Billions in the world today are grievously deceived by the Roman Catholic religion; those both within her walls and those without.  Deceived in large part by her outward appearance as she arrays herself in purple and scarlet and decks herself with gold, precious stones and pearls.  All in a vain attempt to present herself as holier-than-thou as her clergy dons their priestly collars, robes and outward accoutrements so as to appear elevated above the common man and immune from sin.  

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.   Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Mat 23:25-28) 

But just as was true with the Pharisees, so it is true with the Roman priesthood.  They do indeed appear to be beautiful outwardly, but inwardly they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, just as anyone is who has religion and not Jesus Christ.  A truth made all too clear only a few years ago when the religious facade of the Roman priesthood was briefly lifted which gave the world a glimpse into her blackened soul.  For it was from this brief view that the world became aware of many of her priests either engaging in the most vile acts of sexual molestation of youth, or those who covered the dark deeds up. 

(As an aside, this should give us a little insight into the motos operandi of Rome’s hierarchy where preservation of her reputation is paramount even when it involves innocent little children.  Something to consider when you are bombarded by Catholic apologists and historical revisionists who classify her dark days of history including Papal wickedness, the Crusades, Inquisitions and brutal conquest of the Americas – to name a few, as nothing more than mere specks on her otherwise spotless character).

Well, tragically we are witnessing more of the same once again where a damning report has been released that speaks to child abuse in the Irish archdiocese of Dublin.  Something which has apparently been going on for decades where the Catholic hierarchy has done all they could to cover up the abuse.  Reading from a BBC article found here, authorities,

 

…found that the [Roman Catholic] Church placed its own reputation above the protection of children in its care.  It also said that state authorities facilitated the cover-up by allowing the Church to operate outside the law.

The same article later goes on to state that,

Instead of reporting the allegations to civic authorities, those accused of horrific crimes were systematically shuffled from parish to parish where they could prey on new, unsuspecting victims.  

The report stated: “The Dublin archdiocese’s pre-occupations in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse, at least until the mid 1990s, were the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church, and the preservation of its assets.”

It also said that the archdiocese “did its best to avoid any application of the law of the state”.

Another article in the NY Times reports that,

There was a similarly shocking investigation into decades of unchecked child abuse in Irish schools, workhouses and orphanages run nationwide by 19 Catholic orders of nuns, priests and brothers.

That report in May sought to document the scale of abuse as well as the reasons why church and state authorities didn’t stop it, whereas Thursday’s 720-page report focused on why church leaders in the Dublin Archdiocese — home to a quarter of Ireland’s 4 million Catholics — did not tell police about a single abuse complaint against a priest until 1995.

By then, the investigators found, successive archbishops and their senior deputies — among them qualified lawyers — already had compiled confidential files on more than 100 parish priests who had sexually abused children since 1940. Those files had remained locked in the Dublin archbishop’s private vault.

Absolutely shocking and how tragic indeed.  To think of how deep the sin must be to commit such reprehensible acts all the while living a duplicitous life of feigned piety and holiness.  So it goes and so it will go as long as Rome rejects the gospel of Jesus Christ and continues to hold to her damnable man-made religion of works.

One hope I have from this story is that there will be many Roman Catholics (including the brutalized victims) who will come, by God’s grace, to have their eyes opened to the reality behind the mask that Rome wears.  Because religion never can and religion never will change a man’s or a woman’s heart no matter how pious or outwardly righteous they might appear.  This being truth for the Catholic just as much as it is for the Protestant, Baptist and Evangelical. 

My second hope is that evangelical leaders and their churches alike will repent of their alliances and fellowship with Rome and will stand apart from her as all of God’s faithful have done throughout the centuries; millions to the point of their brutal deaths.  A call especially relevant for those who have recently signed The Manhattan Declaration.  And a call especially relevant for those who desire not to partake of Rome’s sins nor receive of her plagues. 

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. (Rev 18:4-8)