8/14/2019 The Apocryphal Book of Baruch on Idolatry

1/6

1

The Apocryphal Book of Baruch on Idolatry.

In the apocryphal book of Baruch, which is considered to beinspired scripture by the Catholic Church, we find a veryinteresting description of the pagan practices of the Babylonians,who at the time held the Jews in captivity. While not considereda book of the Bible by Protestants, there is no reason to doubt the

accuracy of this historical account of Babylonian idolatry in the6th chapter of Baruch. The following scripture quotations aretaken from the Catholic Douay Rheims Bible:

Crowned silver statue of Our Lady of Bon-Secours

carried in procession in Tournai, Belgium.

Baruch 6:3 But now,

you shall see inBabylon gods of gold, and of silver,and of stone, and of wood borne uponthe shoulders ,causing fear to theGentiles.Baruch 6:4 Bewaretherefore that youimitate not the doingsof others, and beafraid, and the fear of them should seizeupon you.

It is worth noting that

2

Israel, by God'sinstructions, carriedthe Ark of theCovenant in

procession, whichcontained the TenCommandments of God written on tablesof stone by God'sown finger, whichprohibited gravenimages in very clear

terms. In ironiccontrast and boldapostasy, idols aresimilarly carried inprocession andvenerated byCatholics, in openand directcontradiction to God'sexplicitcommandment law.

Photo by Frdric Denonne 1996

The above photo of a crowned silver statue of Mary being carriedin procession is from the Great Procession of Tournai , Belgium,

an event which occurs every September to honor the Virgin Maryfor her allegedly saving the city from the plague during theMiddle Ages. The statue shown is just one of many that aredisplayed and carried in procession for the event.

May Crowning of Mary Statues and Processions

The month of May is specially devoted by the Catholic Church tothe crowning of statues of Mary (perhaps most commonly withflowers), and processions in honor and adoration of the "Queen

8/14/2019 The Apocryphal Book of Baruch on Idolatry

2/6

3

of Heaven". Below a statue of Mary, crowned with flowers, isknelt before by the priests and congregation, bowing in prayer.

Images 2001 by EWTN

Baruch 6:5 But when you see the multitude behind, and before,adoring them, say you in your hearts: Thou oughtest to beadored, O Lord.

May crowning gives Mary honor she deserves ?May, Mary's Month, Marian Coronation .2001 MAY PROCESSION AND MAY CROWNING.

The May Crowning Festival has pagan origins!

May Day

in medieval and modern Europe, day (May 1) for traditional

springtime celebrations, probably originating in pre-Christianagricultural rituals. Though local usage varied widely, thesecelebrations commonly included the carrying in procession of trees, green branches, or garlands; the appointment of a May kingand May queen; and the setting up of a May tree or Maypole.Originally such rites were intended to ensure fertility to thecrops, and by extension to cattle and human beings, but in mostcases this significance was gradually lost, and the practices

survived merely as popular festivities.

4

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica Online entry on May Day .

Baruch 6:6 For my angel is with you: And I myself will demandan account of your souls.Baruch 6:7 For their tongue that is polished by the craftsman, andthemselves laid over with gold and silver, are false things, andthey cannot speak.Baruch 6:8 And as if it were for a maiden that loveth to go gay:so do they take gold and make them up.Baruch 6:9 Their gods have golden crowns upon their heads ;

whereof the priests secretly convey away from them gold, andsilver, and bestow it on themselves.

Crowned statue of Maryin the Notre Dame du Cap,

Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec,Canada.

The jewel encrusted crown on the statueof

Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal.

8/14/2019 The Apocryphal Book of Baruch on Idolatry

3/6

5

From the book "Miraculous Images of Our Lady",

by Joan Carroll Cruz -Copyright 1993,TAN Books and Publishers, INC.,

Rockford, Illinois 61105.

Baruch 6:10 Yea and they give thereof to prostitutes, and theydress out harlots: and again when they receive it of the harlots,they adorn their gods.Baruch 6:11 And these gods cannot defend themselves from therust, and the moth.Baruch 6:12 But when they have covered them with a purplegarment , they wipe their face because of the dust of the house,which is very much among them.

Statue of Peter photo from Our Lady of Guadalupe photo from

6

"Rome in Colour"copyright by Casa Editrice Lozzi,

Rome,00165 - Via della Lungara, 5.

"Miraculous Images of Our Lady",by Joan Carroll Cruz -Copyright

1993,TAN Books and Publishers, INC.,

Rockford, Illinois 61105.

Crowned and dressed statue of Peterin St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican.

Crowned and dressed statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe,

Caceres, Spain.

8/14/2019 The Apocryphal Book of Baruch on Idolatry

4/6

7

At left is acandlelightservicewith a

crownedstatue of Mary beingcarried inprocessionin Fatima,Portugal.Virtually

everyone inthe crowdis holding acandle.

Baruch6:18 Theylightcandles tothem , andin greatnumber, of which theycannot seeone: butthey arelike beamsin thehouse.

Baruch6:25 Andhaving not

the use of feet they

8

are carrieduponshoulders,declaring

to menhow vilethey are.Be theyconfoundedalso thatworshipthem.

From the "Be Not Afraid" series of videos, Copyright 1993, Apostolate for Family Consecration

OurLady of Fatima atChristusRex.

Also, please visit this page at the Basilica of the National Shrine

of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C., which has anice photo of Mary, Mother of Mankind. In particular, pleasenote the candles at the feet of the statue.

This is the crowned statue of Our Lady of Zapopan , said tobe the second most veneratedimage in Mexico after OurLady of Guadalupe . OnOctober 13th, 2004, ZenitNews reported that over fourmillion Catholicsaccompanied the statue in a 5kilometer procession, atradition that began in the

year 1735. The 13-inchstatue, the patroness of

8/14/2019 The Apocryphal Book of Baruch on Idolatry

5/6

9

Guadalajara, is said to bedressed in crimson (a reddishpurple) with a blue mantle,and is believed to have

miraculous powers of protection against storms andplagues.

Baruch 6:35 Theycannot deliver a manfrom death nor savethe weak from themighty.Baruch 6:36 Theycannot restore theblind man to his sight:nor deliver a man from

distress.Baruch 6:37 Theyshall not pity thewidow, nor do good tothe fatherless.Baruch 6:38 Theirgods, of wood, and of stone, and of gold, and

of silver, are like thestones that are hewnout of the mountains:and they that worshipthem shall beconfounded.

Baruch 6:71 By thepurple also and thescarlet which are

10

motheaten upon them,you shall know thatthey are not gods. Andthey themselves at last

are consumed, andshall be a reproach inthe country.Baruch 6:72 Bettertherefore is the justman that hath noidols: for he shall befar from reproach.

Miraculous crowned statue of Our Lady of Aparecida ,patroness of Brazil

So, according to the 6th Chapter of Baruch, the ancient paganBabylonians crowned their statues with crowns of gold or silver,carried them in procession on their shoulders, dressed them withregal clothing, and lit great numbers of candles to these statues of gold, silver, stone and wood. Modern Babylon, the RomanCatholic Church, does exactly and precisely the same to honor itsstatues of Mary, Jesus and what it calls Saints.

Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitationof devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of everyunclean and hateful bird.

Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committedfornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxedrich through the abundance of her delicacies.Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Comeout of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, andthat ye receive not of her plagues.Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath

remembered her iniquities.

8/14/2019 The Apocryphal Book of Baruch on Idolatry

6/6

11

Rev 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by theseplagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that theyshould not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, andbrass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear,

nor walk:Note: the 6th chapter of Baruch may sometimes be set apart as aseparate book titled the Letter of Jeremiah, in Bibles that includethe apocrypha. The Revised Standard Version is an example.