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Testimonies from Ex-Roman Catholic Priests and Others

Lewis W said:
39 Popes Married
Women Priests in the Early Catholic Church
And much, much more in this link.
http://johnshuster.com/thirtynine_popes.htm

And Peter was never a Pope
http://www.bible.ca/cath-peter=pope.htm


First of all Peter was not the first Pope or ever a Pope. But here is a list of Popes that were married, when they became Popes.

The quick answer to this question is "yes." However, there were none who married after they became pope.

There's not much detailed information about the early popes. For many years of the Church's history, celibacy was considered optional.

Based on the customs of the times, it is assumed by many that like Peter, most of the Apostles were married and had families. Author Richard O'Brien writes in Lives of the Popes that "from Paul's reference to the fact that Peter and the other apostles took their wives along on their apostolic journeys, (1 Corin 9:5) the apostles did not 'put away' their wives."

In the Vatican document, Priestly celibacy in patristics and in the history of the Church, Roman Cholij writes, "It is clear from the New Testament (Mk 1:29-31; Mt 8:14-15; Lk 4:38-39; 1 Tim 3:2, 12; Tit 1:6) that at least the Apostle Peter had been married, and that bishops, presbyters and deacons of the Primitive Church were often family men."

"It is also clear from epigraphy, the testimony of the Fathers, synodal legislation, papal decretals and other sources that in the following centuries, a married clergy, in greater or lesser numbers was a normal feature of the life of the Church. Even married popes are known to us."

Mandatory celibacy was enforced because there was so much political and economic power attached to the papacy especially during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Church has adopted celibacy as a matter of discipline, not as a matter of doctrine.

St. Felix III (II) and St. Hormisdas
St. Felix III (II)
Birthdate:
St. Felix was born in Rome.

Death:
St. Felix died on March 1, 492. He was buried in St. Paul's Basilica, in a family crypt close to his father, his wife, and his children.

Background:
St. Felix was an Italian from Rome. He was the son of a priest in an aristocratic family.

Marriage:
St. Felix III was a widower when he was selected as pope.

Children:
St. Felix had two children who are said to be the ancestors of Agapitus I and Gregory I also known as Saint Gregory the Great.

Selected 48th Pope:
March 13, 483

Feast Day:
March 1

---------------------------------------------------

St. Hormisdas
Birthdate:
Unknown.

Death:
St.

St. Silverius
Birthdate:
He was an Italian, from Frosinone, and the son of Pope Hormisdas.

Death:
St. Silverius supposedly died on December 2, 537.

Occupation:
Subdeacon.

Marriage:
That St. Silverius was married to Antonia is debated.

Selected 58th Pope:
June 8, 536; deposed on March 11, 537 and exiled to Patara. He abdicated on November 11, 537 while on the island of Palmaria in the Gulf of Gaeta.

Feast Day:
June 20

St. Agatho
Birthdate:
He was born in Sicily, c. 577.

Death:
St. Agatho died on January 10, 681 in Rome, Italy.

Occupation:
Agatho was a successful businessman before he became a monk at Saint Hermes' monastery in Palermo, Sicily.

Marriage:
Reportedly, Agatho had been married for 20 years before entering the monastery.

Children:
One daughter.

Selected 79th Pope:
June 27, 678.

Feast Day:

Hadrian II
Birthdate:
Hadrian II also known as Adrian II was born in 792 in Rome, Italy.

Death:
Hadrian died in late 972.

Background:
He came from an aristocratic family.

Occupation:
Cardinal priest.

Marriage:
Hadrian had married Stephania and had a daughter before he became a priest. His wife and daughter were still living when he was selected to be pope and resided with him in the Lateran Palace.

Children:
One daughter, who was carried off, raped, and murdered by former antipope Anastasius's brother, Eleutherius. Her mother was also killed by Eleutherius. He stabbed them both to death.

Selected 107th Pope:
December 14, 867

Boniface IX
Birthdate:
Born Pietro Tomacelli in Naples, Italy c.1350.

Death:
October 1, 1404.

Background:
His family were aristocratic but impoverished.

Occupation:
Cardinal priest.

Marriage:
The tradition is that he dispensed himself from celibacy in order to marry.

Selected 207th Pope:
November 2, 1389.

Clement IV
Birthdate:
Born Guy Foulques (also known as Guide Le Gros) on November 23, c. 1195 at Saint-Gilles on the Rhones in France.

Death:
November 29, 1268 at Viterbo.

Occupation:
Soldier, lawyer, lay jurist, secretary to Louis IX of France, Cardinal bishop.

Marriage:
Yes. When his wife died, Guy took Holy Orders.

Children:
Two daughters.

Selected 184th Pope:
February 5, 1265

Felix V
Birthdate:
Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy was born December 4, 1383 in Savoy.

Death:
Felix died on January 7, 1451 at Ripaille.

Occupation:
Duke

Marriage:
Felix married Maria of Burgundy.

Children:
One son, Ludwig.

Selected as an Antipope:
October 30, 1439. Served for six years before submitting in 1449 to Nicolas V. He received the title of Cardinal of St. Sabina, and was appointed permanent Apostolic vicar-general for all the states of the house of Savory and for several other dioceses.

Notes:
Felix formed the Order of St. Maurice in Ripaille on the Lake of Geneva.
http://marriage.about.com/od/historyofm ... dpopes.htm

39 Popes Married
Women Priests in the Early Catholic Church
And much, much more in this link.
http://johnshuster.com/thirtynine_popes.htm
Need I say more
 
Testimonies from ex/R.C. priests & OTHERS!

That is me, 'others'!

Rome has removed herself from the Lambs Book of Life
Ecclesiastes 3:14 & Revelation 22:18-19 with the Sin Unto Death of 1 John 5:16-17. See below! :crying:
"And Catholicism Speaks"

"We hold upon earth the place of God Almighty."
-Pope Leo X111, in an Encyclical Letter-

"We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."
-Doctrinal Catechism, 1957 , page 50.
_______________________________

Malachi 3:6

"I am the Lord, I change not."

Hebrews 13:8
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (And Rome does what? And you 'see' these images even!)

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (Again Rome does what again? And these are Christians? When 'anyone' openly see them doing exactly what said was sin, and not to sin?? And by the Eternal Covenant of Gods Word written by Theirself which says not to do! And satan was cast out of heaven for the same rebellion! You tell me where he is now, aqnd whom he is living in? See Revelation 3:9 for comparision.)

6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Mt 5:33 (Also compare Mark 7:7 for what worship me in vain means!)

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Remember??? God Spoke with His Loving ones from creation week on in 'A Voice' up until the Mountian Siniani Sermon, when He was asked not to do so!)
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (This is the Godheads day! Revelation 1:10, Mark 2:27-28 and it was the day for all mankind to Worship the Godhead on!)
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (The Birthday or Memorial of the Godheads creation week of earth Psalm 135:13 is Eternal!)


And the Testimony of others? Notice whose Testimony this is? :fadein: Revelation 12:17

---John
 
francisdesales said:
In the vast majority of cases, I have found that those priests who fall away from the Church do so for romantic inclinations, not intellectual problems with the doctrines of the Church.....
Gary said:
OK, name this "vast majority of cases"...
francisdesales said:
Name them? I am speaking of personal experience. Do you want me to name names???

Sure. You have made accusations and a statement. Prove it with facts or else it is only unsubstantiated noise and slander against "the vast majority" of priests who have left Roman Catholicism.

:-?
 
Steve said:
francisdesales said:
In the vast majority of cases, I have found that those priests who fall away from the Church do so for romantic inclinations, not intellectual problems with the doctrines of the Church. That comes later to justify their decision to leave. It just doesn't sound very good when someone makes the claim they left Rome because of a romantic interlude, so they bring up the usual strawman arguments that can plainly be shot down by refering to the Catechism. Such posts are meant for people who are not aware of Catholic teachings, merely preying on the ignorant and uneducated.

I usually see such posts only AFTER some former Protestant gives a witness to how they have swam the Tiber. The reasoning is clear... Protestantism would dry up and die if people knew the Truth.

Regards


Quote has missed the reply from Steve that he didn't leave for 'romantic reasons'


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Ask how many have left RC since Papa Ratzi took over

Ask how many have joined evangelicals in the past 17 months


I've been praying daily this week that even 'Grand Inquisitor Rottweiller Ratzinger' - (as in yahoo 'UK media') - will see the light & step 'outa da darkness into da light'

I'll link my invite to him just now..

viewtopic.php?t=24637&highlight= (post 6?)

Oh: folks asked for names of ex-preists/monks/nuns etc who've had the sense to leave the Great Whore of Rev 17-18 & join the true Bride of Christ

H-E-L-L-O...

the OP book names the names & has many more - inc all da gory details

'He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says'...

Revelation 3 sure shows we are in the Laodicean church age

& there ain't a sick bag big enough

But the Lake of Fire burns all vomit in eternal conscious torment, as Jesus said in Matt 13 & Rev 20

Do obey Rev 18:4

B4 it's 2 L'8

Ian
 
Gary said:
francisdesales said:
In the vast majority of cases, I have found that those priests who fall away from the Church do so for romantic inclinations, not intellectual problems with the doctrines of the Church.....
Gary said:
OK, name this "vast majority of cases"...
francisdesales said:
Name them? I am speaking of personal experience. Do you want me to name names???

Sure. You have made accusations and a statement. Prove it with facts or else it is only unsubstantiated noise and slander against "the vast majority" of priests who have left Roman Catholicism.


Considering what I know about your methods in our exchange of posts lately, I don't think I trust you enough to give names. Anyone who willfully twists things around so as to lead other people away from their faith is not someone I intend on sharing such personal information with.

With that said, I am wondering how do YOU intend on proving that "ex-Roman Catholic priests", if they REALLY WERE, left the Church for unromantic reasons. How exactly are you going to prove that? You won't be able to through this medium, so I suggest we just drop this line of conversation.
 
The RC runs again...

francisdesales said:
Anyone who willfully twists things around so as to lead other people away from their faith is not someone I intend on sharing such personal information with.

Another false accusation. The ex-Roman Catholics who have joined our church were not "lead" or "converted" by anyone except the Holy Spirit. They approached our church. They came and worshipped at our church. Ultimately, they came to true saving faith (apart from the Roman Catholic dogma and prayers to Mary) by themselves.... led and convicted, I am sure, by the Holy Spirit.

We do not convert people to true saving faith in our Lord. Read the Bible. It is very clear. No-one can say "Jesus is Lord" and understand that deep truth without being led by the Holy Spirit. We don't convert people; God does!

:)
 
--Testamonies from ... others--

Most folds have a mother fold as seen in Rev. 17:1-5. And to become apostate, if any were ever near right to begin with, the devil must infiltrate them. (inside out) Some today rightfully call this jesuit infiltration. But it started long long before Rome came on board, huh? Read Gen. 4:7 in the King James slowly & prayerfully! This finds Cain with a mature new 'desire'. He was a grown man & there had never been a mention to where he ever faulted before, until now. Christ talked person to person with him, in full Godhead directed responsibility. (such as Early & Latter Rain) He made a fatal mature D-E-C-I-S-I-O-N! Yet, God let him live on for a number of years even before the Son of God, Seth, was brought on the scene. (something like Cain's master satan, huh?) And as long as God lets satan live as the god of any fold, (Revelation 3:9) so will 'The Abomination Of The Earth' Rome live. :crying:

Anyway: Check your board here & ask the question. What do satans helpers do, how do they act? When you find a message posted up, if sincere, what do you do??? Do they change the charge? (subject) Or just flat out skip the question & ask questions with other questions? Or do they use scripture in reply to the thread message, or do they directly attack the person behind the message?

One more 2 Cor. 4:2 question of satans deceit: Go back to the original thought question and then ask if you can see what another is doing??? You might find a dozen or so posts which hardly ever, if ever, even mention the post subject's with scriptural material!

Surely one must wonder about jesuit infiltration in all churchs & on all boards when this is taking place! And this forum??? :sad

---John
 
Re: The RC runs again...

Gary said:
francisdesales said:
Anyone who willfully twists things around so as to lead other people away from their faith is not someone I intend on sharing such personal information with.

Another false accusation. The ex-Roman Catholics who have joined our church were not "lead" or "converted" by anyone except the Holy Spirit.

:)

I'm talking about YOU personally and your "Consecration to Mary" postings, not "ex-Roman Catholic priests". You personally admitted to this. When you post links and make such foolish claims, perhaps you should read the very first sentence that shoots down your whole argument. But no, rather than do that, you post an inflammatory and misleading twist, insinuating that Catholics worship Mary, proven by the Consecration to Mary. Thus, a person who proclaims to have such a wonderful "vertical relationship" with God finds it necessary to lie and twist and mislead?

And now the Holy Spirit leads people out of His Church? I will judge you by your fruits, Gary, not your claims of being led by the Spirit of God. Talk is cheap, and your "spirit" doesn't appear to be God's. Sorry, God doesn't lie, so those who find it necessary to lie are not being led by the Spirit, no matter what blather you try.
 
Re: --Testamonies from ... others--

John the Baptist said:
Anyway: Check your board here & ask the question. What do satans helpers do, how do they act? When you find a message posted up, if sincere, what do you do??? Do they change the charge? (subject) Or just flat out skip the question & ask questions with other questions? Or do they use scripture in reply to the thread message, or do they directly attack the person behind the message?


I give up? They type in red???


John the Baptist said:
One more 2 Cor. 4:2 question of satans deceit: Go back to the original thought question and then ask if you can see what another is doing??? You might find a dozen or so posts which hardly ever, if ever, even mention the post subject's with scriptural material!

OH NO, there's that red color again. Well, naturally, they must be from the devil...

Quite honestly, this particular forum, 123 Christian forum, is a bit confusing on this. I am familiar with other forums where it is easy to identify whether someone responded to a post and who it is from and the subject matter, etc. Nothing diabolical, John, so calm down.

John the Baptist said:
Surely one must wonder about jesuit infiltration in all churchs & on all boards when this is taking place! And this forum??? :sad

Surely one must wonder how anyone can understand your point? Do you have one, or do you just repeat the same old tired "jesuit infiltration" baloney?

:roll:
 
What I notice in general about testimonies from ex-roman catholics is that their testimonies lack scripture compared to testimonies of Protestants turned Catholic such as on the journey home network website. Catholics explain the scriptural reasons why they join the Church. Catholics who become protestants are generally nay-sayers telling us what scripture does not say rather than what it does. I.e. not the Eucharist, not preists, not the pope, not the church... More on this later.
 
Judging your church....

francisdesales: And now the Holy Spirit leads people out of His Church?

Gary: Nope. The Holy Spirit convicts people who are not yet Christians and leads them from the fake "Church" to the real church... the living body of believers who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. They know Jesus is their Lord and they surrender to none other; no Mary or her so-called apparitions. The Holy Spirit does not lead people to building statues, praying to the departed and other RC dogma and ritual.

francisdesales: I will judge you by your fruits, Gary, not your claims of being led by the Spirit of God.

Gary: Fortunately, you are not my judge. I have seen and experienced RC "love" .... as have many other believers who have even suffered death by that RC "love". Read history. The fruit (not the plural) of the RC "church" are there for all to see and examine; and it is not pleasant.

francisdesales: Sorry, God doesn't lie, so those who find it necessary to lie are not being led by the Spirit, no matter what blather you try.

Gary: I agree. So why has the RC lied and misled people for so long?

:-?
 
Re: --Testamonies from ... others--

John the Baptist said:
Most folds have a mother fold as seen in Rev. 17:1-5. And to become apostate, if any were ever near right to begin with, the devil must infiltrate them. (inside out) Some today rightfully call this jesuit infiltration. But it started long long before Rome came on board, huh? Read Gen. 4:7 in the King James slowly & prayerfully! This finds Cain with a mature new 'desire'. He was a grown man & there had never been a mention to where he ever faulted before, until now. Christ talked person to person with him, in full Godhead directed responsibility. (such as Early & Latter Rain) He made a fatal mature D-E-C-I-S-I-O-N! Yet, God let him live on for a number of years even before the Son of God, Seth, was brought on the scene. (something like Cain's master satan, huh?) And as long as God lets satan live as the god of any fold, (Revelation 3:9) so will 'The Abomination Of The Earth' Rome live. :crying:

Anyway: Check your board here & ask the question. What do satans helpers do, how do they act? When you find a message posted up, if sincere, what do you do??? Do they change the charge? (subject) Or just flat out skip the question & ask questions with other questions? Or do they use scripture in reply to the thread message, or do they directly attack the person behind the message?

One more 2 Cor. 4:2 question of satans deceit: Go back to the original thought question and then ask if you can see what another is doing??? You might find a dozen or so posts which hardly ever, if ever, even mention the post subject's with scriptural material!

Surely one must wonder about jesuit infiltration in all churchs & on all boards when this is taking place! And this forum??? :sad

---John

********
FORUM:
Never in my life had I written a post that was better done in facts! Read the messages that followed. Nothing spiritual, just 'personal' attacks against the posters, and anything & everything else. (even colors! :wink:) You tell me that Rome has changed?

If one could only know, it would be no shock to behold jesuit infiltrated impostor Protestant minister's even in our churches? Personally speaking, I find the jesuit oath 'fully santanic'!

What is sad is the fact that this bombbardment of Rome is getting away with this stuff while others get repremanded, by the mods. :sad Unless they do not think that posters are not being attacked here? All we need is a few more of Rome's mods, huh?
 
ex-Roman Catholics come to saving faith

thessalonian said:
What I notice in general about testimonies from ex-roman catholics is that their testimonies lack scripture compared to testimonies of Protestants turned Catholic such as on the journey home network website. Catholics explain the scriptural reasons why they join the Church. Catholics who become protestants are generally nay-sayers telling us what scripture does not say rather than what it does. I.e. not the Eucharist, not preists, not the pope, not the church... More on this later.
Well that is not true at all. I can give you many quotes of ex-Roman Catholics who left the RCC after starting to read the Bible for themselves and carefully testing RC dogma against what they read in the Bible. God honors those true seekers and leads them by the Holy Spirit to true saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is one such example:

Dr Abraham Cutajar said:
..... Months of troubled searching in the Scriptures showed me clearly that the Roman Catholic religion is ALIEN and at times AGAINST the Word of God. To be true to my conscience I had to leave Romanism. Yet till the Lord took hold of me I clung to Rome with all my might....

....By the grace and mercy of God, I was quickened by the Holy Ghost who brought me to repentance. Then I stepped over that stumbling block: I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and now I am saved.....

http://www.justforcatholics.org/test01.htm
Praise the Lord!
 
Testimonies from C. Priests & others'

John here:
Here are some of the 'others' views! (DOCUMENTED) And all in the name of Christ & Christian! :sad :crying:
Only notice that these ones are still on the pig/pen of catholicism membership! See Joshua 7:12 last part of the verse, Hebrews 6:6 for who is their leader!
_____


The NRB Catholic Priest Abuse Report

In January 2002, the Boston Globe released the first of a series of reports about the Archdiocese of Boston’s failure to remove abusive priests from the ministry.

This produced an explosion of protest by faithful Catholics throughout the nation as more and more people stepped forward to tell what priests had done to them in childhood.

When American Catholic bishops tried to cover over the problem, the outcry became even more pronounced.

In response to an immense amount of protest from American lay Catholics, in June 2002, the U.S. bishops grudgingly appointed a panel of 12 laypeople, called the National Review Board, to analyze the immense child-abuse problem in the nation and draw conclusions from it.

On February 23, 2004, this National Review Board released its findings, in the form of two studies: (1) a quantitative Report examining the nature and scope of abuse from 1950 to 2002. The other was (2) a study the Board asked the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to prepare on their behalf, which examined causes of the abuse.

THE QUANTITATIVE REPORT

The report said that 4,392 priests have abused 10,667 minors between 1950 and 2002. The total monetary cost to the Roman Catholic Church in America: $572 million paid in legal settlements and treatment costs. That figure did not include settlements during the last year, including $85 million in Boston alone.

The Board also found that 4% of the 109,694 priests who served the church between 1950 and 2002 were legitimately accused of abuse. That would be nearly one out of every 20 priests in the nation and they routinely work with many children.

The report also disclosed that 40% of the victims were boys between the ages of 11 and 14. At least 19% were girls.

A little more than half (56%) of accused clergy molested one child while 44% claimed between two and 10 children. About one-fourth of abuse claims involved serial predators who were accused of molesting more than 10 children.

Over half (57%) of the abuse took place in a church or rectory; 10% occurred in schools.

The report declared that bishops and other supervisors bore a significant share of the responsibility for what took place.

"This is a failing not simply on the part of the priests who sexually abused minors but also on the part of those bishops and other church leaders who did not act effectively to preclude that abuse in the first instance or respond appropriately when it occurred."â€â€NRB Report.

THE JOHN JAY STUDY

In the John Jay Study, designed to identify the causes of this terrible, ongoing tragedy, the NRB panel sharply criticized the church hierarchy for what the panel called "the multitude of preventable acts of abuse." It declared that dioceses had failed to properly screen and train candidates for the priesthood, and that some bishops had failed to respond effectively to allegations of abuse.

"These leadership failings have been shameful to the church, both as a central institution in the lives of the faithful and a moral force in the secular world, and have aggravated the harm suffered by victims and their families."â€â€Ibid.

"There appears to have been a general lack of accountability for bishops for the reassignment of priests known to have been involved in the sexual abuse of minors."â€â€Ibid.

The John Jay study found that, by early 2003, dioceses around the country had spent $572 million for victim compensation, treatment of victims and priests, and legal expenses.

The actual cost to the church, nationally, is actually much higher because 14% of dioceses did not report how much they had spent on abuse-related costs. This omission was frequently due to the fact that they still faced unsettled claims.

It was obvious that homosexuality among priests was a significant part of the problem. The study found that 80% of the victims were male. "The crisis was characterized by homosexual behavior."â€â€John Jay Study.

The Board’s report said the crisis cannot be understood without consideration of two controversial factors: homosexuality in the priesthood and the Vatican requirement that its priests cannot be married.

According to John Jay College, 97% of the 195 dioceses and religious orders, representing 80% of the religious order priests in the nation, participated in the survey. But there is no verification that truthful responses were given.

Commenting on the report, Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, provided additional information: He said about 700 Catholic priests were pulled from their pulpits in 2002 alone because of abuse allegations.

THE SHAKESHAFT ESTIMATE

After examining the John Jay data, researcher Charol Shakeshaft drew several conclusions, inspite of the fact that research has shown that only 6% percent of victims of sexual abuse report their abuse. Extrapolating from the John Jay study, it was found that there were 10,667 reported cases. Therefore, it is possible that 177,783 children under the age of 18 were abused by Catholic clergy since 1950, or about 3,354 incidents per year!

THE VATICAN BOMBSHELL (:robot: :robot: My insert J/t/B/)

Throughout the entire scandal, the Vatican has consistently demanded that child-molesting priests be protected and not fired! That position was expressed several times. And, in the face of intense pressure from U.S. lay people, American bishops voted contrary to Vatican directives.

But now, a new Vatican report (issued by the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life), released shortly after the above Board report, declares that several psychiatrists and psychologists have advised the Vatican that priests should not be fired after abusing only a few children.

Because of Vatican opposition, many victims and lay Catholics fear that the U.S. bishops will relax their efforts to get rid of the sex offenders in the U.S. Catholic Church.

"The Vatican report provides cover for every shrewd perpetrator and backsliding bishop. It makes already depressed victims feel even more hopeless."â€â€David Clohessy, U.S. national director, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

This Vatican report is truly scandalous. Vatican leaders do not consider such behavior to be sinful. What sins are they covering up for elsewhere in the world field?
 
Re: ex-Roman Catholics come to saving faith

Gary said:
thessalonian said:
What I notice in general about testimonies from ex-roman catholics is that their testimonies lack scripture compared to testimonies of Protestants turned Catholic such as on the journey home network website. Catholics explain the scriptural reasons why they join the Church. Catholics who become protestants are generally nay-sayers telling us what scripture does not say rather than what it does. I.e. not the Eucharist, not preists, not the pope, not the church... More on this later.
Well that is not true at all. I can give you many quotes of ex-Roman Catholics who left the RCC after starting to read the Bible for themselves and carefully testing RC dogma against what they read in the Bible. God honors those true seekers and leads them by the Holy Spirit to true saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is one such example:

Dr Abraham Cutajar said:
..... Months of troubled searching in the Scriptures showed me clearly that the Roman Catholic religion is ALIEN and at times AGAINST the Word of God. To be true to my conscience I had to leave Romanism. Yet till the Lord took hold of me I clung to Rome with all my might....

....By the grace and mercy of God, I was quickened by the Holy Ghost who brought me to repentance. Then I stepped over that stumbling block: I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and now I am saved.....

http://www.justforcatholics.org/test01.htm
Praise the Lord!

:lol: Thanks for posting that. It is a good example of what I say. A few scripture refs here and there. But mostly denials and nay says and personal opinions that the Catholic Church does not match the scriptures. If you read books like "Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic", and the three "Surprized by Truth" books and "By What Authority" by Mark Shea, they are full of scriptural quotes about how the Catholic Church does in fact match scripture. Once again thanks Gary. The Surprized by Truth books are full of testimonies of protestant pastors and others whom used scripture and their knowledge of it to come to the Catholic faith. Many of them came toward the Church through the scriptures BEFORE they even talked to a Catholic.
 
HOW I BECAME A NON-CATHOLIC

By John Hunky, 1910


The way I was led to the discovery of the error of the doctrine of the Real Presence-which is a short form I will use for the words "Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, or Communion bread and wine"-was as follows: About twelve years ago, in the thirty-sixth year of my age, I became physically afflicted in such a way that I could not do anything else much since that time than read for pastime. In my much reading I re-read the Catechism, which I had been taught in my youth when my, mind was not mature enough to do much, if any, thinking for myself on religious doctrines; and read other Catholic works, some of which were given me by priests while I yet lay bedfast. In reading again the Catechism and other Catholic literature I came across the following:

Q. How long does Jesus Christ remain under the species?

A. As long as the species exist (Doctrinal Catechism, Rev. Stephen Keenan, p. 230).

Q. How long does Christ remain present with His Sacred Flesh and Blood?

A. As long as the appearances of bread and wine continue to exist (Deharhe's Catechism No. I; p. 260). "Christ remains present under the appearances of bread and wine no longer than the material appearances remain; once they cease because of digestion, or from any other cause, the presence of Christ ceases also" (Question-Box Answers, Rev.Bertrand L. Conway,447).

The complete article can be viewed at this site.
 
I was once a protestant and now I am a Catholic.

I was once a protestant, and sounded just like all the anti-Catholics here, I was sure Catholics were all evil idol worshipping miscreants.

I thank The Living God, I have been lead out of that world of darkness, false prophesy, heresy, lies, and deception.

Anyone who has left The Holy Catholic Church, has been deceived by the wickedness and snares of the Devil. I will pray for them to be healed.

Anyone who opposes The Church, ultimately opposes The Lord Jesus Christ. May He in His Wisdom have Mercy on their souls.

The Holy Catholic Church is The Church founded by the one and only Jesus of Nazareth, Son of The Living God, and no matter what you say or do The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it!
 
I Had Never Heard the True Gospel

By Peggy O’Neill


I served as a sister in a religious order for about fifty years and during all that time, I had never heard the true Gospel. Certain things may be let ride, but when it comes to the Gospel there can be no compromise, because the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. A false gospel cannot have that power and any church that preaches a perverted gospel is depriving its members of the foundational and most essential message, the message of salvation.


False Teachers in the Early Church

In the Bible we read of the churches in Galatia where false teachers were leading people into another gospel. They were going back under law, for as well as believing in Jesus Christ, they had to observe certain religious laws making Christianity a set of rules and laws whereby they had to earn heaven. Galatians Chapter Three tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law and that He is the end of the law for righteousness. If we take Jesus plus any religious law as a means of salvation we are fallen from grace. We cannot trust in law and grace at the same time, so trying to combine the two, we put ourselves under law. By adding anything to the finished work of the cross, Christ will profit us nothing. Galatians 3:21 says that if righteousness comes by the law then Christ died in vain. This is the seriousness of being under the law--we have to be our own saviors and the Bible says that no man can be saved by keeping the law. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians used strong words to say that if anyone, even an angel from heaven were to preach another gospel, let him be accursed....

... A Message for the Reader

In this testimony, I have taken the opportunity to share some of the truths from God’s Word that were unknown to me for years. I wish to conclude by returning to the wonderful message of the true Gospel. It is a simple message, yet one that is hidden from millions of people today. The Gospel is the story of the power of the precious blood of Jesus, shed for you on the cross at Calvary, “The Story of the Great Exchangeâ€Â, God’s righteousness for our sins! For he hath made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him†(2 Corinthians 5:21).

Dear reader, the moment you are convicted of your sin and see that there is no way to save yourself, that salvation is only possible by believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ--His death, burial and resurrection--is the moment of your salvation. You can know for certain that heaven is yours for all eternity. It is the grace of God made available to us as a gift that is received by faith, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us†(Romans 5:8). God is faithful to all who seek Him, “a broken and a contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise†(Psalm 51:17). “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved†(Acts 2:21).

Peggy O'Neill, I Had Never Heard the True Gospel Retrieved from http://www.bereanbeacon.org/Peggy_ONeill.html
 
Re: I was once a protestant and now I am a Catholic.

Latin Rite Catholic said:
I was once a protestant, and sounded just like all the anti-Catholics here, I was sure Catholics were all evil idol worshipping miscreants.

I thank The Living God, I have been lead out of that world of darkness, false prophesy, heresy, lies, and deception.

Anyone who has left The Holy Catholic Church, has been deceived by the wickedness and snares of the Devil. I will pray for them to be healed.

Anyone who opposes The Church, ultimately opposes The Lord Jesus Christ. May He in His Wisdom have Mercy on their souls.

The Holy Catholic Church is The Church founded by the one and only Jesus of Nazareth, Son of The Living God, and no matter what you say or do The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it!

*****
Hi young'in, John here:
Just a couple of thoughts on your post, OK? Did you catch that?
I emphasize that, for it seems that most of the time catholic folks come to me with 'personal' remarks of my judgement of them personally, which is not the truth! So, lets start off with 2 Corinthians 4:2 being understood.

About opposing Christ & His 'church'? That is a Truth, & the last paragraph is also 1/2 Truth!

To think that Rome's catholic teachings are truth, & that Christ could be in any of this satanic garbage, is spiritually abstract! Even as one is canparably seen IN THEIR OPEN DOCUMENTED APOSTASY such as in the Revelation 3:9 fold. (which is not intended to mean your fold)
But, your folds Douay bible does do a good job describing your church & your daughters of Revelation 17:1-5

And about being a Protestant Christian at one time? Nothing personal here meant either, but all that means is that the person was a daughter of Rome, and came home to mom huh? :wink: (which they all will do. just be patient, Christ will have NO LOOSE CANNONS!)

So if 'anyone' was Born Again in the first place?? (IF) All that your post shows, is that they are now partakers of all of Romes openly documented anti/Christ ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH trash shown in Christ [DOCUMENTED WORD]! Got that?

Now: That is the first Truth. They still could leave if they are Christ's 'My People'. That is for His past 'ignorant' individual member's. For the folds sins have already passed the door of Closed probation years before, thus we see the Revelation 17:5 verse. (in caps)

And then we see the other side of the Truth. :sad :crying: That is that they have become as Christ's Word states in Hebrews 6:4-6 'THEY CRUCIFY TO THEMSELVES THE SON OF GOD AFRESH, AND PUT HIM TO AN OPEN SHAME'and 'pope' 2 Peter 2:19-22 'RETURNED TO HIS OWN VOMIT'

Now for just 'one' personal note to you: If you care to respond, why not just leave off the personal name, and reply to the post and Bible material all by itself??? Don't answer question's by asking questions! :wink: Don't put words into anothers mouth! :fadein: And don't change the subject! :robot: OK???

O :o And I almost forgot, some of your saints on here, (and others) TRUELY are not Born Again and do not understand the Word of God as pope Peter declares in 2 Peter 3:15-16 So, you can remind the forum that you are one of these ones if you 'desire'? You know, you do not know what is being posted! :fadein: Matthew 4:4
 
John,

I will be glad to consider the validity of your church, it's viewpoints, and it's doctrines.
If you would only point me to the documentation of it's dogmas, doctrines, historical positions, activities, and teachings, on or in approximation to the following dates;

50 A.D. 350 A.D. 650 A.D. 1050 A.D. 1350 A.D. 1650 A.D.
150 A.D. 450 A.D. 750 A.D. 1150 A.D. 1450 A.D. 1750 A.D.
250 A.D. 550 A.D. 950 A.D. 1250 A.D. 1550 A.D. 1850 A.D.

Once I have investigated the history of your church, then I'll be able to make a fair assessment as to whether or not they can speak for, and interperate scripture on behalf of Jesus Christ and His Apostles, based on their legitimate connection to them historically.

Who knows I might even be convinced to join up with you guys!
 
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