Is the Catholic Church the Whore of Babylon? Part 3 of 5

In the last post, we looked at the first four commonly cited verses that are used as "evidence" that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon and the Pope is the antichrist (and why that "evidence" is wrong!). In this post, we'll look at 3 more. In some cases, I have commented within the text itself in bold red. For reference's sake, here is the website that I am getting them from. Fair warning, this post is pretty long (when you read it, you might want to read one section at a time, and then come back later and read another, etc.

Is the Catholic Church the Whore of Babylon? Part 2 of 5

In the last post, I (hopefully) cleared up the definition of what/who the antichrist is. I also (hopefully) showed how it doesn't make much sense that the Pope could be the antichrist, at least according to the Scriptural definition of the antichrist.

Now, I'll look at the first 4 commonly cited verses that are used as "evidence" that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon and the Pope is the antichrist. In some cases, I have commented within the text itself in bold red. For reference's sake, here is the website that I am getting them from. Fair warning, this post is pretty long (when you read it, you might want to read one section at a time, and then come back later and read another, etc.)

Also, I believe that this entire discussion shows the importance and beauty of the Catholic Church. "So why is the Bride [the Catholic Church] maligned as the Whore? Jesus himself answered the question: 'If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household' (Matt. 10:25). 'If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world... the world hates you' (John 15:18-19)." From Catholic Answers

Is the Catholic Church the Whore of Babylon? Part 1 of 5

It's one of the most common ideas among Fundamentalists, that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon (Revelation 17-18) and the Pope is the Antichrist. The "arguments" and "evidence" used in support of such an idea is often ridiculous and usually asinine. Nevertheless, Catholics need to be aware of what is being said and why it is, in fact, ridiculous.

I'm Baaack... Well, Sort Of.

It's been a while seen I've last posted (April 27). I've since gotten married, finished my undergrad, found/bought a house, and I am now preparing to enter law school. As you can see, I've been a wee bit busy!

That said, I've got a few posts in the pipeline that I hope to have out soon. I've got a post with answers to those pesky Fundamentalists who have "proof" that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon in Revelation; there's a post with the top 5 things to know when evangelizing online; and a post dealing with Scrupulosity... to name a few! So I hope you'll stay tuned in for these and other posts that I'll be working on slowly during law school.

Before I get those posted, though, check out Jimmy Akin's Secret Info Club. Jimmy Akin is already one of the most intelligent apologists I've ever encountered, and now he has an e-mail newsletter (of sorts). So if you want great apologetics in a fun and easy-to-read style, check him out!

Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb

Finally, there exists a rite for the blessing of a child in the womb!

The blessing originated when then-Bishop Joseph Kurtz of Knoxville, Tennessee (currently archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky) asked the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities to see if a blessing existed for a child in the womb. Surprisingly, none was found.* The committee prepared a text and submitted it to the USCCB's Divine Worship committee in early 2008. It was approved by the full body of bishops in late 2008, and then sent to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for editing and final approval. The English translation received approval in December 2011 and Spanish in March 2012.

New Vatican Widget... from the Vatican!

UPDATE: ShipofSaintPeter now has the widget! Look over to your right, and click away for up-to-date information, straight from the Vatican!

The Vatican has created a new widget in celebration of the Pope's election to the Chair of St. Peter. This new widget will allow websites to "automatically and dynamically... transfer some of the most important content contained in the institutional website www.vatican.va" to their particular website.

I've been looking for a widget like this one for years. It will grant easier access to the Pope's Sunday Angelus, his Audiences, and other "principal novelties."

I further encourage you to try and get one for your website, especially for your parish's website. Here's how you do it:

1. Log onto http://www.vatican.va/

2. On the left side of the screen, under the heading "Focus," select "Widget Vatican.VA"

3. Click on the button, and enter in your url (website address) and your email address.

I'm excited to see how it, in fact, turns out! I haven't seen it yet, but if it's everything the Holy See Press Office says it is, it should be a very helpful tool. It's use on parish websites would be especially helpful, as it can connect parish members to the Catholic world as a whole and the Holy See in particular.

"Archbishop" Rowan Williams Stepping Down. And the Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI?

"Archbishop" of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, will be stepping down from this position at the end of the year.

Dr. Williams has presided over a very turbulent time for the Anglican Communion, with his authority often being thrown back into his face and ignored. Such issues include  women bishops, homosexual "marriage," actively homosexual bishops, and abortion.

Dr. Williams is a nice guy, with good intentions. He is intelligent, and very likable (he has become close friends with Pope Benedict XVI over the years, especially considering that Williams was only on the job 2 years before Benedict). While his beliefs are much different than conservative Catholics (he likes to label himself a liberal theologian), there are many things for which he should be commended. He's always supported the conservative voices in the Anglican Church, even when he disagreed with that voice.

New CDF Website!

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Doctrina Fidei) has a new website, which seems easily accessible. The address is http://www.doctrinafidei.va/

This makes the job of people like me (those that enjoy systematic theology) a lot easier. What's really great is that a lot of these documents are already in English (although who really needs that now, since we have Google Chrome which translates for us!)

I encourage you to check it out. Maybe you'll find a document that interests you!

Our Catholic Yearbook

Well, it's that time of year again! The Annuario Pontificio has been released. Like last year, I thought I would go over some of the more interesting data, and I've highlighted some of the very interesting data.

Getting the New Translation Right

If you read the National Catholic Reporter long enough, your I.Q. will drop a point or two. Read it too often and you'll soon become legally stupid.

I came across one comment that just sent me in a fit. I figured, because I haven't posted in a long while, I'd answer it here. Maybe it will help others who have their own hang-ups over the new translation, or just general questions about particular parts.

Original in orange, my answers in white. I've left the misspellings and grammatical problems alone, although I've noted some of the spelling issues.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure ceasing funding of Planned Parenthood

Yeah, you heard that right! Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a breast cancer organization that has long been a difficult case for Catholics (whether to donate or not), has pulled its funding to Planned Parenthood because "Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress," a result of a probe by a Republican Congressman (Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-FL).

New U.S. Ordinariate

The new Anglican Ordinariate for the U.S. has been established (January 1), given an ordinary, and named! Fr. Jeffrey Steenson will serve as the first ordinary of the U.S. Anglican ordinariate which is currently already attracting 70 Episcopal priests, a few bishops, and a few parishes.

Fr. Jeffrey is already a Catholic priest, having converted from the Episcopal Church in 2007 and having been ordained in 2009. He is therefore  somewhat of an expert on the transition process, as he himself as lived it. Also of interest is the fact that he is married, which means that while he will be the head of the jurisdiction of the ordinariate in the U.S., he will not be ordained a bishop.