Multiple Choice....

[Renel B. Peña]

No need of extravagant introduction. It is clear that the Catholic Church is moving a step backward in terms of Her authority and credibility as the sole bearer of Truth and Salvation while raising and in fact, praising almost all other denominations as worthy of credence. Blame it to eculmenism, err, ecumenism! It’s spirit is sending false messages to the blind and deaf majority.   Since when did wrong become a brother of right? And since when did False embrace with Truth?   Ladies and Gentlemen: right in front of us is a multiple choice. And you’ve got to choose: Catholicsm, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, etc,etc..Is that so? As if there is really no True Religion that can save. As it there was no Christ  who came down from Heaven to become a Man, who suffered and died for us. As if there never occurred in the history of the Church of the establishment of the Catholic religion through St. Peter. Has the world forgotten Christ’s very words, “ Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church”?   Now look at what’s happening in the Church today? It there’s a word more ridiculous than ridiculous, then that’s how you describe their (Church high profiles) weird novelties. Sure, one can imagine a Pope praying together with leaders of other religions. But one cannot fathom a Pope for having done that! Much more inside a sacrosanct Basilica of Assisi with the statue of Buddha proudly sitting at the altar. (In the New Mass, it’s now simply called a table). His reasons, whatever maybe, however sublime and majestic, cannot suffice the great danger it has brought to the faithful.   Multiple choice. Which is which? Such is a question of a person who is left spiritually confused and desolate. There’s an easy answer, though. What is not easy is to understand and to agree with the answer especially that the Vatican Council II is giving to some extent imposing an idea that one can be saved whatever his religion maybe.   True, one can be saved in or in spite of other religions but never by that religion (Catholic Church and Second Vatican Council by Fr. Franz Schmidberger, SSPX). Others argue that one can be saved in anyway there is. True, just as in going to a place anywhere in the country, by boat or plane but always through a medium. Also, in terms of salvation, there’s many ways in attaining that but always through one Channel: The Roman Catholic Church- the Church of Christ. There’s no other way for Christ is the only “Way, the Truth and the Life.” Some also assert that it is Faith that which matters most. True again. But who’s faith? That of pagan? A Muslim? A Buddhist? Certainly not because theirs do not conform perfectly to  how Christ wanted it to be.   To pray together with other sects for world peace and unity would then futile and sacrilegious for even God would be scandalized and confused ( assuming He can be.) Why, has the world forgotten God’s “ I am the Lord thy God, Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me”?   In his fairness, the Pope wanted to attain something good—that of peace and unity among his flock. But the thing is, one cannot do that by false means because a good effect due to a bad cause is still bad. The end does not justify the means, remember?   Thus, ECUMENISM has lost its credibility from the very beginning. There’s still that multiple choice, though, and the best answer, as always, is the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH. No more, no less. Taken from "The Cross"-our group publication for the Catholic Youth League of the Philippines