Thursday, May 31, 2012

Helpful Articles and Useful Links...

Frequently-Referred-to online Bibles:

King James Version Pure Cambridge Edition (a "KJV-only" site, but the layout of the books is handy for searching)
http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/thebible.htm

Parallel New Testament, 15 versions
http://greeknewtestament.com/

Parallel Old Testament, 12 versions
http://www.hebrewoldtestament.com/

Parallel Bible, Greek-English (Knox)-Latin (Vulgate)
http://www.newadvent.org/bible/gen001.htm

Greek New Testament, provides pronunciation and definitions
http://www.greekbible.com/index.php


Bible Studies:

Covenant Love: Introducing the Biblical Worldview
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/covenant_love

Genesis to Jesus, A Journey Through Scripture
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/genesis_to_jesus_a_journey_through_scripture

The Lamb's Supper: The Bible and the Mass
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/the_lambs_supper_the_bible_and_the_mass

The Kingdom of God in Scripture
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/he_must_reign_the_kingdom_of_god_in_scripture

Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/holy_queen_the_mother_of_god_in_the_word_of_god

Reading the Old Testament in the New
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/reading_the_old_testament_in_the_new_the_gospel_of_matthew



Papacy:

The Authority of the First Popes


Other:

Catholic Evidence Training Outline: Though over 80 years old, this document provides some of the best summations of the veracity of Catholic doctrines. It includes information on how to preach on the street corner to generic crowds (not my cup of tea, but may be yours), and has extensive references for study.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/answers/cathevid.htm

The Vatican Library:
http://www.vatlib.it/home.php?ling=eng&res=1440x900

Online Catholic Encyclopedia:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/

Library of Church Documents:
http://www.newadvent.org/library/index.html

Works of the Church Fathers:
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/


Answering Common Objections to Catholicism (Papacy,Purgatory,Mary,Saints,Eucharist):
http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~vgg/rc/aplgtc/hahn/m4/pp.html

Sacraments:
http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~vgg/rc/aplgtc/hahn/m5/Mod5.html

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

"Quotes" of the Popes: Their Context and Legitimacy

Here's my take on some "papal" quotes which seem to shine negative light on the office of the papacy. I've found that there are categories by which anti-Catholics contend with the Papacy or Catholic doctrines or why the quote is wrong or misleading:
1) Biblical Exegesis: They just disagree in it.
2) Context: Failure to consider the full context in terms of the times and places and events surrounding a given quote, and the quote's context within the document, can lead to misinterpretation. (Just as in Scripture).
3) Some are not historically substantiated. They usually have no reference besides a name and maybe dates of office. These can be traced back to some literary work condemning RCC and that work doesn't have source document references. (ie  Louis Marie DeCormenin, Loraine Boettner, Dave Hunt). So, if a quote has no documentary reference it is a gratuitous assertion and therefore can be equally as gratuitously denied authenticity.

I've researched only via internet (out-of-copyright books can be found at openlibrary.org and archive.org ). As such, I could be missing some information. I am open to being referred to print-only documentation, if someone wishes to enlighten me. Loraine Boettner's Roman Catholicism, David Hunt's A Woman Rides the Beast, and Hislop's The Two Babylons, are common sources for many anti-Catholics.  Hislop's, especially, being a couple centuries old, seems to be a prime source.

Here's some quotes I have had presented to me to demonstrate the purported un-Biblical nature of Catholicism:

(NOTE: among the anti-catholic vocalists, there's a heck of a lot of plagiarizing. Often, you'll never find the originating source of a given quote, only finding it in anti-catholic writings. Who's copying whom? I dunno... but you'll often be googling yourself in circles if you actually research their quotes and assertions...)

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Catholic Canon Law Says Catholics Can Kill Protestants

This page pretends to be quoting Canon Law in listing 4 steps used in the purging of Heretics, yet without providing any references. A little googling reveals his source... a 1854 work by the Church of England Young Men's Society. http://books.google.com/books?id=3qYCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=IV.+The+last+punishment+is+death+sometimes+by+the+sword,--more+commonly+by+fire.&source=bl&ots=0k8cVOutVT&sig=ELwCE9FlMb3aR482UBlpAwvR7fc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=O2NyVMnUBsebNtTfgaAJ&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=IV.%20The%20last%20punishment%20is%20death%20sometimes%20by%20the%20sword%2C--more%20commonly%20by%20fire.&f=false
But that work doesn't provide any actual Canon Law reference either, just saying "this is the canon law of Rome".

Continued googling reveals an earlier book, 1851, The Papacy; Its History, Dogmas, Genius, and Prospects by a Rev. JA Wylie (protestant) which features the same 4 items.  The reference says
"The above Decretals respecting heresy are quoted from the Jus Canonrcuu Digestum et Enucleatum juxta Ordinem Librorum et Titulorum qui in Decretalibus Epistolis Gregor ii IX PM Georgii Adami Struvi pp 359 363 Lipsiae et Jenae 1688
Quinta Compilatio Epistolarum Decretalium Honorii III PM Innocentii Cironii Juris Utriusque Professoris Canonici ac Ecclesiw et Acudcmhe Tolosanm Cancellarii Comp v tit iv cup ip 200 Tolosa 1645"

I'm looking for an English version of those documents...

Here's the Latin Decretals of Gregory IX.

Here's the Catholic encyclopedia on the Body of Canon Law, of which Gregory IX's decretals are an integral part.

Here's a quote which is accredited to Pope Honorius...
"And all heretics, of both sexes and of every name, we damn [I thought that God does this] to perpetual infamy; we declare hostility against them; we account them accursed, and their goods confiscated; nor can they ever enjoy their property, or their children succeed to their inheritance [punishing the children!]; inasmuch as they grievously offend against the Eternal as well as the temporal king [the pope]."
source: Quinta Compilatio Epistolarum Decretalium Honorii III. P.M. Innocentii Cironii, Juris Utriusque Professoris, Canonici ac Ecclesiae, et Academae Tolosannae Cancellarii, Comp. v. tit. iv. cap. i. p. 200; Tolosae, 1645."

Here's the original of the source referenced.

I google-translated phrases from that quote into Latin and searched the referenced document but that quote is not in there. For example, searching for "haereticos" (heretics) turned up two instances, but not in a use like the above "quote".

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"It is the office of the Papacy to tread under foot kings and emperors." J.H. Ignaz Dollinger, in The Pope and the Council, (London), page 35

In his later years, Dollinger was no friend of the RCC. So, his opinion has no
bearing on official policies/practices/doctrines of the RCC. It's just one man's anti-papist
opinion.

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"Fear, then, our wrath and the thunders of our vengeance; for Jesus Christ has appointed us [the popes] with his own mouth absolute judges of all men; and kings themselves are submitted to our authority." Pope Nicholas I (858-867 AD)

I could not confirm the legitimacy of this quote. The oldest document I found
this in is A complete history of the popes of Rome By Louis Marie DeCormenin.
It's an anti-Catholic production from 1857. I found no references for the pericope from which this quote comes.

http://www.archive.org/stream/acompletehistor00decogoog#page/n2/mode/2up

But, let's just assume it's authentic. If the popes are indeed successors of Peter and if Peter was indeed appointed King Jesus' vicar on earth, then this quote would be perfectly in line with reality. Popes, then, can judge or detect whether any given man is likely saved or not, by that man's words and deeds. And kings who are Catholic should be obedient to the pope in the same way all other believers should be.

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 "No, the [Catholic] Church will not descend into the tomb. It will survive the Empire . . . At length a second empire will arise, and of this empire the Pope will be the master--more then this, he will be the master of Europe. He will dictate his orders to kings who will obey them"--Andrea Lagarde, The Latin Church in the Middle Ages, 1915, p. vi.

http://www.archive.org/stream/thelatinchurchi200lagauoft#page/n5/mode/2up

The name should be Andre, not Andrea. This quote is from the preface summarizing the temporal rise of power of the RCC, filling the leadership void left by the fallen Roman Empire. European Medieval culture was a fusion of Church and State. It was a Christian society (hence the term Christendom, and the only Christian church at the time was the Catholic Church, headed by the Bishop of Rome), and the Church was a prime influence over Kings because they were Catholic men. It's a natural consequence of Jesus founding a Church (with a visible hierarchical structure) and it's participation in the unfolding events of history.

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"But Constitutions can be changed, and non-Catholic sects may decline to such a point that the political proscription [ban] of them may become feasible and expedient. What protection would they have against a Catholic state?" -The State and the Church, pp.38,39, by Miller and Ryan, imprimatur of Cardinal Hayes.

http://www.archive.org/stream/statechurch00ryan#page/n5/mode/2up

Another name misspelled, Miller should be Millar. Anyway, this quote doesn't imply that the RCC plans on taking over the world, by changing our Constitution to outlaw all religions but Catholicism. Read the section where this quote is found. It's not talking about the RCC juggernaut domineering a society, it's saying that in a society featuring constitution-assured religious liberty, that constitution can be changed. And if Catholicism were to become the nearly only faith system in that society (ie if most every citizen were to convert to Catholicism), it might make sense to pass rules regulating non-Catholic practices. It goes on to say that this is such a remote probability that no sensible man will worry about it. Read more of the document.

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[Catholics] must penetrate wherever possible in the administration of civil affairs... all Catholics should do all in their power to cause the constitution of states, and legislation to be modelled on the principles of the true Church." -Encyclical of Leo XIII.

This is just a good idea. All Christians should make Catholic principles the guide of their social interactions and behavior. It means: Love God and love your neighbor. It implies all humans are equal, in the eyes of God, vested with certain inalienable, God-given, natural rights: life, liberty, ownership of property. It implies we should vote for political candidates who are Pro-Life, we are duty-bound to NOT vote for Pro-Choice candidates, and we should strive to amend the Constitution to protect the unborn.

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superior papal authority and dominion is derived from the law of the Caesars." Lucius Ferraris, in "Prompta Bibliotheca Canonica, Juridica, Moralis, Theologica, Ascetica, Polemica, Rubristica, Historica", Volume V, article on "Papa, Article II", titled "Concerning the extent of Papal dignity, authority, or dominion and infallibility", #19, published in Petit-Montrouge (Paris) by J. P. Migne, 1858 edition.

So far, have not found online English version, so I can't know the context here.
It probably comments on how it was the RCC that filled the leadership void left by the fallen Roman Empire.
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The appellation of God had been confirmed by Constantine on the Pope, who being God, cannot be judged by man." Pope Nicholas I, quoted in History of the Councils, vol. IX, Dist.: 96, Can 7, "Satis Evidentur Decret Gratian Primer Para", by Labbe and Cossart.    
  
Haven't found this work online, so I can't know the context here, or even veracity of the translation from Latin. 

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"Long ages ago, when Rome through the neglect of the Western emperors was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes, the Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection, and asked him to rule them; and thus commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the vicar of Christ took up the scepter to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages."--American Catholic Quarterly Review, April, 1911.

This is just saying how the power vacuum left by the defunct Roman Empire was filled by the only society capable to do so, the RCC. 

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"Out of the ruins of political Rome, arose the great moral Empire in the 'giant form' of the Roman Church."--A.C. Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, 1909, p. 150.

ditto.

Quotes relating to Papal ruling power are intended to show the supposed authoritarian and arrogant attitude of the Papacy.  However, the context is usually lost when isolating a quote (especially when the quote is unsubstantiated or just fabricated). Papal power in temporal matters is limited but in eccliastical matters he exercises the authority and power of Christ bestowed on the office by Jesus Himself.
Here's a paper on Eccliastical and Temporal Power in Vitoria, Suarez and Ballarmine...

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"Under the Roman Empire the popes had no temporal powers. But when the Roman Empire had disintegrated and its place had been taken by a number of rude, barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic church not only became independent of the states in religious affairs, but dominated secular affairs as well. At times, under such rulers as Charlemagne (768-814), Otto the Great (936-973), and Henry III (1039-1056), the civil power controlled the church to some extent; but in general, under the weak political system of feudalism, the well-organized, unified, and centralized church, with the pope at its head, was not only independent in ecclesiastical affairs but also controlled civil affairs"--Carl Conrad Eckhardt, The Papacy and World-Affairs, The University of Chicago Press, 1937, P. 1.

ditto.

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Pope Pius IX, in his "Discorsi" (I., p. 253), said: "The Caesar who now addresses you, and to whom alone are obedience and fidelity due."
     
not found yet in English...looks like there is a print English version... But, if the pope is indeed the Vicar of Christ, this would be true, in that sense.... Not instead of King Jesus, but in obedience to king Jesus.

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"Every cleric must obey the Pope, even if he commands what is evil; for no one may judge the Pope." (Innocent III, 1198-1216)

not found anywhere but anti-Catholic "lists". In reality, any act inherently evil cannot be commanded of a cleric or layman by any pope or bishop of the RCC.

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"There is neither appeal nor recourse against a decision or decree of the Roman Pontiff."
(The Code of Canon Law, 1985, Canons 1404, 1405, and 333, pp. 951, 271)


Makes sense, when the Pope is declaring "infallibly" (Which means he's speaking as the Vicar of Christ to the whole world on matters of faith and morals. ie, A letter to one region or group isn't considered to be protected by this charism.).
But even if it's matters not concerning dogmatic statements but practices or behaviors related to faith & morals, Christians naturally should and must obey the Pope (unless it is something evil in and of itself, or otherwise contradictory to past dogmatic statements). This is because the Church Christ established includes a visible authority aspect. Those leaders guide the pilgrim Church on earth in order to maximize their spiritual growth.

Here's a quote from Lumen Gentium...
This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic authority of the Roman pontiff, even when he does not speak ex cathedra, in such wise, indeed, that his supreme teaching authority be acknowledged with respect and sincere assent be given to decisions made by him. (Lumen Gentium 25)
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Various historical quotes about "No salvation outside the Church", coupled with later statements that some outside the Church can be saved, are meant to prove dogmatic contradictions and hence disprove the infallibility aspect.

Salvation comes from God through Jesus. Jesus established a Church to spread and protect His Gospel. Due to the fact that God revealed all His truths through that Church (specifically, the Apostles and their hand-picked successors), no salvation, no Gospel, came into the world except that which came through that Church. This doesn't mean one must absolutely profess acceptance of the Roman Catholic Church to be saved.  Ultimately it's what's in the heart that matters and only God knows the heart. If one truly accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior and does his best to obey Him, he will be saved. This is the ultimate purpose of the earthly Church: To bring people to believe in Jesus as their savior in order to be adopted as a child of God, not to merely be a card-carrying member of the organization.

Please read Lumen Gentium from Vatican II. It describes all this and more about the Church Christ built.  Also, Karl Adam's book The Spirit of Catholicism.



Related Links:

Another analyzer:
http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2011/02/anti-catholic-lies-and-deceitful.html

I don't know who this guy is but he gives a good rebuttal to similar "quotes":
http://www.geoffhorton.com/PapalClaims.html

John Foxe's Acts and Monuments is a source of some quotes erroneously attributed to a pope.
http://archive.org/details/actsmonumentsofj03foxe

Alexander Hislop The Two Babylons circa 1853
online version: http://www.biblebelievers.com/babylon/00index.htm
Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Babylons

Loraine Boettner Roman Catholicism circa 1962
online version: http://www.worldwithoutend.info/bbc/books/lb-rc/toc.htm
refutation: http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-anti-catholic-bible

Dave Hunt A Woman Rides the Beast circa 1994
pdf online: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fknizky.mahdi.cz%2F128_Dave_Hunt____A_Woman_Rides_The_Beast_The_Roman_Catholic_Church_And_The_Last_Days.pdf&ei=O82gUuPTIIbNkAearYGwCw&usg=AFQjCNErAzIqr6926yDw7COUapKTmfv8xw&bvm=bv.57155469,d.eW0&cad=rja
Refutations: http://www.catholic.com/search/content/dave%20hunt%20a%20woman%20rides%20the%20beast




Additional Quotes added as I encounter them:


"Pope Stephen II sent a forged letter from "St. Peter" to Pepin, King of France, admonishing him to send troops to liberate Italy from the Lombard king, Aistulph, or forget about getting into heaven. Pepin complied with the pope's request. [McCabe, 1939, 156 (McCabe cited theMigne collection of the Latin Fathers, VoL LXXXIX, col, 1004- as the source of the letter, and also noted that the letter had never been translated.)]"
from: http://www.666christiancrimes.com/700%20-%20799.html
Here's Jacques-Paul Migne  Patrologia Latina: http://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/patrologia-latina-pl-volumes-available-online/
I haven't seen a translation into English but here's the Latin and the English by Google Translate:


EPISTOLA V.
STEPHANI II AD FRANCOS.
Missa suit sub nomine Petri apostoli et Stephani ad
eosdem pro subsidio contra Longobardos.

Petrus vocatus apostolus a Jesu Christo Dei vivi
Filio, qui ante omnia saecula cum Patre regnans in
unitate Spiritus sancti, in ultimis temporibus pro nostra
omnium salute incarnatus et homo factus, nos
suo redemit pretioso sanguine, per voluntatem paternae
gloriae, quemadmodum per sanctos suos destinavit
prophetas, in Scripturis sanctis, et per me
omnis Dei catholica et aposiolica Romana Ecclesia,
caput omnium Ecclesiarum Dei, Ipsius redemptoris
nostri sanguine supra firmam fundata petram, atque
ejusdem almae Ecclesiae Stephanus praesul, gratia,
pax, et virtus ad eruendam eamdem sanctam Dei
Ecclesiam, et ejus Romanum populum mihi commissum
de manibus persequentium, plenius ministretur
a Domino Deo vestro, vobis viris excellentissimis
Pippino, Carolo, et Carolomanno tribus regibus, atque
sanctissimis episcopis, abbatibus, presbyteris,
vel cunctis religiosis monachis, verum etiam ducibus,
comitibus, et cunctis generalibus exercitibus,
et populo Franciae commorantibus.

Ego Petrus apostolus, dum a Christo Dei vivi Filio
vocatus sum supernae clementiae arbitrio, illuminator
ab ejus potentis totius mundi sum praeordinatus,
ipso Domino Deo nostro confirmante : Ite, docete
omnes gentes, baptizantes eos in nomine Patris
ct Filii, et Spiritus sancti (Matth. 11) ; et iterum :
Accipite Spiritum sanctum ; quorum remiseritis peccata,
 remittuntur eis (Joan. xx) ; et mibi suo exiguo
servo et vocato apostolo sigillatim suas commendans
oves ait : Pasce oves meas, paice agnos meos (Joan.
xxi) ; et rursus : Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram
aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, el portae inferorum non
praevalebunt adversus eam. Et tibi dabo claves regni
caelorum ; qnaecunque ligaveris super terram , erunt
ligata et in coelis ; et quacuvque solveris super terram,
erunt soluta et in caelis (Matth. xvi). Quamobrem omnes
qui meam audientes impleverunt praedicationem,
profecto eredant sua in hoc mundo Dei praeceptione
relaxari peccata, et mundi atque sine macula
in illam progredieniur vitam. Etenim quibus [quia]
illuminatio Spiritus sancti in vestris refulsit praefulgidis
cordibus, vosque amatores effecti estis sanetae
et unicae Trinitatis per susceptum evangelicae praedicationis
 verbum, profecto in hac aposlolica Dei.

Google Translate says:

LETTER V.STEPHEN 2 to the French .Under the name of Peter the apostle , and Stephen visited to the Mass they reserve the Lombards .Peter called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ of the God of the living from the
The Son, Who with the Father before all ages reigning in thethe unity of the Holy Spirit, in these latter times for ourthe salvation of all was incarnate and was made man , wehas redeemed with his precious blood , by the will of the Father'sof glory, through His saints he hath determined the same way asthe prophets, in the holy scriptures , and through meAnd all of God, the Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church,the head of all the Churches of God , the Redeemer of Hisof my blood on the firm foundations of the rock , andStephen bishop of the Church of the glorious grace ,peace, and the power of God's Holy help bring to light the sameThe church, and his Romans, a nation has been committed to meout of the hands of their persecutors , fully servedfrom the Lord your God, you, men of great excellencePepin, Charles, and Carolomanno three kings , andmost holy bishops , abbots , priests,or all the religious monks , but also the leaders and thewere with me, and to all the General of the army ,and the people of France that continue .I, Peter the Apostle , when effected by Christ, the Son of the living GodI have been called celestial mercy the judgment of truth, the lightfrom those of his power of the whole world, I am not pre-ordained ,confirming the very fact the Lord our God : Go, and make disciples ofall nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fatherand of the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 11), and again,Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit ,
 
forgiven (John xx ), and for me its a littleservant and a called apostle look after their own records with thethe sheep said, ' Feed my sheep, paice my lambs (Johnxxi ), and they said again, 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I willI will build my church, the gates of hell shall not Elprevail against it . I will give you the keys of the kingdomof the heavens; qnaecunque thou shalt bind on earth shall bebound also in heaven, and quacuvque shalt loose upon the earth,shall be loosed also in the heavens ( Matt. xvi ). Therefore, all ofI heard that filled preachingHis command of God in this world and certainly eredantto relax sins, and of the world and, without the stain ofit progredieniur life . For these [ because ]the illumination of the Holy Spirit in your splendid shonehearts , you lovers have become the holyundertaken by the preaching of the Gospel and the splitting of the Trinity
 
the word , it is certainly in this Apostolic of God.