Brief History of the RCC

LIST OF CATHOLIC HERESIES And HUMAN TRADITIONS

ADOPTED and PERPETUATED by the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE COURSE OF 1600 YEARS

(Compiled by Rev. Stephen L. Testa)

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." —Jesus in John 8:32

Notice:--These dates are in many cases approximate. Many of these heresies had been current in the Church years before, but only when they were officially adopted by a Church council and proclaimed by the pope as dogma of faith, did they become binding on Catholics.

And doctrine to be true must conform to the Word of God. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20)

At the Reformation in the 16th Century these heresies were repudiated as having no part in the Religion of Jesus as taught in the New Testament.

Heresy Date


OF ALL THE HUMAN TRADITIONS taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic

Church, which are contrary to the Bible, the most ancient are the prayers for

the dead and the sign of the Cross. Both began 300 years after Christ. 310

Wax Candles introduced in church. about 320

Veneration of angels and dead saints. 375

The Mass, as a daily celebration, adopted. 394

The worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the use of the term, "Mother of

God", as applied to her, originated in the Council of Ephesus 431

Priests began to dress differently from the laity 500

Extreme Unction 526

The doctrine of Purgatory was first established by Gregory the Great 593

The Latin language, as the language of prayer and worship in churches, was also imposed by Pope Gregory I. 600 years after Christ The Word of God forbids praying and teaching in an unknown tongue. (1st Corinthians 14:9). 600

The Bible teaches that we pray to God alone. In the primitive church never

were prayers directed to Mary, or to dead saints. This practice began in the

Roman Church


(Matthew 11:28; Luke 1:46; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-18) 600

The Papacy is of pagan origin. The title of pope or universal bishop, was first

given to the bishop of Rome by the wicked emperor Phocas


This he did to spite Bishop Ciriacus of Constantinople, who had justly

excommunicated him for his having caused the assassination of his predecessor

emperor Mauritius. Gregory 1, then bishop of Rome, refused the title, but his

successor, Boniface III, first assumed title "pope."


Jesus did not appoint Peter to the headship of the apostles and forbade any

such notion. (Luke 22:24-26; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; 1st Corinthians

3:11).


Note: Nor is there any mention in Scripture, nor in history, that Peter ever was

in Rome, much less that he was pope there for 25 years; Clement, 3rd bishop of

Rome, remarks that "there is no real 1st century evidence that Peter ever was

in Rome." 610

The kissing of the Pope's feet


It had been a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors. The Word of God

forbids such practices. (Read Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; 22:9). 709

The Temporal power of the Popes


When Pepin, the usurper of the throne of France, descended into Italy, called

by Pope Stephen II, to war against the Italian Lombards, he defeated them and

gave the city of Rome and surrounding territory to the pope. Jesus expressly

forbade such a thing, and He himself refused worldly kingship. (Read Matthew

4:8-9; 20:25-26; John 18:38). 750

Worship of the cross, images and relics was authorized


This was by order of Dowager Empress Irene of Constantinople, who first caused

to pluck the eyes of her own son, Constantine VI, and then called a church

council at the request of Hadrian I, pope of Rome at that time. 788

Such practice is called simply IDOLATRY in the Bible, and is severely condemned. (Read Exodus 20:4; 3:17; Deuteronomy 27:15; Psalm 115).

Holy Water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest, was

authorized 850

The veneration of St. Joseph began 890

The baptism of bells was instituted by Pope John XIV 965

Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV


Every believer and follower of Christ is called saint in the Bible. (Read Romans

1:7; 1st Colossians 1:2). 995

Fasting on Fridays and during Lent were imposed


Imposed by popes said to be interested in the commerce of fish. (Bull, or

permit to eat meat), some authorities say, began in the year 700. This is

against the plain teaching of the Bible. (Read Matthew 15:10; 1st Corinthians

10:25; 1st Timothy 4:1-3). 998

The Mass was developed gradually as a sacrifice; attendance made obligatory in

the 11th century.


The Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Christ was offered once and for all, and

is not to be repeated, but only commemorated in the Lord's Supper. (Read

Hebrews 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10-14).

 

The celibacy of the priesthood was decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII


Jesus imposed no such rule, nor did any of the apostles. On the contrary, St.

Peter was a married man, and St. Paul says that bishops were to have wife and

children. (Read 1st Timothy 3:2,5, and 12; Matthew 8:14-15). 1079

The Rosary, or prayer beads was introduced by Peter the Hermit, in the year 1090. Copied from Hindus and Mohammedans The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is expressly condemned by Christ. (Matthew 6:5-13). 1090

The Inquisition of heretics was instituted by the Council of Verona in the year

1184. Jesus never taught the use of force to spread His religion 1184

The sale of Indulgences, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a

permit to indulge in sin.


Christianity, as taught in the Bible, condemns such a traffic and it was the 1190

protest against this traffic that brought on the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

The dogma of Transubstantiation was decreed by Pope Innocent III, in the year


By this doctrine the priest pretends to perform a daily miracle by changing a

wafer into the body of Christ, and then he pretends to eat Him alive in the

presence of his people during Mass. The Bible condemns such absurdities; for

the Lord's Supper is simply a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ. The spiritual

presence of Christ is implied in the Lord's Supper. (Read Luke 22:19-20; John

6:35; 1st Corinthians 11:26). 1215

Confession of sin to the priest at least once a year was instituted by Pope

Innocent III., in the Lateran Council


The Bible commands us to confess our sins direct to God. (Read Psalm 51:1-10;

Luke 7:48; 15:21; 1st John 1:8-9). 1215

The adoration of the wafer (Host), was decreed by Pope Honorius


So the Roman Church worships a God made by human hands. This is plain

idolatry and absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. (Read John 4:24). 1220

The Bible forbidden to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by

the Council of Valencia


Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read by all. (John 5:39; 1st

Timothy 3:15-17). 1229

The Scapular was invented by Simon Stock, and English monk


It is a piece of brown cloth, with the picture of the Virgin and supposed to

contain supernatural virtue to protect from all dangers those who wear it on

naked skin. This is fetishism. 1287

The Roman Church forbade the cup to the laity, by instituting the communion

of one kind in the Council of Constance


The Bible commands us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread

and the fruit of the vine. (Read Matthew 26:27; 1st Corinthians 11:26-29). 1414

The doctrine of Purgatory was proclaimed as a dogma of faith by Council of

Florence


There is not one word in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests.

The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. (Read 1st John 1:7-9; 2:1-2;

John 5:24; Romans 8:1). 1439

The doctrine of 7 Sacraments affirmed The Bible says that Christ instituted only two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Read Matthew 28:19-20; 26:26-28). 1439

The Ave Maria, part of the last


It was completed 50 years afterward and finally approved by Pope Sixtus V, at

the end of the 16th century. 1508

The Council of Trent, held in the year 1545, declared that Tradition is of equal

authority with the Bible


By tradition is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way,

and Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by teaching human tradition, they

nullified the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7:7-13; Colossians 2:8;

Revelation 22:18). 1545

The apocryphal books were added to the Bible also by the Council of Trent


These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church. (See

Revelation 22:8-9). 1546

The Creed of Pope Pius IV was imposed as the official creed 1560 years after

Christ and the apostles


True Christians retain the Holy Scriptures as their creed. Hence their creed is

1500 years older than the creed of Roman Catholics. (Read Galatians 1:8). 1560

The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX


The Bible states that all men, with the sole exception of Christ, are sinners.

Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Romans 3:23; 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Luke

1:30,46,47). 1834

In the year 1870 after Christ, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of Papal

Infallibility


This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy and of the antichrist predicted

by St. Paul. (Read 2nd Thessalonians 2:2-12; Revelation 17:1-9; 13:5-8,18).


Many Bible students see the number of the beast (Rev. 13:18), 666 in the Roman

letters of the Pope's title: "VICARIVS FILII DEI." -- V-5, I-1; C-100, I-1; V-S, I-1; L-

50, I-1; I-1; D-500, I-l — Total, 666. 1870

Pope Plus X, in the year 1907, condemned together with "Modernism", all the

discoveries of modern science which are not approved by the Church

1907

Pius IX had done the same thing in the Syllabus of 1864.

In the year 1930 Pius XI, condemned the Public Schools 1930

In the year 1931 the same pope Pius XI, reaffirmed the doctrine that Mary is

"the Mother of God"


This doctrine was first invented by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431. This

is a heresy contrary by Mary's own words. (Read Luke 1:46-49; John 2: l-5). 1931

In the year 1950 the last dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII, the

Assumption of the Virgin Mary 1950