Thursday, August 24, 2023

How we Know Roman Catholicism is False: A Primer

According to Roman Catholicism, her de fide dogmas are apostolic in origin.

 

According to Rome, public revelation ceased with the death of the last apostle. While there is acceptance of "private revelation," such is not infallible, and even approved apparitions (e.g., Lourdes [1858]; Fatima [1917]) are not binding nor the source of doctrine or dogma.

 

Rome teaches that the deposit of faith ceased being added to with the death of the last apostle. The only allowable development of such doctrines contained therein would be the adoption of terms to describe the teachings (e.g., use of the later term Transubstantiation to describe the change of the substance of the bread and wine when the priest utters the essential form of the sacrament; the appropriation of homoousios to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son). Substantially, however, Rome’s de fide dogmas//primary objects of infallibility are apostolic in origin.

 

Many of Rome’s de fide dogmas are not apostolic in origin, such as icon veneration and the ImmaculateConception of Mary.

 

Ergo, Rome is a false religion, even by her standards.

 

Of course, Rome’s apologists will appeal to “development of doctrine” and put it on steroids (e.g., Irenaeus and other early Christians believing Mary to be the New Eve means the Immaculate Conception; Jesus being said to be the εικων of the Father means what the Second Council of Nicea and the 25th session of Trent means con veneration [I kid you not]), but such is, functionally, the evolution of dogma, something condemned by the Catholic Church, such as Pius X's Pascendi dominici gregis (September 8, 1907).