| "BRANCHES" OF CHRISTIANITY |
|
"Principles" of Protestantism |
is the religion with the largest membership: In 1995 there are mainly "3
branches", with 1,927 million members:
1- Catholicism: 968 million.
2- Orthodoxy (since 1045): 218 million.
3- Protestantism (since 1517): 465 million, plus 276 million not on the main Protestant
line.
(Encyclopaedia Britannica, Year 1996) Today, in 1997, the number is 2,100 million: 1,100
Catholics, 227 Orthodox, 773 Protestants.
-There are over 700 "denominations", and it is the greatest "shame"
and "glory" of Christianity:
"Catholic" means "universal", and indeed, Catholicism spreads all over
the world, in all the known countries, races, and peoples... in 1995, accounts for 50% of
all the Christians, 12% of Orthodox, and 38% Protestants. Today, in 1997, there are 2,100
million Catholics (se picture on pag.343).rr
It is also "universal" in the sense that it accepts and practices all the
teachings of Jesus Christ. The comments made on "Christianity", all of them
apply to "Catholicism"... It accepts all the teachings of the Bible, all the
teachings of the 21 Ecumenical Councils after the one in Jerusalem in Acts 21, and accepts
all the dogmas and teachings proclaimed by the 262 Popes.
It is also known as "Roman Catholicism", because its head, the
"Pope", resides in the Vatican, in Rome... the actual Pope, John Paul II, is the
262 successor of St. Peter.
In 1992 run 5,478 Hospitals with 4,500 million patients treated; 27,281 Homes for the
aged, homeless, and handicapped; 793 Leprosariums...
... 80,612 Elementary and Primary Schools; 6,400 Colleges and Universities...
The Church of Christ, Catholicism, was born at Calvary, among pains and blood, like all
the births, and it was made public at Pentecost, 50 days after the Resurrection Sunday, in
the year 33.
- In these almost 2,000 years, the accomplishments have been immense, really fulfilling
the prophecy of Jesus, "whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will
do greater ones than these" (Jn.14:12)...
... In the statistics of 1992 (Yearbook of the Church), Catholicism touches the lives of
"billions", "every day":
- The Church run 5,478 Hospitals with 4,500 million people treated, 14,806 Dispensaries,
793 Leprosariums, 27,281 Homes for the aged homeless and handicapped, 7,102 Orphanages,
9,293 Nurseries, 97,823 Special Centers for Social Services, 8,216 Matrimonial Advice
Centers... and practically "billions" attended in their "homes", for
sickness, aged, children, emotional problems, marriages, drugs, alcohol...
- The Catholic Church in 1992 run 52,828 kindergartens with an attendance of 5 million
students, 80,612 Elementary and Primary Schools with 25 million students, 31,711 Secondary
Schools with 13 million students, and 2 million students in its 6,400 Colleges and
Universities.
- In the USA, in 1993, the Church run 606 hospitals with 54 million patients treated;
1,592 Specialized Homes; 188 Orphanages took care of 75,890 children; 2,115 Centers for
Social Services helped 20 million people... it run 7,136 Elementary Schools with 2 million
students, 1,248 High Schools with 603,679 students, 227 Colleges and Universities with
643,127 students, 96 Schools for Handicapped with 8,764 students (The Official Catholic
Directory, 1994).
... And all of these statistical data are "nothing", compared with the
"billions" of daily good works produced by one billion Catholics around the
world.
... I can't find data on the number of leaflets, newspapers, magazines, books, radio,
television, full time missionaries and evangelists around the world... but the numbers run
into the "millions"!.
At least 100 Saints had their bodies "incorrupt", when they were unburied in
the process of canonization: St. Teresa of Avila, St. Vincent of Paul, St. Bernadette of
Lourdes, St. Francis Xavier, St. Catherine Laboure in Paris...
The Bible describes dozens of "supernatural visions"... in the lives of the
Saints there thousands of visions, apparitions...
The Bible reports hundreds of "miracles... in the lives of the saints
"millions"... of "miraculous healing", "miracles over
nature", "levitations", "bilocations", "stigmatized"
with the wounds of Jesus... and all of them real, historic, endorsed by the
"Tribunals" of the process of beatification and canonization...
... and the most important fact in the lives of the Saints are not those miracles and
manifestations, but lives lived daily in Christ, notable for holiness and virtues
practiced... in fact, many of the most well known Saints did not have their bodies
incorrupt, nor they did many extraordinary miracles, like St. Francis of Assisi, St.
Dominic, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Therese of Lisieux...
The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church; it is divided in Dioceses, each one with a
Bishop as the head, named by the Pope. And each Diocese is divided into Parishes, each one
headed by a Priest-Pastor named by the Bishop.
- In 1992, there were 2,400 Dioceses, plus 12 Patriarchates for the Catholic-Orthodox
Dioceses... with 404,136 Priests, 865,902 Nuns, 61,082 Brothers, and 19,395 Deacons whose
number is growing up very fast.
- There are also 807 "Archbishops", who are Bishops leading Dioceses of special
importance, and 138 "Cardinals", with the privilege to choose the next Pope, all
named by the Pope.
Besides this general organization, there are in the Church thousands of Organizations
working in several Dioceses, and ready to move to any part of the world as they may be
needed:
A total of 1,077,754 persons with the "votes of poverty, chastity, and
obedience"...neither one has a bank account, and neither one gets married, to be full
time available, totally dedicated to serve God and the neighbor... a most beautiful crown
of the Church of Christ!.
1- "Monks": They stay all their life in the same monastery; started by St.
Benedict.
2- "Friars": They are ready to move to any place at any time; started by St.
Dominic.
- In more than 2,000 Orders, they do an immense work of evangelism and good deeds for the
neighbor... but they are so humble, that I could not find specific data in most of them:
However, to have an idea.
| Number 7,500, teaching 1 million students in 1,100 places, within 82 countries; the data taken from the Internet. Call (800) 433-7593. |
are 2,300, in Europe, America and Africa, and in 1996 they visited 267,650 patients at home, each visit lasting for 8 to 10 hours, taking care of all the needs of the person, medical, cleaning, feeding... they also did spiritual and emotional support to 669,440 persons; preventive medicine, taking the vital signs, to 389,120 persons; and individual counselling to 359,680 persons...
| Call my friend, Sister Angeles, in New York, (718) 829-0428. |
are 23,570. Only the area of New York they are 539 priests, who conduct 1 University, 3 Colleges, 7 High Schools, 4 Retreat Houses, 8 Parishes, the Society for the Blind, chaplaincies in several hospital and prisons, and many publications.
| Call (212) 774-5500. |
are mainly 5 groups: Friars Minor, Capuchins, Conventual, Third Order Regular, Friars of the Atonement... with a total of 35,589 members... Only in the area of St. Louis, MO, they are 340 Franciscan Friars, who carry 75 parishes, i University, 2 High Schools, 3 Foreign Missions, nursing care, Chaplains of several hospitals and jails, ministry for Mexicans, Blacks, Native Americans, youth, Social Justice issues...
| Call 1-800- 993-4871. |
The "Franciscans", women, are a legion, with over 70,000 members. Only in New
York, the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor are 230 Sisters, who run 9 acute care Hospitals
with AIDS ministries, 1 Women's Hospital, 6 long term care and retirement centers, work
with the poor and the homeless...
| call (212) 242-0446. |
The "Salesians",
are 17,497 members, in 102 countries, dedicated mainly to the youth. Only in New York, they are 172 Priests, who conduct 5 High Schools, 2 Technical High Schools, 1 Resident Junior High School, 6 Youth Centers, 20 Parishes, 7 Home Missions, 1 Media Center, 12 Summer Camps, 1 center for youth ministry, 1 job training center...
| Call (914) 636-4225. |
| Call my friends in the Bronx, NY (718) 292- 0019. |
The "Augustinians, and Recollects",
number 4,543. In New York, the Augustinian Recollects have 42 Priests, doing a good work with the Hispanics, Cursillo Center, 8 Parishes, charismatic renewal, neo-catechumenate, hospital chaplaincies.
| Call my friends, Fr. Peluso or Fr. Gregorio (718) 823-458-1221, or my other friends, Fr. Duenas or Blas (718) 823-0460, or my friend Fr. Angel (212) 534-0704 |
- The Benedictines,
men, number 8,738; - The Dominicans, men, are 6,561. - The Redemptorists 6,052. - The Marist Brothers 5,785, "My School",
| call my friend Brother Bartholomew (718) 441-0205 |
- The Oblates 5,273. - The Descalced Carmelites 3,710... ... and so
on, over 2,000 different Orders, men and women... a most glorious crown!.
Religious Orders, and Secular Institutes:
A total of 1,077,754 persons, men and women, with votes of "poverty, chastity, and
obedience"... neither one has a bank account, and neither one gets married, to be
totally dedicated to serve God and their neighbors...
... A most beautiful crown of the Body of Christ!.
It is the best known, with 80,000 members in 80 countries. Founded by Blessed Josemaria Escriva in 1928; Pope John Paul II established it as a personal prelature in 1982, with the title of "Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei"... join it!...
| call my friend Dr. Mastew, in New York (212) 222- 3285. |
Founded by Msgr. Avelino de Castro, is doing good work in Europe and America... Join
it!... Call my friend Dr. Durantez, in Madrid (91) 547-7051. Like the Opus Dei, it is for
men and women.
r - The "Secular Institute of Schoenstatt Fathers", in 20 Countries.
- The "Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ the King", for men and women, in
30 countries.
- The "Nuestra Senora de Altagracia" for women. - The "Oblate
Missionaries", the "Opus Spiritus Sancti"...
There are thousands of "Catholic Associations and Movements", that correspond
to the "synagogues" of the Old Testament. They are laymen or lay women that
unite like a family, pray and study together, they help each other in their spiritual and
material needs... and help the neighbors to go to Heaven.
- Join one of them!... to do so, just ask the Pastor in your Parish, or a Cursillista, or
a Charismatic, or a Legionnaire, or Renew...
The "Cursillo" is a 3 days retreat, where you live the Christian
fundamentals. Based on the "Mystical Body of Christ" of 1Cor.12, you live the
live of "grace", the Sacraments, and a life of love, where each one is brother
or sister of the other, like my right hand is sister of my left hand... only one body in
Christ!.
- After the "Cursillo", we live this life of love and evangelizing, joining in
small "Groups of Friends", and several Groups form an "Ultreya" in the
Parish... to help each other in the spiritual and material needs, and to help many to go
to Heaven.
- I am actually the President of the Secretariat of Cursillos in Spanish in New York...
and for me, it has been a glorious life in Christ for 39 years.
- There are Cursillistas practically in all the countries of the Catholic world. In New
York, we have 86 Ultreyas; in Brooklyn, 75.
- Join us!... Make a Cursillo... just ask your Catholic Pastor, or any Cursillista... in
New York,
| call me or my friends, (718) 796-4340. |
The "Catholic Charismatic Renewal" is thousands of Groups of lay and
religious, men and women, in all the countries of the Catholic world, who meet in
"Prayer Groups" to praise the Lord, practice the charismas of healing, prophecy,
tongues... of 1Cor.12, help each other in our spiritual and material needs, and help many
of our neighbors to go to Heaven.
- In New York, we have 265 Prayer Groups in Spanish, and hundreds of others in English,
Portuguese, Italian, Jamaicans...
- I am in the Charismatic Renewal for 25 years, and it has been a wonderful experience for
me... actually, I am a member of the "Group of Coordinators" for the Hispanics
in New York.
- Join us... make a "Charismatic Retreat", or a "Seminar", or just
join a "Prayer Group"... ask a Priest, or a lay Charismatic, in any Catholic
Parish.... in New York
| call me, or my friends, (718) 378-1734. |
They are Groups (Presidiums), of lay brothers and sisters wishing to give everything to
Jesus through Virgin Mary, following the "order of redemption". We are all over
the Catholic world.
- In our weekly meetings of the Presidium, each member commits himself to 2 hours of
specific visits to help neighbors in their spiritual needs, and each one reports the work
done the past week. We help each other to become Saints, in our material and spiritual
needs.
- I worked in the Legion of Mary for 15 years, and it is glorious... in New York, there
are hundreds of Groups in English, Spanish...
| Join us!... ask in any Catholic Parish... in New York, the Senatus, (212) 752-7966. |
... If you can not do active work, you can be an "Auxiliary member", praying
daily the "catena".
Slaves Carmelites Penitents for Priests:
My wife, Gladys, started this Association in 1975, and there are now involved 26,000
persons, lay men and women, nuns, brothers, priests, 500 Bishops, 100 Cardinals, and the
last 3 Popes.
- Each laymen or lay women, or nun, after making the total Consecration to Mary, according
to St. Louis Mary of Montfort, becomes a "god-father" or a
"god-mather" for a Priest, offering his life for the sanctification and
perseverance of that Priest...
... In return, that Priest, prays for his "god-faather" or
"god-mother" very specially in each Mass.
- There is no money involved... and no personal contact involved... the Priest only knows
the first name of his "god-faather", and the "god-fatheer" or
god-mother" only knows the first name of the Priest, but he doesn't know even in what
part of the world the Priest lives... the "god-mother" of the Pope, for example,
only knows he is offering his life for Father John Paul.
- It is just a "spiritual work"... and when Pope Paul VI approved it, he shed
tears, and says, "this is what is needed in the Church today".
- I am a god-father for a Priest for 20 years, and it is beautiful.
- Join us!...
| Call Gladys, in New York, (718) 892-5886. |
It is a good work of my wife, Gladys, since 1995.
- If you know of any person who wants to make an Abortion, call Gladys and give her the
name and telephone of the person who wants to have an Abortion.... Gladys will take care
from there. Your name and telephone will remain "secret", no one will know that
you are the one who called.
- So far, more that 200 persons have not done the Abortion they were planning... the baby
was born!.
- The method is to talk with the person who wants to have the Abortion, try to help her
with her problems: May be she has no home, or she is not married, or the parents want her
out...
... Gladys tries to help her finding a home, or finding a place to learn english, or to
find a job, or with the problems with Immigration... always using the institucions of the
Church.
- The fact is that, so far, none of them has made the Abortion... Gladys helps, prays...
and keeps on talking on the telephone up to 3 hours, until the person decides not to have
the Abortion!...
- Same "Secret Agents" started to do Glady's job... try to do the same in your
area.
| If you know anyone who wants to have an Abortion, just call Gladys, in New York, (718) 892-5886, day or night. |
There are hundreds, all of them very good, and each one different... Join one!... they
are like the"synagogues" in the times of Jesus.
... Talk to the Priest of your Parish, and he may tell you which one is the best for you:
- We have in our home a "Cenacle for Priests" every first thursday of the month.
The "Catholic Action", where I worked for 15 years.
- The "Holy Name Society" for men, where I was for 10 years;
- "Ladies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus"; - "Communities" of different
kinds; the "Neo- Catechumenate" movement of Kiko;
- The "Program of Light and Life", of my friend Bishop Arias of New Jersey, to
study and live the Bible;
- The "Workshops of Prayer and Life", where my friend Elias is a national leader
in the USA;
- Renew" is another good program to live the Bible;
- "Daughters of Mary", "Boys and Girl Scouts", "Youth and Senior
Groups", "Third Orders", "Alcoholic or Narcotic Anonymous",
"Marriage Encounters", "Parents Organizations", "Anti- Abortion
Groups", "Social Organizations".... and, of course, "Parish
Councils", "Choirs", "Clubs", "Confraternities", ...
thousands!... Join one!.
In fact, it was the Church who gave us the number of Books of the Bible: The Bibles of all Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestants, contain the Books given to us by the Pope St. Damasus in the Council of Rome, in 382... many Protestants do not realize that the Bible they cherish was given to them by a Pope (See "Scriptures", pag.300). - In the 4th Century, the Church translated the Bible into the vulgar language, to make it available to all the Christians: The "Vulgate" of St. Jerome, ordered by Pope St. Damasus. -
In the 16th Century it was also the Catholic Church who ordered to print the Bible,
after the "invention of the press" by Gutemberg... and, in fact, the Bible was
the first book printed by Gutemberg.
It will be witnessed, not by 70,000 people, as it was in Fatima, but by every human being on the Planet: For 15 minutes, everybody on earth will be like in front of God, seeing his or her own sins, and the bad repercussions of them; something extraordinary will appeared in the sky that anybody can see; all the machines on earth will "stop": watches, airplanes, refrigerators... no one will die... it will happen before the Great Miracle, as a preparation for it.
This will happen at Garabandal: Something extraordinary, that can be seen, televised,
but not touched... it will remain there until the end of time; the sick will be healed;
more faith... Virgin Mary told the date of this Miracle to Conchita, and the Vatican knows
it.
"If" the people in the world do not repent and convert, there will be a Great
Chastisement.
prayers of repentance, adoration, praise, thanksgiving. The "liturgy of the
Word", with readings, prayer of a Psalm, the homily, and prayers of intercession and
petition.
with the presentation of the bread and wine, the Consecratory thanksgiving, prayers for
the death, and Communion with thanksgiving.
The "Eastern Orthodox Church", with 227 million members, broke officially with the Catholic Church on July 1054... They call themselves the "Holy Orthodox Church", or the "Orthodox Church of the East", and are called by others, "Greek Orthodox", or "Russian Orthodox". - It is the descendant of the "Byzantine Christianity".
"Orthodox" means "right believe".
They are today 15 "self-governing church bodies", and 4 "autonomous groups", plus the "Moscow Patriarchate" as the firh Patriarchate:
1- The Patriarchates: Constantinopla, Alesandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Moscow.The Auocephalous Churches: Russia (88 mill.), Romania (17 mill.), Greece (8 mill.), Servia ((7 mill.), Bulgaria (6 mill.), Georgia (1 mill.), Poland (0.6 mill.), Cyprus ((0.5 mill.), Zcechoslovakia ((0.2 mill.), Albania, Sinai (less than (.1 mill.)
2- The Autonomous Churches: Finland, China, Japan, Macedonia, plus the
Russian diaspora,
- They are in full communion with one another, and their members think of themselves as
belonging primarily to the Eastern Church, and secondarily to their particular division
within it.
- They have "no central authority", no one claims to be the successor of Peter
(Matt.16:19).
... The "Patriarch of Constantinople" is the first in honor among equals in
jurisdiction.
... The "Russian Church", with 88 million members, is the largest, so the
Patriarch of Moscow became the "fifth Patriarchate", and with the "Russian
diaspora", has spread the Orthodox to America and Western Europe. r
... The "Greeks", though only 8 million, have increased the Eastern presence in
the West.
4- Separated Churches:
Some Eastern groups they are "not in communion" with the Orthodox, because of
their emphasis in the divine nature of Jesus, at the expense of being also fully
"man" (the mono-physitism heresy condemned at Chalcedon):
- The "Coptic Orthodox Church" in Egypt, its first center, most Christians
belong to it.
-The "Church of Armenia", with its important offshoot in the U.S.A.,
belongs today to Oriental rather to Eastern Christianity.
- The ancient "Church of Ethiopia". - The "Church of the Assyrians", decimated in Irak in the World Wars, with the present Patriarch living in the U.S.A.
5- The "Uniate" Churches: (Orthodox Catholics):
Some churches maintain their traditional Eastern rites and liturgies, but recognize the
supremacy of the Pope, and obey him, like the Ukranian, Rumanian, Maronite in Lebanon,
India...
- A "Patriarch", in the Catholic Church, is a "Bishop", subject only
to the Pope, and he is the head of the faithful belonging to his rite throughout the
world. In 1994, there were 8:
... 1- Alexandria, for the Copts.
... 2- Three in Antioch: One for the Syrians. One for the Greek Melkites. One for the
Maronite.
... 3- Babylon, for the Chaldeans.
... 4- Cilicia, for the Armenians.
... 5- Jerusalem, for the Latin Rite.
... 6- East Indies (Goa, Damao...).
All Orthodox: 1,885,436
Orthodox Church in America: 600,000
Armenian Diocese: 414,000 Antiochian: 350,000 Coptic: 180,000 Armenian Apostolic: 150,000Other: (8 denominations): 191,000
(1995 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches)
The Eastern Church encourages the mystical life for everybody, clergy and laity. Man can
be "deified" by the grace of God. The "experience" of deification is
said to be accompanied by a miraculous burst of light, or a vision of light, or a vision,
like that of St. Paul (Act.9)
- Dionysius, the Pseudo-Areopagite, a great theologian, wrote the "Mystical
Theology", in order to influence even the Catholic mystics, such as St. Bernard and
St. Thomas Aquinas.r
- The Eastern Basilian monks also reflect this respect for "mystical
experiences" as having value over rational study for receiving knowledge about God...
and most monks are common laymen...
first developed in the Egyptian desert and the Syrian hinterland, and
remains a potent force in the Oriental churches to this day, under the rules made by St.
Basil the Great.
JOYFUL LITURGY:
The Eastern temples use gold and colorful decorations... the
very best for God... the altars, ornamentations, and vestments, are full of life, ready
for the emotional displays of the long, very pious, liturgical services, where the lay
people participate actively, singing, usually standing during all the service, as the
priests do... and singing without instrumental accompaniment.
- There ar 3 liturgies
The Liturgy of St. John Chriysostom (used most often); the Liturgy of St. Basil, and
the Liturgy of St. Gregory.
The "Eucharist",
known as the "Holy Liturgy", is the highest expression of Christian worship,
celebrated by a priest, but with active participation of the laymen, singing, reading the
Bible, preaching... every Sunday is full of the joy of Easter Sunday, celebrating Christ's
resurrection.
- The church "building",
represents the universe, that has to be saved in its nature and history.
They use a Greek cross floor plan, with the 4 arms of equal length, each one placed in
alignment with the compass points: The East side represents Paradise; the West side
represents the land of the dead who are awaiting the day of resurrection; the center
represents the earth, over which is the sky or the dome which so identifies a Greek
Church.
literally "images" in Greek, are beautiful, and they are not the feelings of
the artist, but the feelings of the Church... this corporate feelings of the Eastern
Church is reflected in everything.
br>
The Orthodox has been a "suffering" Church, with persecutions and
restrictions, perhaps beyond any other: With the Huns, Tartars, Turks, Islam, Communism...