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Category |
Quotation |
Bad
Examples Undermine Our Teachings |
"Whoever bids other folks to do right, but
gives evil example by acting the opposite way, is like a foolish
weaver who weaves quickly with one hand and unravels the cloth
just as quickly with the other." (St. Thomas More)
Also
See: Convert
Others By Our Good Example / Practice What We Preach | How
To Conduct Ourselves | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | We
Must Attend To Our Own Souls | Catholics
Not Living Their Faith Will Be Swept Away | Christians
Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | Cannot
Live as One Chooses | Greater
Knowledge / Greater Blame | We
Must Persevere | Tips
for Apologists | Conversion
/ Repentance | The
Church Can Forgive All Sin
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Convert
Others By Our Good Example / Practice What We Preach |
"What will convert [your neighbor] will be
the sanctity of your own life!" (St. John Vianney)
"We are taught better by deeds than by
words." (St. Maximus of Turin)
"You must practice first, all that you
desire to teach others." (St. Bernardine of Siena)
"[D]o
first thyself that which thou wishest another to do, and so encourage
others by thy example." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)
"For
this is a worse mischief, when one who teaches well in words, impugns
the teaching by his deeds." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the
Church)
"Be sure that you first preach by the way
you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one
thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical
laughter and a derisive shake of the head." (St. Charles
Borromeo)
"[I]n
human actions and passions, wherein experience is of great weight,
example moves more than words." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the
Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Let
them show, also, examples of virtue, so as to prove that a Christian is
a hater of idleness and self indulgence, that he stands firm and
unconquered in the midst of adversity. Examples of that kind have a
power of moving people to dispositions of soul that make for
salvation" (Pope Leo XIII, "Graves De Communi Re", 1901
A.D.)
"In
addition, example should accompany words. We should show ourselves in
all things as an example of good works so that our opponents will
respect us and not have anything bad to say about us. Deeds should not
be silent without words, nor should the lack of deeds shame the
words." (Pope Clement XIII, "A Quo Die", 1758 A.D.)
"[A]ll
should be reminded that nothing more effectively paves the way for the
erring to find the truth and to embrace the Church than the faith of
Catholics, when it is confirmed by the example of upright living."
(Instruction of the Holy Office, 1949 A.D.)
"Great
is the force of example; particularly with those who are earnestly
seeking the truth, and who, from a certain inborn virtuous disposition,
are striving to live an honorable and upright life, to which class very
many of your fellow-citizens belong. If the spectacle of Christian
virtues exerted the powerful influence over the heathens blinded, as
they were, by inveterate superstition, which the records of history
attest, shall we think it powerless to eradicate error in the case of
those who have been initiated into the Christian religion?" (Pope
Leo XIII, "Longinqua", 1895 A.D.)
"To
ever specious argument that would seem to counsel silence on our part,
we oppose this other - namely, that charity counts as nothing either her
own proper interests or the difficulties of the times. Even though no
man is willing to follow our example, what then? Are we ourselves, just
for that, to let duty alone? In the fiery furnace the children of the
Babylonish captivity chanted their canticle to the Lord, without making
any reckoning of the multitude who set truth aside: they were quite
sufficient for one another, merely three as they were!" (St. Basil
the Great, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Bad
Examples Undermine Our Teachings | Sin
/ Repentance / Forgiveness | How
To Conduct Ourselves | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners
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Defense
of the Faithful Against Errors & Temptations is Greater Than Bodily
Protection |
"[I]t
is a greater thing to employ spiritual arms in defending the faithful
against the errors of heretics and the temptations of the devil, than to
protect the faithful by means of bodily weapons." (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
Also
See: Duty
to Profess / Defend the Faith | Our
Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | Gospel
Doesn't Support False Tolerance | One
Should Not Be Open Minded to Error | Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine | Heresy/Heretics
& Schism/Schismatics | The
Anathema is an Act of Love | Our
Behavior / Tips | Truth
/ Error / Nature of Man | Zeal
for Souls
Note:
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Duty
to Profess / Defend the Faith
Note:
History proves that being a faithful Christian may be dangerous to
one's bodily health. Consult appropriate, competent Church
authorities for assistance in interpreting / applying items
herein. We are not responsible for anything which may occur due to
use of this site. |
"Can.
1325 § 1 The faithful of Christ are bound to profess their faith
whenever their silence, evasiveness, or manner of acting encompasses an
implied denial of the faith, contempt for religion, injury to God, or
scandal for a neighbor." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"Every
Christian is obliged to lay down his life rather than deny any of the
articles of our holy Faith: it was the debt we contracted with Jesus
Christ when he adopted us in Baptism as his Brethren." (Dom
Gueranger)
"...the
Christian who has attained the use of reason has more to do than suffer
for his faith: he must confess it before persecutors and tyrants when
they bid him deny it, and also before that more permanent tribunal of
the world and his own passions. No man has received the glorious
character of a Christian on the condition that he should never own
himself one." (Dom Gueranger)
"If
a heretic perverts a whole community with a false doctrine, a private
individual is held, when he is able to do it, to obstruct it at the risk
of his life. If, in fact, anyone is bound to assist at the risk of life
the common temporal good, how much greater reason the spiritual good.
All the more in the case where many individuals are found in extreme
necessity." (Billuart)
"For
a man ought to suffer anything and everything, rather than divide the
Church of God, and it is no less glorious to incur martyrdom to avoid
schism than to avoid idolatry; in fact in my opinion it is more so. For
in one case a man is a martyr for the sake of his own single soul, but
in the other for the sake of the whole Church." (Dionysious of
Alexandria, 252 A.D.)
"Amid
such reckless and widespread folly of opinion, it is, as We have said,
the office of the Church to undertake the defense of truth and uproot
errors from the mind, and this charge has to be at all times sacredly
observed by her, seeing that the honor of God and the salvation of men
are confided to her keeping. But, when necessity compels, not those only
who are invested with power of rule are bound to safeguard the integrity
of faith, but, as St. Thomas maintains: 'Each one is under obligation to
show forth his faith, either to instruct and encourage others of the
faithful, or to repel the attacks of unbelievers.' To
recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such
clamors are raised against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of
character or who entertains doubt as to the truth of what he professes
to believe. In both cases such mode of behaving is base and is insulting
to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. This
kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of the faith, for
nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the
part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on the part of Christians is
so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom little would be needed on
their part to bring to naught false charges and refute erroneous
opinions, and by always exerting themselves more strenuously they might
reckon upon being successful. After all, no one can be prevented from
putting forth that strength of soul which is the characteristic of true
Christians, and very frequently by such display of courage our enemies
lose heart and their designs are thwarted. Christians are, moreover,
born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured,
God aiding, the triumph: 'Have confidence; I have overcome the
world.' Nor is there any ground for alleging that Jesus Christ, the
Guardian and Champion of the Church, needs not in any manner the help of
men. Power certainly is not wanting to Him, but in His loving kindness
He would assign to us a share in obtaining and applying the fruits of
salvation procured through His grace. The chief elements of this duty
consist in professing openly and unflinchingly the Catholic doctrine,
and in propagating it to the utmost of our power. For, as is often said,
with the greatest truth, there is nothing so hurtful to Christian wisdom
as that it should not be known, since it possesses, when loyally
received, inherent power to drive away error. So soon as Catholic truth
is apprehended by a simple and unprejudiced soul, reason yields
assent." (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae Christianae", 1890
A.D.)
Also
See: Defense
of the Faithful Against Errors & Temptations is Greater Than
Bodily Protection | Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine | Gospel
Doesn't Support False Tolerance | One
Should Not Be Open Minded to Error | Heresy/Heretics
& Schism/Schismatics | Necessity
of Being Catholic For Salvation | Our
Behavior / Tips | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | Truth / Error / Nature of Man
| Tips
for Apologists
Can
Catholic Dogma Ever Change?
Note:
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to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
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Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine |
"But
there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of
Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a
gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be
accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone
preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that
one be accursed! Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am
I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I
would not be a slave of Christ. Now I want you to know, brothers, that
the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive
it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a
revelation of Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in
Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to
destroy it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries
among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral
traditions." (St. Paul, cf. Gal. 1:7-14)
"If
anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him
in your house or even greet him; for whoever greets him shares in his
evil works." (2 Jn. 1:10-11)
"Hold
fast to the faith of holy Innocent, who is the son of Anastasius of
blessed memory and his successor in the apostolic throne; receive no
strange doctrine, however shrewd and prudent you may think
yourself." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"The
defense of Catholicism, indeed, necessarily demands that in the
profession of doctrines taught by the Church all shall be of one mind
and all steadfast in believing; and care must be taken never to connive,
in any way, at false opinions, never to withstand them less strenuously
than truth allows." (Pope Leo XIII, "Immortale Dei", 1885
A.D.)
"Fly
from them and from their doctrines; do not go near them, for you know
that whoever is found in a place where outrage has been offered to the
king has to come into court to be questioned according to law. Even if
he can prove he was not guilty he will be condemned for want of zeal. Do
not sit with heretics nor associate with apostates. It would be better
to dwell with a demon than with a renegade. For if you abjure the demon
he will flee, for he cannot stand before the name of Jesus, but even
were you to exorcise the apostate ten thousand times he would not cease
from his wickedness or renounce his folly. It would be better to teach
demons than to try to convince heretics." (St. Ephraem the Syrian,
Doctor of the Church)
"I
have learned however, that certain persons from elsewhere, who have evil
doctrine, have stayed with you; but you did not allow them to sow it
among you, and you stopped your ears so that you would not receive what
they sow...Do not err, my brethren: the corrupters of families will not
inherit the kingdom of God. And if they who do these things according to
the flesh suffer death, how much more if a man corrupt by evil teaching
the faith of God, for the sake of which Jesus Christ was crucified? A
man become so foul will depart into unquenchable fire; and so also will
anyone who listens to him." (St. Ignatius of Antioch, hearer of St.
John the Apostle, c. 110
A.D.)
"In a matter of such importance and where the seduction
is so easy in these times, it is urgent that the Christian watch himself
from the beginning. He should fear the least danger, avoid every
occasion, and take the greatest precautions. Use all the prudence of the
serpent, while keeping in your heart the simplicity of the dove,
according to the evangelical counsel. Fathers and mothers should be wary
of inviting strangers into their homes or admitting them to domestic
intimacy, at least insofar as their faith is not sufficiently known.
They should try to first ascertain that an astute recruiter of the sect
does not hide himself in the guise of a friend, teacher, doctor or other
benefactor. Oh, in how many families has the wolf penetrated in sheep's
clothing!" (Pope Leo XIII, "Custodi Di Quella Fede", 1892
A.D.)
"Pan-Christians
who strive for the union of the churches would appear to pursue the
noblest of ideals in promoting charity among all Christians. But how
should charity tend to the detriment of the faith? Everyone knows that
John himself, the Apostle of love, who seems in his Gospel to have
revealed the secrets of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and who never ceased to
impress upon the memory of his disciples the new commandment 'to love
one another', nevertheless strictly forbade any intercourse with those
who professed a mutilated and corrupt form of Christ's teaching: 'If any
man comes to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the
house, nor say to him, God speed you.' (2 John 1:10)" (Pope Pius
XI, "Mortalium Animos")
"And
yet this same gentle and loving Saint was the inflexible enemy of
heresy; for heresy, by destroying Faith, poisons Charity in its very
source. It is from this Apostle that the Church has received the maxim
she gives to us, of shunning heresy as we would shun a plague: If any man
come to you and bring not the doctrine of Christ, receive him not into
the house, nor say to him 'God speed thee', for he that saith unto him
'God speed thee', communicateth with his wicked works (2 Jn. 1:10-11). St.
John having one day entered one of the public baths, he was no sooner
informed that the heresiarch Cerinthus was in the same building, than he
instantly left the place as though it were infected. The disciples of
Cerinthus were indignant at this conduct of the Apostle, and endeavored
to take away his life by putting poison into the cup from which he used
to drink; but St. John having made the sign of the cross over the cup, a
serpent was seen to issue from it, testifying both to the wickedness of
his enemies and to the divinity of Christ, This apostolic firmness in
resisting the enemies of the Faith made him the dread of the heretics of
Asia; and hereby he proved how justly he had received from Jesus the
surname Son of Thunder" (Dom Gueranger)
"I could point out the very spot where sat blessed Polycarp while
he conversed with us; I could describe exactly his bearing, his address,
his manner of life, his every feature, and the discourses he made to the
crowd. Thou rememberest how he used to tell us of his intercourse with
John [the Apostle] and the rest of those that had seen the Lord, and
with what a faithful memory he repeated their words; what he had learnt
from them respecting our Lord, his miracles, his doctrine, all these
things Polycarp transmitted to us, as having himself received them from
the very men that had beheld with their eyes the Word of life; all of
what he told us was conformable to the Scriptures. What a grace from God
were these conversations of his! I used to listen so eagerly, noting
everything down, not on parchment, but on my heart; and now, by the
grace of God, I still live on it all. Hence, I can attest before God, if
the blessed apostolic old man [St. Polycarp] had heard [heretical]
discourses ... He would have stopped his ears, saying, as was his wont:
'O God most good, to what sort of times hast thou reserved us!' Then
would he have got up quickly, and would have fled from that place of
blasphemy." [St. Irenaeus (disciple of St. Polycarp, a disciple of
St. John the Apostle), 2nd Century A.D.)
Also
See: Gospel
Doesn't Support False Tolerance | One
Should Not Be Open Minded to Error | Against
Human 'Progress' in Religion | Against
Modernism / Novelty (Latin Mass & Catholic Tradition
Reflections) | Duty
to Profess / Defend the Faith | Non-Association
with Heretics / Schismatics | Heresy/Heretics
& Schism/Schismatics | Defense
of the Faithful Against Errors & Temptations is Greater Than
Bodily Protection | Personal
Interpretation of Scripture / Rejection of Truth | Truth / Error / Nature of Man
| Truth
is Unchanging
Can
Catholic Dogma Ever Change?
Note:
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'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
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How
To Conduct Ourselves |
"We should remember that [Jesus Christ]
himself said that by gentleness we inherit the earth. If we act on
this we will win people over so that they will turn to the Lord.
That will not happen if we treat people harshly or sharply."
(St. Vincent de Paul)
"Remain humble, remain simple; the more you
are so, the more good you will do." (St. John Vianney)
"Jesus is also gentle in his words. When he
dwelt on earth he won everyone over by his gentle speech. Never
was he heard to raise his voice or argue heatedly." (St.
Louis de Montfort)
"It is to those who have the most need of
us that we ought to show our love more especially." (St.
Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)
"On
behalf of your admirable religion, never forsake all goodness, patience,
learning, gentleness and mildness as you try to gain for Christ the
pitiful errant: lead them back into his one sheepfold and restore them
to the hope of their eternal inheritance." (Bl. Pope Pius IX,
"Amantissimus", 1862 A.D.)
"[T]hose
who sincerely seek after truth will preserve equanimity, modesty, and
courtesy in matters of dispute. They will not let differences of opinion
deteriorate into conflicts of wills." (Pope Leo XIII, "Graves
De Communi Re", 1901 A.D.)
"Heretics
are to be converted by an example of humility and other virtues far more
readily than by any external display or verbal battles. So let us arm
ourselves with devout prayers and set off showing signs of genuine
humility and go barefooted to combat Goliath." (St. Dominic)
"A
man ought so to avoid giving offense, as neither by wrong deed or word
to be the occasion of anyone's downfall. 'But if scandal arise from
truth, the scandal should be borne rather than the truth be set
aside,' as Gregory says (Hom. 7 in Ezech.)." (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
"I have never succeeded when I have spoken
with the faintest suspicion of hardness. One must ever be on one's
guard not to embitter the heart, if one wishes to move the
mind." (St. Vincent de Paul)
"...and while you blame the sin, always
spare the sinner as much as possible." (St. Francis de Sales,
Doctor of the Church)
"When you encounter difficulties and
contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with
gentleness and time." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the
Church)
"God forbid that the children of the
Catholic Church should even in any way be unfriendly to those who
are not at all united to us by the same bonds of faith and love.
On the contrary, let them be eager always to attend to their needs
with all the kind services of Christian charity, whether they are
poor or sick or suffering any other kind of visitation. First of
all, let them rescue them from the darkness of the errors into
which they have unhappily fallen and strive to guide them back to
Catholic truth and to their most loving Mother who is ever holding
out her maternal arms to receive them lovingly back into her fold.
Thus, firmly founded in faith, hope, and charity and fruitful in
every good work, they will gain eternal salvation." (Pope
Pius IX, "Quanto Conficiamur Moerore", 1863)
"But
mark how the Lord, instead of being troubled, condescends to dispute
from the Scriptures with the wicked one, that you, as far as you are
able, might become like Christ. The devil knew the arms of Christ,
beneath which he sunk. Christ took him captive by meekness, He overcame
him by humility. Do you also, when you see a man who has become a devil
coming to meet you, subdue him in like manner. Teach your soul to
conform its words to those of Christ. For as a Roman judge, who on the
bench refuses to hear the reply of one who knows not how to speak as he
does; so also Christ, except you speak after His manner, will neither
hear you nor protect you." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the
Church)
"But
in order that the desired fruit may be derived from this apostolate and
this zeal for teaching, and that Christ may be formed in all, be it
remembered, Venerable Brethren, that no means is more efficacious than
charity. 'For the Lord is not in the earthquake' (III Kings xix., II) -
it is vain to hope to attract souls to God by a bitter zeal. On the
contrary, harm is done more often than good by taunting men harshly with
their faults, and reproving their vices with asperity. True the Apostle
exhorted Timothy: 'Accuse, beseech, rebuke,' but he took care to add:
'with all patience' (II. Tim.iv., 2). Jesus has certainly left us
examples of this. 'Come to me,' we find Him saying, 'come to me all ye
that labor and are burdened and I will refresh you' (Matth. xi., 28).
And by those that labor and are burdened he meant only those who are
slaves of sin and error. What gentleness was that shown by the Divine
Master! What tenderness, what compassion towards all kinds of misery!
Isaias has marvelously described His heart in the words: 'I will set my
spirit upon him; he shall not contend, nor cry out; the bruised reed he
will not break, he will not extinguish the smoking flax' (Is. xlii., I,
s.). This charity, 'patient and kind' (I. Cor. xiii., 4.), will extend
itself also to those who are hostile to us and persecute us. 'We are
reviled,' thus did St. Paul protest, 'and we bless; we are persecuted
and we suffer it; we are blasphemed and we entreat' (I. Cor., iv., 12,
s.). They perhaps seem to be worse than they really are. Their
associations with others, prejudice, the counsel, advice and example of
others, and finally an ill advised shame have dragged them to the side
of the impious; but their wills are not so depraved as they themselves
would seek to make people believe. Who will prevent us from hoping that
the flame of Christian charity may dispel the darkness from their minds
and bring to them light and the peace of God? It may be that the fruit
of our labors may be slow in coming, but charity wearies not with
waiting, knowing that God prepares His rewards not for the results of
toil but for the good will shown in it." (Pope St. Pius X, "E
Supremi",
1903 A.D.) Also
See: Duty
to Profess / Defend the Faith | Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine | We
Must Have Charity For All People | Solicitude
For Those Outside the Church | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | Bad
Examples Undermine Our Teachings | Our
Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | One
Should Not Be Open Minded to Error | Non-Association
with Heretics / Schismatics | We
Must Attend To Our Own Souls | We
Must Persevere | Tips
for Apologists | Fellowship
/ Christian Behavior Towards Others (Topical Scripture)
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
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Marriage
Between Catholics & Non-Catholics
Also See:
Mixed Marriage (Topic Page)
|
"Do
not be yoked with those who are different, with unbelievers. For what
partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship
does light have with darkness? What accord has Christ with Beliar? Or
what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement has the
temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as
God said: 'I will live with them and move among them, and I will be
their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come forth from them
and be separate,' says the Lord, 'and touch nothing unclean;
then I will receive you and I will be a father to you, and you shall be
sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.'" (St. Paul, 2
Cor. 6:14-18)
"When
two do not agree about religion, it is nearly always futile to hope for
agreement in other things." (Pope Leo XIII)
"How can hearts be united in perfect charity where minds
do not agree in faith?" (Pope Leo XIII)
Canon
8: "That those who are of the Church are not to join their children
indiscriminately in marriage with heretics." (Council of Laodicea,
4th century A.D.)
"Heretics,
if they do not wish to come over to the Catholic Church, are not to be
given Catholic girls in marriage. It is determined that they are to be
given neither to Jews nor to heretics, because there can be no
companionship between faithful and infidel. If parents disregard this
prohibition, it is decided that they are to be excommunicated for five
years." (Council of Elvira, c. 300 A.D.)
"Can.
1060 Most severely does the Church prohibit everywhere that marriage be
entered into by two baptized persons, one of whom is Catholic, and the
other belonging to a heretical or schismatic sect; indeed, if there is a
danger of perversion to the Catholic spouse and children, that marriage
is forbidden even by divine law." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"Can.
1061 § 1 The Church does not dispense from the impediment of mixed
religion, unless: 1° Just and grave cause so urge; ° 2 The
non-Catholic spouse gives a precaution to remove the danger of
perversion from the Catholic spouse, and from both spouses [there is a
promise] that all children will be baptized only Catholic and so
educated; °3 There is moral certitude the cautions will be implemented.
§ 2 These cautions are regularly required in writing. Can.
1062 The Catholic spouse is bound by the obligation of prudently taking
care for the conversion of the non-Catholic spouse." (1917 Code of
Canon Law)
Also
See: Mixed
Marriages (Catholic Life) | Those
Outside the Church | Those
Who Reject the Church Reject Christ | Necessity
of Being Catholic For Salvation | Against
Religious Indifferentism | Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine | Gospel
Doesn't Support False Tolerance | Heresy/Heretics
& Schism/Schismatics | Non-Association
with Heretics / Schismatics | Personal
Interpretation of Scripture / Rejection of Truth | Protestantism
is Not Another Equally Pleasing Form of the Same Christian Religion
| Should
Devote Greater Solicitude For Soul Than For Body | Truth / Error / Nature of Man
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Can
Catholic Dogma Ever Change?
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Non-
Association with Heretics / Schismatics
Also See:
Ecumenism (Topic Page)
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"After
a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic, realizing
that such a person is perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned."
(St. Paul, Ti. 3:10-11)
"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles, in opposition to the teaching that you learned; avoid them."
(St. Paul, Rom. 16:17)
"[B]y
the very fact that a person communicates in the sacraments with a
heretic who is cut off from the Church, he sins" (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
"None must either pray or sing psalms with heretics; and
whomsoever shall communicate with those who are cut off from the
Communion of the Church, whether clergymen or laic, let him be
excommunicated." (Council of Carthage)
"Can.
2316 Whoever in any manner willingly and knowingly helps in the
promulgation of heresy, or who communicates in things divine with
heretics against the prescriptions of Canon 1258, is suspected of
heresy." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"Can.
1365 One who is guilty of prohibited participation in religious rites is
to be punished with a just penalty." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Common
participation in worship (communicatio in sacris) which harms the unity
of the Church or involves formal acceptance of error or the danger of
aberration in the faith, of scandal and indifferentism, is forbidden by
divine law." (Second Vatican Council)
"Can.
1258 § 1 It is not licit for the faithful by any manner to assist
actively or to have a part in the sacred [rites] of non-Catholics. § 2
Passive or merely material presence can be tolerated for the sake of
honor or civil office, for grave reason approved by the Bishop in case
of doubt, at the funerals, weddings, and similar solemnities of
non-Catholics, provided danger of perversion and scandal is
absent." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"We
should tolerate association with sinners only for the purpose of
recalling them to repentance, by every means short of committing sin
ourselves. But when every form of solicitude has been applied in their
regard, we should avoid those who persist in their evil
ways." (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church)
"Everyone
should avoid familiarity or friendship with anyone suspected of
belonging to masonry or to affiliated groups. Know them by their fruits
and avoid them. Every familiarity should be avoided, not only with those
impious libertines who openly promote the character of the sect, but
also with those who hide under the mask of universal tolerance, respect
for all religions, and the craving to reconcile the maxims of the Gospel
with those of the revolution. These men seek to reconcile Christ and
Belial, the Church of God and the state without God." (Pope Leo
XIII, "Custodi Di Quella Fede", 1892 A.D.)
"Furthermore,
among the gravest causes of the aforementioned prohibition and
condemnation reported in the Constitution inserted above, the first is
that in societies and associations of this type men of any religion and
sect whatever are united with each other, from which matter it is
evident enough how great a destruction is able to be brought to the
purity of the Catholic religion." (Pope Benedict XIV, "Providas",
1751)
"Irenaeus
himself relates with regard to his master Polycarp [who was a disciple
of St. John the Apostle], how, when being asked by the heretic Marcion
if he knew him, he replied: 'I know thee to be the first-born of Satan.'
He also tells us that St. John [the Apostle] hearing that Cerinthus was
in the same public edifice into which he had just entered, fled
precipitately, for fear, as he said, that because of this enemy of truth
the walls of the building would crumble down upon them all: 'so great,'
remarks the bishop of Lyons, 'was the fear the apostles and their
disciples had of communicating, even by word, with any one of those who
altered truth.'" (Liturgical Year)
"Fly
from them and from their doctrines; do not go near them, for you know
that whoever is found in a place where outrage has been offered to the
king has to come into court to be questioned according to law. Even if
he can prove he was not guilty he will be condemned for want of zeal. Do
not sit with heretics nor associate with apostates. It would be better
to dwell with a demon than with a renegade. For if you abjure the demon
he will flee, for he cannot stand before the name of Jesus, but even
were you to exorcise the apostate ten thousand times he would not cease
from his wickedness or renounce his folly. It would be better to teach
demons than to try to convince heretics." (St. Ephraem the Syrian,
Doctor of the Church)
"They
are to be avoided who are held of grievous faults, whether they are
among the living, or not. For it is always necessary to fly from the
wicked. Moreover there are diverse letters read of Augustine of
religious memory, who was of great renown among the African bishops,
which affirmed that heretics ought to be anathematized even after death.
Such an ecclesiastical tradition other African Bishops also have
preserved. And the Holy Roman Church also has anathematized some Bishops
after death, although no accusation had been brought against their faith
in their lifetimes." (Second Council of Constantinople)
"Let
the faith of our fathers be proposed to [the misled] with all tenderness
and charity; if they will assent thereunto, let us receive them into our
midst; in other cases, let us dwell with ourselves alone, regardless of
numbers; and let us keep aloof from equivocating souls, who are not
possessed of that simplicity without guile, indispensably required in
the early days of the Gospel from all who would approach the faith. The
believers, so it is written, had but one heart and one soul (Acts iv.
32). Let those, therefore, who would reproach us for not desiring
pacification, mark well who are the real authors of disturbance, and so
not point the question of reconciliation on our side any more."
(St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church)
"But,
all the same, although many non-Catholics may be found who loudly preach
fraternal communion in Christ Jesus, yet you will find none at all to
whom it ever occurs to submit to and obey the Vicar of Jesus Christ
either in His capacity as a teacher or as a governor. Meanwhile they
affirm that they would willingly treat with the Church of Rome, but on
equal terms, that is as equals with an equal: but even if they could so
act, it does not seem open to doubt that any pact into which they might
enter would not compel them to turn from those opinions which are still
the reason why they err and stray from the one fold of Christ. This
being so, it is clear that the Apostolic See cannot on any terms take
part in their assemblies, nor is it anyway lawful for Catholics either
to support or to work for such enterprises; for if they do so they will
be giving countenance to a false Christianity, quite alien to the one
Church of Christ." (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos",
1928 A.D.)
"These
pan-Christians who turn their minds to uniting the churches seem,
indeed, to pursue the noblest of ideas in promoting charity among all
Christians: nevertheless how does it happen that this charity tends to
injure faith? Everyone knows that John himself, the Apostle of love, who
seems to reveal in his Gospel the secrets of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
and who never ceased to impress on the memories of his followers the new
commandment 'Love one another,' altogether forbade any
intercourse with those who professed a mutilated and corrupt version of
Christ's teaching: 'If any man come to you and bring not this
doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him: God speed
you.' For which reason, since charity is based on a complete and
sincere faith, the disciples of Christ must be united principally by the
bond of one faith. Who then can conceive a Christian Federation, the
members of which retain each his own opinions and private judgment, even
in matters which concern the object of faith, even though they be
repugnant to the opinions of the rest? And in what manner, We ask, can
men who follow contrary opinions, belong to one and the same Federation
of the faithful?" (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos", 1928
A.D.)
"So,
Venerable Brethren, it is clear why this Apostolic See has never allowed
its subjects to take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics: for the
union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the
one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the
past they have unhappily left it. To the one true Church of Christ, we
say, which is visible to all, and which is to remain, according to the
will of its Author, exactly the same as He instituted it. During the
lapse of centuries, the mystical Spouse of Christ has never been
contaminated, nor can she ever in the future be contaminated, as Cyprian
bears witness: 'The Bride of Christ cannot be made false to her
Spouse: she is incorrupt and modest. She knows but one dwelling, she
guards the sanctity of the nuptial chamber chastely and modestly.'
The same holy Martyr with good reason marveled exceedingly that anyone
could believe that 'this unity in the Church which arises from a
divine foundation, and which is knit together by heavenly sacraments,
could be rent and torn asunder by the force of contrary wills.' For
since the mystical body of Christ, in the same manner as His physical
body, is one, compacted and fitly joined together, it were foolish and
out of place to say that the mystical body is made up of members which
are disunited and scattered abroad: whosoever therefore is not united
with the body is no member of it, neither is he in communion with Christ
its head." (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos", 1928 A.D.)
"With
regard especially to mixed assemblies and conferences of Catholics with
non-Catholics, which in recent times have begun to be held in many
places to promote 'union' in the faith, there is need of quite
peculiar vigilance and control on the part of Ordinaries. For if on the
one hand these meetings afford the desired opportunity to spread among
non-Catholics the knowledge of Catholic doctrine, which is generally not
sufficiently known to them, yet on the other hand they easily involve no
slight danger of indifferentism for Catholics. In cases where there
seems to be some hope of good results, the Ordinary shall see that the
thing is properly managed, designating for these meetings priests who
are as well qualified as possible to explain and defend Catholic
doctrine properly and appropriately. The faithful, however, should not
attend these meetings unless they have obtained special permission from
Ecclesiastical Authority, and this shall be given only to those who are
known to be well instructed and strong in their faith. Where there is no
apparent hope of good results, or where the affair involves special
dangers on other grounds, the faithful are to be prudently kept away
from the meetings, and the meetings themselves are soon to be ended or
gradually suppressed. As experience teaches that larger meetings of this
sort usually bear little fruit and involve greater danger, these should
be permitted only after very careful consideration." (Instruction
of the Holy Office, "On the Ecumenical Movement", 1949 A.D.)
"This
being said, what must be thought of the indiscriminate mingling in which
young Catholics will be caught up with heterodox and unbelieving folk in
a work of this nature? Is it not a thousand-fold more dangerous for them
than a neutral association? What are we to think of this appeal to all
the heterodox, and to all the unbelievers, to prove the excellence of
their convictions in the social sphere in a sort of apologetic contest?
Has not this contest lasted for nineteen centuries in conditions less
dangerous for the faith of Catholics? And was it not all to the credit
of the Catholic Church? What are we to think of this respect for all
errors, and of this strange invitation made by a Catholic to all the
dissidents to strengthen their convictions through study so that they
may have more and more abundant sources of fresh forces? What are we to
think of an association in which all religions and even Free-Thought may
express themselves openly and in complete freedom? For the Sillonists
who, in public lectures and elsewhere, proudly proclaim their personal
faith, certainly do not intend to silence others nor do they intend to
prevent a Protestant from asserting his Protestantism, and the skeptic
from affirming his skepticism. Finally, what are we to think of a
Catholic who, on entering his study group, leaves his Catholicism
outside the door so as not to alarm his comrades who, 'dreaming of
disinterested social action, are not inclined to make it serve the
triumph of interests, coteries and even convictions whatever they may
be'?" (Pope St. Pius X, "Notre Charge Apostolique",
1910 A.D.)
"Avoid
entirely men who consider light darkness, and darkness light. For what
utility worthy of the name can arise from agreement with men who think
that no consideration for God, no consideration for the more Sublime
Powers, is needing to be had, who through intrigues and secret
assemblies try to declare war on those things, and who are such that
they cry even in public and everywhere that they are the greatest lovers
of the public good, of the Church, and of society; nevertheless they
have already declared by all their deeds that they wish to throw all
things into disorder and to overturn all things. These are indeed
similar to those men to whom John commands in his second Epistle (v. 10)
that neither hospitality must be given no 'God speed' be said, and whom
our Fathers do not hesitate to call the firstborn of the devil. Beware
therefore of their flatteries and of their discourses sweetened with
honey, by which they will seduce you to enroll in those sects to which
they have been admitted. Have it for certain that no one can be a member
of those sects, without being guilty of the most serious disgraceful
act; and drive away from your ears the words of those who vigorously
declare that you may assent to your election to the lower degrees of
their sects, that nothing is admitted in those degrees which is opposed
to reason, nothing which is opposed to Religion, indeed that there is
nothing proclaimed, nothing performed which is not Holy, which is not
Right, which is not Undefiled. Truly that abominable oath, which has
already been mentioned, and which must be sworn even in that lower
echelon, is sufficient for you to understand that it is contrary to
Divine Law to be enlisted in those lower degrees, and to remain in them.
In the next place, although they are not accustomed to commit those
things which are more serious and more criminal to those who have not
attained to the higher degrees, nevertheless it is plainly evident that
the force and boldness of those most pernicious societies grow on
account of the unanimity and the multitude of all who enroll in them.
Therefore, even those who have not passed beyond the inferior degrees,
must be considered sharers of their crimes. And that passage of the
Apostle to the Romans (ch. 1) applies to them: 'They who do such things,
but also those who consent to those doing them.'" (Pope Leo XII,
"Quo Graviora", 1826 A.D.)
"Communication
with a particular person is forbidden to the faithful, in two ways:
first, as a punishment of the person with whom they are forbidden to
communicate; secondly, for the safety of those who are forbidden to
communicate with others. Both motives can be gathered from the Apostle's
words (1 Corinthians 5:6). For after he had pronounced sentence of
excommunication, he adds as his reason: 'Know you not that a little
leaven corrupts the whole lump?' and afterwards he adds the reason
on the part of the punishment inflicted by the sentence of the Church
when he says (1 Corinthians 5:12): 'Do not you judge them that are
within?' Accordingly, in the first way the Church does not forbid
the faithful to communicate with unbelievers, who have not in any way
received the Christian faith, viz. with pagans and Jews, because she has
not the right to exercise spiritual judgment over them, but only
temporal judgment, in the case when, while dwelling among Christians
they are guilty of some misdemeanor, and are condemned by the faithful
to some temporal punishment. On the other hand, in this way, i.e. as a
punishment, the Church forbids the faithful to communicate with those
unbelievers who have forsaken the faith they once received, either by
corrupting the faith, as heretics, or by entirely renouncing the faith,
as apostates, because the Church pronounces sentence of excommunication
on both. With regard to the second way, it seems that one ought to
distinguish according to the various conditions of persons,
circumstances and time. For some are firm in the faith; and so it is to
be hoped that their communicating with unbelievers will lead to the
conversion of the latter rather than to the aversion of the faithful
from the faith. These are not to be forbidden to communicate with
unbelievers who have not received the faith, such as pagans or Jews,
especially if there be some urgent necessity for so doing. But in the
case of simple people and those who are weak in the faith, whose
perversion is to be feared as a probable result, they should be
forbidden to communicate with unbelievers, and especially to be on very
familiar terms with them, or to communicate with them without
necessity." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
Also
See: Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine | Gospel
Doesn't Support False Tolerance | One
Should Not Be Open Minded to Error | Against
Religious Indifferentism | Heresy/Heretics
& Schism/Schismatics | Necessity
of Being Catholic For Salvation | Protestantism
is Not Another Equally Pleasing Form of the Same Christian Religion
| Marriage
Between Catholics & Non-Catholics | Recognizing
the True Religion | Those
Who Reject the Church Reject Christ | True
vs. False Church | Truth / Error / Nature of Man
| We
Must Have Charity For All People | Private
Interpretation / Twisting Scripture (Scripture Reflections)
| Heresy
/ Error (Topical Scripture)
Can
Catholic Dogma Ever Change?
Note:
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to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
Top |
Reflections: A-Z | Catg.
| Scripture: A-Z |
Catg.
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Our
Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke
Note:
Although one may have the duty to correct / rebuke, one must carefully determine
when (and if) such correction is appropriate in any given case.
One must also employ the proper means. Remember
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"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 17:3)
[Jesus
said,] "If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him
his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you
have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two
others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on
the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen
to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the
church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax
collector." (Mt. 18:15-17)
"Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted."
(St. Paul, Gal. 6:1)
"A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant, correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth, and that they may return to their senses out of the devil's snare, where they are entrapped by him, for his will."
(St. Paul, 2
Tm. 2:24)
"I
charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will
judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly
power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient
or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all
patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not
tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and
insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop
listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be
self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform
the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry." (St. Paul,
2 Tm. 4:1-5)
"The
scriptures teach us that it is the duty of all to be solicitous for the
salvation of one's neighbor, according to the power and position of
each." (Pope Leo XIII, "Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae",
1905 A.D.)
"For
this reason it is plainly the duty of all who teach to banish error from
the mind, and by sure safeguards to close the entry to all false
convictions." (Pope Leo XIII, "Libertas Praestantissimum",
1888 A.D.)
"It
is a sin leading to death when sinners remain uncorrected, but still
worse is it when people flaunt their sin as they override holiness and
truth " (Second Council of Nicaea)
"[T]he
benefit of correction must not be refused to any man so long as he lives
here below" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"As
the enemy makes no truce, so neither you nor We must remain silent or
inert." (Pope Leo XIII, "Dall'alto Dell'apostolico Seggio",
1890 A.D.)
"Also
when we visit a brother sick either in faith or in good works, with
doctrine, reproof, or comfort, we visit Christ Himself." [Origen
("the greatest scholar of Christian antiquity" - although he
would eventually be excommunicated and be regarded as a heretic), 3rd
century A.D.]
"[W]e
are not to neglect his salvation; for the heathens themselves, that is,
the gentiles and pagans, we do not indeed regard in the number of our
brethren, yet we ever seek their salvation." (St. Augustine, Doctor
of the Church)
"Beseech,
accuse, correct, rebuke and fear not: for ill-judged silence leaves in
their error those who could be taught, and this is most harmful both to
them and to you who should have dispelled the error." (Pope Pius
VI, "Inscrutabile", 1775 A.D.)
"Our
predecessor Felix III in this regard. 'An error which is not
resisted is approved; a truth which is not defended is suppressed... He
who does not oppose an evident crime is open to the suspicion of secret
complicity.'" (Pope Leo XIII, "Inimica Vis", 1892
A.D.)
"Imitate
the Good Shepherd, Who seeks for the lost sheep and brings it back on
His shoulder… In thy zeal for the service of God, aim at winning back
to Him, by the prayers of the Church, all those who have in any way
strayed from it." (Pope St. Leo I the Great, Doctor of the Church)
"Whatever
is directed to end, becomes good through being directed to the end.
Hence whenever fraternal correction hinders the end, namely the
amendment of our brother, it is no longer good, so that when such a
correction is omitted, good is not omitted lest evil should
befall." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"It is not right to spare a wrongdoer at the risk of his
falling into graver sin... We must not only do harm to no man, but also
restrain him from sin or punish his sin, so that either the man himself
who is punished may profit by his experience, or others be warned by his
example." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
"Is
it possible that we can see a soul in danger of being lost, and remain
indifferent? Have we forgotten the divine promise, told us by the
apostle: 'He that causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his
way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of his
own sins'?" (Gueranger)
"The
salvation of the multitude is to be preferred to the peace of any
individuals whatsoever. Consequently, when certain ones, by their
perverseness, hinder the salvation of the multitude, the preacher and
the teacher should not fear to offend those men, in order that he may
insure the salvation of the multitude." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor
of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the
Church")
"It
is written (Proverbs 9:8): 'Rebuke not a scorner lest he hate
thee,' where a gloss remarks: 'You must not fear lest the
scorner insult you when you rebuke him: rather should you bear in mind
that by making him hate you, you may make him worse.' Therefore one
ought to forego fraternal correction, when we fear lest we may make a
man worse." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"The
reproof of the sinner, as to the exercise of the act of reproving, seems
to imply the severity of justice, but, as to the intention of the
reprover, who wishes to free a man from the evil of sin, it is an act of
mercy and loving-kindness, according to Proverbs 27:6: 'Better are
the wounds of a friend, than the deceitful kisses of an
enemy.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Severity
that springs from love is preferable to deceitful gentleness. He who
binds the delirious man, and wakes up the sleeper from his lethargy,
molests them both, but for their good. If a house were on the point of
falling, and our cries could not induce those within to come out, would
it not be cruelty not to save them by force in spite of
themselves?" (Liturgical Year) [Note: The reader is reminded
that one should not wrongly employ force against others.]
"If,
assuredly, the alms with which we relieve the needs of the poor are
highly praised by the Lord, how much more precious in His eyes, then,
will be the zeal and labor expended in teaching and admonishing, by
which we provide not for the passing needs of the body but for the
eternal profit of the soul! Nothing, surely, is more desirable, nothing
more acceptable to Jesus Christ, the Savior of souls, Who testifies of
Himself through Isaias: 'To bring good news to the poor he has sent
me.'" (Pope St. Pius X, "Acerbo Nimis", 1905 A.D.)
"But
they are our brethren, and we should not be quietly resigned to see them
lose their souls. Let us hope against hope. Did our Lord, who knew with
certainty that obstinate sinners would be lost, hesitate, on that
account, to shed all His Blood for them?" (Liturgical Year)
"Display
then a holy zeal of religious vigilance... Let not what has been done
suffice, but let us persevere in searching them out: and by God's aid
the result will be not only the continuance in safety of those who still
stand, but also the recovery from error of many who have been deceived
by the devil's seduction. And the prayers, and alms, and fasts that you
offer to the merciful God shall be the holier for this very devotion,
when this deed of faith also is added to all your other godly
duties." (Pope St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church)
"Catholic
doctrine tells us that the primary duty of charity does not lie in the
toleration of false ideas, however sincere they may be; nor in
theoretical or practical indifference toward the errors and vices in
which we see our brethren plunged, but in the zeal for their
intellectual and moral improvement as well as for their material
well-being. Catholic doctrine further tells us that love for our
neighbor flows from our love for God, Who is Father to all, and the goal
of the human family; and in Jesus Christ whose members we are, to the
point that in doing good to others we are doing good to Jesus Christ
Himself. Any other kind of love is sheer illusion, sterile and
fleeting." (Pope St. Pius X, "Notre Charge Apostolique",
1910 A.D.)
"Relying
therefore solely on the all-powerful aid of Him 'Who wishes all men
to be saved,' let us strive with all our strength to help those
unhappy souls who have turned from God and, drawing them away from the
temporal cares in which they are too deeply immersed, let us teach them
to aspire with confidence to the things that are eternal. Sometimes this
will be achieved much more easily than seems possible at first sight to
expect. For if wonderful spiritual forces lie hidden, like sparks
beneath ashes, within the secret recesses of even the most abandoned man
- certain proof that his soul is naturally Christian - how much the more
in the hearts of those many upon many who have been led into error
rather through ignorance or environment." (Pope Pius XI, "Quadragesimo
Anno", 1931 A.D.)
"And
it is to be noted, that whenever He intends to denounce any great sin,
He begins with an epithet of reproach, as below, You wicked servant, I
forgave you all that debt; and so here, You hypocrite, cast out first.
For each one knows better the things of himself than the things of
others, and sees more the things that be great, than the things that be
lesser, and loves himself more than his neighbor. Therefore He bids him
who is chargeable with many sins, not to be a harsh judge of another's
faults, especially if they be small. Herein not forbidding to arraign
and correct but forbidding to make light of our own sins, and magnify
those of others. For it is necessary that you first diligently [examine] how great may be your own sins, and then try those of your
neighbor; whence it follows, and then shall you see clearly, to cast the
sliver out of your brother's eye." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of
the Church)
"Bring
it home to their minds, as We have Ourselves oftentimes conveyed the
warning, that matters of the highest moment and worthy of all honor are
at stake, for the safeguarding of which every most toilsome effort
should be readily endured; and that a sublime reward is in store for the
labors of a Christian life. On the other hand, to refrain from doing
battle for Jesus Christ amounts to fighting against Him; He Himself
assures us 'He will deny before His Father in heaven those who shall
have refused to confess Him on earth.' As for Ourselves and you all,
never assuredly, so long as life lasts, shall We allow Our authority,
Our counsels, and Our solicitude to be in any wise lacking in the
conflict. Nor is it to be doubted but that especial aid of the great God
will be vouchsafed, so long as the struggle endures, to the flock alike
and to the pastors" (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae Christianae",
1890 A.D.)
"No
sooner has one forgotten that the eternal salvation of our neighbor has
to be our main concern for him, than the real love of neighbor becomes
impossible. No sooner does one cease to understand that love of neighbor
does not seek fulfillment of all his wishes, than this love becomes a
weakness and a way of giving in. No sooner does one forget the words of
St. Augustine, 'Interficere errorem, diligere errantem' ('kill the
error, love him who errs'), than one loses all understanding for real
love of neighbor. Love of neighbor can only be rightly understood when we realize that we live in a situation in which we are bound to reject all moral
mistakes and even many non-moral disvalues, in which we have to struggle
against error and evil - struggle against them with all our might - but
in which love of neighbor extends even to him who errs, who is evil,
even to him who is the enemy of God." (Von Hildebrand)
"We
must not fail to grasp the call of God to fight against these evils
with all our might. It would be totally false to think that God expects
of us only a resigned 'Thy will be done'. That would be a disastrous
quietism. The criterion for determining the response which God expects
of us is the will of God in the first sense, in the sense of that which
is pleasing to God. It would be a great, indeed a catastrophic error to
think that something is pleasing to God simply because it has happened,
because it has come into existence... It is always the will of God for
us to struggle against what is evil and false. Whether we will prevail
in our struggle, that we do not know, and here again we should say, 'Thy
will be done.' As Pascal says so beautifully, we must fight with
Christ, but we do not know whether we will conquer with Him. But that
Christ will conquer in the end - that we know." (Von Hildebrand)
"[T]he
correction of the wrongdoer is twofold. One, which belongs to prelates,
and is directed to the common good, has coercive force. Such correction
should not be omitted lest the person corrected be disturbed, both
because if he is unwilling to amend his ways of his own accord, he
should be made to cease sinning by being punished, and because, if he be
incorrigible, the common good is safeguarded in this way, since the
order of justice is observed, and others are deterred by one being made
an example of. Hence a judge does not desist from pronouncing sentence
of condemnation against a sinner, for fear of disturbing him or his
friends. The other fraternal correction is directed to the amendment of
the wrongdoer, whom it does not coerce, but merely admonishes.
Consequently when it is deemed probable that the sinner will not take
the warning, and will become worse, such fraternal correction should be
foregone, because the means should be regulated according to the
requirements of the end." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church
and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Finally,
not to delay too long, it is stated that the way and method hitherto in
use among Catholics for bringing back those who have fallen away from
the Church should be left aside and another one chosen, in which matter
it will suffice to note that it is not the part of prudence to neglect
that which antiquity in its long experience has approved and which is
also taught by apostolic authority. The scriptures teach us that it is
the duty of all to be solicitous for the salvation of one's neighbor,
according to the power and position of each. The faithful do this by
religiously discharging the duties of their state of life, by the
uprightness of their conduct, by their works of Christian charity and by
earnest and continuous prayer to God. On the other hand, those who
belong to the clergy should do this by an enlightened fulfillment of
their preaching ministry, by the pomp and splendor of ceremonies
especially by setting forth that sound form of doctrine which Saint Paul
inculcated upon Titus and Timothy." (Pope Leo XIII, "Testem
Benevolentiae Nostrae", 1904 A.D.)
Also
See: How
To Conduct Ourselves | We
Must Have Charity For All People | We
Must Not Refrain From Correcting Our Neighbor | The
Anathema is an Act of Love | Gospel
Doesn't Support False Tolerance | One
Should Not Be Open Minded to Error | Solicitude
For Those Outside the Church | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | Zeal
for Souls | Unlawful
to Force Others to Embrace the Catholic Faith | Tips
for Apologists | Should
One Correct / Rebuke a Fallen Away Catholic?
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Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners |
"Holy Communion and offering the holy
Sacrifice...are the two most powerful means of intercession for
others' conversion." (St. John Vianney)
"Christian belief, held in hatred by the
world, is spread not only by persuasion but also by noble
deeds." (St Ignatius of Antioch, 107 A.D.)
"It is only by sacrifice and suffering,
offered as penance, that you will be able, by the grace of God, to
convert sinners." (St. John Vianney)
"It will be by what we are, not by what we
know, that we shall convert those who will be converted"
(Drew)
"Those
who lack the faith are to recommended particularly to Mary as a means to
finding Christ, the Son of God." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
"In
any apologetic endeavor, it is always best to start with that which
people already accept." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
"How many souls we may convert by our
prayers! There are some among them for whom one Pater and Ave [Our
Father and Hail Mary] would be enough to turn the scale."
(St. John Vianney)
"Offer your temptations for the conversion
of sinners. When the devil sees you doing this, he is beside
himself with rage and makes off, because then the temptation is
turned against himself." (St. John Vianney) "Let
us pray, let us make intercession for them, lest they fall into that
awful threat, of a repentance that seeks mercy when it is too late to
find aught save an inexorable justice." (Gueranger)
"If
you wish to convert anyone to the fullness of the knowledge of Our Lord
and of His Mystical Body, then teach him the Rosary. One of two things
will happen. Either he will stop saying the Rosary - or he will get the
gift of faith." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
"Heretics
are to be converted by an example of humility and other virtues
far more readily than by any external display or verbal battles.
So let us arm ourselves with devout prayers and set off showing
signs of genuine humility and go barefooted to combat
Goliath." (St. Dominic)
"Unfortunately
many are still wandering far from Catholic truth, being unwilling to
follow the inspirations of divine grace, because neither they nor the
faithful pray to God with sufficient fervor for this intention. Again
and again We beg all who ardently love the Church to follow the example
of the Divine Redeemer and to give themselves constantly to such
prayer." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943
A.D.)
"If
we pray with fervor for our brethren who are gone astray, we shall
obtain for them the graces they stand in need of. We shall perhaps never
know, during this life, those whom our prayer, united with the prayer of
the Church, shall have converted from the error of their way; but the
apostle assures us, that our charity will receive a rich reward - the
mercy of God upon ourselves. (Jms. v. 19-20)" (Gueranger)
"There are two things which it specially
behooves every Catholic engaged in controversy to observe in his
treatment of adversaries: that the discussion ought to be a means
of converting them from error, instead of repelling them from
truth by the fault of its defenders; and that no bitterness or
personality should scandalize them by occasions of sin."
(Acton) Also
See: Convert
Others By Our Good Example / Practice What We Preach | How
To Conduct Ourselves | Our
Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | Calls
to Repentance | Duty
to Profess / Defend the Faith | Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine | Conversion
/ Repentance | Flattery
Confirms Sinners | Gospel
Doesn't Support False Tolerance | Sin
/ Repentance / Forgiveness | Truth / Error / Nature of Man
| Unlawful
to Force Others to Embrace the Catholic Faith | We
Must Have Charity For All People | Zeal
for Souls | Penance
(Sacraments/Reflections) | Tips
for Apologists
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Unlawful
to Force Others to Embrace the Catholic Faith |
"Can.
748 §2 It is never lawful for anyone to force others to embrace the
Catholic faith against their conscience." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
Also
See: Solicitude
For Those Outside the Church | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners
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We
Must Attend To Our Own Souls
Also See:
Spiritual Growth (Topic Page)
|
"For
what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer
the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for
his soul?" (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 16:26)
"For
what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer
the loss of his soul?" (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mk. 8:36)
"For
what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose
himself, and cast away himself?" (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk.
9:25)
"You cannot put straight in others what is
warped in yourself." (St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church)
"Let your own conscience be your care and
concern much more than anybody else's, for if a man is not
solicitous to be good and holy himself, how is he going to make
other people such?" (St. Francis Xavier)
"If you cannot gain others, at least save your own
soul." (St. Dionysius)
Also
See: Catholics
Not Living Their Faith Will Be Swept Away | Christians
Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | No
Repentance is Too Late | Should
Devote Greater Solicitude For Soul Than For Body | We
Must Persevere | Increase
Holiness Section
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We
Must Have Charity For All People
Also See:
Love /
Charity (Topic Page)
|
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Jn. 15:12) "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Jn. 13:35) "All our religion is but a false religion,
and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only
hypocrites in the sight of God, if we have not that universal
charity for everyone - for the good, and for the bad, for the poor
and for the rich, and for all those who do us harm as much as for
those who do us good." (St. John Vianney) Also
See: Solicitude
For Those Outside the Church | Our
Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | How
To Conduct Ourselves | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | Zeal
for Souls
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We
Must Not Refrain From Correcting Our Neighbor
Note:
Although one may have the duty to correct / rebuke, one must carefully determine
when (and if) such correction is appropriate in any given case.
One must also employ the proper means. Remember
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use of this site. |
"Those who take notice of what is evil in
their neighbors, and yet refrain their tongue in silence,
withdraw, as it were, the aid of medicine from observed sores, and
become the causers of death, in that they would not cure the venom
which they could have cured. The tongue, therefore, should be
discreetly curbed, not tied up fast." (Pope St. Gregory the
Great, Doctor of the Church) Also
See: Our
Solicitude & Our Duty to Correct / Rebuke | The
Anathema is an Act of Love | Defense
of the Faithful Against Errors & Temptations is Greater Than
Bodily Protection | One
Should Not Be Open Minded to Error | Duty
to Profess / Defend the Faith | Flattery
Confirms Sinners | Should
Devote Greater Solicitude For Soul Than For Body | How
To Conduct Ourselves | Sins
/ Sinners | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | Unlawful
to Force Others to Embrace the Catholic Faith | We
Must Have Charity For All People | Zeal
for Souls
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We Must
Persevere |
"But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved."
(Mt. 24:13)
"We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the
end" (St. Paul, Heb.
3:14)
"Those
who do not persevere will perish." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the
Church)
"As
strongly as we could we urged them your brothers and ours, to preserve
in the sound Catholic faith" (St. Augustine, c. 427 A.D.)
Also
See: Catholics
Not Living Their Faith Will Be Swept Away | Christians
Who Do Not Persevere Are Subject To Eternal Punishment | No
One Can Be Certain That He Will Be Saved | None
Should Presume Their Own Salvation or Despair of Neighbor's
Salvation | Should
Devote Greater Solicitude For Soul Than For Body | Sins
/ Sinners | We
Must Attend To Our Own Souls | Perseverance
(Topical Scripture)
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Zeal
for Souls |
"No sacrifice is more acceptable to God
than zeal for souls." (Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of
the Church) "But
in order that the desired fruit may be derived from this apostolate and
this zeal for teaching, and that Christ may be formed in all, be it
remembered, Venerable Brethren, that no means is more efficacious than
charity. 'For the Lord is not in the earthquake' (III Kings xix., II) -
it is vain to hope to attract souls to God by a bitter zeal. On the
contrary, harm is done more often than good by taunting men harshly with
their faults, and reproving their vices with asperity. True the Apostle
exhorted Timothy: 'Accuse, beseech, rebuke,' but he took care to add:
'with all patience' (II. Tim.iv., 2). Jesus has certainly left us
examples of this. 'Come to me,' we find Him saying, 'come to me all ye
that labor and are burdened and I will refresh you' (Matth. xi., 28).
And by those that labor and are burdened he meant only those who are
slaves of sin and error. What gentleness was that shown by the Divine
Master! What tenderness, what compassion towards all kinds of misery!
Isaias has marvelously described His heart in the words: 'I will set my
spirit upon him; he shall not contend, nor cry out; the bruised reed he
will not break, he will not extinguish the smoking flax' (Is. xlii., I,
s.). This charity, 'patient and kind' (I. Cor. xiii., 4.), will extend
itself also to those who are hostile to us and persecute us. 'We are
reviled,' thus did St. Paul protest, 'and we bless; we are persecuted
and we suffer it; we are blasphemed and we entreat' (I. Cor., iv., 12,
s.)." (Pope St. Pius X, "E Supremi",
1903 A.D.) Also
See: Solicitude
For Those Outside the Church | Defense
of the Faithful Against Errors & Temptations is Greater Than
Bodily Protection | Necessity
of Being Catholic For Salvation | Should
Devote Greater Solicitude For Soul Than For Body | The
Worth of One Saved Soul | Convert
Others By Our Good Example / Practice What We Preach | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | Zeal
Without Knowledge May Be Dangerous | We
Must Attend To Our Own Souls | Tips
for Apologists | Conversion
(Topical Scripture)
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Zeal
Without Knowledge May Be Dangerous |
"Zeal
without knowledge is always less useful and effective than regulated
zeal, and very often is highly dangerous." (St. Bernard of
Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: False
Opinions Influence / Pervert Actions | Truth / Error / Nature of Man
| Ignorance
| Heresy/Heretics
& Schism/Schismatics | Duty
to Reject Strange Doctrine | Novel
Teachings Are Forbidden | Tips
for the Conversion of Sinners | Zeal
for Souls | Private
Interpretation / Twisting Scripture (Scripture Reflections)
| Infallibility
(Vatican View) | Truth
(Topical Scripture)
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Misc. |
"My
brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone
bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from
the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a
multitude of sins." (St. James, Jms. 5:19-20)
"[T]hat
desire of gaining souls to Christ...is known as the Apostolic
Spirit" (Pope Pius XI, "Mens Nostra", 1929 A.D.)
"[F]ruits
are gathered only after many labors" (Pope Pius XII, "Divino
Afflante Spiritu", 1943 A.D.)
"...those
who wage war on religion seem to show more energy than those who repel
it." (Pope Leo XIII, "Inimica Vis", 1892 A.D.)
"Whether
your immediate task be to assist, to protect, to heal, to make peace,
let your one aim and most ardent desire be to win or to secure souls for
Christ." (Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent Animo", 1908 A.D.)
"For
there is nothing which We believe to be more needful than that truth
should find defenders more powerful and more numerous than the enemies
it has to face" (Pope Leo XIII, "Providentissimus Deus",
1893 A.D.)
"Nor
should anything deter us from throwing ourselves into battle for the
glory of God and for the salvation of souls: 'Think of the way he
endured such opposition from sinners'" (Pope Clement XIII,
"A Quo Die", 1758 A.D.)
"The
spirit of Christian charity lives not within you, if you lament the body
from which the soul has departed, but lament not the soul from which God
has departed." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
"For
it is the genuine effect of charity that the just soul, in whom God
dwells by grace, burns in a wondrous way to call others to share in the
knowledge and love of that Infinite Good, which she has attained and
possesses." (Pope Pius XI, "Mens Nostra", 1929 A.D.)
"If we are afraid of the
audacity of worthless men, it affects the strength of the episcopacy and
its sublime and divine power to govern the Church. Nor can we Christians
endure or exist any longer - if it has come to that - if we become
overly frightened by the snares or threats of the damned." (Pope
Clement XIII, "A Quo Die", 1758 A.D.)
"Can.
209 §1 Christ's faithful are bound to preserve their communion with the
Church at all times, even in their external actions. §2 They are to
carry out with great diligence their responsibilities towards both the
universal Church and the particular Church to which by law they
belong." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"We
have fallen upon times when a violent and well-nigh daily battle is
being fought about matters of highest moment, a battle in which it is
hard not to be sometimes deceived, not to go astray and, for many, not
to lose heart. It behooves us, venerable brethren, to warn, instruct,
and exhort each of the faithful with an earnestness befitting the
occasion: that none may abandon the way of truth." (Pope Leo XIII,
"Sapientiae Christianae", 1890 A.D.)
"Our
great predecessor Gregory, in instructing the heads of the churches,
said with his usual excellence: 'Often imprudent guides in their
fear of losing human favor are afraid to speak the right freely. As the
word of truth has it, they guard their flock not with a shepherd's zeal
but as hirelings do, since they flee when the wolf approaches by hiding
themselves in silence... A shepherd fearing to speak the right is simply
a man retreating by keeping silent.'" (Pope Pius VI, "Inscrutabile",
1775 A.D.)
"Whether
one ought to dispute with unbelievers in public? [Objection:] Further,
disputations are conducted by means of arguments. But an argument is a
reason in settlement of a dubious matter: whereas things that are of
faith, being most certain, ought not to be a matter of doubt. Therefore
one ought not to dispute in public about matters of faith. [Answer to
the objection:] On the
contrary, It is written (Acts 9:22,29) that 'Saul increased much
more in strength, and confounded the Jews,' and that 'he
spoke... to the gentiles and disputed with the (Greek).'" (St.
Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in
the history of the Church")
"In
order to conquer the emotions of lust, and the snares of the devil, lest
we should be led into evil, we are commanded to seek the divine help in
the words, 'pray that ye enter not into temptation.' How much
more is this necessary, if we wish to labor for the salvation of others?
Christ our Lord, the only begotten Son of God, the source of all grace
and virtue, first showed by example what he taught in word: 'He
passed the whole night in the prayer of God,' and when nigh to the
sacrifice of his life, 'He prayed the longer.'" (Pope Leo
XIII, "Exeunte Iam Anno", 1888 A.D.)
"One
ought to dispute about matters of faith, not as though one doubted about
them, but in order to make the truth known, and to confute errors. For,
in order to confirm the faith, it is necessary sometimes to dispute with
unbelievers, sometimes by defending the faith, according to 1 Peter
3:15: 'Being ready always to satisfy everyone that asketh you a
reason of that hope and faith which is in you.' Sometimes again, it
is necessary, in order to convince those who are in error, according to
Titus 1:9: 'That he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and to
convince the gainsayers.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the
Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"In
obedience to Our Lord's institution, the Church extends her charity to
all, not only to friends, but also to foes who persecute her, according
to Matthew 5:44: 'Love your enemies; do good to them that hate
you.' Now it is part of charity that we should both wish and work
our neighbor's good. Again, good is twofold: one is spiritual, namely
the health of the soul, which good is chiefly the object of charity,
since it is this chiefly that we should wish for one another.
Consequently, from this point of view, heretics who return after falling
no matter how often, are admitted by the Church to Penance whereby the
way of salvation is opened to them. The other good is that which charity
considers secondarily, viz. temporal good, such as life of the body,
worldly possessions, good repute, ecclesiastical or secular dignity, for
we are not bound by charity to wish others this good, except in relation
to the eternal salvation of them and of others. Hence if the presence of
one of these goods in one individual might be an obstacle to eternal
salvation in many, we are not bound out of charity to wish such a good
to that person, rather should we desire him to be without it, both
because eternal salvation takes precedence of temporal good, and because
the good of the many is to be preferred to the good of one." (St.
Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in
the history of the Church")
"In
disputing about the faith, two things must be observed: one on the part
of the disputant; the other on the part of his hearers. On the part of
the disputant, we must consider his intention. For if he were to dispute
as though he had doubts about the faith, and did not hold the truth of
faith for certain, and as though he intended to probe it with arguments,
without doubt he would sin, as being doubtful of the faith and an
unbeliever. On the other hand, it is praiseworthy to dispute about the
faith in order to confute errors, or for practice. On the part of the
hearers we must consider whether those who hear the disputation are
instructed and firm in the faith, or simple and wavering. As to those
who are well instructed and firm in the faith, there can be no danger in
disputing about the faith in their presence. But as to simple-minded
people, we must make a distinction; because either they are provoked and
molested by unbelievers, for instance, Jews or heretics, or pagans who
strive to corrupt the faith in them, or else they are not subject to
provocation in this matter, as in those countries where there are not
unbelievers. In the first case it is necessary to dispute in public
about the faith, provided there be those who are equal and adapted to
the task of confuting errors; since in this way simple people are
strengthened in the faith, and unbelievers are deprived of the
opportunity to deceive, while if those who ought to withstand the
perverters of the truth of faith were silent, this would tend to
strengthen error. Hence Gregory says (Regulae Pastoralis ii,4): 'Even as a thoughtless speech gives rise to error, so does an
indiscreet silence leave those in error who might have been
instructed.' On the other hand, in the second case it is dangerous
to dispute in public about the faith, in the presence of simple people,
whose faith for this very reason is more firm, that they have never
heard anything differing from what they believe. Hence it is not
expedient for them to hear what unbelievers have to say against the
faith." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"To
colloquies between Catholic and non-Catholic theologians, none should be
sent but priests who have shown themselves truly fit for such work by
their knowledge of theology and their firm adherence to the principles
and norms which the Church has laid down in this matter."
(Instruction of the Holy Office,
1949 A.D.)
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Now Available!
Catholic Word Search - JUMBO Edition
(Original)
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