Who Are The Christian Faithful?

Sincerity is not the measure of right and wrong. God defines that which is “right” through His laws and commandments and it is for all those who wish to be counted with the Christian Faithful to submit to, obey and follow His “divine will”; which is authentically expressed through the teaching authority of His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

It matters NOT what you may have been led to believe by those vainglorious, charismatic, false teachers found within numerous separatist, schismatic sects that abound spreading heresy across the internet … there is only one true path that leads man to salvation.

That path towards salvation begins at the waters of baptism and continues on thereafter through a well-defined and disciplined course of faith, hope and charity which requires obedience to the laws found within the Catholic Church in order to obtain that glorious eternal reward.

No matter how loudly and convincingly those “workers of deceit” (like the Dimond Brothers) self-proclaimed themselves to be professed, ordained and commissioned ambassadors of Christ … it does NOT make it so.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, made it perfectly clear in his Epistle to the Smyrnaeans that: “Where the bishop is, there is the Church.”

I ask you to let this be your “litmus Test” when evaluating purported Catholic internet based religious communities. If there is no legitimate Bishop (i.e. one whose authority comes by way of proven apostolic succession) to be found, guiding / overseeing these cyber-ministries; If there is no proof of canonical provision, then these congregations are NOT in communion with the Church and MUST be avoided / shunned for they are without a doubt “dens of iniquity” and deception.

“… Take heed that no man seduce you. For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ [or his ambassador]. And they will seduce many.” - St Matthew 24: 4-5 (emphasis added)

Don’t be deceived. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ warned of these types of delusional good hearted theological reprobates:

“This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me teaching doctrines and commandments of men.” - St Matthew 15:8-9

In these days of unopposed schism (the Great Apostasy) it is not a simple task to remain stalwart Catholics (the Christian Faithful) and defend the Church and our loved ones against their falling prey these internet based charismatic miscreants.

Jesus admonished us to “stay the course”, to remain focused and strong in our faith in God and His teachings:

“But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.” - St Matthew 24:13

St Peter warned us to be on our guard against false teachers:

“You therefore, brethren, knowing these things before, take heed, lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and unto the day of eternity. Amen.”- 2 Peter 3:17-18

Here are but a few items relating to the teachings of the Church and “canon law” that we as Catholics must understand and accept in order to be able to adequately discern and identify those “separatist”, like the Dimond Brothers, who attempt to lure us away from the unity of one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church and into schism.

The Teaching Function of the Church:

Canon 751: “Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him."

Delicts against Religion and the Unity of the Church:

Canon 1369: “A person who in a public show or speech, in published writing, or in other uses of the instruments of social communication utters blasphemy, gravely injures good morals, expresses insults, or excites hatred or contempt against religion or the Church is to be punished with a just penalty.”

Automatic (latae sentenciae / ipso facto) Excommunication found in the 1917 Code of Canon Law:

• An apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic (Canon 1364)

• The editors of heretical or schismatic books that promote apostasy, heresy or schism (Canon 2318 § 1);

• Those who read books forbidden by the Holy See without due license (ibid.);

• Authors who publish books on religious matters without due permission (Canon 2318 § 2);

• A person who enters a monastery or convent without due permission in violation of monastic cloister (Canon 2342 n.1);

DEI VERBUM

10) ... the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.

The Christian Faithful:

Canon 205: “Those baptized are fully in the communion of the Catholic Church on this earth who are joined with Christ in its visible structure by the bonds of the profession of faith, the sacraments, and ecclesiastical governance.

The Obligations and Rights of all the Christian Faithful:

Canon 209§1: “The Christian faithful, even in their own manner of acting, are always obliged to maintain communion with the Church.”

Canon 214: “The Christian faithful have the right to worship God according to the prescripts of their own rite approved by the legitimate pastors of the Church and to follow their own form of spiritual life so long as it is consonant with the doctrine of the Church.”

Canon 216: “Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.”

Public Associations of the Christian Faithful:

Canon 312§1: The authority competent to erect public associations is:

1. the Holy See for universal and international associations;

2. the conference of bishops in its own territory for national associations, that is, those which from their founding are directed toward activity throughout the whole nation;

3. the diocesan bishop in his own territory, but not a diocesan administrator, for diocesan associations, except, however, for those associations whose right of erection has been reserved to others by apostolic privilege.

Canon 312 §2: Written consent of the diocesan bishop is required for the valid erection of an association or section of an association in a diocese even if it is done by virtue of apostolic privilege. Nevertheless, the consent given by a diocesan bishop for the erection of a house of a religious institute is also valid for the erection in the same house or church attached to it of an association which is proper to that institute.

Canon 316 §1: “A person who has publicly rejected the Catholic faith, has defected from ecclesiastical communion, or has been punished by an imposed or declared excommunication cannot be received validly into public associations.”

To reiterate … Sincerity is not the measure of right and wrong. God defines that which is “right” through His laws and commandments and it is for all those who wish to be counted with the Christian Faithful to submit to, obey and follow His “divine will”; which is authentically expressed through the teaching authority of His one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

Separatist purported Catholic cyber-ministries (sects) found on the internet and run by schismatics, like the Dimond Brothers, are in direct breach of their profession of faith and are, in fact, ipso facto excommunicated operating, like the Protestants, “outside” the unity, the ecclesiastic governance of the Church. Thus they are NOT Catholic at all … no matter how much they “sincerely” profess or wish it to be otherwise.

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- Pax Tecum