One, Holy, Universal & Apostolic Church
New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman sat down with Stephen Colbert to discuss Ehrman’s book titled, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them).
Colbert, a Catholic offers his own funny and witty answers to the contradictions Ehrman discusses in the book. He concludes by asking— “isn’t it possible that Jesus is an elephant.”
Holy Saturday —we anticipate the resurrection and Easter’s triumph over the darkness and evil, sin and death. It is, therefore, a day of quiet and prayerful reflection on the true gravity of the crucifixion and Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice. So why do we read in the Apostles Creed that Jesus descended into hell?
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth. In Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
In 1 Corinthians 15:12-17, we read.
“But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are also false witnesses to God because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if, in fact, the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.”
And In Marks Gospel Chapter 16 verse 6
“He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him.
It is important to understand that he did not go to hell to deliver the damned or destroy hell but free the just who had gone before him. He did not go to suffer. He went to bring the good news of salvation. Hell (Hades in Greek or Sheol in Hebrew) is the place of the deceased, not solely the place of the condemned, but the place also where the prophets and saints of the Old Testament awaited their just reward. Under the hypostatic union, he descended as the God-Man, so his descent is vicarious and victorious. In experiencing death as the God-Man, he defeats it. Thus it is not a part of his humiliation, which culminated in the crucifixion. It is the beginning of his exaltation, which culminated in his ascension.
As the Catechism puts it, “The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places” (no. 634).
Additionally, on Monday, March 15, 2021, Elton John called out the Vatican for hypocrisy and possible corruption. Elton’s tweet accused Vatican of hypocrisy after it issued a decree barring blessing homosexual unions, which it says are sinful.
The decree distinguished between the Church’s welcoming and blessing of gay people, which it upheld. This decree refused to bless their unions, because such sacramental recognition could be confused with marriage. It said
God “does not and cannot bless sin: He blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him,”
Officials issued the decree in response to these questions after Pope Francis endorsed protections for gay couples in civil unions. However, some seemed to interpret this as back-handed approval of gay marriage. His comment, however, is about the civil sphere, not within the Church. Civil protections are not Church blessings.
The decree said: Blessing a same-sex union could give the impression of a sort of sacramental equivalence to marriage.
Many Catholics may not realize that the Vatican invested money in Elton John’s rise to stardom and his lifestyle. Graphic homosexual depictions appeared in the movie, and authorities banned it from being shown in some parts of the world.
Catholic News Agency reported that, meanwhile, Corriere della Serra said the Centurion Global Fund raised 70 million euros in cash. The Holy See’s Secretariat of State was the source of at least two-thirds of the fund’s assets. Moreover, the Vatican included Peter’s Pence funds to support charitable works and the Vatican Curia. Reports show the Vatican’s investment included funds from Peter’s Pence to support charitable works and the Vatican Curia’s ministry.
A few years ago, we posted an interview with flamboyant journalist Milo Yiannopoulos and Joe Rogan. The post received many views and lots of different comments. Many people were offering their prayers for Milo. On Friday, March 12, 2021, Life Site News posted an exclusive interview with Milo where he revealed that he has left the gay lifestyle and is consecrating his life to Saint Joseph.
“St. Joseph is the spiritual father figure of the Holy Family. In this time of gender madness, devoting myself to the male protector of the Infant Jesus is an act of faith in God’s Holy Patriarch, and a rejection of the Terror of transsexuals.”
Milo is British, of Jewish descent, baptized Catholic, and flamboyantly gay bucked the “born this way” narrative, and always joyfully proclaimed his Catholic faith. After a speech at a Southern California University, he was asked how he could reconcile his gay lifestyle and be Roman Catholic.
“the question itself exposes a level of lack of understanding about Catholicism and about what it means to be gay. He quotes Evelyn Waugh who once said, “If you think I’m bad with God, imagine me without him”. He talked about how the Catholic Church has historically protected gays’ safety against being murdered by the State. People are Anglicans or Baptists or Methodists or whatever because they believe they’re good people, but Catholics are Catholics because they know they’re not. We have this thing called original sin. We go to Church because we know we’re not good.
Milo said he committed his life to helping others overcome their same-sex attraction and said he is disappointed that leaders in the Church continue to ignore problems with Priests and lack of leadership during these stressful times, which have left people searching more than ever for meaning. Watch the whole interview here.
We continue to pray for Milo and all others suffering from sin. Scripture tells us that Jesus “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4) and that he is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12)
Update: When this article was originally written, allegations concerning Ravi Zacharias were still being investigated. An independent investigation commissioned by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries later concluded that substantial evidence confirmed a pattern of sexual misconduct and abuse. That makes the question raised here even more important: What should happen to our faith when someone we admired as a Christian teacher turns out to have been living a profoundly contradictory life?
A wonderful priest once told me that Satan fights extra hard for the souls he sees he is losing. He told me this when I went to see him for confession and to talk about my sins. He asked what was wrong. As I held back the tears, I told him I did not understand why after spending hours reading the Bible and having discussions and praying with others, I would later lay in bed only to be wrought with severe thoughts of impurity. Many times acting on them.
The tone of his response had underlying ease and carried a hint of a chuckle. If I had not known better, I would have thought Fr. Ramon was not taking me or my sin seriously. As he continued talking with me, laughter soon took over. However, it was not the laughter of mockery but one that signaled an obviousness and commonality found in my situation. It was as if to say “of course” that is happening to you. Priests have heard it all many times over, and Fr. Ramon knew exactly what the situation was. He went on to say that when Satan sees you getting closer to God, he works extra hard to keep you in his grip. He asked: how do you feel after you have sinned,” I replied: unworthy, hypocritical, and distant from God.
Then Father said something to me that would leave a lasting reminder. He said that is exactly how Satan wins. Of course, the sin is terrible and serious, as is all sin, but I could overcome it with God’s grace and time. Satan knows that, so he wants to convince you that it can not be overcome and that you are indeed unworthy. This works for millions who fall to sin and stay down. This is why Jesus says to pick up our cross and follow me. Carrying a cross is not a moment in time; it is a lifelong journey.
Fr. Ramon ended by reminding me that there is no sin Jesus can not forgive, and he does not care nor count how many times we fall. He only cares that we get up and carry our cross. As St. Paul writes: “Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal” 2 Cor 4:16-18. Saint Paul himself, writing in Romans Chapter 7, describes his own struggle
15 What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I concur that the law is good.
17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.
20 Now if [I] do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
Unable to free ourselves from the slavery of sin and the power of death, we can only be rescued from defeat in the conflict by the power of God’s grace working through Jesus Christ.
Many will look at Ravi and be shocked, and many will have their faith shaken or, worse, lose it altogether. Still, others will understand that while it is always disappointing to see another fall, Ravi, like the rest of us, was merely human. He, however, carried a burden many of us will never know. His fame and adoration brought with it temptation most will never have to experience. Ravi’s story is one that should serve as a calling to all Christians to examine their own conscience. While Ravi’s sin will be written about by countless authors and laid bare for millions to read about and his salvation speculated upon, it is worth remembering that we all fall short in various ways.
In what I have done and what I have failed to do.
As my friend Monsignor Lisante always challenges his listeners, omission sins allow us to ignore doing the right thing and never get caught. It is up to our conscience to blow the whistle on us. James 4:17 makes it clear: “Anyone, then, that knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” It is time to ask our self the question. “Should I have done something? Did I sit on my hands when God’s word teaches that I should have worked for good? With this in mind, it is worth noting that Ravi’s business partner admitted to knowing about his transgressions and regrets not doing something. Moreover, according to statements, Ravi claimed his desires were the result of his ministry’s burdens. How often do we justify our own sin?
One of the women who accused Ravi of acting inappropriately said:
“Even with someone as godly as Ravi, “you can still be battling with the Devil.”
Rather than letting the discovery of Ravi’s sin trouble you, as Ravi himself said, “We all sin,” let these revelations serve as an impetus to examine your own conscience. An honest examination of conscience should help you reflect on how you respond to the demands made by the love of God and the battles with the devil you are experiencing but perhaps hiding from. —In what you have done and what you have failed to do.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. O Lord, your sorrowing Mother stood by your cross; help us in our sorrows to share your sufferings.
“The Angel Gabriel said to Mary: Do not be afraid you have found favor with God”
[KGVID]https://whycatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/videoplayback.mp4[/KGVID]
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892–1973) drew on his Catholic faith and influence in his work. Tolkien was a major scholar of the English language, specializing in Old and Middle English. Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford, he also wrote several stories, including most famously The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955), which are set in a prehistoric era in an invented version of our world which he called by the Middle English name of Middle-earth.
Tolkien was a devout Catholic whose faith permeated his literary work. Although he was not known as a poet, Tolkien published nearly 40 poems throughout his life. In 2016, two lost poems by the Anglo-Saxon scholar were discovered, originally published in an obscure 1936 annual magazine for Our Lady’s Abingdon in Oxfordshire.
Of the two, one is a Christmas poem entitled Noel dedicated to the Virgin Mary:
Grim was the world and grey last night:
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.
The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.The lord of snows upreared his head;
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind, the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.The ancient dome of heaven sheer
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.Mary sang in this world below:
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.Glad is the world and fair this night
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
And Gloria, Gloria we will sing
That God on earth is come.Literature and Rock & Roll
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Catholic faith permeated his life and writings, from his epic tales of Middle-earth to his lesser-known but deeply moving poetry like Noel. His creative vision was nurtured in part through his close friendship with C.S. Lewis, with whom he shared vigorous discussions on faith, myth, and literature. Their circle, the Inklings, produced some of the most influential works of the 20th century. Tolkien’s grounding in Old and Middle English, his devotion to the Virgin Mary, and his lifelong commitment to Catholicism gave his writings a spiritual and mythic depth that continues to inspire.
Remarkably, Tolkien’s influence extended far beyond the academy and the Church. His imaginative world-building even inspired artists in modern music, including Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, who drew upon Tolkien’s Middle-earth imagery in the band’s lyrics. From scholarly halls to rock stages, Tolkien’s legacy has touched hearts and minds across generations. His rediscovered poems remind us that behind the myth-maker stood a man of profound faith and imagination, whose friendships and spirituality shaped a literary heritage that still resounds today.
In a recent ruling, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said,
“It is time — past time — to make plain that, while the pandemic poses many grave challenges, there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates color-coded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues, and mosques.”
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 to bar New York Governor Mario Cuomo from enforcing his Oct. 6 “Cluster Initiative” against houses of worship that sued to challenge the restrictions. In 2018, Cuomo said, pro-life people were not welcome in New York. The ruling addresses two applicants: the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and two Orthodox Jewish synagogues, both of which complained that Cuomo’s restrictions violated constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion.
The order was also the first in which Justice Amy Coney Barrett played a decisive role. Barrett, who was President Trump’s third Supreme Court nominee, joined the court on Oct. 27, after winning Senate confirmation following the Sept. 18 death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Gorsuch pointed out Cuomo’s brazen anti-religious restrictions. “So, at least according to the Governor, it may be unsafe to go to church, but it is always fine to pick up another bottle of wine, shop for a new bike… “Who knew public health would so perfectly align with secular convenience?”
A nine-year-old Christian Mississippi girl who wore a “Jesus Loves Me” mask to school was forced to remove it and replace it with one the school approved. Students, however, within the same school district have freely worn masks with the logos of local sports teams or even the words ‘Black Lives Matter.’ The girl’s parents have filed a federal lawsuit you can read more here
Today, children are increasingly being taught sex education in a graphic manner, and they are taught about the LGBTQ lifestyle under the umbrella of inclusion, all the while excluding Jesus. It appears you can proclaim your allegiance to just about anything except Jesus
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As devout Christians and faithful citizens of the United States of America, you have intense and heartfelt concern for the fate of your beloved country while the final results of the Presidential election are still uncertain.
News of electoral fraud is multiplying, despite the shameful attempts of the mainstream media to censor the truth of the facts in order to give their candidate the advantage. There are states in which the number of votes is greater than the number of voters; others in which the mail-in vote seems to be exclusively in favor of Joe Biden; others in which the counting of ballots has been suspended for no reason or where sensational tampering has been discovered: always and only against President Donald J. Trump, always and only in favor of Biden.
In truth, for months now we have been witnessing a continuous trickle of staggered news, of manipulated or censored information, of crimes that have been silenced or covered up in the face of striking evidence and irrefutable testimony. We have seen the deep state organize itself, well in advance, to carry out the most colossal electoral fraud in history, in order to ensure the defeat of the man who has strenuously opposed the establishment of the New World Order that is wanted by the children of darkness. In this battle, you have not failed, as is your sacred duty, to make your own contribution by taking the side of the Good. Others, enslaved by vices or blinded by infernal hatred against Our Lord, have taken the side of Evil.
Do not think that the children of darkness act with honesty, and do not be scandalized if they operate with deception. Do you perhaps believe that Satan’s followers are honest, sincere, and loyal? The Lord has warned us against the Devil: “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character because he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44).
In these hours, while the gates of Hell seem to prevail, allow me to address myself to you with an appeal, which I trust that you will respond to promptly and with generosity. I ask you to make an act of trust in God, an act of humility and filial devotion to The Lord of Armies. I ask that all of you pray the Holy Rosary, if possible in your families or with your dear ones, your friends, your brothers and sisters, your colleagues, your fellow soldiers. Pray with the abandonment of children who know how to have recourse to their Most Holy Mother to ask her to intercede before the throne of the Divine Majesty. Pray with a sincere soul, with a pure heart, in the certainty of being heard and answered. Ask her – she who is the Help of Christians, Auxilium Christianorum – to defeat the forces of the Enemy; ask her – she who is terrible as an army set in battle array (Song 6:10) – to grant the victory to the forces of Good and to inflict a humiliating defeat on the forces of Evil.
Have your children pray, using the holy words that you have taught them: those confident prayers will rise to God and will not remain unheard. Have the elderly and sick pray, so that they may offer their sufferings in union with the sufferings that Our Lord suffered on the Cross when he shed His Precious Blood for Our Redemption. Have young ladies and women pray, so that they turn to her who is the model of purity and motherhood. And you, men, must also pray: your courage, your honor, and your boldness will be refreshed and strengthened. All of you, take up this spiritual weapon before which Satan and his minions retreat furiously because they fear the Most Holy Virgin, she who is Almighty by Grace, even more than Almighty God.
Do not allow yourselves to be discouraged by the deceptions of the Enemy, even more so in this terrible hour in which the impudence of lying and fraud dares to challenge Heaven. Our adversaries’ hours are numbered if you will pray, if we will all pray with Faith and with the true ardor of Charity. May the Lord grant that one single devout and faithful voice rise from your homes, your churches, and your streets! This voice will not remain unheard, because it will be the voice of a people that cries out, in the moment when the storm rages most fiercely, “Save us, Lord, we are perishing!” (Mt 8:25).
The days that await us are a precious occasion for all of you, and for those who unite themselves spiritually to you from every part of the world. You have the honor and privilege of being able to participate in the victory of this spiritual battle, to wield the powerful weapon of the Holy Rosary as our fathers did at Lepanto to repel the enemy armies.
Pray with the certainty of Our Lord’s promise: “Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you” (Lk 11:9). The King of Kings, from whom you ask the salvation of your Nation, will reward your Faith. Your testimony, remember this, will touch the heart of Our Lord, multiplying the heavenly Graces which are, more than ever, indispensable in order to achieve victory.
May my appeal, which I address to you and to all people who recognize the Lordship of God, find you to be generous apostles and courageous witnesses of the spiritual rebirth of your beloved country, and with it the entire world. Non praevalebunt.
God bless and protect the United States of America!
One Nation under God
Read PDF of letter Here: Archbishop Vigano Letter election_2020_-_4_Nov_2020
You must be logged in to post a comment.