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It is a well known fact that the
Catholic Church has persecuted for
centuries, those whom they have deemed
to be heretics. The Donatists, were the
first to suffer persecution and death at
the hands of the Catholic Church
beginning in the year 340. The animosity
toward the Donatists began in 315 when
Donatus was installed as the new pastor
of Carthage. The "catholic"
bishops had previously tried to install
a man named Caecilian to that position,
but because Felix (the bishop who
consecrated him) had previously denied
the faith, the bishops of Africa (called
the Numidians) did not want Caecilian .
So the Numidians consecrated their own
bishop, Majorinus. Majorinus died in 315
and Donatus was installed to be the new
pastor.
The
"catholic" church, had become
apostate at this time, as was indicated
by the desire to allow a traitor to the
faith to consecrate the bishop of
Carthage. The Church at Carthage, led by
Donatus, separated from the apostate
"catholic" church, and the
"new" denomination (named
Donatists after their founder) began to
grow in Africa.
David Benedict Wrote:
"In the year 340, the emperor (Constans)
dircted his two commissioners, Urascius
and Leontius, to endeavor by the
distribution of money under the name of
alms to win over the Donatist churches;
and as the said Emperor at the same time
issued an edict whereby he called upon
the North African Christians to return
back to the unity of the church. Of the
failure of this convert scheme for
gaining the Donatists, forcible measures
were the next resort. The Donatists now
were to be deprived of their churches,
and were actually fallen upon by armed
troops while assmbled in them for the
worship of God.
Hense followed the effusion of blood,
(starting in 347) and the martyrdoms of
which the Donatists so often complained
of their adversaries. Those who fell
victims in these persecutions, says
Neander, were honored by their party as
martyrs, and the annual celebration of
the days of their death furnished new
mans of enkindling the enthusiasm of the
Donatist party." (History
of the Donatists, p. 32; taken from
"The Baptist History Workbook"
James Beller, Prairie
Fire Press 2002 p. 51,52)
Shortly after his promotion
to Bishop of Hippo, Augustine faced the
problem of the Donatists as threatening
to the growth of the Catholic Church.
Augustine took steps to extinguish the
Donatists, once and for all, and called
for the employment of the Emperor's
military to end the nagging problem of
the Donatists.
I name
these measures in this place for the
purpose of describing them in connection
with the scenes of the Macarian war,
although they were put in operation
about half a century later. They
originated in the local councils or
synods, as they were sometimes called,
at one of which, in 403, a plan was
proposed for a general conference with
the Donatists for the discussion of the
differences between them and the
Catholics. To Augustine we are indebted
for the history of these councils; in
which, although young in the episcopal
office, he was evidently their principal
manager; and in all his reports of their
doings it plainly appears that the
magistrates of Africa were very remiss
in executing the persecuting laws
against the Donatists; one of which, he
said, had not been enforced at all,
except in Carthage.
In the
record of a council in Carthage in 404
we find the following statement: "It
is now full time for the emperor to
provide for the safety of the catholic
church, and prevent those rash men from
terrifying the people, whom they cannot
seduce. We think it is as lawful for us
to ask assistance against them,
as it was for Paul to employ a military
force against the conspiration of
factious men."
This is
a new version of the conduct of the
apostle Paul in the case here referred
to.
From David Benedict's
"History of the Donatists,"
1875
Augustine truly believed that it was
lawful (or at least tried to convince
others) to murder the Donatists because
they opposed the practices of the
"Catholic" church, and refused
to fellowship with them. Augustine's
theology was Dominion oriented, in that
he believed that the Church was God's
representative on earth, and therefore
the church was required to subdue the
earth… by force if necessary.
This
type of persecution and murder for
believing contrary to the teachings of
the Catholic church did not end with the
Donatists; it continued with other
churches who asserted their independence
from Catholicism; the Paulicians, the
Vaudois, the Novations, the Henricians,
the Petrobrussians, the Arnoldists, and
the Albigenses just to name a few, and
continued through the ages to the
Baptists who suffer at the hands of the
Catholic church to this day.
In
1542, Pope Paul III established in the
Rome the "Congregation of the
Inquisition". The
"Inquisitors" were looking for
heresy, and would bring so-called
"heretics" to civil
authorities to suffer torture and even
death. The Inquisition is still an
official office of the Roman Catholic
Church. The newly elected Pope (Pope
Benedict XVI), left his position as head
of the Inquisition to assume his papal
duties.
If
one were to talk to Catholic
parishioners today about the terrible
atrocities committed by the Catholics
toward those labeled heretics, you would
get an answer along the lines: "We
know those things happened, but were not
proud of it. The Catholic Church admits
it's wrongs in those days, and we do not
condone that type of behavior."
I personally heard this response from a
Catholic priest, and an instructor of
new converts of the Catholic Church when
I asked how they felt about the
inquisition.
The
truth is, if they are good Catholics
they DO condone that behavior. In fact,
if they don't condone the behavior and
philosophy of the Inquisition they do
not agree with the Dominion theological
stance of the the Catholic Church, and
they themselves could be targeted for
heresy!
Here
are some excerpts from the Canon Law.
This is the Law by which the Catholic
Church is governed, and is considered to
be an "addition to the Mosaic
Law".
PART
II.
PENALTIES
FOR INDIVIDUAL DELICTS
TITLE
I.
DELICTS
AGAINST RELIGION AND THE UNITY OF THE
CHURCH (Cann. 1364 - 1369)
Can.
1364 §1. Without prejudice to the
prescript of can. 194, §1, n. 2, an
apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a
schismatic incurs a latae sententiae
excommunication; in addition, a cleric
can be punished with the penalties
mentioned in can. 1336, §1, nn. 1, 2,
and 3.
§2.
If contumacy of long duration or the
gravity of scandal demands it, other
penalties can be added, including
dismissal from the clerical state.
Can.
1365 A person guilty of prohibited
participation in sacred rites (communicatio
in sacris) is to be punished with a just
penalty.
Can.
1366 Parents or those who take the place
of parents who
hand offer their children to be baptized
or educated in a non Catholic religion
are to be punished with a censure or
other just penalty.
Can.
1367 A person who throws away the
consecrated species or takes or retains
them for a sacrilegious purpose incurs a
latae sententiae excommunication
reserved to the Apostolic See; moreover,
a cleric can be punished with another
penalty, not excluding dismissal from
the clerical state.
Can.
1368 A person who commits perjury while
asserting or promising something before
ecclesiastical authority is to be
punished with a just penalty.
Can.
1369 A person who in a public show or
speech, in published writing, or in
other uses of the instruments of social
communication utters blasphemy, gravely
injures good morals, expresses insults,
or excites hatred or contempt against
religion or the Church is to be punished
with a just penalty.
Notice that most Canonical laws are
specific in their nature, and are also
punishable by a specific sentence. Those
laws which I have highlighted, are
general laws, and are punishable by
"a just penalty". A just
penalty could mean anything, and that is
what is intended, these are the laws
that have allowed the Catholic Church to
continue confiscating land and property,
banishing people, burning them at the
stake, and imprisoning them for
indefinite time periods.
This
excerpt was taken directly from the Vatican's
website at Rome. I submit to you, if
the Catholic Church had truly repented
of the atrocities of the Inquisition,
they would have deleted Canon 1365,
1366, and 1369. These three Canonical
laws do not necessarily pertain to the
Catholic Church parishioners, they are
directed toward ANYONE who acts or
thinks contradictory to the teachings of
the Catholic Church.
Take
a look at this excerpt from the Canon
Law:
TITLE
II
DELICTS
AGAINST ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITIES AND
THE FREEDOM OF THE CHURCH (Cann. 1370 -
1377)
Can.
1370 §1. A person who uses physical
force against the Roman Pontiff incurs a
latae sententiae excommunication
reserved to the Apostolic See; if he is
a cleric, another penalty, not excluding
dismissal from the clerical state, can
be added according to the gravity of the
delict.
§2.
A person who does this against a bishop
incurs a latae sententiae interdict and,
if he is a cleric, also a latae
sententiae suspension.
§3.
A person who uses physical force against
a cleric or religious out of contempt
for the faith, the Church,
ecclesiastical power, or the ministry is
to be punished with a just penalty.
Can.
1371 The following are to be punished
with a just penalty:
1/
in addition to the case mentioned in
can. 1364, §1, a person who teaches a
doctrine condemned by the Roman Pontiff
or an ecumenical council or who
obstinately rejects the doctrine
mentioned in can. 750, §2 or in can.
752 and who does not retract after
having been admonished by the Apostolic
See or an ordinary;
2/
a person who otherwise does not obey a
legitimate precept or prohibition of the
Apostolic See, an ordinary, or a
superior and who persists in
disobedience after a warning.
Can.
1372 A person who makes recourse against
an act of the Roman Pontiff to an
ecumenical council or the college of
bishops is to be punished with a
censure.
Can.
1373 A person who publicly incites among
subjects animosities or hatred against
the Apostolic See or an ordinary because
of some act of power or ecclesiastical
ministry or provokes subjects to disobey
them is to be punished by an interdict
or other just penalties.
Can.
1374 A person who joins an association
which plots against the Church is to be
punished with a just penalty; however, a
person who promotes or directs an
association of this kind is to be
punished with an interdict.
Can.
1375 Those who impede the freedom of
ministry, of election, or of
ecclesiastical power or the legitimate
use of sacred goods or other
ecclesiastical goods or who greatly
intimidate an elector, one elected, or
one who exercises ecclesiastical power
or ministry can be punished with a just
penalty.
Can.
1376 A person who profanes a movable or
immovable sacred object is to be
punished with a just penalty.
Can.
1377 A person who alienates
ecclesiastical goods without the
prescribed permission is to be punished
with a just penalty.
I
have highlighted in yellow, those laws
again which are punishable by a
"just penalty". Again we see
that these are general laws directed
toward the general population, not
specific to Catholic Parishioners.
Highlighted in blue is a section of
canon 1371 that prohibits the teaching
of any doctrine oppositional to the
Roman Catholic Church, and requires
total obedience when confronted with
their "supposed" error. These
are also punishable by a "Just
Penalty"
In
purple, Canon 1373 and Canon 1374 are
laws against "opposing the Catholic
Church". In these two paragraphs
another penalty has been allowed, it is
an interdict. An interdict is defined by
Webster as: "To confront or halt
the activities of." The Catholic
Church, by allowing Canon 1373 and 1374
have empowered themselves to forcibly
prohibit any action that displays or
incites opposition to the Catholic
Church.
Again I ask, if the Catholic Church has
repented of the atrocities they have
committed in the past, which were
carried out as a result of this
dominionist worldview, why haven't they
removed the previously mentioned
articles from the Code of Canon Law?
This is what COMMUNIST Governments do.
In order to stay in power, they must
reserve the right and power to quell any
oppositional idea.
In
fact the very act posting this page to
the web, is cause for my death as an
interdict to stop any incitation of
oppositional ideologies from infecting
the Catholic Church, or potential
adherants to Catholicism. If it were not
for the Constitution of the United
States of America they would have every
legal right to come and take my home,
property, family, savings account,
banish my family, and burn me at the
stake. Thank God for our country!
For more
reading on the Catholic Organization,
and what the purpose of their Dominion
Worldview plans to accomplish - click
here.
John
Hardin
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