Dear Bernard:

I really do not care what perverted people say. It is the CHURCH, not them, who defines the faith.

St. Augustine said, "Lord, those are your best servants who wish to shape their life on Your answers rather than to shape your answers on their wishes" and "I would not believe in the Gospel myself if the authority of the Catholic Church did not influence me to do so."

Also:

St. Gregory the Great said, "Obedience, is rightly placed before all other sacrifices, for in offering a victim as sacrifice, one offers a life that is not one’s own; but when one obeys one is immolating one’s own will."

St. Ignatius of Loyola said, "We must put aside all judgment of our own, and keep the mind ever ready and prompt to obey in all things the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, our holy Mother, the hierarchical Church."


These arrogant nimrods do not determine what is or is not heresy or what is or is not orthodoxy. God gave that ability to the Magisterium alone.

As for the Church Fathers, these people twist the Father's word to suit themselves. And even if they haven't done that, a Church Father can have an opinion that is wrong. Church Fathers use to think that the soul did not enter a unborn baby until "quickening". They were wrong. It is not the opinions of Church Fathers, Saints, Popes, and least of all the peanut gallery that determines the faith. It is the official teaching from the only authority granted by God to make these decisions — the Pope and the Magisterium in union with him. Period.

As St. Augustine inferred, "When the Church speaks, the debate is ended."

This issue of the beatific vision and the essence of God is still being debated. All we can do is to go as far as the Church declares and no further. Other questions remain, but humility demands that we stop the speculations and conform to what the Church has declared. Pride, which is of the devil, insists on continuing the argument in utter disrespect of the God appointed Magisterium, and worse, heap demonic attacks accusing the Church is heresy or unorthodoxy. What unmitigated arrogance, an arrogance similar to that of Lucifer when he had the gall to challenge God. We all know the result of that bit of pride.

In my 40+ years of experiences like this, I have learned that people who are like the ones you are dealing with are not worthy my time, nor are will required by God to given them our time once the debate is non-productive. Give them the truth of the Church, and let it go. The Church does not have to prove itself. Since they are the challengers, the burden of proof is on them; and they cannot produce any valid proof since the God has already settled the issue of who is in charge, who has the authority to define the Faith.  So, the debate is over before it begins.

There is no debate on issues like this. There is only "instructing the ignorant." When this "debate" suggests that the Church is heretical or unorthodox, then we know immediately, without any other thought, that we are dealing with self-condemn perverts, and thus, according to St. Paul, we are to shun them.

You have the answer to give them. Their objection is moot. The answer to their objection is the teaching of the Church. If they will not accept that, then they will suffer the consequences of their pride and arrogance.

For us, St. Paul instructs us how to deal with situations like this. After we have given the answer of the Church, and they do not accept it, but continue to argue their blather and arrogance, we are to mortify our own pride in wanting to debate them, and instead we are to obey St. Paul:

(Titus 3:9-11) But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law [includes theology, ecclesiology, doctrine, dogma, etc], for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious (divisive), after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned.

If these people, this "school of thought", wishes to accuse the Church (Satan is the accuser), and think they know more than God's appointed Magisterium, then walk away from them. That is what St. Paul commands.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary