| In the castle of Fontainebleu Napoleon forced the Pope to give up the States of the Church, promising an annual income of two million francs. In the same castle Napoleon was himself later forced to sign an abdication and was promised a yearly income of the same amount. When the Pope excommunicated Napoleon, he answered that the words of an old man would not make the arms drop from the hands of his soldiers. In the Russian campaign, because of the intense cold, this actually happened. He kept Pius VII prisoner for five years; he himself was later a prisoner for seven years. Four days after ordering the union of the States of the Church with France, he lost the battles of Aspern and Erlingen. |
73.
The Gates of Hell
What
was the end of the leaders of persecution, schism, and heresy? --Many
of the leaders of persecution, schism, and heresy came to a bad end.
Of
the first persecutors, several died violent deaths. The death of
Judas is the type for
his imitators. It is related that: Herod, the
murderer of the Holy Innocents, died in unspeakable torture
Herod, the
murderer of James the Apostle, was devoured by worms.
Of
the persecutors in Rome, Nero was
deposed, and in despair stabbed himself.
Domitian was
assassinated.
Hadrian became
insane.
Marcus
Aurelius, despondent
over the ingratitude of his only son, starved himself to death.
Septimus
Severus, whose
life had been attempted by his only son, died in despair.
Decius died
miserably in a swamp, during a battle.
Valerian was
flayed alive by the Persians.
Maxentius was
drowned in the Tiber.
Diocletian died
from a loathsome disease.
Julian the
Apostate was struck down by a lance on the field of battle, and died
crying: "Galilean, Thou hast conquered!"
The
case of Napoleon is
instructive.
Drunk
with power, Napoleon seized Rome in 1808, declaring himself the
"successor of Charlemagne". He banished Cardinals and
bishops, and carrying off Pope Pius VII, held him prisoner in Savona.
Enemies of the Church exulted: "The Papacy is ended! The Emperor
has devoured the Pope!" They forgot the divine promise to
Peter: "The
gates of hell shall not prevail!"; on
that promise was based the ancient saying: "Who
eats of the Pope dies like a beast." On
the same day that Napoleon died in exile at St. Helena, Pope Pius VII
was celebrating his own feast day in Rome.
Heretics and schismatics have
shared the same fate. Arius burst asunder during a triumphal
procession. Voltaire died in despair. The Greek Schismatics fell
under the Turkish yoke in 1453, on Pentecost, the feast of that Holy
Ghost about whom they had expressed doubts.Truly history has shown
the truth of the words of Holy Scripture; "It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb.
10:31).
Why
can no other church except the Catholic Church be the True Church of
Christ? --
No
other church except the Catholic Church can be the True Church of
Christ, because no other church possesses the marks of unity,
holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity.
Truth
cannot change; hence the constantly changing doctrines of
non-Catholic churches can not be true. They also differ in
their government.
Some recognize the temporal ruler as their spiritual head. Others
have ministers whom they call bishops, deacons, elders. The majority
reject such titles.
There
are hundreds of churches and Christian denominations,
each different from
the others; they do not possess the mark of unity.
They differ in even the essentials of faith. They cannot agree, and
keep dividing and subdividing (SSPX
-> SSPV -> SSP2.5) year
by year. Their only similarity appears to be their opposition to the
Catholic Church. (SSPX)
Such
churches are multiplying. In the United States there are over two
hundred religious bodies. They arise, then pass away, to give place
to other denominations. Realizing the great handicap of disunity,
efforts have been made by various groups of churches to organize.
General councils and conferences of different bodies have been held;
but there is no vital result for unity. This is of course because,
though agreement may be general concerning matters such as social
work, beneficent societies, and the like, no agreement can be found
in the essentials of faith and doctrine. This is the result of free
interpretation of the Bible, and the repudiation
of Peter's successor, Vicar of Christ.
(SSPX)
The
denominations and their founders are not holy in
the same sense or degree as the Catholic Church and its Founder are
holy. Many
non-Catholics are upright and good because they have retained many
doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church.
Many
founders of non-Catholic churches were far from holy. Luther, the
founder of Protestantism was an apostate friar, who married a nun who
had left her convent and turned against her vows. During his life he
taught contradictory doctrines, some of them immoral.
Henry
VIII, the
founder of Anglicanism, married five women successively, after
divorcing his lawful wife; he had two put to death.
No
denomination is catholic, or
universal.
These
non-Catholic churches are everywhere, but are different everywhere.
A
regional or national Church
cannot be the true Church, since it cannot teach all nations, as
Christ commanded.
No
heretical Christian denomination is apostolic.
The Protestant churches are some 1500 years later than the Church
founded on the Rock of Peter.
Not
even their teachings come down from the Apostles. Their ministers
cannot trace their succession from the Apostles. Not one
teaches all the
doctrines of the Apostles. How then could they be the Church founded
by Christ?
What
should be the attitude of Catholics towards those who do not belong
to the True Church? --
Catholics
should observe an attitude of understanding towards them, because the
majority of those who do not belong to the True Church are in good
faith.
Catholic
teachings are not easy to understand at
first sight; many Catholic practices require sacrifice.
Towards such a religion there is bound to be prejudice.
To
be obliged to go to Mass every Sunday under pain of mortal sin; to
have to confess to a priest, who is another human being like
ourselves; to condemn divorce and birth control; to observe fasts and
abstinence;-these are not easy doctrines.
No
wonder in looking for relief, man often, however unconsciously, seeks
motives for not accepting the Church that commands its members to
obey such precepts, to accept such doctrines.
When
Our Lord first announced the institution of the Holy Eucharist, many
of the disciples said, "This is a hard saying. Who can listen to
it?" (John 6:62). And they no longer went with Jesus.
Catholics
should above all try to give good
example; nothing
is more effective in the eyes of non-Catholics than the exemplary
lives led by good Catholics."Behave yourselves honorably among
the pagans; that, whereas they slander you as evildoers, they may
through observing you by reason of your good works glorify God in the
day of visitation" (1 Peter 2:12). Catholics should often pray
for the conversion of those outside the Church, praying with the Good
Shepherd for only one Fold.
While
avoiding useless discussions that generally end in bitter quarrels,
Catholics should try to show the beauty, the truth of
the Catholic Church.
In
our friendly discussions with
non-Catholics we should not be always on the defensive, but should
try to see whether they can trace the origin of the authority of
their ministers to the Apostles, whether their church can be proved
the True Church by the possession of the four marks. Often our
non-Catholic friends criticise the Catholic Church on account of some
devotional practices like holy water, candles, etc., as if such
practices belonged to the essentials of faith.