Rome - True Catholicism - Celebrating the Dead!

Ever wonder if Catholicism is united?  or practiced the same everywhere?  well. that is what's supposed to happen, but Rome is more steeped in the worship of Mary than most of the world, with South America a close second.  Here's what's going on over there...taken from Christian missionaries who live in Italy.



Here's whats going to happen as they celebrate the dead!

"The ceremony for the beatification of John Paul II will be between April 30th and May 5th. The Vatican is predicting the arrival of 300,000 people to the city. The program that is planned is spiritually disturbing. As believers in the city of Rome, we are used to having to live the spiritual tension before a power that unites truth and lies, God and idols, the authentic Gospel and false gospels. To celebrate John Paul II, the evening of Saturday the 30th of April, there will be a prayer meeting wake dedicated to Mary in the Circus Maximus. After this there will be a procession with the icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani (Mary the salvation of the Roman people). The icon itself will be lifted up to a position of preeminence in the immense plaza full of at least 300,000 people. Afterwards will follow the song of Totus Tutus, the celebrated motto of the pope affirming his profound dedication and devotion to Mary. All the plaza will be involved in singing this song. Following this will be the recitation of the Rosary dedicated to Mary linked by satellite with the 5 sanctuaries that are dedicated to the Madonna in the world, including Fatima, the Madonna that was particularly spiritually near to the pope and to whom this one indicated her as the protector of the world."

"The next day (Sunday, May 1st) will be the ceremony of beatification (declared blessed) in the plaza of S. Peter, at the conclusion of which hundreds of thousands of people will be invited to take advantage of the intercession of this new 'blessed one'. After having prayed to Mary, the crowd will pray to John Paul II. The casket of the pope will be there for viewing and the procession of the faithful will pass by for days increasing the veneration of this person as never before.”

Church Fathers on Salvation - Athanasius

Athanasius

“It is just that the Word of God…, in offering His body as a ransom for us, would discharge our debt by His death. So, united to all mankind by a body like theirs, the incorruptible Son of God can justly clothe all men with incorruptibility.” (De incarn. 9, italics added)

Pretty clear.  Salvation is through the death of Christ, totally and completely.  No good works to further make one "more" justified are needed.  Plenty of good works do naturally follow the true believer though - that is called Sanctification and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).  Just as a real fruit tree produces fruit, so too real believers produce good works, which are the fruit of their salvation.