The 48 Steps Down

The Papacy has a long history of adopting doctrines that remove them and their parishioners further from the truth and light. The following is one of the most interesting lists of the Catholic Church going down hill, begin about: A.D. 300 Prayers for the dead 300 Making the sign of the cross 320 Wax candles 375 Veneration of angels and dead saints 375 The use of images 394 Begining of exaltation of Mary. 431 The term "Mother of God"first applied to her by the Council of Ephsus 500 Priests begin to dress differently than laymen 526 Extreme Unction 593 The doctrine of purgatory is established by Gregory I 600 Latin language used in prayer and worship commanded by Gregory I 600 Prayers directed to Mary, dead saints, and to angels 607 Title of Pope (Bishop of the Universe) given to Boniface III by the Emperor Phocas 709 Kissing the Pope's foot, begins with Pop Constantine 750 Temporal power of the Popes is confirmed by Pepin, King of the Franks 786 Worship of the cross, images, and relics is now offically authorized 850 Holy water (mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest) comes into use 890 The worship of St. Joseph 927 College of Cardnials established 965 Baptism of bells instituted by Pope John XIII 995 The Canonization of dead saints is first done by Pope John XV 998 Fasting on Firdays and during "Lent" begins 1050 The mass has gradually developed into a "sacrifice," and attendance is now made obligatory 1079 The celebacy of the priesthood is required by Pope Gregory II 1090 The rosary, a mechanical praying with beads, invented by Peter the Hermit 1184 The inquisition, in operation for centuries, is now made official by Council of Verona 1190 The sale of indulgences begins 1215 The error of transubstantiation is proclaimed by Pope Innocent III as the power to bring down God out of heaven into a cup and wafer 1215 Auricular confession of sins to a priest, instead of to God, is instituted by Pope Innocent III in the Lateran Council 1220 The adoration of the wafer (host) is decreed by Pope Honorius III 1229 Laymen are officially forbidden to have or read the Bible -- it is placed on "Index of Forbidden Books" by the Council of Valencia 1251 Protection by a piece of cloth, the scapular is invented by Simon Stock, a British Monk 1414 Laymen are forbidden to drink the cup at communion, by order of the Council of Constance 1439 Purgatory is proclaimed as a dogma by Council of Florence 1439 Docrine of Seven Sacraments if affirmed on pail of mortal sin 1508 The first part of the "Ave Maria" saying is made official 1534 The Jesuit order is founded by Ignatius Loyola 1545 Tradition (the says of Popes and Councils) is declared to be equal with the Bible, by Council of Trent 1546 The apocryphal books are added to the Bible by the Council of Trent 1560 The creed of Pop Pius IV is imposed as the offical creed of the Church 1593 The last part of the "Ave Maria" has been prepared, and is required of the faithful by Pope Sixtus V 1854 The immaculate conception of the virgin Mary is proclaimed by Pope Pius IX 1864 The "Syllabus of Errors" is proclaimed by Pope Pius X, and ratified by the first Vatican Council, as Truth of God. (It condemns freedom of religion, speech, press, and all scientific discoveries that have not been approved by the church) 1864 The temporal authority of the Pope over all rulers is offically reaffirmed 1870 The absolute infallibility of the Pope in all matters of faith and morals is proclaimed by Vatican I 1930 Public schools are condemned by Pope Pius XI 1950 The assumption of the virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death) is proclaimed by Pope Pius XII 1965 Mary is proclaimed to be the Mother of God, by Pope Paul VI The additional doctrines are now being discussed by the Church of Rome, and may soon be adopted: Mary as the "Medatrix of Mankind." This means that God and Christ can only be approached through her!! The second is the dogma of Mary as the "Co-Redemptrix of the World." The idea here is that the redemption of our race, through Mary, working together at each step with Christ. (The 48 Steps Down is from The Great Controversy edition published by Pilgrim's Rest.)
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