Over at the National Catholic Register, I speak to my fellow concerned Catholic. These are my thoughts about we should proceed during these times of uncertainty.
The main thing is, Stay Catholic.
I would appreciate it if you gave me a read and your thoughts. Thanks.
May 5, 2014 at 2:19 am
ANOTHER
NEW
FORT
Such names they call us
That's not what we are
We are Roman Catholics
At the front of the war.
Some just go AWOL
Others defect
Copying our stance
Then say we’re a sect.
A lot like in England
Saint John Fisher's day
When his brothers said, "yes"
This Saint replied, "nay".
All alone in the Fort
St. John Fisher stood
Preserving, defending
For the whole all that's good.
Not just for himself
Those attached to what's old
Or reformers, reforming
Pretending they're bold.
We're simply preserving,
Once again the True Fort
While those with new orders
Relinquish support.
And with promises made
To men hungry for power
They mock, stand and point
At us in the tower
Hoping for all
Ecumenical democracy
When in fact their new fort
Is a catastrophic kleptocracy.
May 5, 2014 at 2:23 am
No, I don't believe that the Church is about to teach moral eror. I believe that a group of individuals who happen to have high stations in the Church (bishops and cardinals, at least), are about to see to it that Holy Mother Church's teachings remain the same (technically) but are entirely divorced from the manner in which the faithful actually "live the gospel" through a false sense of "mercy". The exact manner in which this will be done is impossible to see now. But as I said, the writing is on the wall. And I'm not the only one who sees this.
As for "the gates of hell will not prevail" means that the ultimate victory is already Christ's. That does not assure anyone of their own individual salvation. Or that of their family. Many can and will be lost. For all eternity.
Perhaps the "just following orders" part was not exactly on point and too "loaded" to make the point well. Let's try this example. Let's say you have a baseball that was autographed by Babe Ruth. You tell your sons to leave it in the case. Don't touch it. Despite this, your younger son (just for grins, let's call him "Stu") takes it and plays ball with his friends with it. When you discover this, his excuse is that that your older son (just for grins, let's call him Peter) was left in charge and he said it was OK. Keep in mind however, that both know full well what you have instructed. Yes, the older son now has a lot of explaining to do, but will that excuse absolve the younger son? Now tell me how, "But Peter said I could" will absolve any of us from disobeying Christ's exact words concerning something far more important than a baseball? And if Stu knew what Peter said was wrong in this one thing, should he take it for granted that Peter was giving good advice on other matters? Or should maybe he at least consider what your middle son (just for grins, let's call him "Marcel") says, seeing as how Marcel had the nerve to contradict Peter on the baseball?
May 5, 2014 at 6:37 am
Very thoughtful post. And that first paragraph sooo echoed Our Lady's warnings at Akita, Japan.
Our Lady also said that the Enemy's assault against consecrated souls would be "especially implacable."
Time to suit ourselves with the armor of G-d so that we may withstand "the day of evil." Boy, if there ever was a time…
May 5, 2014 at 2:27 pm
Doesn't matter if the Episcopals are inconsistent or hypocritical , if NC law restricts the services a clergyman can perform then it's over the line. If however the law simply says do what you will but the state will not recognize that "marriage" then they are within bounds.
May 5, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Talking in prose, can be cute;
I suppose.
But real dialogue, takes a lot more;
But for some, it’s clearly too much a chore.
…or alternatively…
Hickory Dickory Dock…
Just try saying what you mean and actually engage in
discourse because the constant desire to make poems gives the impression that
you lack substance and instead want to distract people with style.
May 5, 2014 at 4:44 pm
" I believe that a group of individuals who happen to have high stations in the Church (bishops and cardinals, at least), are about to see to it that Holy Mother Church's teachings remain the same (technically) but are entirely divorced from the
manner in which the faithful actually "live the gospel" through a false sense of "mercy".
And that is a BELIEF.
I prefer to deal in what is actually happening. Now I won’t deny that there are voice within the Church with motivation that you speak about. But there have always been destructive voice within the Church and Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Spirit will sort it out. That’s part of the “gate of Hell shall not prevail”. And FTR, I didn’t assert that it had anything to do with the salvation of individuals. But I can tell you this, you better to be on the Barque of Saint Peter as a faith
deckhand for God than attempting cast off on your own. God will guide that Barque contrary to the
steering orders of the crew.
Your analogy assumes that Peter is going to instruct us to do something that is immoral. First, that hasn’t happened. Second, I don’t believe it is possible for that to happen. Do you? Do you think the Pope can teach moral error? And as to the culpability to those who follow lawful teachers into error? That’s for God to sort out. But let’s keep in mind that even with his condemnation of the Pharisees, Christ told his follower to do as they say because they were lawfully put into the Chair of Moses.
And Archbishop Lefebvre, God Bless him for he had many GREAT attributes, was given a lawful order from the Pope not consecrate additional Bishops. He was flat out disobedient to this
order. Not the example we have from Saints of happy memory who face persecution from the Church with obedience.
Have faith in God. He is in control.
May 5, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Sorry, that's just the kind of (Catholic) hairpin I am!
May 5, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Well, at least we have established that you can talk without rhyming or use of iambic pentameter or haiku or whatever.
May 5, 2014 at 5:01 pm
"With Christians, a poetical view of things is a duty,
–we are bid to color all thing with hues of faith, to see a divine meaning in
every event, and a superhuman tendency." (Cardinal Newman: Essays
Critical and Historical, 19th cent.)
May 5, 2014 at 5:02 pm
So you talk in prose because Cardinal Newman demands it?
Really?
May 5, 2014 at 9:19 pm
Not because he "demands" but, because if you can, do! There are many ways to express the True Faith & some do with "hue" 😉
May 5, 2014 at 11:59 pm
I appreciate that answer. And, at times, I have enjoyed your words.
But at some point in having a discussion, it would be good to have, well, a discussion.
May 6, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Fishwrap has a hit piece where Michael Sean Winters calls Pat a "dissenting cafeteria Catholic".
We are truly in bizzaro word these days
May 6, 2014 at 2:14 pm
"As traditionalists, we always seem to like to talk of people like Padre Pio or other Saints who suffered persecution at the hands of the Church. I wish all traditionalists would reflect upon what that really means. That last thing we need is more Catholics going their own way."
Excellently put! St. Padre Pio, of all people, was willing to die rather than disobey his superiors, even when they were mistaken (excepting a hypothetical clear command to sin). As St. Maximilian Kolbe said, "Our superiors may err; but we never err in obeying."
Before anyone objects: yes, I know (full well) that we're not to throw our brains out the window; I also know that there are some times when we must refuse obedience out of a higher obedience. But the latter case seems to be used far more often as a pretext for "doing what I please", rather than a true "I would sin if I were to obey, and I cannot do that." If, hypothetically, some pseudo-ecclesiatical group (such as the USCCB, which is a mere bureaucracy of laity, in tandem with the actual bishops) were to establish "guidelines" by which the divorced and "remarried" (civilly) people might approach (sacrilegiously) the Eucharist, then we would need to denounce that decision with full voice… but NOT break unity with St. Peter. Never, never. The SSPX, despite their excellent qualities, did just that (by illicitly ordaining bishops), and for that, there is no excuse. No… keep to orthodoxy, to be sure (even in the face of heterodox clergy–which, thank God, seem to be rarer and rarer, even though they are currently and often in positions of great influence, politically and strategically)… but do not use that as an excuse to accept rebellion against St. Peter, in any shape or form.
May 6, 2014 at 2:24 pm
Stu, it is a belief based on current events, such as Pope Francis essentially giving Card. Kasper an endorsement of his views on divorce, remarriage and communion at the recent Synod, among other things. Do I believe that it is possible for the Pope to teach error? I'll put it this way, I think it is possible for the Pope to teach in a way that causes extreme confusion. The "Who am I to judge" episode is a case in point. Of course, the words of HH have been warped beyond the breaking point, and yet, even in the face of that, no correction has come from Rome. As for Archbishop Lefebvre, we have him to thank for Summorum Pontificum. Without his "disobedience" we would still be laboring under the 40 year long lie that the Vetus Ordo had been abrogated or even could be abrogated. That was another papal teaching that perhaps wasn't error per se (or perhaps was), but was definitely the cause of confusion.
May 6, 2014 at 2:59 pm
You have God to thank for SP. If we truly believe that the "freeing" of the Old Mass is both essential and pleasing to God, then He willed it and He could certainly have done the same with an obedient Archibishop Lefebvre. Don't you agree?
And ultimately the Church "righted" itself like any seaworthy barque will do in rough seas. Have Faith.
May 7, 2014 at 12:45 pm
Ultimately, yes of course we have God to thank for Summorum. And yes, I believe He wished for the Vetus Ordo to be restored and it would have eventually happened even without the good Archbishop. In God's good time. Who knows when that might have been? In my experience, God generally doesn't seem to revoke our free will, even in important matters. Our cooperation with His will is still necessary. As I've said from the beginning, I have no doubt of the ultimate destination of the barque of Peter. That isn't in question. At all. What is in question is how many will be on board when it gets there. And the passenger list won't be enlarged with things like this: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/05/cardinal-kasper-in-nyc-ghost-of-vatican.html
May 7, 2014 at 5:59 pm
Okay. So do you think that it was God's will that Archbishop Lefebvre was disobedient to a direct and lawful order from the Pope? We aren't talking about the Pope ordering him to something immoral. We are talking about the Pope ordering him not to do something that falls well within the purview of the Pope to command.
I don't believe that is how God operates. Instead, I think he rewards the obedience of his especially when the obedience brings hardship.
Indeed, Cardinal Kasper is, to put it very mildly, kooky and spouting some things that have the possibility (or have already) put people in spiritual harm. But we have had that all throughout history and always will. So, I'm not saying we don't speak up about it but rather we do it within the Church, obey lawful orders from those that God put above us, focus on our holiness to provide an example for others and pray that the Holy Spirit will light our way. That, to me, is the traditional way of approaching these things.