I accidentally came across a website the other day with some very disturbing opinions, to say the least, on the Catholic teachings, or what they believed to be the Church’s teachings, about the Blessed Mary and the Pope. The author, who claims to be a prophet and to be able to cast out demons and to make spiritual trips to places, writes:
As I was researching and reading last night, I stumbled on some more false teachings of the catholic doctrines. They call it Mariology. They are claiming she is free of sin, mother Mary. It is a very disturbing dogma, and is not true.
Only one is free from sin, and he was nailed to the cross. Mary was chosen is what she was. Everyone is chosen for different things by God. I respect and love the mother of Christ, but she is not free of sin. I mean she is not like JESUS as they are claiming.
Obviously, the statement above is based on some very inaccurate information and does not reflect what the Catholic Church teaches on the Virgin Mary. Unfortunately, this sort of misconceived ideas spread like a pest these days, in a world made of Twitters and Bloggers, we might feel a bit hopeless and even discouraged to say something in defense of our own faith… I am afraid I am too stuburn to turn a blind eye and pretend it didn’t offend me.
Since I could not find a place to leave a comment on the website so I thought I should write a little note to clarify the issue.
The Official Catholic Catechism teaches that Mary was preserved from all ’original sin’ and that she was wholly united with her Son . “The Virgin Mary . . . is acknowledged and honoured as being truly the Mother of God and of the redeemer…. She is ‘clearly the mother of the members of Christ’ . . . since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its head it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:
Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words: “Woman, behold your son.”503
By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is a “pre-eminent and . . . wholly unique member of the Church”; indeed, she is the “exemplary realization” (typus)508 of the Church.
968 Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. “In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Saviour’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace.”509
969 “This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation …. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”510
Nowhere in the official documents of the Church you will find anything that states that Mary is equal to Jesus. The same applies to the Pope, who is for the Church the Vicar of Jesus on earth, but not equal to Jesus.
Here are some interesting quotes “We hold upon this earth the place of almighty God.” Pope Leo XIII, referring to himself.
“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, hidden under a veil of flesh.” The Catholic National, July 1895
“But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff… [who] requires… complete submission and obedience of will… as to God Himself.” Pope Leo XIII, the Great Encyclical Letters, p. 193
Catholicism is a “doctrine of demons”.
Dear Stevair,
There are a number of misinterpretations on your comments above, such as your ‘conclusions’ on the tiny exerpt of Pope Leo XIII’s statement, who was obviously not referring to himself, but to the Church founded by God in the person of Christ: The Holy Catholic Church (Please read the full Encyclical)…but this is not the most serious problem with your views, which obviouly contradict the official teachings of the Church.
The problem is that most protestant fail to understand that, unlike the many, many denominations of protestant churches around the globe, the Catholic Church actually has a Teaching office, the Magisterium of the Church, through which the Depositum Fide is kept protected from individual interpretations, but as it has been passed on to the Church by Christ and his Apostles.
What I am trying to say is this: What any one, a part from the Church writes or say about what the Church ‘may teach and believe’ means NOTHING. That is, what I or any Catholic lay person, Catholic publisher, writer, may mistakenly say or write about any of the Catholic Teachings DOES NOT became true or correct just because it was said/written by a Catholic, UNLESS it is in FULL communion with what the Church holds as part of her teachings.
The Pope, the Vicar of Christ on Earth, is quite simply the rightful Successor of St Peter – the first leader and overseer of the Church of Christ appointed by Christ Himself, as per the Scriptures. He is NOT in place of any one but the Holy Apostle Peter. That’s the Teaching of the Holy Church. Full stop.
DOCTRINE OF DEMONS:
You may have heard of something called the Catholic Rite of Exorcism, I am sure. Now, how can a Church that teaches ‘doctrines of demons’ actually cast out demons? You sound like the Jews that accused Jesus of casting out a demon by Beelzebub!!
Do you remember Jesus’ answer to that was?
‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.’”
Please study the scriptures with the Holy Church. Otherwise these type of simple minded conclusions will surely be the only end result.
God bless!
The catholic catechism is so contradictory that one has to look elsewhere to find the truth.
No wonder you are so confused !
Blog reply:
Hi Again Steve,
Confused… Huh, that’s interesting, I’d say the same about you… Funny, how opinions can be so personal!!
Have a great day!
PS. I might want to actually read our Catechism. You’ll be surprised by the truth!