Tongue Twisters

It was a scenario I've encountered numerous times since I became a Traditionalist 39 years ago. Someone inquired why I attend "Mass in Latin." I had to explain that it is not about Latin, or a preference, but rather that what I attend is a valid Catholic Mass and not a "Novus Bogus" neo-Protestant bread and wine service. I further explained the state of sedevacante, and how Bergoglio cannot be pope, but is the leader of a man-made false religion; the Vatican II sect. What I said was either not understood, or purposely ignored by my interlocutor. "Why pray in Latin when you can pray in tongues and shout 'Hallelujah' to God?"  She was a member of the "Catholic (sic) Charismatic Movement."

In 2018, false pope Jorge Bergoglio announced the formation of "CHARIS," or "Catholic (sic) Charismatic Renewal International Service." This new body within the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life  replaces the two existing services known as the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service and the Catholic Fraternity. (See http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/vatican-creates-new-office-to-serve-catholic-charismatic-renewal-movement). Not open to hearing what I had to say, we politely parted ways. The meeting did inspire this post, which will allow me to demonstrate three things: (1) the necessity of Latin, (2) the Church's teaching on extraordinary gifts, such as glossolalia or "speaking in tongues," and (3) the blatant apostasy of Jorge Bergoglio and how he cannot be (and could not even attain to being) pope.

The Language of the Church

Pope Pius XII, in his magnificent encyclical on the Liturgy, Mediator Dei, had the following to say regarding the use of Latin:

 "The use of the Latin language, customary in a considerable portion of the Church, is a manifest and beautiful sign of unity, as well as an effective antidote for any corruption of doctrinal truth." (para. #60; Emphasis mine). 

The three arguments most often advanced against Latin by Modernist apologists don't hold water.

1) Christ and the Apostles spoke the language of the "common people."
In the words of the great liturgist Fr. Gueranger, "It is completely false to claim that the Liturgy was celebrated in the vulgar or spoken tongues of the peoples to whom the Faith was initially proclaimed in the time of Christ...the Liturgy was celebrated in the three languages which were nailed to the cross of the Savior, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and for over one thousand years it was only celebrated in those three tongues or dialects of them...up to the fourth century it was only in these three languages and not even in their dialects." (See Liturgical Institutions, "The Anti-Liturgical Heresy"; Emphasis mine)

 In the True Mass we have words of Hebrew (Alleluia, Amen), Greek (Kyrie and Christe eleison), but mostly Latin. The True Mass is linked to Calvary as it is the unbloody Sacrifice of the Cross. The Novus Bogus is humanity's celebration of itself (YOU-charist), entertaining itself, and having a "happy meal" in the vernacular.

2) The Church has approved the vulgar tongue in the Eastern Rites.
Not really. The recognized liturgical languages of Slavonic, Coptic, Ge'ez, and Armenian are not "spoken" languages, just like Latin. The Church wants languages which are both objective and stable.

3) The people cannot have "full, conscious, and active participation" if they don't understand the language used at Mass. 

The following proposition of Quesnel (d. 1719) was CONDEMNED in the Apostolic Decree Unigenitus of Pope Clement XI: "To refuse to the simple folk the consolation of joining their voices to that of the whole Church [by praying in the vernacular] is a practice contrary to that of the Apostles and is against the will of God." The Council of Trent, Canon IX, "If any one saith, that the rite of the Roman Church, according to which a part of the canon and the words of consecration are pronounced in a low tone, is to be condemned; or, that the mass ought to be celebrated in the vulgar tongue only; or, that water ought not to be mixed with the wine that is to be offered in the chalice, for that it is contrary to the institution of Christ; let him be anathema." (Emphasis mine)

 A Universal Church needs a universal language, welcoming all, but belonging to none! As Fr. Gueranger said, "Hatred for the Latin language is inborn in the hearts of all the enemies of Rome."

True and False Tongues

Kenneth Copeland (b. 1936), is one of the Word-Faith Movement preachers. I wrote a post on them here: https://introiboadaltaredei2.blogspot.com/2020/04/when-strangers-come-knocking-part-8.html.

Along with so-called "Charismatic Pentecostals" and some other Protestant sects, they believe in charismata ("gifts of the Holy Ghost") such as prophecies, healings, miracles, etc. They claim to be "slain in the Spirit" and "speak in tongues." Do they really? First, the teaching of the Church, then the problems with modern day "charismata." 

1. The Apostles and extraordinary gifts. According to theologian Scheeben: The internal perfection [of the Apostles] arose from the fact of their being eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses of the whole Revelation, and of their being so filled with the Holy Ghost that each of them possessed a complete and infallible knowledge of revealed doctrine; while the external perfection was the gift of miracles, by which they were able to confirm the authenticity of their testimony...As soon as the original and fundamental promulgation of the Gospel was complete there was no longer any necessity for the extraordinary Apostolate. (See A Manual of Catholic Theology, [1890], 1:37-38; Emphasis mine). 

Theologian Van Noort teaches: Therefore, as apostles, each of them had (a) a direct divine mission to carry out both of the aforementioned tasks all over the world. Furthermore, (b) they enjoyed the charisms (1) of revelation, (2) of infallibility (in matters pertaining to their mission), and (3) of miracles. The apostolate was, to begin with, by its very nature an extraordinary gift, confided to these men alone. (See Dogmatic Theology, [1961], 1:39; First emphasis in original, second emphasis mine). In end-note #19, Van Noort references the work of heretical theologian Oscar Cullmann (d.1999). Cullmann, a member of the Lutheran sect, was an "observer" at Vatican II and a driving force behind the One World Church ecumenical movement. Cullmann advanced the heretical view that apostolic grace must perish with the Apostles or survive them in its entirety. Van Noort responds that the dilemma is resolved in Catholic theology by distinguishing between a mission of the Apostles which is an extraordinary, noncommunicable charism relating to the founding of the Church, and an ordinary communicable and non-miraculous charism relating to the preservation of the Church. It is only the latter that is carried down through the ages by the Apostolic Succession of Catholic bishops.

The charismata is therefore not in use after the founding of the Church. Yes, there have been certain saints in the Church that had various miraculous gifts, but this is not (as the Charismatics claim) true of all members of the Church. The vast majority are devoid of any miraculous deeds. 

Babbling Deceivers

The Charismatics (both Protestant and Vatican II sect) are heard "speaking in tongues" at their services. What, exactly, are they saying? In a word: Nothing. As far back as 1972, University of Toronto linguistics professor William Samarin had this to say:

There is no mystery about glossolalia. Tape recorded samples are easy to obtain and analyse. They always turn out to be the same thing: strings of syllables made up of sounds taken from among all those that the speaker knows, put together more or less haphazardly but which nevertheless emerge as word-like and sentence-like units because of realistic, language-like rhythm and melody. Glossolalia is indeed like language in some ways, but this is only because the speaker (unconsciously) wants it to be like language. Yet in spite of superficial similarities, glossolalia is fundamentally not a language. All specimens of glossolalia that have ever been studied have produced no features that would even suggest they reflect some kind of communicative system...Glossolalia is not a supernatural phenomenon...In fact, anybody can produce glossolalia if he is uninhibited and he discovers what the "trick" is... (See Tongues of Men and Angels, [1972], pgs. 227-228; Emphasis mine). 

Having been exposed as no known languages, how do Charismatics respond? They are told, "600 million Christians (sic) have received the Holy Spirit gift of their own spirit language." (See book description for 70 Reasons for Speaking in Tongues: Your Own Built-in Spiritual Dynamo [2010], by Bill Hamon; Emphasis mine). They point to 1 Corinthians 13:1, " If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." (Emphasis mine). Charismatics will claim that this verse "proves" there are "angelic languages" and that's why it sounds like gibberish and does not conform to any earthly language. The Biblical account of true glossolalia gives the lie to that contention. 

In Acts 2:1-4 we read, "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." The Scripture relates how Jews, gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost from around the world, had grown up speaking languages other than Aramaic, yet all could understand these uneducated Galileans. They were able to speak in many (and authentic) languages. 

This is confirmed by the great St. John Chrysostom who wrote, And as in the time of the building of the tower [of Babel] the one tongue was divided into many; so then, at Pentecost, the many tongues met in one man, and the same person used to discourse both in the Persian, and the Roman, and the Indian, and many other tongues, the Spirit sounding within him: and the gift was called the gift of tongues because he could all at once speak divers languages. (See Homilies on First Corinthians, 35.1; Emphasis mine).

Bergoglio: Speaks with Forked Tongue

In 2014, Bergoglio ("Pope" Francis) asked Word-Faith charlatan Kenneth Copeland to pray for him and "unity in the Body of Christ." (See https://blog.kcm.org/watch-pope-francis-message-calling-for-unity-in-the-body-of-christ/) This is rank heresy. The Church is always One and unified--the existence of apostates, heretics, and schismatics in no way detracts from Her unity. In 1865, The Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office issued the decree Quod Vos, approved by His Holiness Pope Pius IX. It states," ...[The]  Church of Christ never lost her unity. She will never lose it, not even for the shortest space of time. In fact, she will continue everlastingly according to divine revelation. How, indeed, can one believe the Church will continue everlastingly, if generation after generation, exactly as it occurs in the changeableness of earthly things, she were to take on to her essential state a new appearance and shape, and, what is more, if the Church herself at some time or other could withdraw from the unity of faith and communion on which she was founded by Jesus Christ and by which she was spread by the Apostles? For this reason St. Ambrose says the kingdom of the Church will remain forever because the faith is indivisible, the body is one [cf. Eph 4:14]." 

Moreover, upon Bergoglio's "election" in March of 2013, Copeland published an interview with Rt. Rev. Tony Palmer, a former director of Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ South African office and co-founder of The Ark Community, an international and interdenominational community of Christians based in the United Kingdom, has been extensively involved with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR). (See https://blog.kcm.org/historic-change/) The post by Kenneth Copeland Ministries continues, It was during a mission to Argentina five years ago that Palmer met and soon became close friends with Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope [sic] Francis I.

“We had called on him to ask permission to minister in churches within his diocese for renewal,” Palmer recalled recently of that first meeting. “Immediately, Cardinal Bergoglio shared his heart and appreciation for what we were doing, and fully embraced us and the work of the Holy Spirit in and through us—not only to Catholic people, but to all Christian denominations.”

Palmer was asked, What is uniquely different and meaningful about Pope Francis and his appointment? His response:
PALMER: An important attribute that Pope Francis brings to the Papacy is his honest and sincere openness to the unity of all Christians. He is a man of God who understands the unity of the Church in its diversity. He constantly shows his public fraternal brotherhood toward all Christians. For example, when he was introduced during a large Christian meeting in Buenos Aires where over 5,000 evangelical protestant leaders were in attendance, Pope Francis (then Cardinal Bergoglio) knelt down in front of the evangelical pastors and asked them to lay hands on him and bless him! Every year, as Cardinal, he would join his evangelical brothers (pastors) for their annual week-long retreat—not as a guest speaker to teach, but as one of them. During our times together, we have spoken about our shared pain of the division of Christians, and together we have shared both tears and prayers for her healing—the one Bride of Christ. (Emphasis mine).

Joining in a false sect's services is an act of apostasy. St. Thomas Aquinas discusses how external acts relate to the sin of apostasy. In one of the objections he proceeds later to refute, he mentions as an example of apostasy not only undergoing the Jewish religious rite of circumcision but also the worshiping at the tomb of Mohammed: “…if anyone were to have himself circumcised, or to worship at the tomb of Mahomet, he would be deemed an apostate” (S.T., II-II, q. 12, a. 1, arg. 2). And again, the Angelic Doctor, "It belongs to faith not only that the heart should believe, but also that external words and deeds should bear witness to the inward faith, for confession is an act of faith. On this way too, certain external words or deeds pertain to unbelief, in so far as they are signs of unbelief…” (S.T., II-II, q. 12, a. 1, ad. 2; Emphasis mine). Theologians and canonists teach that manifest heresy consists in "signs, deeds, and the omission of deeds."
 (See Merkelbach, SummaTheologiae Moralis, 1:746.).

As an alleged "Cardinal," Bergoglio was non-Catholic. According to canonist Baldii, "Barred as incapable of being validly elected [pope] are the following: women, children who have not reached the age of reason, those suffering from habitual insanity, the unbaptized, heretics and schismatics..." (See Institutiones Iuris Canonici [1921]; Emphasis mine). It is impossible for Bergoglio to have ever obtained to the office of pope. Remember this the next time some SSPXer or Vatican II sect apologist wants to argue about "warnings" and "deposing a pope by a council." It's all irrelevant; he never could have become pope.

Finally, here is a short video with Copeland "praying in tongues"for Bergoglio. It comes with a very sarcastic (and humorous) translation in captions below. (WARNING! The video was produced by Protestant heretics and I do not endorse them. They are correct, however, that Copeland is a fraud and "speaking in tongues" is nonsense.---Introibo). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuSPxbx6IMg

Bergoglio Joins With Charismatics To Form A One World Religion

Here are the reasons Bergoglio is so enamored by the Charismatic Movement:

 1. It implicitly denies there is only One True Church. 

If these "gifts" of the Holy Ghost (allegedly speaking in tongues, "healings," etc.) are true in the "Catholic" Church and they also happen in various Protestant denominations, then it stands to reason that there are "elements of truth and sanctification" outside the True Church by which people can achieve holiness and salvation. (Sound familiar?).

2. It replaces the hierarchy with an alleged direct contact with God, and denies the Indefectibility of the Church.
Priests are seen as "one of the guys." Being able to roll on the ground "speaking in tongues" is more important than the ability to offer the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Charismatics will also say things like, "God has put it on my heart that I should..." Or, "God told me..." If you have direct contact with God, why do we need the Church and Her hierarchy as intermediaries between God and people? If the Church teaches one thing, but God has supposedly told you something different, guess which one will be obeyed. The charismatics also deny Indefectibility by claiming that an integral part of the Church (charismata) was absent for centuries, so the Church was somehow deficient. This is impossible if the Church is Indefectible.

3. It denies traditional Catholic spirituality and leads to deception (and even possession) by evil spirits.
Say goodbye to the Rosary, novenas, and The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. St. John of the Cross, one of the greatest masters of the spiritual life had this to say:

• "And I greatly fear what is happening in these times of ours: If any soul whatever after a bit of meditation has in its recollection one of these locutions, it will immediately baptize all as coming from God and with such a supposition say, 'God told me,' 'God answered me.'  Yet this is not so, but, as we pointed out, these persons themselves are more often the origin of their locution."  (See St. John of the Cross: The Ascent of Mount Carmel. Book II Ch. 29) 

• "Through the desire of accepting them [direct messages/gifts from God] one opens the door to the devil.  The devil can then deceive one by other communications expertly feigned and disguised as genuine.  In the words of the Apostle, he can transform himself into an 'angel of light' (II Cor. XI:14). (...)  Regardless of the cause of these apprehensions, it is always good for a man to reject them with closed eyes.  If he fails to do so, he will make room for those having a diabolical origin and empower the devil to impose his communications.  Not only this, but the diabolical representations will multiply while those from God will gradually cease, so that eventually all will come from the devil and none at all from God.  This has occurred with many incautious and uninstructed people."  (See St. John of the Cross: The Ascent of Mount Carmel. Book II Ch. 11)

4. It has the same goal as Modernism and Masonry: A One World Church Without Catholicism
Charismaticism is pan-denominational, with an alien and non-Catholic theological idea of "baptism in the Holy Spirit" as if you come into direct contact with God. It vitiates the need for the Mass and Sacraments. It is also rooted in the Modernist ideal of experience over reason. Charismatics cannot give a reasoned theological explanation of how (allegedly) speaking in tongues and rolling on the floor  brings one closer to God or even why God would manifest Himself in behavior usually associated with mental patients. Finally, your beliefs don't matter. As long as you profess belief in some vague form of "Christianity" (The Great Architect of the Universe, perhaps), you are all part of "the Church" and can have an "experience of God."

Conclusion

Glossolalia is no longer necessary after the Church was founded and the Apostles died. From the death of St. John, the last Apostle, in 100 AD,  the Deposit of Revelation was complete and there was no need of speaking in tongues, or the other extraordinary gifts. The so-called Charismatic Movement disdains Latin, and seeks to join with frauds and heretics like Kenneth Copeland to build a One World Ecumenical Sect led by false pope Francis. They utter nonsense, when the real gift of tongues consists of speaking true languages. Many there are who follow them, wanting to speak in "tongues of angels" but who will soon discover that nonsensical utterances used as "prayer" is inspired by fallen angels.

Bergoglio, Copeland, and all involved in the "Charismatic Movement" who don't repent, will find themselves tongue-tied when on the Last Day they hear Christ clearly speak to them:

 "Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the Will of My Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in Thy Name, and cast out devils in Thy Name, and done many miracles in Thy Name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew thee: depart from Me, thou that work iniquity." (St. Matthew 7:21-23).