David 🇻🇦☧

Remember the Old Catholics, who rejected Vatican I in the 1870s in order to 'hold to tradition,' and then ordained their first female bishop in 1929.

Question: Whether it is Fitting for Catholics to Venerate Mary, the Mother of God Article 1: Whether Mary's Role as Mother of God Justifies Her Veneration Objection 1: It seems that veneration of Mary is not fitting, for only God should be honored, as stated in the First Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Objection 2: Further, one could argue that since we can go directly to Jesus, the intercession of Mary is superfluous. On the Contrary, The Church teaches that Mary, having borne the Incarnate Word, holds a unique and singular place in the economy of salvation. At the Council of Ephesus in 431 they recognized her as Theotokos, Mother of God, which underscores her role in the divine plan. I Answer That, To venerate Mary is to acknowledge her role in the Incarnation, where she became the mother of Jesus Christ, who is both fully divine and fully human. Her role is not one of divine status but one of cooperation in the divine plan. Hence, her veneration is not worship (latria), which is due to God alone, but is a form of honor (hyperdulia) distinct from that given to saints (dulia), recognizing her unique position. Being conceived without original sin was necessary to make her a fitting vessel for the divine, thus her veneration is a celebration of God's grace through her. Just as members of the Church on earth ask for prayers from each other, so too do we seek the intercession of Mary, who is seen as efficaciously close to Jesus. Her intercession is not a detour from Christ but a pathway through which His grace flows more abundantly. Mary's intercession is not a hindrance but an aid, as exemplified at Cana, where her mediation led to Christ's first miracle. Prayers to Mary for intercession can be seen in the lives of the early Christians, the earliest of which is the Sub Tuum Praesidium from the mid-200s “We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.” Reply to Objection 1: Veneration of Mary does not contravene the First Commandment since it does not attribute to her divine status but recognizes her as the mediatrix of grace, under Christ, through whom all blessings come. Reply to Objection 2: While one can indeed go directly to Jesus, scripture and tradition show that the communion of saints, including Mary, forms a spiritual solidarity where prayers are efficacious (Jas 5:16). Article 2: Whether Marian Devotions are Theologically Justified Objection 1: Devotions such as the Rosary might seem to distract from direct prayer to God. Objection 2: Moreover, these devotions could elevate Mary to a status that detracts from the centrality of Christ. On the Contrary, Marian devotions are rooted in Christology, focusing on the mysteries of Christ's life, with Mary's role as a central theme illustrating her perfect discipleship and cooperation with God's grace. I Answer That, Marian devotions are justified because they meditate upon Christ through Mary. The Rosary, for instance, is a meditation on the life of Christ through the eyes of His mother found in biblical narratives. Thus, these devotions are not only theologically sound but also serve to deepen one's relationship with Christ. With the rosary, it is not merely repetitive prayer to focus the mind, but a contemplation on the mysteries of Christ's life, death, and resurrection, with Mary as the guide. Reply to Objection 1: These devotions are not a distraction but an aid in focusing on Christ, with Mary leading us closer to her Son, as she did at Cana. Reply to Objection 2: Properly understood, Marian devotions do not detract from Christ but rather enhance our appreciation of His humanity and divinity by highlighting Mary's role in His life, thereby making Christ more accessible in our spiritual lives. Sources Pope Paul VI, Sigmum Magnum [1967] Pope St. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater (1987) Catechism of the Catholic Church 969 [1992] Frediani, M. Mary and the Saints, Our Powerful Intercessors [2019] Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, The Importance of Devotion to Mary in the Catholic Faith

Question: Whether infants ought to be baptized Objection 1: It seems that infants should not be baptized because baptism, according to some, is an ordinance and not a sacrament, signifying only a public profession of faith, which infants cannot make. Objection 2: Furthermore, since faith is necessary for salvation, and infants are incapable of actual faith, it would follow that baptizing them would be without effect. Objection 3: Moreover, the practice of baptizing infants appears to be an innovation, not found explicitly in Scripture, where baptisms are recorded only of adults who had made a conscious decision to follow Christ. On the contrary: It is written (Acts 2:38-39), "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." This passage extends the promise of baptism to children. I answer that: Baptism is instituted by Christ as a sacrament, not merely as an ordinance. It is a rite through which we receive grace, the remission of sin, and the character of Christian, as stated in John 3:5, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Since infants are born with original sin, they too require this cleansing for salvation. "By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.65 In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God." CCC 1263. The Church's practice of baptizing infants is not contrary to Scripture but is rather an extension of the covenantal promises made to all generations. Just as circumcision in the Old Law was applied to infants as a sign of inclusion in God's covenant, so baptism under the New Law serves a similar purpose, as St. Paul notes in Colossians 2:11-12, calling it "the circumcision of Christ" and "the circumcision made without hands." Reply to Objection 1: Although baptism does involve a profession of faith, this does not exclude infants. For, as the Church teaches, infants can be baptized in anticipation of the faith they will be taught to profess, just as in the Old Testament infants were circumcised in anticipation of the faith of Israel. Reply to Objection 2: Faith is indeed necessary for salvation, but the grace of baptism can be received in potentiality in infants, who later will be nurtured in faith by the Church. This is akin to the faith of the Church acting on behalf of the child, much like the faith of parents under the Old Covenant sufficed for the circumcision of their children. Reply to Objection 3: The absence of explicit mention in Scripture does not negate the practice, especially when the general principle of baptism for all is clear. The New Testament's accounts of household baptisms (e.g., Acts 16:15, 33) imply that infants and young children were included in these baptisms. Moreover, the tradition of the Church from the earliest times, as recorded by the Fathers like Origen and Augustine, confirms that infant baptism was indeed an apostolic tradition, not an innovation. Therefore, it is both reasonable and in accordance with divine law and the tradition of the Church to baptize infants, ensuring they partake in the grace of Christ's redemption and are marked as belonging to His Body, the Church.

Nothing says ‘soli Deo gloria’ quite like Protestants dedicating a gold statue at Mar-a-Lago.