There was a letter published recently in The Valdosta Daily Times in which the writer felt that I owed the Pope and the Catholic church an apology for stating in my article “Is Hell Real, I mean Really Real?” that the Pope said he didn’t believe in hell.

The writer went on to say that where I got this news was from “fake news” and was written by an atheist after his meeting with the Pope. But we can’t say this is fake news since only the atheist knows what the Pope said in that meeting. And since the Pope is liberal and seeks to please the left, he could have told the atheist exactly what he wanted to hear – that there is no hell.

The writer went on to write that I didn’t have my information right about the infallibility of the Pope nor the worship of Mary, or Mariolatry.

As far as the infallibility of the Pope, “This infallibility authority was lodged unequivocally with the Pope (Pius IX) by the degree of the Vatican Council, the Twentieth Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church, July 18,1870. It affirmed that when the Bishop of Rome (Pope), touching questions of faith or morals, speaks ex cathedra (from the chair), his degrees are divinely guaranteed against error and final.” 

Pope Pius X uttered, “The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but He is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under the veil of the flesh.”

The year 1870, marks the beginning of the infallibility of the Pope, but the end as well to the earthly rule of the Vatican. Italian Nationalist invaded Rome and Pius IX withdrew into the Vatican, and after more than 1,000 years the papal states came to an end. 

In a treaty offered by Benito Mussolini in 1929, the Pope renounced all claims to the former papal states and retained full sovereignty of only the small Vatican state.

This same Pope on Dec. 8, 1854, declared as dogma that Mary had been conceived without original sin. 

“It is divinely revealed truth of faith that Mary in the first moment of her conception was freed by special grace from the stain of original sin in view of the merits of Christ.” 

The Creed of Pope Pius IV teaches, “I most firmly assert that the image of Christ, of the Mother of God, ever Virgin, and also of the other saints ought to be had and retained, and that due honor and veneration (hyperdulia) are to be given them.”

But Mary is worshiped by Catholics. She is given superiority over her Son Jesus, Who is very God. She is looked upon as the mediator between God and man.

Liguori whose writings at the time of his canonization were declared to be free from error writes in “Glories of Mary” – “He who is under the protection of Mary will be saved; he who is not will be lost … O immaculate Virgin, we are under thy protection, and therefore we have recourse, to thee alone, and we beseech thee to prevent thy beloved Son, who is irritated by our sins, from abandoning us to the power of the devil.” 

We are to direct our prayers to Jesus alone because He is the only One that can actually hear our prayers and answer them (1 Tim. 2:5). And Mary admitted in Luke 1:47 that she was a sinner and needed a Savior.

If anyone owes an apology, it’s the Pope and the Catholic church. They need to apologize to the thousands that the Catholics tortured and then murdered during the Inquisition (1208-1834), and the 100,000 (no exaggeration) Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants) massacred by Catholics, on St. Bartholomew Day in 1572, simply because they didn’t believe the false doctrines of the Catholic church, such as transubstantiation, prayers and merits of the saints, and purgatory, to name a few.

I’m just very sorry so many Catholics don’t know the truth. But they can if they’ll read the Bible (KJV).

James H. Cagle is a resident of Ray City.