The Chalice | Council of Trent

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication (Revelation 17:4).

A Vatican coin. Notice the woman holding a chalice.

The woman with the golden chalice in her hand is a common symbol in Roman Catholic sculptures and paintings. No other Christian denomination has depicted itself in this manner. According to Revelation 17, the cup is full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication, which represent false doctrine that she has made all the nations drink.

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication (Revelation 14:8).

The reformers exposed these misguided doctrines during the Reformation, but sadly, the Protestant churches of today are willing to set aside their doctrinal differences with Rome in order to achieve Christian unity. However, unity achieved through sacrificing truth will not last. Following is a list of the main doctrines challenged by the reformers and reconfirmed by Rome during the Council of Trent:

1.    Transubstantiation
2.    Justification by faith and works
3.    The medieval mass
4.    The seven sacraments
5.    Celibacy
6.    Purgatory
7.    Indulgences
8.    Papal authority to enforce the decrees of the Council, and promised obedience to the Pope from church officials.ⁱⁱ

The veneration of Mary has also been upheld and, in fact, increased.

Transubstantiation is the claim that Jesus’ physical body is offered every time the mass is held:

Marvellous dignity of the priests, in their hands as in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary the Son of God becomes incarnate. Behold, the power of the priest! The tongue of the priest makes God from a morsel of bread, it is more than creating the world.ⁱⁱ

Canon 1: If anyone denies that in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist are contained truly, really and substantially the body and blood together with soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and consequently the whole Christ, but says that He is in it only as in a sign, or a figure or force, let him be anathema.ⁱⁱⁱ

The Bible, however, clearly says, “by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14 NIV).

Ahead to The Colors and the Riches

i. Paul Johnson, History of Christianity (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1979): 410

ii. Eucharist Meditations: 111.

iii. Council of Trent, session 13, Chapter VIII.