BILLY GRAHAM AND ROME

Updated and enlarged February 1, 2006 (first published February 17, 1997) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

This article is part four in a six-part series titled “Billy Graham and Rome” by David W. Cloud. It is excerpted from the book Evangelicals and Rome, copyright 1999, 2001, Way of Life Literature, Port Huron, Michigan.

BILLY GRAHAM AND ROME -- PART 4 of 6

1985

Graham preached in Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox churches in Romania Sept. 7-17, 1985. “His evangelistic association in Minneapolis said the invitation was extended on behalf of the fourteen religious denominations that are officially recognized by the Romanian government, and was signed by Metropolitan Antonie of Transylvania, chairman of the External Affairs Department of the Romanian Orthodox Church” (The Christian News, Sept. 2, 1985).

After leaving Romania, Graham preached in Hungary. Christianity Today, Nov. 22, 1985, noted that leaders from many denominations sat on the platform with Graham. In Budapest Cardinal Laszlo Lekai, primate of the Roman Catholic Church, was seated on the platform. In Pecs, Catholic Bishop Jozsef Cserhati co-hosted Graham and introduced him to the crowd. Weeks earlier, he had sent letters to be read in all the Catholic churches in the area, urging parishioners to attend the Graham rally. Catholic and Protestant clergy worked together, and both Catholic and Protestant choirs sang at the meeting. Graham’s visit was sponsored jointly by the Baptist Union and an alliance that included Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, and Methodists. The meetings were said to be the most ecumenical ones ever held in Hungary (National Christian Council Review, National Christian Council of India, May 1986).

It was also in 1985 that the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association and Tyndale House Publishers jointly published a book containing a chapter by Billy Graham. The book What Christians Can Learn from One Another about Evangelizing Adults called for greater cooperation between Protestants and Catholics in so-called evangelism, and included articles by Cardinal Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Robert Schuller, Bill Bright, Jack Wyrtzen, and others.

1987

In his Denver, Colorado, crusade of 1987, Graham had the full backing of the regional Catholic hierarchy, trained dozens of Catholics as “counselors,” and sent to local Catholic churches the names of hundreds of those who had responded to the altar calls each night.

“Roman Catholic Archbishop James V. Casey of Denver, before his sudden death in mid-March, pledged cooperation with the crusade and said Catholics were ‘free to take part in it.’... My concern is that when you make a commitment to Christ, especially when you are an adult, you need support from the Christian community. Of course, I want people to be able to find that support among the believers in our Catholic community’” (Moody Monthly, May 1986).

A Catholic nun, Macrina Scott, director of the Catholic Biblical School in Denver, “says she trained about 80 counselors and Bible teachers to assist Billy Graham’s Rocky Mountain Crusade” (Christian Beacon, July, 1987).

Further, a Catholic priest, Donald Willette of St. Jude’s Roman Catholic Church, was a supervisor of the 6,600 trained counselors. Thus, Catholic support for Graham’s Denver crusade was significant and the resulting dividends were handsome: Willette reported that from one service alone 500 cards of individuals were referred to St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church in Englewood,a suburb of Denver (Wilson Ewin, Evangelism: The Trojan Horse of the 1990’s).

What did the Catholic churches do with the hundreds of people who were referred to them? According to the July 25, 1987, issue of Denver’s largest daily newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News, “Catholics were waiting to help Catholics express their new and renewed faith in their mother church.”

Catholic leaders have learned that they have nothing to fear from Billy Graham’s crusades. They use the Graham crusades to retrieve non-practicing Catholics and even to gain proselytes to Romanism. Graham’s call to “receive Christ,” or “make the step of faith,” or “come to Christ tonight,” is general enough to allow Catholic leaders to insert their sacramental gospel into it, and the fact that Graham is working with the Catholic churches and never sounds any warnings about Romanism gives people the idea that he accepts their theology. Catholic priests simply teach the inquirers that they are born again at baptism and repeatedly renewed in Christ through all sorts of religious activities--the mass, family duties, the rosary, even coming forward at evangelistic rallies. If anyone doubts that this is what is happening at Graham’s crusades, consider another report from the 1987 Denver Crusade:

“The 5,000 Rocky Mountain Billy Graham Crusade choir softly sang the evangelical classic ‘Just As I Am’ as a counselor called for help from the Rev. Donald Willette. Hundreds streamed forward Monday in response to Graham’s call to become Christians or to rededicate their lives to the faith. One Roman Catholic worshiper walked the aisle but had trouble expressing his feelings. [Catholic priest] Willette, a supervisor among the 6,600 trained crusade counselors, was standing about 30 yards from the evangelist’s pulpit, waiting to help out in just this situation. ‘Catholics have trouble with the expression “Born again,”‘ Willette said, moments before the Tuesday service. ‘I try to help people understand what this experience means, in light of the teaching of the church’” (“Counselors Help Brethren Heed Graham Call,” Rocky Mountain News, July 25, 1987).

According to this and hundreds of other reports which could be cited, Graham allows Roman Catholic laymen and priests to stand before his pulpit and to reinterpret what he has preached “in light of the teaching of the church,” meaning the Catholic Church. What could be more foolish and wicked?

When the crusade is completed, the Catholic churches have reaped immense benefits, not only because of those who return to the Roman fold but because of the increased acceptance they have gained in the eyes of the community by Graham’s endorsement.

1988

In Aug. 1988, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association co-sponsored A National Festival of Evangelism called Congress ‘88 in Chicago, Illinois. The congress was cosponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Catholic Archbishop of Chicago, was a plenary speaker.

The Congress ‘88 Committee refused an application by the Bible Baptist Church of Nashua, New Hampshire, to display books and literature for the evangelism of Roman Catholics. Their letter states, “In view of the fact that Congress ‘88 is supported by both Protestant denominations and the National Catholic Evangelization Association, it would be inconsistent with our goals to single out one of our supporting groups to be a target for evangelism. Since we are working together with Roman Catholics who believe in evangelism, we do not feel that we can grant your request to exhibit at Congress ‘88” (Wilson Ewin, Evangelism: The Trojan Horse of the 1990’s).

The Nov. 18, 1988, issue of Christianity Today featured articles praising Graham on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Kenneth Kantzer observed, “And today Roman Catholics usually make up the largest single denominational group attending his citywide crusades.” Martin Marty, a modernist in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, said: “Graham would refuse to come to your town unless there was broad church federation backing. He would not like to be on stage unless the United Methodist bishop or even, he has hoped since 1965, the Catholic bishop was there.”

1989

In 1989, Billy Graham went to London for his Mission ‘89 Crusade. British Cardinal Basil Hume made the following statement:

“We are, as the Catholic Church in this country, working as closely as we can with Billy Graham in his Mission ‘89 ... The view I take is that I believe the grace of God is at work in the Mission and, if it helps people return to their own churches, then that is good” (Foundation, Nov.-Dec. 1989).

Michael Seed, Ecumenical Advisor to Cardinal Hume, wrote about recruiting Catholics to take part in the Billy Graham Group Leaders Training Courses:

“The idea behind this is that those who come forward for counseling during a Mission evening in June, if they are Roman Catholic, will be directed to a Roman Catholic ‘nurture-group’ under Roman Catholic counselors in their home area. If certain people present themselves for counseling at a Mission and have no church roots at all then they are asked ‘which church brought you’ and are asked to contact that church. ...

“The Cardinal has already sent greeting to Dr. Graham and will be meeting Dr. Graham before the Mission. We know Dr. Graham to be a truly ecumenical evangelist.”

In July, 1989, Seed wrote the following:

“Dr. Graham called on Cardinal Hume the day before his Mission on June 13th and the Cardinal attended with myself the Mission at Earls Court on Monday, June 26th.

“Some 2100 Catholics ‘went forward’ at Missions evenings in London which was excellent--from nearly all our Parishes in Westminster. ... Billy Graham has helped our Church greatly and many have ‘renewed’ their faith under his great ministry” (Ashbrook).

Roman Catholic Northern Ireland singer Dana appeared with Graham at London’s Wembley Stadium (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jul. 10, 1989).

In September 1989, Graham held a crusade in Little Rock, Arkansas, “supported by the usual mixed crowd of Southern Baptists, charismatics, and liberals. The Roman Catholic Archbishop is fully cooperating, training personal workers, and expects at least 600 referrals to the Catholic Church” (Baptist Challenge, Aug. 1989).

1990

“Billy Graham spent January 8-13, 1990 for meetings with a number of Vatican officials. Included was a private meeting with Pope John Paul II. Reporting on this the Boston Archdiocese stated that ‘Dr. Graham said it is particularly evident in the Pope’s speeches that his attitudes and decisions are based on his great personal spiritual life ... He bases His work and messages and vision on biblical principles.’ A Religious News Service photograph showed Graham presenting the Pope with a handmade quilt from a place near his home in North Carolina. Using the phrase ‘bridge builder’ from his close friend, Cardinal Cushing, Graham referred to Pope John Paul II as ‘indeed a bridge builder, and that is something our divided world desperately needs’“ (Ewin, The Assimilation of Evangelist Billy Graham).

This was Graham’s second audience with a Roman pontiff.

In Apr. 1990, Graham held a crusade in Albany, New York. The following is a description which appeared in a Catholic publication:

“About 20,000 persons are busy making ready for Billy Graham’s 1990 Capitol District Crusade, including representatives from 18 Protestant denominations in the area and a delegation of top Catholic officials appointed by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard.

“The Graham Crusade, scheduled for Apr. 22-29 at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, comes in response to a request made by Bishop Hubbard and other religious leaders, who three years ago formally invited the world renowned evangelist to preach here. ‘There are nine Catholics on the SO-person executive committee set up to direct the Crusade. ... Diocesan officials view the Graham Crusade as a tool for evangelization,’ explained an executive committee member, Rev. James Kane, director of the diocesan ecumenical commission....

“As for the specific dogmatic content of Mr. Graham’s sermons, Father Kane said, ‘there is nothing that the Catholic should feel uncomfortable with or be leery of.’ He said the evangelist’s emphasis on the Gospel and on the importance of the individual’s personal relationship with Christ is consistent with Catholic teaching.

“‘However,’ he added, ‘we would, of course, emphasize the importance of the Eucharist and the Mass, the sacraments, and the importance of the structure and organization of the Church and its bishops and the Pope’“ (The Evangelist, Roman Catholic Diocese paper of Albany, New York, quoted in Foundation, Jan.-Feb. 1990).

Wilson Ewin’s prayer letter for Jul. 6, 1992, reported this regarding Graham’s June 1990, crusade in Catholic Quebec: Rick Marshall, mission director and a member of the Minneapolis-based staff, said in an interview, “It is being made clear to all staff and volunteers there is to be no proselytizing” (The Gazette, Montreal, Mar. 17, 1990). Jesuit priest Charles Dullea said, “It is interesting to note that there is no follow-up on Roman Catholics” (A Catholic Looks at Billy Graham, p. 47).

1991

From Sept. 22-29, 1991, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association held a crusade in St. Louis, Missouri, co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Graham associate Ralph Bell was the speaker. Priest Vincent A. Heier, director of the Archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and a member of the crusade executive committee, “stressed that although the effort is ecumenical, people who attend the crusade and are interested in the Catholic faith will be directed to Catholics. ‘Billy Graham has always been very ecumenical ... Billy Graham has not necessarily pushed people into one denomination or another but he’s tried to encourage whatever denominations that want to cooperate’.”

In a letter to priests in the archdiocese encouraging them to attend upcoming seminars, Catholic Archbishop John L. May noted that “Catholics will be needed to receive those who approach seeking out information on the Catholic Church during the actual crusade” (Australian Beacon, May 1991).

The Detroit Free Press for Sept. 29, 1991, quoted Graham as saying, “The Roman Catholics know that I’m not against them, and in my thinking, rightly or wrongly, I represent all the churches.”

1992

In Apr. 1992, Graham paid a five-day visit to Communist North Korea under the auspices of the government-sanctioned Korean Christian Federation and the Korean Catholic Association, and preached in a Protestant church and a Catholic church. He delivered a message from the Pope to communist President Kim, and Kim entrusted him with a return message for the Pope (Christianity Today, May 18, 1992).

Regarding the Graham crusade in Philadelphia in June 1992, Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, archbishop of Philadelphia, sent out a letter with the following comments:

“As Catholics, in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, we are completely committed to our Church’s ecumenical work. ... The Archdiocese ... has developed an understanding with the Greater Philadelphia Billy Graham Crusade [June 24-28] that is fully in accord with Catholic ecumenical principles.”

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the archdiocese sent forty trained counselors for the Crusade. After each crusade session, Catholics coming forward were linked up with Catholic counselors and referred to the Catholic Church (Calvary Contender, Jul. 1, 1992).

In Sept. 1992, Graham was scheduled to hold a crusade in Portland, Oregon. According to Christians Evangelizing Catholics, 10,000 counselors were expected to attend classes, and Roman Catholic churches set a goal to supply 6,000 of these. Those who respond to the altar call will be directed to Catholic parishes (Catholic Sentinel, April 24, 1992, cited in Christians Evangelizing Catholics, June 1992).

1993

In March 1993, Billy Graham traveled to the Vatican and met with a Roman Catholic Pope. This was at least the third time that he met with John Paul II. Graham said, “I’m always impressed by the Pope’s warmth and friendship...” He said the Pope showed a special interest in his crusade in Essen, Germany; and well he should, given the number of converts Graham crusades refer Romeward” (Calvary Contender, April 15, 1993).

Graham’s June 1993 crusade in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, brought together 1,050 churches representing 65 denominations. The crusade chairman was Episcopalian Fred Fetterolf. There were six Catholics on the executive committee.

The Catholic Church took an active part in the Graham crusade in Columbus, Ohio (Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 19, 1993).

1994

Graham’s June 1994 crusade in Cleveland, Ohio, featured an alliance between Catholic and Protestant churches and secular rock stations, two of which were co-sponsors of the crusade (Calvary Contender, Sept. 15, 1994). Of the 1,005 churches that participated, more than 100 were Catholic. More than 60% of the Catholic churches in the area were involved with the Graham crusade. Catholic Bishop Pilla conducted a Mass at St. John’s Cathedral “to welcome back the fallen-away and the freshly recruited from the Graham Crusade.”

In December 1994, Graham praised Pope John Paul II to Time magazine: “He’ll go down in history as the greatest of our modern Popes. He’s been the strong conscience of the whole Christian world” (Paul Gray, “Empire of the Spirit,” Time, Dec. 26, 1994, p. 54).

1995

Graham’s October 1995 crusade in Sacramento, California, brought together 38 Catholic parishes and 303 Protestant churches. The Catholic parishes also provided counselors. Graham paid tribute to Pope John Paul II on opening night. “Thank God that he has the voice to speak out courageously on the moral issues of our day” (Christianity Today, Dec. 11, 1995).

1996

Graham’s June 1996 crusade in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, brought the participation of 119 Catholic parishes and 269 Lutheran congregations (Christianity Today, July 15, 1996). This represented 53 percent of the Catholic parishes. This is a dramatic change from the 1973 Minneapolis crusade, when no Catholic churches and only a few Lutheran churches participated. Archbishop Harry Flynn, head of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, urged priests to become involved in the crusade “in an effort to reach alienated Catholics” (Morphew Clark, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Jan. 13, 1996). Priest Robert Schwartz of the St. John Neumann Catholic parish told reporters that about 60 members of his parish had been trained to counsel those who came forward during the crusade. Some of the training sessions, both for Protestant and Catholic counselors, were held at his parish. He said that some were apprehensive when they first arrived, but the ecumenical activity broke down those apprehensions: “They have to tell me how strange it is to be in a Catholic church and how hard it was to come inside. The good thing is they are there, sitting there in a Catholic church” (St. Paul Pioneer Press, May 12, 1996). He further said: “I haven’t heard anything I would disagree with, but there are some things I would add, such as a social justice component, the Eucharist and liturgy, the importance of sacraments—those kinds of things.”

Former Minnesota governor Al Quie, who was the chairman for the 1996 Graham crusade in Minneapolis, said Catholics had been “very involved in recent crusades in Miami, Cleveland and other cities.”

Graham’s 1996 Carolinas Crusade involved “Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and other denominations on the committee” (Graeme Keith, crusade chairman, Charlotte Observer, March 1, 1996).

1997

In a January 1997 interview with Larry King, Graham said that he has wonderful fellowship with Rome, is comfortable with the Vatican, and agrees with the Pope on almost everything.

KING: What do you think of the other [churches] ... like Mormonism? Catholicism? Other faiths within the Christian concept?

GRAHAM: Oh, I think I have a wonderful fellowship with all of them. For example ...

KING: You’re comfortable with Salt Lake City. You’re comfortable with the Vatican?

GRAHAM: I am very comfortable with the Vatican. I have been to see the Pope several times. In fact, the night — the day that he was inaugurated, made Pope, I was preaching in his cathedral in Krakow. I was his guest ... [and] when he was over here ... in Columbia, South Carolina ... he invited me on the platform to speak with him. I would give one talk, and he would give the other ... but I was two-thirds of the way to China...

KING: You like this Pope?

GRAHAM: I like him very much. ... He and I agree on almost everything.

The March-April 1997 issue of Promise Keepers New Man magazine contained an interview with Graham. (This magazine no longer officially represents Promise Keepers, but it did at that time.) Following is his statement on Catholicism:

“Early on in my life, I didn’t know much about Catholics. But through the years I have made many friends within the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, when we hold a crusade in a city now, nearly all the Roman Catholic churches support it. And when we went to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., for the crusade [last year], we saw St. Paul, which is largely Catholic, and Minneapolis, which is largely Lutheran, both supporting the crusade. That wouldn’t have happened 25 years ago” (“Billy Graham in His Own Words: What the Evangelist Has Learned from a Lifetime of Ministry to the World,” New Man, March-April 1997, pp. 32, 33).

In a May 30, 1997, interview, Graham told David Frost: “I feel I belong to all the churches. I’M EQUALLY AT HOME IN AN ANGLICAN OR BAPTIST OR A BRETHREN ASSEMBLY OR A ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. ... Today we have almost 100 percent Catholic support in this country. That was not true twenty years ago. And the bishops and archbishops and the Pope are our friends” (David Frost, Billy Graham in Conversation, pp. 68, 143). Oviously, Dr. Billy Graham does not think Rome’s doctrinal heresies are a serious problem. He did not get such an attitude from the Bible, though. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the preacher Timothy, he instructed him not to allow ANY OTHER DOCTRINE (1 Tim. 1:3). In contrast to this, Rome has added many doctrines that the Apostles did not teach. Timothy was warned about false teachers by name and was told that false teaching is wrong and dangerous and must be avoided (2 Tim. 2:16-18).

Graham went even farther in his interview with self-esteem guru Robert Schuller in May 1997:

SCHULLER: Tell me, what do you think is the future of Christianity?

GRAHAM: Well, Christianity and being a true believer--you know, I think there’s the Body of Christ. This comes from all the Christian groups around the world, outside the Christian groups. I think everybody that loves Christ, or knows Christ, whether they’re conscious of it or not, they’re members of the Body of Christ. And I don’t think that we’re going to see a great sweeping revival, that will turn the whole world to Christ at any time. I think James answered that, the Apostle James in the first council in Jerusalem, when he said that God’s purpose for this age is to call out a people for His name. And that’s what God is doing today, He’s calling people out of the world for His name, WHETHER THEY COME FROM THE MUSLIM WORLD, OR THE BUDDHIST WORLD, OR THE CHRISTIAN WORLD OR THE NON-BELIEVING WORLD, THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST BECAUSE THEY’VE BEEN CALLED BY GOD. THEY MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF JESUS but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have, and they turn to the only light that they have, and I think that they are saved, and that they’re going to be with us in heaven.

SCHULLER: What, what I hear you saying that it’s possible for Jesus Christ to come into human hearts and soul and life, even if they’ve been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you’re saying?

GRAHAM: Yes, it is, because I believe that. I’ve met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations, that THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A BIBLE OR HEARD ABOUT A BIBLE, AND NEVER HEARD OF JESUS, BUT THEY’VE BELIEVED IN THEIR HEARTS THAT THERE WAS A GOD, and they’ve tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.

SCHULLER: [trips over his tongue for a moment, his face beaming, then says] I I’m so thrilled to hear you say this. There’s a wideness in God’s mercy.

GRAHAM: There is. There definitely is (Television interview of Billy Graham by Robert Schuller, broadcast in southern California on Saturday, May 31, 1997).

SCHULLER: You knew ... Fulton Sheen. You knew these men. Your comments on both of these men [Fulton Sheen and Norman V. Peale].

GRAHAM: The primary way of communicating is to live the life, let people see that you’re living what you proclaim.... [comments on his friendship and conversations with Fulton Sheen] I lost a very dear friend, and since that time, the whole relationship between me and my work, and you and your work, and the Roman Catholic Church has changed. They open their arms to welcome us and we have the support of the Catholic Church almost everywhere we go. And I think that we must come to the place where we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, not on what denomination or what church or what group we belong to (Television interview of Billy Graham by Robert Schuller, broadcast in southern California on Sunday, June 8, 1997).

The Roman Catholic Church, joining 49 other denominations, played an important role in Graham’s June 1997 crusade in San Antonio, Texas. Graham praised the cooperation of Hispanics and Catholics, including an early endorsement from Archbishop Patrick Flores, the top Catholic official in Texas. “Flores met with Graham and taped radio spots in English and Spanish encouraging Catholics to attend the crusade to help bring them to a closer commitment to their faith” (Christianity Today, May 19, 1997, p. 51). Graham said: “The Devil has separated us, and a crusade like this is used of God to bring people of all denominations together” (Calvary Contender, June 1, 1997). To be Scriptural, Graham should have said: “God has separated Bible-believing Christians from false-gospel systems such as Roman Catholicism, and a crusade like this is used of the Devil to bring people of all denominations together.” The Houston Chronicle noted that the Roman Catholic Church participated in every aspect of the Graham crusade: “As a Christian leader, Billy Graham has earned a respect that so transcends theological differences that Baptists, Catholics and Presbyterians come together for planning, meetings and training sessions months in advance to prepare for a Graham crusade” (Houston Chronicle, March 30, 1997).

When Mother Teresa died in September 1997, Graham called her a saint. He ignored the fact that she worshipped the wafer of the Catholic Mass as Jesus Christ and taught her patients to pray to their pagan gods. (See Part XII, “Was Mother Teresa a True Christian?”)

“It was my privilege to be with her on several occasions. The first time was at the Home of Dying Destitutes in Calcutta. I had a wonderful hour of fellowship in the Lord with her just at sunset, and I will never forget the sounds, the smells and the strange beauty of that place. When she walked into the room to greet me, I felt that I was, indeed, meeting a saint” (Graham, cited by David Briggs, “Mother Teresa Hailed as Saint,” Associated Press, Sept. 6, 1997).

In his 1997 autobiography, Just As I Am, Graham said his goal was not to lead people out of Roman Catholicism:

“MY GOAL, I ALWAYS MADE CLEAR, WAS NOT TO PREACH AGAINST CATHOLIC BELIEFS OR TO PROSELYTIZE PEOPLE who were already committed to Christ within the Catholic Church. Rather, it was to proclaim the gospel to all those who had never truly committed their lives to Christ” (Graham, Just As I Am, p. 357).

______________________________________

This is part of a six-part series titled “Billy Graham and Rome” by David W. Cloud. It is excerpted from the book Evangelicals and Rome, copyright 1999, 2001, 2005, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061.

EVANGELICALS AND ROME. EVANGELICALS AND ROME: THE ECUMENICAL ONE-WORLD “CHURCH” (D.W. CLOUD) [ISBN 1-58318-058-3] Nothing more plainly demonstrates the ongoing fulfillment of prophecies pertaining to end-time apostasy and the formation of a world-world harlot “church,” and this volume documents evangelicalism’s flirtation with Rome over the past half century. The introduction documents the history and apostasy of evangelicalism since the 1940s. Part 1 answers the question “Is the Roman Catholic Church Changing?” It includes a study from official Vatican II documents as well as from the New Catholic Catechism proving that the RCC has not changed its heretical position on such things as the mass, the papacy, Mary, purgatory, the priesthood, prayers to the dead, and the sacraments. The author also shows that Vatican II and the New Catechism affirm the blasphemous declarations of the Council of Trent. Part II covers “Billy Graham and Rome,” documenting Billy Graham's relationship with the Roman Catholic Church from 1950 to present. Part III covers “Other Influential Evangelical Leaders and Organizations and Rome,” covering dozens of popular evangelical leaders and organizations, including Bill Bright and Campus Crusade, Tony Campolo, Christianity Today, Christian Research Institute, James Dobson, Chuck Colson, Elizabeth Elliot, Jerry Falwell, Fuller Seminary, Franklin Graham, Carl Henry, Bill Hybels, Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, D. James Kennedy, J.I. Packer, Luis Palau, Robert Schuller, John R. Stott, Thomas Nelson, United Bible Societies, Jack Van Impe, Wheaton College, World Magazine, World Vision, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and Youth for Christ. Part IV deals with “The Southern Baptist Convention and Rome.” Part V deals with “The Charismatics and Rome.” Dozens of influential Charismatic leaders and organizations are documented, including 100 Huntley Street, 700 Club, AGLOW, Assemblies of God, Jamie Buckingham, Morris Cerullo, David Yonggi Cho, Paul Crouch, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship, Kenneth Hagin, Michael Harper, Jack Hayford, Benny Hinn, Rodney Howard-Browne, Rex Humbard, Kathryn Kuhlman, David Mainse, Melodyland Christian Center, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, James Robison, Vinson Synan, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Ralph Wilkerson, John Wimber, and Youth with a Mission. Part VI deals with “Promise Keepers and Rome” and Part VII with “Contemporary Christian Music and Rome.”’ Part VIII deals with the subject of “Evangelical Catholics” and looks at the phenomenon of so-called evangelical Catholicism and charismatic Catholics. The book “Evangelical Catholics” by Keith Fournier (foreword by Chuck Colson) is reviewed and refuted from Scripture. Part IX looks at the many ways “Rome Denies Salvation by Grace Alone.” Part X deals with the agreement between “Lutherans and Catholics on the Doctrine of Salvation by Grace.” Part XI looks at Evangelicals and Catholics Together II. Part XII answers the question “Was Mother Teresa a True Christian?” Did she teach the people under her care the true Gospel? This study contains an interview with a nun who works with Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity. Read this amazing interview and learn what this Calcutta-trained nun does to prepare Hindus for death. Part XIII examines the charge that we don’t understand the Catholic Church. 2nd edition August 2001, 371 pages, 7X8, perfect bound. $19.95

ROME AND THE BIBLE: TRACING THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS PERSECUTION OF THE BIBLE AND OF BIBLE BELIEVERS (D.W. CLOUD) [ISBN 1-58318-003-6] To our knowledge, this is the first history ever published which details the Roman Catholic Church’s relationship to the Bible from the first millennium to the present. The book could also be titled “The Bible Through the Centuries.” The author has spent thousands of dollars obtaining rare documents relevant to this history (such as a 1641 edition of Foxe’s unabridged Acts and Monuments) and researched the topic in important theological libraries in Canada, America, and England, including the British Library. The book covers the Roman Catholic Inquisition from the 11th to the 19th centuries, particularly the role played by the Inquisition to keep translations of the Bible out of the hands of the common people. It contains the history of ancient separated Christians, including the Waldensians and the Lollards. It gives the history of the English Bible from John Wycliffe to William Tyndale, and the history of the Spanish, German, French, and Italian Bibles. It contains amazing biographies of royal queens who loved the Bible. It gives the decade-by-decade details of papal condemnations of 19th-century Bible societies and of Roman Catholic persecution in the 19th century. It describes the 20th-century phenomenon of Rome changing tactics and joining hands with the Bible societies. It documents the similarities between the Latin Vulgate and the modern versions. It answers the question: Has the Roman Catholic Church changed? The book contains 95 illustrations from rare out-of-print books. Dr. Ian Paisley, Martyrs Memorial Presbyterian Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland, commended us for Rome and the Bible and showed us his copy in which he had written the following words: “Brother Cloud is not beclouded!” Fourth edition revised and enlarged, September 2001, 331 pages, 7X8, perfect bound. $19.95

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