Crusade Against the Grail - Rennes-le-Chateau Research and ...

120 PART THREE
of penitence and the power of the keys of the Church. They affirm to have
received from God the right to listen to confessions, to forgive sins and
impose penance. Publicly they manifest that they have not received this power
of the keys from the Church, because they were expelled from her, and outside
of her, there is neither true penance nor possibility of salvation.
Again, they err regarding the sacrament of the Eucharist, because they
maintain that the bread and the wine cannot convert into the Body and the
Blood of Christ if the consecration is performed by a sinning priest.
Again, the Waldenses affirm that purgatory does not exist after this life,
and that the alms and masses of the believers serve for nothing for those who
have died.
Again, they hold in contempt prelates, priests, monks and nuns of the
Catholic Church. They say that they are authentically blind and that they lead
other blind who in no way preach the pure Gospel and who do not know the
real apostolic poverty.
Again, they presume to be the successors of the apostles and to practice
true apostolic and evangelic poverty.
Again, the Waldenses eat and drink like everybody else. He who wants
and can fast does so Mondays and Wednesdays. And all eat meat, because
they say that Christ did not forbid eating meat.
Again, they recommend to their followers continence, but permit to
appease the ardor of passion, although through shameful carnal relations. They
affirm with the Sacred Scripture: "It is better to marry than to suffer the ardor
of passion."
Again, their "Perfecti" do not work and hold money in contempt, not that
they don't recognize it and fall into its claws. Again, they call each other
"brother" and call the "poor of Christ" or the "poor of Lyon."
Again, the only prayer that they teach and recite is the "Lord's Prayer."
They do not know either the "God save you, Maria" nor the "I believe in God
the All powerful Father" because they say that both prayers were not
introduced by Christ rather the Catholic Church.
If you wish to know if one is a Waldense, it is sufficient to ask him to
recite the Credo as the Catholic Church teaches it. He