Part II: THE AGE OF THE “NEW PENTECOST” AND A ONE WORLD RELIGION
By Betsy Kraus
Catholics should be aware of some facts regarding ideas of a “New Pentecost”. Is the concept of a New or Second Pentecost valid or does it represent a part of the Modernism that entered the Church in the Spirit of Vatican II? Catholics have always prayed this prayer to the Holy Spirit:
"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth."
Has the meaning regarding this prayer to Holy Spirit changed? Since Vatican II, The Church’s position, along with some Popes, has been an approval of the Charismatic Catholic Renewal for the purpose of bringing about a renewal of the Church by the Holy Spirit.
Vatican II was not capable of changing any of the doctrines or truths that have always been taught by the Church, including those regarding the Holy Spirit, so it is important to understand the Church’s teaching.
“The Second Vatican Council declared in its Constitution of the Church that all the teachings of the Council are in full continuity with the teachings of former councils. Moreover, let us not forget that the cannons of the Council of Trent and of Vatican I are de fide, whereas none of the decrees of Vatican II are de fide; the Second Vatican Council was pastoral in nature…Thus those who want to interpret certain passages in the documents of Vatican II as if they implicitly contradicted definitions of Vatican I or the Council of Trent should realize that even if their interpretation were right, the canons of the former councils would overrule these allegedly contradictory passages of Vatican II, because the former are de fide and the later are not.” [Dietrich von Hildebrand]
In light of this continuity of Dogma, Doctrine, and Revelation of the Church, Catholics should examine the facts to see if there can really exist a New Pentecost as implied by Protestant Pentecostalism, and which can be included in Catholic Charismatic thought. If they took the time to research, they would find the answer would seem to be a resounding” NO”. As Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Divinum illud Munus, states:
"What the soul is in our body, that is the Holy Ghost in Christ's body, the Church" (St. Aug., Serm. 187, de Temp.). This being so, no further and fuller ‘manifestation and revelation of the Divine Spirit’ may be imagined or expected; for that which now takes place in the Church is the most perfect possible, and will last until that day when the Church herself, having passed through her militant career, shall be taken up into the joy of the saints triumphing in heaven.”
Against Joachim of Fiore’s teachings of The Age of The Spirit (condemned by the Church), St. Thomas Aquinas said that no more perfect state is to be expected, in which the Grace of the Holy Ghost will be more richly given, than it was heretofore given.
Nonetheless, have hopes of a “New Pentecost”, been floated in Catholic circles, which might suggest that a New Age of the Spirit is upon us? Transcendence and spiritualism via Mysticism and Protestant Pentecostalism (called Charismatic by Catholics) could be attempts to incur transformation and “spiritualization” into a Third Age of the Spirit. This can easily coincide with goals of Pan-Religion and a New Age, One World Religion which will be discussed in Part III.
In the Age of the Spirit, there lurks the concept of paradise on earth, formulated by Joachim of Fiore, and adhered to by his followers, the “Spiritual Franciscans, or Fraticelli”. The Fraticelli, along with their extreme positions on the rule of St. Francis, especially with regards to poverty, were declared heretical in 1296 by Pope Boniface VIII. The Fraticelli faded away but it seems as if their beliefs yet persist.
The concept of an Age of the Spirit through a New Pentecost is reminiscent of the heresy of Tritheism or Trinitarianism, the concept of three Gods acting only as a collective unity. Tritheism teaches that each Person of the Blessed Trinity has a separate domain, which would allow for the successive ages of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This was Joachim of Fiore's belief. Dogma teaches us that The Trinity is Three Persons in one God, all of one essence and one nature in One God, and therefore one Person cannot recede in history while another takes over. Joachim’s works, as well as the works of the 11th century monk, Roscelinus, were proscribed in order to avoid a false Age of the Spirit and a New Pentecost. Yet that is what we see arising in the beliefs of many Christians who either are teaching this error or being duped by it.
A “Second Pentecost” or a “new Advent of the Lord”, as embodied in salvation history, is not even biblical. Yet, is “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” a manifestation which attempts to transcend all to a one world “Garden of Eden” on earth, complete with the preternatural gifts lost to Adam and Eve through sin?
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Pentecostal “Baptism in the Spirit” movement, with roots in prior century Protestantism, was popularized in America by a bible preacher, Charles Parham, in 1900 in Topeka, Kansas. John Vennari, in his article “the Dangers of the Charismatic Movement”, details its origins and practices.
“Grown in the Garden of Heresy:
Though it has been an intrusion into the Catholic Church for only 30 years, Pentecostalism is of longer history. The majority of authors identify its true father as England's John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Wesley preached about the baptism of the Holy Spirit (or "second blessing") which he claimed was an intense personal experience confronting the Christian with the presence of God.”
According to Ronald Miller and his report, The Rise of the Evangelical Sects, John Wesley’s close friend was John Theophile Desaguliers, a Rosicrucian leader, [Illuminati] one of the founders of speculative Freemasonry, and founder of the Moravian Brethren. [Miller] (Interestingly, the Moravians did not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, nonetheless they insisted on a communion under the species of both bread and wine.)
Is the phenomenon of being “Baptized in the Spirit” part of the quest for a Second Pentecost and extraordinary gifts from the Holy Spirit? Today this practice thrives in non-Catholic groups like the Toronto Blessing, “Joel’s Army”, “Holy Laughter”, and “Latter Day Rain” , some which expect to lead the world into a Joachim-like golden age. How closely are the Catholic Charismatics aligned with the belief of those outside the Church who seek manifestations of signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit?
Some of these Charismatic/Pentecostal groups mingle with the New Apostolic Reformation leaders, adhering to the Dominionist/Reconstructionist movements described in Sarah Leslie’s article, Dominionism and the Rise of Christian Imperialism . This report clearly exposes the heretical, ecumenical, and transformational goals to establish a global “Kingdom of God”. The Jewish Shofar is blown at their meetings and conferences. . How often is unknown, but at the Charismatic Conference in St. Louis, Mo., in around 2000, the Shofar was sounded. A large number of Catholics attended this Conference.
Sounding the Shofar
Those who promote hyper-Spiritual combative techniques to secure the world for Jesus are described in the report, Techno-Dimensional Prayer Combat. The report states:
“Doing Battle with the Shofars: The New Apostolic Reformation teaches the heresy ‘that Jesus Christ did not defeat Satan at the Cross, but rather the church must accomplish this for Him on earth…the Church on earth must therefore finish Satan off via spiritual warfare, and conducting cultural and social and global transformation – especially via Dominion.”
Getting back to other facts regarding the Charismata, these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were prominent in the Age of the Apostles to spread the faith, but faded as the Catholic Church became established. It was not until Protestant Pentecostalism was introduced to Catholics at a student retreat at Duquesne University in 1967 that Baptism of the Holy Spirit was introduced to Catholics. This resulted in a revival which appeared to be the manifestations of the Protestant Baptism of the Holy Spirit within the Catholic community. With regard to “speaking in tongues”, St. Augustine said:
"Who in our day expects that those on whom hands are laid so that they may receive the Holy Spirit should forthwith speak with tongues....These signs were adapted to the times. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Spirit in all tongues to show that the Gospel of God was to run through all the tongues over the earth. But that thing was done for the betokening, and it has passed away." -St. Augustine,
Now we have seen Catholic leaders and laymen gather with those who promote “Holy Laughter”, being “Slain in the Spirit”, and “Shrieking like Animals” when possessed by the “Spirit”. These manifestations are described by John Vennari in his article above. To actually see these startling manifestations, view this video, which is just one of many on the internet.
There are now more than 160 million Charismatic Catholics. How many of those millions have been baptized in the Pentecostal Baptism of the Spirit? Do they understand the errors involved in John Wesley’s Evangelical movement ?
Hopefully they would not have accepted this “Baptism” and would have understood that they have already received fully all the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. If one is already filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments of the Church, why would one seek a ritual grounded in Protestantism? Is it because perhaps they do not understand what the Church teaches, they have not been taught catechesis, or they may not grasp the treasures of the Holy Spirit that abound in the Catholic Church?
For those who are not aware, reading Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical on the Holy Spirit could be very helpful. Catholics believe that it is through the spiritual soul of the intellect/reason and the will that one grows in knowledge and love of God. The Holy Spirit resides in the soul of the Church, and through our membership in the Church and her Sacraments we receive all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In seeking extraordinary spiritual gifts and manifestations, can one become entangled in a quest for a “New Age” spiritualization or transcendence so in vogue today? Is there a danger that authentic Catholic Mysticism and Charismata can be misrepresented as wholesale spiritual transcendence, thus being high-jacked by Modernism or false mysticism which preaches transcendence and direct union with God for everyone?
ALL ABOARD?
Special graces of the Holy Spirit such as Direct Union with God and the Beatific Vision, while still on earth, are reserved for a very rare few.
“In Christian theology, the beatific vision (Latin: visio beatifica) is the ultimate direct self-communication of God to the individual person. A person possessing the beatific vision reaches, as a member of redeemed humanity in the communion of saints, perfect salvation in its entirety, i.e. heaven.”
“To some souls, however, even in the present life, God gives a very special grace by which they are enabled to feel His sensible presence; this is true mystical contemplation. In this act, there is no annihilation or absorption of the creature into God, but God becomes intimately present to the created mind and this, enlightened by special illuminations, contemplates with ineffable joy the Divine essence.”
Over the ages there were, and even today there may be, saints and mystics who have received extraordinary gifts of both Charismata and Mystical Contemplation. It is enlightening to read about the lives of mystical saints such as St. John of the Cross, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Padre Pio, and also The Three Ways to Christian perfection.
If Modernism, grounded in Protestantism and heresy, promotes a false Mysticism, does it become even more alarming if Catholic Charismatics, who unknowingly might partake of a kind of New Age Mysticism, then dabble in non-denominational Pan-ecumenism to be detailed in Part III?
It is important to note that: "...newer Protestantism rejects not only the authoritative doctrinal proclamations of the Church, but also the Divine revelation, by conceiving Revelation as a subjective religious experience which the soul enters into contact with God." [Emphasis added] [Ott]
Does the caption in the above image deny Our Lord’s words to Peter?
“Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.” [Douay- Rheims: Matthew Chapter16: 18.]
If people move away from Church Doctrine and Dogma and are guided only by their own religious experiences will it become far easier to leave the Church and join a One World Religion in the Spirit?
Catholics, through Baptism and all the Sacraments, already have a personal relation with Jesus. Yet, Catholics are being encouraged to now have a “personal relationship with Jesus”. Dr. Jay A. Boyd, PhD, makes us aware of some of the pitfalls of movements in the Church with evangelical and charismatic leaders. Dr. Boyd states:
"I would suggest that many of the New Evangelization” training programs proposed for Catholic parishes are actually more Protestant than Catholic in their underlying orientation, and that these programs might also be “opening a door” that leads the faithful astray. Even if parishioners don’t abandon their parish, they may be given a false view of what it really means to be a Catholic.”
This would hearken back to the Pentecostalism of Fr. Yves Congar, modernist theologian who was called upon to be an advisor at Vatican II. Congar promoted Baptism in the Spirit. The report from Instituto Paolo VI di Brescia (Italy) informs us:
X. The Revelation according to Modernism
“To Modernism, revelation is personal, done in the inner part of all men by means of an ineffable feeling; by means of which God manifests Himself to each one. Revelation would not consist of communicating truths, but otherwise, of a personal experience, existential and impossible to be put into words that would reveal no truths about God, but God Himself, the divine nature of God, and the divine res.
To the modernists, “the revelation, in order to be truly real, would demand a clear showing of God in the conscience” (Pius X, Pascendi, 31).
“At least, say the modernists (...) by the religious feeling one must recognize a kind of intuition of the heart, which puts man in immediate contact with the very reality of God (...)”(Pius X, Pascendi 37 (14)). This revealing feeling would take place in the heart, and not when receiving the truths taught by God Himself to the human intellect.”
The Catholic Church, by its very doctrines, cautions against the Protestant phenomenon of emotionalism (Enthusiasm) and “personal experience”. Catholicism teaches that the Holy Spirit dwells in the souls of the just – the intellect and the will.
“The human soul, therefore, is the ultimate interior principle by which man lives, and is the indispensable source from which all his human operations flow, namely: (of the body) nutrition, growth, reproduction and local motion; (of the soul) the spiritual activities by which we know and understand truth, reason to new truths, and make judgments as to what is right and wrong. In all these functions of the intellect we mirror the all-wise and all-knowing God. The other spiritual power of the soul is that of the will by which we deliberately and freely choose to act or not to act - in which we mirror the infinite freedom that God possesses…
When we speak of the soul as the source of life and all of man’s activities, we mean the soul and its faculties or powers. For, in itself, the soul is not immediately operative (St. Thos. I, 77, 1). That is, the soul is the source of life for the body, but not its spiritual activities of thinking and choosing. For this it needs the spiritual faculties or powers of operation - intellect and will - which flow from the essence of the soul. (ibid. a.6)…
When we consider the faculties of the soul we can see why God made us in His image and likeness. God is LIFE (Jn. 14:6), and it is by reason of the spiritual soul of man that he is capable of sharing in the life of God through grace. God is LOVE (1 Jn. 4:8), and it is by means of the will that man is capable of loving God and sharing in God's love. God is TRUTH (Jn. 14:6), and it is by means of the intellect that man is capable of knowing God and sharing in God's knowledge. In other words, since God is a pure spirit, only a spiritual being could share in the life and love and truth that pertains to God’s very essence.”
In Pope Pius X’s encyclical on the Doctrine of the Modernists, Pascendi Dominici Gregis, we were warned in no uncertain terms regarding the enemy which is Modernism:
“Moreover they lay the axe not to the branches and shoots, but to the very root, that is, to the faith and its deepest fires. And having struck at this root of immortality, they proceed to disseminate poison through the whole tree, so that there is no part of Catholic truth from which they hold their hand, none that they do not strive to corrupt.”
Pope Pius X also warned us that the Modernist "Progress of Dogmas" is simply the "Corruption of Dogma".
ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL DEFEND US IN BATTLE
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