A Brief History of heresy

The Catholic Church was established by Christ for the Redemption of all people. It is the New Covenant of God with His people, Jew and Gentile alike. This Catholic Church is indefectible. This means it cannot teach errors and cannot contain any error because the truths preached by the Catholic Church were revealed by Christ who is God. As a matter of fact, those who are Catholics are surely on the way to heaven only if they can keep the entire truths revealed by Christ to His Church wholly and inviolate. This means that NONE of the things taught by the Church has human origin. Christ reveals the truth and humans mediates on it to lay it bare for human intellect.

However, the Devil is always at work to infiltrate the Catholic Church through heresy! That is, he wants to have, as part of what the Church teaches, errors from the pit of hell. He, the Devil, chooses his own foot soldiers from among the clergy so that they can use their authority to add to the body of truths taught by the Church some errors. But luckily for us, Christ has already promised that “the gates of hell cannot prevail against My Church”. Here Gates of hell STRICTLY means the “lying tongues of heretics”. Here Christ is promising that heresies will never be part of the Church’s doctrine and heretics will never obliterate the Church! There must always be the truth faith, the faith of Peter. Some people have said that Gates of hell means that the Church is always physically protected by Christ. This is NOT true. The enemy can destroy buildings and mimic the Church in order to deceive souls. But the Church remains and there must always be people who will hold the true faith.

Heresy is a mortal sin that removes one from membership of the Catholic Church. Once heresy is preached by someone, that person, ipso facto, ceases to be Catholic. According to Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (No 9), “…But he who dissents even in one point from divinely revealed truth absolutely rejects all faith, since he thereby refuses to honor God as the supreme truth and the formal motive of faith.”

There have been series of heresies that have arisen in the quest to obliterate the true teachings of Christ. None has succeeded in touching the body of Christ!

Today’s heresy called Modernism, which Pope Saint Pius X called “the synthesis of all heresies” Here Pius X is saying that there are vestiges of all heresies within modernism and there are new and diverse heresies within it as well. Modernism started toward the end of 17^th Century, at least we started to see it being articulated by errant philosophers and theologians. It became bolder and bolder such that by the time Pius X became pope, in 1903, the heresy has almost infiltrated the Church! But God strengthened this pope to fight this ugly heresy with both hands. His classic encyclical, ‘Pascendi Dominici Gregis articulated the content of this heresy and condemned it, totally. He confronted those who have the tendencies towards it by removing them from their Sees and banishing their priests. But the heresy persisted through the activities of Freemasons who have always wanted to infiltrate the Church and obliterate it. Pius the X enacted the “Oath against Modernism” to be taken by all the clergy. Modernism receded to the margins where it waited and gathered momentum. As we know, the Devil and his foot soldiers never rest. One of the immediate actions of Modernists when they took the papacy, was to suppress the oath against modernism!

Modernism has at its core, liberalism and also progressivism. Liberalism, in the context of theology is the idea that all religions are equally good in so far as humans have freedom to chose and whatever humans chose, is good for them within law. It does not matter what a person believes as long as the person is ‘good’. According to Fr. Felix Sarda Y Salvany, ‘liberalism is the dogmatic affirmation of the absolute independence of the individual and of social reason’( Liberalism is sin, Pg 28). In other words, Liberalism promotes the idolization of man as the center of all things.

Modernism, truly is a creation of an alignment with modern state, modern world, modern philosophy, modern science and even modern myth( Atila Guimareas, Liberal, modernists and progressivists{traditioninaction}). Central today’s modernism is an acceptance of contemporary philosophy, the philosophy of postmodernism articulated by Leotard, Rorty and others, which is seen in the philosophy of Karol Wojtyla( who later claimed to be Pope John Paul II) also. His book Phenomenolgie is an acceptance the idea that there are no immutable truths. He and his cohorts assert that truth is warranted acceptability. This means that truth is a matter of agreement and is only meaningful within a context. Looking at the Modernists onslaught against the Church, we see this error manifested everyday! We see modernists trying to bring the Church up to date to modern living because modern living is today’s ‘truth”, according to them. For them, it is people that determine what is true and what is false. In the Novus Ordo recently concluded synod on the family we saw modernists openly accepting cohabitation, divorce and homosexuality because that is what society has accepted! They printed questionnaires sent to world Novus Ordo “bishops” which are distributed to people asking them which way “the church” should proceed. The people determine what the truth is! Surely modernism is a heresy from the pit of hell.

Progressivism, a branch of Modernism is an extension of modernism to liturgical, biblical, patristic and social spheres. This means that progressivists, change these areas to align with modern thinking. For instance, they read the Fathers such that it coincide with the way the interpret things. They put new words into the fathers to justify Vatican II council, destruction of the mass and sacraments etc.

All the popes after Pius X fought against Modernism but it has become aggressive and violent such that there are rumors of Pius XII being murdered to make way for complete annihilation of Catholicism through heresy. Indeed Modernists, numbering in their thousands have infiltrated the Church by squandering the goodwill of various popes. For instance, Bishop Bea was a confessor to Pius XII and yet he brought in a fellow Modernist, Annibale Bugnini and recommended him to Pius XII for liturgical advice. Unknown to Pius XII, that was a serious breach. Bea was trusted but he used that opportunity to bring in a fellow modernist foot soldier who later created a new false mass, which millions claiming to be Catholic attend today. All the while, Bea was pretending to be just a good Catholic. But looking also, at his activities at Vatican II council, we know surely that he was of the devil!  

After the death of Pius XII, the Modernist saw to it that they elect a non-Catholic to the Throne of St. Peter in 1958. Surely this was an invalid election! This was Roncali, who was a modernist non-Catholic and as we all know modernist are NOT Catholics. From Roncali, they called the Second Vatican Council which was used to enthrone Modernism officially into the Church. But as Our Lord had promised, the gates of hell will never prevail. The Modernist sect did not succeed in finishing off the Catholic Church but they succeeded in occupying Catholic institutions and making use of Catholic symbols to create another religion that is truly a hydra headed monster. This hydra headed monster is what most people believe, today, is the Catholic Church! But thank God, Catholics know that this is not true.

The counter ‘Church’ at the Vatican and dioceses and parishes worldwide is NOT Catholic. It is a heretical institution that is barren of all God’s grace just as all heretical organizations are. They put up seminaries world wide, ordain invalid priests and deceive the world. They even concocted a false Mass which was predicted by Prophet Daniel and called “Abomination of Desolation”, that is their Novus Ordo Mass. This false mass is what they attend world wide making people think that the Catholic Church now has a billion members. Nothing can be further from the truth! In actual fact, the number of Catholics has been reduced to few thousands due to heresy of Modernism. The truth therefore is that Modernism/Vatican II religion/Novus Ordo Religion has 1 billion members not the Catholic Church. So, Modernism is rife!

Long before Modernism, there were hundreds of other heresies which tried to infiltrate the Church, but failed. But none is as successful as Modernism. The only heresy that got some huge success akin to modernism, is the Arian heresy.

Arian heresy

A certain priest, Arius living in Alexandria Egypt began in 318 AD to teach that Christ is NOT God since he is essentially different from God the Father! Of course he lost his membership of the Church but his error was indeed influential such that it spread very fast! In that same year, 318AD, the Bishops of Egypt condemned Arius at a Synod. Despite this condemnation, Arinism became a worldwide phenomenon. Even some Egyptian Bishops that condemned Arius turn back to accept the heresy and assisted thugs to uproot anti Arians from their Sees physically! One of those affected was St. Athanasius who was brutalized and ostracized but who remained steadfast in the true faith and he became a rallying point for true Catholics. This caused a huge crisis in the whole Church throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Infact the crisis spread to Europe. It was as if the crisis will engulf the whole church. Even Then, the Church called the council of Nicea and officially condemned Arius and his followers and asserted that Christ is Both God and Man in a hypostatic union! However, Arians rejected the council and they still exist today!

Donatism

This heresy arose from the crisis of 312AD when a certain Caecilain was elected Archbishop of Cathage. Some bishops from Numidia protested against this, claiming that the bishop was elected illegally, and in the huge squabble that ensured, a Numidian Bishop, Donatus, started to teach that those who are supporting Caecilain must be re-baptized to remain Christian. He said that because he accused some of them of selling out the faith during the Roman persecution. His heresy is to suggest there is such a thing as re-baptism! It was St. Augustine that effectively silenced Donatists whose existence is mainly limited to North Africa.

Nestorianism

This heresy arises from the Bishop of Constantinople, around 420AD. He preached that Christ had two natures, one human and the other diving but that Mary is just the Mother of the Human side of Christ. In other words, Mary is NOT the Mother of God. This was indeed an erroneous reaction to the spreading Arianism. A lay man actually stood up and confronted him openly and berated his heresy and condemned him as a heretic! So, his own people deserted him, including St. Cyril of Alexandria! The heresy was widespread prompting a council, the council of Ephesus to condemn it. The council affirmed that Mary is, Theotokos, Mother of God.

Monophysitism

This heresy is an opposite of Nestronism! It teaches that Christ has only one nature. In other words, the human and divine natures of Christ are fussed together into one nature! This ofcourse is false! Christ has two natures, the human and the divine. This heresy was condemned in 451AD at the council of Chalcedon!

Pelagianism

This heresy arose from the teaching of a monk called Pelegian. This monk preached that human nature is not damaged by original Sin and so humans, through their own free will and hard work alone can attain salvation! This means that Adam did not transmit his sins through his descendants! This heresy was condemned by Pope Celestine in 423AD. This pope taught that every holy thought and movement of the will comes from God.

Manichianism

This is heresy arising from the preaching of Mani. This man preached that Jesus’ death and resurrection is not a triumph over sin. This man gave substance to sin meaning that sin is not an absence of grace. Pope Miltiades condemned this heresy when he discovered that Manicheans have reached Rome. St. Augustine wrote a lot against this heresy.

Albigensianism

This heresy asserts that there are two exiting principles in reality, one good and the other bad. The good is responsible fore spiritual world while the other is responsible for evil. It is the bad principles that created the human body and sin. This heresy taught that the earth is a place of punishment and at death the soul is liberated from punishment! Pope Innocent III condemned the heresy and said that those who adopt this heresy are worse than the Muslims!

Bogomils

This heresy arose from Bulgaria and it was the priest, Fr. Bogumil who started this heresy. He taught that co-existence of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost is not possible. He believed that the miracles of Christ recorded in the bible did not happen in the physical realm! They deny the efficacy of the sacraments of the Church as was instituted by Christ! He also repudiated infant baptism. This heresy was condemned by several popes after the heresy survived many centuries. We see some of their false teachings surviving in what is now falsely called “Pentecostalism” and “Evangelicals”.

Waldenses

This heresy is a native of France. This heresy came from the man names Waldo who sold all he had and became and errant preacher. He had many followers. He taught that the Church of Christ has disappeared after Constantine made it an official religion of Rome. He said the corruption of the world has made it impossible for one to speak of an institutional Church. He condemned the office of the pope. This heresy was condemned by Pope Lucius II in 1184

Lutheranism

Martin Luther is a well know progenitor of many heresies that is with us today in thousands of sects! For instance, Luther wrote “Sin boldly but believe more boldly…sin will not destroy in us the reign of the Lamb although we were to commit fornication or murder a thousand times a day”. We see this idea in today’s sects like “Pentecostalism” that deny sin and simply believe in Christ. Luther’s heresies are monumental but all of them were condemned at the Council of Trent in 1545

Calvinism

Calvin, the heretic arouse not long after Luther. Indeed it is believed by many that Luther inspired Calvin to rebel against Christ in His true Church. Calvin’s chief heresy is what is called predestination. He taught that from the foundation of the world, God has already destined some people for heaven and others to hell. So, no matter what this “elect” does, they are bound for heaven and no matter what the damned do, they are bound to hell! Calvinism is surviving today just as Lutheranism! The Church has condemned this heresy many times.

Anglicanism

Anglican heresy arose from the follies of king Henry VIII. He refused to adhere to Church teaching concerning divorce. He wanted to marry a second wife, Anne Boleyn but the Church refused to grant him reprieve from his previous valid marriage to Catharine of Aragon and as a King, he revolted and departed from Christianity, rejecting the papacy and Catholicism in toto. Today his sect is still with us. Various popes have condemned him and his sect but the sect is surviving today in what is called The Anglican Church.

“Pentecostalism”

This heresy is very perverse that it denies nearly all things thought by the Church. In 1903, in Azusa, California, this heresy was given an intellectual backing by heretics and since then they have blossomed into tens of thousands of sects. The name is erroneous because the Holy Ghost cannot beget evil. So “Pentecostalism’ must always be written with inverted commas.

Conclusion

These heresies listed here, appear under one umbrella called modernism. In modernism, we find the vestiges of ALL the heresies listed here plus many others not listed. The Modernist heresy was given impetus at the robber council, Vatican II. This council’s 16 documents embody all the heresies that have ever arisen in the Church. So, a study of Vatican II is necessary to see that it was a council that enthroned modernism and indeed, as Pope Saint Pius X submitted, Modernism is the ‘synthesis of all heresies’!

By Malachy Mary Igwilo

Given within the Holy Octave of Easter

Monday 4th of April,2016

The feast of St. Isidore.