CHARISMATIC HERESY DEFINED
There can be no doubt, Charismatic Heresy corrupted and fragmented Protestant churches even further. But what it did to Mother Church is a different story. St. Thomas defined heresy as 'a species of infidelity in men who, having professed the faith of Christ, corrupt its dogmas'.
By definition to corrupt something – in this case the Catholic Faith - means to subvert its integrity, to taint it, to contaminate it, to change it from its original form – either by removing from it or adding to it – the end result is the same; corruption of the Faith. The Charismatic Renewal has added a large volume of heretical concepts to the Faith. While there are no means to corrupt Catholic Dogma, the perception of Catholic Dogma can be altered and has been altered quite radically, so that the average Catholic can no longer separate out what is Catholic and what is not. It’s rather futile to discuss how the so called “charismatic theology” fits in with historical heresies or how formally denounced heresies such as Gnosticism, Montanism, Messalianism, and Nominalism were revived by charismatics or weather charismatics are objective, material or formal heretics. Go on to any Catholic Forum and check out the lengthy debates over charismatic issues – for the most part, people can’t even agree on what constitutes heresy, never mind what is heretical. Without doubt charismata is a heresy, because it corrupts and alters the Catholic Faith.
Charismatic Heresies:
• Born-Again • Baptism in the Spirit • Slain in the Spirit • Soaking in the Spirit • Laughing in the Spirit • Drunk in the Spirit • Crying in the Spirit • Seeking Tongues • Seeking Extraordinary Gifts • Tongue Teaching • Praying in the Spirit • Babbling in the Spirit • Hot-line to God • Miracle Seeking • Name it and Claim it Healing • Prosperity Gospel • Syncretism with Pentecostalism • Syncretism with New Age • Papalotry • God Loves Everybody • Every Religion is from God...
Heresies start with a priest, bishop, monk or fryer.
“The growth of heresy, like the growth of plants, depends on surrounding influences, even more than on its vital force. Philosophies, religious ideals and aspirations, social and economic conditions, are brought into contact with revealed truth, and from the impact result both new affirmations and new negations of the traditional doctrine.”
“Once heresy is in possession, it tightens its grip by the thousand subtle and often unconscious influences which mould a man's life. A child is born in heretical surroundings: before it is able to think for itself its mind has been filled and fashioned by home, school, and church teachings, the authority of which it never doubted. When, at a riper age, doubts arise, the truth of Catholicism is seldom apprehended as it is. Innate prejudices, educational bias, historical distortions stand in the way and frequently make approach impossible.”
“The ancient discipline charged the bishops with the duty of searching out the heresies in their diocese and checking the progress of error by any means at their command. When erroneous doctrines gathered volume and threatened disruption of the Church, the bishops assembled in councils, provincial, metropolitan, national, or ecumenical. There the combined weight of their authority was brought to bear upon the false doctrines.” But where are they now? - Where are the keepers of the gate?
Heretics Follow Neither Scripture Nor Tradition.
1. When, however, they are confuted from the Scriptures, they turn round and accuse these same Scriptures, as if they were not correct, nor of authority, and [assert] that they are ambiguous, and that the truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are ignorant of tradition. For [they allege] that the truth was not delivered by means of written documents, but viva voce: wherefore also Paul declared, "But we speak wisdom among those that are perfect, but not the wisdom of this world." And this wisdom each one of them alleges to be the fiction of his own inventing, forsooth; so that, according to their idea, the truth properly resides at one time in Valentinus, at another in Marcion, at another in Cerinthus, then afterwards in Basilides, or has even been indifferently in any other opponent, who could speak nothing pertaining to salvation. For every one of these men, being altogether of a perverse disposition, depraving the system of truth, is not ashamed to preach himself.
2. But, again, when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, [and] which is preserved by means of the succession of presbyters in the Churches, they object to tradition, saying that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters, but even than the apostles, because they have discovered the unadulterated truth. For [they maintain] that the apostles intermingled the things of the law with the words of the Saviour; and that not the apostles alone, but even the Lord Himself, spoke as at one time from the Demiurge, at another from the intermediate place, and yet again from the Pleroma, but that they themselves, indubitably, unsulliedly, and purely, have knowledge of the hidden mystery: this is, indeed, to blaspheme their Creator after a most impudent manner! It comes to this, therefore, that these men do now consent neither to Scripture nor to tradition. (‘Against Heresies’ Book III, Chapter II by Irenaeus')
For the Roman Catholic, the will of God is revealed through the Magisterium in matters of faith and in morals. I repeat in matters of faith and morals; not in matters of charismata! Yes I am aware of it, the movement has crafted itself into the Church and seemingly gained the support of popes and bishop councils. Of course it did not start with the popes and it did not start with the bishop councils. But popes and bishops were pressured, in some cases coerced into letting charismatics set up shop inside the Church. Forty years of lobbying and positioning, meanwhile tirelessly working in the various parish “ministries” has been rewarded! You see time has a way of legitimizing even the most absurd things... “If you build it they will come.” If people hear some nonsense often enough they start believing it. Sure enough no politically correct bishop will dare to denounce the movement publicly. Even the most orthodox bishop will show his face occasionally at a prayer meeting or at a local conference. They will even say the closing mass – it's all in keeping an eye on the flock. Unfortunately these brief visits have a way of legitimizing the movement. The bishop may have delivered a stern message, but the event will be reported as a glorious occasion of bishop support. In private the bishop may venture to say “this is not my thing”, yet he will quickly add, “but it's a legitimate Catholic movement”. Pardon me your Eminence, exactly who legitimized it? This is how the Charismatic Movement was able to make its way into the Catholic mindset.
Doesn't the Pope support the Charismatic Renewal?
Only if self promotion counts. Did the Church officially endorse this movement? Read ALTERED STATES and OFFICIAL OR NOT.
The Holy Spirit is not a genie.
"The Holy Spirit was not promised to the successors of Peter, that by His revelation they might make new doctrine, but that by His assistance they might inviolably keep and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith delivered through the Apostles." - (Vatican I)
The biggest mistake people make is equating papal addresses and bishop communiqués with Catholic Dogma. These communiqués are not binding for anybody. Where infallibility is not invoked, there is a possibility for error. There were false movements in the Church before, some took several hundred years before the Church expelled them. But eventually every false movement is discarded because the Holy Spirit will never abandon the Church. But there are limits to Divine Protection, because man has free will. Some people erroneously think that the Holy Spirit is a kind of genie guiding the pope's and bishops' every step and rubber stamping everything that they put forth. If that were true then why have Dogmas, Bible, Canon Laws, etc? Yes the Holy Spirit guides, but the leaders don't always listen and sometimes they listen to the wrong voice or for the wrong reason. The Church has supernatural help to define truth and to guarantee that its Sacraments are effective. But to say that every decision, every utterance coming from the Pope is protected by the Holy Spirit is just Catholic fundamentalism; a kind of papalotry.
Aren't a large number of bishops supporting the Charismatic Renewal?
What of it? During the Arian heresy, forty percent of Catholic bishops became Arian and twice as many supported it. If we are to believe that bishops never teach error, than we would have to say that Arian bishops were not teaching error. But Arianism was not the only heresy thought by a large number of bishops. There were countless other heretical sects that had their origins in heretical Catholic clergy. From the beginning of Christianity, the Church has been attacked by false teachings, or heresies; Judas Iscariot being the first of many.
We have been warned that this would happen. As Paul told Timothy, "For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Art Jasper Joffe, Judas
