Page 568 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

“As one reads the literature coming out of the renewal, RITUALS] MORE FULLY (The Catholic Gospel, Vol. 14,
it becomes obvious that those who write from within No. 1, p. 4).
the renewal wish to be Catholic and wish to situate the Another example of this was published in an
renewal within the Catholic theological tradition. This interview Light of Life magazine conducted in Bombay,
is an expression, one of many, of the fidelity of the
renewal to the [Catholic] Church” (Ralph Martin, The India. At the time Light of Life was India’s most
Spirit and the Church, 1976, p. 147). influential evangelical magazine. When the “renewed”
“Since I have had this [charismatic] experience, my Catholics were asked if their views of Mary had
allegiance to the Holy Father as the Vicar of Christ in changed, they responded as follows:
the world has been heightened and strengthened. My “Nothing has happened to the great Mother of God.
appreciation for Mary as the co-redemptress and She still remains Queen of heaven and earth,
mediatoress of my salvation has been assured. My respected, loved and venerated. But we have a deeper
appreciation of the mass as the sacrifice of Christ has understanding of her position in regard to God and to
now been heightened” (Cardinal Joseph Suenens, us” (Light of Life, June 1979).
“Charismatic Ecumenism: The Road to Rome,” by My friends, the biblical Mary is NOT the Queen of
Michael McCoskey, The Flaming Torch, April-June Heaven nor is she to be venerated in any sense
1985). whatsoever. “Venerate” is defined as “to solicit the
Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Suenens is accepted goodwill of a god, worship, revere” (Random House
by Charismatic leaders as a genuine Spirit-filled Webster’s College Dictionary). We don’t know what spirit
Christian, but it is obvious that he is not. He bestows is leading these people but it is not the Spirit of Truth.
upon the pope and Mary titles that belong exclusively to In reviewing the early history of the Catholic
the Lord Jesus Christ. He denies the once-for-all eternal Charismatic movement, Kevin Ranaghan says:
sufficiency of the Atonement by claiming that Christ is
sacrificed repeatedly upon Roman Catholic altars. This “What we were experiencing was very Catholic. In
is wickedness and gross apostasy. Yet this same Suenens addition to all the new elements, we were awakened to
the richness of the Mass, the sacraments and a new
has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with key Pentecostal and understanding of the place of Mary and the
Charismatic leaders for decades. In a show of saints” (“Roman Catholics Find Charismatic Movement
ecumenical unity, he stood before the 50,000 gathered Is ‘Very Catholic,’” Charisma, June 1982).
at Kansas City ‘77 with Assemblies of God General This same Ranaghan, who has been a leader in the
Superintendent Thomas Zimmerman, J.O. Patterson of Catholic charismatic renewal for decades, made the
the Church of God in Christ, and Anglican Archbishop following statement in the August 1981 issue of New
Bill Burnett. Pentecostal Vinson Synan has worked Covenant:
closely with Suenens in organizing ecumenical rallies “WE BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
across the United States and in other parts of the world, SUBSISTS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THAT
including England and India. SHE POSSESSES IN UNIQUE FULLNESS BOTH
These Roman Catholic leaders should be rebuked for REVELATION AND THE MEANS OF SALVATION. We
their abominable practices and false doctrines. They are devoted to Scripture, the teaching of the Church,
should be exposed and condemned for leading THE LITURGY AND SACRAMENTS, AND THE
multitudes to eternal hell through their sacramental WISDOM OF OUR SPIRITUAL TRADITION. We
gospel. What does Jesus Christ think of these false recognize that without our continual nourishment as
teachers? His scathing sermon in Matthew 23 to the sons and daughters of the Church throughout her
many channels of grace, we will surely wither away.
tradition-bound Pharisees leaves no question as to what We place our own personal Charismatic experience in
He thinks. Instead of dealing with these wolves in the this context, and IN THE COMPANY OF MARY AND
manner that Christ did, though, the gullible Charismatic THE SAINTS. With them as guides and models, we
crowd treats them as Spirit-filled men of God, just hope to stand as a beacon of truth and love in the
because they claim to have had some charismatic midst of late twentieth century fog and confusion. This
experience and have learned to use evangelical is the scope of our life of faith. To say it encompasses
terminology. This is a great and terrible evil. less would be ecumenically and theologically
The Full Gospel Business Men’s Association published dishonest.”
a booklet entitled Roman Catholics and the Baptism of This man, who is accepted as a genuine Christian by
the Holy Spirit, featuring testimonies of how that priests, ecumenical charismatics and has been a leader in some
nuns, and Catholic laity received the “baptism of the of the largest charismatic congresses, is obviously a
Holy Spirit.” The result? Now THEY ATTEND MASS thorough-going Romanist, steeped in all its unscriptural
MORE REGULARLY, ARE MORE DEVOTED CATHOLICS, dogmas. He also believes God speaks through the
AND APPRECIATE THE LITURGY [ROMAN CATHOLIC papacy:

568 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity