 Vatican File #147. Does Mariology Imply a Diminished Role for Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit?
by Leonardo De Chirico
March 1st, 2018
One common refrain in ecumenical discourse is that all historical religious traditions (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, various branches of Protestantism) differ in the way they understand salvation (e.g. justification, renewal, deification) and the nature/role of the church and the sacraments, but agree on the tenets of the Christian doctrines of the Trinity and Christology. While at one level this is formally true – each of these traditions adheres to the Apostles’ Creed – a deeper and closer look shows some cracks in this widespread assumption.
Mariology is a testcase that provides an opportunity to see to what extent the Trinity and Christology belong to the shared faith. In the Roman Catholic tradition, at least, Mary is prayed to and is a venerated person surrounded by a vast array of “Marian” devotions, e.g. rosaries, processions, and pilgrimages. The titles with which she is referred to (e.g. Heavenly Queen, Mediatrix, Advocate) resemble those ascribed to her son, Jesus Christ. Mariology is also the theme of two recently promulgated dogmas (i.e. binding beliefs): the 1854 dogma of the immaculate conception and the 1950 dogma of the bodily assumption into heaven. Mariology impinges not only on the doctrine of Revelation, but also on the doctrine of the Trinity.
How Central Is Mariology?...
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 The Mass They Made: What Catholics Believe About Worship
by Gregg Allison
March 17th, 2018
Many Protestants do not know what happens in a typical Catholic Mass.
As the Catholic faithful enter the building, they cross the threshold, symbolizing leaving the world and entering God’s house. They immediately encounter the baptistry, symbolizing that entrance into Christ and his Church is through the sacrament of baptism; indeed, they believe that is necessary for salvation. They take a quantity of holy water and make the sign of the cross by which they remember their baptism into the name of the triune God; the motion is with their right hand from their forehead (for the Father), to their lower chest (for the Son), to their left shoulder then their right shoulder (for the Holy Spirit).
As they approach a pew, they kneel as an indication of reverence. At the front of the building is the altar on which the sacrifice of Christ will be re-presented during the sacrament of the Eucharist. At the left of the sanctuary stands the tabernacle, a sacred receptacle in which the leftover communion elements are stored so the faithful can worship the Lord who is present in those elements.
On the walls of the building are the fourteen stations of the cross, paintings or sculptures depicting the key events of Jesus’s crucifixion. The building also houses paintings, mosaics, and sculptures of Jesus, Mary, saints, and angels. Church leaders wear garments symbolizing their office — the diaconate, the priesthood, or the bishopric — as well as the season in which the Mass is being celebrated (for example, violet for Advent, white for Easter).
The Mass Begins...
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 Neuchâtel, Switzerland: 30 people gathered together to learn more about Roman Catholicism
by Greg Bastin
Alumni: Rome Scholars Network
In Neuchâtel, Switzerland, on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of March, around 30 people gathered together to learn more about Roman Catholicism. Greg Bastin (RSN Alumni) was invited to give 4 sessions of 75 minutes each on the subject of understanding the theology and practice of the Roman Catholic system. Most of the listeners were in their twenties, coming from about 10 different churches and 5 different denominations in Switzerland. The participants are regularly trained in different subjects in order for them to have responsibilities during summer camps or in their churches. Four pastors were also present.
The sessions discussed the Sacraments, the Christ-Church Interconnection, and how to reach our Catholic friends with the Gospel. The feedback from all was really encouraging:
R.: “The teaching on RC taught me a lot and gave me tools to bring the Gospel to Catholics I know”.
P.: “This course gave me a clear vision of what is RC, what I didn’t have before.”
T. “The lectures were edifying.”
There is a lot of work to be done in a country where most Evangelicals do not really know what are the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. There is great need to engage Catholics with the Biblical Gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. Will you please pray for us?
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AUSTRALIA:
2018 sees the launch of our training strategy for the city of Sydney. In order to reach the 1.2 million people with a Catholic background in Sydney with the Gospel, training and ongoing discipling is needed across all levels; from new Christians in our churches, to leaders in training, to those responsible for leading mission. We need clarity on the great need to reach Catholics and a focused intent empowering churches to bring the Gospel to Catholics and to disciple them. The diagram below illustrates the current training needs and the partnerships already in place and needing to be developed in order to faithfully reach this large mission field.
In order to make this happen, C4E will need to employ another worker in 2019. We are currently putting funding submissions before the Archbishop of Sydney, The Department of Evangelism and New Churches and other Christian Fundraising Organisations, however in order for this to become a reality significant funds will need to be raised by you, the supporters of C4E. Please prayerfully consider how you might be able to give either one off or on a regular basis to make this happen!
Thankfully a number of elements of this strategy are already in place. Here are a number of ways you can partner with C4E in 2018 to reach more Catholics ...
- Form a Parish Partnership with C4E. We partner with up to 20 ministries to help them be more effective in their ministry to Catholics ... there are 8 spots left for 2018. If you are interested email me
- Get better equipped - We run a monthly training course at Moore College for those training in ministry or in full time ministry called ADAPT - Find out more here
- Come to one of our conferences or training events ... Sydney date - Sat 25 Aug - Put it in your diaries now.
- Start a prayer team at your church ... it only takes two or three people praying together regularly for mission to Catholics to have a big impact on a church! If you are thinking of forming one email me!
- Plan a trip to Rome. If you are a missionary or lead a church or parachurch ministry why not spend a one week intensive with the world's leading evangelical thinkers on Roman Catholicism and come to the Rome Scholars Network. It will change the way you do mission! Dates for 2018 are June 25-29 June. You can find out more here
 to C4E - we are seeking to raise funds for another ministry worker at C4E. We need to raise 65 000 in order to do this in 2018. One person for 1.2 million Roman Catholics in Sydney is nowhere near enough! If you can make a donation of $100, $200, $500, $1000 or even better a regular contribution, it will go a long way towards making this happen.- Keep reading the articles in the C4E newsletters like this one on tips for Catholic Evangelism.
- Keep praying for C4E.
- Just do it - commit to a relationship with a Catholic in your life, pray for them and try to read the Bible with them.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers!
Your brother in Christ,
Mark Gilbert
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DUE TO THE MANY REQUESTS WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS WHO WANTED TO COME BACK TO THE ROME SCHOLARS NETWORK FOR A THIRD YEAR, WE HAVE DECIDED TO CHANGE OUR YEAR 2 PROGRAM.
WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE THE NEW YEAR+ PROGRAM. THE RSN IS NOW OPEN TO PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED YEAR 1 AND 2 PROGRAMS. APPLY TODAY!
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WHAT IS THE ROME SCHOLARS NETWORK (RSN)?
The Rome Scholars Network (RSN) is a weeklong seminar in Rome sponsored by the Reformanda Initiative, partner of the Forum of Christian Leaders (foclonline.org).
The Rome Scholars Network programme includes:
- Text-based discussions on pre-assigned reading selections
- Integrated lectures on Roman Catholic theology and practice, evangelical theological distinctives, historical relations between Roman Catholics and Protestants, and opportunities for dialogue, evangelism and engagement today
- Papers, written and submitted by participants, on an evangelical perspective on Roman Catholic theology and practice that are evaluated by Rome Scholars faculty
- Personal mentoring between each participant and a faculty member
- Excursions and tours of the Vatican and other important historical sites in Rome
- Church involvement alongside a local Italian congregation
WHY IS THE ROME SCHOLARS NETWORK IMPORTANT?
Evangelicalism currently has an incoherent relationship with Roman Catholicism. Many evangelicals are uncertain about what Roman Catholics actually believe. Do they believe in the same Gospel, or something entirely different? This question is important for leaders of evangelical churches and organizations and for hundreds of millions of evangelical believers around the world. We are convinced, in line with the historic Protestant view, that Roman Catholicism is a severely flawed system in need of a radical biblical reformation in its basic theology and practice.
Currently there is no strategy for evangelical leaders and scholars to study Roman Catholicism from an explicitly evangelical perspective and to equip and educate others as well.
RSN VISION
Vision of the Rome Scholars Network:The Rome Scholars Network was designed to create a context for evangelical scholars and leaders:
- To have access to evangelical scholars who are experts on Roman Catholicism
- To study and evaluate Roman Catholic theology and practice in the heart of Roman Catholicism, Rome itself.
- To be trained and equipped to be scholars, leaders and communicators of an evangelical perspective about Roman Catholicism and the biblical Gospel of salvation through faith alone
HEAR WHAT RSN PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING:
From a recent Phd graduate in Renaissance Studies:
"The RSN was life-changing. I left more convinced in the integrity of the true Gospel. When you set the Real Thing against what is false, it dazzles with distinctiveness and beauty."
From a Professor who has taught Church History about Roman Catholicism for decades:
"I have studied Roman Catholicism and taught on it in my church history courses and in a course on RC history and theology, so I was very familiar with a lot. But I was not equipped to do the systemic analysis that we were taught. I did not realize that my knowledge was "atomistic." So, I feel I gained a lot that was very important for me to have as a teacher of church history and theology in Eastern Europe and Russia. Thank you!!!"
From an experienced Missionary in a Roman Catholic country:
I have been to many seminars, workshops and conferences through the years and none have been as important to me as this week at RSN! Eternal life and death hang in the balance! So much deception for so many centuries! It is heart breaking and I am spreading the word to those in our organization that this should be required for anyone thinking of serving in a Roman Catholic dominant country!"
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How should evangelicals respond to the popularity of recent popes?
Leonardo De Chirico, Director, Reformanda Initiative; Pastor, Breccia di Roma Church, answers the question "How should evangelicals respond to the popularity of recent popes?" related to his talk "Why Evangelicals Need to Engage Roman Catholicism" given at the 2016 European Leadership Forum. - See more at www.FOCLonline.org
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Preaching Christ: Lessons from the Reformation
500 years ago the Protestant Reformation began as Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. What was recovered in the following years was not just a biblical doctrine of salvation, but also a healthier approach to preaching the Bible to the people. In this talk we will explore some of the lessons we can learn from how the Reformers learned to preach Christ half a millennia ago.
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