TRADITION: THE STORY OF THE STEPS DOWNWARD
Strange Practices enter the churches
Note: None of these practices have their roots in the Bible or the teachings of Christ! - All came from Sun Worship and Paganism.
1. Prayers for the dead, began about A.D. -300
2. Making the sign of the cross -300
3. Wax candles, about -320
4. Veneration of angels and dead saints, and use of images.-375
5. The Mass, as a daily celebration -394
6. Beginning of the exaltation of Mary, the term `Mother of God" first applied to her by the Council of Ephesus.-431
7. Priests began to dress differently from laymen -500
8. Extreme Unction -526
9. The doctrine of Purgatory, established by Gregory I - 593
10. Latin language, used in prayer and worship, imposed by Gregory I -600
11. Prayers directed to Mary, dead saints and angels, about. .600
12. Title of pope, or universal bishop, given to Boniface III by emperor Phocas -607
13. Kissing the pope's foot, began with pope Constantine - 709
14. Temporal power of the popes, conferred by Pepin, king of the Franks -750
15. Worship of the cross, images and relics, authorized in .-786
16. Holy water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest -850
17. Worship of St. Joseph -890
18. College of Cardinals established - 927
19. Baptism of bells, instituted by pope John XIII -965
20. Canonization of dead saints, first by pope John XV - 995
21. Fasting on Fridays and during Lent -998
22. The Mass, developed gradually as a sacrifice, attendance made obligatory in the 11th century - 1050
23. Celibacy of the priesthood, decreed by pope. Gregory VII (Hildebrand) -1079
24. The Rosary, mechanical praying with beads, invented by Peter the Hermit -1090
25. The Inquisition, instituted by the Council of Verona- 1184
26. Sale of Indulgences- 1190
27. Transubstantiation, proclaimed by pope Innocent III - 1215
28. Auricular Confession of sins to a priest instead of to God, instituted by pope Innocent III, in Lateran Council - 1215
29. Adoration of the wafer (Host), decreed by pope Honorius III -1220
30. Bible forbidden to laymen, placed on the index of Forbidden Books by the Council of Valencia -1229
31. The Scapular, invented by Simon Stock, an English monk -1251
32. Cup forbidden to the people at communion by Council Constance -1414
33. Purgatory proclaimed as a dogma by the Council of Florence -1439
34. The doctrine of Seven Sacraments affirmed -1439
35. The Ave Maria (part of the last half was completed 50 years later and approved by pope Sixtus V at the end the 16th century) -1508
36. Jesuit order founded by Ignatius Loyola -1534
37. Tradition declared of equal authority with the Bible by the Council of Trent -1545
38. Apocryphal books added to the Bible by the Council Trent -1546
39. Creed of pope Pius IV imposed as the official creed -1560
40. Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, proclaimed by pope Pius IX -1854
41. Syllabus of Errors, proclaimed by pope Pius IX, and ratified by the Vatican Council. The Syllabus condemned freedom of religion, conscience, speech, press, and scientific discoveries which are disapproved by the Roman Church. It asserted the pope's temporal authority over all civil rulers 1864
42. Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals, proclaimed by the Vatican Council 1870
43. Public Schools condemned by pope Pius XI 1930
44. Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death), proclaimed by pope Pius XII 1950
45. Mary proclaimed Mother of God, by pope Paul VI .... 1965
Add to these many others: Monks - nuns - monasteries - convents - forty days Lent - holy week - Palm Sunday - Ash Wednesday - All Saints day - Candlemas day - fish day - meat days - incense - holy oil - holy palms - Christopher medals - charms - novenas - and still others. What next? Mary as Mediatrix (our Mediator), and as Co-redemptrix (Our Redeemer).
