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Home » Publications » Free Presbyterian Magazine » 1996 » May 1996 » Protestant View

Protestant View

Priests praised and helped murderers

THE hand of Rome in the troubles of Ulster is well known but not so easily seen. However, its sympathy with the IRA can not be hid altogether. The fact of that sympathy and support for IRA bloodshed and brutality is confirmed by an article in The Spectator of 20th April. The author is a certain Sean O’Callaghan who was an active IRA member and who is serving a life sentence for murder.

Although born and brought up in an Irish Catholic family, and educated by nuns and monks, O’Callaghan eventually saw what he calls Rome’s “rather unique form of criminality.” It is unique, he says, “because it consistently conspired with the worst elements of extreme nationalism to produce a dogma based on the racial purity of a mythological ‘Irish race’.”

He says that in 1969, in Northern Ireland, “the nationalist cause was sermoned and preached from pulpit and Dail, and, fool that I was, I fell for the big lie… I, to my lasting shame, became a political gangster.”

In Omagh, he and others murdered a RUC Special Branch detective-inspector who was an Irish Catholic. After the murder they were driven by colleagues to the house of two priests. “We were greeted joyously, showered with holy water and prayers and fed like kings. ‘An abominable man who abandoned his faith and sold his soul to the devil.’ That was how the senior of the two priests described the murdered man to us – two young murderers – as we sat at their table.” Next day the two priests scouted the road ahead to ensure that there were no army roadblocks ahead.

He soon became aware of the fact that these two priests were not exceptions and that there were many others like them who gave assistance to IRA murderers, and that the contacts between the Roman Catholic Church and the IRA were very extensive.

In looking back on Rome’s powerful influence in Ireland, he rightly says, “The Catholic Church’s crimes against decency and humanity on this island threatened to submerge us in a sea of superstition, ignorance and hatred of all that was not totally obedient to its will.”

We ought to be praying that the day will soon come, as we believe it will, when the eyes of Roman Catholics in that troubled land of Ulster will be opened to see the true nature of “the beast” of Scripture – the Papacy and its cruel power. There can be no lasting peace in Northern Ireland as long as those who are duped and deluded by Rome are being subtly manipulated by her in her pursuit of total dominion and the ousting of Protestantism.

Rome’s inter-religion policy and activities

IN his efforts to present the acceptable face of Rome to the world, the peripatetic Pope of Rome has recently completed his 70th official foreign visit – a one-day visit to Tunisia. According to EWTN News Service, he called on the small Roman Catholic minority there to develop relations with Islam, based on “dialogue and collaboration with believers of other faiths”. He spoke of Islam as “a religion of toleration and moderation”.

A mark of the true Church, when it goes out to face false religions, is that it
presents to them the truth of Christ and His claims upon men, even although these run counter to the teachings and practices of these religions. Rome on the other hand, down through her history and in pursuit of her overall aim of increasing her power, does not condemn the falseness of these religions but cleverly adapts herself to them.

This inter-religious policy of Rome was in operation last month when the Pope invited Rabbi Elio Toaff and other leaders of the Jewish community in the city of Rome to visit the Vatican to mark the anniversary of the Pope’s visit to their synagogue in 1986.

For Rome to fraternise with Christ-rejecting religions is not difficult, considering that she herself rejects Christ as the only way of salvation. Conversely, true religion, in presenting and insisting upon the sole Saviourship and Headship of Christ, will feel the weight of Rome’s wrath, when she has the opportunity to show it – as was evidenced when the Pope, in his going to and fro in the earth, condemned what he called the “sect” of Protestantism in Latin America.

Let us never cease to present the uniqueness of Christ as the only way to peace with God. Let us ever proclaim the watchwords of the Reformation; “Solo Christo” – Christ as the only Saviour; “Sola Scriptura” – the Scriptures as the only rule of faith and practice; “Sola Fide” – only faith in Christ as the means of being justified; “Sola Gratia” – grace alone as the basis of salvation, and “Soli Deo Gloria” – to God alone be given all the glory.

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