Catholic church representatives protest against Protestants

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It seems almost ironic when representatives of the Roman Catholic Church protest against the insights of the (former) Protestants, while directly emphasizing their own developed traditions and deviations from Scripture. Added to this is the exposure of the internally practiced strategy of Hegelian dialectic for the “guidance” of humanity, “mercifully loved” by the Roman Church.

Inconsistent addressing of criticism

Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church repeatedly emphasize that there are approximately 30,000 Protestant denominations outside their institution. Others, however, speak of 25,000. However, the number can range as high as 60,000. It seems as if no one really knows the exact number or whether individual splinter groups are included. The fact is, there are actually several thousand different Protestant or evangelical denominations. Classifying each of these into separate denominations may well be questionable.

However, when representatives of the Roman Catholic Church criticize teachings that deviate from their dogmas, they always speak of the errors of “the Protestants” or “Protestantism.” As if there were only one Protestant movement. On the one hand, this is hair-splitting; on the other, it’s lumping everything together. The Roman Catholic Church is known for defending its dogmas and its unconditionally maintained unity by every conceivable means, even those previously considered impossible.

Cemented over the centuries

At the Council of Trent (1545 to 1563), the clergy of the Roman Church present established some new cornerstones, but above all cemented previous positions within the framework of their own self-created traditions. The findings of the (early) Protestants were branded as errors and, above all, declared heresy. On the day of the 14th session, November 25, 1551, the bishops successively established a total of fifteen points, to which opposition would be punishable by anathema (curse, excommunication).

Ultimately, the Church wants to defend its self-proclaimed precondition for salvation. “No salvation outside the Church,” according to its own slogan. Penance is a “most holy sacrament,” of course, only available through the means established by the Church—that is, through the priest. The still-young Protestant movement had denied this Church the self-image of a “monopoly right,” since such claims are nowhere to be found in the Bible.

Repeatedly affirmed Bible ban

Indeed, Catholic priests had (and still have) little knowledge of the (actual) written word. Only with the translations of the original Hebrew and Greek texts (Masoretic Text and Textus Receptus) into the respective national languages ​​did the study of the written word become possible, its rapid dissemination thanks to the already existing printing press, and the accessibility of the Bible to ordinary people. This was a true disaster for the Church of Rome. This is how the truth came to light, albeit only for a relatively short time..

The Church’s own efforts demonstrate that access to the Bible was permitted only to select clergy. If so, then only in the Latin Vulgate version. In 1199, Pope Innocent III prohibited the possession of the Bible in private gatherings. In 1202, all biblical writings in Romansh and German were to be confiscated. The general ban on reading the Bible for laypeople was pronounced in 1229. Only individual excerpts were permitted, and only in Latin. This was reaffirmed in 1246.

First “translator heretics”

John Wyclif translated the Bible into English and was declared a heretic for this in 1415. This was the same year that the Bohemian Jan Hus was burned alive in Constance during the Council held there. Wyclif could not be captured by the henchmen of the Roman Church, and he died peacefully. Nevertheless, in 1428, the Church of Rome ordered the exhumation of his remains, only to subsequently burn them.

Pope Paul II (1464 to 1471) reaffirmed the ban on Bibles in the respective national languages. The Church of Rome received support in locating forbidden Bibles and in the appropriate treatment of their owners from its Inquisition, which had been raging since 1231. The Spanish Inquisition is still considered particularly brutal today. In addition, neighbors, acquaintances, and relatives were denounced, to whom the Church allocated a (small) portion of the confiscated property of the victim declared a heretic as a commission.

It only started with the Reformation

The final breakthrough in the spread of the Bible came with the Reformation, thanks in part to the pioneering work of Erasmus of Rotterdam. He provided the original Greek text of the New Testament, which Martin Luther used for his translation into German. By 1522, the New Testament was available in German, and the invention of the printing press around 80 years earlier greatly accelerated the spread of Luther’s writings.

The Council of Trent was primarily motivated by the Reformation. It established that only the Latin Vulgate was the valid Bible. This ban on Bible possession, sometimes punishable by death, was no longer feasible. However, to this day, the Catechism, Canon 85, contains the provision that Scripture may be interpreted exclusively by the Church’s teaching authority.

Church of Rome saw monopoly position threatened

For the Roman Catholic Church, the spread of the Bible was a catastrophe. Its idiosyncratic false teachings were exposed, traditions were recognized as purely human, and even worse, its true nature was identified as a continuation of the paganism practiced in ancient Rome (Info). Christianity serves merely as a cover for its devout flock.

What has changed to this day regarding the teachings, prohibitions, traditions, and established punishments of this church? Nothing, absolutely nothing. The only “small” difference is that the execution of its own legislation cannot be carried out due to its lack of power. Not yet. “Only” the merger of church and state, as was once the case until 1798, was still missing.

The course for this goal has never been set any differently, and this goal will clearly soon be achieved. Always operating in the background, the Church of Rome will once again be able to implement its will by having its rulers enshrine their wishes as national laws. Naturally, this will not be within the (obvious) framework of Roman Catholic motives, but rather based on moral necessity and the common good.

Dogmas defended unchanged to this day

Nevertheless, particularly zealous adherents of the Catholic (=non-Christian) faith exude venom and bile when it comes to highlighting (once) Protestant insights. These include, in particular, the various “Sola Theses,” such as Sola Scriptura, Sola Fides, and Sola Gratia (more info).

A debate still rages today about the Sola Theses, which the (former) Protestants base on entirely biblical principles and which the Catholic Church condemns as pure heresy. How could it be otherwise? Sola, meaning “alone,” naturally rigorously excludes the Roman Catholic Church and its self-proclaimed healing function. Whatever comes after “Sola,” for the Church of Rome in question, this is an open attack on its self-proclaimed authority.

Therefore, assurances from staunch supporters of the Roman Church, especially on social media, that the Church itself translated the Bible into various languages ​​and distributed it to the public, appear extremely bizarre.

Catholic Magazine Protests Against Protestants

Sola Fide and Sola Gratia are a denigration of the role of human participation in salvation, according to the Catholic magazine “catholic.com” (Source).

The term Solus Christus rejects the “mediating role of the priesthood and the saints,” and the thesis Soli Deo Gloria diminishes the “teaching of the ancient Church Fathers of apotheosis, according to which man is glorified in and through the grace of Christ,” according to the “protest” of the Catholic author, who not only appears ironic here, but also directly confirms that numerous Catholic dogmas actually state the exact opposite of what the Bible reveals.

Protestantism, according to the Catholic magazine, has made the mistake of moving too far toward heaven. In doing so, it has destroyed the goodness of humanity and creation. Thanks to the “doctrinal authority” of the Catholic Church, it has succeeded in maintaining the balance between heaven and earth.

The Usual Self-Affirmation

Every single argument of this author could be completely dismantled based on Scripture (here). At least what is written all over the Roman Catholic Church’s face is clear: self-glorification.

The doctrine of the “glorification of man,” equated with the “deification” of man, is merely a copy of their self-assessment and, moreover, one of the three lies of the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Info).

Francis’ liberalism leaves its mark

The legacy of Pope Francis is hardly intended, but nevertheless clearly recognizable. He was considered an extremely progressive pontiff who would likely have been considered “left-woke” in the secular sphere. Very liberal and a horror to conservative Catholics. A few heads were also cut off within the Church. But even in this “Church of the World,” the same rules are played that it has imposed on the world. Hegelian dialectics for gathering the masses into specially defined (ideological) camps (Info).

Protestantism has “destroyed the goodness of humanity and creation,” according to the Catholic author. However, the “preservation of creation” was hardly a theme of the Reformation, but only gained special prominence under Pope Francis (encyclical Laudato Si’). The model for this ideology was provided by the monk Francis of Assisi, an outspoken nature lover and idolizer. In 2020, Pope Francis followed up with the “French revolutionary” encyclical Fratelli Tutti and its emphasis on fraternity within a morally sound human family. This will likely stick until the “bitter end.”.

Another Conservative Pope Likely

It’s easy to imagine a future Pope who will once again align himself with conservative Catholicism. After all, the “Beast from the Sea” is also the great role model for the “Beast from the Earth” (Info). In the United States of America, the shift from “woke” to “Christian conservative” has already taken place, although it is not yet complete.

Even a publicly visible “lagging” of the Church of Rome should not obscure the fact that it actually embodies the leading force. The theories emerging on social media that the US is imposing its will on the Vatican are at least astonishing. A classic reversal of reality. Deception and misleading ultimately require the massive use of smokescreens. And in this, the Roman institution is “world-class.”

The Word of God itself describes the state of the retroactively developed traditions and strange teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, even when it claims to hold the monopoly of apostolic succession. Also fitting with the “wave of anathema” at the Council of Trent:

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)