The following quotes document true Roman Catholicism and are taken from
two official Roman Catholic sources. Vatican Council II Vol. 1, 1975, Vol. II,
1982 – Editor Austin Flannery and the official “Catechism of the Catholic
Church” 1994. The Pope has endorsed these two sources as teaching true
Catholicism. Any Catholic who disagrees with these statements is not truly Catholic.
Roman Catholic Priests defined by Rome as being
in the person of Christ Himself.
Vatican Council II Vol. II, No. 77, Dominicae Cenae,
24 Feb. 1980, Sec. 8, p. 74 “The priest offers the Holy Sacrifice in
persona Christi; this means more than offering 'in the name of' or 'in
the place of' Christ. In persona means in specific sacramental
identification with 'the eternal High Priest.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) Par. 1563. “Because it is joined
with the Episcopal order the office of priests shares in the authority
by which CHRIST himself builds up and sanctifies and rules
his Body. Hence the priesthood of priests, … is nevertheless conferred
by its own particular sacrament. Through that sacrament priests by the anointing
of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured
to CHRIST the PRIEST in such a way that they are able to act in the person
of CHRIST the head.”
Vatican Council II No. 63, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 7 Dec. 1965, Vol. I
Sec. 3, p. 865 “Through that sacrament priests by the anointing of the
Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured to Christ
the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ
the head.”
Sec. 6, p. 872 “Priests exercise the function of Christ as Pastor
and Head in proportion to their share of authority.”
Sec. 13, p. 887 “Priests as ministers of the sacred mysteries, especially
in the sacrifice of the Mass, act in a special way in the person of Christ
who gave himself as a victim to sanctify men.”
Catholic Priests share in Christ's Priesthood
Vatican Council II No. 63, Presbyterorum Ordinis 7
Dec. 1965, Vol. I, Sec. 7, p. 875 “All priests share with the bishops
the one identical priesthood and ministry of Christ.”
CCC. Par. 1560 “As Christ's VICAR, each bishop has the pastoral
care of the particular Church entrusted to him, …'Though each bishop is
the lawful pastor only of the portion of the flock entrusted to his care, as
a legitimate successor of the apostles he is, by divine institution and
precept, responsible with the other bishops for the apostolic mission of the
Church.”
CCC Par. 1548 “In the ecclesial service of the ordained
minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of
his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher
of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by
virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis:
“It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister
truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration
which he has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the
authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself
(virtute ac persona ipsius Christi).”
“Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was
a figure of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of
Christ.”
The Bishops take the place of Christ himself. His liturgical work is redemptive
and most effectual.
Vatican Council II No. 28, Lumen Gentium, 21 Nov. 1964, Vol. I, Sec.
21, pp. 373-374 “In fact, from tradition, which is expressed especially
in the liturgical rites and in the customs of both the Eastern and Western Church,
it is abundantly clear that by the imposition of hands and through the words
of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character
is impressed in such wise that bishops, in a resplendent and visible manner,
take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd and priest, and act
as his representatives (in eius persona) [i.e., in his person].”
Par. 1550 “This presence of Christ in the minister is not to be
understood as if the latter were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit
of domination, error, even sin. The power of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee
all acts of ministers in the same way. While this guarantee extends to the sacraments,
so that even the minister's sin cannot impede the fruit of grace, in
many other acts the minister leaves human traces that are not always signs of
fidelity to the Gospel and consequently can harm the apostolic fruitfulness
of the Church.”
CCC Par. 783 “Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high Priest,
continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church.”
CCC. Par. 1070 “…every liturgical celebration, because it is
an action of Christ the Priest and of his Body which is the Church, is a
sacred action surpassing all others. No other action of the Church can equal
its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree.”
CCC. Par. 1410. “It is Christ himself, the eternal high Priest
of the New Covenant who, acting through the ministry of the priests, offers
the Eucharistic sacrifice. And it is the same Christ, really present under the
species of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice.”
CCC. Par. 1116 “Sacraments are 'powers that comes forth' from the
Body of Christ [i.e., Roman Catholic Church], which is ever-living and
life-giving ...”
CCC. Par. 1348 “It is in representing him that the bishop or Priest
acting in the person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides
over the assembly, speaks after the readings, receives the offerings,
and says the Eucharistic Prayer.”
CCC Par. 1333 “At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the
bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit,
become Christ's Body and Blood.”
CCC. Par. 1375 “It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into
Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Priest,
in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace
are God's. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.”
CCC Par. 1558 “In fact ... by the imposition of hands and through
the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a
sacred character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in an eminent and
visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest,
and act as his representative
(in Eius Persona agant).'[LG 21.]
'By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who
has been given to them, bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers
of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors.”
The bishop is a type of God the Father
CCC. Par. 1549 “Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops
and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in
the midst of the community of believers. … in the beautiful expression
of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he
is like the living image of God the Father.”
CCC. Par. 1589 “(Who then is the Priest? He is) the defender of truth,
who stands with angels, gives glory with archangels, causes sacrifices to
rise to the altar on high, shares Christ's priesthood, refashions creation,
restores it in God's image, recreates it for the world on high and, even
greater, is divinized and divinizes.”
Men share in God's divinity and become Gods
CCC. Par. 1702 “The divine image is present in every man. It shines
forth in the communion of persons, in the likeness of the union of the divine
persons among themselves.”
CCC. Par. 460 “For the Son of God became man that we might become God.
The only begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity,
assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men Gods.”
The Bible speaks for itself against anyone who would claim to be Christ.
“Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall
come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Matt.
24:4-5 “For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached,
or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different
gospel which you have not accepted, you put up with it too easily.” 2 Corinthians
11:4 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves
as apostles of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:13, “For there shall arise
false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch
that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Matt. 24:24 Contact Marshall Almarode
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