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.)