Page 559 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

7. The detailed, private confessions demanded by the 9. Jesus forbade His followers to address religious
Catholic Church are degrading and unholy. Former men by the title of “father” (Mt. 23:9). How blatantly
Catholic priests have documented the degradations of the Roman Church ignores such plain Bible instruction!
the Roman confessional. Priests are instructed to ask Those who address men with titles such as father, lord,
questions of the most personal nature. Many have been or Melchizedek—names which belong solely to God the
led into immorality through this ungodly practice. Father and the Lord Jesus Christ—commit blasphemy.
Consider the following testimony by a former priest: The term “father” has only three correct usages among
When the Council of Lateran decided that every adult, Christians, according to the Bible: (1) Father can be
of either sex, should confess all their sins to a priest, at used to refer to God (Mt. 6:9; 1 Jn. 2:2). (2) Father can
least once a year, there were no exceptions made for be used to refer to one’s own parent or human ancestors
any special class of sins, not even for those committed (Ep. 6:2-4; Ga. 1:14). (3) Father can be used to refer to
against modesty or purity. And when the Council of the person instrumental in one’s conversion (1 Co.
Trent ratified or renewed the previous decision, no 4:15). The Lord Jesus Christ very specifically forbade us
exception was made, either, of the sins in question. to use the term “father” as a title for religious leaders,
They were expected and ordered to be confessed, as all and it is not once so used in the writings of the apostles.
other sins, without any exception. It is imperative,
absolute; and every good Catholic, man or woman, [See Clergy, Father, Fault, Priest, Reverend, Sin.]
must submit to it by confessing all his or her sins, at Error # 6—The Sacraments
least once a year.... The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Jesus
Therefore, the young and timid girl, the chaste and purchased salvation and spiritual blessing and has given
modest woman, must think of shameful deeds and fill these to the Church for distribution to men through the
their minds with impure ideas, in order to confess to sacraments. As men take part in these rituals, they
an unmarried man whatever they may be guilty of, allegedly receive salvation, blessing, and spiritual
however repugnant may be to them such confession, or strength. This is stated in the words of Catholic
dangerous to the priest who is bound to hear and even
demand it. No one is exempt from the loathsome, and theologians as follows:
often polluting task. Both priest and penitent are “The Church is primarily an institution for
required and compelled to go through the fiery ordeal salvation” (Karl Adam, One and Holy, p. 90).
of contamination and shame. They are bound, on every “A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to
particular, the one to ask, the other to answer, under give grace. The sacraments receive their power to give
penalty of eternal damnation. grace from God, through the merits of Jesus Christ.
I do not exaggerate when I say, that for many noble- The sacraments give sanctifying grace. Each of the
hearted, well-educated, high-minded women, to be sacraments also gives a special grace. ... The
forced to unveil their hearts before the eyes of a man, sacraments always give grace if we receive them with
to open to him all the most secret recesses of their the right dispositions. Baptism and Penance are called
souls, all the most sacred mysteries of their single or sacraments of the dead because their chief purpose is
married life, to allow him to put to them questions to give the supernatural life of sanctifying grace to
which the most depraved woman would never consent souls spiritually dead through sin” (L.G. Lovasik, The
to hear from her vilest seducer, is often more horrible Eucharist in Catholic Life, pp. 11, 12).
and intolerable than to be tied on burning coals. More Rome teaches that men must exercise faith as the
than once, I have seen women fainting in the sacraments are observed, but it also teaches that faith in
confessional box, who told me afterwards, that the Christ is not sufficient apart from the sacraments.
necessity of speaking to an unmarried man on certain Rome’s gospel is that of faith PLUS works, rather than
things, on which the most common laws of decency the true gospel of faith THEN works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
ought to have for ever sealed their lips, had almost
killed them! (Charles Chiniquy, The Priest, the Woman, The Seven Roman Catholic Sacraments
and the Confessional, pp. 119,120). Baptism: The Catholic Church performs infant
8. Christ’s remarks about remitting sins were directed baptism for children born into Catholic families and
to all the disciples, not just to the apostles (Jn. adult baptism for those who approach the church later
20:22-23). We read in verse 19 of John 20 that Jesus in life. Sometimes the ceremony is accomplished by
had appeared in a room in which all the disciples had sprinkling; sometimes by pouring; rarely by immersion.
gathered; thus the privilege of remitting sins and Water baptism is thought to result in the new birth,
retaining sins is for all Christians, not just for supposed washing of original sin, and baptism into Christ’s body.
apostolic successors. John 20:23 refers to the power of “By the sacrament of Baptism, whenever it is properly
the gospel to bring salvation, to bless and to curse. conferred in the way the Lord determined and received
Compare 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. It was spoken in the with the proper dispositions of soul, man becomes
context of the Great Commission (Jn. 20:21). truly incorporated into the crucified and glorified
Christ and is reborn to a sharing of the divine

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 559