Tradition based on forgeries

For a Catholic, their "sacred tradition" is equal to the word of God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, #82: "...Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence." Katolska Kyrkans Katekes 1996 på svenska: Detta betyder att kyrkan, åt vilken förmedlingen och tolkningen av uppenbarelsen har anförtrotts; "inte får sin visshet om allt i uppenbarelsen inte enbart genom den heliga Skrift. Båda; Skriften såväl som Traditionen; bör därför tas emot och hållas i ära med samma hängivenhet och vördnad".

Let’s examine Rome’s tradition and see if it is indeed pure or perfect, truthful and sure.

The most influential book ever written by a Catholic, the Code of Canon Law known as the Decretum, was written in the mid-1100’s by a Benedictine monk named Gratian. He quoted from popes 324 times, but only eleven of those are genuine. He not only depended on 3rd century forgeries and his own faulty conclusions from them, but he also used the 9th century forgeries known as the Isidorian and Cyril Decretals, which contained hundreds of supposed quotes from early church fathers and popes, none of which were legitimate. Now...we go to Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. He writes his Summa Theologica, the second most renown work by a Catholic. He bases all his conclusions on the work of Gratian. This doesn’t include all the other authors, who throughout the centuries, quoted from both these men’s works. All of them based on lies.

"Why is Rome depending on forgeries and lies rather than on the word of God?" Does it matter to the Catholic that the writings they so depend on are forgeries? If it matters, then why do they continue to use them? Why don’t they admit that the only foundation for the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical government are the forged Clementines (20 books supposedly quoting the early "popes")? Because it is their desire to dupe the world into accepting their blasphemous priest-craft wherein they rule over men’s souls.

So, what could these forgeries known as the Clementines claim? In the Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV, page 41, we read: "A letter from Clement to James forms an epilogue to H. In it Clement relates how Peter before his death gave his last instructions and set Clement in his own chair as his successor in the See of Rome...The writer knows a complete system of ecclesiastical organization. Peter sets a bishop over each city, with priests and deacons under him; the office of bishop is well defined"

Catholic authorities NOW ADMIT that no such an arrangement prevailed in Apostolic times, and, for a few hundred years afterwards. Speaking of the Clementines , the Catholic Encyclopedia (pg.67) says that "they were very popular in the Middle Ages." Though they are now admitted, since the sixteenth century, to have been a huge forgery, the "infallible Church" and their "infallible popes" used them continually, and still do! Like most of the forgeries, they were re-forged, occasionally, to bring them up to date. That’s why the Catholic Encyclopedia speaks of "the earliest form of the Clementines", (Vol. IV, 42) and again, "the date of the original is therefore fixed as after Nicaea, 325, probably c.330; that of H may be anywhere in the second half of the fourth century" (Vol. IV, 44). This reveals the continual amending, and the use that was being made of the forgeries. Rome even admits this on page 41 of the Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV: "To show how it is necessary for them to be constantly re-forging these forgeries we learn that the earlier editions of these works made James and not Peter head of the Church." The Bible is clear on who the head of the church is, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

For 1500 years, Augustine was considered one of the greatest teachers of the Catholic church. His influence was so great that about 200 years after his death at least three works were forged in his name. These works justified practices that were unknown in Augustine’s time. It was these forgeries that Thomas Aquinas quoted from (along with the forgeries of Gratian). Since Thomas Aquinas is considered the greatest teacher of Catholic history, these forgeries are still exerting their influence. These works are named De Condition Cordis (Summa, Part III, Fourth Number, 119), De Penitentia (Summa, Part III, Third number, 57) and Hypognosticon (Summa, Part III, Third Number, 77).

Excerpts from writings
by Rebecca A. Sexton

Se also TRADITION: What Saith the Scriptures?

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