Bad Popes and inquisitions do not affect the Church's ability to teach the truth, but even the Bad Popes or the Inquisitions may not have been as bad as some Protestant polemicists claim. Read Art Sippo's comments in blue below.
I read the whole email about Luther, Calvin, etc. Honestly, yes they were sinners. But couldn't a similar list be compiled about immoral Popes who had harems, worked with the Inquisition, were drunkards, lovers of money, visitors of Roman harlots, etc.? You can easily read about this in the history books.
Actually Steve, the answer is no. You need to get your head screwed on straight about a few things. First of all, ALL MEN are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. Popes included. Nobody pretends they were all saints (though many were). In fact, the idea that someone has to be personally "pure" to teach sound doctrine is the ancient heresy of Donatism.
Nevertheless, even the few Popes who may have lead less than moral personal lives all did consistently teach sound doctrine. Alexander VI is one who is generally accused of all sorts of personal sins, yet the tenure of his time as Pope went smoothly and he supported sound doctrine. No one ever leveled any accusations against him until 20 years after his death. And these were political enemies of him and his party.
The doctrines of the Catholic Church are based upon the historic positions taken by the Church during theological crises when the ministers of the Gospel made critical decisions under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit. They do not depend on the personal morals of the ministers, but on the promises that were made to the Church. Jesus had taught:
Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matt.10:17-20)
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)
When you study the history of the Papacy, you will find that there were few "bad" Popes and that the Popes during the 16th Century were not among them. In fact the pope who oversaw the implementation of the Council of Trent was Pope St. Pius V. Leo X who excommunicated Luther was not a very spiritual man, but he handled the Luther matter with tolerance and restraint. Compared to some of the debauched Protestant Reformers, the Popes of the period were good Christian men. Not perfect, but morally superior to the Protestants by a long shot.
I think too we need to clear up a few lies that you have been told. No Pope ever had a Harem. Some Popes had mistresses and did frequent prostitutes. So did Henry VIII the founder of Anglicanism. By the way, Luther recommended using mistresses and prostitutes so that men would not be sexually frustrated.
The Inquisitions were ecclesiastical courts organized according to the principles of old Roman Imperial Law in those countries which had been under the jurisdiction of the old Imperial courts. They dealt with cases that involved crimes against the Church (heresy being only one such crime) or crimes committed by clerics. In the famous case of St. Thomas Becket, he was murdered by the English king for defending the right of priests accused of secular crimes to be tried by ecclesiastical courts in stead of secular ones. (In England's case, it was not by the Inquisition but by another type of ecclesiastical court organized under British law.)
There was no one institution called "The Inquisition". The polities involved each had their own under the jurisdiction of either the local bishops or of the state depending on the custom of the area in question. In any case, the trials were done by clerics assigned to the position by competent authority. The local Church had some control over how the Inquisitions were conducted. These courts were quite balanced and fair FOR THEIR DAY. If you have an interest in learning the TRUTH about how they were run, I would recommend any of a number of books by Henry Kamen the most recent being "The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision" published by Harvard.
There was no Inquisition in England, Germany, the Low-lands, parts of Eastern Europe, or Scandinavia. These places were under different ecclesiastical disciplines which at the time of the Deformation were controlled by the Kings and nobles. In many cases, the trials were done by secular judges with clerical advisors. Similar principles of questioning people under duress, limited rules of disclosure of the accusers, and penalties such as burning at the stake were used by these courts even when administered by Protestants. No one ever talks about the persecution of Catholics by these heretical kangaroo courts which tortured and killed thousands.
It is noteworthy that the Reformation succeeded in destroying the Christian Church only in the nations that did not have Inquisitions. Had Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Cranmer, and the other apostates been given timely fair trials, the Reformation would never have happened.
As for as the Gospel being essentially, "Be good," this is not quite correct. The Word says the Gospel is, "Christ died for our sins." 1 Cor. 15:3. This is how Paul explicitly defines the word "Gospel" in verses 1-3.
You know, I think it would behoove you prots to actually read the GOSPELS once in a while and stop trying to find the Gospel solely in the Epistles of St. Paul. Listen to what My Lord and Savior says:
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:20)
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:48)
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matt 6:33)
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me. (Matt. 19:21)
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. (Luke 6:40)
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:22-23)
Now Let's see what St. Paul says since I know that as a prot you would respect his words more than those of Jesus:
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Rom 5:19)
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Rom 6:18)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. (1Cr 1:30)
For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Cr 5:21)
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. (2 Cr 13:11)
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Phl 3:15)
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Col 1:28)
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Ti 3:17)
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.. (Hbr 12:23)
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hbr 13:21)
Okay, we have proven that the Bible teaches that men are intended to be made righteous by the power of God in Christ, not merely imputed to be so. In fact our true hope is that grace will make us perfect. This is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.
Notice also that this implies that some people may be truly perfected by grace in this world and become true saints. This the Catholic Church has affirmed and bore witness to over the centuries recognizing such people in every age. This though the prot cults have steadfastly denied which places them once more at odds with Jesus and the Bible.
What about your quotation?
Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (1 Cr 15:1-5)
I am sorry, Steve, but St. Paul does NOT define the Gospel here. He only tells us what is "of first importance" (vs. 3). You also neglected to finish his complete thought. It was not merely that Christ died for our sins. It was also that he was raised from the dead and appeared first to St. Peter, the Cephas or Rock who was the leader of the Church (thereby establishing his primacy and authority). So the resurrection of Christ and the establishment of the Catholic Church are also taught as part (though not all) of St. Paul's Gospel. You have wrongly divided the word and misrepresented Scripture.
Furthermore, you did not acknowledge what St. Paul said later on in that same chapter:
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. ( 1 Cr 15:10)
You see, the grace of God made St. Paul work hard. Why? Because it perfected him in righteousness.
So, Steve the Bible testifies against your false religion. The Gospel is not merely that Jesus died for our sins but that he:
Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. (Rom 4:25)
Our justification is a participation in Jesus' resurrection from the dead, not merely in his death. But that is not all. St. Paul continues:
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Rom 5:1-5)
Bottom line: We are transformed by grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that we may stand in grace among the righteous people of God.
Art Sippo
The Catholic Legate