Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
November 29, 1962
NUMBER 30, PAGE 3,14

Let The Catholic Church Speak For Herself

Eugene Britnell

(Editor's note: This article is taken from "The Sower," published by brother Eugene Britnell of Little Rock, Arkansas, and was taken by him from the "Protestant Journal," Box 8646, Dallas, Texas.)

QUESTION: What will happen if the Pope eventually "takes over" through Catholic politicians in the U. S. as he has already taken over in Spain, Italy, Colombia, and many other Catholic-dominated countries?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "You ask if the Pope were lord of this land and you were in a minority, what would he do to you? That, we say, would entirely depend upon circumstances. If it would benefit the cause of Catholicism, he would tolerate you; if expedient he would imprison or banish you, probably he might hang you. But, be assured of one thing, he would never tolerate you for the sake of your glorious principles of civil and religious liberty." (Pope Pius IX, in the allocution of September, 1851.)

QUESTION: Does the Catholic Church actually oppose our system of Democracy and American way of life?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "....institution diametrically opposed to our doctrine, namely, Capitalism as it is carried on in the world and especially in the United States.' (Catholic World, January, 1938, page 400.)

QUESTION: What about the Roman Catholic viewpoint of Democracy itself?

CATHOLIC ANWSER: "Democracy is a mischievous dream wherever the Catholic Church does not predominate to inspire the people with reverence and to teach and accustom them to obedience to authority." (Brownson's Review, writings endorsed by 24 Bishops.)

QUESTION: "Freedom" and "America" are almost synonymous words. "Let Freedom Ring" has been written into our National Anthem and is part of our American heritage. Does the Roman Hierarchy grant this?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Individual liberty in reality is only a deadly anarchy." (Pope Pius XII, April 6, 1951.)

QUESTION: Are we expected to believe that the Pope, who exalts himself as God, is also claimed to be political ruler of the world., including the U. S. A.?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "The supreme Pontiff, by divine right, has the fullest power over the whole world both in ecclesiastical and in political matters." (Cardinal Bellarmine)

"All princes are to kiss his foot, and pay that mark of distinction to him alone. It is lawful for him to depose emperors." (Pope Gregory VII)

"He (the pope) hath all power on earth....All temporal power is his; the dominion, jurisdiction, and government of the whole earth is his by divine right. All rulers of the earth are his subjects and must submit to him" (Council of Trent)

"All legislation (in the United States) must be governed by the will of God, unerringly indicated by the pope." (Fr. Hecker, founder of the Paulist Order.)

QUESTION: Are American Catholics in bondage to obey the Pope when he decides that the "time is ripe" for revolution?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "If the Pope directed the Roman Catholics of this country to overthrow the Constitution, sell the nationality of the country....they would be bound to obey." (Brownson's Review)

QUESTION: Does the Catholic Church really recognize the rights of "all" without distinction as Pope Pius XI asserted?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Protestantism of every form has not and never can have any rights where Catholicity is triumphant." (Brownson's Review)

QUESTION: How does the Roman Catholic Church define freedom of religion which it sometimes says it believes in and sometimes not?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Freedom of Worship: The inalienable right of all men to worship God according to the teaching of the Catholic Church." (Catholic Dictionary)

QUESTION: In other words, the Catholic definition of religious freedom is far different from the freedom of worship expressed guaranteed to all religious groups as stated by the First Amendment of our United States Constitution?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "The Roman Catholic Church, convinced through its divine prerogatives of being the only true Church, must demand the right of freedom for herself alone.... In some countries Catholics will be obligated to ask full freedom for all, resigned at being forced to cohabitate where they alone should rightfully be allowed to live." (Civilita Cattolica, April, 1948)

QUESTION: How do the Roman Church and the infallible Pope justify themselves in their role of inciting and assisting in the murder of 115 Protestant Christians, the destroying of 66 Protestant churches, and the closing of 200 Protestant schools in Colombia, South America, during the past ten years alone?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "By the command of God, it is lawful to murder the innocent, to rob and commit all lewdness, because he is Lord of life and death and all things; and thus to fulfill his mandate is our duty." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Sum Theol. Compend., 94, pg.230)

"Either sword is in the power of the (Catholic) Church; that is to say, the spiritual and the material." (Pope Boniface)

"The death sentence is a necessary and efficacious means for the (Catholic) Church to attain its ends." (From a book of Canon Law, approved by Pope Leo XIII)

"In themselves, all forms of Protestantism are unjustified. They should not exist." (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XIV. page 766)

QUESTION: Why are Catholic Church officials in the United States relatively silent concerning their intolerance of Protestants and other religious groups at this time — are they weakening or changing their minds?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Religious liberty is merely endured until the opposite can be carried into effect without peril to the Catholic Church." (Rt. Rev. O'Conner, Bishop of Pittsburg)

"If Catholics ever gain a sufficient numerical majority in this country, religious freedom is at an end. So our enemies say, so we believe." (The Shepherd of the Valley, journal of the late Bishop of St. Louis.)

QUESTION: Does the Roman Catholic Church openly admit that she means to be bigoted and intolerant as she accuses all "others" of being?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Inasmuch as this dogmatic intolerance is a prominent characteristic of the Catholic Church its objective justification must now be established." (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XIV, Toleration.)

QUESTION: What is the Catholic viewpoint toward those of their number who still believe in tolerance and complete religious freedom for all people?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Toleration came in only when faith went out.." (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. II, pg.262)

"It causes one real pain to see the tolerance toward non-Catholic sects among us...." (Cardinal Segura, Spain, in a pastoral letter of August 15, 1952.)

QUESTION: Must Church leaders agree with this Roman Catholic system of tolerance and hate?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "A new bishop must take an oath in which he says, 'Heretics (schismatics, and rebels to our said Lord, or his aforesaid successors, I will, to my power, persecute and oppose'." (The Decretum of Pope Gregory IX, book 2, title 24.)

QUESTION: How does the Roman Catholic Church like to deal with those who dare to openly oppose them and deny their deluded Italian prince?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Heretics may be not only excommunicated, but also justly put to death." (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XIV, pg. 768.)

QUESTION: The Roman Catholic Church certainly doesn't mean ordinary Protestants when it speaks of its right to kill and persecute heretics, does it?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "Certainly the Church does consider Protestants heretics....I do not doubt, If they were strong enough, that the Catholic people would hinder, even by death if necessary, the spread of heretical errors among the people, and I say rightly so." (Father Harvey, St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, New Brunswick, N. J., New York Herald, May 7, 1909.)

QUESTION: I have personal friends who are Roman Catholics and I know they have no intention of destroying religious freedom at any time in the United States. Don't they have any say in the government of the Roman Catholic Church?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "We care nothing for the opinions of Catholics in Europe or America when they are not In agreement with the views of the Vatican." (Western Watchman, September 21, 1911.)

"The laity have no voice in the conduct of the Church, nor the choice of the local priest." (Official Catholic Year Book, 1928, pg 118.)

QUESTION: Is it true that Catholics have been told how to vote for public officials and that Catholic public officials are to "obey" the Pope when making all laws?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "First, the Roman Catholic is to wield his vote for the purpose of securing Catholic ascendency in this country. Second, all legislation must be governed by the will of God, unerringly indicated by the Pope." (Father Hecker, Catholic World.)

QUESTION: What subtle plan is used by the Pope and the Roman Church to change the constitution of countries and finally gain control, and what are the Catholic layman urged to do?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "They must penetrate, wherever possible, in the administration of civil affairs.... All Catholics should do all in their power to cause the Constitution of states and legislation to be modeled on the principles of the true (Catholic) Church." (Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII.)

QUESTION: Does the Roman Catholic Church still believe these teachings?

CATHOLIC ANSWER: "But she (the Church) cannot change her teachings. She holds the same creed, she teaches the same doctrine — the same absolute spiritual values today...." (Catholic World, July, 1944.)