Rome’s Holy Year.
Every twenty-five years the Pope calls for the observance of one year as a “holy” year. The public press, during the latter part of 1949, were heralding 1950 as a “holy” year appointed by the Vatican, and the City of Rome as the centre of celebrations. Charles Foley, a Foreign Editor of the Daily Express, published an article in this paper, written from Rome, on the 19th of December last, with large type heading: Millions Queue up for the Great Pardon. His article deals with the Pope’s arrangements and specific intentions for this so-called “holy” year. Foley states that the Pope wants to reinforce his Church against the assaults of Communism and realises that social reforms are overdue in many Roman Catholic countries. We may observe here that the peasants of Spain, for instance, have realised this long ago, but the Pope’s priests have seen to it for centuries that social reforms are not allowed. They tend to liberty of speech and action which are not good for “Holy Mother Church.” What wicked hypocritical contradiction! But the core of “holy” year, Foley states, is the reward to be meted out to Roman Catholics who travel to Rome in 1950. Pope Pius XII lays down the terms. They must repent of their sins and take the sacraments; visit four specified Roman churches; and pray for the Pope. The reward is as follows:—”The punishment (the italics are Foley’s) for his sins is wiped out. If he dies he goes straight to heaven, without the unpleasantness of purgatory.” Now we know on an up-to-date report, that works, and not grace and Christ, constitute the basis upon which rewards are allocated to the dupes of Rome. And further, we have here up-to-date confirmation of the wicked, deceiving and blasphemous claims of the Pope in promising that the punishment for sins shall be wiped out, in the case of those who conform to his terms. What fools sin and the devil have made of men and women, when they believe that if they do what the Pope tells them, as above, they will go straight to heaven and avoid purgatory, which is only an invention of the devil to gain money to clothe cardinals in scarlet. Those who die depending on the Pope and his superstitions and false guidance and promises, will go straight to hell. Our view of Charles Foley’s article is, that it is not altogether a commendation of “holy” year or of the Roman Catholic Church. He calls it “the greatest show on earth in 1950,” and states that in Rome “night clubs are hiring bigger and better shows for pilgrims who may weary of well-doing”; and that one new luxury hotel being put specially up near St. Peter’s is called the “Palace of the Penitents.” In closing this note, we wonder if the Holy and exalted Redeemer, reigning at the right hand of God, will frown upon the unholy activities of Rome’s “holy” year, by means of some dark providence.
Roman Catholic Propaganda.
We have already referred in this issue to the Roman Catholic “Holy” Year and the desire of Scottish R.C.s to turn Scotland back under the heel of the Pope. There is so much Romish propaganda being continually put forth just now that it is not easy to deal with each fresh effort which confronts us. Yet we cannot refrain from noting cases brought before us recently. The first is that of a great R.C. campaign for England and Wales, during which “a doorstep invitation to every non-Catholic home in the country to hear the truth about the Catholic Church,” is to be one of many methods used by the Roman Catholic Missionary Society. Just one of the answers to this is, that no Protestant Missionary Society would be permitted such liberty for a day in Roman Catholic Spain and elsewhere. The second case of propaganda is rather different. We visited a teacher at the end of 1949. She showed us a pictorial card received from two scholars at what is called Christmas time (a Romish festival). The card portrayed, in appropriate colours, a stable, purporting to be at Bethlehem, with Joseph standing beside a manger and Mary reclining upon a heap of straw with supposedly the child Jesus in her arms. Mary is attired from the crown of her head to her feet in the black and white garb of a Romish Carmelite nun. This is just an irresponsible Popish pictorial lie, linking up the mother of Jesus with the Roman Catholic Church to influence a gullible public. The last item we cite just now is in the form of an advertisement. The Glasgow morning paper, the Daily Record, carried an advertisement during last December, with the heading, Luminous Crucifix. It included a sketch of a cross with Christ hanging upon it. The terms of the advertisement state: “It shines at night and is everlasting. It is especially treasured by the children, who find them very comforting when hanging beside their beds.” The cost was stated. It seems that the Daily Record has opened its columns for the anti-Christ practice of selling and buying idolatrous representations of the Saviour, and comfort that exists only in the superstitious imagination of Roman Catholic merchants and propagandists. We learned some time ago on good authority that the Daily Record will not publish any news item unfavourable to the Roman Catholic Church. Let us watch, pray, speak, and act according to the pure Word of God in a dangerous day.
The Coming General Election.
Mr. C. Attlee, the Prime Minister, having announced the 23rd of February as the day for the General Election, political parties are now actively campaigning for the support of voters all over the country. Parliament needs men to represent the people there, whose political actions shall be guided by moral and religious principles and precepts derived from the Scriptures. It is to be hoped that the Lord’s Day will be left to its divinely ordained purposes by political organisers and speakers. A profaned Sabbath will be an evil pathway indeed for any candidate to enter the House of Commons by, as an elected Member of Parliament. Those who fear the Lord have a solemn call to prayer at such a time as this. We are a backsliding nation and therefore unworthy of the divine favour and guidance; yet God, in the case of Israel when they were brought low for their iniquity, regarded their affliction and heard their cry and repented according to the multitudes of his mercies, (Ps. cvi, 42-45). May we as a nation be brought to turn penitently to Him who ruleth in the Kingdom of men, seeking that He would guide our affairs to the glory of His Name and the spiritual and temporal prosperity of our beloved land.
If ever the Spirit of God hath begun a sanctifying work in thee; He never will be the messenger to bring contrary news to thy soul; His language is not yea and nay, but yea and Amen for ever.—Gurnall.