Heresies of the Week of John Paul II and the Vatican II sect regarding Heretics and Schismatics

 

By Bro. Michael Dimond, O.S.B.

and Bro. Peter Dimond, O.S.B.

 

Week of 12/17/04

 

John Paul II gives the relics of two of the greatest Catholic Doctors, St. Gregory Nazienzen and St. John Chrysostom, to the Eastern Schismatics

 

On Saturday, Nov. 27, 2004, the relics of two of the great Eastern Doctors of the Catholic Church were transferred by Antipope John Paul II from Rome to the Schismatic “Orthodox” Patriarch of Constantinople.

 

Antipope John Paul II, Message for the Transferral of Relics, Nov. 27, 2004: “…the relics of Sts Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, two Fathers of the Eastern Church… return to ConstantinopleIn the transferal of such holy relics we find a blessed occasion to purify our wounded memories in order to strengthen our journey of reconciliation, to confirm that the faith of these Holy Doctors is the faith of the Churches of East and West.” (L’Osservatore Romano, Dec. 1, 2004, p. 3.)

 

This statement by Antipope John Paul II means that St. Gregory Nazienzen and St. John Chrysostom had the schismatic Faith of Constantinople.  This is a total abomination; these Catholic pillars of the early Church cry out from heaven against this act.  Antipope John Paul II is mocking these Catholic Saints; he is mocking the dogma of the Papacy, which the Eastern “Orthodox” reject; and he is mocking all the Catholics in history who suffered persecution and torture not to become Eastern Schismatics.  All those who refuse to denounce this apostate as an apostate mock these great Saints as well.

 

Remember, heresy and schism are not only manifested by word, but also by deed.  Canonists and theologians teach that external heresy consists not only in words, but also in “signs, deeds, and the omission of deeds.” (Merkelbach, Summa Theologiae Moralis 1:746.)  Antipope John Paul II shows that he is a schismatic by this deed as well as by the words that accompany it.

 

To vindicate these two great Catholic Doctors (Gregory Nazienzen and John Chrysostom) from this schismatic act of Antipope John Paul II, both of whom accepted the dogma of the Papacy as all Catholics did, I will quote two passages from each which show how they both accepted that St. Peter was the first Pope, the Rock upon which the Church was built –  which is the very truth denied by the “Orthodox” and which is at the heart of their schism and all their heresies.

 

St. Gregory Nazienzen (c. A.D. 329-389), Oration 26: “Seest thou that of the disciples of Christ, all of whom were great and deserving of the choice, one is called Rock, and is entrusted with the foundations of the Church…”

 

St. Gregory Nazienzen (c. A.D. 329-389): “Neither does a man know, though he be the parent of an evil like unto Judas, whether his offspring shall be called the godlike Paul, or be like unto Peter – Peter who became the unbroken rock, and who had the keys delivered to him.” (Carm. 2, in Berington and Kirk, Faith of Catholics, 2:21)

 

St. John Chrysostom, Acts of the Apostles, Homily 33 (Commentary on Acts 15): “See how Paul speaks after Peter, and no one restrains: James waits and starts not up, for he [Peter] it was to whom had been entrusted the government (primacy).

 

St. John Chrysostom, Acts of the Apostles, Homily 3: “[Peter] always is the first to begin the discourse.  Lo, there were a hundred and twenty [Acts 1:15]; and he asks for one out of the whole multitude.  Justly: he has the first authority in the matter, as having had all entrusted to him.  For to him Christ said, and ‘thou being converted, confirm thy brethren’ [Lk. 22:31-32].”

 

Week of 10/29/04

 

John Paul II venerates a schismatic sect again

 

Antipope John Paul II, Address to President of Romania, Sept. 30, 2004: “A pilgrim of faith and hope, I was warmly and enthusiastically welcomed by you and by the State Authorities, by His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist and by all the people of the venerable Orthodox Church of Romania.” (L’Osservatore Romano, Oct. 20, 2004, p. 4)

 

So, the schismatic, non-Catholic, Papacy-denying, Immaculate-Conception-denying, divorce-allowing sect of the “Orthodox” is venerable, according to Antipope John Paul II.  Again, if you have seen all of this evidence, and the other evidence available in our material, and you still can’t bring yourself to say that John Paul II is definitely not a Catholic, then you are a heretic.

 

Week of 10/15/04

 

John Paul II commemorates the Schismatic Petros VII and flushes Catholic dogma down the toilet

 

Antipope John Paul II, Telegram released upon the death of Greek “Orthodox” Patriarch Petros VII, Sept. 13, 2004: “I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of His Beatitude Petros VII, Patriarch of the Illustrious See of Alexandria, whom the Lord has called to himself together with their Excellencies Metropolitans Irinaios of Pelusium and Chrysostomos of Karthegena… The tragic death of Patriarch Petros VII during a journey to the Holy Mountain is a source of great sorrow and grief for the Orthodox Sister Churches of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, for the Bishop of Rome and in the Catholic Church, and for all those who esteemed the late Patriarch’s ministry to the Church in Africa and his commitment to Christian unity.

     “I myself recall with gratitude our fraternal exchanges of letters, our spiritual closeness, the participation of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria in significant events like the ‘World Day of Prayer for World Peace’ in Assisi in 2002, and his constructive contributions to theological dialogue in the Orthodox Churches as a whole and with the International Mixed Commission.

     “I pray that the Lord will grant ‘grace upon grace’ to his faithful servant and will welcome him and his earthly traveling companions into the eternal light and peace reserved for God’s righteous ones.  At the same time I beseech the spirit of wisdom to guide and sustain the Patriarchate of Alexandria at this time of sadness.” (L’Osservatore Romano, Sept. 22, p. 12.)

Comment: Could Antipope John Paul II show in a more clear way that he holds that the Catholic Faith is meaningless?  Antipope John Paul II commemorates the death of the non-Catholic, schismatic Patriarch of Alexandria.  He indicates that the schismatic is among the faithfully departed; that the Lord has called this schismatic to himself; that this schismatic served the Church in Africa; that he prays the Lord will welcome him and his fellow schismatics into the eternal light which is reserved for God’s righteous.  This is a total rejection of the dogma Outside the Catholic Church There is No Salvation, of course.  But additionally, with this act, Antipope John Paul II has also flushed the following dogmatic definitions down the toilet, because the schismatic whom he is commemorating rejected them.

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 6, Chap. 16, ex cathedra:
"After this Catholic doctrine of justification - which, unless he faithfully and firmly accepts, no one can be justified - it seemed good to the holy Synod to add these canons, so that all may know, not only what they must hold and follow, but also what they ought to shun and avoid."

Even though the schismatics don’t hold the same heresies as the Protestants in regard to Justification, they don’t accept the Council of Trent and all of its canons and chapters on Justification as binding.  Thus, they cannot be justified, according to the definition of Trent – a definition which Antipope John Paul II rejects by commemorating a schismatic who rejected Trent as faithfully departed.

Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, Dec. 8, 1854: “…by the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul, and by Our own, We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary at the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Christ Jesus, the Savior of the human race, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and on this account must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful.  Wherefore, if any should presume to think in their hearts otherwise than as it has been defined by Us, which God forbid, let them know and understand that they are condemned by their own judgment; that they have suffered shipwreck in regard to faith, and have revolted from the unity of the Church; and what is more, that by their own act they subject themselves to the penalties established by law, if, what they think in their heart, they should dare to signify by word or writing or any other external means.”

The Eastern Schismatics don’t accept the Immaculate Conception as a dogma that must be believed by all.  It is true that some of them would be of the opinion that Mary was Immaculate, but many others would not, and even those who are of such opinion don’t believe it is a binding dogma.  Thus, the fact that Petros VII did not accept this truth as a binding dogma (if he believed in it all) is flushed down the toilet by Antipope John Paul II.  It is not hindrance to his salvation or his being a member of the true Church, according to Antipope John Paul II.

Pope Pius IX, First Vatican Council, Session 4, Chap. 3, ex cathedra:
"We renew the definition of the Ecumenical Council of Florence, by which all the faithful of Christ must believe that the Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff hold primacy over the whole world, and the Pontiff of Rome himself is the successor of the blessed Peter, the chief of the apostles, and is the true vicar of Christ and head of the whole Church... This is the doctrine of Catholic truth from which no one can deviate and keep his faith and salvation."

But, most of all, the above dogma on the Papacy is again flushed down the toilet by Antipope John Paul II, for the schismatic Petros VII totally rejected the dogma of the Papacy and Papal Infallibility.

Pope Gregory XVI, Summo Iugiter Studio, May 27, 1832: “Be not deceived, my brother; if anyone follows a schismatic, he will not attain to the inheritance of the kingdom of God.”

 

Week of 9/17/04 

 

John Paul II gives the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan to the Schismatics and denies the Faith again

 

Antipope John Paul II, Homily, August 25, 2004: “…the venerable Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, which is on the point of setting out on the return journey to Russia, which it left one day long ago… From the very first, I wanted this holy Icon to return to its own Land of Russia, where, according to reliable historical accounts, it was for a great many years the object of profound veneration on the part of entire generations of the faithful… May the ancient image of the Mother of the Lord tell His Holiness Alexei II and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Successor of Peter’s affection for them and for all the faithful entrusted to their care.  May it speak of his esteem for the great spiritual tradition of which the Holy Russian Church is custodian. ” (L’Osservatore Romano, Sept. 1, 2004, p. 2.)

 

Comment: The extraordinary image of Our Lady of Kazan is an ancient Russian image of Our Lady that had been in the custody of the Blue Army since the 1950’s.  Their plan was that when Russia was converted to the Catholic Faith, the holy image would be returned to Russia; but it would not be given to the Russians as long as they were under the dominant yoke of the Russian “Orthodox” [Schismatic] Church.  However, the Blue Army decided to give the holy image to John Paul II.  After John Paul II had the image in his possession, talks surfaced that he would give the image to the Russian Schismatic Patriarch Alexei II (who is publicly very critical of Antipope John Paul II and the Vatican), if Alexei II would allow him to visit Russia.  But in late August, Antipope John Paul II freely gave the image of Our Lady of Kazan to the Russian Schismatics without any conversion on their part or even an agreement that he could come to visit. 

 

Notice a few things about Antipope John Paul II’s homily quoted above: 1) He calls the blatant non-Catholic heretic and schismatic, Alexei II, “His Holiness.” 2) He says that these Schismatic Russian Bishops have “faithful entrusted to their care.”  This is totally heretical.

 

Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (#15), June 29, 1896 – Bishops Separated from Peter and his Successors Lose All Jurisdiction: “From this it must be clearly understood that Bishops are deprived of the right and power of ruling, if they deliberately secede from Peter and his successors; because, by this secession, they are separated from the foundation on which the whole edifice must rest… No one, therefore, unless in communion with Peter can share in his authority, since it is absurd to imagine that he who is outside can command in the Church.”

 

By stating that the Schismatic Russian “Orthodox” sect has the faithful of Christ “entrusted” to its care, Antipope John Paul II is stating that this non-Catholic sect possesses ordinary jurisdiction in the Church of Christ without accepting the Papacy, and that the Schismatic Bishops of the “Orthodox” sect are part of the true Church.  This is totally heretical and schismatical and it again makes a mockery of the Papacy, Papal Infallibility, the last 13 dogmatic Councils and all the Catholic martyrs who were tortured in history not to become Russian “Orthodox” Schismatics.

 

3)  Antipope John Paul II calls the Schismatic Russian sect the “Holy Russian Church.”  This is interesting because the Catholic Church, in its dogmatic decrees, such as the Council of Florence, refers to the true Church of Christ as “the Holy Roman Church.”  Antipope John Paul II is putting the Schismatic Russian sect on a par with the true Catholic Church.  All of this proves again that Antipope John Paul II is not a Catholic, but a blatant heretic and schismatic.

 

Bonus Heresy

 

In last week’s Heresy of the Week we didn’t fit this statement from Antipope John Paul II in, so we are including it as a “bonus” heresy here.

 

Antipope John Paul II, Message to Russian Catholic youth, July 26, 2004: “This meeting is an important moment for the Church which lives in the Russian Federation.  In the past she suffered much hardship and was persecuted and tortured, often to the point of bloodshed, but she persevered in her loyalty to Christ, the one Lord, and in the confession of the perennial truths of the faith.  In this confession, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants found themselves side by side.  Their witness has become a common patrimony for us all.  ‘This gesture cannot fail to have an ecumenical character and expression.  Perhaps the most convincing form of ecumenism is the ecumenism of the saints and of the martyrs.’” (L’Osservatore Romano, Aug. 25, 2004, p. 3.)

 

Here we can see Antipope John Paul II stating that Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants have all been together in loyalty to Christ and in the confession of the perennial truths of the Faith.  This is heresy.  In this context, he also states that “the most convincing form of ecumenism is the ecumenism of the saints and of the martyrs,” which means that Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants all have saints and martyrs.  This is also formal heresy.

 

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, Cantate Domino, Session 11, Feb. 4, 1442, ex cathedra: “The Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and proclaims that… no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.”

 

Week of 7/16/04 

 

John Paul II meets with the Schismatic “Orthodox” Patriarch Bartholomew and denies the Catholic Faith again

 

Antipope John Paul II, Homily to Schismatic Patriarch Bartholomew I, June 29, 2004: “I would like to express my warm gratitude to you [Bartholomew I] for coming here, Your Holiness, and for the reflections that you have desired to offer us.  I am also delighted to celebrate together with you… that blessed meeting in Jerusalem of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I… That meeting cannot be merely a memory.  It is challenge for us!  It shows us the road to reciprocal rediscovery and reconciliation… We know very well that the unity we seek is first and foremost a gift of God.  However, we are aware that hastening the time of its total achievement also depends on us, on our prayers and on our conversion to Christ. ” (L’Osservatore Romano, July 7, 2004, p. 6/7.)

 

Comment: On June 29, 2004, Antipope John Paul II met with the non-Catholic, Schismatic “Orthodox” Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I – who rejects the dogma of the Papacy, the last 13 Councils of the Church, the binding nature of the Immaculate Conception, etc.  Antipope John Paul II has had countless meetings with these Schismatics, and never once has he called them to conversion – on the contrary, in meeting after meeting he has explicitly repudiated any intention to proselytize them, as we have documented in the past.  

 

In his meeting with the Schismatic Bartholomew in late June to early July, Antipope John Paul II made 5 separate speeches to him: a welcome address, a Common Declaration, an Angelus address, a homily, and a farewell address.  Not once, of course, does he mention that it is necessary for the Eastern Schismatic to convert to Catholicism or accept the Papacy.  On the contrary, he mentioned approximately 5 times the heretical meeting between Paul VI and the Schismatic Patriarch of Constantinople in the 1960’s, when both men repudiated the reciprocal excommunications of 1054.  In other words, Antipope John Paul II indicated over and over again that the Eastern Schismatics (according to him) are not excommunicated – by commemorating Paul VI’s overturning of the excommunications against them.

 

In fact, in the above speech, we see again that he calls the Schismatic Bartholomew “Your Holiness,” and he says that the road to reconciliation is “reciprocal.”  Reciprocal means mutual!  In other words, it’s not that the Orthodox Schismatics need to reconcile with the Church, no; it is rather that both sides need to reconcile, according to the apostate Antipope John Paul II.  This is blatant heresy and proves again that Antipope John Paul II is not trying to convert them. 

 

Finally, Antipope John Paul II says that hastening the time of unity with the Schismatics depends on “our conversion,” that is, a conversion on both sides – and not on the conversion of the Schismatics to an acceptance of the dogma of the Papacy and the rest of the Catholic Faith.

 

Pope Pius IX, Vatican Council I, Sess. 4, Chap. 3, ex cathedra: “Furthermore We teach and declare that the Roman Church, by the disposition of the Lord, holds the sovereignty of ordinary power over all others… This is the doctrine of Catholic truth from which no one can deviate and keep his faith and salvation.”

 

With these facts in mind, one can see why we point out that those who comprehend these facts and still regard Antipope John Paul II as a Catholic (and not a heretic and schismatic) are heretics.

 

Week of 6/25/04 

 

John Paul II calls the Eastern Schismatic Sect “venerable,” and more

 

Antipope John Paul II, Message, May 13, 2004: “As a pilgrim of faith and hope, I was welcomed at that time [in Romania] with great warmth by the President and State Authorities, by His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist and by all the people of the venerable Orthodox Church of Romania.” (L’Osservatore Romano, June 16, 2004, p. 2.)

 

 

Comment: To “venerate” something is to regard it with reverence, consider it as exalted or sacred.  The schismatic Orthodox sect of Romania is exactly the opposite.  Here is what Pope Pius IX said about the “Old Catholics,” who are also heretical and schismatical, but even less heretical than the “Orthodox,” because the Orthodox reject Papal Infallibility and Papal Primacy, while the “Old Catholics” accept Papal Primacy but reject Papal Infallibility.

 

Pope Pius IX, Graves ac diuturnae (#’s 1-4), March 23, 1875: “… the new heretics who call themselves ‘Old Catholics’… these schismatics and heretics… their wicked sect… these sons of darkness… their wicked faction… this deplorable sect… This sect overthrows the foundations of the Catholic religion, shamelessly rejects the dogmatic definitions of the Ecumenical Vatican Council, and devotes itself to the ruin of souls in so many ways.  We have decreed and declared in Our letter of 21 November 1873 that those unfortunate men who belong to, adhere to, and support that sect should be considered as schismatics and separated from communion with the Church.”

 

That’s quite a different view of schism than Antipope John Paul II’s view of the “Orthodox,” isn’t it?  Yes, that is because Antipope John Paul II is not a Catholic.  To call the non-Catholic, heretical and schismatical Orthodox sect “venerable” is heretical and schismatical without a doubt.  Notice how Antipope John Paul II also refers to the non-Catholic Patriarch of Romania as “His Beatitude,” which indicates that this schismatic holds some position of honor and authority in the Church of Christ!  This is also a schismatic action. 

 

We get a kick out of it sometimes when people in the Vatican II sect under Antipope John Paul II won’t refer to us as “Bro.” Michael Dimond or “Bro.” Peter Dimond because we are not in communion with Antipope John Paul II.  Yet, these same people have no problem referring to Antipope John Paul II as “His Holiness,” when Antipope John Paul II refers to non-Catholic schismatics as “His Beatitude”!  These people are hypocrites and the Lord will vomit them out of His mouth.

 

But there’s more from Antipope John Paul II.

 

Antipope John Paul II, Address to Ambassador of Tunisia, May 27, 2004, p. 8: “I am delighted, therefore, by your Country’s engagement to establish a sincere dialogue between the cultures and the religions.  This is an important goal which must lead to relations that show greater solidarity between human and religious communities.  For its part, the modest Catholic community that lives in Tunisia has no other ambition than to witness to the dignity of man, created in the image of God, and to put itself in a brotherly way at his service… [the Bishop of Tunis and the Catholic faithful] are eager to pursue and open and loyal dialogue with Muslim believers.” (L’Osservatore Romano, June 16, 2004, p. 8.)

 

The “Catholic community” in Tunisia has no other ambition than to witness to the dignity of man?  Antipope John Paul II is again clearly indicating that the “Catholic” community in Tunisia has no desire to convert Muslims and other non-Catholics, but only to witness to the dignity of man.  

 

Notice that he also calls Muslims “believers.”  He does this quite frequently, when, in fact, Muslims are “infidels,” which means “unbelievers” – exactly the opposite of “believers.”

 

Week of 4/16/04

 

The Vatican II Sect commemorates Mennonite “martyrdom”

 

Mons. John A. Rodano, Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity, March, 2004: “An international dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Mennonite World Conference took place 1998-2003… Part III, ‘Toward a Healing of Memories’, was written in light of bitter memories of the past and especially, from the Menonite perspective, their memory of persecution and martyrdom in the 16th century, and in light of our isolation from one another since that time.  It outlines four steps that could be taken toward a healing of memories

     “In a common statement, Catholics and Mennonites together regret that they and other Christians ‘were unable to resolve the problems of the Church of that time in such a way as to prevent divisions in the Body of Christ that have lasted to the present day.’”  (L’Osservatore Romano, March 24, 2004, p. 10.)

 

Comment:  In early March (see our Heresy of the Week for 3/19/04), the Vatican II sect was following Antipope John Paul II’s lead in commemorating the Lutheran pastor Paul Schneider.  Late in March, the Vatican II sect commemorates Mennonite “martyrdom.”  This is formal heresy coming out basically on a weekly basis.  Could Antipope John Paul II’s sect deny the dogma Outside the Church There is No Salvation any more clearly or consistently?  What kind of “Catholic” could affirm communion with such a “hierarchy” while aware of these facts?

 

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, Cantate Domino, Session 11, Feb. 4, 1442, ex cathedra:“… no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.”

 

Notice also that the common statement above presents the divisions between Catholics and Mennonites as “problems of the Church at that time,” for which seemingly both sides were to blame.  In other words, the Mennonites aren’t the ones guilty of heresy for leaving the Body of Christ and following their man-made religion!  Notice also that the document says that the Body of Christ is divided.  Such a notion is heretical.  The Body of Christ is indivisible by nature.

Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (# 4), June 29, 1896:
"The Church in respect of its unity belongs to the category of things indivisible by nature, though heretics try to divide it into many parts."

Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (# 4):                                                
"Furthermore, the eminence of the Church arises from its unity, as the principle of its constitution - a unity surpassing all else, and having nothing like unto it or equal to it."

Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (# 5):
"'There is one God, and one Christ; and His Church is one and the faith is one; and one people, joined together in the solid unity of the body in the bond of concord. This unity cannot be broken, nor the one body divided by the separation of its constituent parts.'"

When people become Mennonite heretics, they don’t divide the Body of Christ.  They simply separate themselves from the Body.   But the Vatican II sect consistently teaches that the Body of Christ is divided by the various “Christian” sects, which means that it considers these sects part of the Body of Christ.  All of this shows that the Vatican II sect of Antipope John Paul II is not the Catholic Church, but a non-Catholic sect in communion with heretics, which recognizes non-Catholic “Saints,” and which holds that the Church of Christ is divided

 

 

Week of 3/5/04 – Major Heresy

 

The Vatican II sect praises and celebrates John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist sect

 

Fr. Donald Bolen, Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Feb. 2004: “2003 was an eventful year in relations between the Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council… In June 2003, Methodists worldwide celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, and in small but significant ways, invited the Catholic Church to join in these celebrations… Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, preached at the Methodist Church in Rome on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley.  Later in the year, he sent a message to a celebration marking both the anniversary of Wesley’s birth and that of the Chapel Wesley opened in London 225 years ago. 

“Cardinal Kasper made use of the opportunity provided by these occasions to contribute to a Catholic reassessment of John Wesley, particularly attentive to ‘his wholehearted commitment to spreading the good news of salvation, his fostering of Scriptural holiness and structuring of communities of Christians for witness and mission.’

“Cardinal Kasper noted that ‘We must also seek a wider view, to see what dynamized Wesley’s ministry, to see the evangelical passion which gave direction to his life and the movement he started.’

“Kasper stressed that this reassessment of Wesley, which was ‘rich with possibilities,’ was possible because Catholics could now look to Wesley through eyes educated by our international dialogue and by the emergence of friendship and shared mission in various local contexts throughout the world, wherein ‘we have come to recognize each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.’

“Addressing the congregation of Methodists Cardinal Kasper noted that just as Methodists ‘continue to turn to the ministry of John Wesley for inspiration and guidance, we can look to see and find in him the evangelical zeal, the pursuit of holiness, the concern for the poor, the virtues and goodness which we have come to know and respect in you.  Cardinal Kasper’s homily and message were warmly received and much appreciated. (L’Osservatore Romano, Feb. 18, 2004)

Comment: John Wesley was a non-Catholic heretic, and the founder of his own religion!  He started out as an Anglican and then formed Methodism.   He denied the Papacy; he denied all of the dogmatic Councils of the Catholic Church; he denied apostolic succession; he denied all but two of the seven sacraments, admitting only Baptism and the Eucharist, but he rejected that Baptism confers sanctifying grace and he denied that Our Lord is truly present in the Eucharist.  He denied Purgatory, and he held that man is justified by faith alone and thereby assured of his salvation.  How is that for “wholehearted commitment to spreading the good news of salvation”? How is that for “fostering of Scriptural holiness and structuring of communities of Christians”?  How is that for “evangelical zeal, the pursuit of holiness… the virtues and goodness which we have come to know and respect in you”?  Yes, heresy, schism and the spreading of false doctrines of the worst kind – including the evil doctrine of faith alone – are “virtues” that the Vatican II sect wants to come to know and respect in everyone.

To praise and commemorate the founder of this sect is a complete rejection of the Catholic faith!  This article, I remind the reader, appeared in the official Vatican newspaper, because it is perfectly in accord with the mind and teaching of Antipope John Paul II. 

 

The article also calls for the Methodists to affirm the Joint Declaration with the Lutherans on Justification, which totally repudiates the Council of Trent.

 

Fr. Donald Bolen, Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Feb. 2004: “In June 2003, Methodists worldwide celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, and in small but significant ways, invited the Catholic Church to join in these celebrations.  It was also a year in which a promising initiative took important steps forward – towards a Methodist affirmation of the agreement reached by Lutherans and Catholics in the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.” (L’Osservatore Romano, Feb. 18, 2004)

All of this is total heresy and schism.  And those who affirm communion with these men, after being aware of the facts, are heretics.

Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215, Constitution 3:

“We excommunicate and anathematize every heresy raising itself up against this holy, orthodox, and Catholic faith which we have expounded above.  We condemn all heretics, whatever names they may go under.  They have different faces indeed but their tails are tied together in as much as they are alike in their pride.”

 

Pope Pelagius II, epistle (1) Quod ad dilectionem, 585:

“If anyone, however, either suggests or believes or presumes to teach contrary to this faith, let him know that he is condemned and also anathematized according to the opinion of the same Fathers.(Denz. 246)

 

Pope St. Martin I, First Lateran Council, 649, Can. 17:

“If anyone in word and mind does not properly and truly confess according to the holy Fathers all even to the last portion that has been down and preached in the holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church of God, and likewise by the holy Fathers and the five venerable Councils, let him be anathema.” (Denz. 270)

 

Week of 2/13/04 – Major Heresy

 

Antipope John Paul II denies the Council of Trent again by commemorating the heretical JD with the Lutherans on Justification

 

Antipope John Paul II, Jan. 19, 2004, At a Meeting with Lutherans From Finland: “… I wish to express my gratitude for the ecumenical progress made between Catholics and Lutherans in the five years since the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification… It is my hope that Lutherans and Catholics will increasingly practice a spirituality of communion, which draws on those elements of ecclesial life which they already share and which will strengthen their fellowship in prayer and in witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” (L’Osservatore Romano, Jan. 28, 2004, p. 4.)

 

Comment: The Joint Declaration with the Lutherans on the Doctrine of Justification is so heretical that there are almost no words to describe it.  It completely repudiates the Council of Trent.  Since some of the defenders of Antipope John Paul II and even some of the “traditionalists” have offered some of the most ridiculous and dishonest attempts to defend this agreement, I will briefly review why this document is heretical, why it is a complete repudiation of the Council of Trent, and why it actually constitutes an official declaration by John Paul II himself that his sect is a non-Catholic, Protestant “Church.” 

 

1) Joint Declaration With Lutherans on Justification: “# 5.  THE PRESENT JOINT DECLARATION… does not cover all that either church teaches about justification; it does encompass a consensus on basic truths of the doctrine of justification and SHOWS THAT THE REMAINING DIFFERENCES ARE NO LONGER THE OCCASION FOR DOCTRINAL CONDEMNATIONS.”

 

This means that the remaining differences between Lutherans and Catholics on Justification – for example, the fact that Lutherans don’t accept the Council of Trent’s Decree on Justification as dogmatic – are no longer the occasion for doctrinal condemnations.  This is blatantly HERETICAL.  The very fact that the Lutherans don’t accept the Council of Trent’s Decree on Justification as dogmatic is an occasion for their doctrinal condemnation.

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 6, Chap. 16, ex cathedra:
"After this Catholic doctrine of justification [defined by Trent] - which, unless he faithfully and firmly accepts, no one can be justified - it seemed good to the holy Synod to add these canons, so that all may know, not only what they must hold and follow, but also what they ought to shun and avoid."

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Sess. 6, On Justification, Introduction, ex cathedra:"...the holy ecumenical and general synod of Trent lawfully assembled in the Holy Spirit... purpose to expound to all the faithful of Christ the true and salutary doctrine of justification… strictly forbidding that anyone henceforth may presume to believe, preach or teach, otherwise than is defined and declared by this present decree."

(2) Joint Declaration With the Lutherans on Justification: "41. Thus the doctrinal condemnations of the 16th century [i.e., the Council of Trent], in so far as they are related to the doctrine of justification, appear in a new light: The teaching of the Lutheran churches presented in this Declaration does not fall under the condemnations from the Council of Trent."

This means that none of the teaching of the Lutherans in the JD is condemned by the Council of Trent!  But in the JD (Joint Declaration), besides the other heresies taught by the Lutherans (as we will see), the Lutheran churches teach the heresy of Justification by “faith alone,” which was condemned by the Council of Trent approximately 13 times. 

Joint Declaration With the Lutherans on Justification: "26. According to Lutheran understanding, God justifies sinners in faith alone (sola fide)."

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 6, Chap. 10, ex cathedra :
"'You see, that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone' (Jas. 2:24)."

Thus, the statement in #41 of the JD means that the “Catholic” side agrees that all the dogmatic canons and decrees in Trent condemning faith alone are overturned, and that faith alone is no longer contrary to or condemned by Trent.  It is not possible for heresy to be any more formal than this.

3) Joint Declaration With the Lutherans on Justification: “# 13.  IN LIGHT OF THIS CONSENSUS, THE CORRESPONDING DOCTRINAL CONDEMNATIONS OF THE 16TH CENTURY [the Council of Trent] DO NOT APPLY TO TODAY’S PARTNER.”

This again means that the fact that the Lutherans don’t accept the Council of Trent’s Decree on Justification in totality is not heretical, which is a denial of the Council of Trent.  The Council of Trent condemned as heretical anyone who does not accept all of its teaching.

So, don’t be misled by those liars who try to convince people that the JD didn’t really deny the Council of Trent, or that “it’s much more complicated than that.”  These people are used by the devil to defend the apostate Vatican II sect of Antipope John Paul II.  The Joint Declaration with the Lutherans on the Doctrine of Justification completely rejects the dogmatic Council of Trent.  Anyone who denies this is simply a liar.

SOME OTHER HERESIES IN THE JOINT DECLARATION

In fact, besides “faith alone,” there are hordes of other heresies in the JD which were specifically condemned by Trent.  See the article on our site Joint Declaration With the Lutherans on Justification for all the gory details.  The JD has heresy spilling out of it.  Here are just a few others. 

JD With Lutherans: "21. According to the Lutheran teaching, human beings are incapable of cooperating in their salvation, because as sinners they actively oppose God and his saving action." –HERESY CONDEMNED BY TRENT!

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 6, Can. 4:
"If anyone shall say that man's free will moved and aroused by God does not cooperate by assenting to God who rouses and calls, whereby it disposes and prepares itself to obtain the grace of justification, and that it cannot dissent, if it wishes, but that like something inanimate it does nothing at all and is merely in a passive state: let him be anathema."

JD With Lutherans: "23. …Lutherans... intend rather to express that justification remains free from human cooperation and is not dependent upon the life-renewing effects of grace in human beings." – HERESY CONDEMNED BY TRENT!

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 6, Can. 1:
"If anyone shall say that man can be justified before God by his own works which are done either by his own natural powers, or through the teaching of the Law, and without divine grace through Christ Jesus: let him be anathema."

JD With Lutherans: "29. Lutherans understand this condition of the Christian as a being 'at the same time righteous and sinner'. Believers are totally righteous, in that God forgives their sins through Word and Sacrament and grants the righteousness of Christ which they appropriate in faith. In Christ, they are made just before God. Looking at themselves through the law, however, they recognize that they remain totally sinners." – HERESY CONDEMNED BY TRENT!

This heresy is also called “simul justus et peccator” (at the same time just and sinner) and was one of Martin Luther’s favorites.  It was vigorously condemned by Trent in the following two passages.

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 5:
"If anyone denies that by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is conferred in baptism, the guilt of original sin is remitted, or even asserts that the whole of that which has the true and proper nature of sin is not taken away, but says that it is only touched in person or is not imputed, let him be anathema."

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 5:
"For in those who are born again [Justified], God hates nothing, because 'there is no condemnation, to those who are truly buried together with Christ by baptism unto death' (Rom. 6:4), who do not 'walk according to the flesh' (Rom. 8:1), but putting off 'the old man' and putting on the 'new, who is created according to God' (Eph. 4:22 ff.; Col. 3:9), are made innocent, immaculate, pure, guiltless, and beloved sons of God, 'heirs indeed of God, but co-heirs with Christ' (Rom. 8:17), so that there is nothing whatever to retard their entrance into heaven."

JD With Lutherans: "29... Lutherans say that justified persons are also sinners and that their opposition to God is truly sin, they do not deny that, despite this sin, they are not separated from God and that this is a 'ruled' sin." – HERESY CONDEMNED BY TRENT

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Session 6, Chap. 15:
"... the doctrine of divine law which excludes from the kingdom of God not only the unbelievers, but also the faithful who are fornicators, adulterers, effeminate, liers with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, railers, extortioners (1 Cor. 6:9), and all others who commit deadly sins, from which with the assistance of divine grace they can refrain and for which they are separated from the grace of God."

I could go on, but there is a whole article on this on our website. Some of the false teachers who have tried to belittle the significance of the JD have tried to deceive their readers and listeners by saying that the two other documents which go alone with the JD actually clarify everything.  THIS IS PURE HOGWASH!  The two other documents that go along with the JD: 1) The Official Common Statement by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church and 2) the Annex to the Official Common Statement not only confirm the JD, but in fact, the Annex shows that the “Catholic” side not only accepts the heresy of faith alone, as stated in the JD, but also professes belief in faith alone!

Annex to the Official Common Statement, #2, C [“Catholic” side and Lutheran side together]: "Justification takes place by grace alone, by faith alone, the person is justified apart from works."

But, as said above, even if the Annex didn’t assert this abominable heresy, it wouldn’t matter, because all of the heresies catalogued above – whether on the Lutheran side or the “Catholic” side of the JD – are accepted as not condemned by the Council of Trent.  Furthermore, as proven in point 1 of this column, the JD specifically says that the Lutherans’ remaining differences with Catholics on Justification are not an occasion for doctrinal condemnations.  So don’t be fooled by those liars who tell you that “yeah, there are problems with the JD, but none of the heresies appear on the Catholic side, just on the Lutheran side.”  It is simply not true and, more importantly, it doesn’t make a difference.

I will conclude this Heresy of the Week with a quote from an article WHICH APPEARED IN L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO (the official newspaper of the Vatican) DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH ANTIPOPE JOHN PAUL II’S MEETING WITH THE FINNISH PROTESTANTS QUOTED AT THE TOP OF THIS COLUMN.

Mons. John A. Radano, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, (L’Osservatore Romano, Jan. 28, 2004, p. 4.): “This latter meeting [between Baptists and “Catholics”] , 5-6 December, at the suggestion of the Baptists focused one day on the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JD) signed by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999…”

This means that the “Church” of John Paul II officially accepts the Joint Declaration with the Lutherans on the Doctrine of Justification and rejects the Council of Trent.  The Catholic Church, on the other hand, retains and will always retain the Council of Trent’s Doctrine on Justification, which was delivered by Christ to the Apostles. 

Pope Paul III, Council of Trent, Sess. 6, On Justification, Introduction: "...the holy ecumenical and general synod of Trent lawfully assembled in the Holy Spirit... cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and apostolic legates a latere, presiding therein in the name of our Most Holy Father and Lord in Christ, Paul, the third Pope by the providence of God, for the praise and glory of Almighty God, for the tranquility of the Church and the salvation of souls, purpose to expound to all the faithful of Christ the true and salutary doctrine of justification, which the "son of justice" (Mal. 4:2), Christ Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2) taught, the apostles transmitted and the Catholic Church, under the instigation of the Holy Spirit, has always retained..."

 

Thus, the “Church” of John Paul II is not the Catholic Church, and those who are aware of these facts and then affirm communion with it are simply affirming communion with a non-Catholic “Church” and are not Catholics – period.

 

Week of 3/19/04 – Formal Heresy

 

Non-Catholic “Saints” and “Martyrs” Commemorated by the Vatican II sect and John Paul II

 

Fr. Matthias Turk, Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity, March, 2004: “Among the more significant events was the touching ecumenical celebration organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio on 1 February 2003 in Rome’s Basilica of St. Bartholomew in order to commemorate the Lutheran Pastor Paul Schneider, who was killed in the Buchenwald concentration camp.  Those attending on this occasion included Cardinal Walter Kasper… and other ecumenical representatives of Roman Parishes.

     “This testimony, as the Holy Father has said, ‘speaks louder than the things which divide us.’” (L’Osservatore Romano, March 10, 2004, p. 11.)

 

Comment: Here we see the Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity commemorating a Lutheran heretic as a martyr for the faith.  This is formal heresy against the Council of Florence.

 

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, Cantate Domino, Session 11, Feb. 4, 1442, ex cathedra:“… no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.”

 

Pope Pelagius II, epistle (2) Dilectionis vestrae, 585:

Those who were not willing to be at agreement in the Church of God, cannot remain with God; although given over to flames and fires, they burn, or thrown to wild beasts, they lay down their lives, there will not be for them that crown of faith, but the punishment of faithlessness, not a glorious result (of religious virtue), but the ruin of despair.  Such a one can be slain, he cannot be crowned.”

 

But in promoting this clear (and formal) heresy in the official Vatican newspaper of last week, the members of the Vatican Council for Promoting Christian Unity are just following Antipope John Paul II’s lead, who has stated again and again and again that there are saints and martyrs in non-Catholic sects.

 

Antipope John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint (# 82), May 25, 1995:

“All Christian Communities know that, thanks to the power given by the Spirit, obeying that will and overcoming those obstacles are not beyond their reach.  All of them in fact have martyrs for the Christian faith.”

 

Antipope John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint (# 84), May 25, 1995:

“Albeit in an invisible way, the communion between our Communities, even if still incomplete, is truly and solidly grounded in the full communion of the saints - those who, at end of a life faithful to grace, are in communion with Christ in glory.  These saints come from all the Churches and Ecclesial Communities which gave them entrance into the communion of salvation.”

 

Antipope John Paul II, speech to schismatic non-Catholic Patriarch Karekin II, Nov. 9, 2000:

“Again, I thank Your Holiness for your willingness to be part of that liturgy in the person of your representative.  In effect, ‘perhaps the most convincing form of ecumenism is the ecumenism of the saints and of the martyrs.  The communio sanctorum speaks louder than the things which divide us.’”

 

Antipope John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint (# 1), May 25, 1995:

The courageous witness of so many martyrs of our century, including members of Churches and Ecclesial Communities not in full communion with the Catholic Church, gives new vigor to the Council’s call and reminds us of our duty to listen to and put into practice its exhortation.”

 

Antipope John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris (# 22), Feb. 11, 1984:

“Christ’s resurrection has revealed ‘the glory of the future age’ and, at the same time, has confirmed ‘the boast of the cross’: the glory that is hidden in the very suffering of Christ and which has been and is often mirrored in human suffering, as an expression of man’s spiritual greatness.  This glory must be acknowledged not only in the martyrs for the Faith but in many others also who, at times, even without belief in Christ, suffer and give their lives for the truth and for a just cause.  In the sufferings of all of these people the great dignity of man is strikingly confirmed.”

 

Antipope John Paul II, Angelus Address, Sept. 19, 1993:

“In the unbounded space of Eastern Europe, the Orthodox Church too can well say at the end of this century what the Fathers of the Church had proclaimed about the initial spread of the Gospel: ‘Sanguis martyrum – semen Christianorum’ [the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians].

 

Antipope John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente (# 37), Nov. 10, 1994:

“The witness to Christ borne even to the shedding of blood has become a common inheritance of Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants, as Pope Paul VI pointed out in his Homily for the Canonization of the Ugandan Martyrs.”

 

Antipope John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente (# 37), Nov. 10, 1994:

the local Churches should do everything possible to ensure that the memory of those who have suffered martyrdom should be safeguarded, gathering the necessary documentation.  This gesture cannot fail to have an ecumenical character and expression.  Perhaps the most convincing form of ecumenism is the ecumenism of the saints and martyrs.  The communio sanctorum speaks louder than the things which divide us.”

 

Antipope John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint (# 84), May 25, 1995:

“In a theocentric vision, we Christians already have a common martyrology.  This includes the martyrs of our own century, more numerous than one might think…”

 

Antipope John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint (# 84), May 25, 1995:

“In the radiance of the ‘heritage of the saints’ belonging to all Communities, the ‘dialogue of conversion’ toward full and visible unity thus appears as a source of hope.  The universal presence of the saints is in fact a proof of the transcendent power of the Spirit.”

 

Antipope John Paul II, General Audience, May 12, 1999: “The experience of martyrdom joined Christians of various denominations in Romania.  The Orthodox, Catholic and Protestants gave a united witness to Christ by the sacrifice of their lives.”

 

All of this is repeated, public and formal heresy.  And to think that some “traditionalists” have the audacity to assert that Antipope John Paul II has not denied any dogma!  What an outrage and a lie!  This heresy alone, without even considering the others, proves without any doubt that he is not a Catholic.

 

St. Alphonsus Liguori: "We should not forget that the devil has his martyrs, and that he infuses into them a false constancy. It is not the punishment, but the cause that makes the martyr; that is: the confession of the true faith." (Victories of the Martyrs)

 

Week of 1/16/04 – Major Heresy!

 

John Paul II approves and celebrates the “lifting” of the excommunications against the “Orthodox”!

 

Antipope John Paul II, Nov. 29, 2003, to Schismatic Patriarch Bartholomew I: “During the celebrations for this Anniversary, I also thought back over the many events that have marked my commitment to making the Church of Christ breathe more deeply with both her lungs; so that the Churches of the West and of the East, which for one millennium could develop and express their great living traditions together, may draw closer and closer to the full communion that the historical circumstances of the second millennium undermined… Subsequently, through God’s grace, Rome and Constantinople set out on the same path and, before the Council assembly, formally lifted the excommunications of 1054.  We will soon be celebrating the 40th anniversary of this event, the symbol and guarantee of our commitment and resolutions.” (L’Osservatore Romano, Jan. 7, 2004, p. 5.)

 

Comment: In the year 1054, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius, broke communion with the Catholic Church and the Pope of Rome.  Cerularius rejected the supreme authority of the Pope, closed Roman Rite churches in Constantinople and declared the Roman Rite of Mass invalid because it implemented unleavened instead of leavened bread.  Cerularius was promptly excommunicated by Pope St. Leo IX and the Great Schism of the East was formalized.  Fr. John Laux describes it.

 

Fr. John Laux, Church History, pp. 295-296: “Cerularius himself closed the churches of the Latins in Constantinople and impiously ordered the Blessed Sacrament to be cast out and trodden under foot as invalid… Pope St. Leo IX sent three legates to Constantinople, but Cerularius obstinately refused to receive them.  Thereupon they laid the document containing his excommunication on the altar of St. Sophia… It was the 16th of July, 1054.”

 

     Thus, “the excommunications of 1054” mentioned by Antipope John Paul II above refer to the excommunications leveled by the Catholic Church against those who followed Michael Cerularius outside the Church into schism and into a rejection of the Papacy.  Antipope Paul VI “lifted” these excommunications at Vatican II, and Antipope John Paul II (as we can see above) is not only praising the “lifting” of these excommunications, but he is actually going to be commemorating the anniversary of the “lifting” the 1054 excommunications by Paul VI.  Ladies and Gentleman, this means that Antipope John Paul II is “overturning” the Papacy as a dogma which must be believed under pain of heresy.  Can you say “formal heresy”?  Can you say “blatant, formal heresy”?  Can you say “formal heresy right in your face by celebrating the anniversary of it”?  The First Vatican Council solemnly and repeatedly anathematized anyone who would deny the Papacy.  I will only quote one passage from the dogmatic Council; I could quote many.

Pope Pius IX, First Vatican Council, Session 4, Chap. 3, ex cathedra:
"We renew the definition of the Ecumenical Council of Florence, by which all the faithful of Christ must believe that the Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff hold primacy over the whole world, and the Pontiff of Rome himself is the successor of the blessed Peter, the chief of the apostles, and is the true vicar of Christ and head of the whole Church... This is the doctrine of Catholic truth from which no one can deviate and keep his faith and salvation."

     But it’s just another day at the office for Antipope John Paul II: defend the Great Schism of the East to a Schismatic, reaffirm the overturning of the Papacy as a dogma which must be believed, and prepare to celebrate the event.  Here is what Pope Pius XI and Benedict XIV had to say about the excommunications of 1054 and the Great Schism which followed.

 

Pope Pius XI, Ecclesiam Dei (#4), Nov. 12, 1923: “The greatest and most deplorable defection of all was the separation of the Greeks from the unity of the Church universal.  The Councils of Lyons and Florence held out hopes of healing this breach; these hopes were illusory.  The schism was renewed and has lasted to the present day, with enormous injury to souls… On their side the Roman Pontiffs left nothing undone to bring back these peoples to the unity of the Church.  Some popes even made the salvation of the Eastern Slavs one of the most important purposes of their pontificates.”

 

Pope Benedict XIV, Allatae Sunt (#7), July 26, 1755: “Michael Cerularius, the impious restorer of the schism…”