Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 7/15/2007

Question
Dear Fr.Timothy Johnson,

                     I have to learn about my faith because many non catholics alone critize us and say false things, they say that we catholics are false are cults why do they say such a thing? They think we are Babylon or mostly they think we are Idolaters. Are we true christians are we really the true church. Are we the chosen church of God?

I know that in this verse means the eucharist right Father? "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink."  John 6:53-55 So he is talking about Catholicism right?

Also "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, both in our preaching and in our letter." 2 Thess. 2:14"...where the disciples were gathered together... Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you... As the Father has sent me, so I send you... Receive the Holy Spirit.  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."  John 20:19-23

"There are not 100 people who hate the Catholic Church; But there are millions who hate what they believe the Catholic Church to be." -Archbishop Fulton Sheen Why do many deny what we do that is the bible and many others say that thee pope is the antichrist when he is not! The Catholic doctrine of the papacy is biblically based and is derived from the evident primacy of St. Peter among the apostles. Like all Christian doctrine, it has undergone development through the centuries, but it has not departed from the essential components which already existed in the leadership and prerogatives of St. Peter. These were given to him by our Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledged by his contemporaries and accepted by the early Church.



The biblical data is quite strong, and is inescapably compelling by virtue of its cumulative weight, even when looking at the King James Bible, the most well known Protestant Bible.  This is especially made clear with the assistance of biblical commentaries. The evidence of Holy Scripture follows:

 

Matthew 16:18: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

The "rock" (Greek, "petra") referred to here is St. Peter himself, not his faith or Jesus Christ. Christ appears here not as the foundation, but as the architect who "builds." The Church is built, not on confessions, but on confessors - living men (see, for example, 1 Pt 2:5). Today, the overwhelming consensus of the great majority of all biblical scholars and commentators is in favor of the traditional Catholic understanding. Here St. Peter is spoken of as the foundation-stone of the Church, making him head and superior of the family of God - that is, the seed of the doctrine of the papacy. Moreover, "Rock" embodies a metaphor applied to him by Christ in a sense analogous to the suffering and despised Messiah (see 1 Pt 2:4-8; Mt 21:42). Without a solid foundation a house falls. St. Peter is the foundation, but not founder of the Church; administrator, but not Lord of the Church. The Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11) gives us other shepherds as well (Eph 4:11).

Matthew 16:19: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven."

The "power" of the keys has to do with ecclesiastical discipline and administrative authority with regard to the requirements of the faith, as in Isaiah 22:22 (see Is 9:6; Jb 12:14; Rv 3:7). From this power flows the use of censures, excommunication, absolution, baptismal discipline, the imposition of penances and legislative powers. In the Old Testament, a steward, or prime minister, is a man who is "over a house" (Gn 41:40; 43:19; 44:4; 1 Kgs 4:6; 16:9; 18:3; 2 Kgs 10:5; 15:5; 18:18; Is 22:15, 20-21).

Matthew 16:19: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

"Binding" and "loosing" were technical rabbinical terms, which meant to "forbid" and "permit" with reference to the interpretation of the law and, secondarily, to "condemn," "place under the ban" or "acquit." Thus St. Peter and the popes are given the authority to determine the rules for doctrine and life by virtue of revelation and the Spirit's leading (see Jn 16:13), as well as to demand obedience from the Church. "Binding and loosing" represent the legislative and judicial powers of the papacy and the bishops (Mt 18:17-18; Jn 20:23). St. Peter, however, is the only apostle who receives these powers by name and in the singular, making him pre-eminent. And the sacraments Mary and everything catholic is correct am I right father Timothy? I also want to know is there a problem with music and fashion today because I rarly see modest cloths and music for me to sing along too. It really really bothers me. Do you know that I am very devoted to my faith. I started alter serving at 17.5 years old and now I am 21 I dont like beer yucky and I only sip wine if I want to but not always. I dont smoke eww smoking is very bad for you and makes your lungs black and teeth yellow and smell and I think that is gross. I am very healthy with my body. I love cleansingness and godly things not things of the devil. My cousin Ryan whom is vacationing in Puerto Rico right now I just got back yesterday. He and I was walking in the mid summer and fall was around the corner I was having fun talking to him he was 12 years old or maybe 9 at the time we stumbled at the gerage sale and saw many things being given away right then in there my cousin eyes grew big and said oh I want this game board not knowing what it was he bought it for a dollar. I said Ryan put that back and exchange it for a ball or something. He said with anger no I like this one. I said ughh your mommy isnt going to be so happy when she sees what you brought home. You know what it was Father the Ouija board very bad game. It is a link to hell and Satan man was I mad at him. I was praying and crying non stop I said Lord please help him he doesnt need to be around that. I had an idea I said too him hey Ryan can I borrow that and try it out. This was just to fool him to give it to me so I can through it away. He did and I told my dad can you recyle this he said oh sure I said thanks and ever since Ryan my cousin has been thanking me for doing so. The lord is in me. I know it. I dont want satan in my families house hold. I feel the Lord Jesus is within me. I even have the gift of tongues,discernment, graces from God, I am a visionairy or mostly mystic, I know how to tell if it is of God and not satan himself. I even did exorsism on my cousin from Puerto Rico. Since she was throwing up and her eyes turned black even her voice changed completely but the good news is that I did however banish the demon. with my bible and a image of Jesus on a piece of wood. Do you think I am a saint on earth?  

Answer
Uhmmm, Jacqueline:

Based upon what you describe, I fear you are nearing the borders of, or deep into prelest.  Be careful with going "beyond" what it is to be a humble, authentic Catholic.  I don't know about you carrying out some kind of "exorcism."  Only Bishops, or Priests delegated by the Bishop, are authorized and empowered to carry out major exorcisms, and only under very strict conditions.
It seems like much of what you quoted in the early part of yoru post was pretty good and solid Catholic.  I, as a Priest, would have to advise caution to some of your personal ideas about yourself, and your personal experiences with spiritual matters outside the boundaries of just praying, assisting at Mass, going to regular Confession, etc.  There is too much to answer in a short space here.
Do I think you are a "saint on earth?"  I don't know; in a certain sense we are all called to be "saints" - that is, holy ones - by the help of God's Grace, etc.  The only way that we can really discern whether or not we are doing right in our state-of-life is to measure it against the standards of the Ten Commandments, the Precepts of the Church, etc.  Obviously we cannot claim to be "canonized" saints, as if we are living in this world, we are not yet dead - have not yet passed on.

Fr. Timothy Johnson