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KNOW THE FAITH IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FAITH.
Council of Trent
To understand what the Roman Catholic Faith is all about, the truths and absolutes of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, one needs to go back to the unchangeable doctrine that was defined and set in stone.. We start with the counter-reformation 19th Ecumenical Council in the Tridentine mountains of northern Italy in the longest council in Church history: the Council of Trent called by Pope Paul III in 1545 and the 25th session closed in 1563 by Pope Pius IV. For all the documents see Council of Trent
. Proclamations of the Popes
From Trent to Vatican I
Beginning after the Council of Trent up to the brink of Vatican II, wise and holy Pontiffs reinforced and defined doctrines and morals, set in stone the manner in which all - religious and laity should pray and practice their Faith and provided guidelines to be on guard against those who would seek to destroy or weaken Holy Mother Church. For Papal Proclamations from Pope Saint Pius V to Pope Pius IX,.
SIGNIFICANT PAPAL DECREES
From Trent to Vatican I
Pope Saint Pius V
For Pope Saint Pius V's Apostolic Constitution on the Rosary "Consueverunt Romani" which helped create the miraculous victory at Lepanto in 1571, see EXHORTATION OF THE ROSARY
For his Papal Bull QUO PRIMUM for carrying out the reforms of Trent and establishing the Holy Mass in stone, see QUO PRIMUM and DE DEFECTIBUS
Pope Sixtus V
For Pope Sixtus V's Apostolic Constitution on the exaltation of the great Doctors of the Church Saint Bonaventure, Saint Thomas Aquinas and others for their extraordinary contributions, see TRIUMPHANTIS HIERUSALEM
Blessed Pope Innocent XI
On November 20, 1687 Blessed Pope Innocent XI issued his Apostolic Constitution of November 20, 1687 on curbing abuses promulgated by Miguel de Molinos. These are not unsimilar to some of the false impressions of striving for sanctity today and therefore are pertinent for all Catholics to realize the correct and prudent way of fasting and penance and not to take anything to extreme as Blessed Innocent XI clearly outlines in COELISTIS PASTOR
Pope Clement XI
For Pope Clement XI's Dogmatic Constitution Unigenitus on September 8, 1713 in which he condemned the heresies of Paschasius Quesnel in reinforcing the essence and meaning of grace and that outside the Church there is no grace, see UNIGENITUS
Pope Benedict XIV
On June 30, 1741 Pope Benedict XIV, 247th successor of Peter, issued his encyclical Quanta Cura forbidding any traffic in alms and curbing abuses by both clergy and laity. See QUANTA CURA
He followed that up four years later on November 1, 1745 with a strong decree againt usury and other dishonest profits with his encyclical VIX PERVENIT
Six years later on June 14, 1751 he released his encyclical A Quo Primum in which he addressed the issue, especially in Poland, on the increase of Jews living among the Christians and in his encyclical was emphasized, "Surely it is not in vain that the Church has established the universal prayer which is offered up for the faithless Jews from the rising of the sun to its setting, that the Lord God may remove the veil from their hearts, that they may be rescued from their darkness into the light of truth. For unless it hoped that those who do not believe would believe, it would obviously be futile and empty to pray for them." Quite a far cry from what we hear from Rome today. See A QUO PRIMUM
On June 26, 1754 the Pope ushered his encyclical on proper catechesis and extolled the works of Saint Charles Borrome in CUM RELIGIOSI
Just over a month later Benedict issued a strong warning forbidding all Catholics from using Muslim names in which the Roman Pontiff proclaimed, "For all this cannot take place without a pretense of the errors of Mohammed, even if the faith of Christ is adhered to in the heart, and this is at variance with Christian sincerity. It involves a lie in a most serious matter and includes a virtual denial of the Faith, most insulting to God and scandalous to their neighbors." Why, we ask with all sincerity, would the current administration of Rome seek to justify this pretense by accepting a false religion in the name of ecumenism? Benedict's words give one food for thought in QUOD PROVINCIALE
On October 16, 1756 Benedict XIV issued a powerful affirmation of his successor's Unigenitus decree with his own encyclical Ex Omnibus issued from St. Mary Major Basilica. See EX OMNIBUS
Pope Clement XIII
Pope Clement XIII, 248th in the line of Peter, was one of the first Roman Pontiffs to warn the world of the Masonic movement as he dealt with the problems created by the spread of Rationalism. His writings were masterful and left no doubts where the Church stood on all things. His first encyclical on September 13, 1758 A Quo Die ("Since That Day") entreated all Catholics to be united in the Faith and to be on guard against false doctrines and anti-Christian ideas. He urged, "Bishops should always keep this in mind: 'When a ruler listens to false reports, all his ministers will be scoundrels.' We must stop being envious of glory. Thus, glory will be the downfall of those who think earthly things are important." See A QUO DIE
To best protect the faithful, Clement warned in his encyclical of September 17, 1759 Cum Primum ("Ever Since") that the bishops make sure they and their priests lived according to their ecclesiastical calling and not be compromised by duties better suited to the laity, thereby weaking their own spiritual resolve and causing scandal. See CUM PRIMUM
To better be armed against the enemies of the Church, Clement illustrated the spiritual benefits of fasting and doing penance, self-mortification to fend off temptation. His encyclical on December 20, 1759, Appetente Sacro ("The Holy Season") laid out the advantages of fasting. See APPETENTE SACRO
On June 14, 1761 Clement wrote In Domenico Agro ("In the Lord's Field") on the Instruction of the Faith in which he warned of exactly what would happen to the Church with Vatican II. Here is a brief exerpt of his masterful writing, "It often happens that certain unworthy ideas come forth in the Church of God which, although they directly contradict each other, plot together to undermine the purity of the Catholic faith in some way. It is very difficult to cautiously balance our speech between both enemies in such a way that We seem to turn Our backs on none of them, but to shun and condemn both enemies of Christ equally. Meanwhile the matter is such that diabolical error, when it has artfully colored its lies, easily clothes itself in the likeness of truth while very brief additions or changes corrupt the meaning of expressions; and confession, which usually works salvation, sometimes, with a slight change, inches toward death. The faithful—especially those who are simple or uncultivated—should be kept away from dangerous and narrow paths upon which they can hardly set foot without faltering. The sheep should not be led to pasture through trackless places." We can see through past Papal pronouncements and Councils how Vatican II "easily clothed itself in the likeness of truth" while, in the New Mass, and various documents such as Sacrosanctum Concilium, Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et spes, to name a few, "very brief additions or changes corrupt meaning of expressions; and confession, which usually works salvation, sometimes, with a slight change, inches toward death." For this excellent encyclical, see IN DOMENICO AGRO
In a beautifully worded encyclical on November 25, 1766 Clement employed imagery and metaphor to clearly show the slithering serpent of freemasonry was making inroads and what Catholics needed to do to keep satan away. Christianae Reipublicae ("The Well-being of the Christian Community") warned of how dangerous and deceiving were anti-Christian writings, so cleverly couched for acceptability. Had Catholics abided by his words not just then, but today as well, we would not have the immorality and confusion in the world today. See CHRITIANAE REIPUBLICAE
Pope Clement XIV
For Pope Clement XIV's Encyclical on Taxes and Benefices in admonishing the bishops to "Be shepherds of the flock of God entrusted to you, watching over it not for sordid gain, but freely" see his decree of September 21, 1769 "DECET QUAM MAXIME"
Pope Pius VI
On Christmas, 1775 Pope Pius VI issued his encyclical Inscrutabile on problems of the Pontificate which, though issued over two centuries ago, could very well be applied to today's crisis in the Church. Consider his words "Who would not be fearful at the present condition of the Christian people? The divine love by which we abide in God and God in us grows very cold as sins and wickedness increase every day. Who would not be shocked when considering that We have undertaken the task of guarding and protecting the Church at a time when many plots are laid against orthodox religion, when the safe guidance of the sacred canons is rashly despised, and when confusion is spread wide by men maddened by a monstrous desire of innovation, who attack the very bases of rational nature and attempt to overthrow them?" Does that not sound like 2002? We urge you to read his landmark encyclical "INSCRUTABILE"
Pope Pius VII
As the 19th century dawned and Napoleon began flexing his miniscule muscles, Pope Pius VII saw the need to remind the faithful to return to the principle of the Gospel in order to avoid the "false apostles" spreading heresy by issuing on May 15, 1800 his first encyclical "DIU SATIS"
Pope Leo XII
At the very beginning of his pontificate Pope Leo XII, the 252nd successor to be the recognized Keeper of the Keys, issued on May 5, 1824 his encyclical Ubi Primum which addressed the problems he faced after Napoleon's embarrassment of Rome. The issues he addressed are not unlike many of the problems facing Holy Mother Church today as you can see in "UBI PRIMUM"
Pope Pius VIII
No one will ever know what Pope Pius VIII might have accomplished for his pontificate lasted only a year and a half, but his intentions were noble as he detailed in his encyclical Traditi Humilitati which also sounds like a carbon copy of problems in Holy Mother Church today, such as "Among these heresies belongs that foul contrivance of the sophists of this age who do not admit any difference among the different professions of faith and who think that the portal of eternal salvation opens for all from any religion. They, therefore, label with the stigma of levity and stupidity those who, having abandoned the religion which they learned, embrace another of any kind, even Catholicism. This is certainly a monstrous impiety which assigns the same praise and the mark of the just and upright man to truth and to error, to virtue and to vice, to goodness and to turpitude. Indeed this deadly idea concerning the lack of difference among religions is refuted even by the light of natural reason. We are assured of this because the various religions do not often agree among themselves. If one is true, the other must be false; there can be no society of darkness with light. Against these experienced sophists the people must be taught that the profession of the Catholic faith is uniquely true, as the apostle proclaims: one Lord, one faith, one baptism." There are many other similarities such as speaking out strongly against secret societies intent on destroying Holy Mother Church as you'll see in "TRADITI HUMILITATI"
Pope Gregory XVI
On August 15, 1832 Pius VIII's successor Pope Gregory XVI continued where Pius left off with his encyclical Mirari Vos addressing square on Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism, condemning the modernist ideology of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" as you'll see in MIRARI VOS
On December 3, 1839 during the Fourth Provincial Council in Baltimore, Maryland, Gregory released his Apostolic Constitition In Supremo Apostolatus condemning slavery which was a sticky issue in the United States and would contribute toward a fierce civil war less than two decades later. See IN SUPREMO APOSTOLATUS
On September 18, 1840 Gregory ushered his encyclical Probe Nostis to the universal Church on the Propagation of Faith in urging proselyzatation of the Faith everywhere despite the mounting obstacles in a world growing more evil by the year, affirming that "For when every kind of plot of the infernal enemy besets the beloved spouse of Christ, the Church could have no more timely good fortune than this ardent desire of the faithful to spread Catholic truth." Why has present Rome veered from this path? Gregory did not compromise or seek 'dialogue' to try to appease the non-Catholic, but convert them to the 'Catholic truth.' See PROBE NOSTIS
In his final encyclical Inter Praecipuas on May 12, 1844 Gregory warned the faithful of the dangers of 'Bible societies' as he sternly reminded all Scripture cannot be left to individual interpretation but rather discernment of the Holy Ghost through the Perennial, Infallible Magisterium of the Church as he points out in his encyclical See INTER PRAECIPUAS
Pope Pius IX
The longest reigning Pontiff outside of Saint Peter himself, Pope Pius IX was selected the 255th successor of Peter on June 21, 1846 and died on February 7, 1878 - 32 years in which he guided the Barque of Peter through the troubling times of the rise of modernism and the masonic movement. A pious Pope who stood by the Traditions with every fiber of his being, he declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. Sixteen years later he would see the end of the Papal States when the Italian Army took over Rome. He chose to forever remain within the Vatican. For the encyclicals, apostolic exhortations and Papal Bulls by Pope Pius IX, including his Syllabus of Errors in which he clearly outlined those things which would be, are and should forever be anathema, see Pope Pius IX
Pope Saint Pius V
For Pope Saint Pius V's Apostolic Constitution on the Rosary "Consueverunt Romani" which helped create the miraculous victory at Lepanto in 1571, see EXHORTATION OF THE ROSARY
For his Papal Bull QUO PRIMUM for carrying out the reforms of Trent and establishing the Holy Mass in stone, see QUO PRIMUM and DE DEFECTIBUS
Pope Sixtus V
For Pope Sixtus V's Apostolic Constitution on the exaltation of the great Doctors of the Church Saint Bonaventure, Saint Thomas Aquinas and others for their extraordinary contributions, see TRIUMPHANTIS HIERUSALEM
Blessed Pope Innocent XI
On November 20, 1687 Blessed Pope Innocent XI issued his Apostolic Constitution of November 20, 1687 on curbing abuses promulgated by Miguel de Molinos. These are not unsimilar to some of the false impressions of striving for sanctity today and therefore are pertinent for all Catholics to realize the correct and prudent way of fasting and penance and not to take anything to extreme as Blessed Innocent XI clearly outlines in COELISTIS PASTOR
Pope Clement XI
For Pope Clement XI's Dogmatic Constitution Unigenitus on September 8, 1713 in which he condemned the heresies of Paschasius Quesnel in reinforcing the essence and meaning of grace and that outside the Church there is no grace, see UNIGENITUS
Pope Benedict XIV
On June 30, 1741 Pope Benedict XIV, 247th successor of Peter, issued his encyclical Quanta Cura forbidding any traffic in alms and curbing abuses by both clergy and laity. See QUANTA CURA
He followed that up four years later on November 1, 1745 with a strong decree againt usury and other dishonest profits with his encyclical VIX PERVENIT
Six years later on June 14, 1751 he released his encyclical A Quo Primum in which he addressed the issue, especially in Poland, on the increase of Jews living among the Christians and in his encyclical was emphasized, "Surely it is not in vain that the Church has established the universal prayer which is offered up for the faithless Jews from the rising of the sun to its setting, that the Lord God may remove the veil from their hearts, that they may be rescued from their darkness into the light of truth. For unless it hoped that those who do not believe would believe, it would obviously be futile and empty to pray for them." Quite a far cry from what we hear from Rome today. See A QUO PRIMUM
On June 26, 1754 the Pope ushered his encyclical on proper catechesis and extolled the works of Saint Charles Borrome in CUM RELIGIOSI
Just over a month later Benedict issued a strong warning forbidding all Catholics from using Muslim names in which the Roman Pontiff proclaimed, "For all this cannot take place without a pretense of the errors of Mohammed, even if the faith of Christ is adhered to in the heart, and this is at variance with Christian sincerity. It involves a lie in a most serious matter and includes a virtual denial of the Faith, most insulting to God and scandalous to their neighbors." Why, we ask with all sincerity, would the current administration of Rome seek to justify this pretense by accepting a false religion in the name of ecumenism? Benedict's words give one food for thought in QUOD PROVINCIALE
On October 16, 1756 Benedict XIV issued a powerful affirmation of his successor's Unigenitus decree with his own encyclical Ex Omnibus issued from St. Mary Major Basilica. See EX OMNIBUS
Pope Clement XIII
Pope Clement XIII, 248th in the line of Peter, was one of the first Roman Pontiffs to warn the world of the Masonic movement as he dealt with the problems created by the spread of Rationalism. His writings were masterful and left no doubts where the Church stood on all things. His first encyclical on September 13, 1758 A Quo Die ("Since That Day") entreated all Catholics to be united in the Faith and to be on guard against false doctrines and anti-Christian ideas. He urged, "Bishops should always keep this in mind: 'When a ruler listens to false reports, all his ministers will be scoundrels.' We must stop being envious of glory. Thus, glory will be the downfall of those who think earthly things are important." See A QUO DIE
To best protect the faithful, Clement warned in his encyclical of September 17, 1759 Cum Primum ("Ever Since") that the bishops make sure they and their priests lived according to their ecclesiastical calling and not be compromised by duties better suited to the laity, thereby weaking their own spiritual resolve and causing scandal. See CUM PRIMUM
To better be armed against the enemies of the Church, Clement illustrated the spiritual benefits of fasting and doing penance, self-mortification to fend off temptation. His encyclical on December 20, 1759, Appetente Sacro ("The Holy Season") laid out the advantages of fasting. See APPETENTE SACRO
On June 14, 1761 Clement wrote In Domenico Agro ("In the Lord's Field") on the Instruction of the Faith in which he warned of exactly what would happen to the Church with Vatican II. Here is a brief exerpt of his masterful writing, "It often happens that certain unworthy ideas come forth in the Church of God which, although they directly contradict each other, plot together to undermine the purity of the Catholic faith in some way. It is very difficult to cautiously balance our speech between both enemies in such a way that We seem to turn Our backs on none of them, but to shun and condemn both enemies of Christ equally. Meanwhile the matter is such that diabolical error, when it has artfully colored its lies, easily clothes itself in the likeness of truth while very brief additions or changes corrupt the meaning of expressions; and confession, which usually works salvation, sometimes, with a slight change, inches toward death. The faithful—especially those who are simple or uncultivated—should be kept away from dangerous and narrow paths upon which they can hardly set foot without faltering. The sheep should not be led to pasture through trackless places." We can see through past Papal pronouncements and Councils how Vatican II "easily clothed itself in the likeness of truth" while, in the New Mass, and various documents such as Sacrosanctum Concilium, Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et spes, to name a few, "very brief additions or changes corrupt meaning of expressions; and confession, which usually works salvation, sometimes, with a slight change, inches toward death." For this excellent encyclical, see IN DOMENICO AGRO
In a beautifully worded encyclical on November 25, 1766 Clement employed imagery and metaphor to clearly show the slithering serpent of freemasonry was making inroads and what Catholics needed to do to keep satan away. Christianae Reipublicae ("The Well-being of the Christian Community") warned of how dangerous and deceiving were anti-Christian writings, so cleverly couched for acceptability. Had Catholics abided by his words not just then, but today as well, we would not have the immorality and confusion in the world today. See CHRITIANAE REIPUBLICAE
Pope Clement XIV
For Pope Clement XIV's Encyclical on Taxes and Benefices in admonishing the bishops to "Be shepherds of the flock of God entrusted to you, watching over it not for sordid gain, but freely" see his decree of September 21, 1769 "DECET QUAM MAXIME"
Pope Pius VI
On Christmas, 1775 Pope Pius VI issued his encyclical Inscrutabile on problems of the Pontificate which, though issued over two centuries ago, could very well be applied to today's crisis in the Church. Consider his words "Who would not be fearful at the present condition of the Christian people? The divine love by which we abide in God and God in us grows very cold as sins and wickedness increase every day. Who would not be shocked when considering that We have undertaken the task of guarding and protecting the Church at a time when many plots are laid against orthodox religion, when the safe guidance of the sacred canons is rashly despised, and when confusion is spread wide by men maddened by a monstrous desire of innovation, who attack the very bases of rational nature and attempt to overthrow them?" Does that not sound like 2002? We urge you to read his landmark encyclical "INSCRUTABILE"
Pope Pius VII
As the 19th century dawned and Napoleon began flexing his miniscule muscles, Pope Pius VII saw the need to remind the faithful to return to the principle of the Gospel in order to avoid the "false apostles" spreading heresy by issuing on May 15, 1800 his first encyclical "DIU SATIS"
Pope Leo XII
At the very beginning of his pontificate Pope Leo XII, the 252nd successor to be the recognized Keeper of the Keys, issued on May 5, 1824 his encyclical Ubi Primum which addressed the problems he faced after Napoleon's embarrassment of Rome. The issues he addressed are not unlike many of the problems facing Holy Mother Church today as you can see in "UBI PRIMUM"
Pope Pius VIII
No one will ever know what Pope Pius VIII might have accomplished for his pontificate lasted only a year and a half, but his intentions were noble as he detailed in his encyclical Traditi Humilitati which also sounds like a carbon copy of problems in Holy Mother Church today, such as "Among these heresies belongs that foul contrivance of the sophists of this age who do not admit any difference among the different professions of faith and who think that the portal of eternal salvation opens for all from any religion. They, therefore, label with the stigma of levity and stupidity those who, having abandoned the religion which they learned, embrace another of any kind, even Catholicism. This is certainly a monstrous impiety which assigns the same praise and the mark of the just and upright man to truth and to error, to virtue and to vice, to goodness and to turpitude. Indeed this deadly idea concerning the lack of difference among religions is refuted even by the light of natural reason. We are assured of this because the various religions do not often agree among themselves. If one is true, the other must be false; there can be no society of darkness with light. Against these experienced sophists the people must be taught that the profession of the Catholic faith is uniquely true, as the apostle proclaims: one Lord, one faith, one baptism." There are many other similarities such as speaking out strongly against secret societies intent on destroying Holy Mother Church as you'll see in "TRADITI HUMILITATI"
Pope Gregory XVI
On August 15, 1832 Pius VIII's successor Pope Gregory XVI continued where Pius left off with his encyclical Mirari Vos addressing square on Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism, condemning the modernist ideology of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" as you'll see in MIRARI VOS
On December 3, 1839 during the Fourth Provincial Council in Baltimore, Maryland, Gregory released his Apostolic Constitition In Supremo Apostolatus condemning slavery which was a sticky issue in the United States and would contribute toward a fierce civil war less than two decades later. See IN SUPREMO APOSTOLATUS
On September 18, 1840 Gregory ushered his encyclical Probe Nostis to the universal Church on the Propagation of Faith in urging proselyzatation of the Faith everywhere despite the mounting obstacles in a world growing more evil by the year, affirming that "For when every kind of plot of the infernal enemy besets the beloved spouse of Christ, the Church could have no more timely good fortune than this ardent desire of the faithful to spread Catholic truth." Why has present Rome veered from this path? Gregory did not compromise or seek 'dialogue' to try to appease the non-Catholic, but convert them to the 'Catholic truth.' See PROBE NOSTIS
In his final encyclical Inter Praecipuas on May 12, 1844 Gregory warned the faithful of the dangers of 'Bible societies' as he sternly reminded all Scripture cannot be left to individual interpretation but rather discernment of the Holy Ghost through the Perennial, Infallible Magisterium of the Church as he points out in his encyclical See INTER PRAECIPUAS
Pope Pius IX
The longest reigning Pontiff outside of Saint Peter himself, Pope Pius IX was selected the 255th successor of Peter on June 21, 1846 and died on February 7, 1878 - 32 years in which he guided the Barque of Peter through the troubling times of the rise of modernism and the masonic movement. A pious Pope who stood by the Traditions with every fiber of his being, he declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. Sixteen years later he would see the end of the Papal States when the Italian Army took over Rome. He chose to forever remain within the Vatican. For the encyclicals, apostolic exhortations and Papal Bulls by Pope Pius IX, including his Syllabus of Errors in which he clearly outlined those things which would be, are and should forever be anathema, see Pope Pius IX
First Vatican Council
306 years after the Council of Trent Blessed Pope Pius IX called the First Vatican Council in order to declare the doctrine of infallibility of the Vicar of Christ when speaking ex cathedra on faith and morals. This dogma was proclaimed on July 18, 1870. That same year, after 14 full sessions, Pius suspended the 20th Ecumenical Council because the Italian army had entered Rome, which would end the Papal States and Pius himself would never leave the Vatican again. For all these documents see Vatican I
Trent Popes:
· Pope Saint Pius V· Pope Sixtus V· Blessed Pope Innocent XI· Pope Clement XI· Pope Benedict XIV· Pope Clement XIII· Pope Clement XIV· Pope Pius VI· Pope Pius VII· Pope Leo XII· Pope Pius VIII· Pope Gregory XVI· Pope Pius IX
Vatican I Popes:
· Pope Pius IX· Pope Leo XIII· Pope Saint Pius X· Pope Benedict XV· Pope Pius XI· Pope Pius XII
Vatican II conciliar 'Popes':
· John XXIII· Paul VI· John Paul I· John Paul II · Benedict XVI
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