The Pope Remembers Christians in the Middle East

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The Pope prays everyday for peace in the Middle East especially for the Christians of Iraq. Benedict XVI himself said so, during a meeting this morning with Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians (in Lebanon), and members of the Synod of the Syro-Catholic Church. “I constantly pray – he said – for peace in the Middle East, in particular for the Christians who lived in the beloved nation of Iraq, every day, during the Eucharistic Sacrifice, I present their suffering to the Lord”. Read more...

Who Compiled the Bible?

Who compiled the Bible?

This is the Iglesia ni Cristo's response. They heavily quoted Catholic Fathers who did the compilation.

(Click the photo to enlarge)

Israeli Border Policemen Humiliate a Palestinian

Taken from Haaretz.com. This is completely outrageous! I deeply detest this kind of practice! Those Border Police who made fun of this Palestinian boy should be banned from serving the Israeli government or they should be tried for human rights violation!

Lord, have mercy on Israel!

Let's Celebrate the Year of Priests

I wonder how many of us Catholics do really pray for our parish priests strengthening them in their spiritual battle to holiness. I for one, I can’t remember the last time I have prayed for our who is tireless in attending to our spiritual needs. Not needing praise for their hard labor, our Indian and Filipino Franciscan missionaries never failed us in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

But priests are human beings like us. They feel the same emotions as we feel. They have to wake up every morning and make the hardest decision again and again to continuously love and serve the Lord in his Church. They too are prone to severe affliction of sadness. At the end of the day after they said their vespers and night prayers, they have to face the Lord in the privacy of their rooms beating their chests with the hardest question “what have I done today to deserve God’s favor?”

Let’s not forget that our priests have feelings the way we feel because they too are like us in all aspect. If we are frustrated when someone failed us, they too feel the same. When we all run to friends in times of difficulties, they too have that urge to unload their hurts to friends. When we feel hurt by rejection, they too feel the same. They are not invinsible like superman. They are human beings, prone to fall, easily tempted, commit sin but they chose not to give in because they have chosen a vocation that’s we all cannot endure--the vow of celibacy.

Our priests are fragile people. They’re sensitive men. They love the agape way of loving. They are our spiritual fathers. We ought to pray for them. Anti-Catholics and the media are at times unfriendly to priestly misgivings but we shouldn’t be surprised by it. Instead, we should condemn their wrong doings but lovingly forgive the penitent sinner. After all, those who have no sin should cast the very first stone.”

I remember in my younger years I have a shirt that has a very beautiful caption imprinted on it. It says, “A Priest is Always Wrong Because…" (Click madharasan.com for the text).

This year is dedicated to our priests. Let’s all remember our priests, no matter how unfriendly they are, or how far they can’t be reached. Let us all recognize their importance. Let not their sinfulness destroy our faith in the Lord. We all need our priests and so let’s join the whole Catholic Church for this occasion where we can show our love for our priests. Here is partial letter of the Holy Father letter to our priests:

Thanks to Catholic Online:

Dear Brother Priests,

On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 - a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy - I have decided to inaugurate a "Year for Priests" in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the "dies natalis" of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide. This Year, meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today's world, will conclude on the same Solemnity in 2010. "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus", the saintly Cure of Ars would often say. This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ's words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service,
their universal charity? And how can I not praise the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as "friends of Christ", whom He has called by name, chosen and sent?

I still treasure the memory of the first parish priest at whose side I exercised my ministry as a young priest: he left me an example of unreserved devotion to his pastoral duties, even to meeting death in the act of bringing viaticum to a gravely ill person. I also recall the countless confreres whom I have met and continue to meet, not least in my pastoral visits to different countries: men generously dedicated to the daily exercise of their priestly ministry. Yet the expression of St. John Mary also makes us think of Christ's pierced Heart and the crown of thorns which surrounds it. I am also led to think, therefore, of the countless situations of suffering endured by many priests, either because they themselves share in the manifold human experience of pain or because they encounter misunderstanding from the very persons to whom they minister. How can we not also think of all those priests who are offended in their dignity, obstructed in their mission and persecuted, even at times to offering the supreme testimony of their own blood?

There are also, sad to say, situations which can never be sufficiently deplored where the Church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of her ministers. Then it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection.
What is most helpful to the Church in such cases is not only a frank and complete acknowledgement of the weaknesses of her ministers, but also a joyful and renewed realisation of the greatness of God's gift, embodied in the splendid example of generous pastors, religious afire with love for God and for souls,
and insightful, patient spiritual guides. Here the teaching and example of St. John Mary Vianney can serve as a significant point of reference for us all. The Cure of Ars was quite humble, yet as a priest he was conscious of being an immense gift to his people: "A good shepherd, a pastor after God's heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy". He spoke of the priesthood as if incapable of fathoming the grandeur of the gift and task entrusted to a human creature: "O, how great is the priest! ... If he realised what he is, he would die. ... God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host".

Explaining to his parishioners the importance of the Sacraments, he would say: "Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put Him there in that tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest. And if this soul should happen to die [as a result of sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace?
Again, the priest. ... After God, the priest is everything! ... Only in heaven will he fully realise what he is". These words, welling up from the priestly heart of the holy pastor, might sound excessive. Yet they reveal the high esteem in which he held the Sacrament of the Priesthood. He seemed overwhelmed by a boundless sense of responsibility: "Were we to fully realise what a priest is on earth, we ... Read more...

Religions (Churches) and their Founders

Here's a list of Religions and Churches and their founders (source: Adherents.com). Since the Catholic Church's History is integral to the History of Christianity as a whole (Wikipedia), The Catholic Church' founder is Jesus Christ.

Judaism - Abraham; Moses
Rabbinic Judaism - Johanan ben Zakkai
Kabbala - Moses de Leon
Modern Hasidism - Israel ben Eliezer
The Haskala or Enlightenment - Moses Mendelson
Zionism - Theodore Herzl
Secular Humanistic Judaism - Sherwin T. Wine
Jews for Jesus - Moishe Rosen

Christianity [Catholicism both Eastern and Western Tradition] - Jesus Christ
Orthodox (Eastern) - Michael Cerularius, 1054

Protestants,
Lutherans - Martin Luther, 1517
Anabaptists - Zwingli, 1519
Church of England, Anglicanism - Henry VIII, 1534
Calvinism; Dutch Reformed - Calvin, 1536
Presbyterians - Knox, 1560
Puritans - Cartwright, 1570
Congregationalists - Brown, 1582
Baptists - John Smith, 1605
Episcopalians - Seabury, 1620
Quakers - Fox, 1654
Shakers - Ann Lee, 1741
Methodists - Wesley, 1744
Unitarians - Lindsay, 1774
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Joseph Smith, Jr. 1830
Churches of Christ, Christian Church - Campbell and Stone, 1832
Adventists - Miller, 1846
Jehovah's Witnesses - Russell, 1852
Salvation Army - Rev. General William Booth and Catherine Booth, 1865
Christian Science - Mary Baker Eddy, 1879
Unity School of Christianity - Fillmore, 1889
Pentecostals - Parham, 1900
[Iglesia ni Cristo - Felix Y. Manalo, 1914]
Worldwide Church of God - Herbert W. Armstrong, 1934
Calvary Chapel - Chuck Smith, 1965


Islam - Muhammad
Sunnis - Abu
Shi'ites - Abdullah bin Saba'a

A Muslim writer has generously provided us with these additional notes:
1.'Abu' was an early Sunni leader, but is not the 'founder' of the Sunnis, as distinct from other Muslim groups. There is no "founder" of Sunnis because they are the original Muslims 'the followers of Mohammed', then came other names.
2.'Ali' is not the founder of Shi'ites. "Abdullah bin Saba'a" is. 'Ali' is sometimes considered the founder of Shi'ites, although there were no Shi'ites at his time. But a man called "Abdullah bin Saba'a" said: "we are the Shi'ites of Ali" so they were called Shi'ites.

Sufi - Ahmad al-Quadina
Black Muslims - Timothy Drew


Buddhism: Buddha (Sidhartha Gautama)
Nichiren Buddhism - Nichiren

Hinduism
Transcendental Meditation - Guru Maharishi
Mahest Yogi
ISKCON - Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuda
Rajneeshism/OSHO - Bhagwan Rajneesh
Divine Light Mission - Maharaj Ji
Vedanta Society - Swami Vivekenanda
Krishnamurti Foundation of America - Annie Besant
Free Pimitive Church of Divine Communion - Bubba Free John
Hanuman Foundation - Richard Alpert
Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science - Swami Rami
Self-Realization Fellowship - Paramahansa Yogananda
Shree Gurudev Siddha Yoga Ashram - Swami Muktananda Paramahansa

Sikhism - Guru Nanak
3HO Foundation - Yogi Bhajan


Taoism - Lao-Tze
Jainism - Mahavira
Confucianism - Kung-futze (Confucius)
Baha'i Faith - Baha'u'llah
Zoroastrinaism, Parsis - Zoroaster
Subud - RM.Muhamad Subud Sumohadiwijojo

Theosophy - Madame Helena Petrova Blavatsky
New Age - Alice Bailey
est: - Werner Erhard

Church Universal and Triumphant: - Elisabeth Prophet, 1958
Spititualism - Kate Fox, 1848;
Kardec Unitarian Universalist Association - merger of Unitarians and Univeralists, 1959
Eckankar - John Paul Twitchell

Welcome Home!

Fr. Jeffrey Steel Comes Home: 'I Have Jumped into the Tiber to Swim Across'

"I am writing to make the announcement that I am becoming a Roman Catholic along with my wife Rhea and our six children. I realize that this decision is going to make some really happy, some very sad and others possibly angry. But, I have made the decision with the deepest sense of integrity and by conscience. I would like to share a bit of my faith journey though there are many gaps here; it is descriptive of my heart over the past few months. This is not particularly an academic account of what I have done in my studies but rather the spiritual wrestling that went on within me. The announcement was made this morning in all
three parishes where I serve and is now a matter of public knowledge. My reception into Holy Mother Church is forthcoming. Read more...

Anglican Nuns becoming Catholics

On Thursday, 3 September, in the Year of Our Lord 2009 Mass will be Celebrated in the Chapel of All Saints Convent Catonsville, Maryland with the Archbishop of Baltimore - Edwin O’Brien - as the Chief Celebrant.

During this Mass Mother Christina, Sister Emily Ann, Sister Mary Joan, Sister Hannah, Sister Elizabeth, Sister Elaine, Sister Catherine Grace, Sister Julia Mary, Sister Mary Charles, and Sister Margaret will be received into full communion with the Holy See. Read more...

Religious Dogmas Being Used by Other Christian Denominations Against the Roman Catholic Church

Religious dogmas utilized by other Christian denominations to discredit and gain followers from Roman Catholic Church.

by Nobert Soloria Bermosa:

"The Roman Catholic answers also rejects other Christian denominations' doctrines of apostasy within the Catholic Church and does not consider the verses used to support the doctrine of these denominations being prophesied nor the apostasy of the Catholic Church are used in the right context. It contends that other verses are difficult to reconcile with the views of these sects specifically of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ).

An appeal to everyone; let's not discredit others in our effort to convince or convert others to join our group. That's not a good attitude of a true Christian, it's not being fair. After all, we believe in one God so there's no need to discredit each other."

Cults are most guilty of these cowardly practice of discrediting Catholic arguments. Among these shameful practices; they intimidate, harrass, dishoner, steal others' identities, create bogus blogs, use other's names as imposters, that's all they've got to explain their teachings.

Netanyahu a 'racist', says Extremist Hamas?

(Photo Credit: mwilliams.info) I can't believe Hamas have learned to understand the word "racism" when reacting to Mr. Netanyahu's speech calling for an undivided Jerusalem and a two-state solution to foster peace in the Middle East. But with the condition to "demilitarized" Hamas before that happens. That was racism says Hamas. Thanks to PressTV:

The Islamic Hamas movement has criticized hawkish Israeli prime minister's policy address, saying it reflects a 'racist and extremist ideology'.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum described Benjamin Netanyahu's Sunday night speech as a "slap in the face" of all moderate supporters of negotiations with Israel.

The speech is a repeat of the policy of the Israeli government, "which aims at transforming the Palestinian people into a tool to protect the occupation," he said.

Barhum added that Netanyahu's stance on the Middle East conflict displays that Israel rejects the rudimentary rights of the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, highlighted that Netanyahu, in his speech, erased the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homeland, adding that he also failed to "recognize al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of the independent Palestinian state."

Radwan also rejected Netanyahu's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel.

"What is needed to be done now, is to stop immediately all ties with Israel," said the Hamas leader. Read more...

Egypt church issues first conversion certificate

(Photo Source: Unitedcopts.org) CAIRO (AFP-UnitedCopts.org) — Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church has for the first time issued a certificate of conversion to a Muslim-born Christian, his lawyer said, in a country where religious conversion is highly sensitive.

Maher al-Gohari, who is seeking to change his religion on his official documents from Muslim to Christian was asked by a court to provide a conversion certificate from the Egyptian church.

"He handed it in today," Nabil Gabriel told AFP. "It is the first time the church provides this sort of certificate."

In Egypt, citizens are required to carry their personal ID cards at all times. Without an ID card, one has no access to basic services.

It is only the second time that such a request has been formally made in a country where converting to Christianity, while not illegal, is practically impossible... Read the complete article!

Corpus Christi! My Lord and My God!

(Photo Credit: stpatricksmithtown.org):

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

"I am the bread of life.

"Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "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. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." John 6:35,49-56)

No doubt, the Holy Eucharist adored in Catholic Churches tabernacles around the world is the same Body of Christ which he instituted in the Last Supper. Chapter 6 of John is not a symbolism of his Body-- he meant it literally. So that at His words, the same chapter 6 says "many of his disciples who were listening said, 'This saying is hard; who can accept it?'", meaning they understood the words of Jesus well. If Jesus was referring to this bread to be a "symbolism" only of his body then he must have corrected their wrong thoughts for he (in this same chapter) have read their inner rambling thoughts. But of course Jesus never did because he meant it LITERALLY!

That is why, the Catholic Church, throughout its more than 2,000 years of life, nourished by the same Spirit who descended upon the Blessed Virgin Mary and the apostles on Pentecost Day worship Christ in the Holy Eucharist with deep devotion.There is no other greater Catholic devotion than this. This is the summit, the climax, the heart of all our celebrations for without the Eucharist our Churches are useless entertainment theatres with dancing and singing on stage while someone is preaching Christ in Christless church. And it is in this same true Church which He established in St. Peter that Christ's Body is really venerated, adored, loved with deep devotion and eaten.

At the last supper:

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, 'Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26"26-28)

St. Paul strictly warned every Christian NOT to receive his Body under the state of sin, rather one has have been purified his heart before receiving the bread which is his REAL BODY.

"For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of
me."

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment...(1 Cor.11:23-31)

In today's Catholics, I saw a lot of communicants who lined up to receive his Body (and Blood) not mindful that they are about to enter into Christ's own body. While lining for communion, some would be playing, chatting. Seldom I see anyone genuflects before receiving His Body or making the sign of the Cross after receiving his holy Body. I think there should be basic catechism to Catholics before the Mass or before the Holy Communion to avoid profaning his Body and Blood. Of course we cannot judge a person's heart but we can remind them of the consequences of what they are about to do and to help them discern, a helpful and prudent reminder could instill in every Catholic how much we revere Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Teaching them to set aside some few moments with the Lord before and after communion and have a brief conversation with him in their hearts would be a nice and sincere gesture of loving the Lord in the Blessed Eucharist.

May the Body and Blood of Christ bring us all to everlasting life.

Amen.

The Pope's Warning

"Stay with us, Christ, give to us the gift of yourself and give us the bread that nourishes us for eternal life.

"Free this world from the venom of evil, of violence and of hate, which contaminate consciences; purify it with the power of your merciful love." Pope Warns the Church

Couregeous Muslim Woman

Dispelling the Myths about the Catholic Church

Anti-Catholics such as the Iglesia ni Cristo love to circulate myths about the Catholic faith. They rather believe in false accusations and lies circulated in the internet than pointing to the Catholic Church’s official teachings found in many websites such as Catholic Answers, Catholic Online and other Catholic websites. Right inside the Official Vatican Website, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is available in four major languages, English, French, Spanish and Chinese. One can only wonder why they hate to quote what's our official stand. The Bible and the Code of Canon is also provided in the Vatican Site. To dispell some of those myths, here is an article of conway23 that could enlighten those still under the influence of darkness.

1. Catholics are Full of Guilt: I remember a ’90s rock band in Boston named “Big Catholic Guilt,” clever name, but way off the mark. Practicing Catholics who go to Confession on a regular basis know that they have been forgiven by God! And when you’re right with God, the guilt has been washed clean away!
2. Catholic Teaching Caused the Priest Sex Abuse Scandal: Huh? Catholic teaching expressly forbids sex outside marriage and homosexuality, while requiring priests to remain celibate. One could safely argue that it was disobedience to Catholic teaching that lead to this tragedy.
3. Catholics Worship the Pope: Nope. The Pope is just a man. A sinner like all men and women. Catholics look to the Pope as the successor of St. Peter, and so we follow his teachings on faith and morals.
4. Catholics Worship Mary: Not true either. Catholics are devoted to Mary. Worship is reserved exclusively for God alone.
5. The Catholic Church Opposes Science. This is real persistent one. I suppose it indicates ignorance that it was the Catholic Church which founded the world’s first universities…You ever heard of the scientist Copernicus? He was a Polish Priest. And you can thank Jesuit priests/scientists for the development of astronomy.
6. The Catholic Church is Rich: Okay? I suppose the Catholic Church is rich in the same way that the British Royal Museum is rich. It’s true that there is a lot of gold, art and expensive real estate in the Vatican, but don’t expect it on eBay anytime soon. When Pope John Paul II died he owned virtually nothing, get the picture?
7. Catholics Think Sex is Dirty: Wrong again. It’s Victorians who think sex is dirty. Catholics understand that our Lord became flesh, which indicates that the body is sacred. Catholic marriages are elevated to the level of a sacrament as well, and the sexual act is the central unitve expression of marriage.
8. The Church Obsesses on Homosexuality: It’s actually contemporary American culture that is obsessed with forcing Christians, and the Catholic Church in particular, to abandon their moral stance against homosexual acts and gay marriage. Catholic teaching on homosexuality is 2,000 years old and will not change.
9. Women are Oppressed by the Church: Feminists work overtime on this one. Help me understand how divorce, abortion and the sexual revolution have helped women? One need only look at the breakdown of the African-American family in the last 40 years to see what happens when Christian values are tossed aside. Is it any surprise that it was women in the Roman Empire who first recognized that Christianity offered them respect, protection and a moral code that applied equally to men and women.
10. Catholics are Religious Fundamentalists: Technically speaking, fundamentalists are Protestant Christians who read the Bible literally. This is not the Catholic approach to Scripture…Yet if one means a fundamental faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and our God, then maybe we are fundamentalists.

About the Christian Family

The Rev. Epke VanderBerg is a Protestant minister, member of the Episcopal family and of the Grand Rapids Interfaith Dialogue Association. This man has a deep sense of history and he is not far from the truth about the Catholic Church;

Western Liturgical Family: The four oldest Christian families are the following: the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the non-Chalcedonian Orthodox tradition, the Western Catholic tradition and the Anglican tradition. A strong liturgical life characterizes these Christian families, along with true-creeds, sacraments, language and culture, which find their expression in their liturgy. Most of these families observe seven sacraments: baptism, eucharist, holy orders, unction, marriage, confirmation and penance. Two other characteristics mark these churches: allegiance to creeds, and belief in Apostolic succession. Even though these churches evolved from one common beginning, they unfolded into separate entities with Christianity's spread into other cultures.

The Eastern Orthodox family, its authority centered in the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Constantinople, split from the Western Catholic tradition in 1054 AD. The Western Catholic tradition, based in Rome and entrenched in Western Europe, exercised strong political and religious authority. The Anglican tradition in England broke with Rome in the 16th century when Henry VIII saw opportunity for an independent church that would give him his desired divorce and financial freedom for battle. The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion and The Book of Common Prayer established it as a separate liturgical tradition. In the immigration to North America and after the American Revolutionary War, the Anglican Church became known, in 1787, as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S. Read
more...

Read more at Adherents.com

An Interview with Fr. Botros

An interview with the Coptic Orthodox Priest with a 60 million dollar bounty on his head from al Qaeda. Read here...

Or visit fatherzakaria.net or Islam-Christianity.net

Ex-Catholic University of Notre Dame

Coach Dave get exclusive footage of Father Norman Weslin's arrest at Notre Dame University for protesting abortion. Also featuring an interview with Pastor Rick Scarborough. Thanks to PTSalt. God bless.

Christ Founded a Visible Church

Thanks to YouTube account of Called to Communion

One of the most fundamental differences between the Protestant and Catholic ecclesial paradigms concerns the nature of the Church that Christ founded. According to the predominant Protestant paradigm, the Church itself is a spiritual, invisible entity, though some of its members, namely, all those believers still living in this present life, are visible, because they are embodied.

In the Protestant paradigm, anyone who has true faith in Christ is ipso facto a member of the one Church that Christ founded. This Protestant paradigm does not acknowledge that Christ founded a visible hierarchically organized Body.1 By contrast, the Catholic Church for 2,000 years has believed and taught that the incarnate Christ founded a visible, hierarchically organized Body. In the Catholic paradigm, faith in Christ is not sufficient by itself to make a person a member of this Body; a believer is incorporated into this Body by valid baptism, but is removed from this Body either by heresy, apostasy, schism, or excommunication.

The Reformed confessions affirm the visibility of the Church, so that raises a particular question: with respect to visibility, how is Reformed ecclesiology distinct both from the common Protestant ecclesial paradigm and from Catholic ecclesiology? In this article we first show that Christ founded His Church as a visible Body, and why He did so. Then we present the various positions and argue that the Reformed ecclesiology is equivalent in essence to the common Protestant ecclesial paradigm. Finally, we draw out some important implications following from the visibility of the Church. Read more in "Called to Communion...

Taylor Marshall's Conversion Story

I am always fascinated by stories of Catholic Converts. From St. Paul’s own conversion and testimony God continuously sends new converts to show us that in seeking the Truth, one can find it in knowledge. The great writer and speaker, Mr. Marshall shares with us how God has led him home. (Photo Credit: Taylor Marshall):

I was not always drawn to the Catholic Church. I once resisted it with great force. As a college student I believed that Pope John Paul II was the Antichrist and that the Catholic Church was the Scarlet Whore of Babylon described by St John in the Apocalypse. I even handed out Jack Chick tracts and left them in my dorm toilet stalls (probably where they belonged in the first place!) for fellow students to read. Today my wife and I (and our four children) are Catholic, Roman Catholic. As Chesterton described in the quote above, the moment I ceased pulling away against the Catholic Church I slowly (even without knowing it) began to be pulled toward the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, many Protestants and Anglicans cannot comprehend why someone might be drawn to Catholicism in the first place.

Many will grant that the Catholic Church is impressive. A trip to the Vatican will verify this for you. The Church is the curator of priceless pieces of art. The Vatican is a city-state. The pope has a seat at the United Nations. The cathedrals of Europe are spectacular. Many of the great universities and hospitals of the world find their origin in the Church.

Yet there are strange and foreign elements that I still find uncomfortable. There is the voiceless "silent Irish" phenomenon that occurs during hymns at Mass. The Infant of Prague. On Eagles' Wings. Standing (not kneeling) for Holy Communion. Churches in the round. Latino devotions. Alleged "Clown" Masses. Cheap looking slip-shod painted statues. And what about all the other seriously "questionable" practices of the Roman Catholic Church? Medici popes? Indulgences? Penances? Marian apparitions? What about the very serious blemishes, for example, the American priest scandals of 2003?

Why would a man in his right mind want to become a Catholic?! Read more of Taylor Marshall's Conversion Story

July 27, Unholy Day, Work as usual

Good decision. July 27 will remain an ordinary day for Filipinos. What's so special with it anyway?

July 27, the founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), has been declared a special working holiday through an act of Congress.

About time.

If Ramadan, a Muslim feast, is a holiday, why not INC’s special day?

After all, INC is a Christian religion in a country that is predominantly Christian. (Source: Inquirer)

To be precise, the Philippines is predominantly Catholic. And they are estimated to have almost 2 billion worldwide adherents including those Catholics by name only. Islam is next. So why Ramadan is considered a "non working holiday"? It's because they represent the other one third of world's population and Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) doesn't represent even one eight of the majority of the Filipinos.

It's about time? I don't think so.

And who says the INC are Christians? They're a cult!

Pakistani Catholics came out against Jizya

Obama's speech in Cairo was greatly enjoyed by the Muslim world for praising their contribution to the civilization of nations. Something he never mentioned about is the plight of non-Muslims living in Muslim countries and the majority of Arab Christians fleeing from Muslim Arab countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestine. He must have told Muslims to do the same while they are enjoying the hospitality of Western Countries, they should be asking their fellow Muslims to respect other religions and stop imposing Shariah to non-Muslims especially when the effect of such laws is to diminish the dignity of a person just because he/she happens to be a non-Muslim.

(Source:AsiaNews) Lahore –

The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) has condemned the imposition of the Jizya, the poll tax for non-Muslims, in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on the border with Afghanistan because of its discriminatory nature and because it constitutes a direct threat to basic human rights.

Mgr John Saldanha, archbishop of Lahore, and Peter Jacob, NCJP executive secretary, have urged the federal and provincial governments in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) to do something to alleviate the plight of non-Muslim families forced to “hand over their hard earned bread and butter to the extremists.”

Lashkar-e-Islam, a militant Islamist organisation based in Bara, about 10 kilometres south-west of Peshawar, is responsible for applying the tax.

Local sources said that more than 700 non-Muslim families have had to pay the tax.

NCJP leaders have complained about the lack of security among religious minorities in Orkazai and Khyber agency areas and that they are victims of harassment, religious taxation and expulsion.

The tax also is a threat to the country’s “democratic credentials and political system”. For this reason the government “should make it clear that Pakistan is a democratic country that cannot allow religious minorities to be subjected to such discrimination and economic injustice because they are equal citizens and not a conquered people.” These principles, the NCJP statement said, “are still part of the Constitution and the political system.”

Religious Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti reacted to the appeals of Catholic leaders by strongly condemning the demand on non-Muslims to pay the jizya.

Speaking to AsiaNews, the minister, who is Catholic, said that the tax “is illegal, unethical and against the Constitution of Pakistan.”

Moreover, in condemning those who perpetrate violence in the name of religion, he insisted that the protection of non-Muslims “is our constitutional obligation and moral duty”. The government, he reiterated, “will not let the Taliban threat and harm the minorities.”

Jesus is a Muslim?

Read more AtlasShrugs

Sunday Dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity

(Photo Credit: JonathanCorner.com): Today is the Solemnity of the Feast of the Blessed Trinity or better known as the "Trinity Sunday" in the Catholic Church.

The Blessed Trinity is not what non-Catholics are thinking about. In the Holy Qu'ran of the Muslims the Trinity was perceived to be the Father, Jesus and his Mother Mary which in the development of the doctrine, Mary remained to be taught as the Blessed Virgin Mary who, despite her greatness in the sight of God, blameless and pure, she remained the "Mother of the Lord" not God or god, but the "Blessed of all women."

Within Christianity, this doctrine is one of the most misunderstood doctrine of the Catholic Church. In the early centuries, heresies were commited by Arius and Nestorius' because of their erroneous understanding of the doctrine which separated them from the whole Catholic Church to which both of them and their teachings were condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 A. D. and Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in 431 A.D. respectively.

Today, the same error was revived by protestant sects and quasi "christian" cults such as Jehovah's Witnesses founded by Charles Taze Russel in 1870's, Mormonism founded by Joseph Smith Jr. in 1830 who considered himself as the Last Prophet, and the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) in the Philippines which was founded by Felix Manalo Ysagun (which he changed to Felix Ysagun Manalo in 1914) who considered himself as the Last Messenger or angel. But of course all of their arguments were recycled from Arius and Nestorius.

No matter how these cults and sects points to the Bible about the possible inexplicit mention of the word "Trinity" but the truth remains that in the same Bible itself, God was revealed in three Divine Persons (see Wikipedia).

"May the Holy Triune God be in our hearts and in the hearts of all." - St. Arnold Janssen, SVD

Fr. Samir: Obama on Islam pleases, but there are some lies and silences

Article Source: AsiaNews by Fr. Samir Khalil Samir, SJ on Obama's Speech in Cairo (On Religious Freedom); Photo Credit: AP:

"Here Obama goes a little beyond historic truth and uses mythical concepts to justify his position. He maintains that Islam has always been a tolerant religion. But this is ambiguous: religious freedom is not only a question of tolerance. Tolerance means allowing others to exist, it does not mean freedom of speech, freedom to preach or convert. Then he falls into the trap of myths when he uses the Caliphate of Andalusia and Cordoba a san example of this tolerance, placing it in direct contrast to the Inquisition. This is completely exaggerated myth. First of all the Inquisition was historically after the caliphate, but the affirmation is also wrong in its contents. There was a lot of persecution under the Andalusia Caliphate, of Christians, Jews and even Muslims: Averroè was forced to flee from Cordoba; the same fate for the Hebrew Philosopher Maimonide. He then points to Indonesia where he lived during his childhood. And here there is little to argue about. However the Indonesia of today is less tolerant than it was in the past. Despite this he seems conscious of the fact that steps need to be taken to ensure reciprocal respect. Among situations of difficulty he lists (a little out of place) the Maronites in Lebanon and (with no small measure of courage given that he is in Egypt) the Copts in Egypt. Finally he also cites conflicts between Sunni and Shiites to show that tolerance is needed also among Muslims themselves and not only with Christians.

He then gives some examples of tolerance “American” style. He speaks for example of the zakat, the juridical religious tax in support of other Muslims. But this is a private fact that no-one can impede, and yet he points to it as an important sign of tolerance. Twice or three times he calls in cause the issue of the veil and women’s’ clothing, to say that they have the right to dress as they desire, but this argument seems more aimed at satisfying Muslims, because it is not real issue of religious freedom. Instead the right to believe or not to believe, to be homosexual or not, to convert to another religion, are not addressed. He points to Saudi Arabia as an example of collaboration between religions, but says nothing of the lack of religious freedom in that country." Read the article in full. (For Mr. Obama's Speech click here)

How tolerant Islam is to other faiths? It's really ambiguous.

When killing becomes a civil rights, who would defend the unborn?

Article Source: Catholic.org; Photo Credit (ProlifeAmerica):

"I am a post abortive woman. I was coerced into an abortion by my dad when I was in my teens and into my fourth month of pregnancy. Although the argument has Slowly desensitized us and has gone from justifying abortion as just “a blob of tissue” to a “women’s right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy”, the truth has always been that abortion takes the life of an unborn child.

"I know. I saw my son. I saw his tiny hands and feet. I looked at him as he lay on the bed next to me dead, and I prayed I could put him back inside of me. Horrified, I wondered how on earth our country could condone such a thing. How was it possible we thought this was ok? It was beyond, my comprehension.

"I lived with the impact my abortion had on my entire family. My dad, my mom, my sibling, and my future children all lived with the consequences of the death of my son. Mostly, I lived with the impact of my abortion. I suffered from guilt, shame, anxiety and self hatred, in a silence that was deafening because no one would acknowledge my pain. There are millions of other families out there living with these same consequences." -Theresa Bonopartis

You can read her article in full (HERE)

Theresa Bonopartis is the Director of "Lumina/Hope & Healing after Abortion", www.postabortionhelp.org
1-877-586-4621, lumina@postabortionhelp.org and the Co-Developer, “Entering Canaan” post abortion ministry
http://www.sistersoflife.org/ec.html

-------------------------------------------------
Further Reading: Should Disordered Appetites be a Civil Rights?

"Intimidation, sparring is no way to evangelize" says Fitzgerald

Source of Article (Jeffrey L. Fitzgerald):

In response to Frank Santos's letter from May 25, I must confess that I am the "Catholic defender" to which he refers. At no time was I rude with Mr. Ventilacion or any other Iglesia ni Cristo member.

Because their "evangelical mission" was located in a public facility (the Umatac Community Center), I attended the event to hear the speaker's comments on the doctrine of the Trinity. I was not disruptive at any time; I only asked for Ventilacion to use the complete Bible verse when justifying his position, instead of relying on a verse fragment, which may skew the meaning of the scriptural text..

This request was the extent of the "disruption." All other engagement beyond my request was initiated by Ventilacion, whom I readily admit is a talented speaker. Even as I was silently listening to him after my request, he insisted on a debate with me that was little more than verbal sparring, even going so far as calling me onto the stage and handing me a microphone. When he saw that I was nervous while speaking in front of so many people, he began making fun of me in his effort to make me look foolish.

Is this the "community outreach" to which Santos refers? Is intimidation now a means of evangelization? To say that I am the disrespectful party in this case borders somewhere between blaming the victim for the crime and outright hypocrisy.

Respect is the secondary issue. Santos implies in his letter that my disagreement with both the content and method of Iglesia ni Cristo's message should be handled "respectfully," and I certainly understand his point and agree with it for the most part. However, the manner of respect being asked in this case is nothing more than silence in the face of opposition. Questions could be asked at the end of the presentation, Santos points out. Yet, without adequate light or materials for questioners to prepare a question based on the speaker's statements, such a question-answer session can serve no real purpose other than to reinforce what had already been said.

I am obliged not only as a Catholic but as a Christian to defend so central a truth as the Trinity. This is not a defense of Catholicism; it is a defense of Christ and is therefore the duty of all Christian believers.

Indeed, Christ was explicit when He said, "Whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father in heaven" (Matt. 10:33).

The problem is not that Christians are not respectful enough; it is rather that we confuse silence for respect, for fear we might offend.

I never (to my recollection) referred to Ventilacion as a liar; rather, I said that by his interpretation of the Gospels that denies His divinity, he makes Jesus a liar.

I thank Santos for calling me a "Catholic defender." Since, for any Christian, to defend the Lord is the greatest honor, I must declare this to be the greatest compliment I have ever received, and it is a title I would never have been bold enough to call myself. For such an honor, I am grateful.

JEFFREY L. FITZGERALD
Windward Hills, Yona

Indeed it's an honor to defend Christ and his Body, the Church.

Pope Remembers victims of Atlantic air disaster

Rome (Source: AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Pope has invoked “divine mercy” for the victims of the French Airbus disaster. The plane disappeared in June 1st with 228 people on board. In a telegram signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, card. Tarcisio Bertone, Benedict XVI assures his “spiritual closeness” “and “profound participation” to all those who have been “sorely tried” by this tragedy.

The cause of the accident is still unknown; meanwhile search operations are under way for the black box and wreckage of flight AF447 Rio-Paris in the southern Atlantic, 650 km from the Island of Fernando de Noronha, 1000 km from the Brazilian coast. There is no hope of finding survivors: most of the 228 victims were Brazilian and French, however there were also passengers from 32 nations an board the plane including 8 Chinese, 5 Lebanese and 1 Filipino.

At 4 pm today an ecumenical prayer service will be held in the Parisian cathedral of Notre Dame, in suffrage of the victims. French President Nicolas Sarkozy will attend the service along with relatives of the victims and employees of the French National Airline. Also today at 2 pm, the Grand Mosque in Paris will host prayers organised by the French Council for Muslim worship.

---------------------------------------------
Further Reading: Pope Laments Air France Tragedy

Home Away from Home

So interesting that I came to discover Radio Maria from the net where I can listen to Catholic Radio Station in my own language aside from Asia's only Catholic Radio Station Radio Veritas that reaches the whole of Southeast Asian countries (consider reading Wikipedia for more knowledge).

Because of this, I feel very much at home while away from home. I can sit for a long time doing nothing but listening to this radio status. It's highly informative and it adds knowledge to my little Catholic knowledge. You may listen to some other Philippine Radio Stations FM and AM.

Enjoy and be blest.

The Liar has been Known

The hating sower bonafide, full fledge Iglesia ni Cristo member who has stolen my identity by pretending to be me is no secret anymore. He is no other than the same person spitted in forums for being rude and slanderous in his posts!

Conrad J. Obligacion, also known as "truthcaster" an Iglesia ni Cristo!

He is a shame of the Iglesia ni Cristo! Really a Shame! Unless they really tolerate such an unbecoming behavior from a member of Christ's "true" Church?

As he has been accused of stealing the name "Truthcaster" which was Mr. Soriano's "title" in the same way he stole my name and pretended to be a Catholic Ivatan Now, he's sabotaging my own identity.

I am not a member of ADD but thanks to Now Public for exposing his name and the kind of person he is.

"Identified as Conrad J. Obligacion in Topix.net, this guy sporting the name, "Truthcaster" ironically has Eliseo Soriano as his object of destruction. Evangelist Soriano has been for years sporting the name, “Truthcaster” in his Bible Expositions online. From his many years of broadcasting truth, he is known as Truthcaster in many quarters.

The unidentified reporter with clear connections with the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) posted a story on January 21, 2009 titled “Behind Phillip Garcia’s libelous ramblings” in Nowpublic.com. Garcia earlier wrote in another news site, in Newsvine.com an article titled, “Behind the Iglesia ni Cristo’s King Maker Role: A Chain of Crimes and Mythical Numbers”.

And what's been said to this Conrad J. Obligacion according to those whom he have stolen their identity?

1. Anyone spreading disinformation does not deserve to be in news sites. Honesty is a given for anyone professing to be a communicator. That is a principle that should never be broken. If one begins communicating by stealing one's name, the rest of what he says cannot be trusted.
2. So, Liecaster, do not desecrate the name of Manolo Favis by using his name.
3. This same Liecaster who's pretending to be Truthcaster was the one trying to make a deal with me in his comment to my story here in Nowpublic.com, titled "New Year is When One Begins to Know the Truth."
   He said, and I quote:
   "I'll make you a deal. Tell Soriano to remove all the nasty things you and other Soriano supporters wrote and posted about other religions and I'll stop writing about Soriano. Do we have a deal? If not, I'll just keep writing."
   This Liecaster is desperate. If you're in your right senses, why would you make a deal with someone whom you believe is twisting the truth? If you've got nothing to hide, why steal somebody else's name? You dare teach me of what libel means and then directly attack my person? Who would listen to someone like you who pretends to know legal terms and then use it against the definition it presents?
   You really better shut up, Liecaster. And thanks, kotawinters, for this article.
4. I doubt that the type of Rizalino L. Arrabis and this Liecaster will stop on their ways of fabricating lies about other people. They will not stop.There's no peace among the wicked.
5. Hehe! You don't simply call yourself an achiever by stealing one's hard-earned accomplishment.
6. I can't even type your name as truthcaster when in fact all of your stuff and posted article are not true. You are truly a deceitfulcaster. Why did you transform yourself as a "truthcaster" as your user name?
7. Your AFRAID Liecaster ....... nakakaawa ka .....
8. ATTENTION MODERATOR: Why was that fellow with the username, "Truthcaster" in this site able to meddle with my write-up?
9. Could it be that this truthcaster pretender also a moderator here in nowpublic.com? Also, kotawinters, please ensure that your access has not been compromised. Change your login credentials right away.
10. We have observed this post being vandalized by "Liecaster" who pretends to be "Truthcaster." His actions are unethical and his intention is clear. He has no right to disfigure someone else's article. Please take action.
11. truthcaster, I mean liecaster,
    The battle between us should be through arguments - not your VANDALIZING my story by inserting your own photos and videos. Time after time.
    Not even a second goes and you insist on your own photos.
    I delete and you post! I delete and you post! The story is mine - not yours.
    I can now see what kind of religion you come from.
    I pity those who are with you.
    
12. to the one who pretends to be a Truthcaster (Liecaster) but keep accusing the person...

And who is "Truthcaster" Cidric Amalon aka Conrad J. Obligacion? According to armageddonnewsflash:

"Or maybe, conrad j obligacion, since you do deny being an INC, having said that: "I don’t have any affiliation from the INC Administration nor NET25. Never had and probably never will." at 08:24 on December 17th, 2008 http://my.nowpublic.com/world/eli-soriano-o-brother-where-art-thou

And since you deny being an Iglesia ni Cristo member, oh I see the point! You deny that you are from INC Admin and NET25. Of course you are not because you do not want to take part in their stupidity when it comes to facts and evidences mangling, of video, voice tapes, and news which these two groups have been doing against Bro Eli Soriano. But you do not deny that you are an INC, an Iglesia ni Cristo, an INC member, a CBI, SAGIP member. But you and INC Admin and NET25 sure have
the same spirit and style of writing, name calling technique as wormwood mentioned in:

1. http://my.nowpublic.com/world/inc-shouts-where-sir-erano-manalo
2. http://my.nowpublic.com/press/inc-still-shouts-where-sir-erano-manalo

You are like Felix Manalo changing his real surname of Ysagun inspite of how his father brought him up. You can rewrite the biography of Felix Ysagun or Erano Ysagun as Felix Manalo and Erano Manalo if you like. If you do this, then you might probably not clear the name of Erano Ysagun Manalo but see him in person, if you can.

Have you seen Erano Manalo in person? I can't answer you about that because when the Manalo's try to type their names in the internet, especially, in google, who do you think they will read, 2nd or 3rd and so on? You and rizalino l arrabis. They will read how you two damaged their name by writing wantonly here with your prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination. They have all the means to detect and find you. As rizalino l arrabis himself wrote:

"...My idea here is to defend the Iglesia Ni Cristo, demolish, and neutralize the detractors for all these comes up as the battle for the hearts and minds. I know pretty well that I have done a good job worthy of a Christian soldier...." - Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:25 PM EST http://janeabao.newsvine.com/_news/2007/11/30/1132334-razon-requests-razon-please-protect-my-accuser#c1306573

I don't know with you on how you will explain your side to the Manalos and how Erano Manalo will face you because of what you two have wrote about them, and besides, he is nowhere to be found."

Praise God I am vindicated!

Abner Martizano Sr. is a former INC minister for 23 years of his life. An extremist member of the Iglesia ni Cristo of Mr. Manalo for over 33 years. He knows perfectly how INC uses internet to silence those who opposes them
May God have mercy on his soul!

Accidentally Unanimous or it's the Common Knowledge?

(Photo Credit" Rowena Perdon, Felix Manalo's image at Central Temple): I would like to make this clear that I am not anti-Iglesia ni Cristo as others think I am. In fact I do not resort to character assassination as what most of their members are doing to silence those who oppose against their doctrines. It leaves me helpless but to question why do they have to resort to such violence? If this is so, the common belief that Iglesia ni Cristo as a CULT is more strengthened.

Why there's so much insecurities within their members? Why do they have to resort to debasing people when they are free to use the same method of explaining their side? Or it's just so natural for them to be extremely evil (?). Aren't they confident about their faith and about their personal lives , their knowledge that they can explain their beliefs in a language that is understood by everyone? Unless they really don't know what position they're defending. If that's the reason then their irrational reaction to such criticism is obviously understandable.

What I am doing thisis simply an apologetical work. I am into defending the Catholic Church doctrines and official position which everyone, whether Catholics or non-Catholic can investigate without threatening anyone, simply our teachings are available in the net. Please understand that I have no formal studies on apologestics so what I am trying to do is only an amateur one. I love Christ and I love the Church.

Just like many well informed Catholics, I too am obliged to defend the Church of Christ (the real one) against those (false) who attack it particularly from the ranks of the Iglesia ni Cristo beginning from the time of their Sugo down to the least ex-Catholic who converted to the Iglesia ni Cristo due to his or her ignorance of the Catholic faith.

However I still believe that there are still good members of the Iglesia ni Cristo who knows when to act rationally and how to defend his or her position according to his or her understanding of the doctrines of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

One pathetic member, who's so obsessed with me keeps on following me everywhere I go, creating a dummy (bogus) blog that may appear like mine, he stole my identity, used my legal name hunting me down and my friends 'photos but kept hiding in anonymity (but now he is no more a secret. He is known to be CONRADO J. OBLIGACION). In English, we have a term for Mr. Obligacion: he is a COWARD! Just as the Iglesia ni Cristo have hidden their teachings from the public. The same word applies: COWARDICE!

For now, Conrado J. Obligacion has been using my identity, my culture and my name but of course, just like their Iglesia ni Cristo, he is a FAKE! He is not an Ivatan that he uses the name, so much that he is not even a Catholic. He stole that catholicivatan.blogspot.com from me; he is not me and he cannot represent me more than how I represent myself as the real owner of my name, my culture and my identity.

Again, I can't help but to conclude that most of the Iglesia ni Cristo loves to fake almost anything: Bible, Historical Facts, Official References, Quotations, and even Personal identities just to get it over to the top.

(Thank you Mr. Obligacion! Now I can address you by your name and not by simply calling you "anonymous coward" in hiding. Grow up si$sy kid [sorry for the word])

That's a clear indication of EXTREME INSECURITY in his personality. But I chose not to resort to that irrational reaction because I belong to a Church recognized unanimously as the Real Church of Christ. I am not in a cultist religion that I have to react that way. Instead I ask everyone to pray for him. "Give the other cheek as well." "Love your enemies" says Christ. This will separate the sheep from the goats.

Actually he failed to realize that what's he's doing is exactly what I really want. Shaking them of what they wrongly knew and challenging them of what they still so ignorant of perhaps may bring them back to reality that life is worth living in Christ and his true Church, the Catholic Church according to Pasugo Magasin, July – August 1988 pp. 6.

“Even secular history shows a direct time link between the Catholic Church and the Apostles, leading to the conclusion that the true Church of Christ is the Catholic Church.”

PASUGO Mayo 1963, p. 13:

"Noong tumalikod ang bayang Israel at sumamba sa diyus-diyosan ay nagsugo ang Dios upang magtatag ng Iglesia"

PASUGO Setyembre 1940, p.

"Dapat malaman ng lahat, ayon sa Bagong Tipan, ang tunay na INK ay si Cristo ang nagtatag nito."

PASUGO Mayo 1968, p. 7:

"Ang tunay na INK ay iisa lamang. Ito ang Iglesiyang itinayo ni Cristo. Kung mayroon mang nagsisibangon ngayong mga Iglesia at sasabihing sila man ay Iglesia ni Cristo rin, ang mga ito ay hindi tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo kundi huwad lamang."

PASUGO Mayo 1954, p. 9:

"Alin ang tunay na Iglesia? Ang Iglesiang itinayo ni Cristo sa Jerusalem."

PASUGO Abril 1966, p. 46:

"Ang Iglesia Katolika na sa pasimula ay siyang Iglesia niCristo."

It's not worth fighting for a cult founded by a mere man who pretended to be divinely appointed.

Pasugo Magasin, May 1997 pp. 11.

“Way back on July 27, 1914, the Church of Christ was registered with the Philippine government. The registration papers state among other things that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the founder of the Iglesia ni Cristo.”

What's beautiful with the story of the "Ang Unggoy at ang Pagong" (The Monkey and the Tortoise) of Jose Rizal is that no matter how the Monkey wanted to outsmart the Tortoise but the Monkey ended up like a brainless wizard.


Did I lie when I said Felix Manalo founded the Iglesia ni Cristo in July 27, 1914 and registered it as a "Corporation Sole"?

No I didn't! It was written in the pages of history!

Did I lie when I said that the Iglesia ni Cristo was owned and managed by the Manalo clan?

No I didn't! It was written in SEC archives. It was written in their PASUGO!

In fact, it was a unanimous common knowledge that the Iglessia ni Cristo was founded by Felix Manalo, an ex-Catholic, who joined apostate churches, studied and gained knowledge from "apostate churches", doubted God, and was once an atheist, agnostic until he founded his own Corporation Sole in July 27, 1914.

In fact, it was a unanimous common knowledge that Felix Manalo was a man in all aspect and that he claimed to be "God's Last Messenger" after he was caught red-handed abusing his religious authority with immorality against various women who trusted him as "God's Last Messenger"

In fact, it was not me who said it, it was their own Pasugo which admitted those facts and so we simply copied them and made them public.

Let's say for example, all those written in Wikipedia that the Iglesia ni Cristo

"officially registered the church as a corporation sole with him [Felix Manalo] as executive minister on July 27, 1914[16] and because of this, most publications refer to him as the founder of the church".

According to GotQuestions, the

"Iglesia Ni Cristo was founded by Felix Manalo in 1914 in the Philippines. The phrase “Iglesia Ni Cristo” is Tagalog (the language of the Philippines) for “Church of Christ.” Sadly, while claiming to be a church, Iglesia Ni Cristo has all of the basic elements of a cult."

The least merciful is the Examine Iglesia ni Cristo when it openly exposed the sexual immorality of their founder Felix Manalo:

"Accusations of sexual immorality plagued Felix Manalo through out His life. In a decision by the Court of Appeals, in the case of "The People vs. Rosita Trillanes" published in July 1942, (A court case initiated by Manalo) the Justices gave an extremely unfavorable estimate of Manalo's character stating:

"...Manalo, took advantage of his position as head of the Iglesia ni Cristo, and...employed religion as a cloak to cover his...immoral practices; that he pretended to be the Messias sent by God; and that to persuade his victims, he cited the example of Solomon and his many wives"

Similarly, LetUsReason has its own share of knowledge about the Iglesia ni cristo. "

Igleslia Ni Cristo means Church Of Christ (in Philipino). We are not referring to the universal Church of Christ, as the body of Christ or the mainline Churches of Christ . This Particular Church was founded in 1914 by Felix Manalo in the Philippines"

For the The Bereans, they consider the Iglesia ni Cristo as a "Cult".

The author of the UK Apologetics shares the same knowledge when he said that the

"group were founded by Felix Manalo (1886-1963) who proclaimed himself to be a 'prophet.' Their modern centre of operations is the Iglesia Ni Cristo Central Office in Quezon City, Philippines. The central office is currently administered by executive minister Erano G. Manalo and deputy executive minister Eduardo V. Manalo, who are the son and grandson of Felix Y. Manalo, respectively."

But the most common knowledge about the Iglesia ni Cristo was written by the owner of the Catholic Answers when he said that the

"Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog, "Church of Christ") claims to be the true Church established by Christ. Felix Manalo, its founder, proclaimed himself God’s prophet. Many tiny sects today claim to be the true Church, and many individuals claim to be God’s prophet. What makes Iglesia ni Cristo different is that it is not as tiny as others. "

Further it's their Official Pasugo which says that the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ.

Pasugo Magasin, April 1955 pp. 36.

“The truth – the church built by Christ is the true church. There can be no other else. It began in Jerusalem.”

Pasugo Magasin, September – October 1988 pp. 14.

“The Church of Christ that started in the Philippines will reach the West.”

(Note the contradictory statements. The former Pasugo Magazine states that the church built by Christ began in Jerusalem and the latter states that it started in the Philippines. )

Pasugo Magasin, March – April 1984 pp. 14.

“Christ, therefore, is the foumder of his church, the true church. Hence, a church established by any other founder means a bogus or false church.”

Pasugo Magasin, May 1997 pp. 11.

“Way back on July 27, 1914, the Church of Christ was registered with the Philippine government. The registration papers state among other things that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is the founder of the Iglesia ni Cristo.”

( Note the contradictory statements of the two magazines. It explicitly means that the Iglesia ni Cristo is a bogus church. )

Pasugo Magasin, July – August 1988 pp. 6.

“Even secular history shows a direct time link between the Catholic Church and the Apostles, leading to the conclusion that the true Church of Christ is the Catholic Church.”

As a consolation, John 15:19 which reads:

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you
were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

Pope Saint Gregory the Great commentaries on the above Biblical passages:

“The hostility of the perverse sounds like praise for our life because it shows
that we are an annoyance to those who do not love God; no one can be pleasing to
God and to God’s enemies at the same time. He who seeks to please those who
oppose God is no friend of God; and he who submits himself to the truth will
fight against those who strive against the truth.” (In Ezechielem homiliae, 9.)

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Further Reading: Ang Katotohanan Tungkol sa Iglesia ni Cristo sinulat ni Fr. Pinzon.

Marian Apparitions

In Fatima, Portugal


In Zeitun, Egypt


In Kibeho, Rwanda

Try to view Photos of Apparitions in MaryPages.com
Read Wikipedia for Marian Apparitions.

Remembering Mother Teresa and Her Missionaries of Charity

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pray for Us.

(Photo Source: DailyLife)
(Photo Source: DailyLife)
(Photo Source: Wikipedia)

Photo Source: AsiaNews.it)

Visit also these sites and donate.

Mother Teresa Beatification at EWTN
Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity - Priests
Missionaries of Charity -Brothers