Translation of an Article by the Ex-Priest Hyppolyto, Showing His Present Estimate of the Church of Rome

“The Church of Rome in Brazil, as elsewhere, is the Pope: ubi Petrus ibi Ecclesia. If of the inhabitants of the globe only one united himself with the Pope, obeying him in matters of faith and custom, he only would be saved, and all remaining who should refuse that obedience would perish.
“The worship of Saints, the Index, the Bull, in Coena Domini, the Syllabus, are part of the Christian doctrine of the Roman Church, and all their details constitute dogmas of faith for faithful Romanists.
“Salvation is obtained by Baptism, by auricular Confession, by devotion to the Saints, and to the Guardian Angels, but principally by devotion to Our Lady. If the faithful Romanist cannot put into practice the other means of salvation — the Sacrament, and that devotion to other Saints, with good works — but retains a sincere devotion to Mary, even though he were the greatest sinner, or the most perverse assassin, he will be saved, it sufficing to guarantee his salvation that he wear round his neck a scapula of Nossa Senhora da Boa-Morte — (Our Lady of a Good Death).
“Serous Mariae nonperabit declare all the popish theologians and preachers, with the approval of His infallible Holiness.”
“Says the Bishop Feliz Donpanloup: ‘The most depraved and lost young man, who recites every day, O Memorare o pussima Virgo Maria will not go to Hell Ad. Jesum per Mariam, etc.’
“The deplorable results of this monstrous doctrine are manifested in the lives of the majority of Rome’s adepts. Their two principal means of salvation — devotion to Mary as the infallible means, and attrition (imperfect repentance) with the absolution of the priest, in place of perfect repentance — these two heresies, besides the thousands of super-practices as secondary means of salvation Roman Catholics in Brazil, demonstrate in an unequivocal manner the great need of the preaching Gospel in this country. To say that Brazil cat need missions is equivalent to saying you do not know what Romanism is among us.
“The witch doctor of Africa is not more involved in darkness than the Romanist in Brazil, with his innumerable and almost incredible superstitions and his adoration of a god of flour made by the priest.
We will not make mention of the expiatory Mass, nor yet of Indulgences or Papal Blessings until the third or fourth generation, nor of their other absurd and heretical teaching, for all Christians know these things.
“What many educated and religious men ignore is that the Brazilian Roman Catholic with his superstitions is far below the most unhappy people in the world, and his conversion is much more difficult than that of any pagan.”