Mary

"Rome has so built up the Mary role that it has become an

indispensable part of the present day (Roman Catholic) Church, so
much so that if Mary were placed back in the position given her in
Scripture it would change the whole character of Roman Catholicism.
Some have even suggested that the Roman Catholic Church should
be called the Marian Church, because in its life and practice it gives
first place to Mary rather than to the Lord Jesus Christ." Loraine
Boettner
FOREWORD
As recently as 1990, the Roman Catholic Church had authorized only
14 alleged apparitions of Mary as worthy of pious belief, in the past
160 years. Many of the messages claimed to have been given by
Mary, are in stark contrast with the Roman Catholic Bible. Therefore,
the topic of visions and apparitions of Mary will not be discussed in
this booklet. For a study of this subject we refer the reader to two
books: one is entitled The Cult of Mary by Elliot Miller and Kenneth R.
Samples and the other is by a former Mary worshipper and avid
follower of the apparitions, Mr. Timothy Kauffman, entitled Quite
Contrary.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PORTRAYAL OF MARY
This opening chapter of our study on Mary is designed to provide a
general overview of the Roman Catholic description of Mary, the
mother of Jesus.
Firstly, the Roman Catechism states that not only was Jesus free of sin
but that Mary, too, was "...conceived and born free from original
sin..."1 She is given the title, Mother of God, and, we are told by
Rome, has special power in heaven and on earth.
"(Roman) Catholic theology understands Marys role in redemption to
be directly related to her status as the mother of God. "(Pope) Pius IX
stated: The most blessed Virgin, conceived without original sin, was
chosen to be the Mother of God so that she might be made an
associate in the Redemption of mankind."2 Pope Benedict XV also
held that Mary "...herself may justly be said to have redeemed
together with Christ the human race."3
Mary is also called the Queen of Heaven and is said, by Rome, to
be more loving and merciful than Jesus Christ. Consequently, rather
than go directly to the Lord Jesus, as the Roman Bible teaches, Roman
Catholics are told to go to Mary, who will act as intercessor between
them and the Lord Jesus Christ. From the Papal encyclical of 1897, we
read the proclamation: "As no man goes to the Father except by the
Son, so no man goes to the Son except by His Mother."
Because of the Roman Catholic Churchs belief in Marys role as
mediator between the Son of God and man, she instructs her
followers to pray frequently to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In one of
many prayers that are directed to Mary, the Salve Regina, she is
addressed as Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy....Our Life, our Sweetness
and our Hope. The most popular prayer to Mary is The Rosary, in
which there are no less than 10 prayers directed to her to every 1 that
is addressed to God.
In the book, The Glories of Mary, written by St. Liguori and
pronounced by Pope Pius XI in 1803 and Pope Leo XII in 1825 to
be without error, it is stated: "You oh Holy Virgin have over God the
authority of a mother, and hence can obtain pardon for the most
obdurate of sinners." Liguori encourages us to "Go to Mary, for God
has decreed that He will grant no grace otherwise than by the hands
of Mary." Just exactly where God made this decree no one seems to
know! It is certainly not stated in the Holy Scriptures.
The Roman Catholic Church has also taken it upon herself to bestow
upon Mary the following titles: Mother of Divine Grace; Ark of the
Covenant; Gate of Heaven; Morning Star (these last two names are
spoken only of Jesus Christ in the Roman Catholic Bible see John
10:9 & Revelation 22:16); Refuge of Sinners; Ladder of Paradise;
Treasury of Divine Grace; Mother of Mercies; Advocate of Sinners;
Propitiatory of the Whole World; Mediatrix of Grace; Mother of
Christians; and the Way of Salvation. As will be detailed later, several
of these titles belong solely to Jesus Christ.
The three titles given to Mary by Roman Catholicism that are said to
most exalt her are: Daughter of God the Father; the Mother of God
the Son; and Spouse of the Holy Ghost. It is evident that "such names
most plainly imply that Mary is honored as the fourth person of the
Godhead, for more exalted names could not be given to the Divine
Being Himself."4
The Roman Catholic Church also teaches that Jesus Christ cannot
deny His mothers requests. In Liguoris Glories of Mary, Mary is
asked to "...command thy most beloved Son our Lord Jesus
Christ..." In addition, Liguoriwhose book is officially approved by the
Roman Catholic Churchclaims that "...all is subject to Marys
Empire, even God Himself, and that God hears her prayers as if they
were commands." In the same book it is alleged that "no one enters
heaven without passing through her."
It is also said that all power has been granted to Mary in heaven and
on earth and that just as with God, nothing is impossible for her! The
Scapulartwo small rectangular pieces of cloth joined by a cord and
worn over the shoulders under secular clothes in token of affiliation to
Mary and for protectiondepicts Mary treading upon a serpent, an
obvious reference to Genesis 3:15 that pictures the Messiah, Jesus
Christ, not Mary, as the one who will bruise the Serpents head.
The documents of Vatican II declare: "In an utterly singular way
she (Mary) cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning
charity in the Saviours work of restoring supernatural life to souls.
For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace."5
Mary is looked upon with loving adoration by all Roman
Catholics. "She is the object of all religious affections, and the source
whence all the blessings of salvation are sought and expected."6 It is
taught that Mary has been exalted even above all angels and is
second only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, we find in St. Liguoris
book, the following non-biblical claim: "...our salvation is in the hands
of Mary, he who is protected by Mary will be saved, he who is not will
be lost." The Roman Catholic Bible, however, assures us
that "Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not
possess the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12). There
is no mention of Mary here. Liguori adds, "We often more quickly
obtain what we ask by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking
that of Jesus" (pp.169ff; 254; 1931 edition).
It is true to say that the Roman Catholic Church has granted Mary
divine attributes that only God is worthy of. Mary is often portrayed in
a variety of ways as equal to God, as is evidenced by the diverse titles
that have been unjustly bestowed upon her by the Church of Rome.
VOWS OF DEVOTION - WHAT DO MARYS FOLLOWERS SAY?
Mary is adored, venerated, honored, prayed to and even worshipped
by hundreds of millions of people. One of the most popular prayers to
Mary is the Hail! Holy Queen. The prayer is as follows: "Holy Queen,
Mother of mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee
do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our
sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most
gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our
exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O clement, O
loving, O sweet Virgin Mary."7
One of the numerous saints of the Roman Catholic Church, St.
Bonaventure, once stated: "Mary so loved the world that she gave her
only begotten Son." These words, blasphemously attributed to Mary,
have been taken from John 3:16, where it rightly states that GOD
ALONE was the one who "...so loved the world that He gave His
only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not
perish but might have eternal life."
Pope John Paul II is perhaps the most devout follower of Mary. It is
stated by former Jesuit, Malachi Martin, who at one time worked
closely with the Pope, that John Pauls purpose in kissing the ground
of each country he visits, is to consecrate that country to Mary, to
whom he is completely devoted. The Popes personal motto is Totus
Tuus Sum Maria, which is Latin for MARY, IM ALL YOURS!
At the current Popes enthronement, which occurred in 1978, he made
this vow to Mary: "All that I have is thine, my queen and my
mother." All Roman Catholics are taught to address Mary with prayers
such as this: "In taking flesh in your chaste womb God has been
pleased to become your debtor in order to place afterwards at your
disposal all the treasures of His abounded mercy..."8
In a prayer penned by St. Bonaventure in his Te Deum, Roman
Catholics are instructed to pray: "All the earth doth worship thee the
spouse of the Eternal Father. All the angels and archangels, all
thrones and powers do faithfully serve thee. To thee all angels do cry
aloud with never ceasing voice Holy, Holy, Holy Mary Mother of God.
Thou sittest with thy Son on the right hand of the Father...in thee
sweet Mary is our hope, defend us for evermore..." The Roman
Catholic Bible shows clearly that there is only one who is, and should
be, addressed in this way: "Holy, Holy, Holy IS THE LORD GOD
ALMIGHTY..." (Revelation 4:8).
In the 1994 Winter edition of the Fatima Crusader, a Roman Catholic
publication, Mary is ascribed the following attributes: "...One rightly
calls her Jesus Queen-Mother....Yes, O Mary, Mother of God, Sovereign
Virgin, Gods most glorious creature, we want to follow you as our
Queen of love, who art all-powerful....The Madonna brings Jesus to us
and takes us to Jesus. That is why we call her Mediatrix..." Truly,
Mary is revered and worshipped by the Roman Catholic
Church as if SHE were God!!
Mary is addressed in the Hail Marya prayer, incidentally, that did
not become accepted devotional formula by the Roman Catholic
Church until approximately 1050 A.D.as being full of grace,
the mother of God and is asked to ...pray for us sinners... Beyond
doubt, Mary has been made the central focus of attention for Roman
Catholics who, sadly, have been falsely instructed to see her as the
font of all grace and mercy, and their only hope for salvation.
Idols of Mary abound in all sizes and can be found in Roman Catholic
churches, homes, schools and even in cars. They are often adorned
with a crown and, at times, by robes bedecked with precious jewels,
particularly during festivals where large graven images of Mary are
carried through city streets.
PAGAN TRADITION CONTINUED IN MARY WORSHIP
Paganism has, for centuries, included the worship of a vast array of
female deities. False deities, such as Isis of Egypt, Aphrodite in
Greece, Cybele in Asia and Diana in ancient Rome, have all been
worshipped and adored by pagan man.
In the early years of Romanism, many pagans were attracted to the
new religion, but their devotion to their beloved female deities was
very strong and subsequently they were reluctant to forsake
them. "Compromising Church leaders saw that if they could find some
similarity with the worship of the (pagan) mother-goddess, they could
greatly increase their numbers. Mary, of course, was the most logical
person for them to choose."9
In time, these Church leaders merely changed the names of the
pagan goddesses to Mary. "The people were allowed to bring into
the Church those things from their old religions that could be
reconciled with the type of Christianity then developing, hence many
who bowed down before the images of Mary were in reality
worshipping their old gods under a new name."10 Through a gradual
process, pagans transferred their goddess worship to Mary. "At the
same time, shrines dedicated to Mary began to replace the ancient
temples of her former pagan rivals."11
In the book, The History of Christianity, which falsely claims Roman
Catholicism to be Christianity, it is revealed that: "Some scholars
believe that the worship of Artemis (Diana) was transferred to
Mary....Many people connected Mary with Isis the Egyptian goddess
whose worship spread throughout the Empire in the Christian era. The
devotees of Isisherself called the great virgin and mother of
Godnaturally tended to look to Mary for comfort when paganism
was outlawed...at the end of the fourth century."
In actual fact, the whole Roman Catholic system of Mary worship may
be traced back to Babylon. As we shall see later, the present-day
characteristics assigned to Mary were originally attributed to pagan
goddesses centuries before the arrival of Christianity! The supposed
immaculate conception and assumption of Mary, along with the
titles, Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, were all originally
given to pagan goddesses!
The Official Baltimore Catechism contains a drawing of Mary, with the
Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, hovering over her head. "Yet, as far as
the Scriptural account is concerned, the only one upon whom the
Spirit as a dove descended was Jesus Christ Himself (John 1:32)not
His mother! On the other hand, the pagan virgin goddess under the
name of Juno was often represented with a dove on her head, as was
also Astarte, Cybele, and Isis!"12
Moreover, the disc or circle of light that often appears in paintings of
Mary, may be readily seen in Babylonian portrayals of pagan gods
and goddesses. These discs or circles were used as symbols of the
Sun-divinity and have nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity!!
Mary was first given the title, Queen of Heaven, by Pope Martin in
the 7th century, despite the fact that Mary is never given this title in
Holy Scripture. The only Queen of Heaven mentioned in the Roman
Catholic Bible is the Canaanite pagan goddess whom the Israelites
worshipped (see Jeremiah chapters 7 and 44). The Israelites were
warned by Gods prophet, Jeremiah, against this heathen practice, for
with it they sinned greatly against God.
We see then that the title, Queen of Heaven, is originally a pagan
concept that has been transferred to Mary by the Roman Catholic
Church. "After the leaders of the Church declared Mary to be the
mother of God, such devotion became more and more acceptable.
Thus, it was never really necessary for the (often only) nominally
converted subjects of Rome to repent of their longing for a goddess
figure; they could just transfer their devotion to the most likely
replacement within a Christian context."13
ALWAYS A VIRGIN?
Roman Catholicism teaches that Mary remained a virgin even after
the birth of Jesus Christ. This new doctrine, which cannot be
substantiated by Holy Scripture, was in fact NOT TAUGHT by Rome
until approximately 300 years after the ascension of Jesus Christ!
Moreover, the doctrine of perpetual virginity did not become official
until 451 A.D. at the Council of Chalcedon.
This erroneous view of Mary, which was the cause of much
controversy and debate, was totally rejected by several of the early
Church fathers. "As almost all historians (including those of the
Roman Catholic Church) recognize, the eventual doctrinal triumph of
Marys perpetual virginity was directly related to the rise of
asceticism and monasticism. These traditions, which greatly
influenced the medieval church and its developing Mariology, revered
celibacy as being more inherently spiritual than the married state."14
The book The Catholic Religion teaches that Mary and
Joseph "...agreed not to demand their marital rights from each other
in order that they might be able to dedicate themselves fully to the
love of God." This is pure fiction, for no such vow is recorded, or
implied, in Holy Scripture. Yet again we see the Roman Catholic
Church adding to the teachings of Gods Word to suit its own agenda.
As is testified to in the pages of the Roman Catholic Bible, Mary and
Joseph entered into normal marital relations after the birth of Gods
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 1:25 tells us that Joseph "...had
no relations with her (Mary) UNTIL she bore a Son, and he
named Him Jesus." Luke 2:7 says, "and she gave birth to her
FIRSTBORN son...", undeniably confirming that there were children
born to Mary and Joseph after the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus.
The Roman Catholic Bible does not teach that Jesus was Marys only
child; it teaches that Jesus was GODS ONLY CHILD!! (1 John
4:9) Joseph and Mary produced several children, as Matthew 13:55,56
clearly proves: "Is not His (Jesus) mother named Mary, and His
BROTHERS James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Are not His
SISTERS all with us?" (cf. Mark 6:3).
The Roman Catholic Bible teaches that Jesus had four half brothers
and at least three half sisters. In a desperate effort to cast doubt upon
this the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Greek word used
for brothers may also mean cousins. Yet in contrast to their own
teaching, the Roman Catholic Bible uses the word BROTHERS!! "The
pleas made by The Roman Catholic Church that these (brothers) were
cousins is quite untenable, for the Greek word for cousins 'anepsios',
found in Colossians 4:10, is quite different to the Greek word
(adelphos) for brothers found in Matthew 13."15 Noticably, there is
silence in regards to the word sisters in Mark 6 verse 3.
Perhaps the most conclusive proof that Mary did have other children
after Jesus, as a result of normal and proper marital relations with her
husband Joseph, is found in the Messianic Psalm 69. Several verses in
this Psalm apply prophetically to Jesus Christ, among them verse 9
which says: "I have become an outcast to My kin, a stranger to
MY MOTHERS CHILDREN." This prophetic Scripture is fulfilled in
John 7:5, which speaks of Jesus unbelieving brothers: "For His
brothers did not believe Him."
A HISTORICAL VIEW OF MARYS ALLEGED IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION AND ASSUMPTION
The Roman Catholic doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and
Assumption of Mary declare that Mary was born without stain of
original sin, thus receiving supernatural life at the moment of her
conception. Three days after her death, it is contended, Mary rose
from the grave and ascended into heaven.
This particular doctrine was first spawned at the outset of the 12th
century by the British monk, Eadmer. Romanism not only teaches that
Mary was born without original sin but that she also DID NOT sin
throughout her entire life and that she indeed COULD NOT sin! Such
teaching alleges that Mary was a divine being and no mere human,
thus putting her on a par with Jesus Christ the Lord.
"The doctrine of the immaculate conception has had a long and
varied history. It was unknown to the apostolic church, and it was not
even a matter of discussion until several centuries after the death of
Mary. It did not become an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic
Church until the year 1854, more than 18 centuries after Christ was
born of the virgin Mary, and so is one of the later doctrines of the
Roman Church. The Council of Ephesus, which convened in 431 A.D.,
did use the expression, Mother of God, but its purpose was to
emphasize the Deity of Christ, not to set forth a doctrine concerning
Mary. But popular opinion reasoned that since the birth of Christ
occurred without any taint of sin, Mary herself must have been
without sin, even without original sin, which is the lot of all other
human beings."16
What many Roman Catholics may find surprising is the fact that St.
Augustine, revered as the greatest theologian of the early Church,
was firmly against the doctrine of a sinless Mary, declaring that her
flesh was flesh of sin and that Mary, springing from Adam, died
because of sin... The doctrine was also strongly opposed by early
Church fathers such as Chrysostom, Eusebius, Ambrose and Anselm.
Most medieval scholars, such as Bonaventure and Cardinal Cajetan
(who was Luthers opponent at Augsburg), also disagreed with the
doctrine of a sinless Mary. It is a fact of history that the immaculate
conception has had many famous detractors. "Thomas Aquinas, the
leading theologian and philosopher of the Roman Catholic Church
denied the teaching. So strong was Thomas opposition to the
doctrine that it became almost a point of honor throughout the
Dominican order to oppose the notion as theologically untenable, in
other words it was incapable of being maintained, defended or
vindicated."17
These fathers of the early Church all warned that the doctrine of the
immaculate conception was in contrast to the Biblical facts relating to
the universality of sin and the need for the salvation of all mankind
(see 1 Kings 8:46; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10, 23; Galatians
3:22).
In addition, two of Roman Catholicisms greatest Popes, Gregory the
Great and Innocent III, DID NOT hold to the belief that Mary was
conceived without original sin!! Astonishingly, between the 11th
and 19th centuries, in excess of 100 Popes declared that the
Church of Rome HAD NEVER BELIEVED IN MARYS
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION!! In fact, several Popes forbad anyone
to even say that the immaculate conception was an article of faith!
One of the main arguments against the doctrine of Marys immaculate
conception was: "...if Mary were not a partaker of the sin and
apostasy of the race, she could not be the point of contact between
Deity and humanity as was required for the human nature of Christ.
Hence, in this case, even tradition, the usual refuge of the Roman
Catholic Church in matters of doctrine, contradicts this papal
dogma."18
It must be noted that for Mary to have been born sinless, it stands to
biblical reason that she could not have been born of human seed.
According to this then, we conclude that Marys father must also have
been born sinless, for if he wasnt, then the Roman Catholic doctrine
of immaculate conception could not stand. Moreover, if we are to
believe that Marys father was without sin, then we would be
obligated to say that his father must also have been without sin and
so on and so on. Eventually we would end up back at Adam and we all
know that Adam was a sinner and all that are his children are also
sinners. So this line of thinking simply cannot stand in light of
Scripture. Alternatively, all that remains is the teaching that Mary, just
like Jesus, was born of the Holy Spirit and had no human father. Since
there is no Scriptural evidence that even hints at this, the doctrine of
Immaculate Conception lies dead in the water.
But it is the very words of Mary herself that completely demolish
Roman Catholicisms teaching of her fabled sinlessness. The Roman
Catholic Bible records Mary as saying: "...my soul proclaims the
greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices IN GOD MY
SAVIOR" (Luke 1:46,47). Here is the strongest evidence yet against
the Roman Catholic doctrine of the immaculate conception and it
comes to us straight from the mouth of Mary herself!!!
All would agree that one does not need a SAVIOUR unless they are in
need of salvation and no one requires salvation UNLESS THEY ARE
SINNERS. "If Mary needed a Savior, she was not a savior herself. If she
needed a Savior, then she also needed to be saved, forgiven and
redeemed. The fact is, our Lords divinity did not depend on His
mother being a divine person. He was divine because He was the only
begotten Son of God!"19 He was Divine because He was God.
Mary was a sinner who required a Savior (see Romans 3:23; cf.3:10;
5:12). She herself said: "...my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior." The Roman Catholic Bible informs us that the ONLY ONE who
was born without original sin and who never sinned was the Lord
Jesus Christ, who, incidentally, never once called God His Saviour, for
He Himself was and is, the Saviour of mankind!!
Despite all of this, the doctrine of the immaculate conception of
Mary was declared unquestionable dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854. It
was the first dogma "...ever to be pronounced solely on the authority
of a pope without the official sanction of a council..."20
Everyone, even Roman Catholics themselves, are threatened with a
curse of eternal damnation, if they will not believe this lie. Why,
though, should Roman Catholics be forced to believe a doctrine that is
not in their Bible and that was not even believed by past popes, as
well as many of the Roman Catholic Churchs greatest scholars and
theologians?
The doctrine of the immaculate conception increases the affinity of
Roman Catholicisms Mary with the goddesses of paganism, who were
also believed to have had a sinless conception. The teaching that
Mary, too, was conceived without sin would prevent her appearing
inferior to the goddesses of paganism.
The fact that no support for this doctrine whatsoever can be found in
the pages of the Roman Catholic Bible is highlighted by the following
admission, made in The Catholic Encyclopedia: "No direct or
categorical and stringent proof of the dogma can be brought forward
from Scripture."21
The purported assumption of Mary is the most recent belief to have
been officially sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII
pronounced on November 1, 1950, that Marys body was raised from
the grave three days after her death, taken up to heaven and
enthroned as Queen of Heaven, to reign with her Son in heaven and
on earth. To believe otherwise is considered a mortal sin.
Clearly, Mary has been lifted up to the level of Jesus Christ by this and
other non-biblical teachings, which have spewed forth from the mouth
of Rome. No scriptural evidence can be given by the Roman Catholic
Church to support Marys assumption. Concerning the Assumption,
the Roman Catholic Bible makes two absolute declarations: ONLY ONE
HAS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN!!, and John 3:13 reveals who that one
is: "NO ONE has gone up to heaven except the One who has
come down from heaven, THE SON OF MAN."
Finding no support from Scripture, "Pope Pius XII made the
pronouncement with the utmost confidence, relying on an alleged
original deposit of faith given to the apostles by Jesus Christbut
which, we note did not come clearly to light until some nineteen
centuries later. The early Church fathers, who were closest to those
events knew nothing at all about such an ascension. One is left to
marvel that such unscriptural, unhistorical, and senseless teachings
could be embraced by any people and treated as if they were
unchallengeable and Scriptural truth."22
The assumption of Mary is nowhere to be found in Scripture, not
even in the traditional teachings of the 1st century Church, which
Rome considers authoritative. "The doctrine of the assumption of
Mary is merely one of the so-called logical conclusions that the
Roman theologians have drawn to support their system. Since Mary
was sinless it is illogical, we are told, to assume that her body
remained in the grave. But the answer is: If Mary was sinless, why did
she have to die at all? Death is the penalty for sin. And where there is
no sin there can be no penalty. God would be unjust if He punished
the innocent. Either Mary was sinless and did not die, or she did have
sin, she died, and her body remains in the grave."24
The assumption of Mary was initially looked upon as a fable, and in
the 5th century, Pope Gelasius condemned it as apocryphalof
questionable authority! Such apocryphal material (known as transitus)
was written by men claiming to be original apostles or
contemporaries of Mary. Many Roman Catholic theologians consider
the work as theological speculation and confirm: "...there is nothing
of any historical value in such apocryphal works."23 Thomas
Acquinas, in his commentary on John 21, maintained: "...only the
canonical Scriptures are normative for faith."
Dear Roman Catholic, we implore you to take a long look at what you
believe and why; your eternal destiny depends on what you believe. If
God has said something, then we must believe Him and not the
inventions of blind leaders, who only lead people away from the truth.
The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 15:14: "...if a blind person leads a
blind person, both will fall into a pit." If anything contradicts the
Bible, the Word of God, then we must reject it no matter who the
source is, lest we be found to be calling God a liar. "Add nothing to
His words, lest he reprove you, and you be exposed as a
deceiver" (Proverbs 30:6).
THE WORSHIP OF MARY
That Mary is worshipped by Roman Catholics is undeniable. The 20th
century has been described by one Church historian as "The most
active age of devotion to the Virgin."25 Though the Roman Catholic
Churchs official teaching is that Mary be honored and venerated,
Rome knows only too well that she both encourages and promotes the
literal worship of a human being: Mary! "Both Roman Catholic and
Protestant theologians agree that Mary is a created person and, as
such, should not receive worship that is due to God alone."26
The Roman Catechism states that though it is lawful to honor Mary,
she is not to be given "...divine or supreme honor, which is due to God
alone."27 This, of course, is in contradiction to the many supreme
titles noted earlier that Romanism has given to Mary. Roman Catholics
are encouraged to pray to Mary and offer praise to her. Such devoted
worship and trust in Mary far outweighs the Roman Catholics worship
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pope Paul VI, in his writings dated February 2, 1974 to the bishops
and priests of Rome, said: "From the time that we were called to the
chair of St. Peter we have constantly worked to increase the worship
of Mary." A telling statement to say the least.
Mary is worshipped in countries throughout the world, including Africa
and Asia. Even Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs worship her. On
one occasion, a Muslim chief from an African tribe "...placed a golden
necklace about the statues neck, saying, thank you, our Lady of
Fatima for the work of love you are accomplishing in Africa. We praise
you, together with the almighty Allah."28
Such obvious worship of Mary is also evident in Pope John Paul IIs act
in 1982, when he reconsecrated the entire world to the immaculate
heart of Mary! One Roman Catholic publication clearly teaches that
Mary is to be worshipped: "...let the children of the Catholic Church
most dear to us hear these words and with a more ardent zeal of
piety, religion and love proceed to worship, invoke and pray to the
most Blessed Virgin Mary."29 All this time and devotion given to Mary
allows for far less time and devotion to the Lord Jesus. Jesus said
that there is no other way to the Father except by HIM! Christ
did not add that there was to be any mediator between
Himself and man.
It is becoming increasingly evident that the Roman Catholic Church is
more zealous in the promotion of MARIAnity than CHRISTianity!
Many in Rome would even have Mary as part of the Blessed Trinity!!
The ultimate outcome of all this non-biblical worship of Mary may be
seen in a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Quito, Ecuador, where there is
a statue of Mary HANGING ON A CROSS!! (see the video Roman
Catholicism).
The attention and devotion that Mary receives from Roman Catholics
has not always been. In fact, for the first few centuries of the Roman
Catholic Church, there was no emphasis AT ALL placed upon Mary. It
was not until the early part of the 4th century that Mary began to
receive inordinate attention, and even then the practice was frowned
upon.
Epiphanius, an early Church father, taught that Mary should be held in
honor, "...but let no one adore Mary."30 From the 5th century
onwards, the worship of Mary became more common place, with
portraits of her increasing, the naming of churches after her, and
greater numbers praying to Mary as intercessor.
No one has been more enthusiastic in the promotion of the worship of
Mary than Alphonse Liguori. His book, The Glories of Mary, "...has
been the most celebrated Marian devotional work in
the (Roman) Catholic Churchover 800 editions in many
languages." 31 Liguori was one of the Roman Catholic Churchs
greatest devotional writers and was made a saint in 1831. "...It was
announced at his Beatification that he had performed more than a
hundred miracles during his life and twenty eight after his death! The
late Cardinal Wiseman declared that he could be in two places at one
and the same time..."32
The following are some excerpts from Liguoris book: "...Mary is our
life... The Holy Church commands a worship peculiar to Mary... Our
salvation is in the hands of Mary..." Mary is referred to as: "The only
hope of sinners... All power is given unto thee in Heaven and on
earth... at the command of MARY all obeyeven God... God has
placed the whole Church...under the domination of Mary." Mary is also
described as "the advocate of the whole human race...for she can do
what she wills with God. She...is our salvation, our life, our hope... The
whole Trinity, O MARY, gave thee a name...above every other name,
that at thy name, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, on
earth and under the earth." In answer to these utterly blasphemous
statements, the Roman Catholic Bible records God as saying: "Turn
to ME and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God;
there is no other! ...TO ME EVERY KNEE SHALL BEND..." (Isaiah
45:22,23 cf. Philippians 2:9,10). Speaking of the Lord Jesus, the
apostle Peter stated: "There is no salvation through anyone
else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the
human race by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Such blasphemous writings as Liguoris, being fully approved by the
Church of Rome, truly exalt Mary at the expense of the Lord Jesus
Christ and should be considered no less than utter scandal. In fact,
Roman Catholicism assigns to Mary the place that is Christs alone. As
will be made clear in the succeeding chapter, this devotion and
worship of Mary is nowhere found in the pages of the Roman Catholic
Bible. Any and all worship that is not directed to the Lord Jesus
Christ is utterly condemned.
The following sample of prayers that may be offered to Mary are
taken from a book written by the Sisters of St. Basil, entitled Novena
Prayers in Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help with official
Church approval, it leaves one in no doubt that Mary is seen as even
above God by many Roman Catholics: "We have no greater help, no
greater hope than you, O Most pure virgin; help us, then, for we hope
in you, we glory in you, we are your servants. Do not disappoint
us." The following is taken from a much longer prayer directed to
Mary: "Come to my aid, dearest Mother, for I recommend myself to
thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I entrust
my soul."
The documents of Vatican II, chapter 8 paragraph 69, also approve
and advocate the worship of Mary: "Let the entire Body of the faithful
pour forth perseveringly prayer to the Mother of God and Mother of
men." It is important to note that the Roman Catholic Bible
contains no prayers to Mary, nor any directive to pray to or
worship her. The Bible does say that God raised Jesus from the dead
and GAVE HIM GLORY, "...that your faith and hope are in
God" (not Mary) (1 Peter 1:21).
Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic Church approves of such worshipful
prayer to Mary, and in so doing, their claim that praying to Mary
honours Christ Jesus becomes a nonsense when one addresses Mary
with the words, we have no greater hope than you. Multiplied
millions of Roman Catholics pray to Mary every day. Ralph Woodrow
makes the following observation: "It is estimated that, with close to a
billion Roman Catholics at prayer, Mary would have to listen to
approximately 50,000 prayers PER SECOND!!!"
Dear Roman Catholic, how can you truly believe in your heart of
hearts that Mary, a human being, is capable of giving attention to all
these prayers? And how would Mary translate the hundreds of
thousands of prayers that are prayed to her simultaneously, and in
many different languages, and often silently in a persons mind? Only
God is capable of such an awesome act. "Surely you can see the
impossibility of all those prayers being heard and answered by one
who by the admission of your own Church is not God, but only
human."33
With the highly popular Rosary containing 10 prayers to Mary for
every 1 prayer to the Father, and the Roman Catholic Prayer book
containing more prayers to Mary and the saints than to Christ Jesus, it
is evident that Mary is the chief object of Prayer amongst Roman
Catholics. "The slogan, Through Mary to Christ, does not change the
fact that for many worshippers the devotion naturally stops with
Mary. They pray to Mary, not to Christ. Their prayers are directed to
her personally. Roman Catholics have been deceived into believing
that all grace necessarily flows through Mary. Mary is regarded as a
kind of fourth person of the Blessed Trinity. To speak of Mary as holy,
as the Mother of God, and as co-redeemer with Christ, cannot but
give the impression that she is more than human."34
It is of the utmost significance that no one in the New Testament ever
prayed to Mary, either before or after her death. In fact, any attempt
to pray to or worship anyone other than God is strongly condemned in
the Roman Catholic Bible. For example, the Apostle John, in Revelation
22:8,9 "...fell down to worship at the feet of the angel..." But
the angel responded immediately: "DON'T! I am a fellow servant
of yours...WORSHIP GOD" (See Matthew 4:10; Deut. 18:9-12; Ex.
22:18; Lev. 20:6; Isa. 8:19,20). These words are exactly what Mary
would say today to every Roman Catholic that has been deceived into
worshipping her: DONT! I AM MERELY A SERVANTWORSHIP GOD!
"If one conducts a careful study of the Biblical use of the word
prayer, one finds that it is always used with reference to God,
except in a couple of instances where mention is made of the
heathen custom of praying to dumb idols."35
The following statement by former Roman Catholic priest, Charles
Chiniquy, makes for disturbing reading for any serious minded Roman
Catholic: "What was my desolation and my shame to find that the
Holy Fathers of the first six centuries had never advocated the
worship of Mary. The many eloquent pages on the power of Mary in
heaven and her love for sinners, found in my theologians, and other
ascetic books I had read till then, were but impudent lies; additions
interpolated in their works, a hundred years after their death. After
discovering these forgeries of which my church was guilty, how many
times in the silence of my long nights of study and prayerful
meditations, did I hear a voice telling me: Come out of Babylon!"36
THE MARY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE
The Roman Catholic Bible depicts the REAL Mary. A Mary who bears
little resemblance to the Mary that has been manufactured by the
imagination and speculation of men. Mary is called the mother of
Jesus, and the mother of our Lord, but NEVER is she referred to as the
mother of God. St. Augustine once wrote in his Treatise on Faith and
Creed: "...in respect of His (Jesus) being God, there was no mother
for Him."
"Roman Catholic priests call Mary the mother of God, a name
impossible, illogical, and unscriptural. It is impossible, for God can
have no mother; He is eternal and without beginning while Mary was
born and died within a few short years. It is illogical, for God does not
require a mother for His existence. Jesus said, Before Abraham was
born, I am (John 8:58). It is unscriptural, for the Bible gives Mary no
such contradictory name. Mary was the honored mother of the human
body of Jesusno moreas every Roman Catholic must admit if he
wishes to be reasonable and scriptural. The divine nature of Christ
existed from eternity past, long before Mary was born.
Incidentally, Jesus never called Mary mother; He called her
woman."37
"God has no mother. God has always existed. God Himself is the
Creator of all things. Since a mother must exist before her child, if
you speak of a mother of God you are thereby putting someone
before God. And you are therefore making that person God....Mary
would weep to hear anyone so pervert the truth as to call her the
mother of her Creator. True, Jesus was God; but He was also man. And
it was only as man that He could have a mother. Can you imagine
Mary introducing Jesus to others with the words: This is God, my
Son?"38 It has been wisely stated: As His human nature had no
father, so His Divine nature had no mother.
Mary was most certainly blessed among women, but this does not
mean that she is divine and to be worshipped, for, centuries before
Mary, there was a woman named Jael in the Old Testament who was
also referred to as Blessed among women... (Judges 5:24). The
original Hebrew stated that Jael was blessed ABOVE women!
The simple reason that Mary was blessed among women is that she
was chosen of God, purely according to His grace, to be the vessel
from whence would come the Messiah. Notice that in the greeting
Mary received from the mother of John the Baptist in Luke 1, she was
referred to as "blessed AMONG women" and not ABOVE women. In
Luke 1:28 the angel says to Mary, "...hail (greetings), favored
one!" and in Luke 1:30 the angel said to Mary, "...do not be afraid,
Mary, for you have found favor with God." This favor was "...the
absolutely free expression of the lovingkindness of God to (Mary)
finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver. (It
was) unearned and unmerited favor."
Mary, as well as several other women, is seen in Acts 1:14 in the
company of the apostles, but there is no mention of any special honor
or place given to Mary. She was not prayed TO, but rather, she prayed
WITH the others: "All these devoted themselves with one accord
to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother
of Jesus, and His brothers."
Significantly, apart from the four Gospels, all other writings of the
apostles make no mention of Mary. Not even the apostle Peter, whom
Rome insists was the first Pope, speaks of her in his two letters, nor
did he do so in any of his sermons recorded in the book of Acts. Paul,
too, never once spoke of Mary. Moreover, no one EVER prayed to Mary
in the Bible, nor did they call on her for salvation; nor is there even
the slightest hint of any directive given to pray to Mary, much less to
worship her.
As we have seen, Roman Catholicism has bestowed upon Mary many
titles, one of which is Gate of Heaven. However, when we turn to the
Roman Catholic Bible, we see Jesus declaring: "I AM THE GATE.
Whoever enters THROUGH ME will be saved..." (John 10:9). Mary
is also called Advocate of sinners, yet we see in the Scriptures
that: "...if anyone sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS ONE" (1 John 2:1). Mary is also
referred to as the Way of salvation, yet Jesus Christ declares: "...I
AM THE WAY and the truth and the life, no one comes to the
Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME" (John 14:6).
Apart from being Gods chosen vehicle for the Messiahs entry into
the world, and after accomplishing her maternal duties towards Jesus,
little is said of Mary in the Scriptures. In this sense Mary may be
compared with John the Baptist, who, after having accomplished the
purpose set for him by God, humbly stated: "He (Jesus) must
increase; I must decrease" (John 3:30). It is also significant to note
that Mary was visited only once by the angel Gabriel; all subsequent
angelic visits, guidance and counsel concerning Jesus was given to
her husband, Joseph (see Matthew 1:20; 2:13,19,20,22).
Jesus had been an obedient child, who honored His parents as the
commandment says. After Jesus had reached maturity, however,
parental authority was to play no part in the Lord Jesus ministry.
Jesus first miracle was the changing of the water into wine at the
wedding feast in Cana. Upon hearing that the people had run out of
wine, Mary, perhaps expectant of a miracle, was with Jesus and told
Him, "...they have no wine" (John 2:3), implying that He intervene.
Jesus, however, contrary to the Roman Catholic teaching that He
always grants His mothers requests, REBUKED Mary! calling
her "woman...", and adding, "...how does your concern affect
Me? My hour has not yet come" (v.4). This rebuke was given to
Mary "...for interposing in a matter which was the act of His Godhead,
which had no dependence on her, and which she was not the mother
of."39
Mary responded with a clear directive to those at the wedding feast,
with words which should echo in the souls, minds and hearts of every
Roman Catholic today! Mary said: "DO WHATEVER HE TELLS
YOU" (John 2:5). It is of the utmost significance that these are the last
recorded words of Mary in the Roman Catholic Bible. They are a
directive to every true believer. Equally significant is the fact that they
appear at the beginning of the Lord Jesus ministry.
Our instruction from Mary herself is NOT, Do whatever I tell you, but,
DO WHATEVER JESUS TELLS YOU!! In other words, LISTEN TO HIM;
FOLLOW HIM; OBEY HIM; WORSHIP HIM NOT ME!!!
Former Roman Catholic priest, Charles Chiniquy,
comments: "...Jesus...wanted to banish all idea of Mary ever
becoming an intercessor between man and Christ. He wanted to
protest against the doctrine He knew would come of the Church of
Rome, and Mary understood it well when she said, Whatsoever He
saith unto you, do it. Never come to me, but go to Him."40
The Roman Catholic must realise that the Roman Bible states that
God has bestowed upon JESUS, not Mary, "...the name that is
above every name, that at the name of JESUS (not Mary), every
knee should bend, of those in heaven (this includes the knees of
Mary), and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:9,10; cf.
Colossians 1:18). If even Marys knees are bent at the name of the
Lord Jesus, what are your knees, dear Roman Catholic, doing bent at
the name of Mary?? The Roman Catholic Bible also has this to say of
Jesus Christ: "THERE IS NO SALVATION THROUGH ANYONE ELSE,
nor is there ANY other name under heaven given to the
human race by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12).
In summary, "We ought to hold her (Mary) in respectful remembrance
as one who was honored among women in being the mother of the
Man Christ Jesus: but not to forget that she was a sinner even as
others"for she called God her SAVIOUR (Luke 1:47)"she was saved
by grace even as others."41
A religious devotion or worship of anyone other than God is called
idolatry. The Roman Catholic Bible teaches that God alone is to be
worshipped and looked to for salvation, AND NO OTHER!! God has
said: "...THERE IS NO SAVIOUR BUT ME" (Isaiah 43:11). The first
commandment teaches: "You shall not have other gods besides
Me" (Exodus 20:3). Jesus said, "...It is written: You shall worship
the Lord, your God, AND HIM ALONE SHALL YOU SERVE." (Luke
4:8; cf. Isa. 42:8; Acts 10:25; 14:11-15; 1 Cor. 1:29).
The Roman Catholic MUST realise that when you bend your knees
and/or pray to someone, you make that person a god, whether it is
your intention to or not. This is the idolatry that is strictly
forbidden by God in His Word! At the name of JESUS every knee
should bend, not at the name of Mary.
THE COMPASSION AND MERCY OF THE ONE MEDIATOR: CHRIST
JESUS
Many Roman Catholics pray to Mary and seek her intercession with
the Lord Jesus Christ because they feel that she, being a woman, has
more compassion and understanding, particularly towards the
problems that are peculiar to women. In contrast, Jesus Christ is seen
as a stern Judge and, consequently, many turn to Mary for the
compassion and understanding that they believe can only come from
a mothers heart. Mary is said to be able to turn the Lord Jesus frown
into a smile by her appeals for her children. To teach that anyone
has more love or compassion than Jesus Christ is a lie and nothing
less than blasphemy against God. The Roman Catholic Bible tells us
plainly that: "...God IS Love..." (1 John 4:16).
Mary is not love! Marys love could not even compare with the love
of God. She had love which, like our own, was a human love, an
imperfect love, not the Divine love that God has and IS! It is evident
from the Gospels that, while on earth, Jesus Christ displayed great
compassion and mercy for the lame, the diseased, the demon-
possessed and the blind. In fact, all who came to Him were received
with great lovingkindness. Even in His dying hour, Jesus showed
immediate mercy towards the penitent thief who called to Jesus to
remember him, and needing no plea from His mother Mary, promptly
told the thief, "...today you will be with Me in paradise" (Luke
23:43).
"It is in Christs full humanity (the fact that He is also God makes him
no less human than anyone of us) that we are able to relate to Him
and feel comfortable with Him."42
The following Scripture written to true believers shows clearly that
Jesus is not harsh towards those who come to Him believing His
Gospel, but is able to sympathize greatly with their weaknesses: "For
we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested
in every way, yet without sin. So let us CONFIDENTLY
APPROACH the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find
grace for timely help" (Hebrews 4:15,16; cf. Hebrews 2:16-18 cf.
John 6:37). Here we see that the Throne of Jesus is the THRONE OF
GRACE, from where He is ready to forgive the sins of all those who call
upon Him in spirit and in truth.
That Mary, or any other human being, could have more love or
compassionate understanding than Jesus Christ, suggests a defect in
God. The following array of Scriptures from Roman Catholicisms own
Bible shows clearly the infinitely adequate love of God:
Psalm 100:5 - "Good indeed is the Lord, whose LOVE ENDURES
FOREVER, whose faithfulness lasts through
every age."
Psalm 108:5 - "FOR YOUR LOVE TOWERS TO THE HEAVENS;
YOUR FAITHFULNESS, TO HE SKIES."
PSALM 136 CONTAINS THE WORDS: "GOD'S LOVE ENDURES
FOREVER" IN EVERY ONE OF ITS 26 VERSES!!
Psalm 138:8 - "...the Lord is with me to the end. Lord, YOUR
LOVE ENDURES FOREVER."
Psalm 145:8,9 - "The Lord is GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL, slow to
anger and ABOUNDING IN LOVE. The Lord is
good to all, COMPASSIONATE TO EVERY CREATURE."
The Roman Catholic Bible says that kindness BELONGS to God (Psalm
62:12). Matthew 9:36 tells us that "At the sight of the crowds
His (Jesus) heart was moved with pity for them..." (cf. Luke
19:41; John 11:35). It is abundantly clear from these few Scriptures
that the Lord Jesus is love and that there is no end to his compassion
and mercy, for the Roman Catholic Bible says, "Gods love endures
forever". Rome calls Mary the Treasury of Divine grace, yet the
Roman Catholic Bible states that God is "THE GOD OF ALL
GRACE..." (1 Peter 5:10).
Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we can come to God directly
through the ONE MEDIATOR between God and man, the man Christ
Jesus (see 1 Timothy 2:5). Roman Catholicism teaches that one comes
to Jesus through Mary, however, nothing of the kind is found in the
pages of the Roman Catholic Bible. Even the current Pope, John Paul II,
declared in his March 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater,
that "...Mary is in no sense a mediator between God and man, which
is Christs role alone..." However, to say that Mary intercedes between
Jesus Christ and man, still makes her a mediator between God and
man, for the Lord Jesus is God.
"The reason that Mary, the saints or angels cannot act as our priest or
mediator is because they have no sacrifice, nothing to offer in behalf
of our sins. Only a priest with a true sacrifice can serve as mediator
between God and men. Christ alone, our Great High Priest, is the true
sacrifice, and He alone can act as our priest."43
Throughout the teachings of the New Testament, there is only one
mediator mentioned: Christ Jesus the Lord. No other is spoken of, for
no other is needed. "Therefore, He is ALWAYS able to save those
WHO APPROACH GOD THROUGH HIM, since He lives forever to
make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
The Roman Catholic Bible says that the true believer has but ONE
Advocate with the Father, "...Jesus Christ the Righteous One" (1
John 2:1). "Biblically, a person who prays talks to God through the
mediation of the God-Man, Jesus Christ. No heavenly entities other
than the persons of the Trinity figure into the picture. Humanitys link
to heaven is limited to the unlimited: God. Why should we need
anything else? This is the significance of the incarnation: because He
is man, Christ is able to function as our Mediator; because He is God,
we have direct access into the presence of Deity and never have to
settle for anything less. Therefore, linking Mary in the heavenly chain
between Jesus and man not only places Mary in a mediating position
unoccupied by other believers, it depreciates the all-sufficiency and
glory of Christs priesthood."44
Hebrews 9:24 says: "For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary
made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that HE might NOW APPEAR BEFORE GOD ON OUR
BEHALF." The Lord Jesus does not appear before God on Marys
behalf, but on the behalf of His people!
Dear Roman Catholic, the compassionate Lord Jesus, the One who
sympathizes with the weaknesses of His people, implores you this
day: "COME TO ME (not to Mary), ALL you who labor and are
burdened, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST" (Matthew 11:28) The
Bible also tells us: "Lord, you are KIND AND FORGIVING, MOST
LOVING TO ALL WHO CALL ON YOU" (Psalm 86:5).
Even if after all this evidence from Gods Holy and infallible Word,
there remains doubt in the mind of any Roman Catholic that Jesus
Christ is love and will treat with love and compassion all who call upon
Him in spirit and in truth, the Holy Spirit inspired words of the apostle
Paul to the believers at Rome should quickly dispel any remaining
uncertainty: "But God proves His love for us in that WHILE WE
WERE STILL SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Romans 5:8).
And, "Everything (everyone) that the Father gives Me will come
to Me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to Me" (John
6:37).
Mary did not die for mankind. But God, who became man in the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ, DID die for His people, EVEN WHEN
THEY WERE STILL SINNERS!! This is the kind of love that Jesus Christ
has for all those God has given Him. It is a love that is
undeserved, yet freely given. Writing to believers, Paul the apostle
stated: "But God, who is RICH IN MERCY, because of the GREAT
LOVE HE HAD FOR US, even when we were dead in our
transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (BY GRACE YOU
HAVE BEEN SAVED)..." (Ephesians 2:4,5).
The true Christian is not to be afraid to come to God, for "...through
the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the
sanctuary" (Hebrews 10:19). God is ready to forgive all those who
come to Him HIS WAY: "He who did not spare His own Son but
handed Him over for us all, how will He not also give us
everything else along with Him? Who will bring a charge
against Gods chosen ones? IT IS GOD WHO ACQUITS US. Who
will condemn? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God, WHO INDEED
INTERCEDES FOR US" (Romans 8:32-34).
In closing this chapter, we invite you to listen to the questions
concerning Mary that were asked by former Roman Catholic priest of
25 years, Charles Chiniquy, whilst still a priest in the Church of Rome,
to a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church:
"When Jesus and Mary were on earth, who loved sinners with a more
efficacious and saving love? Jesus being God, His love was evidently
more efficacious and saving than Marys, answered the bishop. And
to who did Jesus invite sinners to go for their salvation; was it to
Himself or Mary? I asked again. The bishop answered: Jesus; Come
unto Me. He never said come or go to Mary. Have we any examples
in the Scriptures, of sinners, who, fearing to be rebuked by Jesus,
have gone to Mary and obtained access to Him through her and have
been saved by her intercessions? I do not remember of any such
cases, replied the bishop. I then asked, To whom did the penitent
thief on the cross address himself to be saved; was it to Jesus or
Mary? It was to Jesus, replied the bishop.
Did that penitent thief do well to address himself to Jesus on the
cross, rather than to Mary who was at his feet? said I. Surely he did
better, answered the bishop. Now, my lord, allow me only one
question more. Please tell me if you think that Jesus in heaven, since
He is sitting at the right hand of His Father, has lost any of His
superior love and mercy for sinners? And if so can you show me that
what Jesus has lost has been gained by Mary? I do not think that
Christ has lost any of His love and power to save us now that he is in
heaven, answered the bishop. Now, my lord, if Jesus is still my best
friend, my most powerful, merciful, and loving friend, why should I not
go directly to Him? Why should we, for a moment, go to anyone who
is infinitely inferior, in power, love, and mercy, for our salvation? The
bishop was stunned by my questions. He stammered some
unintelligible answer, and excused himself on account of some
pressing business."45
The Roman Catholic Bible instructs the believer to "Cast all your
worries upon HIM (not upon Mary) because HE CARES FOR
YOU" (1 Peter 5:7). Christs people are instructed, in Jude 21, "Keep
yourselves in the love of God, and wait for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life."
COME OUT FROM HER....
The purpose of this booklet has not been to judge or condemn you,
the Roman Catholic, but has been designed to educate you, to inform
you of facts and proper biblical teaching which the Roman Catholic
Church has not given you. It has been written in order to provide you
with historical facts about the origins of many of your Churchs
teachings and traditions. You have read for yourself what the
Roman Catholic Church admits to and what your own Roman
Catholic Bible says, and doesnt saywhat it teaches and
simply does not support. Ultimately, this booklet is a plea for you
to come out of the Roman Catholic Church, away from all its man-
made doctrines and pagan practices, away from its false gospel. God
must be worshipped HIS way, for no other way is acceptable
unto Him. There is no other way to worship the true Godand
therefore be a saved, justified and true follower of Godother
than the way He has prescribed in His Holy Word. There is no
Gospel that must be believed, by which a man is saved, other
than the one that reveals the Righteousness of Christ.
We have presented the truth to you. Verifiable truth. We have
quoted from many sources approved by your own Church including a
Church approved Bible. But do not believe things simply because you
saw them written in a booklet. The Bible commends those who
properly investigate what is presented to them as truth and we
encourage you to do so. In Acts 17:11 the apostle Paul and Silas
preached to the people at Berea. The Roman Catholic Bible says
that "These...were more fair-minded than those in
Thessalonica, for they received the word with all willingness
and EXAMINED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY TO DETERMINE
WHETHER THESE THINGS WERE SO." The Scriptures were their
sole authority. They did not refer to the writings of mere men, seeking
out their opinions, but went immediately to the Holy Word of
God knowing that His Word alone could be trusted, and was the sure
test for all teachings being presented as Gods own decrees (see 2
Peter 1:19). Paul and Silas were not offended by their examining and
putting to the test what they were saying, they did not say How dare
you examine what we have said to you; dont you know who we
are? Every Christian, indeed every person, is to examine by
the Holy Scriptures all that is presented to him as Gods
teaching, and if it does not match with the Scriptures, you can
be sure it did not come from God and is to be rejected out of
hand. Writing to true believers, John said, "Beloved, DO NOT
TRUST every spirit BUT TEST the spirits to see whether they
belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out
into the world" (1 John 4:1).
The subtle deceptiveness of the Roman Catholic Church is that she
teaches some truths of Scripture but always adds to them, something
which the Scriptures roundly condemn: "Add NOTHING to HIS
Words, lest He reprove you, and you be exposed as a
deceiver" (Proverbs 30:6). In speaking against such deception the
Lord Jesus warned His disciples to "...Look out, and beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6 cf.
Galatians 5:9). Later, the disciples "...understood that He was not
telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of THE
TEACHING of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:12).
The Pharisees and Sadducees were the religious leaders in Jesus day.
The apostle Paul warned: "...watch out for those who create
dissensions and obstacles, in opposition to the teaching that
you learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our
Lord Christ but their own appetites, and by fair and flattering
speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent" (Romans
16:17,18). EXAMINE EVERYTHING! TEST EVERYTHING BY THE WORD
OF GOD! For we are dealing with eternal issues here. We are
dealing with heaven and hell, and what a person believes
determines their eternal destiny, for the doctrine you hold to
is the surest evidence of whether or not it is the true God
Who has revealed Himself to you or whether it is a false god
whom you have embraced.
Some examples of such deceptiveness are as follows: the Roman
Catholic Church teaches her followers to pray the Lords prayer, but
they are encouraged to do so whilst holding the Rosary which is a
pagan invention and has nothing to do with true Christianity. Yes,
Rome agrees that God alone forgives sin, but they add that this power
to forgive has been given to her priests and one must go to them to
receive it and not directly to God the Father through Jesus His Son, as
the Scriptures prescribe. Yes, Roman Catholicism teaches that the
Bible is the Word of God but it considers tradition to be equal to Gods
precious Holy Word and insists that she is the only true interpreter of
Scripture! In other words, what ROME says Gods Word is
saying is what is to be obeyed, rather than what the
Scriptures interpretation of Itself is saying! Compare
Scripture with Scripture, not Scripture with a mans
interpretation. All along, Roman Catholicism adds to Gods Word
and in other instances withholds certain parts of it, such as the
second Commandment, from its publications. It is true that Roman
Catholicism teaches the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ
but it is vitally important to note that while she may correctly teach
some aspects of these thingsthings which are aligned with historical
factthe Roman Catholic Church does not teach the death, burial
and resurrection of Jesus Christ "...in accordance with the
Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
It is no accident that so much pagan tradition is found today in Roman
Catholicism. It has been carefully managed and seen to, that old
pagan/occultic rites and traditions, which the Bible calls demonic, are
continued to be adhered to and promoted as vigilantly as they were
by the early pagans, but now with a Christian veneer thus setting up
the Roman Catholic Church as the unmistakably identifiable anti-
christian system referred to as Babylon in the Bible. Roman
Catholicism stands today not only against Christ, for it does not teach
His Gospel, but Rome has also, in a most vulgar way, usurped Christs
position. The papacy claims that IT is the vicar of Christ on earth,
rather than the Holy Spirit as the Word of God says.
That which immediately reveals a religious organizations ungodly
foundation may be seen in the gospel it teaches. What a person, or
organization such as the Roman Catholic Church, says about Who
Jesus Christ is, what He has done and for whom He has done it
in other words His Person and His Workwill reveal whether or not
that person or organization is of God (see 2 John 9). After having
preached to them the True and only Gospel of salvation which reveals
the true God and true Christ, Paul the apostle warned the believers in
Galatia that "...even if we or an angel from heaven should
preach to you a gospel OTHER THAN the one that we
preached to you, let that one be accursed" (Galatians 1:8).
There are many who by nature are religious; many who are extremely
zealous for what they believe to be the things of God, yet Scripture
reminds us that by nature "There is no one just, not one, there is
no one who understands, there is no one who seeks
God" (Romans 3:10,11). Saving, God-given faith in the true and only
Gospel of God shows that it is the true God Who has revealed
Himself. Belief in any gospel other than that one and only
Gospel of God reveals that it is not the true God Who has
revealed Himself but rather a false god who cannot save.
We implore you to come out of the Roman Catholic Church. A Church
which is headed, not by the Lord Jesus Christ, for it does not promote
His Gospel, but by a man who calls himself the Pope, and who allows
himself to be addressed as Holy Father, a title which God ALONE is
worthy. God ALONE is Father, and God ALONE is Holy. The Lord Jesus
only ever referred to God as Father, and in Revelation 15:4 Jesus,
praying to the Father said: "...You ALONE are Holy..." How dare ANY
man take upon himself a title of which ONLY God is worthy! Not
incidentally, the Lord Jesus Christ also said to His followers not to call
any man on earth father, that is in a spiritual sense, for One was their
Father and He resides in heaven: "Call no one on earth your
father; you have but one Father in heaven" (Matthew 23:9).
Roman Catholicism responds to these words of the Lord Jesus by
calling every one of its priests father, and demanding that everyone
else, Roman Catholic or not, do likewise despite admitting in their
footnotes to Matthew 23:9 that, "...Jesus forbids not only the titles
(rabbi, father and master) but the spirit of superiority and pride that
is shown by their acceptance."
Pope Leo XIII once blasphemously declared: "The Pope holds upon
this earth the place of God Almighty..." Robert Bellermine, famous
Jesuit Cardinal of the 16th century and also a saint of the Roman
Catholic Church, had this to say: "All the names which in the
Scriptures are applied to Christ by virtue of which it is established
that He is over the Church, all the same names are applied to the
Pope." The Catholique Nationale of Paris, in its July 13, 1895 issue,
contained the following claim made by the then archbishop of Venice,
later to become Pope Pius X. He said, "The Pope is not only the
representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself hidden
under the veil of the flesh..." Dear Roman Catholic, the Pope is NOT
Jesus Christ! JESUS CHRIST IS GOD!! ONLY through the Lord
Jesus Christ is there salvation, not through the Pope and his
church of Rome.
"History is replete with sayings that mocked Romanisms false claim
to celibacy: The holiest hermit has his whore" and "Rome has more
prostitutes than any other city because she has the most
celibates" are examples. Pope Pius II called Rome The only city run
by bastards, the sons and grandsons of popes and cardinals.
"Even Roman Catholic historians admit that among the popes were
some of the most degenerate and unconscionable ogres in all history.
More than one pope was slain by a husband who found him in bed
with his wife. To call such a man His holiness vicar of Christ makes a
mockery of holiness and Christ. Yet the name of each of these mass
murderers, fornicators, robbers, warmongerssome guilty of the
massacre of thousandsis emblazoned in honor on the Churchs
official list of Peters alleged successors, the popes" (The Berean
Call, July 94, p.2).
"Will you believe the words of the Roman Catholic Church or will you
believe the words of the Roman Catholic Bible? It is for you to decide.
Remember, there are only two religions in the entire world, mans and
Gods. If it is not the truth of God that you are believing, then you
have embraced the lies of the Devil." You have embraced a false
gospel wherein is no salvation. "Mans religion is by workshis
own efforts, his fastings and prayers, his obedience to the Church.
That, in effect, makes him his own saviour. Gods is by faith in the
finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid it all... The Roman Catholic
Bible states clearly: "...we have been JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..." Romans
5:1. The Roman Catholic Bible makes it perfectly clear that man
cannot save himself and that Christ is his only hope; his only
Saviour."46
"Salvation is not dependent on a human priest, Mary, Baptism, the
saints, the sacraments, the Mass, confession, good works,
membership in the Roman Catholic Church or the Pope."
Salvation is not gained by our loyalty or service to a personbe they
our parents or grandparents and their religious traditions
which they have passed down to usor to an institution such as
the Roman Catholic Church, but rather by our acceptance of the
truth!! "Jesus said: "...I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.
No one comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME" (John
14:6) and "I am the Gate. Whoever enters through Me will be
saved..." (John 10:9). Acts 4:12 says: There is NO salvation
through ANYONE else, nor is there ANY other name under
heaven given to the human race by which we are to be
saved.
It matters not how religious a person is or how sincere he might be in
his religious pursuits, if a man has not the Gospel of God, if he does
not "...remain in the teaching of the Christ (he) does not have
God..." (2 John 9). "That all who have not believed the truth but
have approved wrongdoing may be condemned" (2
Thessalonians 2:12). Scripture also speaks of the vengeance that will
be had upon the enemies of God "...at the revelation of the Lord
Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels, in blazing fire,
inflicting punishment on those who do not acknowledge God
and on those WHO DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL of our Lord
Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated
from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His
power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Only through the Gospel of Christ wherein is revealed the
Righteousness of Christ, without which no man can be saved, is there
true salvation: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. IT IS THE
POWER OF GOD for the salvation of everyone who believes:
for the Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the
Righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, the
one who is righteous by faith will live" (Romans 1:16,17). Central
to the Gospel message is the Person and Work of Jesus Christ and,
according to the Scriptures, if one is wrong about Christ, if one has
embraced erroneous doctrine concerning Christ the Person and His
Work, one is not merely in need of correction yet nevertheless saved,
one has in fact fallen for another jesus who is identified by false
doctrine, and thus remains in a lost state. Only in the True Jesus is
their salvation. Belief, however sincere, in a false jesus
CANNOT SAVE! You see, not only does the apostle Paul state that the
Gospel is the power of God but he also defines this statement in 1
Corinthians 1:18: "THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS is foolishness
to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved
IT (THE CROSS) IS THE POWER OF GOD."
Belief in false doctrines concerning Christ constitutes a belief
in another gospel, one which does not represent the true
Christ but a false savior (see 2 Corinthians 11:3,4). The Holy Spirit
is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13) and never presents a
man with, nor leads him to believe, a false gospel: "But when He
comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you to all
truth..." (John 16:13). Jesus prayed, "Consecrate them in the
Truth. Your Word is Truth" (John 17:17). The true believer is
consecrated, or sanctified, through the truth which is the Word of God
and not through the lies of men. Speaking to saved men, the apostle
Paul stated: "...God chose you as the firstfruits for salvation
through sanctification BY THE SPIRIT AND BELIEF IN TRUTH" (2
Thessalonians 2:13). There is no true sanctification if ones faith is not
in the Truth of God.
Only by belief in Christs Gospel, which says that man is dead in
sin, without God and without hope of salvation by anything he is or
does in an effort to please God and gain His favor, is a man
saved: "Therefore, remember that at one time you...were at
that time without Christ...without hope and without God in
the world" (Ephesians 2:11-13). "You were dead in your
transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). "All have sinned and
are deprived of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Only by belief in Christs Gospel, which says that a man is saved
not by works, not by anything he has done, is doing or will do, but
solely by the grace and mercy of God, is a man saved: "...a person
is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be
justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Galatians
1:16). The cry of the truly justified sinner is that he is "...justified
freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus,
Whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by His
blood..." (Romans 3:24,25).
Only by belief in Christs Gospel, which says a man is not saved
based on anything he has done but solely by the grace of God
through the election of grace, is a man saved: "...God chose you as
the firstfruits for salvation through sanctification by the
Spirit and belief in truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13). "As He chose
us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and
without blemish before Him" (Ephesians 1:4); "He saved us and
called us to a holy life, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, but
according to His own design and the grace bestowed on us in
Christ Jesus before time began" (2 Timothy 1:9). No saved person
ever came to God first (see 1 John 4:19). In every case God came to
the person first and gave them the gift of salvation, not because they
had in any way earned this gift, but freely and only by the will of God
and the grace of God. Scripture says that by nature "...there is no
one who seeks God" (Romans 3:11). "But when one does not
work, yet believes in the One Who justifies the ungodly, his
faith is credited as righteousness. So also David declares the
blessedness of the person to whom God credits righteousness
apart from works" (Romans 4:5,6).
Only by belief in Christs Gospel, which says that Christ died
exclusively for His people, those whom God had given Him (see John
17:2), and has provided them with an atonement for their sin, having
their sins imputed, or charged, to Him and imputing unto them His
perfect righteousness, is a man saved. Jesus said: "I am the good
shepherd. A good shepherd lays down His life for the
sheep....I will lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:11,15).
Writing to true believers Paul said, "For our sake He made Him to
be sin (for us) who did not know sin, so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Only by belief in Christs Gospel, which says that all His people
shall come to Him, hear and believe His Gospel, is there true
salvation. None whom the Lord has given unto Him shall perish, none
shall be plucked from His Hand, but all for whom He died shall be
saved: "My sheep hear My voice; I know them, and they follow
Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No
one can take them out of My hand" (John 10:27,28). "Everything
that the Father gives Me WILL come to Me..." (John 6:37).
Only by belief in Christs Gospel, which states that none for whom
He died shall ever perish, but all who have had their sins charged to
Him shall be given eternal life, is a man saved. Salvation has not only
been obtained for Gods chosen, but it is eternally maintained by the
Will of God and all that Christ has done: "...Give glory to Your Son,
so that Your Son may glorify You, just as You gave Him
authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to
all You gave Him" (John 17:1,2). Christ has not only obtained
salvation for His people, by paying the penalty for their sin and
imputing to them His righteousness, He also maintains their salvation
by His eternal and completed work upon the cross. Thus ALL the glory
for salvation belongs to God and none of it is shared with any man
based on his works. Only THIS Gospel gives ALL the glory to God
for salvation and wherein there is no room for man to boast in
anything he is or has done.
Only by belief in Christs Gospel, which states that no man is, or
can be saved by his own righteousness, by his own efforts at
obedience to Gods Law, but only by the perfect Righteousness of
Jesus Christ which is freely imputed based on His grace and mercy
ALONE to all those for whom He died, is a man saved. The apostle
Paul wanted to "...be found in Him, not having any
righteousness of my own based on the law but that which
comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God,
depending on faith..." (Philippians 3:9). Paul considered all that he
was and did in the realm of religion as rubbish, and therefore
himself as a lost person, before knowing Christ and His
Gospel: "...because of the supreme good of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have accepted the loss of all
things and I consider them so much rubbish..." (Philippians 3:8).
Only those who have heard the Word of Truth, Gods Mighty Gospel,
can be said to truly hope in the true Christ: "In Him you also, who
have heard the word of truth, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR
SALVATION, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the
promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13).
Look then to the only true Jesus Who is the Author and Finisher of the
Faith which God gives and which only believes in the true Gospel.
ANY AND ALL FAITH IN ANOTHER JESUS WILL NOT SAVE.
ANY AND ALL FAITH IN ANOTHER GOSPEL WILL NOT SAVE.
"Whoever believes (THE Gospel) and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).
The true born again believer knows that "...by grace you have
been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the
gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may
boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
May God bless each and every one of you with His Truth as
revealed in His Gospel.
NOTES 1. Roman Catholic Catechism, p.16, 1937, Australian Catholic
Truth Society. 2. Eamon R. Carroll, "Mary in the Documents of the
Magisterium" in Mariology, Vol.1, ed. J.P. Carol (Milwaukee: Bruce
Publishing Company, 1955), p.36. 3. Ibid., p.37. 4. Concise Guide to
Bible Christianity and Romanism, 1991, p.83. 5. Dogmatic
Constitution of the Church, Vatican II, p/graph 61, Chap.8. 6. Roman
Catholicism, L. Boettner, p.134, 1962, Presbyterian & Reformed
Publishing Company. 7. Roman Catechism, op.cit., p.7. 8. Romanism
Analyzed, J. MacDonald, p.237, Edinburgh, 1894. 9. Babylon Mystery
Religion, R. Woodrow, p.10, 1966, R. Woodrow Evangelistic
Association Inc. 10. Roman Catholicism, op.cit., p.136. 11. The Cult of
the Virgin, E. Miller & K.R. Samples, p.66, Baker Bookhouse Company,
1992. 12. Babylon Mystery Religion, op.cit., p.18. 13. The Cult of the
Virgin, op.cit., p.67. 14. Ibid., p.24. 15. Roman Catholicism Tested by
the Scriptures, J.A. Coleman, p.54, 1973. 16. Roman Catholicism,
op.cit., p.160. 17. Roman Catholicism Tested by the Scriptures, op.cit.,
p.55. 18. Roman Catholicism, op.cit., p.161. 19. Babylon Mystery
Religion, op.cit., p.17. 20. The Cult of the Virgin, op.cit., p.32. 21. The
Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.7, p.675, article: "Immaculate Conception".
22. Roman Catholicism, op.cit., p.163. 23. The Cult of the Virgin,
op.cit., p.37. 24. Roman Catholicism, op.cit., p.164. 25. Ann Matter of
the University of Pennsylvania, quoted in C.W. Bell, "Renewing the
Faith in Mary", Los Angeles Daily News, 23 May, 1982, sec F. 26. The
Cult of the Virgin, op.cit., p.11. 27. Roman Catechism, op.cit., p.32.
28. All Roads Lead to Rome?, M. de Semlyen, p.55, Dorchester House
Publications, 1993. 29. Romanism Analyzed, op.cit., p.233. 30. The
Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.15, p.460, article: "Virgin Mary". 31. The
Cult of the Virgin, op.cit., p.59. 32. Romanism Analyzed, op.cit., p.243.
33. Roman Catholicism, op.cit., p.150. 34. Ibid., p.151. 35. The Cult of
the Virgin, op.cit., p.71. 36. 50 Years in the "Church" of Rome, C.
Chiniquy, p.183, Chick Publications, 1985. 37. Is Rome The True
Church? (booklet), S.E. Anderson, p.20. 38. No Mother (pamphlet), M.
Meyer. 39. Commentary in One Volume, M. Henry, p.1514, Zondervan
Publishing House, 1960. 40. 50 Years in the "Church" of Rome, op.cit.,
p.181. 41. Romanism Analyzed, op.cit., p.251. 42. The Cult of the
Virgin, op.cit., p.74. 43. Roman Catholicism, op.cit., p.149. 44. The
Cult of Virgin, op.cit., p.55. 45. 50 Years in the "Church" of Rome,
op.cit., pp182-183. 46. The Catholic Bible Has The Answer (booklet),
O.J. Smith.