The following are a few quotes which I wished to share… They are taken from a book by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori by the name of Verità della Fede, Truths of Faith. I found them interesting because of their contemporary relevance.

Saint Alphonsus condemned invincible ignorance as well as false religions and preached EENS

1. Introduzione: “… questi increduli moderni: e se mai taluno fosse rimasto abbagliato da’ loro sofismi, apra gli occhi a riconoscere le verità della nostra Santa Fede, senza la quale non vi è speranza di salute.”

1. Introduction: “… these modern incredulous: and if ever someone had remained blinded by their sophisms, that he open his eyes to recognise the truth of our Holy Faith, absent which there isn’t hope of salvation.”

2. Parte 2, Capitolo 1: “Ma perché, … Iddio condannerà un infedele che ha ignorato invincibilmente il Vangelo? Si risponde che l’infedele si dannerà, non perché ha ignorato il Vangelo, ma per causa delle altre sue colpe. … Il Cristiano fa bene, perché siegue una religione conforme a’ dettami della natura e a’ dogmi rivelati da Gesù Cristo; il Turco fa male, perché siegue una religione contraria alle leggi naturali ed alle verità rivelate, le quali perciò appunto sono dal Turco ignorate, perché non è vivuto secondo i lumi della natura. E quindi concludiamo che giustamente la religion Cristiana condanna la tolleranza delle altre religioni, … ”

2. Part 2, Chapter 1: “Yet why … will God condemn an infidel who has invincibly ignored the Gospel? One responds that the infidel will himself, not because he ignored the Gospel, but due to his other faults. … The Christian does well, because he follows a religion conformable with the dictates of nature and with the dogmas revealed by Jesus Christ; the Turk does bad, because he follows a religion contrary to the natural laws and the revealed truths, which are therefore indeed by the Turk ignored, because he has not lived according to the lights of nature. And thus we conclude that rightly the Christian religion condemns the tolerance of other religions, … “

Saint Alphonsus confirmed sedevacantism

Parte 3, Capitolo 8: “… e se niuno degli Antipapi fosse stato vero, allora il Pontificato sarebbe finalmente vacato. … se Dio permettesse che un Papa fosse notoriamente eretico e contumace, egli cesserebbe d’essere papa, e vacherebbe il Pontificato.”

Part 3, Chapter 8: “… and if none of the Antipopes had been a true one, then the Pontificate would be finally vacated. … if God permitted that a Pope were notoriously heretical and contumacious, he would cease to be Pope, and he would vacate the Pontificate.”

Saint Alphonsus on Papal Infallibility

1. Parte 3, Capitolo 10: “Sono all’incontro infallibili, allorché parla, … come dottore universale [2] della Chiesa [3], e definisce ex cathedra le controversie di Fede [1] o de’ costumi, … ”

1. Part 3, Chapter 10: “They are on the contrary infallible, when he speaks, … as the universal doctor [2] of the Church [3], and defines ex cathedra the controversies of Faith [1] and of customs, … ”

2. Parte 3, Capitolo 7: “… la prima sentenza, cioè che il Papa solo sia infallibile nelle sue definizioni ex cathedra, … noi la teniamo per certa, … ”

2. Part 3, Chapter 7: “… the first sentence, that is that the Pope alone be infallible in his definitions ex cathedra, … we hold as certain, … “

End

I have sought this book in English but I fear that it is not available. This book is mighty, for it is a sound refutation of materialists, deists, heretics and schismatics… It deals with the false concept of evolution, Judaism, Mohammedanism, Protestantism and the Papacy. It was written in the mid-eighteenth century, when the venom of liberalism was beginning to circulate and spread amongst the faithful and eventually, alas, even the clergy, giving rise, as you wrote, to the great apostasy. The book in Italian can be found here: http://www.intratext.com/ixt/itasa0000/_IDX153.HTM.

Faithfully yours in Christ and Mary (today foremost),

Alessandro

Interesting Quotes in St. Alphonsus’ Book, The History of Heresies & Their Refutation