Haus Jakob

Whenever I accuse the Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) of cooperating with the socialist regime of China beyond such extent that is permitted by the Catholic Faith, apologists of CPA would respond with following Scripture: Reddite quæ sunt Cæsaris, Cæsari : et quæ sunt Dei, Deo (Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s. [Matt. 22:21]). Obviously, this verse is misread by multiple partakers and advocates of CPA, in order to justify the Association and their own partaking of it. The faithful shall not be surprised by such phenomenon. Even the devil quoted and misread this holy and infallible Scripture to tempt our beloved Lord, saying “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.” The devil and his followers shall continue poisoning the souls of men by misreading the holy Scripture. This blog is meant to correct the understanding of the verse “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s” and to demonstrate the fact that CPA steals the things that are God’s, rendering which to ‘Caesar.’

To correctly understand the aforementioned verse, one must first understand how to judge whether a thing is Cæsaris (Caesar’s) or Dei (God’s). How could our Lord judge the tribute coin to be Caesar’s? It was because the coin carried the “image and inscription (imago, et superscriptio)” of Caesar. What then, in this universe, carrying the image and inscription of God, are therefore God’s? In Genesis (1:27), creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam : ad imaginem Dei creavit illum (God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him). Our Lord commanded His disciples thus: euntes docete omnes gentes : baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti (Going, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. [Matt. 28:19]). If anything in this universe carry the image and inscription of God and are therefore God’s, they are no other than the bodies and souls of we Christians. We are created by God to His image, carrying His image; we are baptised and saved in the name of God, with “the sign of the living God” in our foreheads (Apoc. 7:2-8). Therefore, we Christians are God’s and unto God, in the same manner what are Caesar’s, unto Caesar. Should anyone refuse to render what are God’s to God, of the same essence he refuses to give tribute to Caesar. Wouldn’t this be even greater a sin? Thus, the verse “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s” is more of a warning from our Lord to His disciples and a mockery of Caesar and secular rulers. He mocks Caesar that even the latter possesses all temporal wealth and our external freedom, he can never take possession of our bodies and souls unto eternity. He warns us, while we can render what are Caesar’s to Caesar, that we shall never render what are God’s, namely our bodies and souls, also to Caesar.

Well then, does CPA, as claimed by its advocates, render to God the things that are God’s; and to Caesar, the things that are Caesar’s? The work of CPA, in a nutshell, is to ‘create’ a version of ‘Catholic religion’ that does not challenge the Chinese regime of dialectical materialism and communism or socialism. This religion preserves only basic and abstract doctrines of Catholicism but cannot pragmatically instruct the faithful in freely making decisions that are aligned with Catholic Faith and Morality, in the areas of politics, economics, education, legislation, judicatory, etc. Such work transforms members of the Association, and Christian communities that are affiliated with the Association into instruments of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for stabilisation and ‘uniting front,’ continuously spreading the falsified belief amongst the faithful, thus actually transforming religion into das Opium des Volkes, administered by the authority. The bodies and souls of Christians are God’s, to be rendered to God. CPA, however, renders what are God’s to a regime of the heathens, which is the regime of CCP, which is Caesar, so the latter can utilise things that are God’s as its own instruments. This is to sever members from the body of Christ and throw them to wild beasts.

Based on empirical observation, numerous faithful influenced by the teaching of CPA are discouraged to live up to the grace they have received from God and to fulfil the obligation of Christians to love their country and neighbours, which is to resist the evil of socialism in China and to fill the nation and society with the goodness of God. Some partakers of CPA, indoctrinated with the propaganda of the United Front Work Department of CCP, increasingly favour the heresies of religious indifferentism and ecumenism. In the propaganda of CCP, all ‘religions’ are equally right but, when compared with the socialism with Chinese characteristics, equally wrong and inferior. Consequently, as a part of the united front strategy of CCP, the foremost duty of all religious groups are to consolidate the so-called ‘harmonious society’ under the domination of the Communist Party. The differences in between ‘religions’ are therefore to be watered down. Such belief is contrary to the saving and divine precepts of God. There are yet some partakers of the work of CPA, trying nonetheless to stay faithful to Catholicism. They must suffer the internal dissension and torment of spirit, as they wish to reconcile the two irreconcilable ideologies. “God is not the God of dissension” (1 Cor. 14:33). Although the Patriotic Association, through its cooperation with the socialist regime of China, has arguably guaranteed the seemingly ‘regular’ religious activities in China and introduced numerous people in that country into the seemingly ‘Catholic’ belief, its fruits are nonetheless heresy and dissension. CPA is apparently not willed by God, nor is it under the guidance of the holy One. CPA has no intention of rendering to God the things that are God’s.

Having said all these, this blog does not seek to judge or denounce any individual involved in the founding and running of CPA, as most of whom are but victims of its poisonous fruits, being themselves in dissension. This blog is the cry of the author in the desert for three things. First, this is a cry for penance. This blog, starting with interpreting the verse “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s”, analyses the work of CPA and its fruits, so he that has read this can understand the evil essence of the Association, so with such understanding, he that has been partaking of and advocating the Association may do penance, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Second, this is a cry for watching. In a similar manner, through deepening readers’ understanding of the work of CPA and its fruits, this blog sounds the alarm for the fellow servants of God who have not yet partaken of the Association or have infiltrated into CPA seeking to undermine it from within, so they can always keep a watch to avoid evil while interacting with the Association. Hopefully, the fellow servants of God around the world can watch for similar evil as well. “Watch ye, because you know not the day nor the hour” (Matt. 25:13). Third, this is a cry for intercession. He that has read this shall treat each and every cofounder, partaker and advocate of CPA, living or deceased, with Charity and Hope. Pray, so they may do penance! Pray, so God may have mercy on them!