PART II.. OF THE SERIES.

THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC CONFERENCE ON EVANGELISATION.
Organised by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia.

The Roman Catholic Church is:
“a lamb in adversity, a fox in equality, and a tiger when in ascendancy.”

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again. If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men?
For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
( Galatians 1:8-10)

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“No right minded Protestant could place his trust in the promises of the Vatican. A Church for all seasons; ‘Semper Eadem’, but adaptable, compliant and blending into her surrounds, she adopts the cause which will win her ascendancy. These are her politics and her diplomacy and this is her ecumenism.”
(Catholic Research Information Bureau, 1987).

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“Mary...should inspire all who cooperate in the Church’s apostolic mission for the REBIRTH OF HUMANITY....The Church journeys through time...along the path already trodden by the Virgin Mary.” (Emphasis added).
John Paul II, Redemporis Missio, 86, 92.

WHAT ABOUT THE SPEAKERS AT “HEARTS ON FIRE” CONFERENCE?
Let me start with Rev. Tim Costello. He is now the President of the Baptist Union for Australian. His lecture was on “Catholic Evangelism  from an Outsider’s Perspective.” He is a lawyer who deals in social justice issues. Costello was chosen as one of Australia’s “100 living treasures.” He is greeted warmly by the three thousand Catholic priests, nuns, archbishops, bishops and the laity assembled. (One nun told me confidentially at morning tea, “but Tim Costello lacks the warmth and love of we Catholics, he is just not one of us , of course.” I challenge that! He is “one of them!” )  Rev. Costello says, “he is privileged to be here!” He congratulates the Catholic conference because they “take the Gospel so seriously.” But, dear Christian friends, there was NO Gospel there at all! There was only the “new” evangelism of the Pope, only the bare terms are the same. The terms now have different meanings, however!

I talked briefly with Rev Costello, after his speech, and asked him:
“Do you really believe that this evangelism is the same as the evangelism of the Baptists, and the same as the evangelical churches?”
He answered, “Of course I do! This is wonderful. “(Words similar to that).
“Do you agree with all this ecumenism and co-operation in evangelism?”
He answered, “I certainly do. And most Baptist ministers would agree with me.”
“ Why is a Baptist minister speaking at a Catholic international conference?”
He answered, “Because they asked me to, and I was delighted to do so.”

 His speech was a brilliant piece of diplomacy! There is a basic and enormous difference between the “new” evangelism of the Pope, and the Bible evangelism of the traditional Baptist Church (and the evangelicals in general). The Pope’s new evangelism seeks to bring the “unchurched” into the Catholic Church, whilst the Baptists and evangelicals, (in the past anyway), sought to bring the unsaved to Christ Jesus to receive Him as Saviour, through the preaching of His death for sin and resurrection et al. No doubt at all that Tim Costello is well aware of the vast difference. His  speech was a masterful attempt to satisfy both camps - Catholics and evangelicals. He stressed that to evangelise means to bring people to Jesus Christ, but then retreated to the other camp by stating that we must bring them  to the Church to be truly saved and nurtured (traditional Catholic doctrine of works and salvation through the Church).

 All the way through his discourse Costello presented the Catholic Church as a Christian Church which believes and preaches the Gospel.
This is not so, the Catholic Church does not even understand the true Gospel, in fact the one major thing they were against in co-operation with Protestants (that name should be dropped, it no longer has meaning) was the “once-of” style of evangelisation. This comment was made in various situations during the conference,  “you know what I mean, the ‘once-of ‘ evangelism that seems to think you can just have an experience with God called ‘born-again’ and that is it. You know what I mean, those kind of Protestants who carry a Bible and have a verse for every occasion. Knocking on people’s doors and handing out little leaflets." (Roars of laughter!) No, Tim Costello is deceived, or a deceiver - there was NO Gospel at that conference on evangelism, and no understanding of evangelism either.

The entire package of the redefined Gospel was swallowed whole by Tim Costello.
He quoted Francis of Assisi, with a quotation which is becoming very popular with the new evangelism exponents.  Basically Francis of Assisi said that we witness by our lives, and if unavoidable we then use words.  This is NOT true to the Word of God. We certainly witness to the Lord Jesus by our lives in a sense, after all an unloving, nasty tempered person is not a good example of Christian conversion. But, the most important work of evangelism is really the sharing of the Word of God with others! This is not silent witness, speaking only if we must. We have been given the commission to share the Good News of the coming of God’s Son, His death on the Cross for the sin of the world, and His resurrection from the dead. This is NOT a silent witness.

 We cannot expect to live such righteous lives that people will turn to God when they see how good we are. We are not in the business of pointing the unsaved to ourselves, we are pointing them to Christ Jesus, the Saviour of sinners, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. No, Rev.Costello, Francis of Assisi, Catholic mystic, was not right.

“And he (Christ Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).

Tim Costello appeared to me to be trying to instruct Catholic people in how to present a “Gospel” they don’t believe, thus helping them in reality to bring the unsaved under bondage to spiritual blackness and the terrible errors of the RCs.
He talked about “locating the Gospel in the world.” This appears to me to be the same doctrine as the “inculturate” doctrine of the Catholics.

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“That the Mass is Christ being sacrificed over and over on Catholic altars is the heart of Catholicism; and the repetition of the Mass is the Catholic’s Images hope of eventual release from purgatory. That doctrine directly contradicts the Bible. Vatican II declares: ‘In the sacrifice of the Mass...the body which is given for us and the blood which is shed for the remission of sins are offered to God by the Church for the salvation of the whole world.’ If this is true, then Christ’s death upon the cross was not sufficient but only a partial payment for sin. Yet the Bible assures us that He paid the full penalty for our sins.”
Dave Hunt, “A Woman Rides the Beast ,”  {Harvest House, pub} p.372.

INCULTURATING OR LOCATING THE GOSPEL IN THE WORLD?
The Catholic priests I spoke to were of one accord, and assured me that what they were speaking about was Catholic doctrine, not their own opinion or understanding. One priest, who I spoke to at length, had just come out of Seminary training. He said, in answer to my questions about “inculturing” the Gospel, that the Catholic Church did not believe that culture or society was fallen because of Sin. They believe that this is God’s kingdom-world, Jesus died to save the whole of creation, therefore the creation is already saved. The Church must therefore embrace society and culture, and adapt it to the Church. All society will be seen to be saved, as they “inculture” the Gospel. This is a sort of liberation action, the bringing of the power of the Church into government affairs; giving indigenous peoples their land rights; saving the environment; politicking for socialism ; opposing multi-nationals et al.

JESUS CHRIST WAS THE RAINBOW SERPENT?
When I spoke to the young priest about Satan being the prince of this world, at this present time, he was shocked, unbelieving about this. (Matt. 4:8,9). He told me that some priests now realise that Jesus Christ had come to the aboriginal people in Australia millions of years before Christ had been born as a  baby at Bethlehem. He said the aboriginals had great spiritual light, we must learn from them, and Christ Jesus was the Rainbow Serpent of the Dream time. Can you see how far “locating the Gospel in the world” and ‘inculturating” the Gospel can go? Endless merger really. Absorbing other beliefs, seeking to bring unchurched people under “Christian” rule, taking over society and “transforming” it. Enforcing the political might of the Vatican. Setting up a fake “reign of God” with Inquisition against those who resist!

DISTURBING FEATURES - PERSONAL ASIDE.
A disturbing part of the conference was the occultic, mystical or ceremonial nature of things that went on. The big red candle and the holy water, brought down to the front stage in procession, then “incensed” by the Archbishop of Brisbane.  The wafting incense from the censor. The prayers to the dead saints, and the veneration given regularly to  dead “saint” Mary McKillop. The Dagon fish-hat on the Archbishop of Brisbane. The ashes on the centre of people’s foreheads on one of the days. The continual crossing of themselves with their hands. The Eucharist, and the ceremonial offering up of a sacrifice of the supposed “Body and Blood” of Christ. The book tables with meditation techniques explained in booklets and on sheets. These were just the same as the meditation techniques of the New Agers - with emptied minds, word mantras to repeat over and over, and mandelas. The special candles being sold. The constant reference to some pronouncement or other from Pope Paul II, with official titles of the same given in Italian and Latin. The international priest - top speaker - who said from the podium, “I will now say what Fawlty says, “bleeding obvious!” and everyone roared with laughter.  I stupidly said to myself one day, “Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas any more!”
Will we see in our lifetimes a return of all the denominations of Christendom to the rule of the Roman Whore, with its god/Pope? In Australia it seems we are almost there.

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“In the book, The Vatican Papers, published in 1982, Nino Lo Bello claims that ‘the Vatican has the most efficient and widespread spy network in the whole world, outclassing even the Russian KGB.’ He states that this group of espionage agents came to be known by the Popes as Sodalitium Pianum, and more widely as ‘God’s Underground,’ and it may include any priest, nun and monk anywhere on earth. He argues that among this faithful army of more than 2.5 million people there are many full-time trained agents.”
Michael de Semlyen, All Roads Lead to Rome?, (Dorchester House, pub) p.117.

ONE MAJOR LECTURER AT “HEARTS ON FIRE.”
Father Cyril Hally, an ecumenical sociologist. He has lectured in New Zealand, Australia and Ireland (lived in Ireland for some time). He now works for the Catholic Church in China. His has a motto, “Culture shapes the human voice which answers the voice of Christ.”

Fr Hally’s lecture was dotted throughout with New Age slogans, he brought the New Age global agenda in many ways. “Think globally, act locally.” This really should be, “Think locally, think globally, act locally” says Hally. He talked of the whole world being in crisis, and about the “Holy Spirit” making a New Community and a New Peoples globally. He talked of “A Global Unity” being here with “a Unified Cosmic Spirituality.” He spoke of all these New Age matters:
Ecosystems and the environment must be saved;
Intensification of spirituality happening because of Globalism;
Evangelism being reconciliation between the aboriginal religion and the Roman Catholic religion. The Pope says we NEED aboriginal spirituality;
He said that nature, gender, family, ethnicity, culture are all in transition simultaneously - (and I quote), “BECAUSE WE ARE IN A NEW WORLD.”

He speaks very like the WCRP conference speakers in Melbourne. He mentions the  NGOs (non-government organisations) and their “networking” with little groups who are working away undermining hierarchical authority. They are “inculturalising evangelism” he says. “We, the Catholic Church, must move into multi-cultural reconciliation.” “We must sub fuse proclamation into reconciliation,” says Hally.

In a small seminar I attended under Cyril Hally some interesting things came out. He began to discuss in depth what I saw and heard in the rest of conference, the Dialogue process which is so prevalent in the brave New World! It struck me again and again at “Hearts on Fire” that the Catholics are totally bewitched by the New World Order indoctrination! How could they just accept all this, unless they are under delusion, fearfully strong delusion.

The Dialogue process was discussed by myself in a critique on the Alpha Course. Here at the Catholic Jubilee 2000 conference the dialectic/praxis process was fast at work. Fr Cyril Hally spoke of the need for “dialogue” with other religions. He said dialogue was a two way thing, that we must enrich each other. The Catholics take from the Hindus and Buddhists, the indigenous peoples and so on, and they give back spirituality and values to the other religions. There was heavy syncretism going on at the entire conference, most surprising of all was the way the people embraced this with no questions, no objections (none that I heard, that is. )

HALLY AND THE FUNDAMENTALISTS.
Hally was “sorry for” fundamental Christians. He said that “they have to defend their emotional commitment” or else collapse. Seeing he had lived in Ireland for a number of years, I asked Hally what he thought of Rev. Ian Paisley. He said, “I feel sorry for him. But you can’t talk intelligently with these fundamentals, they don’t understand educated people.”

The conference through Hally and others made it plain that the Catholic Church world-wide is in the grip of a “PARADIGM SHIFT.” This is “CHANGE” they stressed, a “TOTAL SOCIAL CHANGE.” They stressed “inter-relatedness” and called it “evangelism.”  These quotes are quite revealing, “Let us be energised - this is co-operating with the forces of the Spirit.” “A white-anted house should not be renovated. It is a New Church, with wonderful roots.” “The Catholic Church could become a working model (or paradigm) for other people.”  How New Age can you get!

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“In an era when scientists debate the causes of the birth of the universe, both the adoration and conflict attending Mary have risen to extraordinary levels. A grass-roots revival of faith in the VIRGIN is taking place worldwide. Millions of worshippers are flocking to her shrines, many of them young people. Even more remarkable are the number of claimed sightings of the VIRGIN, from Yugoslavia to Colorado, in the past few years.” Time magazine, Dec. 30, 1991. p.62.

ANOTHER SPEAKER.
Father Patrick Brennan, President of the National Centre for Evangelisation and Parish Renewal [Chicago, USA], a prolific author.
Fr Brennan spoke of “re-imagining” the parish. His books expound these ideas.This is a New Age concept, compare the New Age books, “Reimagination of the World” by David Spangler and William Thompson and “Re-inventing the Corporation” by Naisbett and Aburdene, plus numerous others. Brennan also wrote the book, “Re-imagining Evangelism.” The Vatican certainly has re-imagined evangelism, so much so that it is unrecognisable.

Fr Patrick Brennan declared that the Gospel, the Good News was that God’s Reign is here! This is a delusion, for God’s actual reign here on earth will not occur until Christ Jesus sets up His millennial reign at His Second Coming (Revelation 20). Indeed there a false ‘reign of God” almost in place, but this NOT our Christian God! Patrick Brennan re-defines evangelism here as “reconciliation” “announcing the Good News of Inter-dependence (as proclaimed by Pope Paul 11).” Reconciliation says Brennan is UNITY IN DIVERSITY. This term has been coined by the international New Age New World Order organisation “Unity and Diversity” (or Unity in Diversity). This same organisation was presiding over the conference at Melbourne, World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP). It was a multi-cultural unity with all religions called, “Religion and Cultural Diversity Conference.”
This Catholic “Hearts on Fire” conference was the “same horse different rider.”

An interesting point to Patrick Brennan’s lecture was that he was extremely interested in beating the Protestants at their own game. He had actually met with
Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church, a man who strongly influenced Rick Warren and his “Purpose Driven Church.’ These “Protestant” pastors have churches with huge of numbers of people, and massive tithes and collections. Fr Brennan was most impressed with this, and urged Catholics to learn the techniques of Bill Hybels. He too urged a “paradigm shift” into a new era for the Catholic parishes.  He said, “Get out There!” “Seek seekers” and don’t let the evangelical groups get all the people. He says “don’t do the fundamental Christian stuff, do good Catholic doctrine, we will give the exegesis.”

Willow Creek Community Church is only a mile away from Patrick Brennan’s parish. He gave the amount of money raked in by Willow Creek each week, with great enthusiasm - US$160,000 each week. Brennan said lots of “inactive Catholics” are there. They get “luke-warm Catholics.” Patrick Brennan advised the Australian Catholic Church to bring the techniques of the Purpose-Driven Churches like Bill Hybels church into the Catholic evangelistic thrust. To reach out with Websites, to meet young people on Cyberspace. All areas of society are to reached for the Catholic Church.

“Getting back the old-drop-outs” as proposed by Pope Paul 11 was of utmost importance. Anyone and everyone who had ever darkened the doors of Roman Catholic churches was considered “an inactive Catholic.” No, not just just people who had once been Catholics, but now were secular or had changed to Baptists, Anglicans or whatever. Anyone who had been born into Catholicism or had received the Eucharist in a Catholic Church was considered to be“an inactive Catholic” and the Pope wants them back! This was considered to be the Images scope of “evangelism” for AD 2000. This means that those who have been redeemed or born-again and have joined other churches, Pentecostal or Evangelical, are a target for the Catholic Church to retrieve them! This was shown to be during the entire conference as part of the "reconciliation" programme. It was seen as fair and right, after all they had been taken by sheep stealers. The Catholic Church was their proper place to be. There didn’t appear to be any place given for personal choice in the matter! Rather like commercial goods being move around, merchandise being returned to the rightful owners. Alarm bells are ringing even as I write.

Jubilee is about people returning to the place where they belong, claiming what is their own. Whether that be churches or lands. Aboriginal land rights are a big part of Jubilee here in Australia, is this “going back to your own place” of Jubilee planned to be a return to the religion of your roots as well? Certainly looks like it.

Carlo Martini was lauded and commended for his ministry. He now has satellite rooms in Milan. Thousands listen to him on television, he has opened wide the Cathedral of Milan. Who is Cardinal Carlo Martini? He is His Eminence Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, Archbishop of Milan. He is the Vatican’s predominant Greek scholar, a Jesuit. He is considered to be a possible successor to the Pope. He is the President of the Council of European Bishop’s Conferences, which represents 133,000 European churches. He was a member of the United Bible Societies’ editorial committee for both the second and third editions of the Greek New Testament. His influence helped to bring about more than five hundred deliberate alterations to the Bible, resulting in the NIV - the International or Catholic Version.

Martini was here in Australia a couple of years back.
The conference definitely saw his ministry as a model for proceedings here in Australia. Watch out Australia, here comes the “inculturation” of our society by the Roman Catholic Church!

Fr Patrick Brennan sees the need for small groups and forming “communities” in order to bring the “paradigm shift” for the New Catholic Church in a new millennium. Strangely he spoke of Chaos being not an enemy, but a friend. He said Chaos was a “spirit” which we must not be afraid of. Out of Chaos comes the new paradigm!  Above all he stressed that the Eucharist is top! No faith without it. “Establish Catholic COMMUNITIES” said Patrick Brennan.  Note that he is not just talking about churches here!

There was so much New Age thinking in this lecture. “Hidden gardens” “Lotus of Redemption” and “imagination of God.”  Patrick Brennan is praying for a special gift of imagination.

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“There is no doubt that Paul IV, together with John XXIII and John Paul II, will be remembered as the three great Popes of Peace, pioneers of a momentous transcendence of the Catholic Church into the New Age.”
Robert Muller, New Age New World Order leader,  Luciferian, former  U.N. Assistant Sec.Gen.

ST. COLUMBAN’S MISSION SOCIETY.
The material folder sent out on Jubilee 2000 to the Catholic Churches in Australia has the contact address on the back: St Columban’s Mission Society, Strathmore, Victoria. This mission institute also has a missionary perspective on regional and global challenges for ecology and justice, along the lines of the Unity in Diversity New Age institutions. They deal also with Christian/Muslim relationships.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
Jubilee 2000 events to do with combined “Christian” evangelism will be a part of the Olympic Games in Sydney, next year. Alpha courses and Alpha weekends will a part of this. At one of the conferences Tony Campolo will speak. Our readers will remember a critique on Campolo in Despatch some time ago. He is a facilitator for the New World Order,  and the bringing together of the One World Church.

SPEAKER KILLED BEFORE THE CONFERENCE.
One of the speakers for the conference ”Hearts on Fire” never attended, he was killed just days before it began. Father Gerry Pierse, 59, a Redemptorist working in the Philippines drowned while snorkelling in Tallebudgera Creek at Burleigh Heads, on the Gold Coast. Religious leaders from around the world paid tribute to the Irish-born priest. He was a lecturer on meditation.

WHO ELSE SPOKE AT “HEARTS ON FIRE” ?
Archbishop Michael Sheehan, of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
He gave the Keynote address on the opening night, Wednesday 14th July, 1999.

There was an aboriginal ceremony on stage that night, with painted indigenous dancers and a didgeridoo. Many Catholic bishops were present. Archbishop of the Anglican Church for Queensland, Peter Hollingworth, was present. Also there were Churches of Christ heads, Lutheran heads, Queensland Churches together heads. (This organisation has members from almost all the churches and organisations of Christendom). Terry Sullivan MLA and the Mayor of Brisbane, ex-Jesuit priest Jim Soorley sent their apologies.

From Italy, the Vatican  - Archbishop Francesco Cannolinni was at the meeting. He welcomed the Christians from other denominations with a heavy Italian accent. I could not take notes on his address, I found the accent too difficult to decipher. I do not like to be unloving, but this man looked sinister. I cannot say any of the other speakers seemed threatening or made me uneasy, this man did. His speech led into the lecture by Michael Sheehan. He is the retiring chair of the USA Catholic Bishops for Evangelism .

Archbishop Sheehan started with an hilariously funny joke. As in other lectures there is no Bible reading, no starting with prayer, as such. The only prayers at the conference were set prayers written on formal sheets. The Bible readings that did come into the conference were nothing like the Protestant understanding of Bible reading or study. These were given formally from a large red gold-embossed book, which had been “incensed” by a priest. The book was kissed dramatically, then a short reading was given - rather like reciting a sacred, mysterious poem or touching a Madonna with tears coming from her eyes. The people’s faces were adoring. The words were read slowly as one would read a memorial on a crypt.

Sheehan had much to share from Pope Paul on the “New Evangelism” for Jubilee 2000. He said that the “Gospel” must be renewed. Now we saw another redefinition of the “Gospel!” The values of the Catholic Church, the Sacraments of the Catholic Church and “Liturgy” have become the “Gospel.” “Liturgy”, for those of us who are unfamiliar with such matters, is a sort of play-acting or dancing out of a theme or subject. A drama or ceremony, often with beautiful music, costumes and interaction with the congregation. A religious rite.

Sheehan talks of  evangelisation “strictly speaking” which he says is the outreach to the unchurched - to bring them to the churches. (Again,no understanding of Biblical evangelism). Then he contrasts the new evangelism, which is vastly more expansive. He speaks of “Renew” which is a programme in the USA. 44,000 people do this programme in his own area in New Mexico, in small groups. Be like the Protestants he says. Home visitation is important, use the media especially television, write to newspaper editors,  do justice and charity in society, witness in the arts, support groups for professionals and so on. He wants to “reach the lost in other denominations.” He talks of the spiritual extremists - the Mormons, the New Agers and the fundamental Christians.

Michael Sheehan was a warm man with a nice smile. He seemed to be utterly in love with the Catholic Church! Others I spoke with said such things as “I love this Church, it means all the world to me.” Sheehan spoke with glowing delight of the Mother Church which is “THE WHOLE PIE.” He said they have everything - Mary the Mother of God; the holy women and men to communication with, the Saints (dead) of the Church (Mary McKillop was mentioned often); the heritage of the Church; social justice (left-wing activism?); they have the Confessional. “We have this Church, now we must speak the Truth with love.”
He stressed the authority of the Vatican and the successors to the apostles, the Pope and the bishops. Being in the Church to him means personal relationship with Christ. These are lost, unconverted people. I am crying , I am in prayer for them!

Archbishop Sheehan said that although there are “inactive Catholics” in the USA, still 90% of young people who call themselves Catholics believe that the Eucharist (the wine and the bread) are the actual Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus. Turned into these by a mystical action through the priests. This is alien to the Bible, as the communion is a remembrance only, and the bread and wine are obviously symbols:
“When he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” (I Corinthians 11:24,25).

CAN WE FORGET? QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
An evangelist in Zambia in the early 1990s (name withheld) wrote to World-wide Outreach in Santa Fe, New Mexico:
“My country was plunged into misery. The Body of Christ is constantly facing onslaughts. It’s true, Catholicism is ruling the land. Politics (social and spiritual aspects) have been sold to the Vatican. Every effort to evangelize is being thwarted. I wonder if you know that the Catholics, through their agents in Parliament have passed a law banning the formation of any other Christian ministry....Religious freedom is slowly declining and respect for the Pope is mounting.”

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“The burning of the Marian martyrs is an act that the Church of Rome has never repudiated....Never has she repented of her treatment of the Vaudois and the Albigenses...of the wholesale murders of the Spanish Inquisition...of the burning of the English Reformers.
We should take note of that fact and let it sink down in own minds. Rome never changes.” Anglican Bishop J.C.Ryle, 1885.

GERALDINE DOOGUE’S PANEL SESSION.
On Thursday night, 15th July a panel discussion was led by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) presenter Geraldine Doogue. A Catholic, Ms Doogue was a beautiful, elegant feature of the entire conference. She received a standing ovation from the audience of near three thousand people. The panel included Fr. Frank Brennan and Rev. Tim Costello - and others.  The subject under discussion was what is needed for Catholics to become effective Evangelisers in Australian society today.

There is hardly anything to say about this panel discussion! To say it was senseless would seem rude; to say it had no meaning at all would  be rude; to say it was unbelievably childish, pointless and rambled around like a lost soul with no place to go would be slander; to say that it was boring, flippant rubbish with Ms Doogue as a glamorous pin-up centre-piece, would be unkind  - so I am not commenting expect to say, NO COMMENT!  I can’t even imagine what they were getting at really. I could hardly wait for them to stop “discussing” so we could all leave!

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“It is the office of the Papacy to tread under foot kings and emperors.”
J.H. Ignaz von Dollinger, The Pope and the Council, (London, 1869). p.339.

ANOTHER “HEARTS ON FIRE” SEMINAR.
THE ECUMENISTS MEET TO DISCUSS COOPERATION IN EVANGELISM!
The Catholic Church is clearly saying this: “Evangelism is a life-long PROCESS not a one-of event.” This is really just another way of saying that everyone is going to be saved in the end, and we all get there by works. Christ has redeemed the whole creation already, they believe. The reign of God is here now, and the nations and cultures are NO LONGER fallen. This is why the Catholic Church sees the need to “inculturate” the society. All cultures are supposed to be saved cultures, and it is only a matter of merging Catholicism with everything else - i.e. the Dreamtime culture of the aboriginals, or the political systems of Australia.

On the Friday morning, July 16th, an ecumenical seminar was held. I was not supposed to be there, but I drifted in with those who were and skipped the workshop I had on my own card. No one objected. It was an important session for “facilitating connections” in South East Queensland. Co-presenters with Father Michael Putney of Brisbane (in charge of “evangelism” and ecumenical cooperation for South East Queensland) were:
Rev. Val Graydon of Queensland Churches Together;
Dennis Robertson of the Uniting Church;
and Peter Arnott of the Anglican Church.

Putney is in charge of ecumenical evangelism! David Gill is secretary.
The message is about full collaboration in “evangelism” Catholic-style, of course.
The Vatican is displeased that “the divisions between the denominations have created an obstacle to a common evangelism.” Putney insists that ecumenical cooperation is possible in preaching the “gospel.”  We must unite to influence the unchurched masses. We are challenged by the  ROMAN DIRECTORY to evangelise together!  “God preserves communion amongst the baptised of all denominations.”

MARTYRS are to be honoured in the Jubilee year, comments Father Putney.  Those who died in Japan, the 100,000 of the religion of the Russian Orthodox who died in Russia for “the faith.”  (I wonder about the martyrs who have died under Catholic persecution in our own century?) “Common witness is the essential call to the churches.”  Peace between other religions and Christianity seems to be very important here. “Dialogue” is trotted forward, “protection of the environment” is lauded for this “common evangelism.” The World Council of Churches is commended. The oppressed and the poor must be helped. “We must go forward presenting Jesus together, “ says Father Putney. Can the reader see how utterly alien to the Bible and Protestant evangelism this so-called ecumenical “evangelism” is? The neo-communistic slogan which the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches use so often is given strongly:
“Justice - Peace and the Integrity of Creation.”

The difference between what is “STRICTLY” evangelism and what is being proposed by the Vatican is again presented. The idea is that Protestants did not know about the broad scope of evangelism, only what is “strictly” evangelism?? In other words we have given the unsaved a message of salvation through trust in Christ’s shed Blood, they will give this “broad” message and action on social justice, aboriginal rights, redistribution of the world’s goods, unity of all peoples and globalism et al. This IS NO TRUE GOSPEL at all, in reality. Only radical socialism and militant overthrow by the Vatican, Jesuits and priests!

The Pentecostal churches were discussed. In Brazil, says Father Putney, 19,000 Catholics join the Pentecostal churches every year. This makes the Catholic Church “negative.” They want no “compromise” in ecumenical evangelism! The general notion is that people who “belong” in the Catholic Church cannot be taken over by the other denominations, they must be “returned” to their own Mother Church. Those who have been swallowed up the other denominations must be given back, they are “inactive” Catholics. This can done with no contention.
“How do we deal with the things we disagree about?” asked Putney.
“Ecumenism is to talk about things with each other!”

Father Putney commented on “the very sensitive” message Rev. Tim Costello, now President of the Baptist Union for Australia, gave. No doubt Putney thinks it was sensitive, it capably sought to satisfy both “Protestants” and Catholics! Costello presented concepts which could be merged with both the desire of the traditional Baptists to bring the unsaved to Christ, and the RCs desire to bring them to CHURCH! Putney spoke of the evangelical churches not “sitting easily” with the RCs about liturgies, the Eucharist and the long PROCESS of “accepting Christ.” But, he was sure that this could be discussed together. “The way we LIVE is the  gospel, reconciliation with the aboriginals and the integrity of Creation is the Gospel” he soothed. “COMMON WITNESS STRESSES OUR UNITY.”

Rev. Val Graydon, Anglican, of Queensland Churches Together, spoke about her long journey through ecumenism. She mentions with favour the Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Paul II, and the document co-signed in the 1980s. She has studied with the Catholics in Theological College. Catholics and Anglicans studied together in the Brisbane College of Theology.  She works now with all denomination she says. She mentions the Christmas Bowl Appeal and Force 10. “Anglicans are now discussing how we can accept the Supreme Primacy of the Pope” she comments. “We must respect differences. Common witness is not mission impossible!”

 Rev. Graydon has written her own mission statement:
“For God’s sake stop talking about it - just do it!”
“For 400 years we have been sidetracked, now we are back to hope, wisdom and deep spirituality in the Holy Spirit. We must accept our differences, not just tolerate, and move on in our Baptismal commonality” says Rev. Graydon.

Rev. Dennis Robertson, of the Uniting Church, spoke.
“Dialogue,” “union in diversity,”  “”inclusion,” “tolerance,” “develop fidelity,” and “social action” were some of the terms Robertson used.  “ Our foundations are shaking! These are new foundations, new rules - it is all NEW! This is the most exciting time to live in! We need all this in Protestant hands across the board!”  Robertson is going to publish his paper on ecumenism. “Ecumenism is about robust encounter.” He wants to see more fire in “dialogue.”

Father Michael Putney responds with words to this effect:
“We all love Jesus, but I can’t say Jesus without Eucharist - that is where I meet Him.”

 THE ECUMENISTS AND THE SUBTLE,GENTLE DECEPTIONS.
Will the church-goers in the evangelical and Pentecostal churches accept  ecumenical witness under the Vatican, with the New Evangelism taking the lead? I believe they will, for the subtle deceptions are so brilliantly conceived. Not many church-goers bother to delve into what the meanings of terms are, they just accept on face value. A small magazine I picked up at the “Hearts on Fire” conference, “EV 2000,”  confirmed my grieved thoughts on this. It was, on face value only, for all the world like an ordinary evangelical publication about witnessing for Christ as Saviour. There were the words we born-again believers are so familiar with - “evangelism,” “experience with Christ,” gospel,” “new life,” and “spirituality.” The Rev, Nicky Gumble and ALPHA had pride of place. There is a touching article about a man who become new ‘spiritually” through attending  Alpha dinners. Yes, the majority of church-goers will accept this devilish new evangelism all right.

You may have tried to convince some friends or a congregation that the Toronto Curse (or the Brownsville “revival” ) is not of God and is counterfeit. Well, you have haven’t see anything yet! Try convincing those who are still in the denominations that this Catholic evangelism and ecumenical thrust in cooperation is not of God! They will just read the documents and magazines given to them, like “EV 2000,” and denounce you as a bigoted liar who has no tolerance and love! You will have as much chance to warn them as I had at the “Hearts on Fire” conference - which, without a Holy Spirit miracle, is NO POSSIBILITY!

Here I would add my own reaction to the Catholic people I met, talked with and shared meals with over the four day and night conference, “Hearts of Fire.” They were kindly, courteous, sensitively interested in a lone woman in their midst. They were generally well educated, well dressed, with lovely manners, articulate, and the music and singing was not cheap and nasty, but was appealing to myself, I love good, semi-classical music. In short - they could attract people on a NATURAL, secular level more than most fundamental or evangelical Christian churches would. If I was evaluating their presentation on a secular level I would have joined them straight away! I am not, however, as a born-again Christian I was appalled at the lack of real spiritual light there. Chilled by the awareness of religious deception and darkness! The point I am making is that many people in the denominations only evaluate on a secular level, and they will be delighted with “fellowship” with the Catholic Church. The RC is not a Church which is sinister in presentation, it would be a breathe of fresh air to those evangelicals who have suffered through a number of shallow,  rip roaring years charismatic “revival.”

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment reImagess to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema [cursed].”  Council of Trent.

PART THREE OF “HEARTS ON FIRE” conference, Brisbane, Australia
 

W. B. Howard ...Editor of Despatch

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