1. The Catholic credentials.
One of the big controversies during St. Bellarmine’s time was on the Marks of the true Church . This controversy is useful, he wrote, because the true remission of sins, and the hope of eternal salvation can, only, be found in the true Church alone.
Even heretics claim that theirs is the true Church and everyone else are outside. So St. Bellarmine had to dive into the controversy and clarify the teachings of the true Church. And his teachings had been the foundation of ‘Lumen Gentium,’ the Vatican II document on Ecclesiology which, sadly, nobody is taking seriously.
God had given His true Church proper credentials by which she can be differentiated from false churches. Some credentials are supernatural in nature; like Charity. ‘ By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.’ Others are natural and visible easily discernible by all men; like One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Though these latter 4 Marks are natural visible signs they cannot be imitated by false religions because these signs are still in the border of both the natural and supernatural. So Catholics can rest assured that no one can duplicate these signs and fool Catholics. Not even the devil can make imitations of these signs. The devils can make very bad imitations but not close imitations of them. The devils are quite content to invent other signs of authenticity that are not based on the true teachings of the Catholic Church; , for example, what St. Robert Bellarmine described, like.’.knowledge of Scriptures ‘ was never a visible sign of the true Church nor a baptismal certificate nor proof of ordination or episcopal consecration nor an election by a conclave. Sit down and read the 4 Marks enumerated by the Nicene-Constantinople Creed and none of the just mentioned signs are part of it.
The true and orthodox teaching of Christ is that the true Church had four visible signs; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. There is no other way by which we can know the true Church. The same goes with individual members. Just as the Catholic Community should exhibit the four visible signs, each individual Catholic should, also, exhibit the four signs. It is easier to see the signs in a community. It is still easy to find them in individuals but a little more difficult to do so.
2. All Catholics must have credentials.
Since witnessing is the best way of evangelization, God wants that pagans be converted because they see the 4 Marks of the Catholic Church. These Marks are philosophically convincing and needs no arguments to convert. So the signs should be visible, hanging on every Catholic’s neck like an ID card for all to see. It must be exhibited by the Pope, the cardinals, the bishops, the priests, every husband and wife and every child. Because they make up the Church, thus they must all exhibit their Catholic credentials.
3. We must know those credentials to be able to check on each other’s credentials because as St. Bellarmine wrote, the Protestants have many erroneous opinions on what are the true marks of the Church. So he found it necessary to , first, refute the protestant’s opinions and, secondly to teach and defend the true Catholic teaching.
St. Robert Bellarmine noted that Martin Luther, in enumerating his own marks of the Church, was very careful in avoiding the authentic 4 visible signs mentioned in the Creed. He knew that if he used these signs the Protestants will certainly not have them.
We had mentioned the seven marks of the Church according to Martin Luther where he cleverly avoided the 4 Catholic Marks knowing his churches would not have those 4 visible signs. Let us look, however, at some erroneous concepts Catholics think are signs of Catholicity. That those who are baptized and who have received the other sacraments are Catholics. That those who are members of the hierarchy are Catholics. That the one elected Pope is automatically a Catholic. That Catholic schools are Catholics. That Catholic religious orders are Catholics. That Catholic organizations are Catholic. Well, none of the above are official credentials of Catholicity. The official credentials is whenever two or three are One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic……then there is the Catholic Church and the two or three are true Catholics.
4. To understand the 4 Marks, we must know their dynamics, i.e. how those signs work. Here are brief descriptions of each Mark. ‘One’ – the members of the community must believe in exactly the same truths in their minds. There must be no differences in their beliefs. Aside from believing the same truths, all members of the community must believe in all the truths and not only know partial truths. The first truths are natural truths making up the spirituality of the Old Testament. Then it is followed by the teachings of Christ taught as the spirituality of the New Testament. Oneness in the knowledge of this latter truths, in a complete way which are in the supernatural level, is what makes us Catholics.
Secondly; ‘Holy’. The complete truths learned is the way to holiness so, therefore, the soul should advance in holiness. A Catholic cannot be stagnant spiritually. He must grow spiritually everyday. Starting from living the life of repentance which is the first knowledge our intellects must acquire and gradually rising to the theological virtue of Faith which is knowledge of the teachings of Christ, which when put into practice makes us Holy; this is the second Mark.
Thirdly, since knowledge of one or two of the teachings of the commands of Christ in the New Testament is a work of the Holy Spirit and is never the accomplishment of the seminary, the teachings worldwide should be identical. Thus the Church is ‘Catholic’, i.e. universal because there is no African Church, no Latin Church, and no Asian Church, etc.
Fourthly, The initial intellectual knowledge that the community must possess must come, both, from Scriptures, specially the apostles’ writings and as interpreted by the Fathers of the Church. Scriptures and the Fathers make up the so-called Apostolic teachings. It must not come from anyone outside those two sources.
5. Why must we be certain which is the true Church and why should we be inside that Church.
Because forgiveness of sin is only within the Catholic Church. If your parish or diocese does not have the four visible signs, sins cannot be forgiven there. The true sacraments, specially the Holy Eucharist, in only within the true Church. Where there are no visible signs there is no Mass. Where there is no four visible signs there is no knowledge of the truth, Bellarmine continues. And there is no salvation where there are no four signs.
In the past posts we had reviewed the seven common marks Protestants enumerate as the signs of the true church. Bellarmine had refuted all of them. Except today, most Catholics use those erroneous signs as proofs that the Catholic Church is the true Church; like the mere use of the name ‘Catholic.’ Or believing that mere reception of the Sacraments make us Catholics. Of course, the sacraments are true instruments of grace but those are not part of the visible marks of the true Church because most Protestants have those same Sacraments.
6. St. Bellarmine’s Marks are expansions but are still part of the four because they are found in Scriptures.
Let us return to the 14th and 15th Mark. Both are enhancements from the four Nicene visible signs. And these is found in Acts; those who oppose the true Christian community is opposing Christ, Himself. While those who defend the community defends Christ, Himself. These two Marks were taken from the wise advise of Gamaliel who said;” Theudas and Judas started something man-made and it came to nothing.’ Then, referring to the early Church in the person of the Apostles he continued. “I advise you ‘Leave these men alone.’ Let them go. For if their purpose or activity is of human origin it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourself fighting God.”
If I am faced with a Christian community and I have to judge them, I will do it the simplest way. I will master the Marks of the Church, and see if they have it. If I know the marks, it should take me just a few weeks to judge them. If they have it and I defend them, God will reward me. If they have it and I oppose them God will condemn me.
But what if I do not know the signs of the true church. What if after one, two to three years I still do not know whether they are from God or not; because I, myself, do not have the visible signs. I would be in grave danger in not ‘leaving them alone.’ Then I would not ‘be wise like Gamaliel. I will ‘try to stop them’ and expose myself to the great possibility of fighting God.’ And end up with a dreadful way of dying and being cast into eternal flames. Being unwise and opposing the community, I would probably add an unrepentant adulterous life and a life of sodomy and assure my condemnation. He who is unwise will surely commit this mistake. So St. Robert Bellarmine tells us to be wise and master the 15 Marks of the Church. And judge everything around by these criteria.
7. Only one act, ‘Oppose’ or ‘defend’, can bring us to hell or to heaven.
St. James wrote; ‘obedience to one command is obedience to all the commands of Christ. Disobedience to one is disobedience to all. In the 14th Mark, it states that to ‘oppose’ the christian community is enough to bring you to an unhappy end and damnation. You do not have to add adultery and sodomy to your sin of ‘opposing the community’ to go to hell because all the sins, including adultery and sodomy are included in the sin of ‘opposing the community’ as Christ reminded St. Paul on his way to persecute the community of Christians.
On the other hand, note that to be rewarded by God it is enough to defend the truth. Because within the act of defending the truth is contained all the acts of virtue; like when Dimas defended Christ on the Cross from the other thief. It was enough for him to do that to be with Christ, that day, in Paradise.
8. It is enough to ‘oppose the christian community’ to go to hell. But, merely, to know the truth is not enough. We must outwardly defend the truth; this is the 15th sign that we are Catholics. Today Catholic truths are under attacked from all quarters. Because many do not know the complete truths they are silent before these attacks, or worse, for lack of Faith, take part in these attacks. Unable to defend outwardly the truth they do not deserve the promise.
9. Bad signs of the times.
The last 2014 Bishop’s Synod was a bad sign of the times. It had been a traumatic experience for the Catholic world while, at the same time, a cause of great rejoicing for the enemies of the Church. One third of the attendees led by Bishop Baldiserri opposed the teachings of Scriptures, the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church by proposing the admission of unrepentant adulterers to Holy Communion among others. Fortunately two thirds of the Bishops led by Cardinal Burke defended the apostolic teachings. With one third ‘opposing’ and two thirds ‘defending.’ the Bishop’s Synod held in the Vatican lost all her four visible signs of being the true Church of Christ with one third destined for a dreadful death and eternal fire while two thirds looking forward for temporal blessings and life everlasting. The worrisome thing is that the Catholic Church disappeared from the Vatican. But as some of the other news observed; the idea of a Catholic nation or country had long ago disappeared from the face of the world. Neither Europe, Ireland nor the Philippines, as nations, have the four visible signs. Though a few individuals might still have them, by the grace of God.
10.. We are living in winnowing times. Angels are sorting the cockles from the wheat. The fruits of the wheat and the fruitlessness of the cockles are now evident. Time for choosing sides is over. Most have made their choices. Next, we are just awaiting the fearful judgement of God.