Monday, April 6, 2020

When Strangers Come Knocking---Part 8


This is the next installment of my series to be published the first Monday of each month.

There are members of false sects, like Jehovah's Witnesses, that come knocking door-to-door hoping to convert you. Instead of ignoring them, it is we who should try and convert them. In 1 Peter 3:16, our first Pope writes, "But in thy hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks thee to give the reason for the hope that thou hast. But do this with gentleness and respect,..." Before the Great Apostasy, the Church would send missionaries to the ends of the Earth to make as many converts as possible. 

Those in false religions don't always come (literally) knocking at your door. It may be a Hindu at work who wants you to try yoga. It could be a "Christian Scientist" who lives next door and invites you to come to their reading room. Each month, I will present a false sect. Unlike the Vatican II sect, I do not see them as a "means of salvation" or possessing "elements of truth" that lead to salvation. That is heresy. They lead to damnation, and the adherents of the various sects must be converted so they may be saved.

In each month's post, I will present one false sect and give an overview of:  

  • The sect's history
  • Their theology
  • Tips on how to share the True Faith with them
The Word-Faith Movement
You've probably seen him on TV, or read about him in the papers. His books (ten as of this writing), are all over the market, both in hard-copy and as e-books. Handsome, well-dressed, and charismatic, Joel Osteen (b. 1963) is part of the Word-Faith Movement (sometimes called the prosperity Gospel), and he has powerful incentives to make converts.  The Word-Faith Movement is somewhat nebulous in the sense that it is not an explicit Protestant sect. There is no organizational hierarchy, there are no elected leaders, there is no formal confession or doctrinal statement to which their followers must subscribe. As a matter of fact, there is nothing that binds these preachers together except their core doctrines and desire for wealth.  

Besides Osteen, Word-Faith preachers encompass such names as Kenneth Hagin (d. 2009), Benny Hinn (b. 1952), Kenneth Copeland (b. 1936), Paul and Jan Crouch ([founders of Trinity Broadcasting Network television]; Paul d. 2013, Jan d. 2016), Joyce Meyer (b. 1943), Joseph Prince (b. 1963), and T.D. Jakes (b. 1957). If any of these names are familiar to you, or you know someone who is a follower,the common thread that runs through all of their teachings, is that you will have health and wealth, which can be reached or attained through what is called "positive confession" or "acts of faith" such as donating money to them or throwing away medicines.

Osteen's book, The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today (2015) gives an excellent example of what the Movement is all about:

Lacy began to describe how she wasn’t fulfilled; she was lonely and she perceived her coworkers as more talented. She made statements such as, "I am unattractive. I am unlucky. I am a slow learner. I am always tired." After five minutes of listening to Lacy, I knew exactly what was holding her back. Her "I am"s. What follows those two simple words will determine what kind of life you live. "I am blessed. I am strong. I am healthy." Or, "I am slow. I am unattractive. I am a lousy mother." The "I am"s coming out of your mouth will bring either success or failure. (p. 1). 

The Word-Faith Movement believes that the human mind and tongue contain a supernatural "power." When a person is expressing his faith in (alleged) Divine Laws, his positive thoughts and verbal expression will produce a "divine force" that will heal, produce wealth, bring success, and even change the environment. Kenneth Copeland claimed to have healed his followers through their television screens. According to Newsweek magazine:

 Conservative televangelist Kenneth Copeland told viewers of his ministry's program that they were "healed" of the coronavirus disease as he prayed while asking them to touch their televisions screens to receive the spiritual healing.

Copeland's bizarre message to his followers during a "special report" on his Victory channel, titled "Standing Against Coronavirus," was first reported by Right Wing Watch on Thursday. In a clip of his prayer, the Christian pastor reaches his outstretched hand toward the camera, asking viewers to draw close and touch their screens.

"Thank you, Lord Jesus. He received your healing," the religious leader said in the video, bowing his head. "Now say it: I take it. I have it. It's mine. I thank you and praise you for it."

He went on: "According to the word of God, I'm healed. And I consider not my own body. I consider not symptoms in my body. But only that which God has promised." (See https://www.newsweek.com/conservative-pastor-claims-he-healed-viewers-coronavirus-through-their-tv-screens-1492044). 

The four fundamental points of the Word-Faith Movement can be summarized thus:
  • God speaks things into existence 
  • People are God’s offspring and created in God’s image 
  • Before the Fall, humanity had the same ability to speak things into existence 
  • After "becoming Christian" (or "born again"), humans regain the ability to speak things, situations and circumstances into existence

The "God" Who Needs Faith in Himself?
In Osteen's book cited above, it tells you that the "magic words" of faith ("I am"--which only God can ascribe to Himself), can bring negative things or positive things depending on your use of the magic words:

Here’s the principle. Whatever follows the “I am” will eventually find you. When you say, "I am so clumsy," clumsiness comes looking for you. "I am so old." Wrinkles come looking for you. "I am so overweight." Calories come looking for you. It’s as though you’re inviting them. Whatever you follow the "I am" with, you’re handing it an invitation, opening the door, and giving it permission to be in your life...Get up in the morning and invite good things into your life. "I am blessed. I am strong. I am talented. I am wise. I am disciplined. I am focused. I am prosperous." When you talk like that, talent gets summoned by Almighty God: "Go find that person." Health, strength, abundance, and discipline start heading your way. (pg.2)

Osteen's "God" is nothing more than a genie in a bottle. If a good (positive) person releases the genie, you wish for (and get) good wishes. If a bad (negative) person releases the genie, you wish for (and get) bad things. Here are the key terms of Christianity as reinterpreted by Word-Faith preachers:

God: A supernatural Being Who must obey spiritual laws. He must have Faith in His own power for miracles. The spiritual laws to which God is somehow subordinate, can be manipulated by people to get God to do their bidding.

Jesus Christ: God's Son, Who came to Earth in order to save us from sin, sickness, poverty, and failure. After the Crucifixion, He went to Hell where He was tortured by demons (!), and then was "born again" to personally communicate the "Faith way" to Word-Faith preachers. 

Faith: A spiritual force that can manipulate "God." 

The Bible: God's "Book of Success" which needs to be reinterpreted by Word-Faith preachers. 

Humans: Potential "gods." 

The unscrupulousness of these preachers is astounding. "God" tells them things people want to hear. One such preacher, Robert Tilton (b. 1946), was sued in 1992 for 40 million dollars, when he told the wife of a wealthy man God was going to heal him. There was just one problem. The wife was actually the widow; the man had died, and was beyond healing (nor did Tilton raise him from the dead). 
(See https://www.greensboro.com/widow-sues-evangelist-tilton-for-fraud/article_fc542d39-9d85-5192-8fd2-ea9cf2bc38e5.html). 

The Word-Faith-Occult Connection
There are many similarities to the occult in the Word-Faith Movement. It's obvious the Movement's conception of God, Christ, Faith, the Bible, etc. are all heretical. These heretical doctrines are very close to many occult/pagan doctrines, such as:

1. The use of magic words to perform "miracles." Both the occult and Word-Faith use special words to effectuate changes over nature. There are those who will object that the same charge was made against Catholics about the form of the Sacraments (necessary words for validity) by Protestants. The form was derided as being "magic words." In particular, the Words of Consecration were attacked as "magic that changes bread into God." The phrase "hocus pocus" was derived from the Protestant blasphemers who said the words spoken by the priest over the bread at Mass (HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM) were "papal hoc-est, poc-est"--corrupted into "hocus pocus," and now spoken at sleight of hand magic shows. 

How is Catholic theology different?  According to theologian Tanqueray, "A miracle is a deed that is sensible, extraordinary, and of divine origin. Hence, since transubstantiation is not sensible, it cannot be considered a miracle in the strict sense. Miracles can only be used to support that which is true and good. It is impossible for God to deceive. Moreover, God would equivalently be producing falsehood if He were performing some miracles in order to demonstrate that some false doctrines or a doctrine that is altogether human has been revealed by Himself. We should recognize that God allows extraordinary things to be performed by the devil." (See A Manual of Dogmatic Theology, Desclee Company, [1959], 1:40-45; Emphasis mine). Hence, since the Sacraments are each a visible sign of an invisible grace, instituted by the historical Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of the human race, the effects are not visible but seen by the eyes of Faith. It is substantially different from voodoo "doctors" claiming a miraculous cure, or Word-Faith claiming miraculous health and wealth comes to you in a visible way.

2. Dialogue with the supernatural. Occultists claim "spirit-guides" talk with them, and Word-Faith preachers have personal audiences with "angels" or "God." 

3.   The end purpose is human self-interest. The occult is all about what people want; the Word-Faith is also about the same, except they claim it is God's Will for your own selfish interests to materialize so you can be happy.

4. Making people "gods." In both the occult and Word-Faith, you can control Nature or God, thereby making you a "god."

Proselytizing Word-Faith Adherents
The Word-Faith Movement attracts people because humans have a wounded nature and are inclined to sin and be selfish. Word-Faith encourages this idea, and tells you that God is some "divine butler" at your beck and call. The Word-Faith Movement also professes the heretical Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura (the Bible alone) as the Rule of Faith. You can use this as a starting point to get them rethinking not only Word-Faith, but the heresy of sola scriptura; but do it one step at a time.

Here are some tips:
1. In this case, it is not ad hominem to present the stark contradictions between Word-Faith preachers and the teachings of the Bible. One preacher, Frederick K.C. Price (b. 1932), is quoted as saying, "The whole point is I’m trying to get you to see – to get you out of this malaise of thinking that Jesus and the disciples were poor and then relating that to you—thinking that you, as a child of God, have to follow Jesus. The Bible says that He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. That’s the reason why I drive a Rolls Royce. I’m following Jesus’ steps." (See transcript of "Ever Increasing Faith" program on TBN [ December 9,1990]). Yet did not Jesus tell the rich young ruler:

"You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." (St. Mark 10:21-25).

While there is nothing wrong with wealth in itself, it becomes an obstacle to Heaven. "For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."(1 Timothy 6:10; Emphasis mine). Are you listening, Word-Faith preachers? We must be poor in spirit. Why didn't Jesus advise the rich young ruler to keep his wealth, if He wants these preachers to have a Rolls Royce? 

2. Have them look at Scripture in context. In 3 John 2, it is written, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." The Word-Faith preachers look on this verse as a promise of prosperity. Again, however, there is nothing in the context to suggest this interpretation. John’s words here are simply a formal greeting akin to the more contemporary, "I hope you are doing well." This text cannot be invoked as expressing God’s unqualified Will that all believers be healthy and prosperous.

3. Word-Faith is contradicted at every turn by the Bible. The preachers reinterpret Scripture to suit their needs and get rich themselves from large donations. Christ Himself said, "For the poor you have always with you: but Me you have not always." (St. Matthew 26:11).  The things of God are more important than the things of Earth. Virtually every book of the Bible tells us we will suffer in this life. Nevertheless, St. Peter says we are to "rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ." (1 Peter 4:13). 

4. St. Peter tells us that suffering is connected to God's Will, "So then those that suffer according to God's Will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Peter 4:19). It is usually God's permissive Will whereby we suffer, but sometimes God will positively inflict punishments as He did to the Egyptians when the refused to release the Jews from captivity. (Book of Exodus). 

5. Finally, the idea that saying negative things will, ipso facto, bring negative things is contradicted by Christ Himself who said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (St. Matthew 6:34; Emphasis mine).  God did not tell us we could "wish away" the troubles of life with "magic words."

Conclusion
The Word-Faith Movement is the apex of selfish gain for those who invoke God to justify their avarice. It turns the Bible's message about God and mammon on its head. It is occultic in its teachings. The idea of Christ suffering in Hell with demons tormenting Him so He could be "born again" is so blasphemous there are no words strong enough to condemn it. Finally, we have the magic "I am" words. God is the only "I AM"! Here's what Kenneth Copeland had to say July 9, 1987 on his "Believers Voice of Victory," Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN):
"When I read in the Bible where He (Christ) says, I AM, I just smile and say, "I AM TOO." 

Copeland (literally) declared himself "God." Think well on this: "And Jesus answering, said to them: Take heed that no man seduce you: For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ: and they will seduce many." (St. Matthew 24:4-5; Emphasis mine). 



38 comments:

  1. The satirical website Babylon Bee (which I think is far superior to the Onion), though run by evangelicals (as far as I'm aware), absolutely love lampooning the prosperity gospel:

    https://babylonbee.com/news/joel-osteen-tests-positive-for-heresy

    https://babylonbee.com/news/joel-osteens-congregation-wonder-who-this-jesus-guy-is-that-kanye-keeps-on-talking-about

    https://babylonbee.com/news/megachurch-cafe-now-only-serving-lukewarm-beverages

    There are many more; what I like about them is that their satire is fair and not onesided.

    As for Osteen and his ilk, the one thing that gets me is that many people think "Christianity" and associate it with these kinds of televangelists.

    Yet another fruit of Protestantism's anthropocentric religion, for even though they claim the Bible as the sole rule of faith, the lack of authority beyond themselves renders the Bible a divisive rule, as witnessed by the number of sects that have arisen since Luther's revolt. (Incidentally, we see the same among Catholics today; lacking a true Pope, we have become more divided as time as passed.)

    As James Cardinal Gibbons wrote in his apologetics work "Faith of Our Fathers" in the 19th century, an infallible book needs an infallible interpreter.

    Sincerely,

    A Simple Man

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    1. Simple Man,
      The gullibility of the followers is also disconcerting to me. “Give me money and get blessed?” Jesus wants you to drive a Rolls Royce?

      Like you said, without the Infallible teacher anyone will fall for anything!

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  2. I always wondered where the phrase "I am blessed" came from. It's such an annoying phrase when I ask people either how they are doing or about them in some other way. I once heard it so often said by a person that I asked if she was declaring herself a saint and she said no. The conversation went on I got nowhere but my point is the phrase used over and over again by the person indicated that she made up her own use of the word to mean something it didn't. Protestant culture is a pretense of Christianity that's really nothing less than demonic by "doing what thy will" as the whole of the law.

    "And other sheep I have that are not of this fold (Catholic Faith): them also I must bring. And they shall hear my voice: And there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Luke 10:16

    Lee

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    1. Lee,
      Interesting how the word “Blessed” got abused. As you know, many words are contorted and twisted to suit the needs of heretics!

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  3. Lee
    You have a good sense of humor!
    I have also had people say to me they are "blessed", and it always struck me as a bit oddball and self-congratulatory although the persons who have said it are nice and usually mean well.
    Anyway, I am definitely stealing your comeback!
    Haha
    Jannie

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    1. Thank you Jannie,

      I hear it all the time. Even some celebrities and athletes say it and I always thought it sounded so cheezy. There is a lady that I know (she really is nice and sweet) and every time I see her the word bless, blest, or blessed comes out of her mouth every sentence. For example: Me: How are you today? The lady: I am so blessed, how are you today? Me: I'm having a pretty good day so far. The lady: Oh bless your little heart. What can I do for you? Me: Nothing for now, but if I need you I will definitely let you know. The Lady: You're fine, well if you need anything just let me know, and you have a blest day! Me: In the words of Tiny Tim (not the one who looked creepy and played the kokle but the character from the Christmas Carol), and God bless us everyone.

      Lee

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  4. Hey Introibo, great work as usual exposing these crazy Protestant sects and false religions!

    On an unrelated tangent, I was going through one of your old articles, and I saw in the conclusion how you had mentioned that Cardinal Rampolla was known to have been a freemason. I've been hunting for some sources that I could use for future reference on this matter, and was wondering if you knew of any, or could point me in the right direction. It's ok if not of course, it's certainly not an urgent matter at all.

    Thank you, and may you have a very blessed Holy Week.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Neyoriquans,
      I never saw any hard evidence, but what convinced me that it was more probably certain than not, was the writing of Fr. Cekada: "After Rampolla died it is
      said that among his personal effects was found proof he belonged to a luciferian Masonic sect called the Ordo Templi Orientalis(associated with the Satanist Alistair Crowley) and frequented a Masonic lodge in Einsiedeln, Switzerland, where he took his vacations." (See traditionalmass.org).

      Although I do not see eye to eye with Father on all matters (and I ask all my readers to pray for him as he suffered a stroke and is in the hospital), he usually is accurate in many matters. He doesn't claim it for certain, the rumors come from many sources and Rampolla was a Modernist sympathizer.

      I could be wrong, but it is PROBABLE that he was in the Masonic Lodge. Fr. Luigi Villa also claimed him to have been a Mason. I will cite the article if I can locate it!

      God Bless,

      ---Introibo

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    2. Thank you for your reply, I very much appreciate it! I also suspect it to be the case that Cardinal Rampolla was a Mason, as it would certainly explain Emperor Franz Joseph I's usage of the veto against him during the Papal conclave of 1903. This would make the concept of a mason being elected Pope much more easily believable for at least some Novus Ordos I would hope.

      Delete
    3. Neyoriquans,
      Happy to help my friend!

      —-Introibo

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    4. Introibo & Neyoriquans,

      I found the below article written by Fr. Cekada regarding Cardinal Rampolla. See para. 8(a). I don't know if this article is the one Introibo was referring to?

      MasonicBishops.pdf

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    5. Joann,
      That’s the one to which I referred!

      —-Introibo

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    6. Thanks Joann! Very much obliged for the source, God bless!

      Delete
    7. The particular link is here: http://www.traditionalmass.org/articles/article.php?id=100&catname=13

      I would very much like to know the origin of where "it was said" that a Masonic emblem was found among Rampolla's effects, as Fr. Cekada's bibliography doesn't seem to reference it.

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

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    8. Simple Man,
      I don’t know Fr Cekada’s source either, although he can usually back up what he asserts even if his conclusions from the citations are mistaken. Fr Luigi Villa, who made his priestly work exposing Masons in the Church, claimed Rampolla was a Freemason.

      —-Introibo

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    9. Introibo and Neyoriquans,

      Found the below linked Manifesto of the O.T.O. and Cardinal Rampolla's name is on it. Could it be "fake news"?

      http://lib.oto-usa.org/libri/liber0052.html

      JoAnn

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    10. Although some of the ancient figures listed as Freemasons (like Hermes, Merlin, Mohammed, and **Melchizedek**) is simply grandstanding, some of the more recent figures listed are commonly listed as Masons (like Karl Kellner), or are commonly noted as having sufficient interest in occultism and sexual deviancy (like Eliphas Levi and Papus) that their membership wouldn't be surprising.

      Interestingly, although Nietsczhe's ideas are admired as Masonic, certain Freemason websites deny that Nietzsche was one of them.

      However, given that the O.T.O. was founded between 1895 and 1906 (per the book "The Occult Roots of Nazism"), and given that some of the recent members listed died *before* 1895 (like Richard Francis Burton, who died in 1890; or Wolfgang von Goethe, who died in **1832**, as compared to O.T.O's putative founder Karl Kellner, who wasn't born until 1851, **19 years later**), I would take Cardinal Rampolla's inclusion on this list with a hefty grain of salt.

      It's certainly possible he was a secret Freemason, but I've not seen anything definitive one way or another. I would certainly consider the O.T.O. website definitive evidence in light of the above.

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

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    11. Introibo,

      It's interesting that you mention Fr. Luigi Villa, given that he was born in 1917 (as an online obituary mentions he was 95 when he passed in 2012), four years after Cardinal Rampolla's passing.

      Further review pulled an old issue of his periodical Chiesa Viva (issue 441, to be precise), which covers the life of Montini: https://padrepioandchiesaviva.com/site/mobile?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpadrepioandchiesaviva.com%2FChiesaviva_-_Sp_Ed__441.html#2605

      The bottom of page 15 shows that Montini, upon entering the Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles in 1921, made friends with one Mariano Rampolla...the *great-grandson* of Cardinal Mariano Rampolla, so it may be possible the Montini association led to name confusion in recollections of Rampolla by Fr. Villa?

      Now, further research shows that a lot of the accusations of Rampolla's freemasonic associations can be traced to Mary Ball Martinez's work "The Undermining of the Catholic Church":

      https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.olvrc.com/reference/general/documents/UnderminingOfTheCatholicChurch.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj7qLjVuNroAhXVWc0KHbSyAcUQFjABegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw20YKtdcvuuW30bZuJ0hCzm

      Although an extensive work, it first asserts on page 37 that Rampolla was a Freemason by alleging that a French priest named Msgr. Jouin (presumedly one and the same as Monsignior Ernest Jouin, who, among other things, published the first French edition of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion) discovered "irrefutable" evidence that Rampolla was a Grand Master of the O.T.O., and brought this evidence before an Austrian court prior to the upcoming 1903 conclave after being rebuffed by the Vatican offices, thus resulting in the veto of Rampolla's election.

      Now, there are a few issues with this allegation:

      - It states that this revelation regarding Jouin's evidence was revealed years after the fact, so it is rather far removed from the event in question (notably, at the time of the Conclave, the Austrian veto was asserted as being due to Rampolla's pro-French sympathies, as her work also acknowledges).

      - Although Mary's book has an extensive bibliography, the lack of citations immensely damages the ability to check her sources.

      - Most notably, at the time of the 1903 Conclave, the founders of O.T.O. (Karl Kellner depending on current online sources, or Theodore Reuss and Franz Hartmann per Mary's work, although even current online sources acknowledge Theodore and Franz as being involved with Kellner) **were all still alive**. Kellner passed in 1905, Hartmann in 1912, and Reuss in 1923. Given that a Grand Lodge has only one Grand Master at any given time, the allegation that Cardinal Rampolla was a Grand Master of O.T.O. in 1903 (prior and/or during the conclave) while O.T.O.'s founders were all still alive is highly suspect at the very least.

      Mary Ball's work certainly appears well-researched (and mentioned often by other traditionalist websites like Tradition in Action), but as said previously, the lack of citations really hurt its value as a reference work.

      Some of its other assertions are also rather outlandish (such as the claim on page 125 that Pope Pius **IX** was an 18th-degree Freemason of which he apparently later repented of), so take it for what it's worth.

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

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    12. Agh, I just noticed a typo in a prior post:

      "It's certainly possible he was a secret Freemason, but I've not seen anything definitive one way or another. I **certainly wouldn't** consider the O.T.O. website definitive evidence in light of the above."

      Apologies for any confusion,

      A Simple Man

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    13. Simple Man,
      This article, originally in “Catholic Family News,” is an interesting read. I disagree with the paper (obviously) in theological matters, but it remains interesting in the historical speculation regarding Card. Rampolla.

      https://vwbora25.wordpress.com/2008/09/14/did-a-freemason-almost-become-a-pope/amp/

      —-Introibo

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    14. A Simple Man,

      Freemason's had their start in 1717 which could account for the above individuals which you named being on the Manifesto list that died before 1895. OTO was originally affiliated with Masonry. See below:

      "O.T.O. was originally affiliated with European Masonry but is no longer a Masonic organization, though it shares some terminology and traditions with Masonry. The complex but intriguing history of O.T.O. may be of interest for the light it sheds on the origins of our current organization and goals."

      https://oto-usa.org/oto/

      There is just too much smoke regarding Cardinal Rampolla's connection with Freemason's for there not being a fire! Just my 2 cents worth.

      JoAnn

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  5. Hello Introibo, great article as always!
    I'd like to ask you for some advices as a catholic and father, but I'd like to do this privately. Is there an email I could contact you? Best regards.
    - Silvio

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    1. Silvio,
      Please send me your email address via these comments. I promise not to publish it. Then I will respond with an email that protects my identity. In the subject line it will say “Hello From Introibo.” We can then communicate back and forth.

      —-Introibo

      Delete
  6. Neyoriquins,

    A trawl of various websites turns up some fascinating tidbits about Cardinal Rampolla. For example:

    - As Secretary of State, Rampolla supported Austria's Christian Social Party (a political pro-Catholic party that disdained Protestant Germany, but also apparently had antisemitic overtones), and its leader Karl Lueger. Lueger's election to the mayor's office of Vienna was vetoed multiple times by Franz Joseph before Leo XIII intervened in Karl's favor.

    - Rampolla desired the return of the Papal States to the Pope's control, and fought against new Italian anti-clerical penal codes.

    -From 1908 until his death in
    1913 (mere months before Pius X's death), Rampolla was the Secretary (i.e. the head) of the Holy Office itself. He was also the mentor and close friend of the future Pope, Benedict XV (i.e. Pius X's successor).

    -His overall policies aimed at swinging more support towards France instead of Austria during his time as Secretary of State.

    - Most tellingly, Rampolla initially refused to grant a dispensation for Franz Joseph to have a Catholic burial for his son Rudolf, since at the time his death was deemed to be because of a murder/suicide. It wasn't until the official rationale for Rudolf's death was deemed to be due to "mental imbalance" that a Catholic burial was authorized.

    I can't confirm or deny allegations of Rampolla being a Freemason (as there seems to be a lack of primary sources one way or another). However, just from the above, I can think of numerous personal and political reasons as to why Franz Joseph would veto Rampolla's ascent to the Chair of Peter. If I were a betting man, I would wager it involved the incident of Rudolf's death and burial.

    I think it's also somewhat telling that one of Pius X's first acts as Pope was to get rid of the emperor's veto altogether.

    Sincerely,

    A Simple Man

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    1. @A Simple Man

      That's some fascinating facts about Cardinal Rampolla. I have read about the suicide of Prince Rudolf and the tragedy of that whole situation. If Cardinal Rampolla was indeed opposed to providing a Catholic burial for him, I can definitely see how there would be beef between Emperor Franz Joseph I and him.

      It also would make more sense for Cardinal Rampolla to have been a normal Catholic instead of a Mason with regards to Pope St. Pius X getting rid of the Catholic Ruler's veto powers. Perhaps we'll only truly know the full details of that whole affair in the next life.

      Thank you for your contributions, it definitely got me thinking and considering the alternative!

      Delete
  7. Speaking of Kenneth Copeland, given how COVID-19 has dominated the news...well, I leave this without any further comment: https://youtu.be/OSIrQBGfUtw

    Shaking my head,

    A Simple Man

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Simple Man,
      Well, that means COVID is over immediately! Thus speaketh Copeland. Sad.

      —-Introibo

      Delete
  8. A thing I'd like to point is how these crazy sects/cults/whatever lead people to atheism. If a person really is made to believe that such thing as this Word-Faith stuff is true christianity, and when it comes to realize that it's not getting healthier/richer then Christianism is "obviously" false.

    - Silvio

    ReplyDelete
  9. Unfortunately, I have had my share of run ins with the "confess and claim it" crew. I have relatives who are enmeshed with Rick Warren and Joyce Myer, in particular. Ten yrs ago before I found Tradition, I spent 2 weeks out west visiting with them for vacation. I was surprised to learn that while they professed being Christian they were constantly belittling me for NOT being selfish!! I was constantly accused of being "co-dependent because I was NOT selfish and, if I loved myself, I would be selfish!! They made me attend their Church which was like a rock concert with people dancing in the aisles. Everything coming from the pulpit was about obtaining material goods and how we all could obtain wealth if we just had faith and confessed it into existence. I was bombarded with books to read on the plane home. Needless to say, but I never read them and threw them in the garbage. This was a miserable 2 week vacation, but I learned all about this fake, and horrible movement masquerading as Christianity. Now when I come into contact with individuals involved in it, I know what it is, how to respond or RUN!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joann,
      Good for you! Sounds like a bad two weeks, but you didn’t get fooled.

      —-Introibo

      Delete
  10. Does anyone know how Fr. Cekada is doing? Thanks.

    JoAnn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Per SGG.org's Palm Sunday announcements, Fr. Cekada is still in the hospital, undergoing another round of rehabilitation therapy.

      Delete
    2. @anon8:08
      Thank you for the update. I will keep praying for Fr Cekada and ask all my readers to do the same.

      —-Introibo

      Delete
    3. Anon @8:08,

      Thanks much for the update on Fr. Cekada.

      Delete
  11. Thought it interesting to see the amount of money some of the "prosperity and word of faith" preachers have amassed while preaching a false gospel and duping millions of people:

    https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/8-richest-pastors-in-america.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Introibo,
    Was wondering if perhaps Norman Vincent Peale and primarily, his book, The Power of Positive Thinking was the father or forerunner of the word faith movement? Your thoughts are appreciated. Below is a quote with link regarding Peale:

    "The panacea of positive thinking has been called by qualified people a positive hazard to the delicate marginal areas of mental health".

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Vincent_Peale

    Please note that Peale was vehemently anti-Catholic and a 33 degree Scottish Rite Freemason.

    Happy Easter,

    JoAnn

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    Replies
    1. Joann,
      Peale was indeed, a kind of forerunner of the Word-Faith movement. He believed that “positivity” and “negativity” were the answer and problem (respectively) to all our ills.

      He never took it to the ridiculous lengths of today’s Word-Faith preachers.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

      Delete