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| Outlines of New Testament History [1898] |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-23-2024, 09:41 AM - Forum: Church Doctrine & Teaching
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OUTLINES OF NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY
BY REV. FRANCIS E. GIGOT, D.D., Mooney Professor of the Sacred Scriptures in St. Joseph’s Seminary Dunwoodie, New York.
SECOND AND REVISED EDITION
NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO. BENZIGER BROTHERS, PRINTERS TO THE PUBLISHERS OF HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE
Nihil Obstat. J. B. HOGAN, S.S., D.D., Censor Deputatus.
Imprimatur. † MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York. NEW YORK, July 20, 1898.
1898, BY BENZIGER BROTHERS.
PREFACE
THE present is a companion volume to the “Outlines of Jewish History” published some months ago. It deals with the historical data supplied by the inspired writings of the New Testament, in exactly the same manner as the preceding work did with the various events recorded in the sacred books of the Old Testament. In both volumes the writer has pursued the same purpose and followed the same methods.
Both works have been prepared for the special use of theological students, not, however, without the hope that they may prove serviceable to a much larger number of readers, such as teachers of Bible history in Sunday-schools, colleges, academies, and the like. In neither volume has it been the aim of the writer to supply a substitute for the Bible itself, but rather a help towards a more careful perusal of the inspired record. With this purpose in view, he has set forth such results of modern investigation as may render the sacred narrative more intelligible and attractive. Many of the difficulties which are daily being raised on historical grounds are also touched upon, and the biblical student is supplied with constant references to further sources of information.
Like the historical writings of the New Testament, the present volume contains two distinct, though very closely connected parts. The first part, gathered from the four narratives of our canonical gospels, describes the life and times of Our Lord; the second, based mainly on the book of the Acts, presents a brief sketch of the labors of Peter, Paul, James, and John, the leading apostles of Christ. The first part, under the title of “The Gospel History,” takes up the sacred narrative at the point where it was left in the “Outlines of Jewish History,” and deals with the three-and-thirty years of Our Lord’s mortal life; the second, entitled “The Apostolic History,” narrates the principal events connected with the planting and early spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire down to the year 98 A.D.
As an additional help to the student, two maps—one of Palestine in the Time of Our Lord, the other of the Roman Empire in the Apostolic Times—have been especially prepared, and will be found at the end of the volume, together with a Chronological Table established on the now commonly admitted fact that the birth of Our Lord took place some years before what is called the Christian era.
July 16, 1898.
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| Father of Dead Liberation Theology Has Died |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-23-2024, 08:09 AM - Forum: Vatican II and the Fruits of Modernism
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Father of Dead Liberation Theology Has Died
![[Image: 9uvp8qclqjg8tvdoeu991c161prdgneq3rbjo9u....97&webp=on]](https://seedus3932.gloriatv.net/storage1/9uvp8qclqjg8tvdoeu991c161prdgneq3rbjo9u.webp?secure=vPj5LqppuXkxmg-dPSE7uw&expires=1729863997&webp=on)
gloria.tv | October 22, 2024
Peruvian Dominican Father Gustavo Gutiérrez, 96, considered as the father of the Liberation Theology of a Marxist style, died on October 23 in Lima.
The Dominicans claimed that Gustavo Gutiérrez leaves “a profound legacy in the Church and in the social movements of Latin America”.
For them, Gutierrez was “a reference in contemporary theological reflection, decisively influencing the Second Vatican Council and various pastoral currents”.
The Peruvian Episcopal Conference expressed its condolences highlighting the life of a man who allegedly “dedicated his life to the cause of the Gospel from a preferential option for the poor”.
Also expressing his condolences is the Neo-Cardinal Carlos Castillo, Pachamama-Archbishop of Lima. He was one of the closest disciples of Gutierrez.
Who was Gustavo Gutiérrez?
Gutiérrez Merino was ordained a priest in 1959. He joined the Dominicans only in 1998 to escape the jurisdiction of his bishop.
He was one of the most influential clergymen in Peru in the eighties and nineties. He was a political activist, rarely seen leading the Eucharist and considered by many as the true father of the heretical Liberation Ideology.
In his book Teología de la liberación: Perspectivas, Gutiérrez wrote like a Marxist that 'class struggle is a fact and neutrality in this matter is impossible' and that 'the rich are loved by fighting them'.
He called poverty, chosen by many saints to follow Christ, “a scandalous state, an offence to human dignity and therefore contrary to the will of God”.
Liberation Theology was a movement that has been the most destructive plague to hit the Church in Latin America, both ideologically and pastorally. For three decades this movement wiped out religious communities, killed vocations and contaminated the pastoral life of the Church, all in the name of the "poor" whom it never served.
During John Paul II's visit to Lima in 1988, Gutiérrez was stopped by volunteers while he tried to gain access to the closing Mass with false credentials, seeking a photo opportunity with John Paul in order to appear to be in communion with the man he had described as a "shitty Pole" (Spanish: polaco de mierda) during Wojtyla's historic first trip to Puebla (Mexico) in 1979.
Curiously, one of the most 'conservative' voices in the current College of Cardinals, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, showed considerable sympathy for Gutiérrez. In 2014, he presented a book with two chapters written by Gutiérrez and a prologue by Francis.
In 2015, a Romanian spy chief in the 1970s told ACI Prensa that “the KGB [the Soviet secret service] created and financed Liberation Theology.”
In 2018, Francis sent a warm congratulation to Gutierrez’s 90th birthday.
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| The Titulus Project |
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Posted by: Scripsi Scripsi - 10-22-2024, 08:57 AM - Forum: Great Reset
- Replies (10)
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I have an idea.
I'm not sure it's a good idea; but I'll float it.
I'm sharing it here precisely because Fr. Hewko teaches that Catholics cannot vote in this election. I thank him for preaching this truth. I think he may be the lone voice spanning all of Tradition. May God bless him for that.
Many of us will still be heading to the polls to vote in local elections. In my state there are two referenda and some local races where I would like to cast a vote. Thus many of us will have ballots in our hands, and will have to decide what to do about the presidential race. We may not want to leave the ballot blank, lest some criminal fill it in with the name of one of our enemies.
My idea is that we should write in, in Latin: Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judaeorum.
This, and not: Christ the King.
Why?
I believe that the presidential and other races carry curses and spells, and that those who participate in them not only commit sin but come under demonic oppression - come under the curses when they consent to be ruled by the demons, via their vote. I believe that the demons actually get authority over people when they cast votes for members of the demon-acracy. This would go a long way to explain the exponential decline of America into moral degradation, over mere decades, no matter which party captures the oval office. It also explains why so many traditional Catholics are still going to vote for Trump, even after God has provided them with ample evidence that Trump is exactly the same as Harris.
Recall just how odious was the Titulus of our Lord to His enemies. They demanded that Pilate erase and rescind it. It cut them to the heart, the same way the words of St. Stephen cut them. They hate it - but more, they are terrified of it - because it is absolute Truth, and a powerful weapon against their malevolent designs.
The Titulus carries massive spiritual power. This utterance, this Title of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the utterance of Almighty God Himself. It will break curses and demonic strangleholds. I believe this with all my heart.
Hence, I suggest this idea to, perhaps, the one and only group in vestigial Christendom that might just agree.
God protect and save us!
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| Vatican renews its secretive deal with China for appointing bishops |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-22-2024, 07:56 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
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Vatican renews its secretive deal with China for appointing bishops
The highly secretive and controversial Sino-Vatican deal lauded by Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin has been renewed for four years. It was launched in 2018 and has been criticized by numerous religious and political figures internationally.
![[Image: GettyImages-941542576-e1729592557869.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-941542576-e1729592557869.jpg)
Flags of Vatican and China painted on cracked wall
Racide/Getty Images
Oct 22, 2024
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — The Holy See has renewed its secretive deal with China, according to a spokesman for the Chinese government today.
During a regular press conference October 22, Beijing spokesman Lin Jian revealed that the Chinese government has renewed its 2018 deal with the Holy See, this time for four years instead of the previous norm of two years.
“The achievement and the implementation of the agreement have been commended from both sides,” Lin stated, referring to the 2018 deal on the appointment of bishops in China.
He added:
Quote:Through friendly consultations, the two sides have decided to extend the agreement for another four years. The two sides will maintain talks with a constructive spirit and continue to advance the improvement of China-Vatican relations.
Emblematic of the deal in recent years, it was China who announced the renewal of the deal some hours before the Vatican gave any comment.
In the customary noon press release, the Holy See stated:
Quote:In light of the consensus reached for an effective application of the Provisional Agreement regarding the Appointment of Bishops, after appropriate consultation and assessment, the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China have agreed to extend further its validity for four years from the present date.
The Vatican Party remains dedicated to furthering the respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese Party, in view of the further development of bilateral relations for the benefit of the Catholic Church in China and the Chinese people as a whole
The officially secret deal is believed to recognize the state-approved church in China and allows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to appoint bishops. The Pope apparently maintains veto power, although in practice it is the CCP that has control. It also allegedly allows for the removal of legitimate bishops to be replaced by CCP-approved bishops.
In a 2018 letter to Chinese Catholics, Francis described the deal as forming a “new chapter of the Catholic Church in China.” Speaking on the papal plane recently, Francis affirmed his pleasure with how the relationship is proceeding: “Yes, I’m pleased with the dialogues with China. The results are good. Even for the appointment of bishops, things are progressing with good will.”
The Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin confirmed to this correspondent earlier this year that the Holy See aimed to renew the deal. Parolin has served as the Vatican’s secretary of state and chief diplomat since October 2013 and has been in the Holy See’s diplomatic service since 1986. Intimately involved in orchestrating the deal from the beginning, he has emerged as the foremost public defender of the deal alongside the Pope.
Speaking in July 2023, Parolin defended the secretive nature of the deal, stating that “the text is confidential because it has not yet been finally approved.” The deal “revolves around the basic principle of consensuality of decisions affecting bishops” and is effected by “trusting in the wisdom and goodwill of all,” said Parolin last summer.
Various Vatican sources also confided to certain members of the Vatican press corps that relations between Beijing and the Vatican have apparently “made progress” of late. This, the officials said, was largely due to the current bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., who has highlighted a spirit of “dialogue” between the two parties.
However, so marked have been Chow’s signs of appeasement to Beijing that a report warned that his Diocese of Hong Kong was actively working with the CCP to effect “sinicization” – the process of CCP state-assimilation and control.
Numerous China experts have also criticized the Vatican for the deal, and then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned in 2020 that “(t)he Vatican endangers its moral authority, should it renew the deal.” He linked to an article he penned on the subject in which he stated that “it’s clear that the Sino-Vatican agreement has not shielded Catholics from the Party’s depredations.”
The highly secretive deal has been styled by Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, as an “incredible betrayal,” with the much-loved cardinal further accusing the Vatican of “selling out” Chinese Catholics.
While Parolin has defended the deal as a necessary means of “dialogue” with the Communist authorities, the deal has led to a heightened increase in religious persecution since it was signed. The ink had barely dried on the deal in 2018 before AsiaNews, a website that regularly documents the abduction and torture of underground Catholics, reported that “(u)nderground Catholics bitterly suspect that the Vatican has abandoned them.”
Such persecution the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China described as a direct consequence of the deal. In its 2020 report, the commission wrote that the persecution witnessed is “of an intensity not seen since the Cultural Revolution.”
READ: Pope Francis said Chinese Catholics will ‘suffer’ under his deal. They are
The commission’s latest 2023 report released this May – covering the period from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 – highlighted a similar situation:
Quote:The Chinese Communist Party and government have continued their efforts to assert control over Catholic leadership, community life, and religious practice, installing two bishops in contravention of the 2018 Sino-Vatican agreement and accelerating the integration of the church in Hong Kong with the PRC-based, state-sponsored Catholic Patriotic Association and its Party-directed ideology.
“During the Commission’s 2023 reporting year, officials exerted pressure on both registered and unregistered Catholic communities, taking coercive action against churches and detaining members of the clergy,” the report reads.
It gave evidence of priests arrested by the Chinese authorities and subjected to “a program of political indoctrination, after which several consented to join the official church, while authorities have kept those who did not consent under surveillance and prevented them from exercising their pastoral ministry roles.”
“All bishops who refuse to join the Catholic Patriotic Association are being placed under house arrest, or disappeared, by the CCP,” China expert Steven Moser told LifeSiteNews earlier this year. “Although the Vatican said several years ago that the Sino-Vatican agreement does not require anyone to join this schismatic organization, refusal to do so results in persecution and punishment. And the Vatican stands by and does nothing.”
Only days ago, one of the two CCP bishops present at the Synod on Synodality lauded the Sino-Vatican deal on the synod floor.
Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang added that in China “we effectively adapt to society, serve it, adhere to the direction of the sinicization of Catholicism, and preach the Good News.”
It remains to be seen now whether the Vatican considers that the deal – renewed for four years at the start of its sixth year of existence – is still to be kept confidential, or whether in fact it has been officially approved by either party.
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| A Call to Catholic Resistance Against the Infanticide Genocide |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-22-2024, 06:50 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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A Call to Catholic Resistance Against the Infanticide Genocide
![[Image: rs=w:1280]](https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/df55e1a9-c854-4d0b-a2a9-94177954436c/Studio-Project-9.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1280)
THE ☩ TRUMPET | October 21, 2024
In the face of the greatest atrocity of our time—abortion, or as we must rightly call it, infanticide genocide—faithful Catholics are confronted with a grave moral crisis. Is it really Catholic to think we can vote this atrocity away? The examples set by the great saints and martyrs of the Church, such as St. Thomas More, St. John Fisher, the valiant Cristeros, and the brave Vendeans, compel us to take a stand that transcends the ineffective and hollow promises of "democracy." These holy warriors did not sit idly by while the innocent were slaughtered. They fought back with unyielding conviction, and we must ask ourselves: how are we responding to the grave injustice before us?
St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher faced death rather than betray the truth of their faith in a tyrannical regime that sought to impose its will over the sanctity of life. They refused to accept the heretical dictates of King Henry VIII, willingly embracing martyrdom rather than compromise their convictions. The Cristeros rose in armed resistance against a government hell-bent on eradicating the Catholic faith. These valiant souls did not flinch in the face of tyranny; they took up arms, willing to lay down their lives for the sacredness of life and the integrity of their faith. The brave Vendeans stood against the violent tide of the French Revolution, which sought to obliterate the Catholic Church and its teachings. They knew that their fight was not just for their lives but for the very soul of their society. Their unwavering conviction and radical action teach us that mere participation in the frameworks of "democracy" will not bring an end to this genocide; passive acceptance of tyranny is not an option.
Our Lady has provided us with the Scapular and the Rosary for our times—not a ballot box. In a world so engulfed in moral decay, we must confront the agents of infanticide genocide with the same fervor and determination that our saints displayed. We cannot be passive observers in this crisis; we must become active participants in the fight for life. This means embracing our convictions with a fervor that leaves no room for compromise. Let us not rest until we have confronted the agents of this infanticide and demanded justice for the unborn. This is not a time for polite petitions or lobbying; this is a time for decisive action.
Should we vote for candidates who promise incremental changes, hoping they will appoint pro-life advocates if elected? Should we wait for another "term" in the election, placing our hopes in gradualism? Should we continue to participate in a democracy that permits the slaughter of the innocent? Or will we refuse to engage with a system that fails to protect life and instead advocate for the social kingship of Christ? We must remain resolute until the killings stop or until the Church once again becomes the guiding authority of the state. We cannot afford to yield; we must stand firm in our convictions and fight until the culture of death is vanquished.
-The ☩ Trumpet
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| St. Anthony Mary Claret: Excerpts from his autobiography - On Modesty and Mortification |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-21-2024, 08:19 AM - Forum: The Saints
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St. Anthony Mary Claret wrote his autobiography reluctantly and only under obedience to his religious superiors. This chapter out of his book details the apostolic techniques which proved so successful in saving souls. Our Lord told him several times: "Give me blood (mortification) and I will give you spirit."
St. Anthony resolved never to waste a moment of time and during his 35 years a priest, he wrote 144 books and preached some 25,000 sermons. On one trip, besides traveling, he preached 205 sermons in 48 days – 12 in one day. Giving the reason he worked so zealously, he wrote: "If you were to see a blind man about to fall into a pit or over a precipice, would you not warn him? Behold, I do the same and do it I must, for this is my duty. I must warn sinners and make them see the precipice which leads to the unquenchable fires of Hell, for they will surely go there if they do not amend their ways. Woe to me if I do not preach and warn them, for I would be held responsible for their condemnation."
Besides working numerous miracles throughout his priestly life, St. Anthony Mary possessed the gifts of prophecy and discernment of hearts. Often Our Lord and Our Lady would appear to him. Once Our Lord told him that three great judgments would soon descend upon the world: 1. Protestantism and Communism; 2. The love of pleasures and money and independence of reason and will; 3. Great wars with their horrible consequences. He boldly proclaimed: "The sole reason why society is perishing is because it has refused to hear the word of the Church, which is the word of God. All plans for salvation will be sterile if the great word of the Catholic Church is not restored in all its fullness."
Here are his words on mortification:
The missionary is a spectacle to God, to the Angels, and to men. For this reason, he must be very circumspect and prudent in all his words, works, and ways. To this effect, I resolved that my conduct both at home and away from it, should be to talk very little, and to weigh every word I uttered, because people not infrequently take words to mean other than the speaker intends them to mean.
When talking to others, I proposed never to make gestures with my hands. In some places this is strongly ridiculed and looked upon as displeasing. My constant intention was always to speak sparingly, and that only when necessary. I resolved to speak briefly, and in a quiet and grave manner, without touching my face, chin, head, and much less my nose. I determined also never to make grimaces with my mouth, or to utter any funny or ridiculous statement, and never to ridicule anyone, because I saw that by doing these things, the missionary loses much of the authority, respect and veneration which is his due. All this is the result of fickleness, scant mortification, and little modesty. These habits and similar coarseness of manners manifest little or no education on the part of their possessors.
The missioner must also be at peace with all as St. Paul says. Now, with this in mind, I never scolded anyone, but tried to be kind to all. I endeavored also never to pass funny remarks about anyone, nor did I like to indulge in any form of buffoonery or mockery at another's expense. Laughing did not appeal to me, although I always manifested joy, gentleness and kindness in my person, for I remembered that Jesus was never seen to laugh, although He was seen weeping on some occasions. Those words also helped me determine my conduct: "Stultus in risu exaltat vocem suam; vir autem sapiens vix tacite ridebit -- The fool raises his voice in laughter, but the wise man will scarcely laugh in silence."
Modesty, as we all know, is that virtue which teaches us how to do all things in the right way. It sets before our eyes how Jesus did things, and it tells us to do the same. So, before each action that I was about to do, I always asked myself, and still do, how Jesus Christ would do it. What care, purity and rectitude of intention should I have if I were to act like my Divine Model! How He preached; how He conversed; how He ate and rested; how He dealt with all manner of people; how He prayed; in fine, all His ways of doing things, were the sum and substance of my constant meditation and efforts, for with God's grace I determined to imitate Our Lord in everything, so as to be able to say with the Apostle, if not by word of mouth, then by my works: "Be ye imitators of me as I am of Christ."
I understood, O God, that if the missionary is to gather fruit in his ministry, it is essential for him to be not only irreproachable, but also in all places a man of virtue. People respect much more that which they see in a missionary than what they hear about him. this is proved by those words concerning Our Lord, the Model Missionary: "Coepit facere et docere." First of all He did things, then He taught afterwards.
Thou knowest, O my God, the number of times that in spite of all my resolutions I have failed against holy modesty. Thou wilt surely know if some have been scandalized by my lack of observance of this virtue. My Lord, if such be the case, I beg Thy pardon and mercy. I give Thee my word that, putting into practice the words of the Apostle, I will do my best to make my modesty known to all men. I promise that my modesty shall be like that of Jesus Christ, as St. Paul exhorts so strongly, and that I will imitate the humble St. Francis of Assisi who preached by his modesty, and converted many people by his good example. O my Lord Jesus, Love of my heart. I love Thee, and wish to draw all men to Thy most holy love!
Without mortification I knew that modesty was impossible. therefore I endeavored with the utmost determination to acquire this virtue of self-denial, cost what it might, yet always relying on the help of God's grace.
In the first place, I resolved to deprive myself of all taste or preference, and to give it to God. Without knowing how, I felt myself obliged to fulfill what was only of precept. My understanding was confronted with an inevitable alternative; either I should cater to my own taste or to God's. Now, as my understanding saw this gross inequality even though in such a small matter as this, I felt myself obliged to follow the good pleasure of God. Therefore, I willingly denied myself innocent and legitimate pleasures in order to have all my taste and gratification in God. I follow this rule even now in all things, in regard to meals, drink, sleep, in talking, looking, listening, and going to any part of the country, etc...
The grace of God has helped me a great deal in the practice of mortification, for I know that this habit of denying oneself is indispensably necessary to make one's work for souls fruitful, as well as one's prayer pleasing to God Our Lord.
In a very special manner have the examples of Jesus and Mary and the Saints encouraged me in this practice of mortification. I read assiduously the Lives of the Saints to see how they were wont to deny themselves, and I have made special notes which regulate my personal conduct. Singular among them must be mentioned St. Bernard, St. Peter of Alcantara, and St. Philip of Neri, of whom I have read that after having been for thirty years the confessor of a Roman lady renowned for her rare beauty, he still did not know her by sight.
I can say with certainty that I know the many women who come to confession to me more by their voice than by their features, because I never look at any woman's face. In their presence I blush and turn red. Not that the looking at them causes me temptations, for I do not have them, thanks be to God, but the fact still remains that I always blush, even though I cannot explain why. I might mention here that I naturally and in an entirely unaccountable manner keep in mind and observe that oft-repeated admonition of the holy Fathers, which goes: Sermo rigidus et brevis cum muliere est habendus et oculos humi dejectos habe -- Speech with women must be serious and brief, while the eyes must be cast on the ground. I know not how to hold a conversation with a woman, no matter how good she may be. In few and grave words I tell her what she must know, and then immediately I dismiss her without looking to see if she be rich or poor, beautiful or ugly.
When I was giving missions in Catalonia, I stayed at the rectories of those parishes in which I gave missions. During all that time I do not remember having looked at the face of any woman, whether she happened to be the housekeeper, the servant, or the relative of the parish-priest. Once it happened that after some time I returned to Vich, or some other town, and I was accosted by a lady who said to me: "Anthony Claret, don't you know me? I am the housekeeper of such and such a priest in whose parish you were for so many days giving a mission." but I did not recognize her; neither did I look at her. With my gaze fixed on the ground, I asked her: "And how is his Reverence the pastor?"
What is more, I shall relate another instance which could not have been so, had I not received very special graces from heaven. While I was in the island of Cuba, for six years and two months to be exact, I confirmed more than 300,000 persons, the majority of whom were women, and young ones at that. If any one were to ask me what are the characteristics of the Cuban women's features, I would say that I do not know, despite the fact that I have confirmed so many of them. In order to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation, I had to look where their foreheads were, and this I did in a rapid glance, after which I shut my eyes and kept them shut all during the administration of the Sacrament.
Besides this blushing that was natural to me when in the presence of women, and which hindered me from looking at them, there was another reason which prompted me to adhere to this mode of conduct. It was the desire to profit souls. I remember having read years ago of a famous preacher who went to preach in a certain town. His preaching turned out to be very fruitful, and all the townsfolk were lavish in their praise of him. "Oh, what a saint!" said they. Yet there was one exception of all these praises, and it came from a wicked man who said: "Perhaps he is a saint, but I can tell you one thing, and it is this: he likes women a great deal, for he was staring at them." This single expression was enough in itself to decrease the prestige which the good preacher had merited in that town, and not only that, but it brought to naught all the fruit which his preaching had produced.
Incidentally, I have also noticed that people form a poor opinion of a priest who does not mortify his eyes. Of Jesus Christ I read that He was always mortified and modest in regard to His looks, for the Evangelists have accounted as an extraordinary occurrence each time He lifted up His eyes.
The hearing was another faculty which I tried to mortify continually, especially disliking to listen to superfluous conversations and idle words. I could never suffer or tolerate those conversations which were detrimental to charity. If I happened to be present at one of them, I would either withdraw or refrain from taking part in it, or I would show my disapproval by the sad expression my face. This distaste applied also to conversations about food, drink, riches, or any worldly topic, including political news. neither did I care to read newspapers, for I should prefer to read a chapter of the Holy Bible wherein I know for sure that what I read is true. In newspapers, as a general rule, one finds only a great deal of lies and useless reading.
It was my constant aim to deny myself in regard to speaking. Just as I have said that I dislike to hear useless things, so also in the same way I hated to talk of useless nothings. My resolution also embraced my keeping quiet about my sermons. I resolved never to talk of my sermons after their delivery. Since I myself was repelled by others talking of what they delivered, I concluded that others would be displeased with me if I, too, talked about my sermons. Thus, my fixed resolve was never to mention my sermons after delivering them, to do my very best in the pulpit, and to recommend all to God. If anyone gave me advice about my preaching, I received it with sincere gratitude and without excusing myself or explaining my views on the matter. I tried to amend and correct myself as much as possible.
I have observed before now that some people behave like hens which cackle after they lay their eggs, and thus are deprived of them. The same happens to some priests of little prudence, who, as soon as they have done some good work, such as hearing confession, or delivering a sermon or lecture, go in search of the baubles of vanity by speaking so smugly of what they have done and what they have said. Just as the hearing of this repels me, I conclude that I would repel others if I were to talk of the very same subjects. Thus, I have made it an inflexible rule never to speak of what I have done.
The subject which was most repugnant to me was the talking of things heard in confession, not only because of the danger involved in breaking the sacramental seal of confession, but also because of the bad effect produced on such people as may happen to hear anything of this nature. In view of these facts, I resolved on no account to speak of persons and their affairs in relation to confession, whether they had not been to confession for a long or short time, whether they had made a general confession or not, in a word, to say absolutely nothing of these affairs. I disliked hearing of priests who spoke of those who had gone to confession to them, what they had confessed and how long it had been since they had absented themselves from that sacrament of reconciliation. If any priest came to consult me about certain problems encountered in the confessional, I could not bear to hear him using the words: "I find myself in such a situation, with such a case; what shall I do?" I would tell them to recount their difficulties in the third person, as for example: "Let us suppose that a confessor is confronted with such and such a case of a certain nature. What steps should be taken?"
Our Lord gave me to understand that one of the things which would be of the utmost utility to the missionary is the virtue of self-denial in the matter of food and drink. The Italians have a saying which goes: "Not much credit is given to saints who eat." People believe that missionaries are more heavenly than earthly beings, that at least they are like unto the saints of God who need not eat or drink. God Our Lord has given me a very special grace in this regard, of going without eating, or eating very little. There were three reasons in my case for not eating much. Firstly, because I was unable to do so, not having an appetite, especially when I had to preach very often or had to hear many confessions. At other times I used to be somewhat hungry, but I did not eat even then, particularly when I was traveling, for I would refrain from doing so in order to be able to walk better. Finally, I would abstain from eating in order to edify, for I observed that everybody was watching me. From this it can be gathered that I ate very little, in spite of the fact that I was, at times, very hungry.
Whenever I did eat, I took what was given me, always however, in small quantities, and food of inferior quality. If I happened to reach the rectory of the parish at an unseasonable hour, I would tell the cook to prepare only a little soup and an egg -- nothing more. I never took meat; not even now do I eat it, not because I do not like it, for I do, but because I know that not taking it is most edifying. Neither did I take wine; although I like it, it has been years since I have tasted it, excluding, of course, the ablutions at Mass. The same may be said of liquor and spirits of any kind; I never take them, although I am still fond of them, since I used to take a little in years gone by. Abstaining from food and drink is a source of edification, and is even necessary nowadays in order to counteract the disgraceful excesses so prevalent in these times.
When I was in Segovia in the year 1859, on the 4th of September, at 4:25 in the morning, while I was at meditation, Jesus Christ said to me: "You have to teach mortification in eating and drinking to your missionaries, Anthony." A few minutes afterwards the Blessed Virgin told me: "By doing this you will reap fruit in souls, Anthony."
At that time I was giving a mission in the cathedral of Segovia to the clergy, the nuns, and the people of that city. One day while all were at table it was mentioned that the former Bishop, a man of marked zeal, had exhorted some priests to go and give missions -- an exhortation which they fulfilled to the letter. After having walked a fair distance, these priests began to get so hungry and thirsty that they decided to stop and have lunch, since they had brought some food and drink with them. Meanwhile some people of the town to which they were going came to welcome them, but finding the priests eating, the people lost their esteem for them, so much so that those missionaries were unable to make any headway in that town. So the story goes at any rate, although I do not know how it originated. All I know is, that it was as a confirmation of what had been told me by Jesus and Mary.
My experience has taught me that mortification is very edifying in a missionary. Even now it stands me in good stead. In the Palace here at Madrid, banquets are held frequently, while before they were even more frequent. I am always invited to them, but if it is possible, I excuse myself. If I cannot possibly excuse myself from attending, I go to them, but always eat less than usual on those festive occasions. It is my custom then to take only a little soup and a small piece of fruit; nothing else -- no wine, no water. Of course, all look at me and are highly edified. Before I came to Madrid, as I am led to understand, disorders were rampant everywhere. Indeed, this could be easily gathered. So many rich and sumptuous dishes, exquisite meals, and so much wine of all kinds decked the tables, that inducements to excess were not wanting. But since the time that I was obliged to take part in the banquets, I have not noticed the slightest excess; on the contrary, it appears to me that the guests refrain from taking what they need, because they see me not eating. Often at the table, those guests sitting on both sides talk to me of spiritual subjects, and even ask the name of the church in which I hear confessions, so as to come there themselves and confess their sins.
In order to edify my neighbor more and more, I have always refrained from smoking and taking snuff. Never have I said, or even hinted, that one thing pleases me more than the another. I have done this for as long as I can remember. Our Lord had so bestowed upon me this heavenly blessing of indifference that my dear mother (requiescat in pace) died without knowing what things I liked most. As she loved me so very much, she would try to please me by asking if I would like to have certain things in preference to other things. I would answer that I was pleased most of all by whatever she chose and gave me. But this reply would not be enough, for she would add: "I know that very well, but we always like some things more than others." To this I would respond that whatever she gave me was the thing I liked most of all. I naturally had inclinations for what suited me best, as we all have; but the spiritual satisfaction I had in doing another's will was so great that it surpassed the natural satisfaction resulting from doing my own will. Thus, I told the truth when I assured my mother that her will was my greatest pleasure.
Besides denying self in regard to sight, hearing, speaking, in the senses of taste and smell, I tried also to perform some acts of mortification, such as taking the discipline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and wearing the cilice on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. If, however, I found that circumstances of time and place did not favor these modes of penance, I used to practice some other form of mortification, as for example: praying with the arms stretched out in the form of a cross, or with the fingers under the knees. I know very well that worldly people and those who have not the spirit of Jesus Christ make little of, and even disapprove of, these mortifications. But for my part, I keep in mind the teaching laid down by St. John of the Cross which states: "If anyone affirms that one can reach perfection without practicing exterior mortification, do not believe him; and even though he confirm this assertion by working miracles, know that his contentions are nothing but illusions."
As for me, I look to St. Paul for my example, for he mortified himself, and said publicly: "Castigo corpus meum et in servitutem redigo, ne forte cum aliis praedicaverim ipse reprobus efficiar -- I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps when I have preached to others I myself may become a castaway." All the saints until now have done in like manner. Venerable Rodriquez says that the Blessed Virgin said to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, that no spiritual grace comes to the soul, commonly speaking, except by way of prayer and bodily afflictions. There is an old principle which goes: "Da mihi sanguinem et dabo tibi spiritum." Woe to those who are enemies of mortification and of the cross of Christ!
In one act of mortification one can practice many virtues, according to the different ends which one proposes in each act, as for example:- He who mortifies his body for the purpose of checking concupiscence, performs an act of the virtue of temperance.
- If he does this, purposing thereby to regulate his life well, it will be an act of the virtue of prudence.
- If he mortifies himself for the purpose of satisfying for the sins of his past life, it will be an act of justice.
- If he does it with the intention of conquering the difficulties of the spiritual life, it will be an act of fortitude.
- If he practices this virtue of mortification for the end of offering a sacrifice to God, depriving himself of what he likes, and doing that which is bitter and repugnant to nature, it will be an act of the virtue of religion.
- If he intends by mortification to receive greater light to know the divine attributes, it will be an act of faith.
- If he does it for the purpose of making his salvation more and more secure, it will be an act of hope.
- If he denies himself in order to help in the conversion of sinners, and for the release of the poor souls in purgatory, it will be an act of charity towards his neighbor.
- If he does it so as to help the poor, it will be an act of mercy.
- If he mortifies himself for the sake of pleasing God more and more, it will be an act of love of God.
In other words, I shall be able to put all these virtues into practice in one act of mortification, according to the end I propose to myself while doing the said act.
Virtue has so much more merit, is more resplendent, charming and attractive, when accompanied by greater sacrifice.
Man, who is vile, weak, mean, cowardly, never makes a sacrifice, and is not even capable of doing so, for he never resists even one appetite or desire. Everything that his concupiscence and passions demand, he concedes, if it is in his power to yield or reject, for he is base and cowardly, and lets himself be conquered and completely overcome, just as the braver of two fighters conquers the cowardly one. So it is with vice and the vicious -- the latter is crushed and the slave of his vices. Continence and chastity are therefore worthy of the highest praise, because the man who practices purity refrains from the pleasure which proceeds from nature or passion. Thus, the greater merit will be his the greater the pleasure he has denied himself. His merit will be the greater in proportion to the amount of repugnance he will have in conquering himself, in proportion to the intense and prolonged suffering he will have to undergo, to the human respect he will have to vanquish, and to the sacrifices he will have to make. Let him do all this and suffer all for the love of virtue and for God's greater glory. As to my exterior deportment, I proposed to myself modesty and recollection and in the interior of my soul my aim was continual and ardent occupation in God. In my work I aimed at patience, silence and suffering. The exact accomplishment of the law of God and of the Church, the obligations of my state of life as prescribed by God. I tried to do good to others, flee from sin, faults and imperfections, and to practice virtue.
All disagreeable, painful and humiliating happenings I considered as coming from God and ordered by Him for my own good. Even now, as I think of it, I fix my mind on God when such things occur, bowing in silence and with resignation to His most holy will; for I remember that Our Lord has said that not even a hair of our head shall fall without the will of our heavenly Father, Who loves us so much.
I know that three hundred years of faithful service to God are paid, and more than paid, when I am permitted an hour of suffering, so great is its value. O my Jesus and my Master, Thy servants who suffer tribulation, persecution, and abandonment by friends, who are crucified by exterior labors and by interior crosses, who are deprived of all spiritual consolation yet who suffer in silence and persevere in Thy love, O my Lord -- these are Thy loved ones, and the ones who please Thee most and whom Thou dost esteem most.
Thus I have resolved never to excuse or defend myself when others censure, calumniate and persecute me, because I would be the loser before God and men. I realize this because my calumniators and persecutors would make use of the truths and reasons I would bring forward in order to oppose me still further.
I believe that all my crosses come from God. Furthermore, God's will in my regard is that I suffer with patience and for the love of Him all pains of body and soul, as well as those persecutions directed against my honor. It is my firm belief that I shall be thus doing what will be for the greater glory of God, for I shall then be suffering in silence, like Jesus, Who died on the Cross abandoned by all.
To labor and to suffer for the one we love is the greatest proof of our love.
God was made man for us. But what kind of man? How was He born? How did He live? Yes, and what a death He endured! Ego sum vermis et non homo, et abjectio plebis -- I am a worm and no man, and the outcast of the people. Jesus is God and Man, but His Divinity did not help His Humanity in His crosses and sufferings, just as the souls of the just in heaven do not help their bodies which rot under the earth.
In a very special manner God helped the martyrs in their sufferings, but this same God abandoned Jesus in His crosses and torments, so that He was indeed a Man of Sorrows. The body of Our Lord was most delicately formed, and therefore more sensitive to pain and suffering. Well, then, who is capable of forming an idea of how much Jesus suffered? All His life, suffering was ever present. How much did He have to suffer for our love! Ah, what pains He underwent, so long-enduring and intense!
O Jesus, Love of my life, I know and realize that pains, sorrows and labors are the lot of the apostolate, but with the help of Thy grace I embrace them. I have had my share of them, and now I can say that by Thy aid, my Lord and my Father, I am ready to drain this chalice of interior trials and am resolved to receive this baptism of exterior suffering. My God, far be it from me to glory in anything save in the cross, upon which Thou wert once nailed for me. And I, dear Lord, wish to be nailed to the cross for Thee. So may it be. Amen.
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| Names of the Deceased for November |
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Posted by: Oratory - 10-20-2024, 12:18 PM - Forum: For the Souls in Purgatory
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Names of the Deceased
November, the Month of the Holy Souls, is right around the corner. Beginning today, and during the entire month of November, the Oratory of the Sorrowful Heart of Mary is accepting names of the deceased to be placed upon the altar for remembrance during every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered throughout November.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have previously sent the apostolate names of the deceased within the past four (4) years, we still have those names, and they will be placed upon the altar this year as well. If you have not sent us names of the deceased before, or have additional names you would like to add to your previously sent lists of the deceased, please send them to the following address:
By Email:
sorrowfulheartofmaryoratory@gmail.com
By Postal Mail:
Oratory of the Sorrowful Heart of Mary
66 Goves Lane; Wentworth, NH 03282
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| Catholic churches to hold Masses, Holy Hours in reparation for satanic ‘black mass’ in Atlanta |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-19-2024, 05:28 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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Catholic churches to hold Masses, Holy Hours in reparation for satanic ‘black mass’ in Atlanta
The Archbishop of Atlanta is calling upon churches to hold Holy Hours of Eucharistic adoration in reparation for the upcoming ‘black mass,’ and at least two churches are also holding Masses in reparation for the blasphemous ritual.
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Maria.Ratta/Shutterstock
Oct 18, 2024
ATLANTA (LifeSiteNews) — Catholic churches will be holding Masses in reparation for and to “bring to nothing” a satanic “black mass” to be held on October 25 in Atlanta, Georgia, intended to “summon” three demons.
The local bishop has noted that this “blasphemous and obscene inversion of the Catholic Mass” will desecrate a consecrated host, the Holy Eucharist – the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ – “in the vilest ways imaginable.”
The “black mass” will be held by the Atlanta chapter of the Satanic Temple, an organization that has previously admitted to defiling and destroying a “consecrated host” for one such event. The hosts must be stolen from a Catholic Church.
Theft and profanation of the Eucharist is made significantly easier by widespread reception of Holy Communion in the hand, as opposed to kneeling and on the tongue.
Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer of the Archdiocese of Atlanta has denounced the ritual as a “serious sacrilege” and called upon “all Catholics of the Archdiocese of Atlanta to face this attack to our faith through prayer, penance and prayers of reparation.”
He has requested in a memo to clergy, sisters, and diocesan staff that “each parish conducts a Eucharistic Holy Hour with Benediction to honor the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist… as an act of reparation to this proposed sacrilege.”
Some Catholic churches will also be offering up the Sacrifice of the true Mass to counteract the “black mass.” The Mass is the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary renewed, in which God the Son offers Himself to God the Father, and as such is of infinite value.
The pastor of St. Clare of Assisi in Acworth, on the outskirts of the Atlanta metro area, announced a Mass of Reparation planned for October 25 and asked parishioners to pray for the “conversion of all those planning to attend this atrocity,” as well as consider fasting.
Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Roswell has announced the offering of a Divine Liturgy at 3 p.m. on October 25 to “prevent and bring to nothing the planned satanic black mass in Atlanta.”
“Jesus Christ cannot be harmed by any action of theirs, but we are responsible for allowing the Eucharist to be stolen and desecrated,” the church bulletin states.
The Satanic Temple (TST) regularly holds “black masses,” and in 2019, its Houston chapter confirmed that it desecrated a consecrated, sacred Host in hateful and blasphemous words on X.
Although on its website TST claims that members do not believe in the supernatural, it conducts satanic rituals, holds legal religious status as a “church”, advocates for abortion as a religious ritual, and has sued Texas and Indiana over their abortion restrictions on the grounds of “religious liberty.”
Founded in 2013 and recognized as a “church” by the IRS in 2019, TST began as a political organization aiming to reduce the presence of religion in the public sphere. In 2017, after then-President Donald Trump signed a religious freedom executive order, TST co-founder Lucien Greaves declared in a newsletter that TST “must re-evaluate its prior principled refusal to accept religious tax-exemption.”
Since then, the group has claimed that its “deeply held beliefs,” “narrative structure,” and use of symbols and practices makes it a church. It notably describes its “Satanic Abortion ritual” as “a destruction ritual” intended to “cast off notions of shame, guilt, and mental discomfort that a patient may be experiencing due to choosing” to murder her innocent unborn child in the womb.
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| Satanic Temple opens Virginia center for ‘religious abortion’ rituals |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-19-2024, 05:21 AM - Forum: Abortion
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Satanic Temple opens Virginia center for ‘religious abortion’ rituals
The website for the Satanic Temple’s online abortion center, named the Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic, claims the procedure is a ‘religious ritual’ while founder Lucien Greaves has called abortion a ‘sacrament.’
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Oct 18, 2024
(LifeSiteNews) — The Satanic Temple of America has been campaigning hard for abortion for years. The tax-exempt religious organization, based in Salem, Massachusetts, claims not to believe in a literal Satan – and they certainly do not believe in God. But they do describe abortion as a religious “ritual” and a “sacramental act that confirms the rights of bodily autonomy.” The Satanists worship themselves.
Satan, who very much exists, no doubt approves. In fact, the Satanic Temple has been seeking to weaponize religious liberty laws to have abortion declared a “sacrament.” Lucien Greaves, the creepy founder of the Temple, has raffled a “free abortion.” In 2021, the Satanists had “Abortion Saves Lives” billboards erected in Texas.
The Satanic Temple is now taking matters into its own hands. They have launched the “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic,” named after the pro-life Supreme Court justice who penned the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which they describe as “an online clinic that provides religious medication abortion care. The clinic provides abortion medication via mail to those in New Mexico who wish to perform The Satanic Temple’s Religious Abortion Ritual.”
The website for the “clinic” includes a cruel cartoon of a woman who is identified as “Samuel Alito’s mom” saying: “If only abortion was legal when I was pregnant.” The site also assures visitors that: “Patients pay a pharmacy for the medication, but medical and religious services are free.” Greaves celebrated on X: “Happy second Satanic Abortion Clinic Opening Day!”
The Satanists have now opened their second clinic, this one in Virginia and billed as “the world’s second Satanic abortion clinic.” According to their recent announcement:
Quote:Today marks the opening of TST Health’s second telehealth abortion clinic in Virginia, serving the state and surrounding region. Just like our New Mexico clinic, our services will be free of charge, with patients only needing to cover the cost of medication through a third party at a very low price. Our dedicated staff will again be available 24/7, ensuring that patients receive the care they need, when they need it.
At TST Health, we have been fighting back against the efforts to restrict abortion access in the years following the catastrophic Dobbs decision. While many clinics have been forced to shut down, we took a bold step forward by opening the world’s first religious abortion clinic on February 14th, 2023. Since then, we have proudly offered over 100 abortions in New Mexico at no cost to patients aside from the medication. With an average cost of $91 per procedure, we provide the lowest-cost option for pregnancy terminations in the entire state. We’ve also helped cover travel and medication costs for those facing financial hardship, and we’re honored to have made a positive impact on so many lives during what can be a difficult time.
The Satanists go to great lengths to assert that abortion is their sacrament. “The Satanic Temple is the leading beacon of light in the battle for abortion access,” their website reads. “With Roe v. Wade overturned, a religious exemption will be the only available challenge to many restrictions to access. TST stands alone because we are the only entity that can assert a religious liberty claim that terminating a pregnancy is a central part of a religious ritual that encourages self-empowerment and affirms bodily autonomy.”
They continue: “This means that the imposition of waiting periods and mandatory counseling is akin to demanding a waiting period and counseling before one can be baptized or receive communion. Clearly, that would be a violation of religious liberty.”
It is no surprise to those of us who work in the pro-life movement that the primary preoccupation of Satanists is abortion. I’ve seen people yell “Hail, Satan!” as they walk into an abortion clinic, and anyone who has stood outside a clinic for any length of time can attest to a dark, oppressive energy that seems to pervade these places of death.
Abortion is, in many ways, a demonic inversion of the Gospel message: Not “My body for you,” but, “I destroy your body for me.” Abortion is the perfect Satanic sacrament: the brutal killing of a child created in God’s image; the hardening of the consciences of all involved.
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| Why Catholics Must Reject the 'Lesser of Two Evils' |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-18-2024, 11:03 AM - Forum: Articles by Catholic authors
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Why Catholics Must Reject the 'Lesser of Two Evils'
COMBAT⚔ERROR, THE☩TRUMPET | October 17, 2024
To thoroughly reject the notion of voting for the "lesser of two evils," we turn to Traditional Catholic sources that emphasize moral absolutes and uncompromising adherence to Church teachings on cooperation with evil:
1. St. Thomas Aquinas on Cooperation with Evil
St. Thomas Aquinas provides a foundational argument against choosing any evil, regardless of its degree. He teaches, “No one is permitted to commit sin, even for the sake of avoiding a greater sin or obtaining a greater good” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, Q. 78, Art. 1). The principle here is clear: choosing the lesser of two evils still involves committing an evil act, which is never permissible. Aquinas’s teaching underscores that we cannot engage in moral wrongdoing, even with the intent of achieving a supposedly greater good.
2. Pope Pius XI in Casti Connubii
Pope Pius XI, in his encyclical Casti Connubii (1930), condemns abortion as a grave evil that Catholics must oppose without compromise. He states: “In this matter, Catholics cannot allow themselves to be guided by mere expediency but must obey the dictates of the moral law.” This directive is not limited to abortion; it applies to all actions that conflict with the moral law. Voting for a candidate who supports any form of abortion, even if perceived as the lesser evil, amounts to indirect cooperation with evil, which Catholics must reject.
3. Pope Pius XII on the Dangers of Moral Compromise
Pope Pius XII emphasized the Church’s duty to uphold moral truth without compromise. In his Allocution to the Congress of the Italian Catholic Jurists (December 6, 1953), he proclaimed, “The good end does not make right an action which is in itself wrong.” This means that even if a candidate’s election might lead to certain good outcomes, voting for them still involves endorsing moral wrongs. This statement directly refutes the idea of supporting a lesser evil, as it reveals how this approach leads Catholics to justify morally unacceptable actions for perceived benefits.
4.Pope St. Gregory the Great on Leadership and Moral Integrity
Pope St. Gregory the Great advised against selecting leaders who fail to uphold moral principles. In his Pastoral Rule, he emphasizes, “It is better that scandals arise than the truth be suppressed.” Here, he underscores the need for Catholics to uphold moral truth at all costs. Supporting a candidate who promotes or tolerates grave evils like abortion constitutes a form of moral surrender. St. Gregory’s words call Catholics to choose leaders who are fully aligned with Catholic values, not merely lesser evils.
5. Catholic Moral Theology on the Misapplication of the Double Effect Principle
The principle of double effect does not justify voting for a morally compromised candidate. According to Traditional Catholic moral theology, this principle applies only when the bad effect is not directly willed, and there is no other way to achieve a necessary good. In the case of voting, however, Catholics knowingly endorse a candidate with morally flawed positions, which constitutes direct cooperation with evil. Therefore, the double effect principle does not provide cover for voting for the lesser evil.
Traditional Catholic teaching, as seen in the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Pius XI, Pope Pius XII, and Archbishop Lefebvre, is unequivocal: Catholics cannot choose any evil, even if it is perceived as lesser. Supporting a candidate who endorses intrinsic evils like abortion is incompatible with Catholic principles. Instead, Catholics must seek alternatives that align with moral absolutes and uphold the Faith without compromise. The call is to reject any form of political manipulation that lures Catholics into accepting moral compromises and to remain steadfast in defending the Church’s teachings on non-negotiable issues.
-The ☩ Trumpet
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