In recent years we have been experiencing the phenomena where a number of bishops and priests are promoting the ALPHA program, a Protestantization of the faith of Catholics. They tell us that it is only a ‘launching pad’ to get people back to Church and that afterward, they will supposedly correct the errors contained in it.
I read a lengthy article, written by Gillian Van der Lande which gives an in depth analysis as to why Catholics should not take part in th e ALPHA program. The reason she gives is that,”… by commission and omission, the ALPHA material proposes an ecclesiology and a sacramental theology, contrary in essence to the teaching of the Church”.
Van der Lande carried out a thorough background reading on the key ALPHA Course literature Questions of Life by the Rev. Nicky Gumbel, the ALPHA presenter. Supposedly, the Catholic leaders who promote ALPHA have adapted it for Catholic use calling it ‘ALPHA for Catholics’ or ‘AfC’. However, according to Gillian Van der Lande, they admit that "On the question of Sacraments, ALPHA is seriously deficient from a Catholic point of view. As for the Sacraments, there is only recognition of Baptism and the Eucharist explicitly.” Their theology on these is not compatible with Church teaching. ALPHA recognises only one priesthood, "The priesthood of all believers" [ibid, p. 230]. The priest is understood merely as an "elder", "a leader in the church" but one who "is not a sacrificing priest". …No further sacrifices are necessary and no further priests are necessary."
Van der Lande was dismayed that Catholic bishops and priests would think that this Protestant Evangelical Course could be used in a Catholic context without undermining the teachings of the Church; without misleading those who, in good faith, had agreed to follow ALPHA in order to learn more of the basics of the Christian Faith from the Catholic perspective. It proposes an ecclesiology and sacramental theology that are not in accord with and contrary in essence to the Church's teaching on a variety of fundamental doctrinal truths. For example ALPHA teaches that Revelation is based on the Bible alone while Pope John Paul II confirms the Church teaching that, “…the 'supreme rule of her faith' derives from the unity which the Spirit has created between Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church in a reciprocity which means that none of the three can survive without the others." [Faith and Reason 55)
As Catholics we are taught that the Catholic Church is the one true Church established by Jesus Christ, outside of which there is no salvation. Rev. Nicky Gumbel’s understanding of "church" is reduced to "simply a gathering of Christians who get together to worship God and “… the "Universal Church" is composed of “an amalgamation, a sum total, of all who believe in Christ that consists of all those worldwide who profess the name of Christ" [Questions of Life, N. Gumbel, p. 221]. In his mind the Roman Catholic Church is one of many Christian denominations. In his video presentation he says, "No-one cares anymore what denominations we are, because we are one in Christ. Nobody cares tuppence. All that matters is that we know and love Christ, we are Christians. There is a unity of the Spirit."
As with most Protestants and those in the Catholic Church who have been infected with the Modernist heresy, their objective is for everyone to have a personal relationship with Jesus, whomever you perceive him to be. Then the churches will be filled and revenues will flow in. Over the period of the last fifty years, the pews in many Catholic Churches have emptied because bishops and priests have not taught the faith. Instead they substituted their own false teachings supported by misrepresentations of the teachings of Vatican II. Because their new church concepts were rejected, they were faced with the dilemma of not having an audience to preach to and a huge loss of revenue. How will they bring the people back? They could resort to teaching the authentic faith as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. At its promulgation St. Pope John Paul II exhorted bishops saying, “…take the excellent opportunity afforded by the promulgation of this Latin edition to intensify their efforts to disseminate the text more widely and to ensure that it is well received as an outstanding gift for the communities entrusted to them, which will thus be able to rediscover the inexhaustible riches of the faith.” Why would we need ALPHA? But Modernists have been denying Catholic teaching so long, they no longer believe in the Catholic faith. If they start teaching from the Catechism, people are going to recognize that they’ve never heard some of these teachings before and what they had been taught previously was false. The priest will expose himself for the times he discouraged laity from reading the catechism, telling them that it was written for bishops and theologians only.
Along comes ALPHA which Protestants have used successfully to bring their congregations back to the pews and to restore full collection baskets. Could it work with Catholics? For the Modernists, anything is worth a try if they can avoid having to get up the courage to admit they were wrong and start teaching the hard truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Eleven fishermen and a tax collector used the Truth as their ‘launching pad’ and yielded a billion plus adherents. Why can’t our thousands of brilliant leaders match the feat?
(I encourage you to search the internet for the article “Should ALPHA be used in a Catholic Context? - An Analysis - GILLIAN VAN DER LANDE)