René François Rohrbacher

thumb|Commemorative stele dedicated to Rohrbacher with a reference to his most famous work Réné François Rohrbacher (1789 – 1856) was a French ecclesiastical historian. Quotes Storia universale della Chiesa cattolica Renato-Francesco Rohrbacher, Storia universale della Chiesa cattolica, vol. I, Alcide Parenti editore, Firenze, 1858 (in Italian) The human race experienced on a grand scale what we experience on a small scale, namely the struggle between spirit and flesh, reason and passion. God made us one, but sin divided us, and since then there have been two men within us, Cain and Abel, the first carnal and the second spiritual, one earthly and the other heavenly, one of man and the other of God. (vol. I, p. 98) The Brahmins, these much-vaunted philosophers, willingly call themselves the [gods] of the earth, and to justify that title, they attribute this genealogy to themselves; now they descend from those seven Richis or penitents who were saved from the flood together with Manou, and who, because of their extreme holiness, were transported to heaven and are the seven stars of the Great Bear; Now, and this is the most popular fable, when Brahma wanted to create men, he drew the Brahmins from his head; the Kchatrias or warriors from his shoulders; the Vaishyas or merchants from his belly; and the Shudras or artisans from his feet. These are the four castes established and consecrated by the philosophers of India as the foundation of the religious and political constitution. (vol. I, p. 707) [...] the Brahmins are the Pharisees of India, because of their affectation in their way of life, their scrupulousness about external stains, their constant use of ablutions and bathing, their zeal, their attention to detail, the same negligence of what is most essential, the same pride, the same ostentation, and the same hypocrisy. Nor are there any who literally practice what the Savior says, that is, who drink through a strainer for fear of swallowing an insect, while swallowing a camel, that is, trampling on justice, humanity, and mercy. (vol. I, p. 708) Far below the lowest caste and well below the sudras, a quarter of the Indian population languishes in servitude, disgrace, and misery, under the name of parias. Eating with these unfortunate people, or touching food prepared by them, or even drinking water drawn by them; using earthenware vessels they have held in their hands; setting foot in their dwellings or allowing them to enter one's own, are, in the eyes of philosophers, crimes that exclude an Indian from his caste. (vol. I, p. 708) Epicurus may therefore turn and twist as he likes, deny Providence, deny the punishments and rewards of another life; make justice, friendship, and every other virtue serve pleasure; reduce the human intellect to combinations of atoms, and aspire, as the highest of goods, to the condition of the beast, which always finds itself in the same place, alone against all, alone in all places, against all times and against all men or the whole human race, which never ceases to proclaim a rewarding and avenging God, the immortality of the soul and the eternal distinction between good and evil, and thus condemns the Epicurean system as equally false and shameful. (vol. I, p. 774) According to the false prophet of Mecca, everything happens out of inevitable necessity; there is no free will in man: God works all actions in us, both good and bad; so that he punishes the wicked for the sins that he himself has wrought in them. To those who cried out against such blasphemy, Muhammad gave only one answer: This is a mystery, a secret. Yes, the mystery of Satan, the author of all evil, who wants to place all blame on God himself, the author of all good. Now, the same mystery of impiety is revealed in Lutheranism. According to the false prophet of Wittenberg, as according to the false prophet of Mecca, everything happens to man out of inevitable necessity, and there is no free will in us. God works in us both evil and good; and he will punish us not only for the evil we could not avoid, but also for the good we did as best we could. In this, Luther greatly surpasses Muhammad in impiety, for Muhammad never said that God would punish us for the same good, and that good works were as many sins. Mohammedanism consists in saying that Mohammed is the prophet of God to reform the religion of God and Jesus Christ; we have seen what kind of prophet he was and what kind of reform he brought about. Lutheranism consists in saying that Luther is the prophet of God to reform the religion of God and Jesus Christ; we have seen and will continue to see more and more what kind of prophet he was and what kind of reform he brought about.[...] Now, what Mohammedanism did before anyone else, Lutheranism repeats. It is by its very nature an irreconcilable war against the Catholic Church and its head; it attacks, denies, and tramples on everything that forms the strength of this Church: the hierarchy, sacrifice, the sacraments, priestly chastity, religious vows; it destroys monasteries and multiplies places of prostitution. Like the Mohammedan, and following in his footsteps, the Lutheran breaks the images of the saints, of Jesus Christ, and of his holy Mother; like the Mohammedan, and imitating him, the Lutheran spits on the cross of the Savior, tramples on it, and drags it through the mud. No brother resembles his brother more than Lutheranism resembles Mohammedanism. Quoted in “Affinità tra il maomettismo e il luteranismo” dell’abbè Rohrbacher (Similarities between Islam and Lutheranism” by Abbé Rohrbacher) External links Category:1789 births Category:1856 deaths Category:Historians from France Category:Catholics from France