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The Catholic Undertow Mary Ann Collins, A Former Catholic Nun |
Appendix I Doctrinal Issues
I recommend the book, The Gospel According to Rome, by James G. McCarthy (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1995). McCarthy is a former Catholic. His book is easy to read. It is thoroughly documented from Catholic sources. The presentation is gentle and compassionate. There are some excellent articles on the Internet about doctrinal issues relating to Catholicism. I have grouped them into categories. If you have difficulty getting one of these articles, then go to the home page and look for it. To find the home page, copy the Internet address of the article. Then delete everything in the address that comes after "com," "net," or "org." I have deleted "http://" from the Internet addresses. That makes them shorter and easier to read. Some Internet addresses are too wide for the pages of this book. In those cases, I have divided them into two sections. I will always tell you when I have divided an Internet address The Bible "The Bible is a Unique Book" "The Bible is the Word of God" "Did the Early Christians Have the Bible? "What Is Sola Scriptura?" "Why the Bible Alone?" "2 Timothy 3 and Sola Scriptura" "Disagreement among Protestants and Sola Scriptura" "Does the Church Give Authority to the Bible? "Private Interpretation of the Bible" "The Bible about Mary" "Infallible Interpreter of the Bible" "The Apocrypha Contradicts Scripture" The Catholic Church's historical and theological approach to the Bible "Sola Scriptura" "The Certainty of the Written Word of Truth" "Are the Apocrypha Quoted in the New Testament?" Salvation "Jesus Christ Is Sufficient to Save Sinners Completely" "Crucial Questions for Catholics" "No One Can Merit the Unmerited Favor of God" "Are Works Necessary for Salvation?" "The Sacrifice of Christ" "Justified by Faith Alone" "Justification" "It Is Finished" "Salvation: God's Graciousness in Christ" "The Biblical Teaching of Justification" "The Roman Catholic Teaching on Salvation and Justification" "Salvation, God's Graciousness in Christ" "Salvation, Not in the Sacramental System, But in Christ Alone" The Papacy "Was Peter a Pope?" "Five Historical Realities That Are Against an Early Papacy" "The Corrupt Papacy" "The New Testament's Denial of the Papacy" "Early Post-Apostolic Denials of a Papacy" "No Papacy in the Early Church" "Who Holds the Keys?" "The Patristic Exegesis of the Rock of Matthew 16:18" "The Claim and Boast to Have the Keys of the Apostle Peter" The Mass "The Sacrifice of the Mass" "The Eucharist" "A Present Sacrifice for Sin?" "The Eucharist in the Early Church" "I Am the Bread of Life" "The Mass: From Mystery to Meaning" "Eucharistic Adoration: Worship or Idolatry?" "The Priesthood" "The Eucharist: A Biblical Review" Baptism "Baptism" "Born Again By Baptism?" "Baptism and Original Sin" Confession "Confession of Sin" "Forgiveness Through a Priest" Purgatory "Purgatory or Christ?" "Suffering in Purgatory" Tradition "Sacred Tradition" "Tradition and the Magician's Hat" "Traditions" "Rome's New and Novel Concept of Tradition" Mary "The Bible about the Virgin Mary" "Christian Attitude toward Mary" "The Rosary" "The Immaculate Conception" "Is Mary Our Mother?" "Is Mary a Mediator?" "Mary Worship" "The Doctrine of the Assumption" "Mary around the World." This is a series of articles about how Mary is venerated in various countries. "The Assumption of Mary" "Past Popes Taught Destructive Heresies" (no salvation without Mary) "Do You Know Mary?" "Mary Who?" "Hail Mary?" "Mary and Catholicism" "Mary in Roman Catholicism" "Apparitions Exposed" The Brown Scapular The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel The Brown Scapular The Rosary, Brown Scapular, and the Sabbatine Privilege Rosary Promises Fifteen Promises made by an apparition of "Mary" to Catholics who recite the Rosary. Indulgences promised by the Catholic Church for praying the rosary. Fifteen promises of the Rosary and twelve promises of the Sacred Heart The Miraculous Medal The Miraculous Medal (picture and description of the apparition) Apparition Chapel in Paris. Two million pilgrims come every year. Novena Prayers to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Veneration of Statues "Venerating Statues" (article with links to pictures) Nuns venerating a statue of Mary (picture) Statues that Dominate Chapels NOTE: If you have difficulty getting any of these pictures, then go to the website of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and take their "virtual tour." The Internet address is below. If it doesn't work for you, then do a search for the shrine's name. Some of these have prayers to Mary in addition to showing the picture. Chapel of Our Lady of Siluva Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Statue of Mary, Mother of Mankind (many candles are in front of the statue) Chapel honoring the apparition of Mary to Saint Catherine Laboure Infant of Prague NOTE: The Infant of Prague is a statue of Jesus as an infant. It is kept in a church in Prague, Chezchoslovakia. It has 70 sets of elaborate clothes and a crown made out of real gold with real jewels. Nuns dress the statue and take care of it. Miracles are attributed to this statue. Replicas of the statue can be found in Catholic churches around the world. If you have difficulty getting any of these pictures, you can do a search for "Infant of Prague," or for "Infant of Prague + picture." Article with pictures showing nuns changing the clothes of the statue Article with a picture of a cardinal carrying the statue Article with pictures showing details of the crown and some of the clothes Article with several pictures and history of the statue History of the Infant Jesus of Prague Statues with Gold Crowns This article has four pictures of statues wearing gold crowns. Three of them are wearing expensive and elaborate clothing. It also has pictures of two processions with statues. One of them is the candlelight procession in Fatima, Portugal, with a million people. Statues of Mary wearing crowns and clothing. I have divided the address into two sections, because of its width.
A statue of Mary with baby Jesus. Both wear crowns and clothing. Crowning Statues of Mary NOTE: The liturgy of the Catholic Church includes an official ritual for crowning statues of Mary. Following are addresses of web pages that show pictures of this. It is done at all levels, ranging from the Pope to classes in Catholic schools. Pope John Paul II crowning a statue of Mary. (There are seven pictures with descriptions.) Crowing ceremony at a cathedral. (Click on small pictures and you will see large ones.)
Crowning ceremony at a fifth grade class of a Catholic school Processions with Statues "Millions in Mexico Gather for Marian Feast" (2.5 million people, October 1999) Our Lady of Guadalupe (8 million people in Mexico City, December 2001) A procession in the United States honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Another procession in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe A church procession honoring Mary. (Click on the pictures to enlarge them.) Overview of Recent Canon Law "Has Roman Catholicism Changed? An Overview of Recent Canon Law"
Required Fasting According to Canon Law, Catholics are still required to abstain from eating meat every Friday In 1997, American bishops met to discuss whether or not to again require Catholics to abstain from eating meat on all fridays. (The term "abstinence" in these articles refers to abstaining from eating meat.)
Rules about eating meat on "meatless days" if Catholics have dinner with non-Catholics Eating fish on Fridays. Information about days when fasting is required, and what Catholics are allowed to eat on those days |
Copyright 2004, 2007 by Mary Ann Collins. All rights reserved.
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