Catechism requires Catholics to memorize and say the rosary, the Angelus, and other prayers, which are recited repeatedly:"...the Catholic should know and say memorized prayers. So it is important that some of the Churchs great prayer be understood, memorized, and said frequently. Among those are the Sign of the Cross, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Apostles Creed, an Act of Contrition, and the Rosary.

"but vocal prayer is usually the recitation of a fixed formula-such as the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be; or a Psalm or hymn; or a repetitive prayer such as a litany, the Angelus, or the rosary."

(Ronald Lawler, O. F. M. Cap., Donald W. Wuerl, and Thomas C. Lawler eds. . The Teaching of Christ: A Catholic Catechism for Adults. p.393, emphasis ours)

Our Lord Jesus Christ, however, forbade the pagan practice of using vain repetitions in our prayers to God:

"But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him.

(Mt. 6:7-8, New King James Version, emphasis ours)

Catholic priest Louis LaRavoire Morrow teaches that there are three kinds of destiny awaiting each person on the day of Gods judgement: heaven, hell and purgatory:"The rewards or punishment appointed for men after the particular judgement are heaven, purgatory, or hell...

"1. He who dies in his baptismal innocence, or having been fully satisfied for all the sins he committed, will be sent at once to heaven...

"2. He who dies in the state of grace, but in a venial sin, or has not fully atoned for the temporal punishment due his forgiven sins, will be sent for a time to purgatory.

"3. He who dies in mortal sin, even if only with one single mortal sin, will be sent at once to hell."

(Most Rev. Louis L. R. Morrow, D. D. My Catholic Faith. p. 157, emphasis ours)

But according to the Bible, each person shall receive Gods final judgement on the Second Advent of Christ. And on that day, each soul will be sent to either the heavenly kingdom or the everlasting fire. There is no such realm as purgatory.

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory

"All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: "And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say unto them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...

"Then He will also say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

The Catholic Church teaches that the Bishop of Rome or the Pope is the Vicar of Christ on earth, that is, he takes the place of Christ as the visible Head of the Church:

"Christ did not intend that the special power of the chief teacher and ruler should be exercised by Saint Peter alone, but intended that this power should be passed down to a successor, the Bishop of Rome, who is the Vicar of Christ on earth, and visible Head of the Church."2.He enjoys the exclusive titles of: Pope, Sovereign Pontiff, Roman Pontiff, Holy Father, His Holiness, Vicar of Christ,..."

(My Catholic Faith, pp. 200,202, emphasis ours)

But the Bible clearly states that our Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the Church and does not in any way mention that He can be replaced as such:

"He is the head of the body, the church."

(Col. 1:18, Todays English Version)

"For the husband has authority over the wife just as Christ has authority over church; and Christ is himself the savior of the church, his body."(Eph. 5:23, ibid., emphasis ours)

Its not too late for you to find out what our Lord God really wants you to do. Make sure that your faith will not be worthless. Learn the true words of God in the Bible as upheld by the Church of Christ.

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