The one called the “Holy Father” visited Washington D.C., New York and Philadelphia from September 22-27. There were many outstanding opportunities to witness to the deceived Catholics in each of the three cities.
Who Is Your Holy Father? is a new tract by Richard Bennett and is ready for you to distribute to Catholic family and friends! When the one called "Holy Father" visited the USA in September, there were thousands of tracts distributed in the major cities on the East Coast. You can read Who Is Your Holy Father? starting on the next page. You can obtain the tract by going to the bottom of this page and clicking on “click here.”
Who Is Your Holy Father? was written and designed primarily for use during the many gatherings that took place in all three major cities that Pope Francis visited. It is estimated several million Catholics crowded venues and roadsides, affording Christians many settings for tract evangelism.
During the last few years, Literature Ministries International (LMI) has helped supply tens of thousands of Richard Bennett’s tracts to Australia, Scotland, and London for use during papal visits. But LMI has never had an opportunity in the USA like that had this year.
As a devout Catholic for 48 years, and as a Catholic priest for the last 22 of those years, I remember the influence Catholicism had on my soul. It was second nature to me. So, it is with great sensitivity that I ask you, “Who is your Holy Father?”
Crucial Relationships for Eternal Life
Using the intimate title of “Father” gives true believers (Christians) the deep sense of being personally loved as God’s children. Jesus offered this prayer for all those who genuinely believe in God as their Father: “Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” Jesus went on to pray, “Holy Father, keep them in your name.”[1] Knowing “the only true God” and his Son, Jesus Christ, are clearly the necessary relationships for eternal life, according to Jesus.
But the official teaching of the Catholic Church in its Catechism states that Catholics must first believe that, “the Church is the mother of all believers. “‘No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as mother.’”[2] So being a Catholic requires a
relationship with “the Church as mother,” replacing what ought to be their primary relationship with God as Father.
A Warning from Christ
The true nature of this substitution is obvious when a devout Catholic refers to the Pope as “Holy Father.” In fact, the Church says we must submit our mind and will, not to God the heavenly Father alone, but also to the Supreme Pontiff—the Pope—in Rome. The official canon law of the Church states, “By virtue of his office, the Supreme Pontiff, possesses infallibility in teaching when as the supreme pastor and teacher of all the Christian faithful...he proclaims by definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held.”[3]
Facing similar practices in his day, Christ warned the religious leaders, “You disregard God’s commandments but cling to human tradition…You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.”[4] A person cannot be impartial with two authorities that disagree regarding ultimate truth. You need to decide who is your highest spiritual authority. We need to follow Joshua’s example, when he said, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”[5]
“Father”— Jesus’ Treasured Term
Jesus treasured the name “Father” so much that He specifically warned His disciples not to use it for religious leaders: “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.”[6] This is the true nature of the message of the Lord concerning God the Father.
Jesus also instructed his disciples to pray to “our Father in heaven.”[7] The Father in heaven is worthy of worship. He alone is holy, and a true believer should reserve the words “Holy Father” for Him alone!
Jesus was often challenged by devout religious leaders of his day who represented their leader, the high priest. Once, when they questioned Jesus’ authority to teach, he responded, “‘I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.’ So they said to him, ‘Where is your father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’”[8]
Like those who revered their high priest, devout Catholics revere their pope. The Church teaches that her pope is also “Holy Father.” (Pope comes from “papa,” a child’s word for “father” in Latin.) Those who recognize someone other than God as their spiritual father are denying the true Holy Father—God.
The Holy Father’s Plan for Mankind
The apostle Paul stated, “There is one God. There is also only one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all.”[9] As Mediator, Christ fulfilled His Holy Father’s purpose when He willingly “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God.”[10]
When Christ cried out “It is finished”[11] on the cross, He used the phrase that meant a debt was completely and legally paid! By His death, He paid the entire penalty demanded for our sins by the All Holy Father, in order for God’s justice to be satisfied. Christ’s sacrifice in our place is the only ransom for lost sinners that God accepts.
As a result, true believers in Christ Jesus are forever forgiven and gifted with eternal life! Christ has taken the full consequences of their sins. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord…for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. Christ Jesus is he who died, yes, rather who was raised [back to life], and who is at the right hand of God.”[12]
Salvation is a gift from God the Holy Father to all who come to him through faith in Jesus Christ alone. God the Father has made it possible for sinners to be fully forgiven, to receive the gift of eternal life, and “become children of God”![13] Is God your Holy Father? Based on what the Holy Scripture teaches, He can be. But only through faith in Jesus Christ Who is to be both Lord and Savior of your life.
In less than three weeks, Doug Salser of Literature Ministries International shipped over 8,000 printed copies of the tract, Who Is Your Holy Father? These tracrs went to a group of brothers and sisters called “TEAM” in New York City, several pastors and churches in the New York City and Philadelphia areas, as well as many individuals. Three thousand copies of the tract also went to other areas of the country where believers used them to take advantage of the massive media coverage. Only the Lord knows the results of the thousands of gospel seeds planted in hearts during those days. We are praying that many Catholics will come to know God as their true Holy Father, and that the tracts and testimony of the believers who handed them out will be an important part of their eventual salvation. As the Lord distinctly states, “ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”[14]
All Bible quotes are from The New American Bible for Catholics.
[1] I John 17:1-3,11
[2] Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 181
[3] Code of Canon Law, Canon 749
[4] Mark 7:8,13
[5] Joshua 24:15
[6] Matthew 23:9
[7] Matthew 6:9
[8] John 8:18-19
[9] I Timothy 2:5-6
[10] I Peter 3:18
[11] John 19:30
[12] Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:34, John 1:12
[13] John 1:12
[14] Isaiah 55:11