Respect for Other Religions? by Edward D. Waller, Ph.D. (from August 1997 issue) Since the Second Vatican Council, there has been great emphasis on ecumenism or unity among all religions. We are now hearing from all levels within the Roman Catholic Church that we must RESPECT all reli- gions. We are told that we must refrain from forcing our beliefs onto others. We are told that all religions hold some truth that may lead to salvation of souls. What we have not been told is that this notion is UTTER NONSENSE and contrary to the traditional faith. In the encyclical, Humani Generis, Pope Pius XII warns the faithful about false "irenics" (ecumenism). He states, "Another danger is per- ceived which is all the more dangerous because it is more concealed beneath the mask of virtue. There are many who, deploring the disag- reement among men and intellectual confusion, through an imprudent zeal for souls, are urged by a great and ardent desire to do away with the barrier that divides good and honest men; these advocate an 'iren- ism' according to which, by setting aside the questions which divide men, they aim not only at joining forces to repel the attack of athe- ism, but also at reconciling things opposed to one another in the field of dogma..But some through enthusiasm for an imprudent 'irenism' seem to consider as an obstacle to the restoration of fraternal union things founded on the laws and principles given by Christ and likewise on institutions founded by Him, or which are the defense and support of the integrity of the faith, and the removal of which would bring about the union of all, but only to their destuction. In theology some want to reduce to a minimum the meaning of dogmas; and to free dogma itself from terminology long established in the Church and from philo- sophical concepts held by Catholic teachers...They cherish the hope that when dogma is stripped of the elements which they hold to be ex- trinsic to divine revelation, it will compare advantageously with the dogmatic opinions of those who are seperated from the unity of the Church and that in this way they will gradually arrive at a mutual assimilation of Catholic dogma with the tenets of the dissidents. Moreover they assert that when Catholic doctrine has been reduced to this condition, a way will be found to satisfy modern needs, that will permit dogma being expressed also by the concepts of modern philosophy ...Some more audaciously affirm that this can and must be done, bec- ause they hold that the mysteries of faith are never expressed by truly adequate concepts but only by approximate and ever changeable notions, in which the truth is to some extent expressed, but is nec- essarily distorted." Pope Pius XII must have had keen insight and awareness that modern- ists were infiltrating the Church. His warnings against false ecumen- ism, however, have been brushed by the wayside. the bishops and clergy have not heeded his warnings. Since the Second Vatican Council, the philosophies of modernists are attempting to strangle out the tradit- ional beliefs and dogmas of our deposit of faith. Let me begin by first examining the definitions of the verb form of the word, "respect". Webster's dictionary provides two definitions of this word. The first definition of respect is, "to consider worhty of high regard: esteem". The second definition of respect is "to refrain from interfering with". To Consider Worthy of High Regard: Esteem Is it possible to consider worthy of high regard or esteem other reli- gious beliefs that are contradictions to the Truth found within the Roman Catholic Church? Should we respect religions which allow polygamy, deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ, deny original sin and the Immaculate Conception? Should we respect beliefs of others that allow divorce, abortion and permit homosexuality as a lifestyle? How can TRUE Catholics hold these beliefs in high regard or esteem and call themselves followers of Christ? As a Catholic I should respect my fellow brothers and sisters. I can hold human beings in high regard and esteem because each one of us has been created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus gave us the commandment to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He did not tell us to love sin or beliefs that contradict His teachings. Thus, I will not elevate with high regard or esteem any religion or belief that contra- dicts the teachingsof Jesus Christ. Pope Pius XII states in the same encyclical, "..God has given to His Church a living Teaching Authority to elucidate and explain what is contained in the deposit of faith only obscurely and implicitly. This deposit of faith our Divine Redeemer has given authentic interpretation not to each of the faithful, not even to theologians, but only to the Teaching Authority of the Church." He further states that Christ app- ointed the Church as "guardian and interpreter of the WHOLE deposit of divinely revealed truth". God did not send His only begotten Son into the world to establish a multiple of religions equally meriting salvation. If this were the case, there would have been no need for Christ to die on the cross, for all religions would have been equally pleasing to God. Christ came to estab- lish His Church which contains the WHOLE deposit of divinely revealed truth which is the ONLY means to salvation. The present post-concilliar Church has silenced the doctrine of "No Salvation Outside the Catholic Church" as a means of promoting false ecumenism which attempts to estab- lish respect for all religions. I can not understand how Catholics could fall for such nonsense. Are they aware that a doctrine can never be revoked? A doctrine is a revealed truth through God that can NEVER change. God is pure Truth and can never deceive us. Only man and the serpent are capable of deceptive ploys. Pope Pius XII reiterates this doctrine very clearly and precisely. "Some say they are not bound by the doctrine which teaches tha the Myst- ical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same thing. Some reduce to a meaningless formula the necessity of belonging to the true Church in order to gain eternal salvation. Others finally belittle the reasonable character of the credibility of the Christian faith. These and like ERRORS, it is clear, have crept in among certain of Our sons who are deceived by imprudent zeal for souls and by false science." One must realize that the Roman Catholic Church cannot teach that truth and error lead equally well to the salvation of souls. Many people assume that the Church makes claims as to who is saved. This is a misconception on the part of others. The Church can only state what is necessary for salvation. The doctrine of "No Salvation Outside the Church" is not a doctrine of intolerance to the individual, but of intolerance to error. Hence, every person is bound to become a member of the Catholic Church. The present emphasis on respecting other religions has contributed to indifferentism spreading like wildfire among the Catholic faithful. Indifferentism involves believing that one faith is as good as another and that all faiths merit salvation. "As we said before, so now I say again: If anyone preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema." (Gal. 1:8). "If any man come to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house nor say to him, God speed you." (2 John 1:10). Christ gave One Faith, One Truth to His apostles to be passed on to all people through the One True and Only Church founded by Christ, The Roman Catholic Church. Any other profession of faith is a false religion. Thus, the false ecumenism which sometimes encourages Catholics to parti- cipate in other religious services, is contrary to Christ's teachings. Catholicism is the only religion that brings forth Christ's doctrine as noted in John 1:10. Malachi B. Martin in a recent article "The Judas Complex" defines this complex as "the compromise of one's basic principles in order to fit in with the modes of thought and behavior that the world regards as nec- essary for its vital interests." Judas had a different aganda from Christ. Judas wanted things done his way because he thought he knew better than Christ. Betrayal of Christ does not only occur with thirty pieces of silver. Betrayal of Christ occurs when we hold false religions and false beliefs in high esteem. We too become traitors to Christ. To uphold false beliefs, as other religions do, is to mock Christ's revealed Truth and to follow in Judas' footsteps. The only sound conclusion for all Roman Catholics is to respect only one religion, the True religion founded by Christ Himself: the Roman Catholic Church. To give esteem or regard to other false religions is to betray our Savior as Judas betrayed Him with thirty pieces of silver. To Refrain from Interfering With If respecting other religions means to refrain from interfering with other people's beliefs, then how do we reconcile Christ's words to His apostles before ascending into Heaven? "And Jesus coming spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in Heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things what- soever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matt.28:18-20) Christ's instructions were very clearly given to His apostles. They were commanded to teach ALL (not some) nations ALL things (not some things) whatsoever Christ had commanded them to teach. That is, Christ gave them the revealed truth and all His doctrines. The apostles were not told to respect those nations or beliefs that held different beliefs from Christ's teachings. Even Christ professed Truth to the elite Rabbis who rejected not only His teachings, but Christ as Son of God. Christ was crucified on the cross because he did not compromise His teachings. The Post-Conciliar Church continues to focus on the similarities among religions. Implicitly, the Church conveys a hush-hush about differences among other religions. Thus, this second meaning of the word "respect" has also gained wide support by the Catholic faithful. I find it most unchar- itable to ignore those key differences that seperate some of our brothers and sisters from complete union with the Catholic Church. While maintain- ing this modern notion found throughout the Catholic Church, souls are being lost. Many of the early apostles, disciples and saints were martyred because they did not respect other people's false religions and beliefs. They proclaimed the teachings and doctrines as Christ instructed them because of their sincere and devout love for Christ. Let us recall how we sin against faith. "A person sins against faith, first, by not trying to know what God has taught; second, by refusing to believe all that God has taught; third, by neglecting to profess his belief in what God has taught" (Baltimore Catechism No. 4, p. 265). False worship is against the First Commandment. " And now that we have the real sacrifice it would be sinful to use only figures, (as in other religions) and it would be a false worship displesing to God...So, too, all tose who leave the Church to practice a religion of their own have a false worship, for they worship God not as He wants, but as they wish" (Baltimore Catechism No. 4, p. 261). If more Catholics took the Oath against Modernism from the Motu Proprio of St. Pius X, Sacrorum Antistitum (1910), our present state of affairs on the respect for other religions would be a moot point. Our Holy Church has been forewarned by Our Lady of Fatima. The Blessed Mother's Third Secret has been kept hidden from the faithful for over thirty years. We can only pray diligently for the Holy Father to consecrate RUSSIA to Holy Mary's Immaculate Heart in union with all the Bishops of the world. After this consecration takes place, the world will no longer doubt that the Catholic Church is the One True Church founded by Jesus Christ some two thousand years ago. Taken from: Catholic Family News M.P.O. Box 743 Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14302 Catholic Family News is published monthly - 12 issues per year. Subscription price, $26.00 per year. Sample copy available upon request. The articles below also were taken from Catholic Family News.
The Ecumenical Church of the Third Millenium "We are still only in the early stages of Vatican II's ecumenical revolution. There are many more radical changes to come" by John Vennari Note: This is an edited transcript of a portion of the speech delivered at the 3rd Annual Catholic Family News Conference. Our Lord Jesus Christ established one true Church, outside of which there is no salvation. This has been taught from the very beginning. Our Lord Himself decreed "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned." (Mark 16: 16) Our Lord equates salvation with belief, that is, with accepting the truths that He has revealed to us. We must be part of the Church that Christ established in order to save our soul. There are countless Saints who have taught this doctrine without ambiguity and without apology. If we wish to stand with the Saints, we must stand with this doctrine. Just a few examples: ST. AUGUSTINE (d. 430) said "No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and preach it too, but never can one find salvation except IN the Catholic Church." 1 ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT (d. 1716) said that "There is no salva- tion outside the Catholic Church. Anyone who resists this truth peri- shes." 2 ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI (d. 1787) taught that "The Holy, Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is the only true Church, outside the pale of which no one can be saved." 3 St. FRANCIS OF ASSISI taught this as well. Evev though St. Fran- cis is the saint whom everyone loves, nevertheless this humble saint was no ecumenical push-over, and was no liberal Catholic. He sol- emnly stated: "All who have not believed that Jesus Christ was rea- lly the Son of God are doomed. Also all who see the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and do not believe it is really the most holy Body and Blood of the Lord...these also are doomed.! 4 There are three ex cathedra papal pronouncements that outside the Church there is no salvation. The most forceful and explicit of the three is from Pope Eugene IV (1431-1447) who infallibly taught at the Council of Florence: "The Most Holy Roman Church firmly believes professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Cath- olic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews, heretics, and schism- atics can ever be partakers of eternal life, but that they are to go into the eternal fire "which was prepared for the devil and his ang- els," (Mt. 25:41) unless before death they are joined with her; and that so important is the unity of this Ecclesiastical Body, that only those remaining within this unity can profit from the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and that they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, almsdeeds, and other works of Christian piety and duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved unless they abide within the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church." This has been the consistent teaching of the Popes throughout the centuries. 5 Why is this teaching so explicit? Because of the oft forgotten fact that those who reject a portion of God's revealed truth are in a state of heresy. And in the objective order, heresy is a sin. It is a sin against Faith. In fact, not only is heresy a sin, but tradition tells us that her- esy is the greatest of all sins. The 1910 Catholic Encyclpedia contains a fascinating and lengthy entry about heresy. It quotes St. Thomas Aquinas' definition of heresy as: "...a species of infidelity in men who, having professed the faith of Christ, corrupt its dogmas." 6 Regarding the gravity of the sin of heresy, the Encyclopedia teaches: "Heresy is a sin because of its nature, it is destructive of the virtue of Christian faith. Its malice is to be measured therefore by the excellence of the good gift of which it deprives the soul. Now faith is the most precious possession of man, the root of his super- natural life, the pledge of eternal salvation. Privation of faith is therefore the greatest evil and deliberate rejection of faith is the greatest sin." 7 "The Worst Enemies of the Church" In the 19th Century, there arose what came to be called "liberal- Catholicism." It is the belief among Catholics that it is possible to find salvation in any religion simply because one is sincere. Vener- able Pope Pius IX called liberal Catholics "the worst enemies of the Church." 8 Nevertheless, this sentimental religion spread like wild- fire. The Popes of the 19th and first half of the 20th Century combatted this libeeralism with great vigor, but not enough Catholics paid heed. In the 20th Century, the problem only grew worse. To make a very long story short, at the Second Vatican Council, we witnessed the triumph of liberal catholicism in the Church. The tenets of liberal Catholic- ism became the guiding principles of the Vatican II revolution. One progressive theologian, who has the reputation of being a con- servative, stated approvingly that at Vatican II, the Church redefined its nature. 9 This redefinition of the Church was accomplished through the calculated use of ambiguous language. 10 One of the most striking examples is contained in the Council document, Lumen Gentium. Pope Pius XII, along with the consistent teaching of the Popes, taught the Church of Christ IS the Catholic Church. 11 But at Vatican II, the document Lumen Gentium teaches that the Church of Christ SUB- SISTS in the Catholic Church. 12 The new, "accepted" understanding that has emerged from using the word "SUBSIST," is that the Church of Christ is not exclusively the Catholic Church, but the Church of Christ is actually bigger than the Catholic Church and includes the Catholic Church and other "Christian" denominations as well. 13 Those who propogate this new definition attempt to justify the false idea that the Church of Christ comprises all denominations, inc- luding Catholics and non-Catholics, by saying that we now have a DEEP- ER UNDERSTANDING of what the Catholic Church is. In making this claim, they run contrary to the teaching of the First Vatican Council, which was dogmatic, infallible, and of a much higher authority than the non-infallible PASTORAL Second Vatican Coun- cil. Vatican I clearly taught that we may not disregard defined dogma in the name of deeper understanding: "The meaning of Sacred Dogmas, which must always be preserved is that which our Holy Mother the Church has determined. Never is it per- missible to depart from this in the name of a deeper understanding."14 Yet this precisely what has been done in the so-called redefinition of the Church that took place after Vatican II. They have departed from defined dogma by appealing to a 'deeper understanding' of what constitutes the Church of Christ. Once they unlawfully redefine the Church and claim all denomina- tions are in some way part of the Church of Christ, then all these denominations should not be at war with each other, but must learn to ecumenically cooperate with each other. Ecumenism is a necessary con- sequence of this new (and false) definition of the Church. We all know what havoc has been wrought in the Catholic Church in the name of ecumenism. The New Mass was formed in the spirit of ecumenism. It was written with the help of six Protestant ministers. The New Code of Canon Law is sprinkled with ecumenical flavoring. The New Catechism of the Catholic Church is drenched in ecumenism.15 Yet despite all the destruction that ecumenism has caused over the past 30 years--WE ARE STILL ONLY IN THE EARLY STAGES OF VATICAN II'S ECUMENICAL REVOLUTION. "A Long Way to Go" In April of 1997, there was a scandalous ecumenical fiasco at St. Mary's Cathedral in Witchita, Kansas. The catholic Cathedral was all- owed to be used by the Episcopal and Lutheran Churches to celebrate their inter-communion in a religious service. catholic writer, Mary Jo Heiland complained to the Canon Law Society of America about it. A priest from the Canon Law Society, Father Patrick Cogan, responded to her letter and said that he completely disagreed with Mary Jo Heil- and's outrage at the ecumenical event. After boasting that he was firmly committed to ecumenism, Cogan lamented: "I regret that so many of the teachings of Vatican II have yet to be received or "filtered down" to the Christian faithful. 16 At the 1985 Extraordinary Synod in Rome, Cardinal Basil Hume of Eng- land had this to say: "There is still a long way to go before the teaching of the Council enters fully into our Catholic bloodstream." 17 Hence, we are only in the early stages of the Vatican II revolution. There are many more radical changes to come. In the name of ecumenism, the highest authorities in our Church want to restructure the Papacy along ecumenical lines. 18 In the name of ecumenism, there is talk of a "common martyrology" that includes "saints" from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant denominations. 19 In the name of ecumenism we have "The Balamand Declaration," which is a joint statement between the Catholic Church and the Schismatic Orth- odox that claims that Catholic and the Schismatic Orthodox are now "Sister Churches" that should not proselytize each other. 20 But the focus of this presentation is a Vatican document that was re- leased about four years ago. A New Ecumenical Directory In 1993, a document was issued from the Pontifical Council for Pro- moting Christian Unity in Rome. It is called THE DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLES AND NORMS OF ECUMENISM. It claims to have the force of law, binding Catholics. But as we know, Catholics are only bound to obey laws that SERVE the Faith. We are never bound to obey laws that WORK AGAINST the Faith, because any law that works against the Faith is not a true law. As will be demonstrated, this document is not going to promote or de- fend Catholicism. It is a document for the propogation of ecumenism at the EXPENSE of Catholicism. It will inuagurate another tidal wave of ecumenical destruction. Itis a blueprint for futher dismantling of the Catholic Church. This document calls for the application of ecumenism to be imposed everywhere. By this document, there will be no place in the Church for any one, or any organization, or any religious institutes, or any dio- cesan office, or any seminary, or any lay organization that is not firmly commited to believing or practicing interfaith ecumenism. Not even grade-school children are exempt. It is this document that is the framework for the ecumenical Church of the Third Millenium. A New Doctrine Ecumenism, as practiced today, flies in the face of traditional Cath- olic doctrine and practice. It places the one true religion establish- ed by our Lord on the same base level with false, man-made religions-- something that the Popes throughout the centuries absolutely forbade Catholics to do. (For example Pope Pius XI's Mortalium Animos which condemned Ecumenism.) Ecumenism is a new doctrine. It runs contrary to Sacred Scripture, contrary to 2000 years of Sacred tradition, contrary to defined dogma, contrary to the teaching of all the Popes up until the time of the Second Vatican Council. One of the greatest proofs that ecumenism is a new doctrine is found right in the ecumenical Directory we will be quoting from. In the Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms of Ecumenism there are 198 footnotes. Only nine of these are dated before the Sec- ond Vatican Council. This is because there is nothing in Vatican II teaching that supports ecumenism. Of the nine footnotes that date before Vatican II, one of them is a quote from St. Ambrose that has nothing to do with ecumenism. The remaining eight footnotes are Bibl- ical quotations, usually using Scripture in a way that the Catholic Church has never used it before. 21 It is the dogmatic teaching of the Catholic Church that the duty of the Pope is not to promote a new doctrine (like ecumenism) but to faithfully preserve the traditional teaching. This is DE FIDE. When Vatican I defined Papal Infallibility, it taught: "The Holy Spirit was not promised to the successor of Peter that by the revalation of the Holy Spirit they might disclose new doctrine, but that by His help they might guard sacredly the revelation transmitted thriugh the Apos- tles and the deposit of faith, and might faithfully set it forth. 22 Today, however, we have new doctrines being taught that we must be on guard against. A theologian named Father Joseph de Sainte-Marie, who died in 1985, was a loyal son of the reigning Pope. He collaborated with John Paul II on a number of occasions. But even he warned about the present state of confusion within the highest offices of the Church. He said: "In our day,and it is one of the most obvious signs of the extraordinarily abnormal character of the current state of the Church, it is very often the case that the acts of the Holy See demand of us prudence and discernment. 23 What Father de Sainte-Marie has told us, in a gentle, dignified and elevated manner is that we have to be extremely careful these days even from documents emanating from Rome. And if there is one document that demands our prudence and discern- ment--and even our firm resistance--it is this ecumenical directory which commands Catholics to think and act in a manner that the Church has forbidden for two thousand years. An entire book could be written outlining all the problems in this 1993 Ecumenical Directory. For our purpose, we will only spotlight some of the most troubling and alarming points. The "Mandate" Early in this document, we are given what could be called the "man- date" for ecumenism. Paragraph 22 states: "Those who are baptized in the name of Christ are, by that very fact, called to commit themsel- ves to the search for unity." One point must be made clear from the very beginning: CATHOLICS DO NOT SEARCH FOR UNITY. As Catholics, we possess the truth-- the div- ine truth communicated by Christ through His Church. We can grow in knowledge and understanding of that truth, but we don't search for it. the same thing applies to unity. Christ established His church as ONE. Since we have unity already, there is no need for Catholics to join with others in a search for unity. There IS a need for Cat- holics to work and pray for the conversion on non-Catholics into the one true Church. But that is not searching for unity--we are inviting others into that unity divinely established by Christ. Back in 1919, when the ecumenical movement was first getting star- ted, among non-Catholics, the Protestant ecumenists wanted Pope Benedict XV to get the Catholic Church involved. Benedict XV polit- ely declined. This clear-thinking Pope explained that although it was his earnest desire for one fold and one shepherd, it would be impossible for the Catholic Church to join with others in search of unity. As for the Church of Christ, he explained, it was already one, and could not give the appearance of searching for itself or for its own unity. 24 So, Catholics do not search for unity -- we already have it. Yet over and over again in this document we read that we have to SEARCH for unity. The Directory says: "Where ecumenical work is not being done effect- ively, Catholics will seek to promote it." {#23} Again, this is incorrect. Catholics are not bound to work for ecum- enical unity. A Catholic's duty is to grow in holiness, fulfill his duties of state, defend the truth and combat error, especially the error that is contained in false religions, and to work and pray for the conversion of non-believers into the one true Church. The document then calls for a "...change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians ...this is what Vatican II regards as 'the soul of the ecumenical movement." [#25] We see this scattered throughout the entire document -- a call for a "change of heart", or "renewal of attitudes." In other words, we are expected to cast aside the defined truths of the faith regarding the one true Church of Christ in the name of ecumenism. That is really what is being said. A call for a "change of heart" and "renewal of attitudes" amounts to a call for a new mind-set. It should also be noted that throughout this entire document, the drafters have inserted a number of what appears to be "safeguards". There are little guardrails here and there that give the IMPRESSION that ecumenism does not threaten the integrity of the faith. The doc- ument contains warnings against "indifferentism" and cautions against playing down or diminishing Catholic truth. These are actually useless warnings calculated to neutralize the unthinking from objecting to this document. THE ENTIRE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT PROMOTES INDIFFERENTISM AND PLAYS DOWN AND DIMINISHES CATHOLIC TRUTH. So these apparent "safe- guards" really mean nothing. We especially know this because the documents of the Second Vatican Council had these little safeguards too. But when the revolution gets rolling, all those guardrails are ploughed under. Vatican II's Consti- tution on the Liturgy clearly states that Gregorian Chantis to be given "pride of place", 25 "the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in Latin rites." 26 etc. All that is cast aside when the cruel tyranny of aggiornamento takes over. Likewise, the "safeguards" in this document will mean very little oncethe principles of this Directory become more and more implemented. Ecumenism in Every Diocesan Structure There is a section entitled "The Organization in the Catholic Church of the Service of Christian Unity". It is dedicated to working ecu- menism into the structure of the Church. On the diocesan level, the Directory states that each diocese is to have a diocesan ecumenical officer that will preside over a diocesan ecumenical commission. It is also noted that a number of dioceses may pool togetherand have one ecumenical commission that encompasses a group of dioceses. [#'s 44-49] The purpose of the ecumenical officer and commission is to oversee and promote ecumenism and ecumenical dialogue within every diocese. This is a means of firmly embedding ecumenism into every diocesan structure. The document then calls for ecumenism to be firmly imbedded in relig- ious life: convents, monasteries, religious houses. Now, religious are men and women who have left the world to consecrate their lives to Christ through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obed- ience. These poor consecrated souls will have their Catholic peace shattered by being forced to engage in ecumenism. The directory commands that religiuos (monks,nuns,brothers,sisters) should get involved with the ecumenical movement by organizing meet- ings among "Christians" of various churches for liturgical prayer (praying in common), spiritual exercises [#50c]. They are encouraged to maintain relations with monasteries or religious communities of schismatic or Protestant denominations [#50d]. They are also told to "conduct their varied educational institutions with a view to ecumenical activity" [#50e]. This means that teaching- orders will be spouting ecumenism to their students. Implicit in all this is that it may be nearly impossible for a faithful religious to teach students that there is only one true Church outside of which there is no salvation. The religious are called upon to collaborate with other denominations in areas of common work for social justice, economic development, pro- gress in health and education, the safeguarding of creation (in other words, environmentalism) and peace and reconciliation among nations and communities {#50f}. Often times this document sounds like some- thing that came right out of the United Nations. Religious houses must also now provide an "ecumenical formation" for their members[#51]. Young people going into religious life will have to be taught a new concept of the Church and will be formed in ecum- enism. Our Lord taught that "narrow is the way" that leads to salvation. Ecumenism teaches that WIDE ARE THE WAYS that lead to salvation. Yet this is how the religious of the Third Millenium shall be formed. They will be formed in the principles of liberalism. A New Clergy There is a section on the formation of priests. This is very serious because, as Scripture says, if the salt loses its flavor, it is good for nothing. Likewise, if the Catholic priesthood becomes ecumenical, then in most places in the world, Catholicism will evaporate-because the Faith is taught to us through the priests. But if the priests are trained in liberal doctrines, they will not know true doctrine, they will have no defense against the poison of error, and by their false teaching and bad example, they will lead the faithful out of Catholic- ism into a new ecumenical "common-Christianity". Before Vatican II, all the Popes were of one accord in commanding that bishops must ensure that their seminarians, their future priests, were thoroughly trained to adhere to the purity of Catholic doctrine. Purity of doctrine was always paramount. And purity of doctrine neces- sitates not only adhering to the truth, but also uncompromising refut- ation of error. That's all gone. This Directory commands that priests become thoroughly ecumenical. It says that priests are to be formed in the ecumenical spirit. They are to be formed with "a capacity for dialogue so as to acquire an au- thentically ecumenical disposition" [#70]. Once again, we see the REMOVAL of the Catholic mind-set and the adoption of the ecumenical mind-set. The Directory says that Episcopal conferences (bishops) must ensure that plans of study for seminarians give an ecumenical dimension to each subject, and provides especially for the study of ecumenism[#72]. Paragraph 76 states that "ecumenical openness is a constitutive dime- nsion of the formation of future priests and deacons." In other words, ecumenism is an essential ingredient in the make-up of the future priest. If you're not ecumenical, you're not going to get ordained. The directory calls for "Specific courses in ecumenism"-and says that these courses "should be compulsory" [#79]. We then move from ecumenical study to ecumenical practice in the sem- inaries. The Directory encourages seminaries to INVITE NON-CATHOLICS TO LECT- URE AT THE SEMINARY [#81] and also encourages meetings with seminar- ians and theology students of false religions [#83]. It is not hard to imagine how warped these men will turn out after spending six years in this type of environment. This is also a means of weeding out seminarians who are opposed to ecumenism-they will leave the seminary rather than compromise themselves. Hence, only the ecumenical will be ordained. Now, what about after their ordination? Paragraph #91 calls for "CONTINUOUS AGGIORNAMENTO OF ORDAINED MINIST- ERS AND PASTORAL WORKERS IN VIEW OF THE CONTINUAL EVOLUTION WITHIN THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT." The key words here are "continual evolution." the whole movement will keep evolving-not towards Catholicism. It will become more radical with Catholicism becoming increasingly marginal- ized. This Directory unlawfully commands that priests must be involved with this continual updating. The Directory tells priests that it is good to invite ministers of other religions to discuss pastoral problems that are common to all [#91a]. It also encourages interconfessional meetings aimed at impro- ving relations and trying to resolve pastoral problems together[91b]. The Directory further states that there should be interconfessional sharing of elements of spirituality held in common[91e]. This is plac- ing the one true religion of Jesus Christ on the same level as false, man-made religions. Ecumenical Formation for ALL the Faithful Including Children The Directory calls for "Ecumenical Formation of All the Faithful" in the Catholic Church. It says: "All the faithful are called upon to make a personal commitment toward promoting and increasing communion with other Christians [#55]." We have already covered why this notion is wrong. The Catholic is called upon to sanctify his soul and to work for the conversion of non-Catholics. But conversion is not the goal here. Again and again, this document discourages Catholics from any sort of proselytizing. 28 As for the laity, the Directory says that "the objective of ecumen- ical formation is that all Christians be animated by the ecumenical spirit" [58]. The goal of this document is for everybody to be ecume- nical, including children. Paragraph #61 states that catechesis should have an ecumenical dimen- sion - that children and young people must receive an ecumenical form- ation in catechesis. It teaches that "schools of every kind and grade should give an ecumenical dimension to their religious teaching" [68], and that schools should contain "education for dialogue, peace and personal relationships" [68]. Again it sounds more like training for the Uni- ted Nations. Further on, the document teaches that "groups, associations and eccl- esial movements should be imbued with a solid ecumenical spirit" [69]. This will have direct implications on such groups as the Third Order of St. Francis, Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, etc. Ecumenism and the Parish Church The Parish Church has also received a new mandate. The document states that "the great task of the parish is to educate its members in the ecumenical spirit" [67]. It urges the parish to plan ecumenical activity and to collaborate with non-Catholics in var- ious areas. All sorts of previously condemned activities will now be encouraged and permitted to take place in the parish. The Directory recommends "SHARING SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES" [102-103] in which Catholics are encouraged to join in prayer with non-Catholics [108]. They are encouraged to have common prayer servi- ces and shared liturgical worship in each other's Churches [112]. In these joint activities, ministers of various religious are encouraged to wear their own religious garb [113]. This is an in-your-face expr- ession of "unity in diversity." Spiritual sharing is recommended, that is, commondays of recollection and "common spiritual exercises" with false religions [114]. Also, the bishop may now permit a member of another religion to take on the task of reading in Catholic Churches [133]. Any one who attends the parish church may now see a Baptist, etc. in the sanctuary reading the epistle. Not only is this a further development not only of ecum- enism, but also of "lay ministries." The lay ministries of lay Cathol- ics is now expanding to lay ministries for NON-CATHOLICS within the Catholic Church. Likewise, the document gives a green light for Cath- olics to serve as readers in non-Catholic services [118]. Paragraph #137 permits Catholics, with the approval of the bishop, TO LEND OUT THEIR PARISH CHURCHES TO NON-CATHOLICS. So don't be surprised if you find out that your bishop has allowed your parish Church to be used by a group of Methodists, Baptists, etc. for their prayer servi- ces. But this is not the worst of it. In Paragraph #138, a revolutionary precedent is set. It reads: "THE SHARED OWNERSHIP OR USE OF A CHURCH PREMISES OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME MAY BE A MATTER OF PRACTICAL INTEREST. There you have it. THIS DOCUMENT CALLS FOR A SINGLE CHURCH TO BE OWN- ED AND USED BY BOTH CATHOLICS AND NON-CATHOLICS. And what about the Blessed Sacrament in these churches? The Directory counsels that in these shared churches, in deference to the sensibil- ities of non-Catholics, the Blessed Sacrament should be placed in a seperate chapel or a seperate room. [139]. In other words, Catholic leaders are calling upon Catholics to get the Blessed Sacrament out of this common church because it irritates infidels. This is catering to disbelief. It is the cuddling and pampering of sins against the one true Faith. It is the promotion of a brand new religion. A Quick Run Through The Sacraments The section on the sacraments will be covered quickly. The Directory allows Protestants who have not converted to receive the Eucharist in certain limited circumstances [131] and to go to con- fession in certain limited circumstances [129]. There is also a section on mixed marriages that is simply atrocious. In this Directory, as well as the New Code of Canon Law, the non-Cath- olic spouse no longer has to promise to raise the children Catholic. The document states its preference that the children be raised Cath- olic, but the non-Catholic no longer has to promise to do so. [150]. It must be remembered that the primary purpose of marriage is the be- getting and education of children. According to the consistent teach- ing of the Popes throughout the ages, these children must be educated as members of Christ-that is as Catholics.30 Also in a mixed marriage, the Catholic spouse is bound to work and pray for the conversion of the non-Catholic into the one true Catholic Church.31 This Ecumenical Directory is unfaithful to the tradiritional Catholic teaching regard- ing mixed-marriages. The directory states that, if there is a mixed marriage, a Catholic priest or deacon may take part in the marriage ceremony that is cele- brated in a non-Catholic Church [157]. Likewise, at a mixed marriage, the priest may invite the non-Catholic minister to be present at the Catholic wedding. The non-Catholic clergy person (I say this because these days, it may be a woman-it may be a Methodist ministerette) may conduct a reading, may give a brief exhortation, and give a "blessing" to the bride and groom [158]. In the section on Baptism, the document states that a non-Catholic minister may not participate in the actual baptizing, but he may join in the ceremony by conducting a reading or offering a prayer [97]. A non-Catholic cannot be a godparent for a Catholic yet, but he can be a witness and vice-versa [98a]. The Directory concludes by encouraging: *Catholics to become involved with Councils of Churches and Christian Councils. *Ecumenical Dialogue *Common Bible Work-where Catholics and non-Catholics should produce joint publications of the Bible [185]. It also encourages Catholics to take part in Bible Study with non-Catholics [186]. In other words, it is encouraging Catholics to recklessly endanger their faith. St. John Damascene always used to pray before he studies the writings of the heretics because he knew that he too could fall into heretical ideas and imperil his soul. Contrary to the example of the saints, this Directory promotes Catholics and non-Catholics to study Scripture together, without giving Catholics any warning to the dangers of being infected with heresy. The Directory further calls for: *Ecumenical Cooperation in Catechesis. *Pastoral Cooperation in certain areas. *Cooperation in Mission Activity. *Ecumenical Cooperation in Social and Cultural Life. Under the heading "Cooperation in Missionary Activity," there is a statement about the supposed NON-NECESSITY of the conversion of non- Catholic: "Catholics would want all who are called to Christian faith to join with them in that fulness of communion they believe to exist in the Catholic Church, yet they recognize that in the Providence of God some will live out their Christian lives in Churches and ecclesial Communities that do not provide such full communion. They should be careful to respect the lively faith of other Churchres and ecclesial Communities which preach the Gospel, and rejoice in the grace of God that is at work in them [206]. Rejoice in the grace of God that is at work in them? In his 1864 Syllabus of error, Venerable Pope Pius IX taught that it is AN ERROR to entertain good hope for the salvation of those who live and die outside the catholic Church [Proposition 18]. It is consistent papal teaching that in the objective order, we can't even entertain GOOD HOPE for the salvation of those who live and die ouside the Church. Further, when Pope Pius X condemned the Sillon in 1910, he taught: "Catholic doctrine tells us that the primary duty of charity does not lie in the toleration of false ideaas, however sincere they may be, nor in theoretical or practical indifference towards errors and vices in which we see our brethren plunged, but in zeal for the intellectual and moral improvement as wellas for their material well-being." 32 Yet this Directory tells us that if non-Catholics refuse to convert, we should rejoice anyway. It is implicitly teaching the false doctrine that it really doesn't matter whether they convert or not. Such then is a brief overview of this 1993 Ecumenical Directory. "We Don't Know Where We're Going" One of the most disturbing factors about today's ecumenical movement is that even our Church leaders seem to be in a fog as to where they are headed. Cardinal Ratzinger himself admitted this when he remarked: "...the end of all ecumenical effort is to attain the true unity of the Church ...for the momemt, I wouldn't dare venture to suggest any concrete realization, possible or imaginable, of this future Church...We are at an intermediate stage of unity in diversity. 33 This is a horrifying statement. In essence, he is saying, "We don't know where we're going." Notice too, whenever you read any of these ecumenical documents, inc- luding this 1993 Directory, we are never clearly told the final con- struct that they are working towards. We are told that we have to be involved with ecumenism, but we are never told what this future ecum- enical church is going to look like. We're kept completely in the dark. Back in 1910, however, Pope St. Pius X was certainly not in the dark. He knew exactly what wasbeing planned. When Pius X condemned the Sil- lon, which was a catholic movement in France that held many of the errors similar to today-particularly in regard to intr-denominational unity-Pius X warnedthat this whole operation is part of: "...a great movement of apostasy being organized in every country for the estab- lishment of a One World church which shall have neither dogmas, nor hierarchy, nor discipline of the mind, nor curb for the passions, and which, under the pretext of freedom and human dignity, would bring back to the world the reign of legalized cunning and force, the oppr- ession of the weak, and of those who toil and suffer. 34 St. Pius X, a TRULY prophetic Pope, foresaw this in 1910. And what do we have now? We have forces openly working for the estab- lishment of this One World church of apostasy. And one of the great apostles of this One World church (that mingles all religions) is the so-called "Catholic theologian" Hans Kung who was one of the principal architects of the great ecumenical updating that took place at Vatican II.35 The One World church of apostasy is the logical conclusion of interfaith ecumenism. Remain Faithful to Tradition In closing, we must remember that ecumenism is a new doctrine contr- ary to 2,000 years of Catholic teaching that is working continual des- truction on the Catholic Church. In the face of this, Catholics have a duty to firmly resist ecumenism in all its varied and evolving forms. No authority in the Church, no matter how well-meaning, no matter how highly-placed, may lawfully command a Catholic to take part in any movement that wars against defined dogma and the purity of the Faith. Our duty is to remain faithful to the unchanging teaching and tradit- ion of the Holy Catholic Church. On this point, St. Vincent of Lerins has given us firm direction: "What shall a Catholic do if some port- ion of the Church detaches itself from communion of the universal Faith? What other choice can he make if some new contagion attempts to poison, no longer a small part of the Church, but the whole Church at once, then his great concern will be to attach himself to antiquity which can no longer be led astray by any lying novelty" 36 Footnotes: 1) Sermo ad Caesarienis Ecclesia plebem. 2) Cited from Hail Mary, Full of Grace, Still River, MA 1957, p.107 3) Instructions on Commandments and Sacraments. 4) Jorgensen, Johannes, St. Francis of Assissi, (London, Longman Green Co., 1906). 5) Anyone wishing a list of 33 quotations from the Popes throughout the ages reaffirming this doctrine, please send a self-addressed stamped business envelope to Catholic Family News. 6) Summa, II-II Q. Xi a. 1 -cite from Catholic Encyclopedia, (Robert Appleton Co., New York, 1910) Vol. VII, p.256. 7) Ibid, p.257 8) Lefebvre, They Have Uncrowned Him, (Angelus Press, Kansas City, 1988), p. 222. 9) Wojtyla, Sign of Contradiction, original Italian edition, p. 26. 10) For thorough examination of the deliberate ambiguities in Vatican II, see In the Murky Waters of Vatican II, by Atila Sinke Guimaraes, especially Chapters III and IV, available from catholic Family News, see ad on page 11. 11) See Pope John's Council, Michael Davies, (Angelus Press, Kansas City,) pp.60-61. 12) Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 8. 13) The progressive Father Avery Dulles,S.J. expounds on this novelty. "The Church of Jesus Christ is not exclusively identical with the Romanb Catholic Church. It does indeed subsist within Roman Catholic- ism, but it is also present in varying modes and degrees in other Christian communities to the extent that they too are faithful to what God initiated in Jesus and are obedient to the inspirations of Christ's Spirit. As a result of their common sharing in the reality of the one Church, the several Christian communities already have a real but imperfect communion." -taken from Toward Vatican III, The Work That Needs to Be Done-edited by: David Tracy with Hans Kung and Johann B. Metz, (Concilium, Seabury Press, NY, 1978) p. 91 14) Vatican I, session III, Chap. IV, Faith and Reason. 15) Consult Is the 'New Catechism' a Source of Hope? by John Vennari. Audio cassette available for $7.50 postpaid from Oltyn Library Serv- ices, 2316 Delaware Ave, Suite 325, Buffalo, NY 14216. 16) Correspondence from Fr. Cogan (Canon Law Association) to Mary Jo Heiland, June 26, 1997. 17) Origins (NC Documentary News Service,Washington,D.C.)Dec.19,1985 18) Ut Unum Sint, #95. 19) Ibid., #84 20) For a brief overview of this unprecedented Declaration, see Chap- ter IX of Fatima Priest by Francis Alban, available from Good Counsel Publications, P.O. Box 203, Pound Ridge, NY 10578, $9.97+$3.25 postage 21) For a fuller explanation, consult the lecture The Ecumenical Church of The Third Millenium by John Vennari. 22) Vatican I, Session IV, Chapter IV. 23) Cited from Apropos,Isle of Skye,Scotland,Issue No.16,1994,p.5. 24) Catholic Ecyclopedia for School and Home, McGraw Hill, New York, 1965, Vol. 3, p.670. 25) Vatican II, Sacrosanctum concilium, #36. 26) Ibid., #116 27) Consult E Supremi by St. Pius X. 28) The Directory for the Applications of the Principle and Norms of Ecumenism, #23,79,81,125. 30) See the Kingship of Christ and Organized Naturalism, by Father Dennis Fahey for Papal quotes that stress this imperative. (Regina Publications, Dublin, 1943), pp. 18-21. 31) The Handbook of Moral Theology by Father Dominic Prummer, O.P. teaches "The non-Catholic party must promise to remove all danger of perversions of the Catholic party, and both parties proomise that all their children shall be baptized and brought up as Catholics: such promises are normally made in writing." -and- "The Catholic party (in a mixed marriage) must prudently endeavor to convert the non-Catholic partner (c. 1602), e.g., by prayer, by the good example of a Christian life, by exhortation, etc." (P.J. Kennedy & Sons,New York,1955)p.430. 32) Cited from Against the Heresies, (Angelus Press, 1997) p.263. 33) Cited from "Ecumenical Leprosy", Fr. Phillipe Marcille, The Angel- us, March, 1994, p.24. 34) Pope St. Pius X, "Our Apostolic Mandate", (Instauratio Press)p.21. Available from Catholic Family News. 35) See the articles on the One World Church and Global Ethic by Corneilia Ferreira in Catholic Family News issues: October, 1996; June 1997; July, 1997; November, 1997. 36) St. Vincent of Lerins + ca.445, a.d., op. cit. A Theological Vindication of Roman Catholic Traditionalism (1st edition), Father Paul Kramer, (Manilla, 1995) p. 79. (Footnotes did not list a no. 29.)
The Rosary: A School of Contemplation by Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (August, 1998 issue) From among the many customary devotions to Our Lady, such as the Angelus, the Office of the Blessed Virgin, The Rosary, we shall speak especially of the last in so far as it prepares us for and leads us up to contemplation of the great mysteries of salvation. After Holy Mass, it is one of the most beautiful and efficacious forms of prayer, on condition of understanding it and living it. It sometimes happens that its recitation--reduced to that of five mysteries--becomes a matter of routine. The mind, not being really gripped by the things of God, finds itself prey to distractions. Some- times the prayer is said hurriedly and soullessly. Sometimes it is said for the purpose of obtaining temporal favors, desired out of all relation to spiritual gain. When a person says the Rosary in such a way, he may well ask himself in what way his prayer is like that of which Pope Leo XIII spoke in his encyclicals on the Rosary, and about which Pope Pius XI wrote one of his last apostolic letters. It is true that to pray well it is sufficient to think in a general way of God and of the graces for which one asks. But to make the most out of our five mysteries, we should remember that they constitute but a third of the whole Rosary, and that they should be accompanied by meditation-which can be very simple-on the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glor- ious Mysteries, which recall the whole life of Jesus and Mary and their glory in Heaven. The fifteen mysteries of the Rosary thus divided into three groups are but different aspects of the three great mysteries of our salvation: The Incarnation, The Redemption, Eternal Life. The Mystery of the Incarnation is recalled by the joys of the Annunci- ation, the Visitation, the Birth of the Savior, the Presentation in the Temple, and His finding among the doctors. The mystery of the Redemp- tion is recalled by the different stages of the Passion: the Agony in the garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, the Crucifixion. The mystery of eternal life is recalled by the Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Assumption of Our Lady and her crowning as Queen of Heaven. Thus, the Rosary is a Credo: not an abstract one, but one concretized in the life of Jesus Who came down to us from the Father and Who ascen- ded to bring us back with Himself to the Father. It is the whole of Christian dogma in all its splendor and elevation, brought to us that we may fillour minds with it, that we may relish it and nourish our souls with it. This makes the Rosary a true school of contemplation. It raises us gradually above vocal prayer and even above reasoned out or discursive meditation. Early theologians have compared the movement of the soul in contemplation to the spiral in which certain birds-the swallow, for example-move when they wish to attain a great height. 1 The Joyful Mys- teries lead to the Passion, and the Passion to the door of Heaven. The Rosary well understood is, therefore, a very elevated form of prayer which makes the whole of dogma accessible to all. The Rosary is also a very practical form of prayer for it recalls all Christian morality and spirituality by presenting them from the sublime point of view of their realization in Jesus and Mary. The mysteries of the Rosary should be reproduced in our lives. Each of them is a lesson in some virtue-particularly in the virtues of humility, trust, patience and charity. There are three stages in our progress towards God. The first is to have knowledge of the final end, whence comes the desire of salvation and the joy to which that desire gives rise. This stage is symbolized in the Joyful Mysteries which contain the good news of the Incarnation of the Son of God Who opens to us the way of salvation. The next stage is to adopt the means-often painful to nature-to be delivered from sin and to merit Heaven. This is the stage of the Sorrowful Mysteries. The final stage is that of rest in the possession of eternal life. It is the stage of Heaven, of which the Glorious Mysteries allow us some an- ticipated glimpse. The Rosary is therefore most practical. It takes us from the midst of our too human interests and joys and makes us think of those which cen- ter on the the coming of the Savior. It takes us from our meaningless fears, from the sufferings we bear so badly, and reminds us of how much Jesus has suffered for love of us and teaches us to follow Him by bear- ing the cross which Divine Providence has sent us to purify us. It takes us finally from our earthly hopes and ambitions and makes us think of the true object of Christian hope-eternal life and the graces necessary to arrive there. The Rosary is more than a prayer of petition. It is a prayer of ador- ation inspired by the thought of the Incarnate God, a prayer of repar- ation in memory of the Passion of our Savior, a prayer of thanksgiving that the Glorious Mysteries continue to reproduce themselves in the un- interrupted entry of the elect into glory. The Rosary and Contemplative Prayer A more simple and still more elevated way of reciting the Rosary is, while saying it, to keep the eyes of Faith fixed on the living Jesus Who is always making intercession for us and Who is acting upon us in accordance with the mysteries of His childhood, or His Passion, or His glory. He comes to us to make us like Himself. Let us fix our gaze on Jesus Who is looking at us. His look is more than kind and understand- ing: it is the look of God, a look which purifies, which sanctifies, which gives peace. It is the look of our Judge and still more the look of our Savior, our Friend, the Spouse of our souls. A Rosary said in this way, in solitude and silence, is a most fruitful exchange with Jesus. It is a conversation with Mary too, which leads to intimacy with Her Son. We sometimes read in the lives of the saints that Our Blessed Lord reproduced in them first His childhood, then His hidden life, then His apostolic life, and finally His Passion, before allowing them to share in His glory. He comes to us in a similar way in the Rosary and, well said, it is a prayer which gradually takes the form of an intimate con- versation with Jesus and Mary. It is easy to see how saintly souls have found in it a school of contemplation. It has sometimes been objected that one cannot reflect on the words and the mysteries at the same time. An answer that is often given is that it is not necessary to reflect on the words if one is meditating on or looking spiritually at one of the mysteries. The words are a kind of melody which soothes the ear and isolates us from the noise of the world around us, the fingers being occupied meanwhile in allowing one bead after another to slip through. Thus, the imagination is kept tran- quil and the mind and the will are set free to be united to God. It has also been objected that the monotony of the many repetitions in the Rosary leads necessarily to routine. This objection is valid only if the Rosary is said badly. If well said, it familiarizes us with the different mysteries of salvation and recalls what these mysteries should produce in our joys, our sorrows, and our hopes. Any prayer can become a matter of routine-even the Ordinary of the Mass. The reason is not that the prayers are imperfect, but that we do not say them as we should-with faith, confidence and love. The Spirit of the Rosary as St. Dominic Conceived It To understand the Rosary better it is well to recall how St. Dominic conceived it under the inspiration of Our Lady at a time when southern Francewas ravaged by the Albigensian heresy-a heresy which denied the infinite goodness and omnipotence of God by admitting a principle of evil which was often victorious. Not only did Albigensianism attack Christian morality, but it was opposed to dogma as well-to the great mysteries of creation, the redemptive incarnation, the descent of the Holy Ghost, the eternal life to which we are called. It was at that moment that Our Blessed Lady made known to St. Dominic a kind of preaching till then unknown, which She said would be one of the most powerful weapons against future errors and in future diffic- ulties. Under Her inspiration, St. Dominic went into the village of the heretics, gathered the people, and preached to them the mysteries of salvation-the Incarnation, the Redemption, Eternal Life. As Mary had taught him to do, he distinguished the different kinds of myster- ies, and after each short instruction he had ten Hail Marys recited- somewhat as might happen even today at a Holy Hour. And what the word of the preacher was unable to do, the sweet prayer of the Hail Mary did for hearts. As Mary had promised, it proved to be a most fruitful form of preaching. 2 If we live by the prayer of which St. Dominic's preaching is the ex- ample, our joys, our sorrows, and our hopes will be purified, elevated, and spiritualized. We shall see that Jesus, Our Savior and Our Model, wishes to make us like Himself, first communicating to us something of His infant and hidden life, then something of His sorrows, and finally making us partakers of His glorious life for all eternity. Taken from The Mother of the Savior and Our Interior Life, Tan Books; available from Catholic Family News. Footnotes: 1. Cf. IIa IIae, q. 180, a 6. The spiral movement lifts itself up to God progressively by the consideration of the different mysteries of salvation, all of which lead to Him. 2. The first fruit of the Rosary was the victory of Simon of Montfort over the Albigensians, obtained while St. Dominic implored Mary's help in prayer.
This is taken from the 'Letters to the Editor' section of the Catholic Family News November 1999 issue. Diocese of Rockville Centre to "Permit" Communion for Non-Catholics Dear Editor, I have heard that a diocese in Eastern New York is going to "permit" non-Catholics to receive Communion "under certain circumstances." Can you tell me anything about this? J. Reid Youngstown, OH Dear Mr. Reid, The October 6th Long Island Catholic, the diocesan newspaper for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, announced that "new guidelines" concerning Communion for non-Catholics "will become effective in Adv- ent of this year". The newspaper reported "Bishop McGann has announced new norms for non-Catholic Christians to be permitted under special circumstances to receive the Holy Eucharist from Catholic priests, deacons or special ministers." The "special circumstances" under which non-Catholics would be able to receive Communion include a non-Catholic "Christian" being married at a Catholic Mass, people confined to a hospital, nursing home or prison, and close family members at a Catholic funeral. The norms "underwent several revisions after much consultation with Bishop McGann, coadjutor Bishop James McHugh" (formerly from the Cam- den diocese) and others in McGann's chancery. One diocesan official attempted to deflect any criticism of the new guidelines stating "this is simply a local application under limited circumstances set by Catholic Church law, specifically the 1983 Rev- ised Code of Canon Law and the 1993 Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms of Ecumenism." In previous issues of Catholic Family News, we have reported exten- sively on this new Directory. It is a revolutionary document that will eventually transform the Catholic Church into an entirely new ecumen- ical construct since it "mandates ecumenism into every aspect of Cath- olic life. The Directory, the latest milestone in the ecumenical rev- olution, proposes practices that defy 2,000 years of Catholic teach- ing. This 1993 Vatican Directory contains the revolutionary ruling that unrepentant non-Catholics may receive the Eucharist "in certain circ- umstances." It even states that it can sometimes be "commendable" for non-Catholics to receive Communion. [#129] In the Directory's section on "Sharing in Sacramental Life, Especial- ly the Eucharist", the Vatican Directory "permits" non-Catholics to receive the Eucharist in danger of death. [#130] Then, it FURTHER RECOMMENDS (it doesn't command) that the Bishop set up norms for other instances where non-Catholics may receive Communion. [#131] The four conditions laid down by the Vatican are that the non-Catholic: 1) be unable to have recourse to a minister of his or her own church or ecclesial Community for the Sacrament desired; 2) ask for the Sacrament of his or her own initiative; 3) manifest Catholic faith in this Sacrament; 4) be properly disposed. YET, NONE OF THESE PROGRESIVE CONDITIONS SATISFY THE DEMANDS OF CATH- OLIC TEACHING REGARDING WORTHY RECEPTION OF THE EUCHARIST: FIRSTLY, the inability of non-Catholics to receive "sacraments" from their own heretical ministers does not suddenly transform a non- Catholic into the state of grace fit to receive Communion. SECONDLY, traditional Church teaching, manifested in the old Code of Cannon Law, strictly forbade the administration of Sacraments to here- tics and schismatics who ask for them, even if they err in good faith. The Old Code taught: "IT IS FORBIDDEN TO GIVE SACRAMENTS TO HERETICS OR SCHISMATICS WHO ASK FOR THEM, EVEN IF THEY ERR IN GOOD FAITH, UN- LESS THEY FIRST REJECT THEIR ERRORS AND ARE RECONCILED TO THE CHURCH" (Canon 731,2). This teaching is unalterable because it rests not on changeable legislation, but on immutable Catholic doctrine. THIRDLY, manifesting Catholic faith in the Sacrament is not enough for a worthy Communion. A soul in mortal sin may hold and express Catholic belief in the Sacraments, but he still may not receive. The Council of Trent teaches infallibly, "If anyone says that Faith alone is a sufficient preparation for receiving the Sacrament of the most holy Eucharist: let him be ANATHEMA." FOURTHLY, in the objective order, it is impossible for a non-Catholic to be "properly disposed" to receive the Eucharist since he is not a member of the One True Church. Yet these new rulings clearly indicate that Communion can be given to non-Catholics WHO HAVE NO INTENTION of joining the one true Catholic Church. Intercommunion is yet another outrage thanks to the modernist doct- rine of ecumenism. It is no wonder that when Pius XI condemned all interfaith activity in his 1926 encyclical, MORTALIUM ANIMOS, he war- ned that "these fair and alluring words (of ecumenism) conceal a most deadly error, subversive to the Catholic Faith". Tragically, since 1958 we are no longer blessed with Church leaders who manfully hurl cold buckets of rebuke into ecumenism's fatuous grin. Worst still, we find that our own Churchmen have now adopted ecumenism's shallow smile and poisonous touch. Since Vatican II, in the name of ecumenism, countless Catholic cler- gymen have been straining at the leash to practice intercommunion with members of false religions. For example, at the 1974 Synod on Evangel- ization in Rome, many bishops from various countries were calling for the Church to introduce intercommunion as the next logical step in ecumenical practice. In June of 1976, Cardinal Suenens of Belgium, the darling of the charismatics, was gleefully administering Communion to Protestants of various denominations at a charismatic prayer meeting in his home dio- cese of Malines. On another occasion, Suenens abstained from practicing intercomm- union, not because he saw anything wrong with it, but because it may have gotten him into trouble. In his autobiography, Suenens wrote that when he hosted the ecumenical Faith and Order World Conference in Louvain, it seemed likely that non-Catholics attending the Sunday Mass would attempt to receive the Eucharist. He declined from administering Communion that day because "the Vatican might use it against me". Suenens further recounted without remorse that at least ten non- Catholics received Communion at this gathering. The loud clamor for intercommunion continues. In Modern Catholicism, a 1991 book conspicuously present on many library shelves in Catholic seminaries and universities, the progressive F.J. Laishley calls for intercommunion as a natural follow-through of the new ecumenical tea- chings of Vatican II. Though unfettered intercommunion has yet to be permitted, the Vatican continues to move in a direction that warms the hearts of the most ar- dent ecumenists and gives fervent zest to their hopes. The 1993 Vati- can Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms of Ecum- enism encourages numerous unprecedented interfaith practices that have always been condemned by the Church as grave sins against Faith. The Directory: * allows Protestants to conduct the readings (except the Gospel) in a Catholic Church [#133] * encourages common "spiritual exercises" and "retreat" between Cath- olics and Protestants [#114] * allows non-Catholics to lecture in seminaries [#81] * commands that young children be taught ecumenism in the schools[68] * Mandates ecumenism for priests and religious in their years of for- mation [#'s 51,70] * commands priests to take part in the "continuous aggiornamento" of ecumenical teaching and practice [#91] * encourages diocesan bishops to lend their parish churches to non- Catholics for their prayer services [#137] * promotes interdenominational prayer-services among Catholics and Protestants in each other's churches [#112] * encourages the joint publication of an interdenominational Bible betwwen Catholics and Protestants [#185] * discourages Catholics from attempting to convert non-Catholics [#'s 23,79,81,125] * encourages catholics to "rejoice in the grace of God"[sic] in Prot- estants. [#206] * recommends the construction of a single church to be owned and used by both Catholics and non-Catholis [#138] * further recommends that in these joint churches, the Blessed Sacra- ment be placed in a seperate chapel or room so as not to offend non- believers. [#139] This is where the 1993 Directory is headed. And the "new guidelines" by the Diocese of Rockville Centre have brought the Catholics in that region into the latest phase of this ONGOING revolutionary program. Catholics must not become complacent as mitred radicals continue to destroy their traditional Faith and Catholic heritage. Their duty is to resist. PERSONALLY, I NEVER GIVE THESE PARISHES OR DIOCESES ANY FI- NANCIAL SUPPORT WHATSOEVER. I only contribute to those places where the traditional Catholic Faith is preserved and loved. Catholics must also educate themselves and others about the dangers of these new ecumenical practices. Lastly, we must offer many prayers of reparation for the sacrileges that will multiply drastically now that unrepentant heretics will increasingly receive the Eucharist. This is truly a time for outrage, for prayers, and for uncompromising resistance. John Vennari, Editor Taken from Catholic Family News November 1999 issue. Catholic Family News M.P.O. Box 743 Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14302 Subscription: 12 issues per year $26.00 U.S. Free sample copy available on request.