Part 2
Celibate clergy
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)
Western civilization and its ideologies have been influenced by Greek philosophy and its thinking since its inception back in the 4th and 5th century BC; Greece has given modern Western Civilization its understanding of philosophy. Augustine one of the fathers of the Catholic Church was strongly influenced by Platonic philosophy, and he, therefore, contaminated the Church with pagan ideologies. So, many of the Catholic doctrines today are based on pagan philosophies. One example is that for Augustine the flesh was sinful and the spirit pure (Platonic dualism), he, therefore, believed sex was sinful and strongly advocated for a celibate clergy. He even went as far as saying sex should only be for the procreation of priests.
The celibacy of the priesthood was ultimately decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII in 1079. Vestal virgins and celibate priests come straight out of pagan doctrine. For example, Cybele the Roman queen of heaven required celibate priests. The idea that nuns should be married to Jesus and priests remain celibate is not scriptural. The Gospel of Matthew reveals that Peter – who is considered to be the first Pope by the Catholic Church – was married, “when Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed, with fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her” (Matt. 8:14-15). The Apostle Paul, on writing to Timothy instructs that a bishop should be “the husband of but one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2). The Bible clearly points to the fact that forbidding people to marry is a doctrine of demons (1 Tim. 4:1-3). The consequence of forced abstinence is manifest within the Roman Church, in that they are continually plagued with immorality among their nuns and priests. Pope Paul V (1605-1621) attempted to ban brothels from Rome, but was prevented from doing so by the Roman senate, who opposed the move because they claimed that if there were no prostitutes in the city, the priests would turn to seducing the wives and daughters of the men of Rome.
The immorality of the clergy in the Catholic Church continues, in 2002 it was revealed that cases of child abuse were widespread. Wikipedia reports that “sexual abuse of children under the age of consent by priests receives significant media and public attention in Canada, Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Belgium, France, Germany and Australia, while cases have been reported throughout the world” (1). On the recent child abuse cases in the Catholic Church, Wikipedia reports that “the Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of allegations, investigations, trials and convictions of child sexual abuse crimes committed by Catholic priests, nuns and members of Roman Catholic orders against children as young as three years old with the majority between the ages of 11 and 14. These cases included sodomy and oral penetration, and there have been criminal prosecutions of the abusers and civil lawsuits against the church’s dioceses and parishes” (2).
In April 2010 the largest Roman Catholic seminary in Austria for training priests was closed down. 40 000 photos and an undisclosed number of films of child profound in the seminary near Vienna. This collection of pornography became the largest cache of child pornography in history, exceeding the previous record of 8 000 hours of child pornography held by a Catholic priest from St Joseph’s church in Newcastle England.
To further compound the guilt of the Catholic Church it was discovered that there was a document (Criminale Solicitacciones) that instructs bishops to keep sex scandals uncovered even when they involve paedophiles and cases of bestiality. The document was first issued by Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) and was reiterated by Cardinal Ratzinger who became Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013). So, Bishops were instructed over fifty years ago by the Pope to protect sexually deviant priests, even transferring them to other countries when necessary so they couldn’t be prosecuted. This callous act allowed paedophile priests to continue their deviant behaviour on the children of the unsuspecting Roman Catholic community of their new diocese.
There have also been a number of fraud cases brought against the Roman Catholic Church, where the Church has relocated offending priests instead of removing them from their position of authority. It must be emphasised that these acts of paedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church are not a result of recent moral decline in society as Pope Benedict XVI would have the world believe, but have been a part of the Catholic Church for as long as there have been celibate clergy.
Spotlight
In 2015 the Academy Award winning movie “Spotlight,” portrayed the investigation by The Boston Globe into abuse in the Catholic Church. The Boston Globe’s in-depth reporting was the central subject of the film.
The sexual abuse scandal in the Boston archdiocese was part of a series of Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in the United States that revealed widespread wrongdoing in the American Roman Catholic Church. In early 2002, The Boston Globe published the results of an investigation that led to the criminal prosecutions of five Roman Catholic priests and thrust the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy into the national spotlight. The Globe’s coverage encouraged other victims to come forward with allegations of abuse, resulting in numerous lawsuits and more criminal cases.
The journalists of the Boston Globe estimated that in a diocese of twenty-two hundred priests, that a figure closer to ten per cent, that is 220 priests, were molesting children.
(1) Roman Catholic sex abuse cases by country: en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_sex_abuse _cases_by_country(18/05/2013)
(2) Catholic sex abuse cases: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases (12/08/2013)
Vestments
With his increase in power and authority, Emperor Constantine became vain and would dress in splendid decorative robes. Constantine presented a set of these robs as a gift to the bishop of Jerusalem, which rivalled even the pagan priests in splendour. This was the first-time pagan vestments were used in the Christian Church. The Roman Church soon adopted the wearing of vestments for its Bishops, and before the end of the fourth-century bishops were wearing special clothes known as mass vestments, some for high mass and some for low mass. The wearing of vestments served to distinguish the priest from the congregation, further broadening the gap between clergy and laity.
Nicolaitans
The “teaching of the Nicolaitans” (Rev. 2:6;15), refers to dominating the people, compared to the “teaching of Balaam” which refers to seducing the people. Thus, Nicolaitanism is a Clergy-laity separation, with Nike meaning “victory,” and laity meaning “the people,” so it identifies a victory over the people. All Christians are priests: Peter said, “…You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). The priestly function of the individual Christian has been forgotten because of the Clergy-Laity divide. The Nicolaitan hearsay has crushed the effectiveness of the Church, with the believer being neutered by the belief that it is the clergy who are the conduit to God and must therefore do all the work – including prayer. Believers merely turn up for services on a Sunday.
The letter to the church of Pergamum in Revelation 2:15, reveals that the church had allowed the practice of syncretism to infiltrate their teachings, this included clergy/laity separation. James gives a strong warning to the Church regarding this: “Friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). There can be no compromise.
The great separation between clergy and laity in the Roman Church
The Cult of Emperor Worship
The title Pontifex means “bridge maker” and was held by the Roman Emperor, signifying that he alone was the bridge maker between the gods of the Roman pantheon and the people – an Emperor, high priest. The Emperor was soon to be recognised as a “god” and required to be worshipped by Rome.
In 378 AD the Christian Roman Emperor, Gratian, refused the title of Pontifex Maximus, as this would make him both emperor and high priest – a messianic title. The title was taken up by Damasus I, the Bishop of Rome at the time. The Christians of that era had started to look at the Bishop of Rome as the head bishop of the church, so, the Bishop of bishop’s claim to the title of Pontifex Maximus helped cement this belief. Pontifex Maximus was a convenient but pagan title.
The result of the Pope claiming a title held by pagan Roman emperors, is that emperor veneration became Pontiff veneration which includes, kissing feet, genuflecting, Kissing the ring and carrying the pope on the “chair of Peter”, in the same manner as the ark of the covenant.
Burning Incense
There is extensive use of incense in pagan religions from the times of ancient Babylon and Egypt, to modern times in eastern religions such as Buddhism. Incense is also used by those involved in the occult such as neo-pagans and Wiccans with the purpose of releasing power and invoking spells. Criticism of incense in Roman Catholic churches is countered by the fact that the Old Testament records the use of incense in Temple worship. The Roman Church reminds critics that every day, a priest burned incense on the altar within the Tabernacle. However, this burning of incense followed a strict formula (Exodus 30:34) and represented the prayers of the people going up as a sweet-smelling fragrance to God. David recorded this fact in Psalm 141:1: “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” Also, the Temple sacrifice and worship has come to an end, after the death of Jesus on the cross, the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn in two. There is no longer a separation of sin between a repentant person covered in the blood of Jesus, and God the Father.
The Roman Catholic explanation for their use of incense in services is that it adds solemnity and mystery to the Mass, linking heaven and earth (https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/why-is-incense-used-during-mass-1041). Incense serves no other purpose other than to add pageantry to services, which further increases the priest-laity divide. Christianity as a faith makes a strong stand against the influences of eastern religion, the occult and paganism, and therefore should ensure that it remains cleansed of the practices that have strong demonic ties.
Holy Water
Assyrian god carrying a bucket of holy water.
It is important to note the power of priests in the Roman Catholic Church, they are able to turn a piece of bread into the body of Jesus, they are able to forgive sins, and they are able to turn plain tap water into holy water. These “powers” elevate the priest above the ordinary people of the community, the spiritual gifts belong to the clergy alone.
Holy water is now permanently retained at the entrance of Catholic churches, blessed at the first of each lunar month, and sprinkled over patrons as they enter. This practice was created to supplant the pagan celebration of the new moon, according to Canon 65 of the Council of Constantinople (691). Once again, the use of holy water is common in eastern religions, and is a part of occultic and pagan rituals. In witchcraft, brine water is a symbol of the ocean, which is the womb of mother earth. The Catholic Encyclopaedia states that the earliest modern uses of holy water appear in the ninth century. This statement, coupled with the New Testament’s silence regarding the practice and use of holy water, clearly reveals that the tradition of holy water was created for the sole purpose of putting a pagan ceremony out of commission. The Roman Catholic Church attempts to justify the practice using the few biblical references to water for purification (Jewish purification rituals, such as washing in a mikveh).
Holy water within the Roman Catholic church has many uses, once the water has been sanctified by the priest, the now holy water may be used for:
- Blessing individuals.
- Blessing personal belongings.
- Blessing articles of devotion.
- Blessing places – churches, homes, workplaces etc.
- Warding off nightmares.
- Repelling evil.
Basically, anything that the water is sprinkled on becomes blessed, all you need to do is to buy the water from the church, or better yet, order it from Amazon. It must be one of the best money-making rackets ever thought up, but then again, the Roman Church is good at that, after all it came up with being able to buy your way out of purgatory.
Three 4 Ounce bottles of holy water, just 10 dollars US.
There is yet another important use for holy water in the Roman Catholic Church, when a person enters a church, they are to dip their fingers into holy water and make the Sign of the Cross, as it is a reminder of their baptism. Also, at a funeral, the priest will sprinkle the coffin with holy water as a reminder of baptism. The Roman Catholic Church does these rituals to remind their congregants that salvation may only be obtained through following the traditions of the Roman Church, baptism being one of the seven sacraments. Every Roman Catholic is bound to their church from Baby baptism to last rights.
There is only one reference in Scripture to water being Holy: “And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water” (Numbers 5:17). The water in this narrative is deemed to be holy as it had been in the presence of God. The water in the bronze laver which was before the Holy Place, was used for ceremonial cleansing and purification of the High Priest and his fellow priests, it did not have magical powers.
The Bible nowhere instructs Christians to use “holy water” in any way, shape, or form, the Roman Catholic use of holy water is therefore not biblical. The true “holy water” of the New Covenant is the Holy Spirit, the river of life that flows from the throne of God. This Holy Water is given free of charge to each individual believer at salvation.
Cathedrals
Chartres Cathedral
When Emperor Constantine made Christianity respectable in the Roman Empire in AD 313, he began to establish large churches in sacred locations, on pagan holy sites (thus ensuring a demonic presence), or where famous saints were supposedly buried. The models for these basilicas were Greek temples and Roman public buildings.
Many of the features of these cathedrals were pagan in origin. It seems part of the design was to separate the newly created clergy (which Constantine copied off pagan religions) from the ordinary believers and give them exalted status. Later in the Middle Ages, many of the rich were buried inside, or adjacent to the cathedrals, in the hope that would speed their souls to heaven.
The monumental French Chartres Cathedral hides within its walls stories that connect to the world of ancient Druids. It is apparently located on a ley line linking Glastonbury, Stonehenge, and the Pyramids of Egypt. For centuries it has been one of the great symbols of French Christianity.
Gregory the Great (540-604) was the first to prescribe the use of holy water (and Christian relics) to purify pagan temples for Christian use.
Eating God – Mithras
Mithras slaughtering a bull
Mithraism was a dominant religion in the Roman Empire from the first to the 5th century AD, and it was especially popular with Roman soldiers. Modern archaeology has revealed that the army base in Britain, where Emperor Constantine was based as a young officer had a temple to Mithras within its compound. The worship of Mithras required the eating of the flesh and drinking the blood of a bull, with the belief that their god, Mithras, was present within the flesh and the blood of the bull. The belief was that the follower would attain salvation by taking part in this sacrificial meal. The Roman Catholic encyclopaedia admits that “Mithraism (Roman pagan religion) had a Eucharist, but the idea of a sacred banquet is as old as the human race and existed at all ages and amongst all peoples.” Theophagy, the eating of one’s god in order to attain salvation, is a pagan belief.
December 25 was also the birthday of the more popular Roman god known as “Sol”; Constantine identified himself with Sol before his “conversion” to Christianity. Sol was closely associated with Mithras, the God of the Roman soldiers. It is therefore most likely that Constantine as the general in the Roman army worshipped both Mithras and Sol.
The Roman Catholic Church has a further connection with the pagan religion, the worship of Mithras required a complex system of seven grades of initiation and communal ritual meals. The Roman Catholic Church has the doctrine of 7 Sacraments, which was eventually affirmed in 1439.
Lighting of Candles
The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, volume 3, page 188, states, “We may take it as established beyond dispute that there was no ceremonial use of candles or lamps in Christian worship or in churches for the first three centuries. Up to that time, the spiritual simplicity of worship as well as the strong antagonism to heathen customs which characterized the early days still continued, and found expression in occasional protests against the corrupting effect of heathen customs.” So once again a corrupting of the Church through pagan practices can be attributed to the time of Constantine.
Lactantius (250-330) said, “If they (the heathen) would contemplate that heavenly light which we call the sun, they will at once perceive how God has no need of their candles, who has Himself given so clear and bright a light for the use of man… Is that man therefore to be thought in his senses, who presents the light of candles and torches as an offering to Him who is the Author and Giver of light?” (Div. Inst., VI, 2. Page 383). Lactantius, himself a convert from heathenism, understood clearly the place of candles in heathen worship.
Unfortunately, candles, along with many other accessories of heathen worship, found their way into the church in the days of the great apostasy. Jerome wrote of the practice of burning candles during the reading of the Gospel throughout the Eastern churches. By the end of the fourth century, according to Chrysostom, candles burning on the altars of churches was a usual sight. Candlemas celebrated on the 2 February is a Christianized pagan festival, which is dedicated to Mary (a corruption of the dedication of Jesus 40 days after his birth). This ancient feast required the purification of the whole house in anticipation of the return of the sun, and by lighting candles and torches, in memory of Ceres searching for Proserpina. Proserpina, the daughter of Ceres in Greek mythology who is the goddess of agriculture, was abducted by Pluto, god of the underworld, and carried off to his kingdom.
There is an erroneous belief that the use of candles in church services had its origins with the Menorah in the Tabernacle. Some poor translations refer to the seven-branched lamp holder as a “candlestick,” which is deceptive. The Menorah was a lampstand that filled the Holy Place with a warm shimmering brilliance, providing the light for the priest to do his duties, as there were no windows in the Tabernacle. The Golden Lampstand typified Christ, who lights up the walk and fellowship of believers. Candles in Churches in no way match the significance of the Menorah.
Sometimes, after a tragedy, people hold candlelight vigils or leave lighted candles at the scene of a person’s death. In the context of these events, the candles could simply be symbols of the brevity of life, or pledges of the living to brighten a dark world. There is nothing wrong with lighting candles for such purposes. However, there are some churches that advise people to light candles for the dead, an action usually accompanied by prayers to dead saints for the dead loved one. This is the sin of necromancy, and is clearly contrary to biblical teachings, having occultic pagan origins. There is only one mediator between God and man – Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that lighting candles for the dead in correlation with prayer prolongs and amplifies the prayer and memorializes the deceased. The teaching behind candles associated with praying for the dead is the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory. Catholics believe that these prayers can improve the lot of those in purgatory and speed up their journey toward heaven. This is not scriptural and was likely introduced not only to assimilate pagan practices, but also as a money-making racket, to extort even more money out of people who have lost loved ones.
the Church of Rome features not only burial candles, but also marriage candles and baptismal candles.
Relics
The head of St Catherine of Siena
The Catholic Encyclopaedia admits the veneration of relics is pagan, saying that the practice is “a primitive instinct” and is associated with many other religious systems besides that of Catholicism. It goes on to tell how the ancient Greeks superstitiously worshiped the bones and ashes of their heroes, how the Persians “treated with the deepest veneration” the remains of Zoroaster, and how “relic-worship amongst the Buddhists of every sect is a fact beyond dispute.” Other authorities have shown that the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians and Babylonians likewise venerated the relics of their lords and princes.
Roman Catholics believe that because saints lived holy lives they went straight to heaven, bypassing purgatory. Their bones therefore still hold “grace,” that will be available to the penitent to have a shorter sojourn in purgatory.
The heathen belief in attributing magical powers to bones, skulls, teeth and skin predates Christianity. The Roman Catholic authority calls the practice “a primitive instinct,” but in reality, it is nothing more than fetishism, concerning which the Encyclopaedia Americana says: “It is the lowest of the unsystematic forms of worship found among uncivilized tribes…” (1942 ed., vol. 11, p. 158). The Encyclopaedia goes on to state that the veneration of relics is found among the natives of both Americas, Africa, the Polynesians, Australians, and Siberians. When Catholic Portuguese mariners sailed down the west coast of Africa, they could see little difference between the worship of “sacred” bones, skulls and charms by the natives, and their own worship of religious relics and amulets which they called feitiços, from which we get the term fetish.
The blood of Saint Januarius
All Souls Day – Halloween
During the time of the Roman persecution of the Church, the Christians remembered the anniversary of a martyr’s death for Christ at the place of their martyrdom. Pagan influences started to infiltrate this tradition after the time of Constantine, with the keeping of relics of past martyrs.
With the great number of Christian martyrs, especially during the time of the brutal Emperor Diocletian, it was eventually decided that the veneration of these martyrs should occur on a common day for all. Pope Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. This choice of date by Gregory was no random decision, it was the date on which pagan’s held festivals of the dead.
Halloween is celebrated on October 31 throughout the western world, but few understand the connection between Halloween and the next day on the calendar, the festival of All Hallows’ or All Saints’ Day. The name of All Hallows’ Even (evening) for the night of October 31 evolved into the name Hallowe’en, or Halloween as it is called today.
On All Souls Day Roman Catholics pray, celebrate Mass, visit cemeteries, and give alms in memory of those believers whom they believe are held in purgatory, in hopes that their souls will be released to heaven. The rest of November is also spent praying for the dead. Devout Catholics also place flowers on the graves of former friends and relatives. In some places they place candles in the windows to assist lost souls in finding their way.
Now for the pagan connection: Before the days of Christianity, the Druids in England had the idea that people needed to be cleansed after they had died. The souls, they believed, were transported by magic to the body of an animal. During the night of October 31, the enchanted souls were freed by the god of the dead, Samhain, and taken together into the Druid heaven. November 1 was therefore named Samhain, literally meaning “summers end,” and marked the beginning of the Celtic winter. The association with the dead being that winter is the season of cold, darkness and death.
The eve of Samhain, October 31, was a time when the god of death allowed the souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes. Ghosts, witches, goblins, and elves came to harm the people, particularly those who had inflicted harm on them in this life. To protect themselves from marauding evil spirits on the eve of Samhain, the people extinguished their hearth fires, and the Druids built a huge bonfire of sacred oak branches. The Druids offered burnt sacrifices, consisting of crops, animals, and even humans, and then told the fortunes of the coming year by examining the burned remains. As part of the ritual people sometimes wore costumes of animal heads and skins. From this new fire, the home hearths were once more ignited. To link this tradition with Christianity, “the (Roman Catholic) Church tried to convince the people that the great bonfires they lit in homage to the sun would instead keep the devil away …” (Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, 1998, pp. 9, 11).
So, the Roman Catholic Church adopted a pagan celebration and encouraged people to masquerade on this day, not to frighten unwelcome spirits as the pagans did, but instead to honour Christian saints. On All Saints’ Day, churches throughout Europe and the British Isles displayed relics of their patron saints. Poor churches could not afford genuine relics and instead had processions in which parishioners dressed as saints, angels and devils. This religious masquerade resembled the pagan custom of parading ghosts to the town limits.
Later a second celebration, All Souls’ Day, was instituted on November 2. Eventually these two holidays merged into the present observance on November 1, which was also called All Hallows’ Day. This is a brief history of how men rationalized taking an ancient pagan festival rooted in death and demonism and adapting it for use as a “Christian” celebration. Regrettably, it flies in the face of God’s explicit instruction to not use pagan practices to worship Him. God clearly states in Deuteronomy 12:30-32:
“… Do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods … Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”
Of great concern for us today, is that the practice of animal and human sacrifices on October 31 is also a Satanic ritual, and it is the day that people allow their children out onto the streets to go door to door.
Flagellation
Flagellation is the beating or whipping of the skin, most often on the back, and often drawing blood, as a bodily penance to show remorse for sin. Early Roman Catholics were influenced by Platonic philosophy, believing that the flesh is sinful. They, therefore, held to the belief that bodily penance allowed control of the body and emotions in order to focus more fully on worshipping God. In the early Roman church, self-flagellation was imposed as a means of penance for disobedient clergy and laity. It was a widespread practice in some parts of the Roman Catholic ministry up to the 1960s but is not so common today. However, Flagellation is still acted out for symbolic purposes during penitential processions during Lent’s Holy Week in Mediterranean countries, as a reminder that Jesus Christ was whipped before the Crucifixion. In some countries like the Philippines, this re-enactment of the suffering of Jesus Christ – called the Passion play – can take a more extreme form and at times draw blood.
The practice of Flagellation is continued in the more conservative Roman Catholic orders to the present time, Opus Dei being an example. The late Pope John Paul II would whip himself, according to a nun who helped to look after him. The Vatican body which decides these matters, is considering this as a significant example of his religious commitment, in their decision to canonise John Paul II. They believe that part of a good life is remorse, and remorse can be shown through physical suffering.
The ascetic practice of flagellation is self-punishment in order to earn God’s favour, or somehow purge the individual from sin. This shows a misunderstanding of grace; no amount of self-punishment can earn salvation or merit God’s love (Ephesians 2:8-9). Flagellation is therefore a doctrine of dead works (Hebrews 6:1), and is not scriptural – Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, Christ has set us free (John 8:36).
Dead works also extends to the ascetic lifestyle of monks, who isolate themselves in monasteries, where self-denial is seen to make the individual more spiritual. This ignores the great commission which requires the Christian to be a part of the world, and not only bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus, but also to disciple them (Matthew 28:19).
Stigmata
People who have stigmata exhibit wounds that duplicate, or represent those that Jesus is said to have endured during his crucifixion. The wounds typically appear on the stigmatic’s hands and feet (as from crucifixion spikes) and also sometimes on the side (as from a spear) and hairline (as from a crown of thorns).
Curiously, there are no known cases of stigmata for the first 1,200 years after Jesus died. The first person said to suffer from stigmata was St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), and there have been about three dozen others throughout history, most of them women.
There is the belief, even within the Roman Catholic Church, that many of these stigmata are hoaxes, self-inflicted wounds to create an aura of holiness, so as to be elevated in the community – self-mutilation driven by pride.
Padre Pio
The most famous case of stigmata is Padre Pio (1887-1968), who was canonised by the Roman Catholic Church. Over time evidence has arisen to cast much doubt on Pio’s holiness – including plagiarising the work of previous padres. Many are now convinced that the friar’s superficial wounds were not supernatural. Among the sceptics were two Popes and the founder of Milan’s Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Agostino Gemelli, who examined Padre Pio and concluded that the stigmatic was a “self-mutilating psychopath.“
Psychology would define stigmata as mind over matter, and point to examples of psychiatric patients who have through mental illness manifested injuries and illnesses – psycho-somatic disorders.
The death of Jesus on the cross was Satan’s greatest victory, so it is very likely that the appearance of the wounds received by Jesus, before and during the crucifixion, could be a demonic manifestation.
Archaeologists have discovered the skeleton of a man who had been crucified, with the nail still imbedded in the ankle. In ancient times there was no words for wrist, or ankle, the wrist was considered part of the hand, and the ankle to be part of the foot. We know that nails through the hands and feet would not support the weight of a human body on the cross, so this archaeological find gives clarification to the way in which the Romans crucified their victims. Therefore, the stigmata are being displayed anatomically incorrectly by the Roman Catholics.
Ultimately as with the explanation given for Flagellation, stigmata are unscriptural, Jesus having paid the price for our sin. Therefore, whatever the cause of stigmata it is definitely not of God.
Conclusion
As was stated in the introduction, there can be only one true definition of Paganism, and that is those practices that have their roots in Babylon Mystery Religion. The “Whore of Babylon” is the mother of all false religions, therefore all practices that are not scriptural, have their origins in Babylon, and are therefore pagan! The many pagan practices within the Roman Catholic Church make the Roman Church heretical.
There is a parallel in the story of Cain and Able in Genesis 4: Cain offered a sacrifice of vegetables, a sacrifice based on pride, he had worked hard as a farmer to grow his vegetables, and to him, his sacrifice was better than his shepherd brother’s sacrifice – a lamb. However, a sacrifice for sin requires a blood sacrifice, the only way God deals with our sin today is through the blood of the Lamb of God (Lev 17:11). Cain, Nimrod, Semiramis and Uzzah, all made the same error, turning from God’s wise instructions, they formulated their own rules and regulations of worship, based on their self-centred understanding of circumstances. An understanding that was based on man’s wisdom, a limited wisdom, which was contaminated by pride. It cannot be stressed enough, God hates when man’s wisdom mixes with His wisdom (syncretism), the lesson of what happened to Uzzah should be a warning of how serious the error of syncretism is. The reason for God’s disgust with syncretism can clearly be seen in the Roman Catholic Church, the many deceptions and pagan traditions of the Roman Catholicism serve to draw people, who God loves deeply, further away from him. The deceptions blind multitudes to the Truth, requiring them to participate in dead works, and places them on a path that leads to eternal damnation.
The End Time One World Religion will be headed by the Roman Catholic Church – the Mother of all false religions (Revelation 17:5). The many pagan practices within this False Church, will allow other faiths to feel quite at home, as the Whore opens her tolerant arms wide in a welcoming embrace, and joins pagan religions with the fallen ecumenical “Christian” churches. The deception of Satan is masterful, there is just enough “Christianity” in the Roman Church to fool the ecumenical churches into reversing the Reformation, and just enough paganism to have common ground with other religions.
God’s word is given to us as a guide for our own well-being, and for us to remain in a loving relationship with Him. Satan contaminates God’s words through deception, ultimately man’s pride leads him to introduce man’s traditions into the pure worship of God. God’s ways are higher and better than man’s (Isaiah 55:8-9). Men cannot determine for themselves right from wrong, or how to properly worship Almighty God. Why? Because “the heart [mind] is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9), and “the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). God designed us and gave us life. He knows how we are supposed to worship Him. Satan on the other hand knows how to lead mankind to destruction.
I struggle to find the words to be eloquent, and persuasive enough to convince all of the seriousness of the matter, so I will abdicate the last words to the Lord himself:
“Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins” (Rev. 18:4)
Give careful thought to your ways and worship God alone. Do not go along with the ways of society and customs of the Churches, but apply yourself and study the Word of God in order to gain wisdom and understanding. Do not compromise like the Catholic Church does because the pagan ways will corrupt you. Keep the worship of God pure and make Him the centre. If you find that you are convicted by some of the practices mentioned in this blog, then separate yourself from the pagan festivals and practises and instead worship God through the feasts that He ordained in the Bible.
NOTE: The study Paganism in the Roman Catholic Church does not cover all the examples of paganism in the Roman Church, but serves to put forward the corruption of Roman Catholicism, and expose it as an apostate faith. Further evidence of the extent of paganism in the Roman Church will be provided in the forthcoming series titled Mary Worship and Sun Worship in the Catholic Church.
Sound the Warning 