Crossing the Line

On Facebook the other day my Granddaughter posted a meme of a comparison between Saint Peter’s Cross and the Satanic cross. Someone must have told her that Catholics bless themselves with the Satanic cross and not the Cross of Christ. But she’s no pushover. She did some research and found the meme showing the difference. The Satanic cross is much more elaborate with multiple crossbars and scroll at the bottom in the shape of “infinity” (an 8 laying on its side). We bless ourselves with Saint Peter’s Cross, which why it’s upside down…mimicking the manner of his death according to Sacred Tradition. However, a certain person (who will be unnamed here) responded to her that the Easter cross is satanic and went on to rail against the Church and against Catholics. I promised her I would address this issue that is believed by extremist factions of Evangelical Christianity. This I will do in the second article, but I want to use this one to address the spiritual danger in which such folks place themselves.

The Council of Trent in the 1550’s was the Church’s answer to the Protestant Revolt under Luther, Zwingli and Calvin. The resulting Catechism produced by them was intended for use by the parish priest in his studies. The Douay Catechism of 1649 based on it but intended to instruct the laity outline 6 sins against the Holy Spirit. These are forgivable sins through Confession and Penance if the person makes use of them. However, one or two of them make that an unlikely occurrence. There is a 7^th sin that we’ll deal with next. These are listed in the order they appear in the Catechism and shows a clear order that leads to the seventh one… and the crossing of the line from forgivable to unforgivable.

One: Presumption of God’s Mercy and Two: Despair of Salvation

These first two are polar opposites of each other. The first makes the presumption that how we live our lives doesn’t matter since all sin is already forgiven at the Cross. This is the view of those who believe salvation is by faith alone. The second one is believing that one’s sins are so great they can’t be forgiven…in short that the Blood of Christ in insufficient for our need. Both are symptoms of unbelief. The first unbelief in the Holiness of God and his justice. The second in the ability of God to forgive.

Three: Envy at Another’s Spiritual Good

The Douay Catechism defines this in this manner,
“A sadness or repining at another's growth in virtue and perfection; such as sectaries seem to have when they scoff and are troubled at the frequent fasts, prayers, feasts, pilgrimages, alms-deeds, vows, and religious orders of the Catholic Church, calling them superstitious and fooleries, because they have not in their churches any such practices of piety.”

“Sectaries” means “Protestants” or Evangelical Christians today. This is the entrance ramp of the highway leading to damnation. Calling the practices and teachings of the Church foolishness or superstitions (such as referring to Easter as satanic) based on nothing but the fact that they disagree with Luther or whoever. It arises from the unscriptural notion that works are of no benefit in spiritual growth. It results in denying… or worse hating… the spiritual growth shown in those who follow the biblical instruction on such things.

Four: Impugning the Known Truth

“To argue obstinately against known points of faith, or to prevent the way of our Lord by forging lies and slander, as Heretics do, when they teach the ignorant people, that Catholics worship images as God, and give Angels and Saints the honor which is due to God;”

We see this a lot both here on the site and on the Facebook page on which the notices are posted. We have a couple of Evangelical Christians who frequent this site that specialize in this. “Obstinate” because no matter how many times they are corrected and reproved they persist in error. The “known Truth” consists of the Scriptures, Sacred Tradition and the teaching Magisterium of the Church. But they impugn the second two regarding them as little more than superstition (see the previous point) and promote Scripture to a place that it doesn’t give itself: the sole determinant of sound doctrine. Worse, they impugn the honesty and even the Christianity of those who lived between 100 AD and 1517 AD…and ascribe evil motives to the leadership and scholarship of the Church in those years. Thus an idea like “Easter is satanic” comes out of a misguided mouth (or keyboard). This leads quickly to the final two sins and rapidly approaches the line of the seventh sin.

Five: Obstinacy in Sin and Six: Final Impenitence

In its most extreme form the Impugning of the Truth leads to a hardness of heart that produces this obstinance and if not repented of may produce both this impenitence and even lead to the other side of the Line.

On the Wrong Side of the Line:

Bear in mind that all 6 of these sins are forgivable if the person will confess, repent and do penance. But persisted in they can lead across the line into the Unforgivable Sin. We read about this sin and its definition in Matthew 12:31-32. The Scribes and the Pharisees had just finished attributing the miracles of Christ to Satan. Then the Lord told them: “Therefore, I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor in the world to come.”

Calling the things of God “satanic” is the clear definition in Scripture of this sin. It crosses the line from forgivable to unforgivable. Those who participate in the six sins don’t realize, or obstinately refuse to believe, the danger their souls are in. But all we as Catholics can do is pray for them and keep standing by the Truth. Only the Holy Spirit can cause the scales to fall from their eyes. But the longer one persists in sin the fainter that “still small voice” becomes.

[By the way, note the phrase “neither in this world nor in the world to come”. There are sins forgiven before death and some after…a clear indication of the teaching of the Church called “Purgatory”.]

In the next article I’ll keep my promise to Lara and cover the true origins of both Easter and Christmas as practiced in the Church.