Paul Foutz
All the various wire services reported in our daily papers on April 28, 1958 that Cardinal Samuel Stritch, “recently archbishop of Chicago” who had just arrived in Rome to accept a high post in the Roman Catholic church, had undergone surgery for the amputation of his right arm. This drastic surgery was necessary due to a blood clot and gangrene in the affected member. What is so amazing about this story is that the Roman church ever allowed it to happen.
This operation was necessary because this condition in the cardinal’s arm could not be corrected and yet he was in the “holy city,” the capital of Catholicism, and the very shadow of the Vatican where Eugenio Pacelli (Pope Pius XII), supposedly the successor of the apostle Peter, said by them to be “prince of the Apostles” ruled millions of his people while claiming to exercise all the powers of the papal throne. No church in existence, down through the years and even today, has made more claims as to its miraculous powers to heal the diseased and afflicted. We hear constantly of the thousands of people who are “healed” at such places as Lourdes, France, and after their pilgrimages to such “sacred” spots they leave their crutches and canes. But, if there is such abundant evidence of miraculous cures in Lourdes, why not in Rome, and if such healing is available to the unimportant and unknown, why was such not possible for Cardinal Stritch? I am sure the Roman Catholic Church would not say it was because of a lack of faith on his part. All of this religious group would say he was one of their most devout and faithful Catholics. Then it must be due to a lack of healing power on the part of the Roman church—all of the ruling class in Rome, from Pius XII on down through all the hierarchy. This affliction of Mr. Stritch afforded the Roman church one of its greatest opportunities to demonstrate the power it claims to possess to miraculously heal the afflicted, and this was a good time to test the power and ability of those who claim they possess the power and ability of the apostles. We can easily see that they are liars (Rev. 2:2).
I am bold to affirm that all the ruling class in the Roman Church, including the pope, cannot miraculously heal a briar scratch on the most devout and faithful member they have, including Cardinal Stritch. If they can, then let them demonstrate. After all, the issue and question of miraculous healing comes, primarily, not within the realm of discussion but demonstration. If I said I could jump over a six foot fence people would not be impressed by my discussion what I had done in Tennessee or California or what I claimed I was able to do. I would only have to be taken to a six foot fence and told to jump. That would prove my claims as to my ability and power. Any claim to power that is not capable of demonstration is false and fraudulent and should be exposed. The Roman church, with its so-called successors to the apostles, claiming to possess their miraculous powers, failed to demonstrate the power they claim to possess on one of their most loyal and faithful servants. So all of their claims are as “sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.” They have been put to the test and found to be liars in their claims. Their loud boasting as to their power is simply “lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:1-12) by which the gullible are deceived.
