More Papal Doctrines

In an earlier post, I wrote about what I call, "papal doctrines," explaining that by this term, I mean a doctrine, usually an error, whose effect is to enhance papal power. I cited five such doctrines: the Catholic version of the Communion of saints, Purgatory, In Persona Christi Capitis, the Filioque, and the doctrine on religious freedom.

This morning, three more have come to my attention.

1.) That God requires punishment for sins. I do not mean this idea originated with the pope; we all know that it has its roots in the Old Testament. One of the uses of the Law was to be "our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ." (Galatians 3:24) Thus, threats of punishment and promises of reward were issued to keep Israel in line. Fear edifies. But after the coming of Christ, and after Pentecost, we do not need the carrot-and stick approach any more, if indeed we walk by the Holy Spirit. It was the Pope who retained the threats and the promises, because that is the only way he can rule. Unlike the Holy Spirit, he cannot rule from within the hearts of the faithful.

2.) That God's forgiveness is for sale. It is the pope, not God, who sells forgiveness. At the time of the Reformation, he was selling it for cash. Today, he sells it for "good works" such as visiting Lourdes during 2008, for cash only indirectly (you have to visit all the religious venues in and around Lourdes, where you are bound to drop money for tickets, souvenirs, meals, and so forth) combined with repentance and confession, which in the Catholic context means resubmission to the pope; receiving communion; and "prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Holy Father."

God, on the other hand, gives His mercy away. Even Christ cannot earn it, because it's already on offer. There is no need for anyone to buy it or barter for it, for cash, for good works, or even for faith. Or for pain or for suffering or for blood. God's forgiveness is not for sale, period. There is nothing we could offer Him that He needs, no gain He requires for Himself. He isn't in it to profit for Himself, but for pure, outgoing, selfless, freely offered love.

3.) That guilt or innocence is transferrable. This doctrine obviously benefits the pope, who claims to have administrative authority over a mythological "Treasury of Merits" of the saints, which he can give to you under certain conditions, see above.

Guilt is not transferrable. Perish the thought! Only think how thoroughly unjust, unfair, and arbitrary it would be for anybody to be made guilty of anybody else's sins! We are not guilty because Adam and Eve sinned, but because we ourselves every moment repeat their sin. Christ was not guilty for our sins, either, and not accounted as such. He bore our sins in the sense of voluntarily bearing the responsibility to free us from them, a cosmic feat which involved waging war against the devil on the devil's own turf: Hades. That is one reason He had to die, to fill the grave with His immortal Life, to flood death's darkness with His Light, to fill the void with His Love, thereby transfiguring death beyond all recognition.

Innocence is not transferrable, either, for the same reason: this would amount to another mockery of justice.

God does not (1) attribute Christ's innocence to us and (2) accept us on that basis. As mentioned above, He needs no "basis" upon which to forgive us; His infinite, unconditional Love is more than all-sufficient.

Instead, what God does is graft us into Christ in Holy Baptism, where we share and feed from and grow in Christ's holiness.

It's such a pity the Reformers didn't catch on to the fact that these and so many others are papal doctrines; i.e., distortions to prop up the power and authority of popes, and didn't correct them. Oh, well, semper reformanda, yes? By that theory, it isn't too late.

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