The Truth About
Roman
Catholicism

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is by far the
     largest and wealthiest of all the so-called "Chris-
tian Denominations."   It has consistently claimed to
be the only true Church--the Church which was
founded by Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.
In addition, especially in this generation, it has
embellished its image and attracted and held mem-
bers by the claim that it is the one Church which has
never changed.   All of these claims are false.   How-
ever, in recent years, the Roman Catholic Church
has done a complete about-face, actually boasting of
the many changes it has instituted to meet the
changing needs of Catholics and non-Catholics alike
in this modern age.
   Is the Roman Catholic Church the one true
Church?   Are its past and present teachings and
practices Scriptural?   How has the Roman Catholic
Church changed through the centuries?   How much
has it changed in our lifetime?   Have these changes
been basic or superficial?   Where is the Roman Catho-
lic Church headed?
   The purpose of this article is to turn the spot-
light of truth upon Roman Catholicism both as to its
past history and present teachings.   Our sincere
desire is to be of help to Catholics, many of whom are
well aware that, in recent years, their church has
been instituting many changes, most of which have
left them confused, uncertain, and deeply troubled.
For the first time in their lives, many Catholics are
raising serious questions about their Church, its
leaders, its teachings and its practices.   They now
realize that their church is not united but divided
over issues such as birth control, abortion, divorce,
celibacy for priests, women clergy, gay clergy, Papal

infallibility, prayer, worship, music, purgatory, con-
fession and even the meaning of the Mass.   The
moral degeneracy and financial scandals which have
rocked the Charismatic movement have also been
exposed in the Roman Catholic Church, all the way
from the Vatican to the local parish.   Confusion
reigns supreme and Catholics who take their reli-
gion seriously don't know which way to turn.
   A source of further confusion for many is the
fact that for centuries Roman Catholics were taught
that all those outside its membership were heretics
to be shunned, persecuted or even killed.   It was not
until the middle of this century that the Roman
Catholic Church modified and softened its stand by
first calling non-Catholics, "separated brethren."
More recently, even that negative connotation has
been eliminated so that today, Catholics are to
consider "all Christians" to be "brothers and sisters
in Christ."
   However, these changed outward attitudes on
the part of Roman Catholics toward non-Catholics,
and their increasing usage of evangelical terminol-
ogy, has unfortunately resulted in many evangelicals
mistakenly believing that the basic false doctrines
and heresies of Romanism have changed, some-
thing that simply is not true.   Thus, both Catholics
and non-Catholics alike should take a fresh look--
a Biblical, historical and current look--at this larg-
est supposedly Christian denomination in the world.
If it is the one true Church as it claims to be, then
every believer in Christ should become a part of it.
But, if it is and always has been a false church, then
all who truly believe the Bible and trust Jesus Christ
as Saviour will separate from it, warn about it, and
urge others to do likewise.
   Through our extensive radio and literature
ministries, it has been a great blessing to hear from
many former Roman Catholics who have been deliv-
ered from the bondage of the false doctrines of
Romanism; who have experienced the new birth by
faith in Jesus Christ alone; and who are doing their
best to reach their Catholic loved ones and friends
with the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
At the same time, it has been a real heartache to
realize that so many non Roman Catholics who

profess to know Christ as Saviour, have been de-
ceived by the new attitudes and vocabulary of Ca-
tholicism so that the Roman Catholic Church is now
being accepted by many evangelicals as a sister
church with only minor differences rather than the
false church which it actually is.
   The Truth About the Roman Catholic Church
is that it always has been and continues to be a false
church.   Those Biblical doctrines it professes to
believe and teach are vitiated by Roman Catholic
dogma based upon tradition which contradicts God's
holy, infallible Word, the Bible.   Error is never more
deceptive than when it is presented with a veneer of
truth.   Throughout its entire history, Roman Catho-
lic leaders fit the description of the false teachers
who God warned in advance would come on the
scene in the last days, deceiving many by their
"feigned" (pretended or hypocritical) words--their
"great swelling words of vanity," as described in 1
Peter 2:1-3, 18, 19.
   Before examining and refuting some of the
well known false teachings of the Roman Catholic
Church, it is essential to understand that two basis
false teachings of Roman Catholicism (even apart
from its many other errors), clearly classify it as a
religious cult rather than a true church.   These two
basic errors are:
   First--Roman Catholicism, although teach-
ing that the Bible is the Word of God, adds the
spurious apocryphal books to the Scriptures, and
also elevates church tradition and the edicts of
popes and councils (the words of men), to the same
or an even greater level of authority than the Word
of God.   This amounts to adding to the Word of God,
thereby placing Roman Catholicism under God's
curse.   Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18, 19.
   Second--Roman Catholicism, although teach-
ing that faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for salva-
tion, actually denies the truth of the Gospel by
adding sacraments, good works, and purgatory as
additional requirements for forgiveness of sin and
eternal life.   This amounts to the [t]eaching of a false
gospel which places the Roman Catholic Church
under God's curse.   Gal. 1:6-10.
   Thus, by Scriptural standards, the Roman

Catholic Church is a false church which can only
expect God's judgment, not a true church which can
claim God's blessing.   No amount of outward change
should be permitted to obscure this fact.
   As for the claims of the Roman Catholic Church
that its history can be traced back to Jesus Christ,
Peter, or the other apostles, such claims lack both
historical and Scriptural support.   The true Church
of Jesus Christ was not founded upon Peter, but
upon Peter's confession of Christ's deity as recorded
in Matthew 16:16: "...Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God."   Peter was not the first pope nor is
there any Scriptural justification whatever for such
an office.   Peter's own inspired testimony as to his
position and ministry is given in 1 Peter 5:1-4.   He
further identifies himself in 2 Peter 1:1 as "a servant
and an apostle of Jesus Christ...."   History confirms
the fact that there were no popes in the early church
nor even in the Roman Catholic Church during the
first centuries of its existence.
   Furthermore, the long-held claim that the
Roman Catholic Church was the only church which
never changed is not supported by church history--
not even Roman Catholic history.   How sad to realize
that this false claim influenced so many to join or to
stay in this false church which actually is the prod-
uct of centuries of changes.   Most of these changes
came as a result of yielding to heathen customs and
practices which were subsequently incorporated
into Roman Catholic teachings and worship.   The
following is a partial list of heathen, unscriptural
practices which became a part of Roman Catholic
dogma over a period of seventeen centuries.   Some of
the dates given are approximate.   In many cases,
these heresies were even debated for years before
being given the status of required beliefs:

  1. Prayers for the dead .. 300 A.D.
  2. Making the sign of the cross .. 300 A.D.
  3. Veneration of angels & dead saints .... 375 A.D.
  4. Use of images in worship ................... 375 A.D.
  5. The Mass as a daily celebration .. 394 A.D.
  6. Beginning of the exaltation of Mary; the
        term, "Mother of God" applied at
        Council of Ephesus .. 431 A.D.

  1. Extreme Unction (Last Rites) .. 526 A.D.
  2. Doctrine of Purgatory--Gregory I .. 593 A.D.
  3. Prayers to Mary & dead saints .. 600 A.D.
  4. Worship of cross, images & relics ...... 786 A.D.
  5. Canonization of dead saints .. 995 A.D.
  6. Celibacy of priesthood .. 1079 A.D.
  7. The Rosary .. 1090 A.D.
  8. Indulgences .. 1190 A.D.
  9. Transubstantiation--Innocent III ..... 1215 A.D.
  10. Auricular Confession of sins
        to a priest .. 1215 A.D.
  11. Adoration of the wafer (Host) .. 1220 A.D.
  12. Cup forbidden to the people at
        communion .. 1414 A.D.
  13. Purgatory proclaimed as a dogma ... 1439 A.D.
  14. The doctrine of the Seven
        Sacraments confirmed .. 1439 A.D.
  15. Tradition declared of equal authority
        with Bible by Council of Trent ... 1545 A.D.
  16. Apocryphal books added to Bible ..... 1546 A.D.
  17. Immaculate Conception of Mary ..... 1854 A.D.
  18. Infallibility of the pope in matters
        of faith and morals, proclaimed
        by the Vatican Council .. 1870 A.D.
  19. Assumption of the Virgin Mary
        (bodily ascension into heaven
        shortly after her death) .. 1950 A.D.
  20. Mary proclaimed Mother of
        the Church .. 1965 A.D.

   Although some of the preceding Roman
Catholic heresies are now being questioned by many,
both inside and outside the church, none have been
officially repudiated and all continue to be practiced
by millions of Catholics around the world.   The
urgent need today is for Roman Catholics; yes, and
all who claim to be Christians, to examine their own
beliefs and the teachings of their churches by the
only sure standard--the Bible.   Whatever contra-
dicts, adds to or subtracts from the sixty-six books of
the Old and the New Testaments, is error no matter
how many may cling to it.
   Roman Catholics who read the Bible will soon
discover that many Catholic teachings and practices
are specifically forbidden by Jesus Christ Himself.

Note carefully the following warnings given by the
Lord Jesus Christ to the religious leaders of His day
concerning vain worship, vain tradition and vain
repetitions.   All of these are particularly applicable to
Roman Catholicism today.
   Vain Worship--In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus said,
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,
and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is
far from me.   But in vain do they worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
All worship is indeed vain when it is based upon the
commandments of men rather than the Word of
God.
   Vain Tradition--In Matthew 15:6b, Jesus said,
"Thus have ye made the commandment of God of
none effect by your tradition."
   (Note): Valid tradition is based upon Scripture
and confirms it.   Vain tradition is based upon man's
teachings and violates it.   In Roman Catholicism,
tradition is consistently elevated above the Scrip-
ture which results in vain worship (no matter how
sincere) and makes the commandment of God of no
effect--a very serious matter.
   Vain Repetitions--In Matthew 6:7, Jesus said,
"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the
heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard
for their much speaking."   A basic part of Roman
Catholic worship is the frequent repetition of The
Rosary whose origin is clearly tied to heathen reli-
gions such as Hinduism, Isl_m, and Buddhism.
Roman Catholics should listen to the words of
Christ forbidding vain repetitions, rather than us-
ing the vain repetitions of Catholicism.
   During the past forty years, at least three
important trends in the Roman Catholic Church are
clearly observable.   These are: (1) A greater emphasis
upon the place of Mary.   (2) A major emphasis upon
ecumenical activities with a view to seeking the full
visible unity of all religions.   (3) The acceptance of
the so-called Charismatic renewal within the Church
with new emphasis upon the claimed "ministry of
the Holy Spirit."   There is every reason to believe that
all of these major trends will continue and increase;
and, all of them are very deceptive, very dangerous,
very unscriptural.

   The place accorded Mary in the Roman Catho-
lic Church is not Scriptural nor is it new, but it
cannot be denied that, during the last one hundred
years, veneration of Mary has dramatically increased.
Note in the historical chart given earlier in this
article that the exaltation of Mary and the term,
Mother of God, became official Catholic dogma in
431 A.D. with prayers to her proclaimed in 600 A.D.
But, note also that the "Immaculate Conception of
the Virgin Mary" was not proclaimed until 1854; her
"Assumption" not until 1950; and her title "Mother
of the Church" not until as recently as 1965.
   Some Roman Catholic observers believe it
may not be much longer until Mary is officially
proclaimed "Co- redemptrix with Christ."   In fact,
the premier issue of a new Roman Catholic publica-
tion, Catholic Heritage (Vol. 1, No. 1, Sept.--Oct.
1991) has the front page title: "Mary, Mother of the
Church," and, in a Question and Answer column,
the question is asked, "At the foot of the cross, Mary
shared in the mystery of the passion.   True or False?
Answer: True.   Mary united her sorrows to those of
her Son.   The sorrowful and immaculate heart of
Mary bled with her Son for all of mankind.   For this
reason, we invoke her under the title of Co-
redemptrix."
   All of the popes during the past thirty years
have done their part to increase the influence of
Mary in the Roman Catholic Church based com-
pletely on tradition rather than upon the Bible.   In
the August 28, 1975 issue of the official Vatican
newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Paul VI,
speaking of the ceremony celebrated the day before
in St. Peter's in honor of the Madonna at the Feast
of the Assumption of Mary said, "Her venerated
image, known as ‘Salus Populi Romani,’ was carried
in procession from St. Mary Major's as part of the
Holy Year ceremonies, so that the overflow crowd of
pilgrims, coming from all parts of the world, could
see it and thus increase their devotion to her.   In this
way we should all be reminded of the meaning and
practice of the cult of Mary, inseparable from the
unique and central cult of Christ ... Let us pray to
her with humble, trusting and childlike faith."
   Did you know that the present pope, John Paul

II, has dedicated himself completely to Mary?   In
1985, during his visit to Vancouver, B.C., the special
souvenir edition of B.C. Catholic carried a full page
color photo of the pope under the caption, Totus
Tuus which, in Latin, means "all yours."   The follow-
ing explanation was given, "When Karol Wojtyla was
consecrated bishop of Cracow by Pius XII in 1958 he
took, ‘Totus Tuus’ (all yours) as his motto, thus
presenting himself to Mary.   In his first Urbi et Orbi
message immediately after being elected pope he
said, ‘At this difficult hour, full of fear, we must turn
our thoughts with filial devotion to the Virgin Mary
who always lives in the midst of Christ and exists as
his mother.   We must repeat the words, Totus Tuus
which 20 years ago were inscribed into our heart and
soul.’"
   Pope John Paul II has visited many of the
major Shrines to Mary.   He attributed his escape
from death at the hands of a would-be assassin and
the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe to
the intervention of Mary.   Millions of Catholics are
making pilgrimages to the various Marian shrines,
seeking and often claiming miracles of healing and
answers to their prayers to Mary.   New apparitions of
Mary and special messages from her are being claimed
in various parts of the world.   Yet, there is absolutely
no Scriptural foundation for any of these beliefs or
practices.   Mary was indeed a virgin (pure sexually)
so that she could fulfill the Old Testament prophecy
that Christ would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14).   She
was a godly woman, but not sinless.   As with all true
believers in Christ, when Mary died, her soul and
spirit went to Heaven, but her body awaits the
resurrection; she did not bodily ascend to Heaven as
did Jesus Christ.   Nothing in Scripture indicates that
prayers were ever offered to Mary nor that she was
worshipped by anyone.   Most of Roman Catholic
teaching concerning Mary is based entirely on hu-
man tradition and contradicts the Bible, the Word of
God.
   The present ecumenical emphasis and activi-
ties of the Roman Catholic Church are also of recent
origin.   When Vatican Council I was held in 1869-
1870, the invitation of the pope to the Orthodox
Churches to participate was refused; and, his public

appeal to "Protestants and all non-Catholics" to
"return to the only true fold" received resentful
refusals.   However, in the intervening years it be-
came increasingly obvious to the Roman Catholic
hierarchy that their church needed some serious
updating, particularly with regard to relationships
with other churches.   In 1960, Pope John XXIII
established the Secretariat for Promoting Christian
Unity; and, in 1962, he convoked Vatican Council II
which he called "An ecumenical council for the
universal church."
   Less than a year later, Pope John XXIII died,
but his successor, Pope Paul VI, who had attended
four sessions of Vatican II before becoming pope, did
everything possible to continue and expand the
ecumenical emphasis.   His expressed position was
that the Roman Catholic Church could best demon-
strate the validity of its teaching, not by condemna-
tion or severity, but with the "medicine of mercy."
His emphasis was upon "working for the full visible
unity in truth among all Christians" and that this
unity should extend also to non-Christians.   This
new approach of Vatican II was successful in gaining
the co-operation of the major Orthodox Church
bodies as well as 38 delegated observers from almost
all the major Protestant denominations.   Of course,
Pope John Paul II has expanded the ecumenical
emphasis in the Roman Catholic Church to unprec-
edented heights.   While this has received high praise
from religious leaders and denominations, the kind
of unity sought by the Roman Catholic Church is
contrary to the Bible.   All unity purchased at the
expense of doctrinal purity is satanic and deceptive.
2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 5:11; 2 Tim. 3:1-17; 4:1-8.   All
who join hands in ecumenical fellowship with those
who preach a false Gospel are under God's curse.
Gal. 1:6-10.
   The Roman Catholic Church was infiltrated by
the false teachings and unscriptural practices of the
Charismatic Movement in the early 1960's.   Its influ-
ence within Roman Catholicism is growing rapidly.
As always, the devil has a very clever way of com-
pounding error while giving the results a more
respectable appearance.   Space limitations prevent a
more comprehensive consideration of its past and

present approaches but we have prepared other
articles providing important details to all who might
be interested in knowing why the Charismatic Move-
ment and its teachings are so deceptive and danger-
ous.   Once this movement became entrenched in the
Roman Catholic Church, RCC leaders were quick to
see that it would be to their advantage to encourage
these teachings rather than to oppose them.   They
discovered that they could use the Charismatic
doctrines and practices to help build the Roman
Catholic Church by considering it a logical and
needed "renewal movement within the church."   An
added factor was that those who had supposedly
experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit felt a
greater love and respect than ever for the Roman
Catholic Church, including the Mass, the other
sacraments, the veneration of Mary and all the other
false teachings of Roman Catholicism.   Many people
are attracted to the displays of healings, miracles,
and other supposed demonstrations of Holy Spirit
presence and power, not realizing that if this were a
true ministry of the Holy Spirit it would lead them
to a recognition and repudiation of the false teach-
ings of Roman Catholicism.   The Charismatic Move-
ment, both within and outside of the Roman Catho-
lic Church is not a movement of the Holy Spirit, but
of a false spirit.   John 16:7-14; 2 Cor. 11:13-15.
   Adding to the religious confusion of our day is
the inconsistent, compromising position taken by
the world's two outstanding evangelical leaders, Dr.
Billy Graham and Dr. Bill Bright.   Both of these men
now praise and work with ecumenical apostates,
charismatic deceivers and Roman Catholics which
represents a complete reversal of their original,
Biblical positions.   Both are widely respected and
have charming personalities, but their present will-
ingness to work with anybody who "calls Jesus,
Lord" completely ignores the warning Christ gave
in Matthew 7:21-23.   Billy Graham now sends Catho-
lics who make "decisions" in his crusades back to the
Roman Catholic Church with no warning of the
false gospel it preaches.   Bill Bright even has Roman
Catholics on his Campus Crusade staff.   Both men
thus disobey the Bible.
   What about the Mass which lies at the very

heart of Roman Catholic theology and worship?   Is
its observance based upon Scripture or Catholic
tradition?   What does Roman Catholicism teach as to
its meaning and importance?
   The Baltimore Catechism says: "It is a mortal
sin not to hear Mass on a Sunday or a holyday of
obligation, unless we are excused for a serious rea-
son.   They also commit mortal sin who, having
others under their charge, hinder them from hear-
ing Mass without a sufficient reason."
   The Creed of pope Pius IV, an official creed of
the Roman Catholic Church says, "I profess that in
the Mass is offered to God a true, proper, and
propitiatory sacrifice (that is, a sacrifice which sat-
isfies the justice of God and so offsets the penalty for
sin) for the living and for the dead; and that in the
most holy sacrament of the Eucharist there is truly,
really, and substantially, the body and blood, to-
gether with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus
Christ; and that there is a conversion of the whole
substance of the bread into the body, and of the
whole substance of the wine into the blood, which
the Catholic Church calls Transubstantiation."
   The Council of Trent declared: "The sacrifice
(in the Mass) is identical with the sacrifice of the
Cross, in as much as Jesus Christ is a priest and
victim both.   The only difference lies in the manner
of the offering, which is bloody upon the cross and
bloodless on our altars"; and, in Canon I stated:
"Whosoever shall deny that in the most holy sacra-
ment of the Eucharist there are truly, really, and
substantially contained the body and the blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ, together with his soul and
divinity, and consequently Christ entire, but shall
affirm that he is present therein only in a sign and
figure, or by his power, let him be accursed."
   But what does the Bible say concerning the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross?   Hebrews
10:10-14, "By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all.   And every priest standeth daily ministering
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which
can never take away sins: But this man [Jesus
Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins
for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From

henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool.   For by one offering he hath perfected
for ever them that are sanctified."
   What a difference there is between what the
Bible teaches and what Roman Catholicism believes
and teaches regarding the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
on the Cross!   The supposed continual offering up of
Christ by the priests negates His finished work on
the Cross.   The Bible says, "For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."   1 Peter 3:18.
   Roman Catholicism makes salvation a long,
complicated process with no assurance of eternal
life and forgiveness of all sin; to faith in Jesus Christ
is added Baptism, the Mass, Confession, prayers to
Mary and the Saints, good works, and purgatory.   By
contrast the Bible teaches salvation by faith in Jesus
Christ alone, not by sacraments, prayers or works.
Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 2:13.   Bible salvation is God's free
gift to any sinner who believes with the heart that
Christ died for his sins and rose again for his justi-
fication.   1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 10:9-13.   Bible salvation
gives immediate assurance of eternal life.   1 John
5:10-13.   Carefully read and believe John 1:12; 3:16-
18; 3:36; 5:24; 14:1-6; 20:30, 31.   No church ever
saved anyone, but Christ can and will save everyone
who will come and trust Him as their Saviour.   Acts
4:12; John 6:37; 10:27-30.   Trust Christ today and be
saved for all eternity!       q

[by M.H. Reynolds, reprinted from
FOUNDATION magazine, Vol. XIII, Issue 1]

Fundamental Evangelistic Association
P. O. Box 6278 -- Los Osos, California 93412

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