ARTICLE 23: CATHOLIC CHURCH 100% CHRISTOCENTRIC In the search for diamonds a substance is found that is part charcoal and part diamond. The mineral was apparently intended to be a diamond, but it stopped short. Therefore it is only diamondiferous, that is partly a cinder and partly a jewel. The Pastor of Boston's Park Street Church is like this substance, a cinder Christian, part diamond but mostly charcoal. The diamond part of him was displayed two weeks ago, when he spoke, as would a Catholic, on the divinity of Christ, the Second Person in the Holy Trinity. But the charcoal in him blackened out the little brilliant crystallized carbon in his mentality almost beyond recognition, when he., the pastoral leader of a Congregational twig, that fell off an Anglican branch, that broke off the Catholic Tree that Christ planted in Palestine, dubbed the Tree a "branch of the Christian Church, with its Vicar, that puts the Church in place of Christ." We assume his declaration that Catholics substitute their Church for Christ, which will be dealt with further along, would not have been made by the pastor of the Twig, were he acquainted with the nature of the Church as set forth in the Bible, which he called "the incorporation papers of our faith." Truly did this broadcaster of anti-Catholic concepts say, that "Christianity is Christocentric;" it was to imply that the Catholic Church is the opposite of this foundation principle of Christianity. The fact of the matter is as we Catholics know without a shadow of doubt, our Church has the unique honor of being the one and the only Church that is 100 per cent Christocentric. Having reason to believe that this column is read by the Pastor of the Park Street Church, we will recite some of the more than nineteen hundred year old Catholic Christocentric. facts for his enlightenment. The right of bishops and priests to preach, teach, offer the Sacrifice of the Altar, and administer Sacraments, all center in the recognition by the Catholic Church that they function in the name, and by the authority of Christ. The Mass, which is the center of Catholic Christian worship, is in commemoration of Christ as commanded by Christ. The priest is Christ at the Altar, continuing with delegated power, in an unbloody manner, the Sacrifice of the "New Covenant" that began at the Last Supper and ended on Mount Calvary, where the Blood was shed by which we are sanctified. The Sacraments are honored, and their potentiality recognized by Catholics because they were instituted by Christ, and contain the power that Christ gave them to fortify souls in their journey through life, on to unity with Christ in His Eternal Jerusalem. Ordinations, Confirmations, Baptizing, Shriving, the last Sacraments, etc., are all administered in the Catholic Church by the authority, and in the name of Christ. While holding the sublime virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the highest regard, Catholic reverence for her is due primarily to her being the Mother of Christ our Lord. Catholics implore the aid of Mary, and the other Saints, in their petitions to Christ, because they are friends of Christ, in Heaven with Christ, hence have more influence with Christ than do we mortals; for Catholics believe in "intercessions," as did St. Paul (1 Tim. 2:1). If this proves not that the Catholic Church is Christocentric, then has the term lost its rational significance. In addition to saying that Catholics "put the Church in the place of Christ," it was dogmatically broadcast that "a man becomes a Christian before he is capable of being a member of the Church." This may apply to Protestant Christians who become members of the Park Street Church, but not to members of the Catholic Church. We of the Catholic laity are taught by our Church, the "pillar and mainstay of truth" (1 Tim. 3:15), that the Church is the Body, the Mystical Body of Christ, into which souls are incorporated, becoming members simultaneously with baptism, and not after becoming Christians. Hence no one "joins" the Church of Christ as the Pastor of the Park Street Church joined the Committee organized to deprive children of rides to Catholic schools on public buses paid for by their parents, through taxation. Hence, to repeat, souls that "have put on Christ," by being "Baptized in Christ" (Gal. 3:27), become Christians and members of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church, simultaneously. The Church is Christ in the world, hence Christ is the Church, "He is the head of the body, the Church," as St. Paul says (Col. 1:18). That is why the Catholic Church is able to "glorify Christ with one mind and with one mouth" (Rom. 15:6): That is why "the gates of Hell" were never able to prevail against our Church, even though her activities have been, are, and will continue at times to be circumscribed: That is why she has been, is, and will continue to be misrepresented, maligned, and crucified, as was her Founder, Jesus Christ. When contrasted with the Catholic Church, the Park Street Church is like a charcoal cinder compared to a diamond. Contact Us HOME------------TRADITION www.catholictradition.org/Tradition/goldstein23.htm |