Roman Catholicism?

There are many things which are good about Roman Catholicism. It holds basically to a Trinitarian view of God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On many issues like abortion and homosexual practice, Catholics are clear (indeed far clearer than many evangelicals) in upholding biblical standards. In third world countries often their missionaries, monks and nuns do wonderful work helping the poor and needy.

Furthermore, no doubt many individual Catholics are lovely people, who have genuine faith in Christ and I am sure are true Christians. However, as a church and system of teaching, Catholicism is in deep and dangerous error. With the visit of Pope Benedict to Britain due in September it is right to remind ourselves of how Catholicism differs from the biblical gospel. Here are ten short points.

The Bible

There are two things here. First, Catholicism has a different Bible. It believes in the Old Testament and New Testament, but adds to that the 15 books of the Apocrypha. But there is no record of Jesus ever quoting from or referring to the Apocrypha. The apostles, on rare occasions do quote from the Apocrypha, but it seems only to oppose false teachers who are using it.

Second, Catholicism gives their church tradition equal authority with the Bible. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ‘Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God’.¹ But this is to deny 2 Timothy 3.16,17, which teaches that Scripture is sufficient and we do not need any other teaching to thoroughly equip us as Christians.

Herein we see the root of Rome’s error. Because they put the church on a par with Scripture they are unable to engage in self-criticism. They have great difficulty saying, ‘We got this wrong so we need to change’. That was the whole problem at the time of the Reformation.

The pope

The pope (from the Latin papa meaning ‘father’) is said to be in the place of the Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks like this: ‘For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church’.² Vatican I in 1870 claimed supreme authority and infallibility for the pope in all aspects of faith and morals especially when he speaks officially. Though Vatican II modified this somewhat, nevertheless the infallibility of the pope is part of Catholic teaching.

The true ‘vicar of Christ’, who has come to earth in the place of Jesus, is the Holy Spirit, who is in the heart of every Christian and who inspired the prophets and apostles to write the Scriptures. He, and he alone, is the one who leads us into all truth. You can see that whether intended or not, such titles of the pope actually border on blasphemy.

Priests

The priest is said to be a special person who by ordination receives special grace which he can communicate to other people. He is able, for example, to hear confession and forgive sins. Without the priesthood salvation is said to be impossible for they are the channels of God’s grace.

But in the New Testament there is only one mediator between God and men and that is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2.5), who offered himself as the all-sufficient and final sacrifice for sins. The work of Jesus is a completed work. We need no one else to mediate with God for us.

Transubstantiation

This Catholic doctrine became part of their teaching in 1215 AD. It refers to the communion when the substance of the bread and wine is said to be changed into the physical body and blood of Christ.

‘By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present…’³ But, in Matthew 26.26, the Lord was still present in his body when he spoke the words ‘This is my body’, so how could the bread change into his literal body? No. His words are meant to be taken figuratively, just like many other sayings of Jesus, like ‘I am the gate’ (John 10.7). In consequence of the idea of transubstantiation at the Council of Constance in 1415 AD it was agreed to withhold the cup from the congregation lest the wine — the literal blood of the Lord — be spilt by anyone.

The Mass

The most important part of Roman Catholic worship is the Mass (communion), when the priest is supposed to offer Christ, embodied in the bread, etc., as a sacrifice to God the Father for sin. And when the ‘host’ is elevated, lifted — the congregation bow — Jesus is in the bread.

But, as we have seen, Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary was once for all. There is no need of any further sacrifice for sin. That is why, in the New Testament, the Lord’s Supper is a ‘remembrance’ (1 Corinthians 11.25).

Baptism

Catholics believe in baptismal regeneration. We read in The Catechism of the Catholic Church: ‘Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the church…’⁴. That is, they believe that people are made Christians through the act of being baptised with the power of the Holy Spirit operating through the priest. But the New Testament teaches that it is not baptism which saves us. Rather it is personal faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 16.31). Yes, baptism is the normal way to express your faith. But baptism without the personal faith is of no use (Acts 8.13).

Penance

Rome distinguishes between greater or ‘mortal’ sins (like murder, pride, lust) and lesser of ‘venial’ (excusable) sins (like being a bit lazy). Confessing sin before a priest in order to obtain pardon is a sacrament binding on Catholics. The priest has the power to forgive and to impose penance — some task or other — as a means both of testing the genuineness of a person’s contrition and of making a satisfaction to God for that sin.

By contrast, the Bible makes no distinction between types of sins. And, though sometimes it is helpful to confess our sins to our fellow believers, forgiveness comes as we confess our sins to God and look to Christ. No good works we do by way of penance could ever satisfy God for sin. But, rather, we are forgiven on the sole ground of Jesus’s perfect sacrifice for us.

Purgatory

While some distinguished ‘holy’ saints go straight to heaven after death, ordinary Catholics are said to go to purgatory where their venial and mortal sins are purged and punished.

But there is no mention of purgatory in Scripture. Even to the dying thief Jesus was able to say, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise’ (Luke 23.43).

Indulgences

According to Catholic teaching, the punishment of sins is met partly by penance and partly by sufferings in purgatory after we die. However, Rome claims to have a great wealth of unused merit accumulated both through Christ’s sufferings and also through the holy, unselfish lives of the saints. Therefore, they say they are able to offer reduced time in purgatory for money given or special favours done to the Catholic church. This is said to purchase an ‘indulgence’. It was this practice which so upset Martin Luther and started the Reformation. As the seller of indulgences, Johan Tetzel, offered to free people’s loved ones from purgatory in return for financial offerings, he taught that ‘as soon as your money in the collection box rings, the soul of your loved one from purgatory springs!’ ‘No’, said Luther, ‘if the church really has such power, why does it not, out of love free all who are in purgatory immediately instead of blackmailing people over their dead relatives?’

Needless to say, you will find nothing in Scripture about indulgences.

Mary

Catholics believe that, after giving birth to Jesus, Mary continued as a virgin despite Matthew 1.25, which implies that after the birth Joseph and Mary behaved as normal married people, and Mark 6.3 clearly states that our Lord Jesus had brothers and sisters. In 1854, the pope declared that Mary was conceived free from sin and remained sinless, despite the fact that in Luke 1.47 she declares that the Lord is her ‘Saviour’. Catholicism goes on to teach that Mary was taken body and soul straight into heaven (declared in 1950) and there she is enthroned as queen of heaven where she prays for her church, and in some degree is worshipped. Nothing of this is in the Bible. Mary was no doubt a wonderful, humble Christian woman from whom we can learn much, but she would look upon all this as blasphemy since there is only one mediator, Christ Jesus.

Having distanced itself from the Bible as our only sure guide, you can see the kinds of errors which have crept into Catholicism.

Footnotes

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Geoffrey Chapman, 1994, para.97.
2. Ibid, para.882.
3. Ibid, para.1413.
4. Ibid, para.1213

In writing this article I am much indebted to Truth Under Attack, Vol. 1, by Dr. Eryl Davies, Evangelical Press, 2004.

An examination