Partakers Christian Podcasts

Bible Reading - Psalm 108

Psalm 108

^1-2 I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing, ready to raise a God-song:
"Wake, soul! Wake, lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!"
^3-6 I'm thanking you, God, out in the streets,
singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
every cloud's a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
reach down and help me-answer me!

^7-9 That's when God spoke in holy splendor:
 "Brimming over with joy, I make a present of Shechem,
I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead's in my pocket, to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim's my hard hat, Judah my hammer.
Moab's a scrub bucket- I mop the floor with Moab, Spit on Edom,
rain fireworks all over Philistia."

^10-11 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
Who'll show me the road to Edom?
You aren't giving up on us, are you, God? refusing to go out with our troops?
^12-13 Give us help for the hard task; human help is worthless.
In God we'll do our very best; he'll flatten the opposition for good.

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Church History Part 26

Part 26

Reformation 3 - England Here We Come!

We are now in England in the early 16th century! However Protestantism had commenced earlier in the 14th century with John Wyclif who we looked at back in episode 22. Wyclif was the 'Morning Star of the English Reformation', who had a great desire to ensure that the Bible was made available to everyone in their own language. So a strong evangelical protest started with Wyclif.

King Henry VIII  In the late 1520s King Henry 8th as head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, broke away from the Church in Rome. He broke away because he wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, which Pope Clement VII refused to accept. Earlier, in the year 1521, Clement had recognised Henry as the 'Defender of the Faith' for his writings against Martin Luther. Pope Clement VII was known for his intolerance of Protestants and his main method of evangelisation was through coercion and force if necessary. In 1531 Henry prevented the English clergy from dealing with Rome under an Act of Parliament labelling this as treason. In 1534 Henry was made the 'Supreme Head of the Church of England' by the parliament. However he remained Roman Catholic in practice and doctrine. In 1532 made Thomas Cranmer the Archbishop of Canterbury – the clerical head of the Church of England.

Reformation in England however continued unabated. Thomas Cranmer was a reformer and was helped by many of the Reformers driven from Europe by the Roman Catholic attacks on the Protestants. William Tyndale translated the New Testament into English and this made a significant impact. Edward VI (1547-1553) became the king at the age of 10, and ruled for 6 years. He was well trained by Cranmer. He allowed religious freedom, and he published with the help of Cranmer, the 1st and 2nd Prayer Books. Then there was a change back again!

Mary Tudor "Queen Bloody Mary" (1553-1558). Mary was a fanatical Roman Catholic and set out to re-establish the Roman Catholic Church. She put to death many bishops including Cranmer. She marred Charles V son (Spain) to bring all of Christendom under Spanish power. In 1554, she resubmitted England to Papal authority.

Queen Elizabeth (1559-1603). As a daughter of Henry VIII second wife, Anne Boleyn, she was not recognised by the Pope. She was not in full agreement with the Reforming Protestants, but maintained Protestant leanings. She influenced preparation of the 39 Articles of Communion, largely prepared by Cranmer, which were less reformed as a result. In 1559, she became 'Governor of the Church of England'. She defeated the Spanish Armada, with the help of Sir Francis Drake, who were attacking in order to bring England back under Spanish and Roman Catholic control. This strengthened the Protestant cause in England.

The main issue in the 14th to 16th centuries, as we have seen was 'None but Christ saves'. That is, that the Gospel is good news for all of humanity. Nobody can earn their salvation, but rather salvation is a free gift from God for all those who choose to receive it. This is a far cry from the excesses of Church dogma to date and closer to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the early church.

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Bible Reading - Psalm 122

Psalm 122

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

¹ I was glad when they said to me,

"Let us go to the house of the Lord."

² And now here we are,

standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem is a well-built city;

its seamless walls cannot be breached.

⁴ All the tribes of Israel-the Lord's people-

make their pilgrimage here.

They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,

as the law requires of Israel.

⁵ Here stand the thrones where judgment is given,

the thrones of the dynasty of David.

⁶ Pray for peace in Jerusalem.

May all who love this city prosper.

⁷ O Jerusalem, may there be peace

within your walls and prosperity in your palaces.

⁸ For the sake of my family and friends,

I will say, "May you have peace."

⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

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Church History Part 25

Part 25

Reformation 2 - Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin and Persecution

Today we continue with the Protestant Reformation by looking briefly at two other giants of that time – the Swiss reformer, Ulrich Zwingli and the French Reformer, John Calvin.

Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531)

Zwingli was a Swiss reformer independent of Luther who was greatly influenced strongly by the teachings of Erasmus. He was born during a period of time when Swiss national patriotism was emerging. After studying humanities before taking on the role of pastor in a church in Glarus and later in Einsiedeln.

It was in 1518 that Zwingli became pastor of Grossmunster in Zurich. Here he preached about reforming the Roman Catholic church. He was particularly critical of fasting during Lent, church hierarchy, clerical celibacy and the use of image in worship. In 1525, he produced a new liturgy to replace the Roman Catholic liturgy.

These ideas soon came to the attention of Martin Luther and other reformers. When they met, they did agree on many things but differed on several y matters. Zwingli taught that the Lord's Supper was purely symbolic and the elements of bread and wine did not change literally into the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ and nor did they at any point contain the real presence of Jesus Christ.

His reforms went from Switzerland to France, Scotland, Hungary, Holland, Germany, England, Puritans). Zwingli was killed in 1531 during an attack by his enemies within the Roman Catholic church on a food blockade supported by him.

Zwingli’s theology held the supremacy of the Bible, being the inspired word of God, over the teachings of humans such as the Church Councils and Church Fathers.

Concerning baptism, Zwingli differed from the Anabaptists who promote adult baptism only. Zwingli taught that the baptism of children was valid, describing that it was symbolic of God’s covenant with the Christian, much the same as it was when God made His covenant with Abraham.

He also promoted a non-Roman Catholic view of Church Government and Worship. Zwingli thought that the government was instituted by God and that they governed with divine approval. He taught that Christians were obliged to be obedient to their governments but to be disobedient only when the government acted in a manner to God’s will.

John Calvin

Our next giant is John Calvin! He was French and greatly influenced by Martin Luther. Trained as a lawyer, he broke away from the Roman Catholic church in 1530. During persecution by the Roman Catholic church on the reformation movement, Protestants, Calvin fled to Switzerland. There, in 1536, Calvin published the first edition of his now famous “Institutes of the Christian Religion.”

Calvin went onto introduce new forms of church government and worship liturgy despite opposition from secular authorities and people of power. In his final years, Calvin continued unabatedly to promote the Reformation of the church throughout Europe. During this time he also kept busy writing commentaries and regularly preached in churches. Prime to his thinking was Augustinian teaching, leading him to propose the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation and damnation.

Protestant persecution.

While the Reformation was only in its infancy, there was intense persecution of the Reformation Protestants by the Roman Catholic Church, particularly in Spain, France and the Netherlands. Thousands of Protestants died in battle and through persecution. It was during this time that the printing press was invented and was the catalyst for the rapid promotion and distribution of these new ideas of Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and others.

During this time also, we have noted that there was intense theological debate between the Reforming Protestants over such things as worship, predestination, the Lord's Supper and style of Church government. During this period, the Roman Catholic Church evangelised and rapidly gained new ground and more than made up for the losses to Protestantism. The Roman Catholic church did respond with a Counter Reformation. Commencing with the Council of Trent and the beginning of the Jesuits, these were designed to counter the Reformation movement. The majority of Northern Europe became Protestant, while Central Europe sank into deep conflict.

In the mid-1500's many Protestant Christians rejected both the Roman Catholic Church, and Lutheranism for not having gone far enough. They stressed personal discipleship; a daily walk with God; a principle of love and pacifism; the Church as a family not an organisation; adult baptism; congregational Church government; and the separation of Church and State, The spread through Europe and were intensely persecuted by both the Roman Catholic Church and other Protestants resulting in many deaths. One of their leaders was Menno Simons (1496-1561), whose group the Mennonites, are still functioning today.

That’s it for this time! Next time in our series HAHA, we will look at the Reformation gathering pace - this time in England!

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Bible Reading - Psalm 116

Psalm 116

 

^1-6 I love God because he listened to me,

listened as I begged for mercy.

He listened so intently

as I laid out my case before him.

Death stared me in the face,

hell was hard on my heels.

Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn;

then I called out to God for help:

"Please, God!" I cried out.

"Save my life!"

God is gracious—it is he who makes things right,

our most compassionate God.

God takes the side of the helpless;

when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

 

^7-8 I said to myself, "Relax and rest.

God has showered you with blessings.

Soul, you've been rescued from death;

Eye, you've been rescued from tears;

And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling."

 

^9-11 I'm striding in the presence of God,

alive in the land of the living!

I stayed faithful, though bedeviled,

and despite a ton of bad luck,

Despite giving up on the human race,

saying, "They're all liars and cheats."

 

^12-19 What can I give back to God

for the blessings he's poured out on me?

I'll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God!

I'll pray in the name of God;

I'll complete what I promised God I'd do,

and I'll do it together with his people.

When they arrive at the gates of death,

God welcomes those who love him.

Oh, God, here I am, your servant,

your faithful servant: set me free for your service!

I'm ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice

and pray in the name of God.

I'll complete what I promised God I'd do,

and I'll do it in company with his people,

In the place of worship, in God's house,

in Jerusalem, God's city.

Hallelujah!

 

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Church History Part 24

Part 24

Reformation 1 - Martin Luther

You may remember that in our series we looked briefly a the split between the Eastern and Western churches. Today we come to a greater split! A split within the Roman Catholic church – the beginnings of the Protestant church! The main person who will look at today is Martin Luther – one of the very giants of church history! .

Martin Luther (1483-1546) - Professor of Biblical Studies at Wittenburg University in Germany. Luther tried to find god as an Augustinian monk but he was unable to come to terms with God's righteous demands. He eventually realised that in order to satisfy God’s righteous demands, that he could do nothing of his own to fulfil them. He came to see that justification before Almighty God was by faith alone, through grace alone, which was a gift of God.
Included in the aftermath of this discovery, were these events! .

• 95 Theses - statements against indulgences nailed to the castle church door at Wittenburg on 31st October 1517. He rapidly gained a following in Germany, and was aided by the printing press.
  
• 1519 - denied the supremacy and infallibility of the Pope and Church.
  
• 1520 - excommunicated by Pope Leo X
  
• 1521 - Diet of Worms. Luther was outlawed by Emperor Charles V of Spain. He was hidden by friends for 8 months, during which he translated the N.T. into German.
  
• 1528 - Diet of Spruger. Each German state allowed to follow the religion of its reigning prince.
  
• 1529 - Diet of Speyer. Lutheran states to remain Lutheran and Catholic states to remain Catholic, not allowed to change. Evangelical princes protested at restriction and the Protestant was given to this movement.
  
• 1530 - Diet of Augsburg. Protestants submitted statement of belief witch was rejected, but became the basis of Lutheran doctrine.
  
• 1547 - War broke out between Catholic and Protestant. This war was won by the Catholics, but Protestantism was finally recognised legally in 1552.

Three main truths to come out of the Reformation.

• Final authority of God's Word.
  
• Justification by faith, a gift of God's grace.
  
• The priesthood of all believers. .

However it should be noted that, wrongly or rightly, Luther still accepted as truth

• Infant baptism as necessary for salvation.
  
• Consubstantiation - a 'real presence' of Christ's body with bread and wine. .

Lutheranism quickly spread from Germany to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. .

That’s it for this time! Next time in our series HAHA, we will continue looking at the great Reformers of the church!

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Bible Reading - Psalm 102

Psalm 102

A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the LORD.

 

¹ Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you.

 ² Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress.

Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. 

³ For my days vanish like smoke;

my bones burn like glowing embers. 

⁴ My heart is blighted and withered like grass;

 I forget to eat my food.

 

⁵ Because of my loud groaning

I am reduced to skin and bones. 

⁶ I am like a desert owl,

 like an owl among the ruins.

 ⁷ I lie awake;

I have become like a bird alone on a roof. 

⁸ All day long my enemies taunt me;

those who rail against me use my name as a curse. 

 

 ⁹ For I eat ashes as my food

and mingle my drink with tears 

¹⁰ because of your great wrath,

 for you have taken me up and thrown me aside. 

¹¹ My days are like the evening shadow;

 I wither away like grass.

 ¹² But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever;

your renown endures through all generations.

 

¹³ You will arise and have compassion on Zion,

 for it is time to show favor to her;

the appointed time has come. 

¹⁴ For her stones are dear to your servants;

her very dust moves them to pity. 

¹⁵ The nations will fear the name of the LORD,

 all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. 

¹⁶ For the LORD will rebuild Zion

and appear in his glory.

 

¹⁷ He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;

he will not despise their plea.

 ¹⁸ Let this be written for a future generation,

that a people not yet created may praise the LORD : 

¹⁹ "The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,

 from heaven he viewed the earth, 

²⁰ to hear the groans of the prisoners

and release those condemned to death."

 

²¹ So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion

and his praise in Jerusalem

²² when the peoples and the kingdoms

 assemble to worship the LORD. 

²³ In the course of my life he broke my strength;

 he cut short my days.

 ²⁴ So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days;

your years go on through all generations. 

 

 ²⁵ In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands. 

²⁶ They will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 

²⁷ But you remain the same,

and your years will never end. 

²⁸ The children of your servants will live in your presence;

their descendants will be established before you."

 

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Church History Part 23

Part 23

The Renaissance - Rebirth

In the 14th and 15th centuries there was a great European revival of interest in the values of classical Greek and Roman literature, art, philosophy and politics. It started in Italy and spread throughout Europe. Scholars were called humanists as they moulded their life on the teachings of the great Greek and Roman classical literature. There was also an increase in other areas of life: scholastic freedom grew exponentially, Roman morality, paganism, the Greek New Testament and the study thereof, and many new universities throughout Europe were started.

1. Leading Spokesmen

In amidst all this was the Church, which was continuing to change - and to the dismay of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, to the detriment of the established Church. Here are but 3 men – all of whom spoke brave words and lived brave lives!

Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) - Italian preacher of reform and the hero of many early Protestants. He became a Dominican monk after studying humanism and medicine. He affected the masses by his preaching and transformed the lives of many intellectuals through his thinking. He showed the impurities and corruption of the Roman Catholic system and spoke against the exploitation of the poor. Savonarola was well known for speaking prophecies about civic glory and called for Christian renewal. Eventually Savonarola was excommunicated and executed for denouncing the Pope and the corrupt papal court.

Here is one thing that Savonarola wrote:

The Pope may err, and that in two ways, either because he is erroneously informed, or from malice. As to the latter cause we leave that to the judgment of God, and believe rather that he has been misinformed. In our own case I can prove that he has been falsely persuaded. Therefore any one who obstinately upholds the excommunication and affirms that I ought not to preach these doctrines is fighting against the kingdom of Christ, and supporting the kingdom of Satan, and is himself a heretic, and deserves to be excluded from the Christian community.

John Colet (1466-1519) - a brilliant humanist at Oxford, and influenced Savonarola. He was enlightened and caused the epistles of Paul to live again in message. In 1512, as Dean of St. Paul's, he declared vicious and depraved lives of the church the worst heresy of all times which led to first reforming the bishops and it would spread to all. The church laws could not be enforced until the bishops became new men. Colet taught his students to keep the Bible and the Apostle's Creed.
Here is a quote from his convocation sermon of 1512:

“You are come together today, fathers and right wise men, to hold a council. In which what you will do and what matters you will handle, I do not yet know, but I wish that, at length, mindful of your name and profession, you would consider of the reformation of ecclesiastical affairs; for never was there more necessity and never did the state of the Church more need endeavors. For the Church – the spouse of Christ – which He wished to be without spot or wrinkle, is become foul and deformed.” Colet went on to conclude: “If, by chance, I should seem to have gone too far in this sermon—if I have said anything with too much warmth—forgive it me, and pardon a man speaking out of zeal, a man sorrowing for the ruin of the Church; and passing, by any foolishness of mine, consider the thing itself.”

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (1467-1536) He was a student of John Colet and the greatest of all humanists. Professor of Divinity and Greek at Cambridge Uni. He aimed to reform Roman Catholic Church, from within and so didn't leave the church. As a result he was attacked by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestants. The Roman Catholic Church for heretical teaching, and by the Protestants for lacking courage. In 1516, he produced the Greek version of the New Testament because he wanted to make it understood by everyone. He was educated by Brethren of the Common Life, was ordained as a Priest in 1492 and laid the egg which Martin Luther later hatched.

2. Modern devotional movement.

In Holland and Northern Europe, during this period, there was a renewed interest in a personal devotional life with God. One such group was the 'Brethren of the Common Life', who emphasised personal devotion, poverty, chastity and obedience in a semi-monastic lifestyle.

Thomas a'Kempis (1380-1471). Thomas a’ Kempis was born in Germany in 1380 to a blacksmith and a schoolmistress. In 1392, he started at school and while there encountered the devotional group, Brethren of the Common Life. From there, Thomas joined a monastery and became a prolific copyist and writer – copying by hand the Bible four times. His most noted work today though, .is the 'Imitation of Christ', still one of the most widely read devotional books, even though it is distinctly Roman Catholic in doctrine it is both scriptural and Christ-centred.
The "Imitation of Christ" a devotional book divided into 4 parts.

• Part 1 - "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life."
• Part 2 - "Directives for the Interior Life."
• Part 3 - "On Interior Consolation"
• Part 4 - "On the Blessed Sacrament"

Here are some quotes from that book – ahead of its time in many ways!

• "At the Day of Judgement we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done." — The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Chapter 3
• "For man proposes, but God disposes" — The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Chapter 19
• "If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him. " — The Imitation of Christ, Book 2, Chapter 7

You can download a copy of this book for free from CCEL:

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Bible Reading - Psalm 110

Psalm 110

 

as read by Noelle

 

^1-3The LORD says to my Lord:

"Sit at my right hand until I make

your enemies a footstool for your feet."

The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion;

you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

Your troops will be willing on your day of battle.

Arrayed in holy majesty,

from the womb of the dawn

you will receive the dew of your youth.

^4-7The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind:

"You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

The Lord is at your right hand;

he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

He will judge the nations,

heaping up the dead and crushing

the rulers of the whole earth.

He will drink from a brook beside the way;

therefore he will lift up his head.

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Church History Part 22

Part 22

Unrest Leading To Renaissance

Today we see the influence of the Church wane amidst both religious and societal turmoil and a brief look at two men rising in opposition to the Church.

We are now in the 14th & 15th Century! The church has grown exponentially from the original 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. It has spread far and wide in the known world. However, this period in history shows that the Church is now declining rapidly – both numerically and in its influence. We look briefly today at the reasons for this.

1. Rapid Decline

a. Avignon Popes (1309-1378)
Firstly we look at that Agivnon Popes or as some term it “Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy.” Pressure from the French monarchy in conflict with the Papacy, caused the Papacy to move to Avignon, France from Rome in Italy. This was due to the elected Pope, Clement V refusing to move to Rome and remained in France, finally moving the whole of his court to Avignon in 1309. From here there were 7 successive Popes, elected by the French rather than Italians as before.

b. Great Schism
Now we have the ‘Great Schism’ or the ‘Western Schism’ occurred with the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. The Pope returned to Rome from France in 1377, after a riot in Rome to ensure that the next Pope was Italian in 1378. The French then elected a Pope of their own. There was much disputation and at one stage there were 3 Popes - the Avignon Pope: Benedict XIII; the Roman Pope: Gregory XII; the Pisa Pope: John XXIII. A Council was called by the Pisa Pope John XXIII in 1414 and agreement was reached as to the procedure of the election of a new Pope.
All these events though caused a great loss of confidence in the Church. Wealth, corruption, immorality and the scandalous indulgences were rife throughout the Church, which led to much discontent and uncertainty. In the year 1453, Turkish Muslims attacked the Eastern Empire and the great Christian city of Constantinople fell.

c. Bubonic Plague
Bubonic Plague broke out in 1347 and killed one third of the Catholic west in 3 years. The Rise of national consciousness and strong monarchies developed in England, France & Spain resisting pressure from Rome.

d. Rise in Personal Devotion
There was in Northern Europe a growing movement around personal devotion to God, and therefore less reliance on the Church for spiritual insight. But more about that next week! It was also an area of global exploration with the likes of exploring greats of Magellan and Columbus.

2. Outspoken Critics of the Church
There was also growing criticism of the church, particularly from within!

John Wycliffe (1320-1384) - Wycliffe was a Priest in the Roman Catholic Church and a leading philosopher at Oxford University. He spoke out against church corruption, transubstantiation, confession to the priest and infallibility of the church & Pope. Many travelling bands of teachers and preachers were organised and sent out by him.

Wycliffe is commonly described as the 'Morning Star of the English Reformation', who had a great desire to ensure that the Bible was made available to everyone in their own language. Therefore he initiated the translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible into English, and it was completed by his followers. He was protected by the English monarchy from Church persecution and inquisition. If you read your Bible in any language but Latin and the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek - you have much to be thankful to God for the life and work of John Wycliffe! They still do great work today and you can find out more by visiting their website: http://wycliffe.org.uk/

To get a hint of the disturbance to the Church caused by Wyclif, here are some of the things he said.

• Private confession... was not ordered by Christ and was not used by the apostles.
• Englishmen learn Christ's law best in English. Moses heard God's law in his own tongue; so did Christ's apostles.
• It is plain to me that our prelates in granting indulgences do commonly blaspheme the wisdom of God. Our clerics neither evangelize like the apostles, nor go to war like the secular lords, nor toil like labourers.
  
• The bread while becoming by virtue of Christ’s words the body of Christ does not cease to be bread. The gospel alone is sufficient to rule the lives of Christians everywhere. Any additional rules made to govern men’s conduct added nothing to the perfection already found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jan Hus (1374-1415) - The other main critic was the Bohemian man, Jan Hus. Hus was a priest in the Catholic Church and Rector of Prague University. Hus was strongly influenced by Wycliffe, and much to the chagrin of the Catholic Church hierarchy, he promoted personal devotion and piety; the supreme authority of the Bible; taught that the Church is the body of Christ and the head is Jesus Christ - not the Pope; and that only God can forgive sin, not the Church.

Again, Hus was another man ahead of his time and one of the pioneers of the protestant church to come. Hus, because of his condemnation of much Church teaching and practise was imprisoned, tried, condemned and executed in 1415 following the Council of Constance.

Again some quotes from this protesting pioneer:

• "Has not God himself instituted marriage, as a means to satisfy the craving for love in all men. ... For those are speaking lies in hypocrisy, who have a seared conscience, who forbid a life in marriage and abstain from foods which God has created (1 Timothy 4:1-5). I hold this to be the seed of iniquity and the root of all evil."
• “Many centuries have passed since the foundation of Christianity and bishops and priests have wedded and permitted themselves to be wed in honour and decency, until some Primates, Gregory VII (also called Hildebrand) and Innocent III, thousand years after the death of Jesus the Nazarene, conceived the thought to forbid marriage to priests, so that they would not love their families, would not honour their home and would be compelled to seek salvation under the wing of Rome only, remembering the protection which was to come from there against worldly powers.”

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