The Beast Blasphemes

We can know what is considered blasphemy by looking at two references in Scripture. In John 10:33, we find that the Jews called Jesus guilty of blasphemy because "being a man" He called Himself God. Of course Jesus is God, so it is not blasphemy for Him to say that He is. In Luke 5:21, we see that the Jews also considered it blasphemy to claim the power to forgive sins, "Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" Again, it was not blasphemy for Jesus to claim this power, because He is God. Please note that blasphemy can be either of two things: claiming to be God or claiming the power to forgive sin.

Now observe what the Catholic Church claims regarding these two things: "The priest holds the place of the Saviour Himself, when, by saying, 'Ego te absolvo' (I thee absolve), he absolves from sin. . . . To pardon a single sin requires all the omnipotence of God. . . . But what only God can do by His omnipotence, the priest can also do by saying 'Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis.'. . . Innocent III has written: 'Indeed, it is not too much to say that in view of the sublimity of their offices the priests are so many gods.'" (Alphonsus de Liguori, DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST, pp. 34-36)

Please notice the incredible blasphemy found in these words about the Catholic communion service: "But our wonder should be far greater when we find that in obedience to the words of His priests--HOC EST CORPUS MEUM (This is My body)--God Himself descends on the altar, that He comes wherever they call Him, and as often as they call Him, and places Himself in their hands, even though they should be His enemies. And after having come, He remains, entirely at their disposal; they move Him as they please, from one place to another; they may, if they wish, shut Him up in the tabernacle, or expose Him on the altar, or carry Him outside the church; they may, if they choose, eat His flesh, and give Him for the food of others. 'Oh, how very great is their power,' says St. Laurence Justinian, speaking of priests. 'A word falls from their lips and the body of Christ is there substantially formed from the matter of bread, and the Incarnate Word descended from heaven, is found really present on the table of the altar!'" (Alphonsus de Liguori, DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST, pp. 26,27)

Note the final summation of the matter here: "Thus the priest may, in a certain manner, be called the creator of his Creator. . . . 'The power of the priest,' says St. Bernardine of Sienna, 'is the power of the divine person; for the transubstantiation of the bread requires as much power as the creation of the world.'" (Alphonsus de Liguori, DIGNITY AND DUTIES OF THE PRIEST, pp.32,33)

Thus, the beast power blasphemes the temple in Heaven by turning the attention of God's subjects to its own throne and its own power. By claiming to "create the Creator" the Catholic Church claims the "power of the divine person." Thus they call the priest equal to or "another" God. The beast speaks great words of blasphemy against the Most High by claiming to forgive sins, thereby turning the minds of the people away from an all-sufficient Saviour to mere mortal men. This removes the thoughts of the people from "our great High Priest" who forgives our sins when we ask Him, and makes the people believe that a mere man must stand in the way as priest to act as mediator for them. So, the Catholic Church assumes the prerogatives of God.