1. The four visible signs of the Church and the three theological virtues. These two are infallible signs of being inside the Catholic Church, that there is the beginning of Faith and the inception of knowledge of the One true God…… and, therefore, assurance of everlasting life.
The difference is that the four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed can be discerned by all men; while the theological virtues are beyond the cognition of all men. Yet both of them are signs of the same thing; knowledge of God and membership in the Catholic Church.
On the other hand the absence of the four visible signs is a sign of the absence of the three theological virtues. And vice versa.
2. Evangelisation.
Evangelisation consists in guiding a community to produce the four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed; or in receiving the three theological virtues from God. So the ultimate goal of evangelisation, the four visible signs of the Church and of the three theological virtues are identical……the attainment of everlasting life.
3. The gradual progress.
The four visible signs and the three theological virtues cannot be attained instantly. These are developed gradually depending on the souls generosity to God. The four visible signs and the three theological virtues can be attained, only, within a context of a community. It cannot be attained alone; the community does not have to be physically together. But both the visible signs and the virtues can be seen in each separate individuals.
Example; Claude and Sidney must work together to have the four visible signs and the three virtues. But once they have attained their goal, the four visible signs and the theological virtues may be seen in each one separately. Though in preaching, they must, again, be together as we have seen in the ‘two by two’ instruction of Christ.
While gradually growing in the four visible signs and the three virtues, and until they have not attained the fulness of the said signs the state of their progress in the spiritual life can be monitored. This is the work of a good superior. This way the superior can know if the subject is regressing, stagnant or progressing. Such a superior must have the four visible signs and the three theological virtues, himself, to be able to do this; otherwise he cannot do a good job.
4. Monitoring some groups.
A group may progress or regress. That is why some grow in holiness while others deteriorate. History had shown that the Church was vibrant around the 13th century and practically non-existent in the 19th century. So clearly, a church may progress or regress. The Benedictines were great in the times of Augustine and Boniface and is shameful today. These are the ups and downs of the spiritual life that is reflected in history and in each culture.
Knowing what are the visible signs of the true Church, let us look, in general, at some groups and see how far or near are they from the Catholic Church today. Those nearer the Church have the greater possibility of entering the Church sooner. While those farther will find it more difficult to enter the Church.
Most of them were very near entering the Catholic Church during the Papacy of Benedict XVI. Suddenly everybody is far away. Our bases of analysis will be the four visible signs of the true Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed and its expanded version enumerated in the 15 Marks of the Church by St. Robert Bellarmine. These four visible signs are the only sign by which all man can identify true Catholicism. So we are using these signs instead of the three theological virtues.
5. THE FIRST. They are nearest to the Catholic Church who followed the ‘new’ evangelisation of Pope John II and Benedict XVI. This is based on St. Bonaventure’s ‘new’ monasticism. It is essentially the monasticism of St. Benedict, St. John Cassian, St. Bernard, etc. But it overflows back to the primitive church while adapting to the present situation in which the Church is suddenly in crisis.
How was this formed? Take a group. Show them the four visible marks of the Church; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Then begin with the last mark, Apostolic. And proceed backwards.
Teach them how to go to heaven as taught by the Apostles. Then teach them how to put those teachings into practice. If the community is made up of different nationalities, while putting the teachings of the Apostles into practice, they begin to show the mark Catholic. As they are able to put all the teachings into practice they become Holy. As they become holy, the virtue of Charity unites them to become One.
There, you have a community with the four visible signs of the Church. You have a Catholic Church. That is how this group, following the ‘new’ evangelisation, do it.
THE SECOND Among outsiders, the nearest to the Catholic Church are the Orthodox church of Russia, Greece and Constantinople. They are the nearest because they follow the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Eastern Fathers of the Church. They should be truly Catholics except that they do not follow their sources perfectly; and that made them schismatics, instead. But they are the nearest to the truths of the true Church of Christ. So they have the most, though not complete, visible signs of the true Church.
The backbone of Communism was broken by very Catholic John Paul II but with the help of Orthodox Michail Gorbachev whose mother was a very devout Orthodox. The monastic life of the Orthodox, as found on mountain tops, middle of the forest and deserts, are almost pure Catholic monasticism thus closer to John Paul and Benedict’s ‘new’ monasticism than the Vatican church.
Patriarch Krill of Moscow taught Pope Francis more Catholic Doctrines during their meet. The doctrines of both sides are as different as two worlds. The government of Putin is approving more Catholic morals practices like banning same sex marriage than Catholic Rome. Putin, himself, had urged Russians to pray more, more than our parish priest. And watch this; I read a beautiful prayer in Russian. Thinking it came from a priest reciting it at the foot of the altar at the beginning of the Mass, I opened the page. What did I see? It was the prayer of the head of the Chief of Staff of the Russian army reciting it at the beginning of a military parade. The photo was followed by a procession of holy icons carried by soldiers. A sight of soldiers carrying holy icons in parade……not even in presumably Catholic Philippines. Add to these the state returning monasteries and churches and remodelling them with state funds.
Since they are very near the Catholic Church, it would be deterioration for them to join the Vatican church which is six steps away.
THE THIRD The next nearest the Catholic Church are the Society of Saint Pius X of Marcel Lefebvre. Marcel was a good theologian who have influenced the African Bishops. Assigned in Gabon, Dakar, Senegal and apostolic Delegate of West Africa, he had well influenced many African Bishops who, today, are towers of orthodoxy in the Catholic Church. Cardinal Sarah, being one of them. During Vatican II, Lefebvre was the scourged of heretics but was out numbered in the voting.
His small group in Econe, Switzerland was well trained in Scriptures and the traditional doctrines. Thus their teachings are more in accordance with the ancient teachings of the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict was the one who realised that his group was on the right tract but slightly went out of the rail due to a great spiritual need; the need for continuity in a church that was fast changing into another direction. So he disobeyed and ordained without permission which earned him a sentence of excommunication. But Pope Benedict withdrew the sentence seeing that the intention was not pride but the satisfaction of a need.
Their clinging to Divine Revelation and the Tradition of the Catholic Church had kept them near the Catholic Church. They did not go astray too far. Though they do not have the four visible signs of the Church due to the ecclesiastical sentence they previously had, they are showing signs of their closeness to the Church; an imperfection that will be easy to fix.
Being just three steps away from the Church, if they join the Catholic Church, which is being negotiated, they will go down three steps lower rather than progress; because Vatican II with its unclear documents will drag them down.
THE FOURTH. The Jews are still following the Old Testament which contains the teachings on the life of repentance, the necessary first step that leads to Faith, Hope and Charity. The Old Testament, as if to say, is one fourth of the way that leads to heaven. So they are one fourth on the way to heaven. That is better than one who has not repented because they do not believe in the life of repentance which consist of obedience to the Old Testament commands. They have the added advantage that they were the Chosen People of God once upon a time whom Christ had promised some special favours for.
THE FIFTH are the Primitive tribes, like the Tasadays of the Philippines. They live by the natural law which is very close to the Old Testament. To whom little is given little will be demanded. So with the little knowledge they have of what is good and protected from the sinfulness of the world, they would not be too far away from the Church.
The Tasadays do not even get angry and they do not even have a word that express anger. Being mild and patient; by these virtues they are close to the Church.
THE SIXTH. The farthest away from the Church is the Vatican and the church it rules today. They are not like the primitives in that they tolerates unnatural perversions. They disobey the Old Testament by tolerating and advocating divorce and remarriage. They disobey the New Testament by telling the contemplatives to give up their better chosen portion. They disobey the Fathers and doctors of the Church by abolishing capital punishment. They have disobeyed everyone……except their own selves. Love of self is their god; and pride is their name. They are closer to Lucifer than the Catholic Church.
It is because of their great distance from the Church that parishes, dioceses and most of the priests cannot show the visible signs of the Catholic Church.
6. Christ was asking.
When I come at the end of the world, will I find Faith on earth? It was a rhetorical question. Christ knew the answer. He was God. He knew he would not find Faith in the Catholic Church He had established because most Catholics will be very far away from the Church. Neither will He find any of the four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed in the Church.
Their doctrines will not be from the Apostles; but from a German and Argentine bishop. Not having the Apostolic doctrine on how to be holy, each of them will invent their own way of being holy thus their doctrine will no longer be Catholic. Not believing in doctrines that does not make one holy, they will not be holy. Not being holy the Holy Spirit cannot unite them into One.
The four visible signs of the true Church will not be found anywhere in the world. As such Faith, Hope and Charity will not be found in the world. Of course, there will be Catholics but they will be hidden. So the world will experience total darkness. Didn’t a Lady say that in Quito, Ecuador around the 16th century?
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