraments are: baptism, penance, eucharist, confirmation (to receive Holy Spirit), matrimony, holy orders (vows taken by

priests and nuns) and anointing of the sick. These are the primary means by which God bestows grace upon people in the

RCC. Church teaching is that the sacraments themselves are necessary for salvation [1129 –Catholic Catechism].



Venial Sin: a sin that merits only temporal punishment and does not deprive the sinner of grace or friendship with God. Venial

sins can be atoned for with acts of penance and good works.



Vicar of Christ: one of many titles claimed by the Pope. This one means representative of Christ on Earth. (end of Catholic

Doctrinal Guide section).



ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS - FROM CHRISTIAN SOURCES



Apocrypha: 12 writings were declared inspired by the RCC and were added to the Catholic Canon in 1546. Many of the

teachings in the apocrypha contradict the Bible – indulgences, paid masses for the dead, magic performed by Jesus as a child,

etc.



Magesterium: comes from Latin for “Master” and refers to bishops who are the teaching authority of the RCC. The

magesterium consists of all the bishops including the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. They are the ones who pass judgment on

doctrine, state what interpretation a Catholic may give to a scripture verse, and they are the ones who dole out grace in partial

payments depending on the amount of good works that are done.



Treasury of the Church: (From The Gospel According to Rome by James G. McCarthy: “Another way in which the living

can help the dead is by acquiring special credits, called indulgences, that cancel out temporal punishment [1032.1471] Roman

Catholicism teaches that the Church has the power to dispense indulgences from a vast reservoir of merit called the treasury of

the Church [1476-1477]…The “treasury of the Church” is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s

merits have before God…This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary and…the

prayers and good works of all the saints.)



Vatican II: The conference was held 1962-65 and from it came the New Catholic Canon of Laws. After Vatican II there was

a strong ecumenical outreach to other churches, culminating in the un-Biblical agreement called “Evangelicals and Catholics

Together.”



CATHOLICS AND CHRISTIANS:ESSENTIAL DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES



The Roman Catholic Church (much like the Judaizers in the book of Galatians) upholds four fundamental tenets of the Christian

faith: the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the virgin birth, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. However, it denies that Christ’s work

of redemption is finished and that His atonement is sufficient.



In addition, Catholic teaching opposes the doctrine most essential to the Christian faith – the doctrine of justification by

faith alone. The RCC not only denies this doctrine, but also condemns anyone who believes it. The Catholic Church may say

that it believes in salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, but the doctrines of that church deny these words.



The Roman Catholic Church says it believes in salvation by grace alone. However, their “grace” is not the free gift of

Christianity but can only be received by the individual in partial installments dispensed through the “magesterium” of the RCC *

(see Catholic Doctrinal Guide for definition). The RCC says it believes in salvation through faith alone - but adds works to that.

It says it believes in salvation through Christ alone - but adds, among other things, membership in the Catholic Church, a belief

that water baptism, even of infants, is what constitutes being born-again, and unbiblical beliefs about Mary. If doctrine is not

discussed, then Christians will never realize that the doctrines of the Bible are different from the doctrines the RCC adheres to,

no matter what they say to the contrary. More importantly, if we do not delineate the differences in doctrine between the

Christian Church and the Catholic Church, we do an incredible disservice to those Catholics who believe they are born-again

yet still continue in the church of Rome. If we evade doctrinal issues, we are not giving Catholics the chance to escape from a

deception that will condemn them to eternal death. If a man believes a false gospel, he is not saved and cannot be discipled.

The discussion of doctrinal differences is truly a life – or - death matter.



HOLY SCRIPTURE



Bible: “Every Scripture is God-breathed – given by His inspiration – and profitable for instruction, for reproof, for correction of

error, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, well-fitted and thoroughly equipped for every

good work” (2 Ti 3: 16-17). See also 2 Pe 1: 3-10 and 1 Cor 2:13.



Deut 4:2; Prov 30:5,6; Rev 22: 19 are just some of the warnings in the Bible dealing with adding to or subtracting from God's

Holy Word. The RCC, however, does not seem to heed these warnings. As just one example, the Catholic Church does not

profess the simple Ten Commandments, eliminating the second commandment to have no idols before God and to create no

graven images. The RCC then takes the Biblical tenth Commandment and makes it into two instead of one. Hence, the RCC

Ten Commandments are not the Biblical Ten Commandments. The Roman Catholic Church believes that there are more than

the 66 canonical books of the Bible, adding what they call the Apocrypha*. The Apocrypha contains descriptions of Jesus

performing magic as a child, and the Catholic beliefs in praying for the dead and purgatory. “Purgatory is the place of suffering a

Catholic enters after death when he may need to make additional reparation for his sins. There he pays for the temporal

punishment of sins not previously atoned for by acts of penance* or canceled by indulgences*, special credits obtained from the

RCC by performing religious acts” (J. McCarthy: What You Need To Know About Roman Catholicism).



The Catholic Church also adds tradition and papal infallibility* to the teachings of the Bible, thereby placing both above the

inerrancy of the Bible. (Mt 15:6 states: “So for the sake of your tradition, you have set aside the Word of God and made it null

and void.”)



(following is excerpted from Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition by Mike Gendron):



DOCTRINE OF JESUS



JESUS, THE SAVIOR:



Bible: "He saved us not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of His mercy" (Titus 3:5)



Roman Catholic Church teaches that "by His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has 'opened' heaven to us" (1026 -references

are from 1994 Catholic catechism). Each person attains his own salvation by grace and good works (1477).



JESUS, THE SINLESS REDEEMER:



Bible: "For you know it was not with perishable things...that you are redeemed...but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Pe

1:17-18).



RCC teaches that Mary is the sinless co-Redeemer. "Without a single sin to restrain her, she gave herself entirely to the person

and work of her son; she did so in order to serve the mystery of redemption with Him...being obedient, she became the cause

of salvation for herself and for the whole human race" (494)



JESUS, OUR ADVOCATE AND ONLY MEDIATOR:



Bible: "God is one, one also is the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Ti 2:5, 1 Jn 2:1)



RCC teaches that Mary "did not lay aside her saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. She is Advocate…and Mediatrix” (969)



JESUS, HEAD OF THE CHURCH:



Bible: "He has put all things under Christ's feet and made Him, thus exalted, head of the Church" (Eph 1: 22,23).



RCC teaches that the Pope, "by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire church has full, supreme and

universal power over the whole church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered" (882). He exercises infallibility

when "he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals" (891)



JESUS, THE SOON-COMING KING:



Bible: "This same Jesus, who has been taken away from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen Him go

unto heaven" (Acts 1:11).



RCC denies this by teaching that Jesus returns daily to the altars of Catholic churches to worshipped: "The body and

blood...soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ...is truly, really and substantially contained" in the Eucharist* (1374-78).



CHRIST’S WORK



JESUS EXPIATES OUR SIN:



Bible: "Through His blood, God made Him the means of expiation for all who believe" (Ro 3:25)



RCC teaches that sins are expiated in purgatory through a "cleansing fire" and that we "must strive to accept this temporal

punishment of sin as a grace" (1030,31; 1472-75).



(It is also noteworthy that the Word of God consistently affirms that sins are expiated by blood and not by fire. Biblically, the

“fires of purgatory” cannot purge or atone for sin.)



JESUS FINISHED THE WORK OF REDEMPTION:



Bible: "By one offering He has forever perfected those who are being sanctified" (Heb 10:14). "Unlike the other high priests,

He does not need to offer daily sacrifices" (Heb 7:27,28).



RCC denies that Jesus' work on the cross is finished. "The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single

sacrifice...the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an

unbloody manner in the Eucharist"(1367). "Every time this mystery is celebrated the work of our redemption is carried on"

(1405). The sacrifice "is offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead" (1414). Over and over again in Roman

Catholicism, Jesus dies on the cross as the eternal victim.



HIS LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION PROVIDED THE ONLY WAY TO BE SAVED:



Bible: "There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be

saved" (Acts 4:12).



RCC denies this by claiming the Catholic Church "is necessary for salvation" (846).



HIS SHED BLOOD IS THE ONLY REMISSION FOR SIN:



Bible: "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin" (Heb 9:22). "Since these sins have been forgiven, there is

no further offering for sin" (Heb 10:18).



RCC teaches that "an indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been

forgiven which...may be applied to the living or the dead" (1471)



This is absolutely contrary to Scripture because it undermines the total cleansing of Jesus' blood. By stating that indulgences

are needed to further cleanse the sinner, indulgences make man's actions of higher worth than Jesus' blood.



JESUS CLEANSES US FROM SIN:



Bible: “When He [Jesus] had cleansed us from our sins, He took His seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb

1:3). “Christ…presents you to God holy, free of reproach and blame” (Col 1:22)



RCC teaches that “all who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified…undergo purification, so as to

achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (1030)



DOCTRINE OF SALVATION



SALVATION IS PROCLAIMED IN THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST:



Bible: "It is the power of God leading everyone who believes in it to salvation" (Ro 1:16). It relates Jesus' life, death and

resurrection according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15: 1-4).



RCC preaches a different gospel by demanding additional requirements for salvation including: the sacraments (1129),

meritorious masses (1405), church membership (846), purgatory (1030), indulgences *(1498), and baptism (1256).



SALVATION IS OF GOD, NOT MAN:



Bible: “When you heard the glad tidings of salvation, the word of truth, and believed in it, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit

(Eph 1:13). Those “who believe in His name were begotten not by…man’s willing it, but by God” (Jn 1:13).



RCC teaches “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration…without which no one can enter the kingdom of God” (1213, 1215).



SALVATION IS THROUGH FAITH, NOT WORKS:



Bible: "Salvation is yours through faith. This is not of your own doing, it is God's gift, neither is it a reward for anything you have

accomplished, so let no one pride himself on it" (Eph 2: 8,9). "Yet in no way can a man redeem himself, nor pay his own

ransom to God. Too high is the price to redeem one's life; he would never have enough" (Ps 49: 7,8).



RCC teaches salvation through faith plus works. They say people can obtain their own salvation and at the same time

cooperate in saving their brothers through good works and indulgences (1477, 1479).



(The Lindsell Bible Commentary’s introduction to the book of Galatians states: “ When you mix faith with works, the error is of

such magnitude that it will result in the loss of the true gospel.”)



SALVATION IS BY GRACE, NOT MERIT:



Bible: "All men are now undeservedly justified by the gift of God" (Ro 3:24). "…But if it is by grace it is no longer conditioned

on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace – it would be meaningless.”(Ro 11:6).



RCC denies justifying grace is undeserved. "We can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal

life" (2027).



(RCC source used is Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994.)

(excerpt ended)



NONE OF THESE ARE SECONDARY ISSUES. ON THE CONTRARY,THEY ARE THE PRIMARY

DOCTRINES OF OUR FAITH.



While there are a great many other topics that can be discussed in relation to the Catholic faith, only three others will be

attempted at this time. The first topic is the difference between Christian Communion and the Catholic Eucharist; the next, the

difference between the Biblical Mary and the Catholic Mary. The last topic is the mistaken belief that Vatican II significantly

changed the tenets of Catholicism.



CHRISTIAN COMMUNION AS OPPOSED TO CATHOLIC EUCHARIST



There is a very real difference between the Communion and the Lord's Supper as observed by born-again believers as

opposed to the Eucharist and the Mass* as observed by Catholics. Born-again believers contend that the bread and wine are

the elements and that Communion and the Lord's Supper are done in remembrance of Jesus' "once for all" sacrifice. Catholics,

on the other hand, believe that the Eucharist offered at the Mass is the actual flesh and blood of Jesus. This, they state, is

done by means of transubstantiation, the Catholic doctrine wherein the bread and wine actually become the real body and

blood of Jesus.



The Council of Trent, 13th Session, Canon I stated: “(the Eucharist) is truly, really and substantially the body and blood

together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Catholic Mass is the “unbloody sacrifice” of Jesus repeated over

and over. Yet the Bible repeatedly states that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” The word for the

wafer that is offered at Catholic Mass is “hostia” which means victim. Hence, Jesus as the eternal victim is repeatedly being

sacrificed at each Catholic Mass.



Of the Mass, the Council of Trent also stated (Session 22, Chap.2): “In this divine sacrifice the same Christ is present and

immolated (sacrificed) in an unbloody manner on the altar of the Cross…only the manner of offering is different.” Heb 9: 22

and 10:10-17 totally contradict these Catholic doctrines. Therefore, how can Biblical Communion be equated with the Catholic

Eucharist and Mass?



Also, instead of centering worship around the Person of the Lord Jesus and His redeeming work on the cross, it is the Catholic

Church that makes the wafer of bread – the Eucharist – the “centerpiece of worship” and actually says, in its catechism, that

their communion is the “sacrament of redemption” (1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church section 1846) and the place

where “ the work of our redemption is accomplished” (Vatican II Austin Flannery p.1). When the priest holds the wafer and

presents it to the congregation saying “Behold the Lamb of God”, he truly means that that wafer is the real Lamb of God, Jesus

Christ. The Catholic Church emphasizes this adoration of the wafer – not the Person of Jesus – during the feast called Corpus

Christi, a Latin term meaning “body of Christ.” On that day a procession of Catholics follow the priest in adoration of the

Communion wafer which is carried in a vessel called a “monstrance.”



In simple terms that means that Roman Catholicism believes that redemption comes through ingesting the Eucharist –the wafer

which they say is Jesus – not through Jesus’ work on the cross. Hence, Catholic Communion is not Biblical Communion: they

may use the same words, but the meaning is totally different.



MARY OF THE BIBLE AND THE MARY OF CATHOLICISM



(the following information is excerpted from T.A. McMahon’s article entitled Mary Who?):



“…The only trustworthy account of Mary is found in the Scriptures where information is presented by those who knew her

personally and, more importantly, whose writings were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Fewer than 90 Bible verses

address the life of Mary. In them we find a wonderful humble servant of the Lord who rejoices in Him as her Savior (Lk 1:

47)… Mary’s ministry was simply the birth and nurturing of the child Jesus. Once He reached adulthood, she played no

influential part in His earthly service. It’s at the wedding feast of Cana, which began the public ministry of Jesus, that her last

words are recorded. Fittingly, she tells the servants, ‘ Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it’ (Jn 2:5)… Mary then fades into the

background.



Search the Scriptures as you will and you will find no leadership role for Mary among the Apostles. She taught no doctrine.

We never hear of the Apostles seeking her out for counsel. Other than the gospels, Mary is mentioned only once in the New

Testament, where the Book of Acts tells us of her simple participation in a prayer meeting along with her sons. The teaching

that Mary was a perpetual virgin is contradicted by many verses (Mt 12:46; Mk 6:3; Jn 7: 3,5; 1Cor 9:5; Gal 1:19; Ps

69:8,etc.)…The Apostle Peter, a contemporary of Mary and regarded by Catholics as the first pope, wrote nothing about her.

The Apostle Paul…made no mention of the alleged importance of devotions or reparations to Mary…The Apostle John, who

wrote the last book of the Bible and was given the care of Mary by Jesus Himself, says nothing about venerating her…Although

mankind is being drawn into every kind of spiritual deception in the last days before the return of Jesus, it is especially sad that

the real mother of Jesus, the remarkable ‘handmaiden of the Lord’ (Lk 1:38) is so terribly misrepresented, thereby drawing

millions away from her Son…



(Conversely), the Mary of Catholicism was immaculately conceived, the Mother of God, a perpetual virgin, Mediatrix between

God and man, and the Queen of Heaven…The ‘Mary’ who spoke to Father Gobbi, the founder of the Marian Movement of

more than 100,000 priests, declared, ‘Each of my statues is a sign of a presence of mine and reminds you of your heavenly

Mother. Therefore it must be honored and put in places of greater veneration…’



Consider Our Lady of Fatima: (she said) ‘Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world…God wishes to establish in

the world the devotion to My immaculate heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.’



This is not the humble and submissive Mary of the Bible. The rosary invokes prayers to Mary ten times for every one for the

Lord; Jesus is the Prince of Peace; only Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice saves souls from hell; neither is Mary’s heart immaculate,

nor are we to be spiritually devoted to anyone other than our Lord and Savior” (excerpts ended).



The Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is NOT the Christian doctrine which states that Jesus was born without

sin. Rather, it states that Mary was born free of any sin: “O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to

thee.” The prayer specifically presents her as intercessor. In addition, Catholics believe that as a special privilege Mary was

preserved from all sin, even venial sin*. Catholics also hold to the doctrine that Mary, after her death, was “assumpted” bodily

into heaven and, therefore, never saw corruption.. Both the Feast of the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception are

“holydays of obligation” in the Catholic Church and require Catholics to attend a Mass on those days under penalty of

“mortal”* sin.



One of the titles the Catholic Church gives Mary is “Queen of Heaven.” In chapters 7:18 and 44:19 Jeremiah actually speaks of

the people of Israel making offerings to a “queen of heaven.” Yet a simple reading of the chapters shows that God was

exceedingly angry because of this heathen worship.



There is also a mixing of what is Biblical and what is Catholic in the “Hail Mary,” the prayer used repeatedly in the rosary. It

states: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art thou among women…” This is actually found in Luke 1:28.

However, the rest of the prayer is not Biblical. It states “…Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the

hour of our death. Amen.” Mary is “holy” only as she is holy in Jesus. She was not the mother of God, but of the child Jesus -

stating it as the Catholic Church does confers upon her a title that denotes her superiority over Jesus. She cannot pray for us

sinners because she herself was a sinner, and because only Jesus “ever liveth to make intercession for us” (Heb 7:25).



WHAT DID VATICAN II REALLY CHANGE?



In the 1960’s after Vatican II was convened, the Roman Catholic Church made some sweeping reforms that attempted to

bridge the gap between Catholicism and Protestantism. The Sacrifice of the Mass could now be offered in the local language

instead of in Latin. Catholics were no longer forbidden to read a Protestant Bible or attend a Protestant church service. The

priest now faced the congregation at an altar instead of having his back to them. There were no longer just old Catholic hymns

and responses sung. Now up-beat folk songs were allowed.



But notice what did not change. There is still the mandatory priest who stands at a mandatory altar, still offering Jesus up as

an eternal victim at the Sacrifice of the Mass. The crucifix with Christ still on the Cross is ever-present. Yes, Catholics can now

read a Protestant Bible but no private interpretation is allowed and only the magesterium’s interpretation is permitted. There

are still novenas(nine-day prayer vigils) and rosaries offered to Mary, who is still co-Redeemer, co-Mediatrix, Queen of

Heaven. The Pope is still considered to be infallible, even when his encyclicals contradict the Bible. Tradition is still given equal

ranking with Scripture. The adoration of the wafer – not of Jesus – still continues at Catholic Communion, as does the priest’s

ability by means of transubstantiation to transform the bread and wine into the living Body and Blood of Jesus. Some things

changed, but not one fundamental doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church changed at all.



Vatican II is thought by most Catholics and non-Catholics to have changed centuries-old doctrines of the Catholic Church,

especially those that evangelical Christians were troubled by. As has been seen, however, this is not the case.



“It fact it reaffirmed the canons and decrees of previous key councils: ‘This sacred council accepts loyally the venerable faith of

our ancestors…and it proposes again the decrees of the Second Council of Nicea, of the Council of Florence (purgatory) and

of the Council of Trent (masses said for the dead , papal infallibility, Catholic sacraments necessary for salvation)’ (Austin

Flannery, Vol. 1, p.412). The Council of Trent denounced the Reformation and damned evangelicals’ beliefs with more than

100 anathemas. All of these condemnations of the gospel of God’s grace are endorsed and reaffirmed by Vatican II” (Dave

Hunt: A Woman Rides the Beast).



(excerpt follows from T.A.McMahon’s tract Why It Matters, Part I):



“The following citations are from the Council of Trent, which met over a nineteen-year period primarily to denounce the

teachings of the Protestant Reformation. Although the Council met in the sixteenth century, its decrees were reaffirmed by both

Vatican I & II. Consider Catholicism’s position on what evangelicals uphold as the gospel (that is, salvation is by grace through

faith alone in Christ alone who, through His sacrificial death on the cross, paid the full penalty for all the sins of humanity):



6th Session, Canon 9: If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate

in order to obtain the grace of justification…let him be anathema (accursed, eternally condemned).



6th Session, Canon 12: If anyone shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy, which remits

sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies us, let him be anathema.



6th Session, Canon 30: If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of

eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either

in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema.



7th Session, Canon 4: If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law [canons and decrees of the Church] are not

necessary for salvation but…without them…men obtain from God alone through faith alone the grace of justification, let him be

anathema.



As the above decrees demand, Roman Catholicism requires more than faith in Christ for salvation…The clear denunciation of

the Biblical gospel by the Council of Trent, with its more than 100 anathemas, and reaffirmations by the Second Vatican

Council of the 1960’s, comes from the highest Roman Catholic authority (College of Cardinals and the Pope)…Few lay

Catholics are familiar with the Code of Canon Law, containing more than 1,750 laws which dictate Church rules and practice.

(Yet these rules and practices must be obeyed in order for a Catholic to be considered a Catholic by that Church).



(Since Vatican II) Rome has donned evangelical apparel and added some biblical accessories (although her unbiblical salvation

remains the same). (Seemingly), her goal has been to seduce evangelical Christians into believing that Roman Catholicism is

proclaiming the same gospel and the same Jesus…



(Yet it might be asked) Haven’t the modifications instituted by Vatican II, the ecumenical dialogues with evangelical

denominations and the ‘Evangelicals and Catholics Together’ accord at least demonstrated that the Roman Catholic Church is

indeed changing and becoming more biblical? Augustin Cardinal Bea, president at the time of the Vatican Secretariat for

Promoting Christian Unity, makes clear Rome’s intentions:



‘The Roman Catholic Church would be gravely misunderstood if it should be concluded that her present ecumenical

adventuresomeness and openness meant that she was prepared to reexamine any of her fixed dogmatic positions. What the

Church is prepared to do is take…a more imaginative and contemporary presentation of these fixed positions’” (excerpt

ended).



OUR RESPONSIBILITY



Our greatest responsibility is to pray and to do so with deep compassion and love. When we share these truths with Catholics,

we must do so with a tenderness of spirit for unless the truth is told with love they will not be able to receive it. We do not need

to come to them with “lofty words of eloquence or persuasiveness of human wisdom…(we need only share) Jesus Christ, the

Messiah, and Him crucified “ (1Cor 2: 1-4).



If we, or any organization, continue to call Catholics Christians, the true gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ alone will never

be presented to those deceived Catholics, nor will born-again Catholics ever know the truth of Catholicism. They will perish. In

Christian love must we not draw the line between what is true Christianity and what is not? To continue to accept Catholics as

Christians is not the love of God Who wishes all to be saved and come unto a knowledge of the truth (1 Ti 2:4).



The purpose of this paper was simply to make the truth known. The love that will be needed to share it can come only from

prayerful time with the Lord. He has a deep burden for those caught in the web of the Catholic Church. As we pray He will

share that burden with us that we may share His love and truth with them.



ADDITIONAL RESOURCES



BOOKS:



All Roads Lead to Rome by Michael de Semlyen

The Gospel According to Rome by James G. McCarthy

Protestants and Catholics: Do They Now Agree? By John Ankerberg and John Weldon

The Secrets of Romanism by Joseph Zacchello

The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop

A Woman Rides the Beast by Dave Hunt



WEB SITES and MINISTRIES:



www.pro-gospel.org Mike Gendron, Proclaiming the Gospel P.O. Box 940871 Plano, TX 75094.

e-mail: [e-mail]

www.gnfc.org

www.reachingcatholics.org/articles.html

 link

[PurplePuppy]

A Summary Chart of the differences between Biblical Truth and Catholicism



by Richard Bennett





Richard Bennett, a former Roman Catholic priest, is President and founder of Berean Beacon Ministries which proclaims the Good News of Salvation (the Gospel of Jesus Christ). A ministry of truth, love, and compassion to Roman Catholics, and plain Biblical truth to Evangelicals embracing a false ecumenism.



The chart is at this link.

[PurplePuppy]

Does the Roman Catholic
Church deny the Jesus of the Bible?



Hot Off The Press!

News Flash!

The answer is absolutely yes!



"Whom Do Ye Say That I Am?"



Jesus obviously felt it was important for his disciples to know his true identity. This is probably the most the most important issue in the Bible (Matthew 16:13-20). Although the Roman Catholic Church professes to believe in Jesus Christ, we will see that they actually deny most of the essentials of : A) Who he is (substance and ancestry); and B) What he has done. If anyone redefines who Jesus is or what he has done they have a different (false) Christ. For example, if I were to teach that, " Jesus was born in Japan in 1830, He killed 24 people, He even lied to many people during His lifetime, and finally died in 1902 of old age," I would be teaching a false Jesus. At the least, I would be denying his birth place, his Jewish ancestry, and his death on the cross. If I were to teach this about Jesus Christ, it would be enough to define a different (false) Jesus Christ. By definition, anyone who professes a false Christ denies the true one.



Who is the Real Rock?



Jesus himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). In Matt. 16:13-20, Jesus asked his disciples a very important question, “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus is asking the key question of the Bible: he is asking us to correctly identify him. This is the question that inspects the very foundation of the Christian faith. If we do not now who the real Jesus is, then we can not be saved. We can not get to the true Heaven with a false Jesus. The real Jesus of the Bible is the true foundation (rock) of the Christian faith. He is the rock of salvation. Even Peter claimed that Jesus is the rock, the cornerstone that the builders rejected (Acts 4:10 & 1 Peter 2:1-6). Paul says, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ... ‘the rock was Christ.’”(1 Cor. 3:11 &10:4).



The Roman Catholic Church claims that Peter is the rock that the church is built on. They say that Peter is the first Pope who stands in the place of Christ. This position is known as the Vicar of Christ. This is the lineage through which the present Pope receives his authority. Today, the Pope is still the rock that the Roman Catholic Church is built on. The Roman Catholic Church declares. “...that it is altogether necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff [Pope].” (Pope Boniface VIII, 1302 AD in an ex cathedra in his Bull Unum Sanctum). Pope Pius IX said about himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. By the office of the Pope, the Roman Catholic Church denies Jesus his rightful place as the foundation of the true church.



Jesus’ Body and Blood



Jesus said when he broke the bread that “this is my body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” After the meal, he took the cup (of wine) and said, “this cup is the new testament in my blood” (Luke 22:19 & 20). As often as we do this, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. These are symbols of his body and blood just as when he said, “I am the door.” His body was not really made of wood with hinges and a latch. In the same way, the Passover feast was symbolic of the first Passover feast in Egypt where the blood of the Lambs saved the first-born of the Jews in bondage in Egypt. The bread and wine are symbols of Jesus, our Passover Lamb.



However, the Catholic Church says that the bread is actually the real body of Jesus. After the priest blesses the bread (wafer), he raises it up before the congregation and says, “Behold, the lamb of God”. When he gives it to the members he says, “The body of Christ.” Catholicism teaches that “the Eucharist is a sacrament which really, truly, and substantially contains the body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine. It is the great sacrament of God’s love in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge is given to us of future glory.” (Question & Answer Catholic Catechism #1214). “The Eucharist is necessary for salvation.” (Q&A Catechism, #1217).



True Catholics believe that when you eat the bread and drink the wine you are actually eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood, even though it tastes like bread and wine. The Roman Catholic Church uses the word “transubstantiation,” which refers to the communion bread and wine turning into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus when blessed by the Catholic Father (Q&A, #1224). “Christ is present in the Eucharist not only with everything that makes him a man, but with all that makes him this human being. He is therefore present with all his physical properties, hands and feet and head and human heart. He is present with his human soul, with his thoughts, desires, and human affections.” (Q&A, #1223). The Roman Catholic Church proclaims that its members are literally eating their Jesus.



Because of this false interpretation of the scriptures, the Catholic Church is encouraging false, idol worship of these inanimate objects. The Roman Catholic Church sets up inanimate objects (the bread and wine) as objects of worship and adoration. Because they worship and adore these objects they qualify as idols. Since Jesus said, “I am the door,” and “I am the true vine,” this most holy Catholic sacrament is the same as worshipping a door or a vine as if it were Jesus himself.



The Jesus of the Roman Catholic Church is a dead victim (an idol) who is sacrificed on their altar and eaten by true Catholics at masses world wide. Thus, Jesus’ work of salvation was not finished on the cross, but is an ongoing work of sacrifice on their altars. The Jesus of the Bible declared his work of atonement to be completed on the cross: “It is Finished!” (John 19:30). Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for sins, offering his body once for all (Hebrews 10:10-12). The real Jesus is no longer hanging dead on the cross but was resurrected from death to life. Because he has eternal life, he can never be sacrificed or die again (Romans 6:9-10). The real Jesus can not be eaten. Because the Roman Catholic Church is eating their Jesus, they have identified and are following a phony Jesus.



Catholicism defines a False Mother



Because the Roman Catholic Church considers sex as something somewhat unholy, they have elevated celibacy and demoted sex in marriage. Although they teach that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, the Church has redefined who she is.. The Catholic Church says that the virgin Mary did not inherit original sin from her human parents like all other descendants of Adam and Eve. They say that the virgin Mary’s mother and father did not pass on sinfulness to their daughter. What they call the “immaculate conception” refers to the conception of Mary, not Jesus. This is a direct contradiction of scripture (Romans 3:23, 3:10). Mary herself recognized her need for a Savior (Luke 1:47). Why would Mary need to be saved if she wasn’t a sinner? Catholicism also redefines Mary’s life by claiming that her sinless body and soul were taken up to heaven without dying (assumption). The virgin Mary is also said to have been a virgin her entire life, even though the Bible says that Joseph never knew her until after she gave birth (Matt. 1:25). The Bible says that Jesus’ Mother and brothers came to see him. The people of his own town said “Who does he think he is? Isn’t he the son of Joseph, and aren’t his sisters with us?”(Matt. 13 :54-56, Mark 6:1-3). The book of James starts, “James the Lord’s Brother...” The Catholic Church denies Jesus’ mother by redefining her as being born like Jesus without original sin. This make the Catholic Jesus born of a phony mother.



Save Me, Holy Mother!



The Catholic Church gives an elevated position to the Virgin Mary, calling her “Queen of Heaven” because she rules over the Church with Jesus Christ (Catechism of the Catholic Church Par. #996). They also say that she is “The All Holy One. She is the model and source of holiness” (CCC # 2677). Mary had to be willing to give her consent to be pregnant with Jesus or there would be no salvation (CCC #2030). Mary is considered to be co-redeemer with Jesus which means that she also is our savior. Catholics believe that Mary’s prayers and good works redeem us (CCC #1477). Even though the Bible says that Jesus is our only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), the Catholic Church teaches that Mary is our mediator (mediatrix) and co-redeemer (co-redemptrix) with Christ and that no grace can be applied to man except through her (CCC #969). They also say that she has “saving office...to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (Documents of Vatican Council II Vol. 1 p. 418). The Catholic Church does not discourage their members from venerating Mary “higher than all other women and all other humans.” Rosaries are used by Catholics as a tool to help them to pray to Mary (and God the Father). All over the world, Catholics are worshipping Mary with the Pope’s full knowledge. If this were happening in Biblical Christian Churches, these people would be excommunicated for false worship.



Photo of JPII thanking statue of Mary

The Pope himself thanked Mary for saving his life (Time, Dec. 30, 1991 p. 69). Instead of excommunicating Mary worshipers, they have as part of the church, a “liturgical cult of the Blessed Virgin,...” (Vatican Council II No. 28 VIII #66, 67 - Flannery). Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said of Jesus, “There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). By praying to Mary and considering her a co-savior and co-mediator, the Catholic Church puts Mary on a similar level with Jesus. Thus they deny Jesus his rightful place as our only mediator, savior, and redeemer by placing part of his work with someone else.

A False Priesthood



“The primary ministry of a priest is to consecrate and offer the Holy Eucharist (bread and wine), and to forgive sins.” (Q&A, # 1488). “The Sacrifice of the Cross is continued on earth through the Sacrifice of the Mass...It is the Sacrifice in which Christ is offered under the species of bread and wine in an unbloody manner.” (CCC # 1367). The Roman Catholic Church teaches that eating the body and blood of Jesus Christ makes one holier. In the sacrifice of the Mass, Christ is offered over and over again as a victim of an unbloody holy sacrifice. So the question is, when the priest blesses the wine, does it turn into Christ’s real blood or is it unbloody? (Hebrews 9:22) The Catholic Church has invented a priesthood which supposedly performs a miracle every time the priest blesses the bread and wine (turning them into flesh and blood). If this is true, why are Catholic priests so helpless to perform any other miracles?



The Roman Catholic Church teaches that a person must confess to a priest privately and the priest himself forgives sins. He is then told then by the priest what suffering (penance) he must do (usually prayers) to make up for his sins. “Penance is the sacrament instituted by Christ in which sinners are reconciled with God through the absolution of the Priest.” (Q&A #1321). “If anyone denieth...that sacramental confession...is necessary to salvation,...or saith that the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone,...is alien from the institution and command of Christ, and is a human invention; let him be anathema.” (Council of Trent, Canon VI “On the Most Holy Sacrament of Penance”). Hebrews chapters 7 to 10, discusses Jesus’ true priesthood. Catholic priests supposedly have authority to forgive sins; however, only God can truly forgive sins. The Roman Catholic Priesthood denies and replaces Jesus’ true Biblical priesthood.



Delusion in Biblical Christianity



Even though the Catholic Church agrees with the basic Biblical doctrines of the trinity, they deny it by adding to it with their own traditions We covered the two teachings about Jesus which are most foreign to the Bible (the person of Jesus- the bread and wine, and the work of Jesus-the savior and mediator). We have also covered only part of their works of salvation. Because Biblical Christians are generally not familiar with all of the strange teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, they many times claim that “there are many true Christians within the Roman Catholic Church.” The problem with this argument is that most Biblical Christians have not asked their friends the right questions. Without some knowledge of the Roman Catholic teachings, Christians have little chance of asking intelligent and discerning questions and thereby getting the whole truth. Like Mormonism, Catholicism sounds like Biblical Christianity on the surface. Like Mormonism, without in-depth investigative questions, it is impossible to see the whole picture. Only when we ask scrutinizing penetrating question do we learn the real truth. Next time you encounter a Roman Catholic ask him, “Can you eat your Jesus?” or “Can your Jesus mold?”. The answer you receive will be as different as these questions are.



The following quotes from some famous leaders show that even our leaders can become deceived if they aren’t asking the proper questions: “It’s time for Protestants to go to the shepherd (the Pope) and say, ’What do we have to do to come home?’” Robert Schuller (Los Angeles Herald Examiner, September 19, 1987, Religion page); “I’ve found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of orthodox Roman Catholics.” Billy Graham (McCall’s, January 1978). We as Biblical Christians need to expose and refute any false doctrine which creeps into the body of Christ. (Eph. 5:11, Titus 1:9, Jude 3). You might say, “How can I tell what is true Biblical Christianity? There are two questions that summarize the essentials of Biblical Christianity:



The Two Biblical Laws of Christianity

Law 1.. Who is God? .........

Law 2.. How are we saved?

Law #1: The Identity of God



Christology is the study of who Jesus is and what he has done. These two concepts are essential to establishing the true identity of the real Jesus. The first concept is his person (his nature and character). If you redefine who Jesus is then you have defined a false Jesus. The second concept is his work. If you redefine what he has done or is doing now, then you have defined a different Jesus. At what point would you acknowledge a phony Jesus? If I deny that he died on a cross, claim he didn’t raise from the dead, say he wasn’t born of a virgin, and didn’t pick any apostles; how many things he has done do I need to deny before you tell me that I redefined Jesus and no longer have the truth? Where do you draw the line? The Bible says, Jesus “by himself, purged our sins” and “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3). In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus asked:



“Whom do you say that I am?”

Law #2: God’s Method of Salvation



We are saved by Grace, through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-10). God’s salvation is free. There is no way that anyone can earn it or become worthy of it. Catholicism has Jesus as a sacred victim n their altar, and his work is not all done by himself. The Church of Rome the true Biblical Jesus and his method of true salvation.



Marshall Almarode & Greg Hanson



link