A Trinity Issue: Christ's True Identity

Vs

The Roman Catholic Priest's True Identity


When you have finished reading this, you will be able to answer all of the following questions.

  1. Does Roman Catholicism identify its priests as “Christ himself,” acting and standing in the person of Christ and sharing in his priesthood?

  1. Is the Roman Catholic bishop like the living image of God the Father?

  1. Does Roman Catholicism teach that men can share in God's divinity, divinize others and become Gods?



“Whom Do Ye Say That I Am?”
Jesus obviously felt it was important for everyone to know his true identity. (Matt.16:15) By definition, anyone who professes a false Christ, denies the true one. If anyone redefines who Jesus is or reassigns his identity to someone else, they have defined a different (false) Christ. Just like everyone else's identity, Jesus Christ's identity cannot be shared. Identity is unique to that person. Jesus wants us to recognize him and follow him only. Christ's priesthood likewise is unique, unchangeable and nontransferable and cannot be shared. Hebrews 7:24.


The following quotes document true Roman Catholicism and are taken from two official Roman Catholic sources. Vatican Council II Vol. 1, 1975, Vol. II, 1982 – Editor Austin Flannery and the official “Catechism of the Catholic Church” 1994. The Pope has endorsed these two sources as teaching true Catholicism. Any Catholic who disagrees with these statements is not truly Catholic.

Roman Catholic Priests defined by Rome as being in the person of Christ Himself.

Vatican Council II Vol. II, No. 77, Dominicae Cenae, 24 Feb. 1980, Sec. 8, p. 74 “The priest offers the Holy Sacrifice in persona Christi; this means more than offering 'in the name of' or 'in the place of' Christ. In persona means in specific sacramental identification with 'the eternal High Priest.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) Par. 1563. “Because it is joined with the Episcopal order the office of priests shares in the authority by which CHRIST himself builds up and sanctifies and rules his Body. Hence the priesthood of priests, … is nevertheless conferred by its own particular sacrament. Through that sacrament priests by the anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured to CHRIST the PRIEST in such a way that they are able to act in the person of CHRIST the head.”

Vatican Council II No. 63, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 7 Dec. 1965, Vol. I Sec. 3, p. 865 “Through that sacrament priests by the anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the head.”
Sec. 6, p. 872 “Priests exercise the function of Christ as Pastor and Head in proportion to their share of authority.”
Sec. 13, p. 887 “Priests as ministers of the sacred mysteries, especially in the sacrifice of the Mass, act in a special way in the person of Christ who gave himself as a victim to sanctify men.”

Catholic Priests share in Christ's Priesthood

Vatican Council II No. 63, Presbyterorum Ordinis 7 Dec. 1965, Vol. I, Sec. 7, p. 875 “All priests share with the bishops the one identical priesthood and ministry of Christ.

CCC. Par. 1560 “As Christ's VICAR, each bishop has the pastoral care of the particular Church entrusted to him, …'Though each bishop is the lawful pastor only of the portion of the flock entrusted to his care, as a legitimate successor of the apostles he is, by divine institution and precept, responsible with the other bishops for the apostolic mission of the Church.”

CCC Par. 1548 “In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis:
“It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself (virtute ac persona ipsius Christi).”
“Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a figure of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ.”
The Bishops take the place of Christ himself. His liturgical work is redemptive and most effectual.

Vatican Council II No. 28, Lumen Gentium, 21 Nov. 1964, Vol. I, Sec. 21, pp. 373-374 “In fact, from tradition, which is expressed especially in the liturgical rites and in the customs of both the Eastern and Western Church, it is abundantly clear that by the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in a resplendent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd and priest, and act as his representatives (in eius persona) [i.e., in his person].”

Par. 1550 “This presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if the latter were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit of domination, error, even sin. The power of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee all acts of ministers in the same way. While this guarantee extends to the sacraments, so that even the minister's sin cannot impede the fruit of grace, in many other acts the minister leaves human traces that are not always signs of fidelity to the Gospel and consequently can harm the apostolic fruitfulness of the Church.”

CCC Par. 783 “Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high Priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church.”

CCC. Par. 1070 “…every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the Priest and of his Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others. No other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree.”

CCC. Par. 1410. “It is Christ himself, the eternal high Priest of the New Covenant who, acting through the ministry of the priests, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. And it is the same Christ, really present under the species of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice.”
CCC. Par. 1116 “Sacraments are 'powers that comes forth' from the Body of Christ [i.e., Roman Catholic Church], which is ever-living and life-giving ...”

CCC. Par. 1348 “It is in representing him that the bishop or Priest acting in the person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the assembly, speaks after the readings, receives the offerings, and says the Eucharistic Prayer.”

CCC Par. 1333 “At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood.”

CCC. Par. 1375 “It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.”

CCC Par. 1558In fact ... by the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in an eminent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative
(in Eius Persona agant).'
[LG 21.] 'By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors.”

The bishop is a type of God the Father

CCC. Par. 1549 “Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers. … in the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father.”

CCC. Par. 1589 “(Who then is the Priest? He is) the defender of truth, who stands with angels, gives glory with archangels, causes sacrifices to rise to the altar on high, shares Christ's priesthood, refashions creation, restores it in God's image, recreates it for the world on high and, even greater, is divinized and divinizes.”

Men share in God's divinity and become Gods

CCC. Par. 1702 “The divine image is present in every man. It shines forth in the communion of persons, in the likeness of the union of the divine persons among themselves.”

CCC. Par. 460 “For the Son of God became man that we might become God. The only begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men Gods.”

The Bible speaks for itself against anyone who would claim to be Christ.

“Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Matt. 24:4-5 “For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you put up with it too easily.” 2 Corinthians 11:4 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:13, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Matt. 24:24 Contact Marshall Almarode (509) 582-5627
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