The prayer life of the Roman Catholic is quite different from the Bible believing Christian. The predominant prayer in the life of almost any catholic is the "Hail Mary." It goes like this: "HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE, THE LORD IS WITH THEE. BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB, JESUS. HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US SINNERS, NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. AMEN." The statements made in this prayer are quite significant. Allow us to look at them one at a time and compare them with the word of God to see if there is a basis for such a prayer at all.
1) Hail Mary-The word "hail" brings with it today the connotation of royalty, nobility and power. It is a greeting given to someone of great power, influence and preeminence. We know very well that is the position that Roman Catholicism places on Mary. For example: the principle form of prayer for most Catholics is the "rosary." The rosary is a system of beads where a prayer is said for each bead. The beads are a way to count the prayers and to know where and when to say a particular prayer. In this "rosary," ten prayers are said to Mary for every one that is said to God the Father. In other words Mary is preeminent ten to one over God! Mary is referred to as the "mother of the church," "the second eve," "the queen of heaven." The queen of the universe," "co-redemptrix," "co-mediator," and if that were not enough, the head of the Roman Catholic Church has dedicated the world on at least two occasions, not to the savior Jesus Christ, but to Mary. When he was shot in an assassination attempt, he thanked and credited Mary with saving him! Attributing praise and worship to humans that have no basis to receive such is not uncommon in forms of religious and political paganism, e.g., "Hail Caesar" or "Hail Hitler."
2) Full of Grace-Wow! What a statement. The teaching is clear. Mary was not ordinary, but was in fact "full" of grace. She must have been special to be "full of grace," right? What does God's word have to say on the matter? John chapter 1 is like a giant spotlight on this subject. It clearly tells us that Jesus Christ is the one that is full of grace. Mary is never said to be full of grace in the scripture. John goes on to tell us in verse 16 that we are all full of His grace and truth, because all believers have Jesus dwelling within them. Only in this sense could Mary have been full of grace. The grace would have been the savior she carried in her womb and after Pentecost, the spirit of Christ that lives in every believer.
3) The Lord is with thee-The Lord is with every believer or they are not in fact a believer (Rom. 8:9)
4) Blessed art thou among women-While this statement is certainly biblical, it must be understood in the light of biblical truth and not as a result of subjective interpretation. The New Testament was written in "koine" Greek as opposed to classical. There are several words in the Greek language for blessed, just like there are several words for "love," each having a different meaning or carrying with it a particular connotation. A failure to examine the underlying text is a gross mistake on the part of the student of God's Word. The word translated "blessed" when speaking of Mary is not the same word used when referring to our Lord. The word used for Mary means to pronounce fortunate, and indeed she was. On the other hand the word used for blessed when referring to our Lord means to be adored. Quite a difference, wouldn't you say? You may even wish to check your concordance to see if there is a woman whom the Bible says is blessed "above" women.
5) Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus-Without a doubt this is the truth that should be the focus: the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and savior of the world. This should be the emphasis and not Mary. Many, though, know not what they worship.
6) Holy Mary, Mother of God-What a statement! Is it true? Not by any stretch of the imagination. The Bible clearly teaches that the only HOLY one is God. Mary in what is known as her Magnificat, rejoices in God HER SAVIOR (Lk.1: 47). Holiness does not need saving. Mary, after the birth of Jesus, offers a sacrifice for HER SINS. Holiness need not offer a sacrifice for sins. Mary, as any believer, received her righteousness as a gift from the Father. There was nothing inherently holy about Mary. Even Thomas Aquinas denies the "immaculate conception" of Mary. Regarding the "Mother of God" statement much not need be said. God was not born nor was He created. Mary gave birth to the "humanity" of Jesus. Jesus was God, because He is God! The statement "Mother of God" developed out of a reaction to the denial of the Deity of Jesus by some. That overreaction has resulted in the tail wagging the dog so to speak. Mary was the vessel by which the incarnation took place but she was not the supplier of Divine chromosomes.
7) Pray for us sinners-Mary does not pray for you or me. She does not even know that we exist. If she could know millions and millions of people then she would be a God! While I can pray for you if you were to ask me to, I am alive here on earth. If I would know that you were asking me to pray for you from a thousand miles away, then I would be like God. Do you get the picture? Mary has been clearly given the attributes of God. The adjective "sinners" is used because all good Catholics are still trying to pay for their sin debt. Failing to realize that when Christ said, "it is finished," He meant it. When God the Father declared it through Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, He certainly was not kidding.
8) Now and at the hour of our death-"Now," she could not even if she wanted to. "At the hour of our death," why? Please tell me what would be the purpose of such a prayer (if one could be made) at the hour of our death? Further, she again would have to be a "GOD" to know where and when we were going to die.
9) Amen-A permanent amen should be given to prayers to anyone other than God. The Father is to be the recipient of all prayer.
In summary, allow me to say that Mary was a wonderful vessel that the Father used. Mary was chosen for these reasons:
1. She was a fine, virtuous, faithful to the law Jewish maiden.
2. She was of the "seed" of King David.
3. She was a virgin.
These qualifications were the biblical reasons to choose her. Not havin just one of these prerequisites would have caused God's prophecies to fail. Did Mary play an important role in the Bible? Yes, but so did Noah and Joseph, etc. Remember, Jesus never called Mary Mother. Not even once! No Apostle ever asks her opinion on anything. No one in the Bible ever asks Mary to pray for them. After the first chapter of the fifth book of the New Testament she is never mentioned again, and then only in a list of other believers.
Please allow the Scripture to bring you to a true understanding of Mary the Mother of Jesus.
Do you know Mary?
I wonder, do you know the Mary of Mary's Well, in Nazareth, Israel, and of the Gospels? She was a very special woman, blessed by God, and occupies a unique place in history. There has never been another woman just like her. She is an example to all women of purity, humility, faith and obedience. But I'd like you to notice some things that the Rosary says about Mary:
Yes, these things and many more are said about the Mary of the Rosary, the woman who is presented to us as the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you really know her? Perhaps you think so because they have told you about her since you were a child, but let's see if you really know the Mary of the Scriptures.
Take the example of John the Baptist. The Lord Jesus said that John was the greatest of the prophets, but when they asked John, "Who are you?" he refused to take any title or honor for himself. He said, "I am not the Christ... I am not...no" (John 1:20-21). Each time he spoke he had less to say about himself, as if he were shrinking! And when they insisted, "What do you say concerning yourself?" he answered, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness" (John 1:23).
The case of Mary is similar. She was specially blessed of God to conceive and bear the Lord Jesus, and the angel called her "highly favored" (Luke 1:28). But there is a great distance between this statement and all the titles that the followers and devotees of Mary give her today. And as in the case of John the Baptist, if we allow Mary to speak of herself, this is what she says, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38), and "my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior" (Luke 1:47). Mary did not lie, I’m sure we agree, and there you have it, she said that God was her Savior, which means she needed to be saved. She knew well who she was, and we have it from her own mouth in the humblest of words.
John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, said about the Lord Jesus, "he must increase but I must decrease" (John 3:30). This is the way it was with Mary as well. In John 2:5 she moved into the background and told the servants this about Jesus, "Whatever He says to you, do it." If the devotees of Mary really believed her and took her advice, from this moment forward they would be devotees of Jesus Christ, not of Mary. The key to eternal life and the grace of God is the Lord Jesus Christ, not Mary. The Lord Jesus said, "that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father" (John 5:23). We are not told to honor Mary as divine or heavenly. There is no place in the Scriptures where the Apostles or early Christians prayed to Mary or venerated her. Did you know that there is no Rosary anywhere in the New Testament? When the Lord Jesus spoke of heaven, He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6). He never said, "To Jesus through Mary," but rather, as His words indicate, the way to God the Father is through Jesus Christ. So let's not allow ourselves to be deceived, nor allow our respect for Mary to be misguided by traditions or sentimentalism. She is blessed, but she is not the way to God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the way, the only way (see Peter's words in Acts 4:12).
Who, then, is the Mary of the Bible? To answer that question we will need to go directly to the Scriptures, not to the Missal, prayer book, catechisms, etc. It's like drinking water right from the fountainhead, instead of the muddy stream. In the Bible we have already seen that the angel said, "highly favored," and Mary replied, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord". The Lord Jesus called her, "woman" (John 2:4), not "holy mother". The Apostles knew her as "Mary the mother of Jesus" (Acts 1:14), not as "Mother of God". For true believers, here are four texts, one from an angel, one from Mary herself, one from the Lord Jesus, and one from the Apostles, that describe the Biblical Mary.
Strangely, in spite of the clear record, there are people who insist on exalting a humble godly woman and making her something that neither angels, apostles, the Lord nor Mary herself claimed to be: a goddess. Perhaps they are unaware that this is the sin of idolatry, but the Mary that they have fabricated is a religious legend, not the true Mary of the Bible. It is another woman disguised as Mary who receives the devotion of her followers.
She is not the mother of God. No one in heaven, or in the Church in the New Testament called Mary "Mother of God," because God does not have a mother or a beginning; He is eternal. God the Son existed in heaven in perfect fellowship and glory with the Father before creation (see John 17:5). Mary is the mother of Jesus, simply the human vessel through which God became flesh, blessed to receive the Incarnate Lord, not to make Him.
She is most certainly not the door of heaven, for this is a phrase that describes the Lord Jesus Christ. As with many of her titles, they have apparently been robbed from Christ, long years ago, by people who didn't really know Him, love Him, follow Him, or find Him to be sufficient as their Savior. Were they sincere? Probably. But the simple fact is, they insult the Lord Jesus by taking His titles and giving them to His human mother. He said, "I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9). That is about as clear as it can be. Therefore, to call Mary the door of heaven is nothing less than blasphemy.
She is not the mother of the Church, nor of the apostles (at least not of the true Church), because the Church is a creation of God through the Holy Spirit, just as Adam and Eve were created without human parents. The Church is the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, not the daughter of Mary. Therefore, to present Mary as the mother of the Church is not mystic, but simply ridiculous.
The Mary of the Bible is not the mother of all grace, because grace proceeds uniquely from God the Father and Jesus Christ (see Gal.1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1, etc.). It is not dispensed by humans but received by them, nor is it dispensed by churches or through sacraments, but only by God. Men should look to God for grace, not to Mary nor to any church.
She is not the throne of wisdom, because wisdom comes from God. She is not given a throne and has no spiritual wisdom to give others. We can learn from her example how to believe God and obey Him in a humble way, but she does not dispense wisdom. True wisdom descends from above, from the Father of lights (James 1:17; 3:17). There is no such thing as a "mother of lights".
She is emphatically not the queen of heaven, let's be clear about this, because the Bible never gives her this title. There is no queen ruling in heaven. The throne belongs to God and to the Lamb, but not to Mary (see Revelation 7:15,17; 22:1). In John 14:1 the Lord called heaven, "my Father's house," but never said it was His mother's house. Those who know the Holy Scriptures know that "queen of heaven" is an idolatrous title from the pagan mythology of Babylon (Semiramis), repeated in Egypt (Isis) and elsewhere by other names (see Jeremiah 44:15-19, 25). According to verse 15 of this text, many of the devotees of the pagan "queen of heaven" were women. This pagan practice of devotion to female deities invaded the professing church after the Roman Emperor legalized Christianity and professed to believe, making it popular. Instead of being persecuted, Christians were to be allowed to build temples to worship in, and some pagans erased the names of their gods and goddesses and substituted Biblical names. Instead of the Babylonian mother-god Semiramis and her son Tammuz, or the Egyptian mother-god Isis, and her son Horus, they put the names Mary and Jesus. This practice of devotion to the mother and her son is neither Christian, nor apostolic, nor Biblical.
We are not told to believe in Mary, trust her, nor pray to her. The Lord Jesus said, "Ye believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1) but He never said, "believe also in my mother." If it were necessary, why didn't He say so? He taught the disciples to pray in that wonderful way, saying, "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" but have you noticed that He never taught them to pray to Mary? Christ said that whatever we ask the Father in His name, will be given us (John 15:16; 16:23). We can go directly to the Father through the Son, and Mary is never presented as a mediatrix or intercessor. No one in the New Testament ever prayed to her. The true Mary cannot hear our prayers nor answer them. She would have to be omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent to do that, and she is not, for she is not God. Anyone who prays to her is guilty of false religion and idolatry.
The Mary of the Bible has already told us who she is. I invite you to look up and read each of the Scriptures, and see for yourself what the truth is in the Bible. The angel Gabriel has spoken. The Holy Apostles have spoken. The Lord Jesus has spoken, and this should be enough. He said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30), but never mentioned Mary in this way. Nothing can be added to contradict or modify what the Scriptures say. But if in spite of this anyone continues venerating and practicing devotion to the legendary or mystical Mary that certain churches promote, then such a person shows that he is not a true believer. He is a pagan devotee of a goddess who uses the name of Mary to turn people away from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friend, if you have venerated or prayed to Mary, I think you can see from the Scriptures such behavior is not pleasing to God. Perhaps you did it sincerely, but in ignorance. Nevertheless, now that you know the truth, you should confess it as sin, repent, and put all your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, for He alone can save you. I hope you'll take the advice of Mary and do whatever the Son says. He says that we should trust in Him for eternal life (John 3:16). And while you're at it, take the advice of John the Baptist, too, and let the Lord Jesus Christ increase in your life. The apostolic doctrine teaches us that there is one God and one mediator between God and men, not one God and many mediators. The one whose is both God and Mediator is named Christ Jesus. Do you know Him, and have you put your trust in Him alone for salvation? If not, I hope you'll do so right now.
The Forsaking of Jesus Christ
Have you heard what Pope John Paul II has been saying about Jesus Christ? One of the reasons Roman Catholics are uncertain about their salvation is because of the deranged teaching that is coming out of the Vatican. The conflicting pronouncements of the pope are making him appear more and more like a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:8). While he consistently rejects the necessity and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the Savior, he has been inconsistent on the role of the Roman Catholic Church's in salvation. In less than 3 years, Pope John Paul has renounced the Word of God with three controversial declarations: 1) knowledge of Jesus Christ or His church is not necessary for salvation; 2) the Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation; 3) members of other religions can be saved even if Jesus Christ is not recognized as savior. Let us examine the pope's well-documented statements in the light of Scripture.
The Vatican Information Service (VIS) reported what the Pope had to say on the Seeds of Truth in Non-Christian Religions:
"The Holy Father explained the Holy Spirit is mysteriously present in the heart of every person. Through the practice of what is good in their own religious traditions, and following the dictates of their consciences, members of other religions positively respond to God's invitation and receive salvation in Jesus Christ, even though they may not recognize Him as their Savior." (VIS, 9/9/98)
Two years later, in his papal encyclical Dominus Iesus, John Paul denies the sufficiency of Christ by proclaiming the Roman Catholic Church is necessary and efficacious in saving the world:
"The Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation." It declares that: "God has willed that the Church founded by him be the instrument for the salvation of all humanity." (VIS, 9/6/00)
Three months later, the pope once again contradicts himself in message to a general audience at the Vatican:
"The Gospel teaches us that those who live in accordance with the Beatitudes - the poor in spirit, the pure of heart, those who bear lovingly the sufferings of life - will enter God's Kingdom. All who seek God with a sincere heart, including those who do not know Christ and his Church, contribute under the influence of grace to the building of this Kingdom." (VIS, 12/6/00)
It is because of fallacious teachings such as these that sinners are diverted away from the narrow gate that leads to life (Mat. 7:13). The Roman Catholic Church has a history of false teachers who have stood in front of the narrow gate pointing gullible, lazy, undiscerning victims to the broad road that leads to destruction. In doing so, they shut off the kingdom of heaven from men (Mat. 23:13). Only the few people who strive to enter the narrow gate can ever find it (Luke 13:24). It takes effort to avoid being deceived by false apostles masquerading as apostles of Christ (2 Cor. 11:13). It takes discipline to examine every teaching in light of Scripture (Acts 17:11). It takes an unwavering loyalty to truth to reject anything that does not conform with God's word (Eph. 5:11).
The Bible boldly and clearly proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ as God's only provision for sin. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. Sinners need Jesus as the way, the truth and the life because they are lost, deceived and spiritually dead.
Why is Jesus the only way?
When you are lost you need to know the way, and if there is only one way, you need to know Jesus. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Whenever lost sheep hear His voice they will follow Him and be saved (John 10:3-9). God's way is through His Son and leads to life. Man's way is through self righteousness and leads to death. There is a way which seems right to a man but its end is the way of death (Prov. 14:12). Jesus is a sinner's only approach to a holy, righteous and just God because sin has made man unrighteous. God's holiness demands perfect righteousness; nothing impure can enter into heaven (Rev. 21:27). Jesus is the only way because the perfect righteousness He earned during His life on earth is necessary to enter into heaven. The righteousness we need to enter heaven is nothing less than the very righteousness of Jesus. God credits His righteousness to all who trust Him. Jesus becomes our righteousness when we believe He is the only way (1 Cor. 1:30).
Why is Jesus the truth we need?
People are easily taken captive through philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men and the elementary principles of the world (Col. 2:8). For this reason Jesus came into the world to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32). He sets people free from the bondage of deception. Jesus is not only the personification of truth, His word is truth (John 17:17). Those who reject His word are rejecting Him as well (John 12:48). The world needs a standard for truth because Satan leads the whole world astray through false teachers and false prophets (1 John 5:19; Rev. 12:9). The only way to discern God's truth from Satan's lies is to use Christ and His Word as the ultimate standard for truth. To use any other standard is to invite deception.
Why is Jesus the life we need?
We are born spiritually dead in sin. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). It is for this reason Jesus announced, "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). When one is born again he receives the life of Christ. Jesus declared, "He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life" (1 John 5:12). Jesus gives life to whom He wishes (John 5:21). Paul describes the new birth, "when you were dead in your transgressions...He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions (Col. 2:13). The gift of eternal life is "eternal" because it is the very life of Jesus, who can never die again (Rom. 6:6-9).
Why is Jesus the only mediator?
Whenever two parties are at enmity with one another a mediator is needed. The relationship unforgiven sinners have with God is one of hostility and wrath. A mediator is one who can effect a change in the relationship with God, from one of hostility to one of peace and harmony. Jesus Christ is the only one qualified to do this. He is God's perfect man and man's perfect God. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). Only in Christ Jesus can those who formerly were far off, be brought near by the blood of Christ. Only in Christ can the sin, that separated us from God, be removed (Isaiah 59:2). For He Himself is our peace, who... broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity...through the cross (Eph. 2:13-16). Only in Christ, can believers be permanently united with God forever (Rom. 8:31-39).
Why is Jesus the only savior?
Peter proclaimed: "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only savior because no other man can pay the price. No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him-For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever (Psalm 49:7-8). The redemption of a sinner’s soul requires an infinite payment because the debt for sin is eternal. The debt is punishment in the eternal lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). Even after a thousand years in hell, the debt owed is still infinite. It is utterly impossible for a finite man to pay an infinite debt. Only an infinite and eternal God can pay the eternal debt for sin. Jesus paid it in full "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Col. 2:14).
Jesus Christ is necessary!
Putting aside the fallacious and deceptive teachings of Pope John Paul II, it is perfectly clear that Jesus Christ is the only way, the only mediator, the only name, the only savior and the only provision for sinners to escape the wrath of God. He is the truth that can set Roman Catholics free from the bondage of papal deceit. He is the life that can awaken souls dead in their sins.
The night before Jesus went to the cross to experience the cup of God's wrath, He sweat drops of blood and prayed, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done" (Luke 22:42). Jesus asked His Father-if there is any other way by which sinners can be saved, reveal it to me now. The heavens were silent because there is no other way. Christ had to die for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God (1 Pet. 3:18).
If there is anything incomplete in Christ, then He did not satisfy God's justice and He did not finish the work of redemption, which He declared He had done (John 17:4). The pope makes Christ out to be a liar and makes a mockery of Christianity. His pronouncements are blasphemous insults to Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is forsaken when any other way of salvation is proclaimed. I would use stronger language if I could find the words.
When will Roman Catholics wake up and hold their pope accountable for what he says? How long will they allow their "infallible" leader to deny Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation. When will more Christians openly and publicly rebuke this pope for proclaiming another gospel that leads millions to a Christless eternity? When will evangelicals recognize this man is not a servant of God but an enemy of Christ and His Gospel?
People must decide whether it is wiser and safer to trust the infallible word of God as a guide or to believe the teaching of a man who foolishly usurps the authority and role of Jesus Christ, and who tells you God's word does not mean what it says.
Indulgences are various acts of piety, offered by the Church, which the Church claims offer remission of temporal punishment due to forgiven sins in virtue of the merit of Christ and His Church. Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma defines an indulgence as "the extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishments of sin remaining after the forgiveness of the guilt of sin." In other words, the guilt for sins may have been removed by the atonement of Christ and the sacraments, but the punishment for them is not: "We can be forgiven [our sins], yet still have to suffer."
There are two kinds of indulgences. First, those which are "easy" to perform (called partial indulgences) and second, those which are more difficult to perform (called plenary indulgences). The difference concerns how much punishment for sin they remove. Plenary indulgences remove all temporal punishment due to sin while partial indulgences only remove part of the punishment due to sin. "This punishment may come either in this life, in the form of various sufferings, or in the next life, in purgatory. We don't get rid of here [through indulgences] what we suffer there [in purgatory]."
The Catholic Encyclopedia explains the rationale for indulgences when it declares,
The remission of the temporal punishment due for sins and hence, the satisfaction owed to God for one's sins is called an indulgence... indulgences granted by the Church may be gained for oneself or for the souls in purgatory.... The granting of indulgences is founded upon three doctrines of Catholic faith: the treasury of the merits of the communion of saints, Christ himself, and the Blessed Virgin and the saints.
Catholicism maintains that indulgences are necessary because it holds that when people sin, God's justice requires a punishment beyond that given to Christ on the cross. Amends must be made to God by some means, whether by indulgences or through the miseries and trials of life, or through death, or through purifying sufferings in purgatory. Indulgences are thus offered to the faithful as a means to escape God's punishment.
Again, on what basis does the Catholic Church offer such indulgences? On the basis of the merit of others having special spiritual quality: Because Christ, Mary and the relatively small number of Catholic saints have all provided "superabundant satisfactions" to God through their merits, the Church believes it can offer these same merits to the Catholic believer in exchange for remission of punishment.
In other words, because of the infinite merits of Christ plus those of the Virgin Mary and the Catholic saints, the Church argues it has the prerogative to administer the benefits of these indulgences "in consideration of the prayers or the pious works undertaken by the faithful."
Supposedly, the requirements for a plenary indulgence are tougher than for a partial. Thus, plenary indulgences (remitting all temporal punishment for sin) were offered to those who partook in the Crusades against the Muslims.
But on the other hand, today, merely performing the Sign of the Cross is an indulgence having great merit:
The Sign of the Cross is the most frequently used sacramental of the Church. The sign is a repetition in motion of the symbol of our salvation, the cross on which Christ died.... The faithful, as often as they devoutly sign themselves with the sign of the cross, are granted an indulgence of three years; whenever they make the same holy sign with blessed water, they may gain an indulgence of seven years.
Devotion to Mary and the Rosary are also "highly indulgenced" by Roman Catholicism:
While the devotion to the Blessed Mary through recitation of the Rosary is recommended for all, it is strongly advised for all who study for the priesthood One of the many indulgences attached to the devotion [of Mary] is that the faithful who recite the Rosary together in a family group, besides the partial indulgence of ten years, are granted a plenary indulgence twice a month, if they perform this recitation daily for a month, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, and visit some Church or public oratory.
Indulgences are also granted for visits of the faithful to various Catholic shrines, some of which were built in honor of Marian apparitions.
But indulgences are received only by performing the specific work and/or requirements to which the indulgence is attached. For example, three conditions are necessary to gain a plenary indulgence in addition to performing the work itself: sacramental confession, eucharistic communion, and prayer for the Pope-as well as the absence of all willful attachment to sin-even venial ("minor") sin.
Under proper conditions, indulgences are actually applied to the dead in purgatory for the reduction of the degree of suffering and the length of time it must be endured.
The modern Catholic Church has made it clear that if a person bought an indulgence merely to get some soul out of purgatory or for buying forgiveness of sins, that this was wrong. The Church never officially condoned the massive abuses of the practice, although it did clearly share in the responsibility for them.
Nevertheless, indulgences can play an important role in the salvation both of individuals on earth as well as in purgatory after death. Still, it must be remembered that this remission of punishment due sin only occurs after the guilt and eternal punishment of sin have been remitted by adherence to Catholic practice. Thus, "The Church grants such indulgences after the guilt of sin and its eternal punishment have been remitted by sacramental absolution or by perfect contrition." Once again, when we see a teaching like this-that the "guilt of sin and its eternal punishment" are remitted by the sacraments-we can only question Catholicism's commitment to the full efficacy of Christ's atonement.
Roman Catholics would be wise to take heed to what the Apostles Peter and Paul wrote concerning the future of the church. Peter warned, "There will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who brought them" (2 Peter 2:1). Paul likewise issued this warning: "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears" (Acts 20:29-31).
In spite of these warnings the Roman Catholic Church elevates the authority of its popes to be equal to the authority of God, thus making the church easy prey for the deceptive schemes of the devil. It declares that all of its popes are infallible. This means, they cannot err in matters of faith and morals. The source of their infallibility is said to be the Holy Spirit, who protects the supreme teacher of the church from error and therefore from misleading the people of God. We know that Peter, who Roman Catholics declare was their first pope, was not infallible. He erred when he was "not straightforward about the truth of the gospel" (Gal. 2:14).
As we examine the writings of Roman Catholic popes throughout history, it is obvious the Holy Spirit, who inspired the writers of the New Testament, is not the spirit who protects popes from error. Popes have denied God and His word by naming other ways of salvation. The lack of discernment of Roman Catholics is evidenced by their staunch and unbending loyalty to popes who reject the words of the one and only Savior. Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Most Roman Catholic popes have even denied the words of Peter, who they consider the original pope. Peter wrote: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Let us examine the other names popes have offered as the way of salvation:
Salvation Only Through Mary
The foundation of all our confidence is found in the Virgin Mary. God has committed to her the treasury of all good things, in order that everyone may know that through her are obtained every hope, every grace, and all salvation. For this is His will: that we obtain everything through Mary. Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation! Pope Pius IX
For, since it is the will of Divine Providence that we should have the God-Man through Mary, there is no other way for us to receive Christ except from her hands. Pope Pius X
He will not taste death forever who, in his dying moments, has recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary. What will it cost you to save us? Has not Jesus placed in your hands all the treasures of His grace and mercy? You sit crowned as Queen at the right hand of your Son: your dominion reaches as far as the heavens, and to you are subject the earth and all creatures dwelling thereon. Your dominion reaches even down into the abyss of Hell, and you alone O Mary, save us from the hands of Satan. Pope Pius XI
Nothing comes to us except through the mediation of Mary, for such is the will of God. O Virgin Most Holy, no one abounds in the knowledge of God except through thee; no one O Mother of God, attains salvation except through thee! Every one of the multitudes, therefore, whom the evil of calamitous circumstances has stolen away from Catholic unity, must be born again to Christ by that same Mother whom God has endowed with a never-failing fertility to bring forth a holy people. Pope Leo XIII
Mary, not one of thy devout servants has ever perished; may I, too, be saved! Pope Benedict XV
Salvation Only Through The Catholic Church
Outside this Church there is no salvation and no remission of sins. Pope Boniface VIII
We believe with our hearts and confess with our lips but one Church, not that of heretics, but the Holy Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, outside of which we believe that no one is saved. Pope Innocent III
He who is separated from the Catholic Church will not have life. He who is separated from the body of the Catholic Church, however praiseworthy his conduct may seem otherwise, will never enjoy eternal life, and the wrath of God remains on him by reason of the crime of which he is guilty in living separated from Christ…. All those who are separated from the holy universal Church will not be saved. Pope Gregory XVI
It must be held as a matter of faith that outside the Apostolic Roman Church no one can be saved, that the Church is the only Ark of Salvation, and that whoever does not enter it will perish in the Flood. It is a sin to believe that there is salvation outside the Catholic Church! You must indeed see to it that the faithful have fixed firmly in their minds the absolute necessity of the Catholic faith for attaining salvation. Protestantism is the Great Revolt against God. Pope Pius IX
Those outside the Church do not possess the Holy Ghost. The Catholic Church alone is the Body of Christ... and if separated from the Body of Christ he is not one of His members, nor is he fed by His Spirit. Pope Paul VI
No one, even if he pours out his blood for the name of Christ, can be saved unless he remains within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church. Pope Eugene IV
Salvation Only Through Popes
We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. Pope Boniface VIII
Into this fold of Jesus Christ no man may enter unless he be led by the Sovereign Pontiff, and only if they be united to him can men be saved. Pope John XXIII
Those who are obstinate toward the authority of the Church and the Roman Pontiff... cannot obtain eternal salvation. Pope Pius IX
To summarize, Roman Pontiffs throughout history have shut off the kingdom of heaven from men by proclaiming a false gospel. These destructive heresies have sent millions to their graves with a false hope. One day they will come before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment and realize they were deceived about life's most important decision-whom will I trust for eternal life. They were duped into trusting men rather than obeying God's Word. "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man" (Psalm 118:8). "Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation" (Psalm 146:3). "Cursed is the one who trusts in man... but blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:5-7).
There is good news for the one billion Catholics who follow the pope today. They can still repent from these destructive heresies of their church and believe the glorious Gospel of grace. By turning from the teachings and traditions of fallible men to the imperishable seed, the living and abiding Word of God, they can know the truth and be set free from the bondage of deception. May God give them the grace to do so! As the Apostle Paul prayed, so I also pray, that their love and loyalty to God will grow stronger than their love and loyalty to their popes. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment" (Phil 1:9). May they test all things and hold fast to what is good (1 Thes. 5:21).
All pope quotes are found in The Apostolic Digest, Sacred Heart Press, Irving, TX, 1987.
