Table of Contents to "Catholic Concerns" and path to the PDF
http://petewaldo.com/catholic_concerns.htmChapter 15
EcumenismThere is a hidden agenda behind the ecumenical movement. Official Catholic documents
from the Second Vatican Council show that the purpose behind ecumenism is to bring
Protestants back into the Catholic Church.
The Second Vatican Council and Problems with InfallibilityPope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council in 1962. It lasted until 1965. The
Council wrote 16 official documents. It also gave some groups of experts the task of
working out the details of how to apply the principles and directives of the Council.
These groups of men wrote official "post conciliar" documents to more fully elaborate
what had been written by the Council.1
According to Catholic doctrine, popes are infallible, and so are Catholic church
councils.2 A number of the doctrinal statements of the "infallible" Second Vatican
Council conflict with official doctrinal pronouncements of previous "infallible" popes.
For example, according to Vatican II's Declaration on Religious Liberty, every
individual has the "right to religious freedom."3 This directly contradicts the encyclical
Quanta Cura by Pope Pius IX, as well as contradicting his Syllabus of Errors.4
One result of these inconsistencies has been protest from "traditionalist"
conservative Catholics, and the formation of some groups that want to go back to pre-
Vatican II Catholicism. One group is the Orthodox Roman Catholic Movement. Another
is True Catholic, which has elected its own Pope because it considers John XXIII and
every Pope after him to be heretics and therefore not valid popes.5 It has Internet articles
about "heresies" of Vatican II and modern popes.6 There are also some groups that are
working to reinstate the traditional Latin Mass.7
Vatican II and EcumenismThe Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism states that ecumenical activity
cannot result in changing any aspect of the Catholic faith.8 This foundational principle is
reflected in the post conciliar documents dealing with ecumenism.
For example, Post Conciliar Document No. 42 says that the purpose of
ecumenism is to transform the thinking and behavior of non-Catholics so that eventually
all Christians will be united in one Church. It states that unity means being "in the
Catholic Church."9
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In other words, as far as Rome is concerned, "unity" means that all Christians will
become Roman Catholics. So the purpose of ecumenism is to draw Protestants into the
Catholic Church. Rome wants to reverse the Protestant Reformation.
Pope John Paul II made ecumenism a priority in his papacy. He signed "common
declarations" with some Protestant and Orthodox groups.10 He also engaged in
"interrelligious relations" with various non-Christian religious groups.11 Pope Benedict
XVI is also emphasizing ecumenism, saying that it will be the "primacy task" of his
reign.12
The Catholic MakeoverEcumenism would be difficult if Protestants felt out of place in Catholic churches and
when attending Mass. Therefore, a number of changes were made.
Mass was said in the language of the local people instead of being in Latin. There
were not as many statues in the churches, and the ones that were there were not as
prominent. The Tabernacle (an ornate container for consecrated communion wafers) was
placed in a less noticeable location. Priests used to have their backs to the congregations
during Mass. That was changed, so that priests now face the people, like Protestant
ministers do.
Traditionalists believe that this was a "betrayal" of the Catholic Church, resulting
in "world-wide apostasy."13 They say that the men who made these changes were not
adequately concerned about keeping the "Catholic character" of the Mass for the sake of
faithful Catholics. Instead, their primary concern was making it become acceptable to
Protestants.14
Obvious Mary worship became less frequent and less noticeable. For example, it
became less common to have processions in the streets, with men carrying a statue of
Mary on a litter covered with flowers. However, some churches still do this, especially in
conjunction with a ceremony for putting a crown on the statue. (You can see pictures
online.)15
Many nuns changed their habits (special clothing for nuns). Some orders of nuns
modified their habits so that they look more like modern clothing. Others now wear
regular clothing instead of habits, and no longer wear veils (a head covering for nuns).
Some more traditional nuns still wear old fashioned habits with veils.
The Council of TrentReaching out in a friendly, respectful way to "separated brethren" seems inconsistent
with the Council of Trent (a Catholic Church council that was held from 1545 to 1564).
The Council of Trent was the Roman Catholic Church's response to the Protestant
Reformation. It denounced every single doctrine which was proposed by the Protestant
Reformers. It declared that any person who believes even one of these doctrines is
"anathema" (cursed).
The Council of Trent also defined Catholic doctrines, detail by detail, and
declared that anybody who denies even one of these details is anathema. These include
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the authority of the Pope, the practice of indulgences, veneration of Mary and the saints,
and the use of statues. So the Council of Trent anathematizes all Protestants.
The Catholic doctrine of infallibility applies not only to the Pope, but also to
Church Councils (including the Council of Trent).16 As a result, the official statements of
the Council of Trent are considered to be infallible. This means that they cannot be
changed. Therefore, the anathemas of the Council of Trent cannot be revoked.
Declarations relating to doctrines that are especially important to Evangelicals are
available online.17 The declarations of the Council of Trent were published as a book.18
The pronouncements of the Council of Trent are consistent with quotations from
popes who said that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church. Some popes also
said that there is no salvation apart from the Pope.19
Official Modern Endorsement of the Council of TrentThe declarations of the Council of Trent (with their accompanying anathemas) have
never been revoked. On the contrary, the decrees of the Council of Trent are confirmed
by both the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the official Catechism of the
Catholic Church (1992).
The documents of the Second Vatican Council cite the Council of Trent as an
authority for doctrinal statements, both in the text and in the notes. The Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church states that the Second Vatican Council "proposes again the
decrees of" three previous councils, one of which is the Council of Trent.20 The Decree
on the Training of Priests says that the Second Vatican Council continued the work of
the Council of Trent.21
The Catechism of the Catholic Church was written for the purpose of
summarizing the essential and basic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. It was
approved by Pope John Paul II in 1992, and the English translation was released in 1994.
It has numbered paragraphs, and has been published in many languages.
The Council of Trent is mentioned in seventy-five paragraphs of the Catechism. It
is always mentioned in a positive, authoritative way. Some paragraphs mention it two or
three times. Paragraph 9 of the Catechism says that the Council of Trent was the origin of
Catholic Catechisms. The other 74 paragraphs in the Catechism which mention it cite the
Council of Trent as an authoritative source which supports their doctrinal statements.22
Reversing the ReformationThe Catholic Church is engaging in ecumenical dialog with Protestants, calling them
"separated brethren," and speaking as if it respects their beliefs. But at the same time, it
endorses the decrees of the Council of Trent, which anathematized all Protestants.
This is confusing. But if you recall the wide variety of Catholic beliefs described
in Chapter 5, then perhaps it is not surprising. Although Rome claims to speak with one
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voice, in reality, there are priests and theologians who hold beliefs that are polar
opposites.
A clear example is abortion and euthanasia. Both of these are strictly prohibited in
the Catechism of the Catholic Church.23 In spite of that, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics
(which is headed by Jesuit priests at Georgetown University) actively promotes both
abortion and euthanasia.24
The Catholic Church wants to reverse the Protestant Reformation. And it is
having some measure of success.
On March 29, 1994, some Catholic and Evangelical leaders signed a declaration
titled "Evangelicals and Catholics Together." An evangelist who used to be a Catholic
says that the Evangelical leaders who signed this document "compromised the eternal
truth of the Gospel for the sake of temporal social and political issues."25
On October 31, 1999, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World
Federation signed a "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification."26 (October 31 is
the anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses on the door of the church in
Wittenburg, which began the Protestant Reformation.)
Many Evangelicals are converting to Catholicism, including pastors. I've
corresponded with some of them. One reason is Evangelical leaders who promote
Catholic mysticism. (You can read about that in A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen.)
Another is the emergent church movement. (This movement may be in the process of
changing its name and vocabulary because its teachings have been exposed in books such
as Faith Undone by Roger Oakland.)
I've corresponded with Evangelicals who are drawn to Catholicism because they
cannot find an Evangelical church where there is a sense of reverence. Evangelicals who
want to help the poor can become frustrated because they don't find support from fellow
Evangelicals, so they work closely with Catholics. Since it is Catholics who share their
vision for helping the poor, they wind up wanting to learn about Catholicism.
One pastor converted to Catholicism and then, after several years, started really
reading Scripture again. He eventually left the Catholic Church and came back to "living
in the grace of God once again." (You can read his testimony online.)27
How has Rome been able to accomplish these things? I believe that one of the
reasons is described in an article by a former Catholic. It is titled, "The Disappearing
Doctrine of the Evangelical Church."28 The Apostle Paul warned Timothy,
"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in
doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."
(1 Timothy 4:16, emphasis added)
Timothy worked closely with Paul and knew him well. He had received a lot of
instruction from Paul, and had the experience of ministering with him. Paul considered
Timothy to be like a son to him. And in spite of all that, Timothy still needed to be
warned to be careful about his doctrine. Now if a man like Timothy needed to be careful
about doctrine, then we certainly do.
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The Power of WordsWhat happens if two people are talking, and they use the same vocabulary, but they have
a different dictionary? What if the same word means quite different things to them?
They may think that they understand one another when, in reality, they have no
idea of what the other person is thinking. They may think that they are in agreement
about something when they actually disagree.
This can happen between Catholics and Protestants. For example, let's look at the
word "grace." According to the Bible, salvation cannot be earned. The Apostle Paul said:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-
9)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost;" (Titus 3:5)
However, according to Catholic doctrine, if people do good works, and they fulfill
certain specified requirements, then they can
merit a "divine reward" from God.29 This is
a doctrine of earning spiritual things by doing good works.
The liturgical ritual for baptizing infants includes a prayer asking God to give
grace to the water in the baptismal font (the water that will be used to sprinkle the
infant).30 So for Catholics, "grace" is something that can be given to inanimate objects,
such as water.
When I was a Catholic, this made sense to me, because I was used to accepting
whatever the priest said without question. Now that I am an Evangelical, and I have some
understanding of Scripture, the idea is incomprehensible.
In the Bible, grace seems to be a simple thing. But somehow the Catholic Church
makes it seem complicated and mystifying. The Pocket Catholic Dictionary has a
complex, technical, three-paragraph definition of "grace" that ends by recommending
that the reader also look at entries for actual grace, sacramental grace, efficacious grace,
habitual grace, sufficient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace. It also has entries
for "baptismal graces" and "state of grace."31
Here is an example of how Protestants can think that they understand
Catholicism, when they really don't.
A Catholic priest wrote to me saying that the Catholic Church teaches that we are
saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He failed to mention something. The
Catholic Church teaches that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ-PLUS
being baptized, going to Mass on Sundays, receiving communion at least once a year,
going to confession at least once a year, believing all of the official doctrines of the
Catholic Church, and dying in a state of grace. (In America, Mass on Saturdays can be
substituted for Mass on Sundays.)
Until the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), popes openly declared that there
is no salvation apart from the Pope.32 That involves more than faith in Jesus Christ.
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Modern popes taught that salvation comes through Mary.33 According to the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Mary has a "saving office" and her intercession brings
us our salvation.34 In 1993, Pope John Paul II said that Mary "obtains for us divine
mercy."35 So Catholicism teaches that Mary is necessary for our salvation.
Some ways of using words can result in statements that are technically correct,
but the result is misleading. Here is an example.
For centuries, the Catholic Church would not allow the Bible to be translated into
English. It was only available in Latin. A Catholic told me that this made no difference,
because the common people were illiterate. They were unable to read and write.
Therefore, they would not have been able to read the Bible even if it had been available
in English.
However, during Mass, the priests read passages from Scripture out loud. Even
people who can't read are able to understand what they hear. If the Scripture passages
had been read in English, then the people would have understood them. When the Bible
was finally translated into English, it was kept in a church. All day long, men took turns
reading the Bible out loud, while crowds of people listened.36
Practical Consequences of Misleading VocabularyI have an Evangelical friend who has seriously studied Catholicism. He had an urgent,
practical need for the information, because he married a Catholic woman. At the time that
he married her, he believed that Catholicism was "just another valid form of
Christianity." He attended Mass with his wife on Sundays. After a while, he began to feel
that something was wrong. Then he started investigating Catholicism. This is what he has
to say:
"Today's ecumenical movement draws many Protestants and Roman
Catholics together, because they believe that they share a common faith.
The Protestants believe that there are outward differences, but the faith is
the same. The Catholics believe that their faith is Biblical, and that
Protestants are just separated brothers and sisters who need the Mother
Church in order to experience the fullness of the faith. When you look into
it, though, you'll find that the majority of Protestants and Catholics are
unfamiliar with the history and official doctrines of the Roman Catholic
Church, and, indeed, unfamiliar with the Bible. They prefer to get along
with one another in matters of faith, rather than to investigate, understand,
and contend for the Gospel of Christ, as laid out in the Bible, and to
compare it with official Catholic doctrine. As a result, many Roman
Catholic teachings remain out of view for the average church-goer and
mass-attendee. Those who do earnestly investigate Catholicism, and
compare it with the Bible, find that
some of the language appears to be
the same, but the definitions, beliefs, applications, and perspectives
behind this language are anything but the same. They also find a
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multitude of additional layers and dimensions to Roman Catholicism that
they would never have imagined." (Emphasis added.)37
In my friend's case, the situation worked out well. His wife became an
Evangelical Christian. As a result, he and his wife are now in agreement about how to
raise their children, where to go to church, and how to practice their religion in their
home.
I have corresponded with many suffering Christians whose situation did not work
out well. After they married a Catholic, they discovered that Catholicism is radically
different from what they thought it was. Because of that, they are no longer able to attend
Mass, or to instruct their children in the Catholic faith. They have discussed their
problem with their Catholic spouse, but their spouse remains loyal to the Catholic
Church. As a result, their home is full of conflict and confusion, and their children suffer
because of it.
Because these people didn't understand the differences between Catholicism and
Protestantism back when they were courting, they and their children are suffering today.
Verbal confusion can result in serious practical consequences.
