"Because of what is happening at the present day Marian apparitions must be addressed in the light of Biblical truth. This is done proficiently and with sensitivity by Andrew Mayfield in a new article." - Richard Bennett
The Marian Apparitions
Richard Bennett's site:
http://www.bereanbeacon.org/
.
The Marian Apparitions
Are they biblical and should you submit to them?
By Andrew Mayfield
For the nearly 7.5 million Catholics who make pilgrimages annually to the sites of Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, and the Knock Shrine, and the 1.3 billion Catholics around the world, the Marian appearances and messages over the last two hundred years are both very real and absolutely central to their worship in the Roman Catholic religious system.1 There should be little doubt, based on the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ,2 that these apparitions are actually occurring all across the world; the big question we must ask is; do we know their messages and should we heed them?
At the heart of the Roman Catholic system of worship we will find both the Marian apparitions, and the Marian dogmas.3 The Vatican is aggressively pursuing its fifth Marian Dogma as stated in these excerpts from the article “Is the Time Ripe for a 5th Marian Dogma?” by Robert Moynihan. This Dogma moves the church towards solidifying Mary’s role at the very center of their worship and salvation doctrine:
Since the moment on Good Friday… the maternal role of Mary has been a central element of Christian faith and devotion…. The great Marian apparitions, especially at Lourdes in 1858 and at Fatima in 1917, suggest to thoughtful observers of the mystical life that Mary continues to “draw near” to the “little ones,” to children, to encourage them and to share with them a message of maternal comfort and exhortation….
…With a growing movement in the Church in favor of the proclamation of a fifth Marian dogma regarding the role of the Blessed Virgin as the Spiritual Mother of All Humanity.4
…Which will solemnly define Our Lady’s motherly roles as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate.5
In addition to this article, author Dr. Kelly Bowring, a Catholic theologian, and a professor of sacred theology at Southern Catholic College and at St. Mary's College of Ave Maria University, recently wrote the book, “The Secrets, Chastisement, and Triumph of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary.” This book has been granted the imprimatur (from Latin, “let it be printed”), which is an official declaration from the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church stating that a literary or similar work is free from error in matters of Roman Catholic doctrine, and hence acceptable reading for faithful Roman Catholics.
As you can see from this excerpt, not only does the church believe these apparitions are worthy of belief, but that Catholics should believe them blindly, without question, and without concern for the spirit that is behind the messages. The church calls the Catholic to simply believe these messages, just in case they might be true, and to take the desperate actions she calls them to take.
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1 http://www.nawas.com/catholic/marian-pilgrimages.htm
2 Mark 13:22
3 Is the Time Ripe for a 5th Marian Dogma? http://www.zenit.org/article-28508?l=english
4 Is the Time Ripe for a 5th Marian Dogma? http://www.zenit.org/article-28508?l=english
5 http://www.fifthmariandogma.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=251
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Pope Urban VIII also gave sound advice about following reported, reliable heavenly apparitions, saying:
“In cases like this, it is better to believe than not to believe, for, if you believe, and it is proven true, you will be happy that you have believed, because our Holy Mother asked it. If you believe, and it should be proven false, you will receive all blessing as if it had been true, because you believed it to be true.”6
You will see numerous times throughout this report how this statement from the Roman Catholic Church is in direct contradiction to the very commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus teaches us clearly in the Gospel of John, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”7 If this is true of you, if you love Jesus, it is extremely important that you hear the warnings that He gives us through His word.
This obedience, more than anything else, will help us challenge our traditions, and focus on the word that God has revealed to us. In this very specific example, look at how Jesus responds to this woman who attempts to elevate His true mother Mary of the Bible, “And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”8 The specific reason for this command is so that we may know truth, and not be deceived. Why is this so important? In this crystal clear admonition, we are instructed by the Apostle John, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”9 And what is it that we are called to test? We must test whether these spirits are the work of the one true God, or the activity of Satan—with all power and false signs and wonders? 10
You will see numerous warnings throughout Scripture regarding this matter. We would like to draw your attention to two in particular. The first warning is from the Apostle Paul,
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which
hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." 11
And one of the strongest warnings in all of Scripture regarding the issue of adding revelation and prophecy to the Bible is in the very last book, of the very last chapter, of the very last paragraph of the Lord’s final revelation to us, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man take away from the words of the book
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6 MEDJUGORJE NEWS – Issue 25 – March, The Secrets, Chastisement, and Triumph Of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Page 9 - Two Hearts Press, LLC – author Kelly Bowring)
7 John 14:23-24
8 Luke 11:27-28
9 1John 4:1
10 2 Thessalonians 2:9a
11 1 Timothy 4:1-3
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of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”12
With these stern warnings presented clearly to you, we want to reveal to you a series of sharp contrasts that exist between the ongoing Marian prophecies and the Catholic Church, and the very words of God Himself through Scripture.
The claim that it is Only through Mary that the World can be Saved
It is advocated, that through the Roman Catholic Church, we must all worship Mary so she will save the world and the church through devout people. As you read these prophecies of Mary, we want the reader to know these clear statements given through Scripture regarding the Lord Jesus Christ by the Apostles Paul, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: … And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”13 In stark contrast to His preeminence, here is what the church states regarding Mary and her preeminence, and the implied insufficiency of Christ the Lord:
The heart of Mary is the door that leads us directly to Jesus. She is the gate through which we enter His sacred Heart. Each ‘Hail Mary’ we pray opens our heart to His love and leads us into a deeper union with the Eucharistic heart of Jesus.14
Mary has come as the prophetess of our times to call her children to faithfulness
and to prepare us for what is to come. ....But you are needed now to help make this happen. We are being called to help Mary to avert the times of upheaval.15
God is giving two last remedies to the world, these are the Holy Rosary and the Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary…the two means to save the world are prayer and sacrifice…. Finally, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Most Holy Mother consists in considering her as the seat of mercy, of goodness of pardon and of the certain door by which we are to enter Heaven. …Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her.16
Help me save those who will not save themselves…there must be much more good than evil prevailing in order to prevent the holocaust that is so near approaching.17
“One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the World.”18
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12 Revelation 22:18-21
13 Colossians 2:8-10,15
14 From the book Rosary Meditations: Loving Jesus with the Heart of Mary (Emphasis added) http://www.medinasoft.com/kofc5357/Newsletters/2008/December/Mary1.pdf
15 The Secrets, op. cit., p. 57
16 Sr. Lucia of Fatima (http://www.theimmaculateheart.com/)
17 Our Lady of America (http://www.ourladyofamerica.org/pdf/OLOA_Messages_Internet.pdf)
18 Saint Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1208 when she appeared to him (http://www.prayrosary.com/rosaryscapular/history.php3)
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The Clear Preeminence of Christ, and Christ Alone, found in Scripture
In stark contrast to this Mary’s power and offering of peace and salvation through sacrifice, the Lord God reveals through Scripture the clear preeminence of Christ, and Christ alone—authenticated only by the Father. Thus the following Scripture texts:
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.19
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.20
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.21
It is extraordinary to see both the clarity and the boldness in which the Roman Catholic Church teaches and commands her faithful to blindly believe these teachings and apparitions regardless of how directly opposed they are to the very word of God regarding the absolute sufficiency and preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the teachings go well beyond these statements. The prophetess tells her flock that she will give signs and miracles to affirm her role in the redemption of man and the church.
Thus, the Roman Catholic Church claims that Mary will reveal signs and wonders for the whole world to see, so they will submit to her. For example:
You will see very soon the extraordinary signs which I will give, in order that you may prepare yourselves for the very great miracle which is at this time about to be accomplished. …Today I am being sent by God to open this book, in order that the secrets may be revealed to you.22
First, a World-wide Warning that will happen in the sky…like the collision of two stars that do not fall down…. It will be recognized as a coming from God…. What makes the warning prophesied unique…it will occur in our lifetime, and soon.… A miracle is to occur in Garabandal within 12 months after the warning…. It will be on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (lasting 15 minutes) coinciding with a happy event in the Church… The sick will be cured…the unbelievers will be converted….thus it will occur during the papal reign of Benedict XVI…. A permanent sign will remain at Garabandal in memory of the miracle as visible proof of our Blessed Mother’s love of all of humanity.23
With these signs and wonders, it begs the question: What is she calling her faithful to do? The answer to this is probably the most alarming reality of all her messages. From what you will see,
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19 Philippians 2:9-11
20 John 14:6
21 Acts 4:12
22 Apparitions of Jesus and Mary, Garabandal, Spain (http://www.futurerevealed.com/christian/Catholic/aparitions-garabandal.html), (http://www.garabandal.org/warning.shtml, http://www.garabandal.org/miracle.shtml)
23 Apparitions of Jesus and Mary, Garabandal, Spain (http://www.futurerevealed.com/christian/Catholic/aparitions-garabandal.html), (http://www.garabandal.org/warning.shtml, http://www.garabandal.org/miracle.shtml)
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she is preparing her faithful church to blindly heed her call into her next Holy War. In this Holy War, she calls her faithful Catholics to become “victim souls” and to sacrifice their lives—and all they possess—in order to eliminate from the earth all Muslims, bad Christians, and heathens who do not bow down to Mary and convert to the Catholic faith. But before you read them, we would like you to read this statement from the Popes permanent observer Archbishop Silvano Tomasi dated March 30, 2010 regarding the inciting of hatred of other religions:
The archbishop also recalled the importance of the media and education, avoiding, for example, textbooks “that support fundamentalist positions or incite hatred of other religions.”
As you will see, the irony of this is simply immense given the fact that the Roman Catholic Church, and their Mary are calling their faithful to a “Holy War”, destroying the Muslims, bad Christians and heretics, and to die if necessary. Here are several texts proving this astonishing claim:
‘…the holy Cross-bearers of Jesus Christ’, with whom he shall destroy the Mahometan sect and the rest of the infidels (in a war of self defense and with the Gospel of love). He shall annihilate all the heresies and tyrannies of the world…. not succeeding in converting the heretics’ with science, shall have to make vigorous use of their arms…. After this they shall turn their victorious arms against the bad Christians, and destroy all the rebels against Jesus Christ…. In the whole earth there shall be only twelve kings, one emperor, one Pope. Rich shall be few, but all saints.24
In the struggle to which I am calling you…you are being especially helped and defended by the angels of light. I am the Queen of Angels. …you must let yourselves come docilely by them…this is why I call on you to entrust yourselves more and more to the angels of the Lord. Have an affectionate intimacy with them because they are closer to you than your loved ones.... …we give her all we possess in both our natural life and our spiritual life as well as everything we shall acquire…this we do without any reservation...not even a penny, a hair, or the smallest good deed…both individuals and nations are called to be consecrated to Mary…. She says: “I want to save you, and through you, save the whole world.”25
The great Saints…shall be singularly devoted to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light...led by her spirit...they shall fight…they shall draw the whole world to a true devotion of Mary…. It is through Mary that the salvation of the world was begun, and it is through Mary that it must be consummated…. [Satan] fears her, not only more than all angels and men, but in a sense more than God Himself…. These holy persons will consecrate themselves entirely to her service as subjects of love…she says: “Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.”26
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24 St Francis of Paola 1416-1507 http://www.essan.org/Prophecy/Catholic%20Prophecy/st%20francis%20of%20paola.htm, http://www.medjugorjeusa.org/sudac.htm
25 The Secrets, op. cit., p. 180-194 - Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Louis de Montfort, The Marian Movement of Priest’s and Laity (http://www.ewtn.com/library/montfort/truedevo.htm, http://www.mmp-usa.net/commit_clergy_2.html, http://www.mmp-usa.net/commit_laity.html)
26 Ibid., p. 196-197 - True devotion to Mary, #47-59
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I have need of souls and of priests who serve me by sacrificing themselves for me and for souls.27
Mary is calling together an army of victim souls, all of whom are her handmaids with spiritual littleness – ready to serve her in any way possible. Our Lady is asking us to offer our lives in reparation not only for our own sins, but also for the sins of others, to suffer without complaint as victims love.28
I need souls who, by their sufferings, trials and sacrifices, make amends for sinners and for their ingratitude…. If He wants anything else, I am ready. One thing alone is enough for me; to be his victim, in order to atone for my innumerable sins, and if possible, for those of the whole world.29
Now is the time for victim souls to offer their lives as a sacrifice of love to save humanity.30
In the vision of Fatima an angel above the earth is attempting to set it afire with a flaming sword of God’s just wrath and judgment. But then the Virgin Mary intervenes, holding out her right hand to stop him…the pope and the others with him do penance…by the Blessed Mother’s intervention and by their sacrifices, humanity is restored to life…at the end of the first vision, a remnant of faithful believers together with our Lady and the Pope, brings humanity back to life by their sacrifices; the new era of peace begins….31
Our Lady is calling us….called to a red martyrdom of physical suffering and possibly death for the truth of Christ….32
What You must Hear and See from All of These Messages
It is staggering to see how Satan is using this prophetess, called Mary, of the Roman Catholic Church to be his mouthpiece of deception, claiming that Satan fears her more than God Himself. The church worships and exalts her equal, or greater than God, places her between man and Christ, looks to her for salvation and power, commends all her flock to her, and submits to her as little children simply saying yes, no matter what the cost, even death. They even claim that our Lord will once again be crucified and sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins, consistent with their catechism. All of which reveals a complete and utter unbelief in the sufficiency and finality of the Lords cross and His preeminence. Thus the claimed words of Christ to a U.S. visionary,
“The Divine Majesty is standing alone in anticipation of the glorification of My Passion.
By that, I mean that very soon the whole human race will witness My Crucifixion once again.
At that time, everyone will understand the great offense My Father suffered.”33
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27 Our Lady of Fatima (http://www.fatima.org/essentials/message/msgtohier.asp)
28 The Secrets, op. cit, p. 238)
29 St. Gemma (http://www.stgemmagalgani.com/2009/07/co-redeemers-with-christ-victim-souls.html)
30 Ibid., p. 243)
31 Ibid., p. 253-257.
32 Ibid., p. 263.
33 Christ Child, to anonymous U.S. visionary, c. 1991-1992
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And their Catechism regarding the ongoing sacrifice of their Mass,
1414 As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living
and the dead and to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God.34
The reason this catechism and statement of the apparition of Mary are such an affront to the Gospel of Christ is that they portray Christ’s sufferings as the cause of our separation from God when in fact Christ’s sufferings are the cause of our reconciliation. As it is clearly written in Scripture, God contemplated Christ’s sufferings and was satisfied: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”35
Again and again the Bible teaches us that the sufferings of Christ removed the offense that separated us from God, i.e., the repeatedly clear and truth of Scripture and the Lord’s “once for all” sacrifice. Notwithstanding, the apparition of Mary and the catechism say exactly the opposite, stating clearly that their faithful must sacrifice all to save lives and to atone for sin. Look closely at the contrast of Scripture, “Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”36
The apparitions of Mary preach a message that is always the same. Consider a most popular site of the apparitions—Fátima, in Portugal. In 1917, the apparition of Mary at Fátima stated that the children there needed to increase the level of their sacrifices because, “…many souls go to hell because they have no one to sacrifice and pray for them.”37 Again, this message stands in direct contradiction to the teaching of Scripture, which plainly states that Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross was the first, last, and only meritorious sacrifice for the remission of sins. Through His all-sufficient offering on the cross, Christ “by Himself purged our sins” and “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”38
The Scriptures have given us clear and specific guidance. The Lord tells the woman at the well, “You worship what you do not know….”39 Should we not ask ourselves; do we know what we worship? Do we know what we have conditioned our children, and their children, to worship and devote their lives to, and the consequences of that devotion according to God?40 Mary refers to herself as the “Queen of Angels” and tells you that you are being led and defended by her “angels of light”, but the Apostle Paul warns us, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”41 She also tells us that we should listen to them because
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34 Roman Catholic Catechism 1414
35 Isaiah 53:11
36 Hebrews 9:25-28
37 www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_p.../hf_jp-ii_hom_20000513_beatification-fatima_en.htm 6/1/00.
38 Hebrews 1:3
39 John 4:22a
40 Jeremiah 44:7, 24-29 regarding the idolatrous worship of the queen of heaven and the consequences from God
41 2 Corinthians 11:13-14
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they love you,42 but the Apostle John teaches us, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God…”43 How much more clearly and directly can we be commanded through the all sufficient and necessary word of God.44
We are not to expect that Satan will appear to people to be as bad as he is. He never shows himself openly to be a spirit of pure wickedness and abominable in his character. He would thus defeat himself. It is for this reason that some do not believe that there is such a being as Satan. Though continually under his influence, and led captive by him at his will, yet they neither see him nor the dangers, which mislead them. Given what is exposed in the following paragraphs, we ask you again: Is this who you will trust and submit your eternal lives to? Are you being misled?
Rome’s Claim to Authority and Responsibility over You, while they Deny Their Responsibility over Themselves
With respect the Catholic Church and the alleged messages of Mary emphasizing protecting and saving the world, particularly innocent children, we must see the real facts of what is happening throughout the entire world. Specifically where the church has had the responsibility, trust and control over the most innocent and undefended, our children! Please look at these statements posted in the St. Louis Today and the San Diego Online:
Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church,
according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit.
The internal correspondence from bishops in Wisconsin directly to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, shows that while church officials tussled over whether the Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy should be dismissed, their highest priority was protecting the church from scandal.
In 1996, Ratzinger failed to respond to two letters about the case
from Rembert G. Weakland, Milwaukee's archbishop at the time.45
“These documents confirm that the CDF, under Pope Benedict XVI's lead, discouraged prosecution of accused clergy and encouraged secrecy to protect the reputation of the church,” wrote McMurry, who represented 243 sex abuse victims that settled with the
Archdiocese of Louisville in 2003 for $25.3 million.46
In all of this tragedy, deception and lies, one question persists: Is the Roman Catholic System responsible for such horrific offenses to the most innocent of God’s creation? And will they
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42 The Secrets, op. cit., p. 180-194 - Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Louis de Montfort, The Marian Movement of Priest’s and Laity (http://www.ewtn.com/library/montfort/truedevo.htm, http://www.mmp-usa.net/commit_clergy_2.html, http://www.mmp-usa.net/commit_laity.html)
43 1 John 4:1-2
44 2 Timothy 3:16-17
45 St. Louis Today online http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/1A2FD98B66EE30CC862576F20013EAF1?OpenDocument
46 http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/30/vatican-offers-3-reasons-its-not-liable-for-abuse/
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claim all the tragedies that will flow from their faithful responding to the “Holy War” call of their prophetess Mary? Let us look closely at exactly what the Roman Catholic Church states in their catechism. It is essential that we look literally at what the Roman Catholic Church claims as authority and responsibility over the whole church. Please look carefully at these words, and then read the full Catechism for yourself, “For the Roman Pontiff… has full, supreme, and universal power …a power which he can always exercise unhindered." “…body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff,” …”this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff.” "…must be adhered to with the obedience of faith." ”… The Roman Pontiff…enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office ….”47
Amazingly, it is the very self proclaimed infallible authority of this man who calls himself the “supreme authority” and that makes him, and his entire system, responsible and culpable “in all matters pertaining to faith and morals” of which “all members are subject to him.” This clearly includes the priests that delivered these atrocities, the leadership that suppressed these horrific truths, and the children who were so viciously violated. But time and time again, even as you read this report, the Vatican categorically denies both the church and the pope’s responsibility in these matters of the most extreme importance and seriousness, just as they will likely do with any future offenses and tragedies that they call their faithful to submit to, especially a Holy War. To give witness to this, please look at the following statement made by the pope himself regarding the public’s view of his responsibility in this scandal:
At the Palm Sunday service, Pope Benedict, 82, did not directly mention the wider scandal - involving the abuse of children by priests in several countries.
But he told the tens of thousands of people gathered to hear him that God helped lead “towards the courage of not allowing oneself to be intimidated by the petty gossip of dominant opinion”.48
So we ask again: Do you know what you worship? Do you know what authority it is that you submit your present and eternal life, and the eternal life of your very own children to? Is this the shepherd in John 10 who leads his sheep faithfully; or is it the hireling who sees the wolf coming and flees? 49
In closing, we leave you with the true definition of hypocrisy; a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. The New Testament meaning of “hypocrisy” and “hypocrite” reflects its use in Greek drama. In the Greek theater, a hypocrite was one who wore a mask and played a part on the stage, imitating the speech, mannerisms, and conduct of the character portrayed. Or consider one of the clearest illustrations in all of the bible, spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ to the religious authority of His time, an illustration which is perfectly relevant to this religious leadership in our times as well, “…hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”50
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47 Extracts drawn from Catechism 882, 883, 891, 2050, 2089
48 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8592111.stm
49 John 10: 1-18 – My sheep hear my voice
50 Matthew 23:27
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So, we beg you to heed these final, clear, and precise warnings from the very mouth of God through the Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles regarding the times, the religious authorities, and the spirits who moved them—authorities and spirits who are still clearly at work amongst us today. These Marian apparitions, and the Roman Catholic Church, are producing many signs and lying wonders51…see the fruit they bear and ask yourself, “How can they lead me to the one true God?”
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.52
We pray that you may hear His voice, for His sheep hear His voice and listen to no one else, that you may look to Him and Him alone, that you may see the ongoing deceitfulness of the Catholic false sacrifice of Christ, and the worship and submission of their prophetess called Mary. Clearly the Marian apparitions contradict the message of the Cross and, indeed, deny its efficacy. The visions of Mary have shown contempt for the sanctity and purpose of the cross of Christ. They lie about their identity falsely saying it is Mary, and lie about their origins saying it is from heaven.
Humanity’s greatest problem is that we have offended the Lord God, the all Holy One. His holiness is the distinguishing factor in all His essential characteristics. This is the reason why we need to be in right standing before the one and only, all-Holy God on the terms He prescribes. Our evil thoughts, deeds, and character have made us enemies of Him. We have a spiritual debt of infinite proportions that we are unable to repay. Even our good deeds are as filthy rags before the holy God due to our innate rebellion toward Him. The good news, however, is that by His grace we can turn to Him in faith alone for the salvation that He alone gives, by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, based on Christ’s death and resurrection for His own, and believe on Him alone. As the Scripture states, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”53
It is with our deepest and most personal prayers and plea’s that you hear this warning, recognize what you worship, and flee from the coming judgment of which there is no excuse. How can a holy, righteous and just God tell His creation that they are without excuse?54 The Lord tells us clearly, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear”.55 And in His gracious response to this condition, He provides His answer, “He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it
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51 2 Thessalonians 2:9
52 Matthew 7:15-20
53 Ephesians 2:8,9
54 Romans 1:20
55 Isaiah 59:2
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sustained Him.”56 And our response, which He calls us to without excuse, “…as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”57 Praise be to this amazing Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
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56 Isaiah 59:16
57 2 Corinthians 5:20b-21
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Because of the many footnotes, I decided to keep the pages as they appeared in the original link to be found on http://www.bereanbeacon.org/
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