“Merciful Father, on the night before his Passion your Son prayed for the unity of those who believe in him: in disobedience to his will, however, believers have opposed one another, becoming divided, and have mutually condemned one another and fought against one another. We urgently implore your forgiveness and we beseech the gift of a repentant heart, so that all Christians, reconciled with you and with one another will be able, in one body and in one spirit, to experience anew the joy of full communion. We ask this through Christ our Lord.”
If the Pope and the Roman Curia were really serious about their
prayer offered to Holy God, they must face the fact that condemning curses
of their Council of Trent were not mentioned nor repented of, including
the condemnation of the Biblical Gospel and historical biblical Christianity,
which led to the wholesale slaughter of millions of Christians during the
667 years of the Inquisition, and which have never been revoked, Vatican
Council II notwithstanding. If this prayer were answered, it would be necessary
to dismantle the RCC with its false gospel, papal infallibility, and “irreformable”(2)
ways, which clearly the Pope and his Curia have no intention of doing.
“The Week of Christian Unity”
The gathering of mainstream churches at St. Paul’s Basilica in Rome
earlier this year is thought to have been the largest assembly of Christian
leaders with a Pope since the Vatican Council II in the early 1960s. On
January 18th, the Tuesday of the week which had been designated ‘The Week
of Christian Unity’ in the ‘Holy Year, 2000’, leaders representing four
fifths of Eastern Orthodoxy gathered alongside Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists
and Pentecostals. They were participating in celebration of the opening
of the ‘Holy Door at St. Paul Outside the Walls’. Archbishop George Carey,
Primate of the Church of England, and Metropolitan Athanasius, representing
Bartholomew, Patriarch of Constantinople and head of the Orthodox Church,
knelt on either side of Pope John Paul II before the newly opened door.
Only one cushion had been provided as it was thought that only the Pope
would kneel, but when they both fell to their knees, too, the Pope called
out, “Unity! Thank you!” It was a highly symbolic moment.
The Pontiff had every reason to express his gratitude to the Churches
represented and the two men flanking him. After all, in May 1999, the joint
Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) had issued a statement
“recognizing the Pope as the overall authority in the Christian World”
and describing him as “a gift to be received by all Churches”, (a gift
yet to be accepted by the Synod of the Church of England and the wider
Anglican Communion, however). Five months later in October, 1999, on Reformation
Day, the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches had signed a joint declaration
announcing that their opposing views on justification have been reconciled.(3)
With this declaration of reconciliation and unity, the way seems clear
for the Lutherans to join the Anglicans in accepting Papal primacy. The
frosty relationship of earlier years with the Russian Orthodox Church has
warmed up and a Papal visit to Moscow and a meeting with Patriarch Alexy
II is being discussed. Pentecostals and Charismatics have accelerated their
Romeward journey and Evangelical leaders who have signed ECT (“Evangelicals
and Catholics Together”) have led very large numbers of Evangelicals to
kneel before the open “holy” door that the Roman Catholic Church offers
them.
The Pope’s words that day were couched in the language associating
equality with freedom. Carefully concealed in his response was the non-negotiable
agenda of the Roman Catholic Church, for rather than looking for unity
based on truth, the Papacy, as ever, is seeking to secure conformity through
compromise. The “ecumenical dialogue” referred to by the Pope during the
January 18th ceremony, is clearly governed by a special set of rules. Vatican
Council II’s post conciliar Document No. 42 on ecumenism states that “…dialogue
is not an end in itself…it is not just an academic discussion.”(4) Rather,
“ecumenical dialogue...serves to transform modes of thought and behavior and the daily life of those [non-Catholic] communities. In this way, it aims at preparing the way for their unity of faith in the bosom of a Church one and visible.”(5)
That the papacy expects this process of dialogue to take time to
accomplish its stated aim of bringing all Christian churches under its
authority is clear when she says,
“….little by little, as the obstacles to perfect ecclesial communion are overcome, all Christians will be gathered, in a common celebration of the Eucharist [the Mass] into that unity of the one and only Church.…This unity, we believe, dwells in the Catholic Church as something we can never lose.”(6)
The “little by little” approach of the Vatican II document are now
giant steps.
How many present at the January 18th gathering understand what is really
happening? The Pope’s official position is that “ecumenical encounter is
not merely an individual work, but also a task of the [RC] Church, which
takes precedence over all individual opinions.”(7) Thus the opinions
of others present on January 18th are “individual opinions” and worthless.
The final goal of any dialogue with the RCC is, first and foremost, “unity”
in a visible and specific ritual under the authority of the Roman Catholic
Church, “all Christians will be gathered, in a common celebration
of the Eucharist into that unity of the one and only Church….unity
we believe dwells in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose.”
She could hardly state it more clearly.
Unity: true and false
Very different from this man-made spurious unity is the true unity
of believers in Christ. The foundation of Christian unity is the position
of believers “in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.”(8)
The Lord’s prayer in John 17:21 for unity is answered in the life of an
individual who is justified by God’s saving grace alone through faith alone
in Christ alone. The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for unity means
that unity of believers is actual. God, the Father of His people, Who before
the world existed chose the believers to be in Christ His Son, justified
them through His righteousness, and upon saving them, places them in Him,
and will preserve them in that unity unto the culmination of all things.
Believers are placed into the unity which is in Christ Jesus, a unity which
they themselves did not establish, but which they are commanded to maintain.
In the words of the Apostle Paul, they are “to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace.”(9)
True ecumenism
The same Apostle shows clearly the ground of true unity:
“There
is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who
is above all, and through all, and in you all.”(10) Believers, therefore,
who adhere to God only and His Written Word, as did the Lord and the Apostles
after Him (‘Sola Scriptura’) are one in body, in Spirit, and in truth.
They are saved before the all-Holy God by grace alone (‘Sola Gratia’),
through faith alone (‘Sola Fide’), and in Christ alone (‘Solo Christo’)
and all glory and praise is to God alone (‘Soli Deo Gloria’). These five
biblical principles together show the foundation of true unity in the Lord.
They have helped the persecuted church through the centuries to hold fast
to the simplicity of the Gospel. True ecumenism is fellowship or working
together in adherence to the five basic biblical principles that maintain
the foundation of true unity in the Lord. To the degree to which these
key basic biblical standards are embraced, true unity will be evident.
False ecumenism
On the other hand, false ecumenism, typically institutionalized, is
the joining together for common causes of professing Christian groups,
when in fact one or more of the parties involved are unconverted. While
purporting to confess the Lord Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures,
for the most part the five biblical principles that display the basis of
true unity in the Lord are compromised. The extent to which these principles
are not upheld usually shows the inclination of the church or group to
submit to Rome.
The World Council of Churches is such an institution. Within it, there
is no agreement on any of the five principles that demonstrate the fact
that the foundation of true unity is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The
Pope and his Church, likewise in apostasy from the true Gospel, are also
without any of the five biblical standards. Counterfeiting the body of
the Lord Jesus Christ, they are intent on finding successful ways to bind
all to the very visible, active and attractive pontifical throne.
Pope defines conformity
In his official letter, “That they May Be One”, the Pope defines full
unity,
“The Catholic Church, both in her praxis and in her solemn documents, holds that the communion of the particular Churches with the Church of Rome, and of their Bishops with the Bishops of Rome is, in God’s plan, an essential requisite of full and visible communion.” (11)
To arrive at that point of full unity, a different set of five principles
must be adopted, principles that actually deny all five parameters of biblical
truth. According to the Pope, “It is already possible to identify the areas
in need of fuller study before a true consensus of faith can be achieved:
(1) the relationship between Sacred Scripture, as the highest authority in matters of faith, and Sacred Tradition, as indispensable to the interpretation of the Word of God;
(2) the Eucharist, as the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, an offering of praise to the Father, the sacrificial memorial and Real Presence of Christ and the sanctifying outpouring of the Holy Spirit;
(3) Ordination, as a Sacrament, to the threefold Ministry of the episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate;
(4) the Magisterium of the Church, entrusted to the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him, understood as a responsibility and an authority exercised in the name of Christ for teaching and safeguarding the faith;
(5) the Virgin Mary, as Mother of God and Icon of the Church, the spiritual Mother who intercedes for Christ’s disciples and for all humanity.” (12)
The Pope’s objective in declaring his five principles is that a
ubiquitous visible conformity to the Church of Rome should be forged in
accordance with and manifested through her institution alone. Thus the
Pope decrees,
“…it is now necessary to advance towards the visible unity which is required and sufficient and which is manifested in a real and concrete way, so that the Churches may truly become a sign of that full communion in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church which will be expressed in the common celebration of the Eucharist.” (13)
The RCC is attempting to forge a man-made unity, visible by means
of an institution to which all must conform. Such a conception stands in
direct contradiction to the reality of believers who, having been placed
invisibly in Christ by God, are to maintain the bond of unity given them
by the Holy Spirit.
External Unity to be Attained by Power and Penalty
What is this conformity now so passionately advocated by the Pope?
How would it be applied in practice? From all previous experience, and
the official teaching of the same Pope in his Canon Law, those fully participating
will be obliged to submit their faculties of both mind and will to ‘the
Holy Father’ [the Pope], to his decrees, and to the dogma of his Church.
Thus present day Roman law decrees,
Canon 752 “A religious respect of intellect and will, even if not the assent of faith, is to be paid to the teaching which the Supreme Pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate on faith or morals when they exercise the authentic magisterium even if they do not intend to proclaim it with a definitive act...”
In this official law Rome enunciates, in clearer terms than any
cult states, the necessity of suppressing one’s God given faculties, that
of mind and will. This is not only demanded, the new Canon Law, the ‘Papal
Code’ codified by the present Pope, includes a section entitled “Punishment
of Offenses against Ecclesiastical Authorities and the Freedom of the Church”.
Under the heading, “The Punishment of Offenses in General”, the Inquisition
appears again as from old times, for Canon 1311 states,
“The Church has an innate and proper right to coerce offending members of the Christian faithful by means of penal sanctions.”(14)
A brief acquaintance with history readily reveals that coercion
is a term that the Roman Church understands very well. Naturally, when
ushering all comers into her big tent, she makes light of its implications;
but when once again in direct control of the levers of political power
(which may well be provided by the fast advancing European superstate),
Canon 1311 could acquire that same notoriety as those which have so darkened
the pages of history.
It is important to remember always that the Roman Papacy is an absolute
monarchy and also a secular government. Enormously wealthy, it has territorial
sovereignty, its court, nobles, and diplomatic corps; its detective force
and secret service; its laws, advocates, and system of jurisprudence as
well as prison; taxes, bank, foreign treaties and concordats, enormous
political influence, ambitious plans and policies, all as much as any secular
kingdom. And it still has the Inquisition, now styled the Office of the
Doctrine of the Faith, headed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
Bride of the Lamb understands Apostate Church
Believers of old were clear to call the Roman Catholic Church’s imposed
conformity “Satan's seat” or the Antichrist. This was known and spoken
of even through the Middle Ages by Dante Alghieri (d. 1321), John Wycliff
(d. 1384), John Huss (d. 1415), Savonarola (d. 1498), and William Tyndale
(c. l536). So Rome’s conformity was described as Antichrist from the time
of Reformation by Martin Luther (d. 1546), Nicholas Ridley (d. 1554), John
Bradford (d. 1555), and John Foxe (d. 1587), and in more recent times by
Isaac Newton (d. 1727) and Jonathan Edwards (d. 1758). Now as the “Holy”
Roman Empire revives in the European Superstate, can believers afford to
remain ignorant of both history and Biblical prophecy as understood throughout
the centuries? Confident believers of old saw that unity is in Christ and,
consequently, warned of the conformity with Rome. They both knew the true
church in Christ, and recognized the apostate Church in Rome. Understanding
that unity with the Roman Catholic Church always meant submission to her
traditions and finally obedience to her Pope, they rejoiced that their
unity was in the Beloved, rather than dallying with sin.
Pope Identified
Extravagantly, apparently without trembling, the Pope has again fulfilled
the Lord’s prophetic Word (II Thessalonians 2:3-12) depicting the Man of
Sin and Son of Perdition. The sitting Pope purports to take for himself
a Divine position. Thus in Section III of the prepared program for the
“Day of Pardon”, “The Holy Father” is mentioned eight times. Nonetheless
in the RCC, this title does not denote the All Holy One in heaven, but
rather the sitting Pope. Seen in the light of Scripture, the RCC Pope who
claims to be Christian, clearly is one "Who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God
sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (v.
4) The Pope of the RCC goes further when by taking to himself the title
of “The Vicar of Christ”, he presumes to take the place of Christ Himself,
teacher, shepherd, and priest. This also is clearly tantamount to “as
God sit[ting] in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
The assertion is not simply made, for the Pope's law gives it teeth in
exacting submission of mind and will and promising punitive action against
those who fail to obey, as Canon 752 and 1311 document. He is the worst
and greatest enemy of Christ who under the pretence of service to Christ,
presumes to undermine His unique offices by covertly usurping His position
and power.
C. H. Spurgeon clearly understood these things. His timely words still
apply,
Since he was cursed who rebuilt Jerico, much more the man who labors to restore Popery among us. In our fathers’ days the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would rebuild that accursed system upon its old foundation. O Lord, be pleased to thwart their unrighteous endeavors, and pull down every stone, which they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error which may have a tendency to foster the spirit of Popery; and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should seek in every way to oppose its all to rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world.(15) ¨
Footnotes
(1) www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/jubilevents/events_day_pardon
(2) “This infallibility, however, with which the divine redeemer wished to endow his Church in defining doctrine pertaining to faith and morals...the Roman Pontiff...enjoys...when...he proclaims in an absolute decision...For this reason his definitions are rightly said to be irreformable by their very nature...” No. 28, Lumen Gentium, in Vatican Council II The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, Austin Flannery, Ed., 1981 ed. (Northport, NY: Costello Publ. Co., 1975) p. 380.
(3) See Richard Bennett’s analysis, “The Roman Catholic-Lutheran ‘Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification’: A Denial of the Gospel and the Righteousness of Christ”.
(4) Flannery, No. 42, “Reflections and Suggestions Concerning Ecumenical Dialogue”, S.P.U.C., 15 August 1975, p.549.
(5) Ibid., pp. 540-1. Bolding in any quotation indicates emphasis added in this paper.
(6) Ibid., p. 541.
(7) Ibid., p. 545.
(8) 1 Thessalonians 1:1.
(9) Ephesians 4:3.
(10) Ephesians 4:4-6.
(11)Ut Unum Sint, “That They May Be One: On Commitment to Ecumenism”,
John Paul II (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference) Publ.
No. 5-050, Para. 97.
(12)Ibid., Para. 79.
(13) Ibid., Para. 78.
(14) Code of Canon Law, Latin-English Edition (Washington, DC:
Canon Law Society of America, 1983).
(15) Morning and Evening, on Joshua 6:26