WHY I ABANDONED THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

WHY I ABANDONED THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

by Bishop Paul Ballaster-Convolier  +1984

      Bishop Paul de Ballester-Convallier: A contemporary Neo martyr of Orthodoxy (25th anniversary of his martyrdom: 1984-2009)

     Two thousand and nine marked the 25th anniversary of the death as a martyr of the late Bishop Paul de Ballester-Convallier (1927-1984).  As a memorial to him we reprint here his article which explains why and how he was converted to the Orthodox Church from Roman Catholicism.

     The following article of the then Hierodeacon (monastic deacon) Fr. Paul Ballester-Convollier was published in two follow up articles by Kivotos Magazine (July 1953, p. 285-291 and December 1953 p. 483-485).  Previously a Franciscan monk who had turned to Orthodoxy, Bishop Paul was made titular Bishop of Nazianzus of the Holy Archdiocese of North and South America with its seat in Mexico City.  There he met with a martyr’s death.  The news of his death was reported on the first page of the newspaper Kathemerini (an Athens daily), Saturday, February 4, 1984) which says”   

THE GREEK ORTHODOX BISHOP PAUL WAS MURDERED IN MEXICO

     As it became known in Mexico City, before yesterday the Bishop of Nazianzus, Paul De Ballester of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, died.  He was murdered by a 70 year old Mexican, a retired military man who was suffering from psychiatric problems.  The funeral was attended by Archbishop Iakovos who was aware of the work of the active Bishop.  It should be pointed out that Bishop Paul was of Spanish origin and was received into the Orthodox Church as an adult. He excelled as a chief shepherd (Bishop) and author.  The Mexican authorities do not exclude the possibility that his murderer was driven to his act through some sort of fanaticism.  Bishop Paul was a native of Catalonia, Spain. He studied in seminaries in Athens and Halki, Turkey.  He was ordained in Athens as a deacon in 1953 and as a priest in 1954.  His ministry as a priest was first in Constantinople (1954-1959) and as a priest in 1954 and then in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (1959-1984).  In 1970 he was consecrated titular Bishop of Nazianzus (in New York) with its seat in Mexico City.  His work there as a churchman, university professor and voluminous author was brilliant and conspicuous, but unfortunately it was sealed with his premature death.  He was murdered at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy in Mexico City in 1984.  His funeral was attended by Archbishop Iakovos who praised the exceptional work of this vibrant Bishop..

This article will open many eyes to the complete folly of dialogue with the Pope’s operation.  The author discloses their erroneous claims to primacy and infallibility, reason alone for which Orthodoxy must shun them.

GOD – FATHER SON AND HOLY SPIRIT THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD!

GOD – FATHER  SON AND HOLY SPIRIT

THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD!

“And God said: Let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good.”

“And God saw that it was good,”   indeed for only  good can come from God. For in all  the works of God there perfection and the complete absence of sin. Everything that God created is pure and remains sinless so long as it freely turns toward Him, not separated or in opposition. As creatures of God every one of us learning of His great goodness, should joyfully  desire to offer Him praises for He is worthy of all glory. Air, and sunshine, water and food, darkness and light, everything God made is good. Trees and flowers, animals and quadrupeds,birds and fish all show us the goodness of God.

     “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Alleluia!” (Psalm 150). Rejoicing and pious voices all over the world at all times give thanks to and praise the Lord, for His goodness and great mercy, realizing that God has made everything good.

     But God made man. Then why is it that man rises against man and nation rises against nation; why are there wars and rumors of wars? The answer is that all the evil in the world comes, not from God, but from sin in opposition to God. Sin causes the abuse of the freedom which God has given to some creatures.

     We know that sin transformed the brilliant angels who rebelled  into dark malicious demons. The Devil, by his own decision and action was changed, from an angel of light to a vessel of sin, with a desire to infect all mankind with his acquired poison  –sin.

     The Devil and the fallen angels who followed him, called demons, chose to  become evil and malicious and enemies of God and man. They hated the light and sought darkness, and hating the goodness of God, they fought against it with evil machinations. The first woman, Eve  being deceived by the Devil, she in turn deceived her husband and in this manner  sin entered the human race with all its horrors and evils and darkness.

     Sin brought a curse upon the human race causing the minds of men became confused and darkened and their wills made bad choices. The deadly poison of sin was first evidenced, by Abel’s thankful offering accepted by God, who rejected Cain’s unworthy sacrifice. Sin enticed Cain to slay his brother, virtuous and innocent Abel..

   If we look back at human history, and up to this day, we can clearly see the work of the evil one upon the race of man. All the evils that beset mankind are caused by sin and separation from the Logos of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Sin is a deadly poison that poisons all creation and the human race.

     Let us attribute to the good and kind God, all that He did for us out of His divine goodness, being grateful for only only good comes from God, who is the source of all goodness, and the only Giver of life.

     The Logos became incarnate and filled with grace and truth, as a sinless member of the human race, he showed by his existence in the flesh, the perfect man, God’s plan from the ages: “Let us create man in our own image and likeness.”  Among the faithful, God requires total fidelity in His own beloved Son and obedience to His commandments. For he sent our Lord Jesus Christ to be born of the Virgin Mary into the world to save the world. “For God so love the world that He gave His own beloved Son that whoever believed in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

DEATH AND HAPPINESS

DEATH  AND  HAPPINESS

      Most people desire happiness with high hopes that all will go well with them. A  young couple having been just married, saw their future as happiness being together at last.  The bride suddenly dies and their happiness dissolves. Another couple marry and have a child, and  a year later the child’s beauty fades and death takes her away. Filled with enthusiasm, having received his doctorate a young man, according to his plans now opens a business which turns out to be an immediate  success. He  greatly rejoices in this good fortune, but disaster strikes in the form a fast moving cancer. Death hovers over all mankind, causing fear that it will strike at anytime. So they rid themselves of this great reality by simply dismissing it from their mind. The fact remains that out of fear of death men have continue to go through terrible ordeals

THE GREAT DOCTRINE OF ORTHODOXY

Christ is risen from the dead!

“Away with Him! Crucify Him!” The Godman came into the world with the express purpose of freeing man from the death and the cause of death!   This is the most important event to be witnessed by mankind, how the death of Christ put death to death and granted the entire human race, the victory and the great mercy. Few deny the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, or that He died and was buried. He was placed in a new tomb and on the third day, the world would never be the same again, for those who saw Him, knew for certain that death did not hold Him, “for behold I was dead and am alive!”  The myrrhbearers were beside themselves with delight, not yet realizing the meaning of His Resurrection.   “Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life.”

WHAT TOOK PLACE? 

Jesus Christ is the only sinless one, the only Godman, the only preeminent One, the only Head of the Body which is the Church.  Being sinless, under the law, He could not be put to death, for only sinful men could be legally killed. Jesus Christ battle was not against the wicked Scribes and Pharisees, but against their master, the evil one, who is the dragon and serpent, Devil and Satan. He had been holding the human race as prisoners through the authority of death, for man had chosen him in place of God. Man being subject to death lived in constant fear of death, inflicting death upon others to save his own miserable life.

  How did Jesus enter into battle and what were His weapons?  He humbled himself even to death on the Cross. He put death to death by submitting to it. The Cross was a trap that would strip him of his authority and power, That trap was sprung, when he put an innocent man to death. The Devil thought that he was putting a sinful man to death, not knowing that this man was also God. By unjustly putting Jesus Christ to death,  the Devil was stripped of his authority . Christ has conquered death! This is the most important event in the history of mankind, for here is the only solution to human happiness  – Jesus Christ! 

JESUS WILL NEVER DIE AGAIN

 “For we know that Christ being raised from the dead, will never die again.  Death no longer has dominion over Him. The death He died He died to sin, once, but the life He lives He lives to God.  So you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:10-11). Our temporary present life of a hundred more or less years can be exchanged for a life that never ends, a life that the world cannot offer,  a life that in Christ is perpetual happiness, with no threat of death, sickness or accident. Death has been changed by the Resurrector Jesus Christ for instead of being a prisoner of death, we triumphantly shall follow Him through the door of death to eternal life in His Kingdom. This is the only true happiness, and for those who serve Christ there is no death but life everlasting.