In session XIII of the Council of Trent, held October 11, 1551, we
read the following about the worship of the consecrated host:
878 [DS 1643] There is,
therefore, no room left for doubt that all the faithful of Christ in accordance
with a custom always received in the Catholic Church offer in veneration [can.
6] the worship of latria which is due
to the true God, to this most Holy Sacrament. For it is not less to be adored
because it was instituted by Christ the Lord to be received [cf. Matt. 26:26
ff.]. For we believe that same God to be present therein, of whom the eternal
Father when introducing Him into the world says: “And let all the Angels of God
adore Him” [Heb. 1:6; Ps. 96:7), whom the Magi “falling down adored” [cf. Matt.
2:11], who finally, as the Scripture testifies [cf. Matt. 28:17], was adored by
the apostles in Galilee. [DS 1644]
The holy Synod declares, moreover, that this custom was piously and religiously
introduced into the Church of God, so that this sublime and venerable sacrament
was celebrated every year on a special feast day with extraordinary veneration
and solemnity, and was borne reverently and with honor in processions through
the streets and public places. For it is most proper that some holy days be
established when all Christians may testify, with an extraordinary and unusual
expression, that their minds are grateful to and mindful of their common Lord
and Redeemer for such an ineffable and truly divine a favor whereby the victory
and triumph of His death is represented. And thus, indeed, ought victorious
truth to celebrate a triumph over falsehood and heresy, that her adversaries,
placed in view of so much splendor and amid such deep joy of the universal
Church, may either vanish weakened and broken, or overcome and confounded by
shame may some day recover their senses.
In other words, one is condemned if they do not believe that it is
proper to give latria, the highest
form of worship to the consecrated host, as, in Rome’s theology, it is
substantially the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. This is why one
cannot be neutral on the issue of Roman Catholicism in general and the Mass in
particular—it is either the most important act of worship one can participate
in or it is an act of idolatry. No other option is possible.
Interestingly enough, a long-standing critic of the LDS Church, during a debate/dialogue
with Scott Hahn, who advocates Rome’s blasphemous and idolatrous teachings
on Mary as well as giving graven bread worship reserved only for God, stated
that Hahn is a saved Christian(!) One could expect, if he were consistent (he isn’t; I am not deluded),
he would condemn both the LDS Church and its proponents and Rome and her proponents as preaching false gospels. Go figure.
In light of his defence of Hank Hanegraaff being a saved Christian in spite of
converting to Eastern Orthodoxy, I don’t think his attitude towards Rome and
Hahn has changed one iota since the debate in 1997.
