Msg Base:  AREA 5  - ASK FATHER            CIN ECHO   AMDG
  Msg No: 316.  Wed  6-17-92 22:52  (NO KILL)  (MAILED)
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Joseph Alvarez
 Subject: sola Scriptura

JA|I wrote a while back and I think mentioned that I had spent 10 years
  |in the Protestant outbacks.  I was wondering if you could shed a
  |little light on a few things.  The Protestants do not accept the
  |books of Maccabees, Judith, Tobit, Wisdom, etc. Do we refer to them
  |as deuterocanonical, and if so, what does that mean?
  |.
  |Also, my Protestant friends defend sola Scriptura on the grounds of
  |several verses talking about not adding or taking away from what God
  |has commanded or spoken.  These are the verses I have found: Rev.
  |22:19;Deut 4:2; 12:32;and Prov. 30:6.  This is why Protestants cannot
  |accept Catholic teaching on Mary and papal authority/infallibility.
  |.
  |I mention these two issues together because if I can prove the
  |validity of the aforementioned books, then I can charge the
  |Protestants with taking away from what God has spoken.  IÕm sure this
  |is nothing new, but I would be greatly enlightened if you could
  |answer these questions and/or point me to any books or articles that
  |deal with the subject.

Dear Joseph,

In U.S. News and World Report, March 4, 1991, page 51, Martin Marty,
a noted Protestant Church historian and theologian, spoke of 22,000
Protestant denominations.  Earlier in the same article, the statement
was made that this astronomical figure is increasing weekly -- I
think by 5 per week.

Christ's dearest wish and Last Supper prayer was that His followers
should be one.  One of the chief reasons why Christ's disciples have
sabotaged Christ's desire for our unity is the widespread rejection
of Christ's Church.  Some Catholics are also guilty of this, because
many who wear the Catholic label really do not accept the Church as
the "pillar and foundation of truth, the Church of the living God".
(1st Timothy 3:15), which indeed she is.

I believe each of us should in our heart of hearts ask: "Is Jesus my
Lord or isn't He? Is His Church the Pillar and Foundation of Truth
or isn't she?" If "Yes" is my answer, then private interpretation of
Scripture is out.  I just don't have the authority to interpret
God's Word.  Only the Church does.

And since only the Church is empowered to interpret the Scripture,
and since the Church alone is the Pillar and Foundation of Truth,
then the Church is infallible because Christ is with her always
(Matthew 28:20).  The Holy Spirit guides her into all truth (John
16:13), teaches her everything and reminds her of everything Jesus
said (John 14:26).  She cannot teach religious and moral error.

Exactly HOW the Church works out her infallibility in teaching us is
a mere detail, a footnote.  She does so through her Popes and her
Bishops, teaching in unanimity.  To fuss about papal infallibility is
to strain out a gnat (Matthew 23:24).

As you say, there are some texts in the Bible which tell us not to
add to or take away from the Word of God.  The Word of God is not
contained in written Scripture alone, but in Divine Tradition and
Scripture.  This is the clear teaching of Second Thessalonians
2:14-15.  When the Church works out the implications of Tradition and
Scripture, and sets forth those implications in the form of
definitions of doctrine, that is not adding to the Word, but
clarifying and applying the Word.

I hope you rely mostly on prayer and penance in your efforts to spread
the Gospel.  And I beg you to pray for me.

                                Sincerely in Christ,

                                        Father Mateo