TITLE: IS ANIMAL SACRIFICE TO BECOME PART OF ROMAN MASS?

“Human Life International reported yesterday that some South Africans are calling for ancestor worship and animal sacrifices to be included in the liturgy of the Mass. According to Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Bloemfontein, plans to include African pagan rites during the Mass is in response to the Vatican's invitation to "inculturate" Catholic rites” (article by Thomas Horn –www.worthynews.com).

It’s no secret that Rome has always incorporated pagan practices in service to God. She feels very justified in doing this and even boasts that it has been “her wisdom”. To understand how the Archbishop could have degenerated into seeking animal sacrifices as part of the Mass, let’s examine the heart of the system Archbishop Buti represents, the Roman Catholic church. Her attitude can be summed up pretty well in her Encyclopedias and Study books.

“It is interesting to note how often our Church has availed herself of practices which were in common use among pagans...Thus it is true, in a certain sense, that some Catholic rites and ceremonies are a reproduction of those pagan creeds; but they are the taking of what was best from paganism, the keeping of symbolical practices which express the religious instinct that is common to all races and times” (Externals of the Catholic Church, 156).

“It has always been and will always be the intent and tradition of the Apostolic See, to make a large allowance in all that is right and good, for the primitive traditions and the special customs of every nation” (Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, 308).

“To convert and civilize her new subjects she descended to their level and employed means in keeping with their notions and customs” (History of the Church of God, B. J. Spalding, 407).

“We need not shrink from admitting that candles, like incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in pagan worship and the rites paid to the dead. But the Church from a very early period took them into her service, just as she adopted many other things indifferent in themselves, which seemed proper to enhance the splendor of religious ceremonial. We must not forget that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations, canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments etc. were not identified with any idolatrous cult in particular; but they were common to almost all cults” (Catholic Encyclopedia, III, 246.)

As we just read, Rome readily admits that she “took them [pagan rites] into her service...to enhance the splendor of religious ceremonial.” She also claims to speak to God through these pagan rites.

"The Church of God regulates divine worship for us with wisdom and experience of centuries. Her sacrifice is the first great act of worship. Then there are her ceremonies, rites, and observances; the use of Holy Water, blessed candles, ashes, incense, vestments, her chants, and fasts and feasts, the symbolism of her sacraments. This is the language in which, as a Church, and in union with her children, she speaks to God her adoration, praise and thanksgiving. This is her religion, and we practice it by availing ourselves of these things and by respecting them as pertaining to God" (Explanations of Catholic Morals, 111).

Rome not only saturated herself in idolatry, but she poured out her spiritual fornication on the world, so that even those who do not profess to be Catholic partake in her pagan feast days she has dubbed “Christian”.

“When we give or receive Christmas gifts; or hang green wreaths in our homes and churches, how many of us know that we are probably observing pagan customs...the god, Woden, in Norse Mythology, descends upon the earth yearly between December 25th and January 6th to bless mankind...But pagan though they be, they are beautiful customs. They help inspire us with the spirit of 'good will to men', even as the sublime service of our Church reminds us of the ‘peace on earth’ which the babe of Bethlehem came to bestow” (Externals of the Catholic Church, 140).

Roman Catholicism readily admits they have no problem incorporating pagan ritual into their worship to God. Some of these things may seem harmless, but remember, God was the One who set the standard of how He wanted to be worshipped.

“Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God. When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” (Deut.12:28-32)

Jeremiah 10:2-3 says, “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen...For the customs of the people are vain”.

“Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.” (Lev.18:30)

It is evident from scripture that God does not want us to learn the way of the heathen, in other words, to learn their religious customs and how they served their “gods”. God hated the things they did unto their gods. Yet for all these commands, Rome repeatedly disobeys God. We would do well to learn from Israel’s mistakes. Every time Israel decided to walk after the imagination of her own heart instead of following after the Lord, they brought disaster upon themselves. When God sent Jeremiah to tell them to stop walking after their own ways and obey God’s word, they responded:

“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.” (Jer.44:16-17)

Just as Israel refused to hear the words of the Lord, and put her words above God’s word, so has Rome fallen into the same trap. And by doing this, she set the path that would lead Archbishop Buti to request animal sacrifice in the RCC Mass and ancestor worship to be accepted. According to The Daily Telegraph (London), Archbishop Buti said:

"ANIMAL SACRIFICE HAS A SPECIAL PLACE in the scheme of things and is celebrated in almost all African families. WE HAVE KEPT IT OUT OF THE CHURCH OF GOD TOO LONG. It is time we welcomed it openly into the Christian family of the living and the dead" (Emphasis in the original).

The African Catholic Priests Solidarity Movement has been pushing forward the so-called "inculturation" of the church in South Africa. In one incident, a video was made of a priest blessing chickens and goats during mass. The animals were then slaughtered and their blood poured into a hole outside the church. Archbishop George Daniel, who has presided over the Pretoria archdiocese for 25 years said he was aware that animal sacrifice, involving goats and chickens, was already taking place in parishes in his diocese. The archbishop's comments have re-ignited the debate over how far and how fast "inculturation" should go. At the end of the African synod in Rome in 1995, the idea of integrating indigenous religious practices was cautiously welcomed by the Vatican. But the pope stressed that then process must be compatible with "the Christian message and communion with the universal church."

Archbishop Buti is responsible for five diocese, which includes a population of more than 1,000,000 of four distinct races: black, white, Asian and colored. The majority of the people are black. There are some 100,000 Catholics gathered in 40 parishes, of which 22 have a resident priest. Twenty-five priests offer pastoral assistance, helped by 70 women religious of 6 different congregations. There are also 12 major seminarians. So, as you can see, this Archbishop has a great deal of influence over quite a few people. And to think, he uses all that influence to promote animal sacrifices during the Mass! You’d think a man with an education would want to help lift the standards of the superstitious around them, but not so with the RCC. They like to keep them ignorant and blind. What blasphemy! What mockery! Animal sacrifice is a slap in the face of Jesus Christ, who shed His blood once and for all. This is just one more example of the outworking of a system that professes Christ, but denies the power thereof. A system that performs demonic rites under the false assumption that there are kernels of truth in all religions that should be gleaned, respected and lived by. I have to wonder where RCC will finally draw the line. So far, it seems her blasphemy knows no bounds.

By Rebecca A. Sexton

COMMENTARY BY DAVID BAY

Becky asks the rhetorical question at the end of her excellent article, asking where will the Roman Catholic Church draw the line?  The answer is that they will draw the line at the side of Antichrist when he arises.  As we report in the House of Theosophy seminar notes https://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1052.html the New World Order leaders decided, in early 1991, that the Roman Catholic Pope would be the #1 religious leader in the coming global religion of their Christ [Biblical Antichrist].  Further, Lambert, the New England Director said specifically that, yes the Pope is a "proper receptor" to Antichrist!

All of this inclusion of pagan doctrine and ritual into the Catholic Church -- just dressing them up in Christian names and terms -- is now reaching full fruit.  Soon, the global church, led by the Pope, will be side-by-side with Antichrist, just as we see in Revelation 13:11-18.

This is one huge sign that the world is definitely into the End of the Age.  Are you Born Again?