Posted on 08/27/2002 6:13:10 AM PDT by NYer
Statement of Support for
Roman Catholic Faithful
Rev. Malachi Martin
Blessings on your endeavors. I will be praying for you all.
These days and months of 1997, there seems to be a long and slow but steady sunset all over the Roman Catholic Church organization of Pope John Paul II. And no matter what he does, no matter how large the crowds at his "mega-Masses", no matter how many prayers are offered day and night by the Saints in the Church: no matter how many authenticated appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary are granted us (often with manifest miracles): no matter how many seers and visionaries--- stigmatists among them--- bring us warning messages from beyond the created cosmos of man; nothing, but nothing seemingly arrests the oncoming darkness of a night feared by every believing Christian alive today.
We would have to be blind not to see that our human day as Roman Catholics is declining inexorably into that ever-encroaching darkness. Nor is this anything like the welcoming darkness of night beckoning us to enter into a well-earned sleep in preparation for a glorious and still more strenuous tomorrow. Far from it.
Rather, all the reliable signs tell us--and Christ Himself advised us in no uncertain terms to be diligent in reading the "signs of the times"--that this is the sepulchral darkness which will entomb a spent age and its dessicated institutions and organizations. These are the shades of the charnel-house now awaiting us at the end of our Catholic times. It all fits. So dreadfully. So sadly.
Even though we are sure we always will have a Pope of Rome until the end of all human time, it is still a sad scene. And especially so when we realize the horrible nature of that darkness. It is not a question of mere heresy--false teaching--nor of schism as a revolt against authority. This, my friends and fellow Catholics, is the darkness of apostasy: the systematic evacuation of basic Roman Catholic dogmas by those in charge of teaching the Faithful.
On the testimony of competent observers from all over North and South America as well as from Europe and from official Rome itself, the regime of His Eminence, Cardinal Mahony, has been marked by a steady de-Romanization and de-Catholicization of the once flourishing Los Angeles archdiocese.
Many priests, nuns, bishops--under His Eminence's jurisdiction--are not espousing the teaching of the Church. They follow another agenda. Under the guise of the "Spirit of Vatican II" as a catch-all for any whim and capric, there occur unauthorized liturgical innovations (for example: standing during the Consecration, omission of parts of the Mass, "liturgical" dancing, invalid bread used for Holy Communion, etc.etc.). There are rampant spiritual and canonical abuses (general absolution in place of individual confession, the use of an invalid formula for absolution, First Communion before First Reconciliation for children as the norm, sex education for children that is designed to rob them of their innocence, the pouring of Consecrated Wine down the waste faucets of bathrooms, etc.etc.). Church buildings are renovated on the basis of Environment and Art in Catholic Worship" But this document was never approved by the National Conferences of Catholic Bishops, and it reflects the personal ideas of certain individuals about whose faith one can have very legitimate doubts.
What observers remark is that an overall plan for radical change is being implemented-- but in small increments, without the overall goal being frankly and candidly stated. Many of these observers will aver that the not so obvious aim of all this change is the establishment of another non-Roman Catholic form of our Faith.
It is, then, a lugubrious fact that, bit by bit, without their knowing it, or realizing it, great sections of the Church in North America headed by their clergy are being led by the nose out of Catholicism and into the darkness of a very comfortable apostasy.
One of the most important statements of the Second Vatican Council emphasizes the new role that the Roman Catholic laity are called upon to play in the life of the Church. We know that more than once in the 2,000 year history of the Church, the laity have been used, as the Council teaches, by the Holy Spirit in order to protect, nourish and preserve the Church.
Lo! and behold! In our day, and precisely when it was most needed, the Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc. (RCF) organization has sprung up in Illinois. When it began in 1996, somebody referred to it as "a little pebble" on the mountain-side of a huge Church. But, let me tell you, this little pebble rolling down that mountain-side is producing an avalanche of faithful Catholics who will no longer tolerate this apostasy from our Roman Catholic Faith. The RCF has members in all 50 states and abroad in half-a-dozen countries. RCF is dedicated to the defense of Orthodoxy and the Holy Father. It is engaged in activities from New York to California, from Illinois to Florida.
The ever-swelling number of members in the RCF will now make sure that His Eminence Cardinal Mahony as well as other bishops, will be reminded by voices from 100,000 throats:
--that he is only one of over 4,000 bishops in the Church, all of whom --like him-- are subject to the infallible teaching of the papacy, past and present;
--that, while by papal permission, he has jurisdiction over the Los Angeles archdiocese, he has no personal jurisdiction over the Church Universal and its dogmas;
--that he, like all us sinners, will have to render to Our Lord Jesus a strict accounting of his Los Angeles stewardship;
--that his chief obligation is to preserve and foment the Faith in that diocese; and any deliberate neglect or infringement of that obligation is punishable with Hellfire.
Let no Catholic shrink from admonishing priests, bishops, or Cardinals, if they act in ways that are irreconcilable with the Faith of our Fathers. This is Papal teaching, this is the teaching of the Church Councils, this is the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas: We have an obligation to do so. The simple but painful fact is that even higher members of the Church's hierarchy are quite capable of treason.
Let us, in our generation, do our duty by Holy Mother Church, so that those who come after us in the generation of the Faithful, will say about us: They were giants in Faith, and they fought the good fight.
Next week is the dedication of Mahony's cathedral.
How sad that we will need to fight to instill in our own Church what it should be instilling in us and our children.
Each time RCF succeeds in the removal of an apostate or just plain evil bishop or priest, it is helping to cleanse the Church of the widespread cancer which has afflicted it. Thousands of children who would have been molested or spiritually betrayed have already been saved by RCF. Thank God.
I’m guessing that you are just like me, an ordinary Catholic. I quickly passed over being sad about the scandals, right into abhorrence.
Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Indeed, our Divine Lord in Matthew 13 tells us of the trials that the children of God will have to endure in dealing with the children of evil. For the longest time, I thought that the children of evil referred to the unbelievers who filled the world. That’s partially true. We now know that the unbelievers are within our Church also and they falsely claim to be Catholic. (They are within all the other churches as well, but that is not my concern).
I try to make the struggle a personal one. I don’t rely on the bishops to help me any more than I would rely upon Congress to help me. As a Catholic, who loves the Church established by Christ, I have been lead to read the words of the saints and to study the writings of the fathers. Nobody needs to fax me each day and tell me what to do or what not to do.
We, AS INDIVIDUALS, are to courageously emulate the spirit of those early heroes of the Faith. We, AS INDIVIDUALS, are to deepen our love for Jesus Christ by studying and meditating on His life and the lives of His closest friends, the saints. If we do this faithfully and pray for His assistance, we have nothing to worry about. Our Faith and Hope tells us that His promises are true for those who Love Him.
I am powerless to affect serious changes in the Church, and who needs me anyway. God will take care of His Church as He has promised. My primary responsibility is the care of my own soul and, secondarily, those closest to me. I will let God do His job and I, by means of His grace, will do mine.
Peace
Especially the higher members.
Just as with our secular authority.
The revolution in the Catholic Church making the secular revolution look like child's play.
This is true. And your post was a great one, full of much insight. My only point of contention is that full-blooded rampant evil has entered the Church. When 13-year old boys are anally raped by a priest repeatedly week after cruel week - as in the Church school that my son currently attends - and when this occurs in just about every diocese in the country - then good men and women must rise up and try to fight.
I agree that we are pretty insignificant, but I am reminded each time I am in a crowd that "Wow! Every person here is a part of God's plan" and I look around in wonder and amazement. A couple of times there has been an article posted about how we are called to be saints if we give ourself over to God and submerge our will to His Will. I'm thinking (I'm afraid!) that we can, indeed, have great influence in the Church if enough of us strive to be what He wants us to be. I think somewhere in the posts I referred to above it is mentioned for us to imagine the world with 12 more Mother Teresa's. Or, for me, 12 more Padre Pio's, or, in the secular world, 12 more Bruskewitz's.
I can appreciate how you feel. For many years, I thought the church actually had changed course as a result of Vatican II. The changes that were implemented so quickly totally overwhelmed me. There was no one to guide us, to clarify the true meaning of Vatican II or explain that the changes we witnessed were abberations masquerading as reality.
It grew worse when my daughter began attending catholic school. Instead of growing in faith, she slipped and declined.
One day while flipping tv channels, I came across EWTN. It was like a breath of fresh air. Here were the church teachings as I remembered them, embellished by the spirit of Vatican II. The more I watched, the better informed I became. Then I met up with you and the others in this forum. Through meeting you and many of the other posters, I have challenged myself to learn even more about my religion. The picture is now clearer.
We must support each other through this time of trial and tribulation. Know that you can count on me.
Was rereading your post. I am an ordinary Catholic. I am at the same time in mourning for the boys and families who have been brutalized, filled, as you are, with utter and total abhorrence for what has occurred, and angrier than I think I have ever been.
The primary point in my post was to turn our focus from the scandals to ourselves. To turn the desire to change Cardinal “Whoever” to the desire to change and to bring ourselves closer to Christ.
Of course, we all experience the normal human emotions of outrage for the perpetrators of these crimes against children, but I don’t believe that to daily feed this rage serves any useful purpose. Certainly we, as faithful and informed Catholics, ought to be leaders in our small faith communities. We ought to inspire (and be inspired by) other faithful Catholics in areas in which we can make a difference. Without saying too much, my personal interest is in pro life work. I am not a marcher nor do I confront women at the abortion mills. God has brought me to a different way and we actually counsel abortion-minded women in crisis pregnancy centers. My fellow volunteers are all Catholic and well informed. We don’t dwell on these abominations within the Church; we pray for the Church in our Chapel (btw: 24 hour Eucharistic adoration)
Look, I’m not trying to debate any of this. Yes we ought to stay informed, but I would just like to keep the focus on ourselves and what we can do as individuals for the Body of Christ. Our success depends not on our rhetoric, or our rage, or our daily debates. Our success depends on our interior life and personal love of God. Once we forget the real meaning of “Catholic", which in essence is the result of union with Christ, then our failure to affect any worthwhile change has begun.
If we as Catholics have not had the influence on society that our numbers should have produced, the reason is to be found in our individual lack of the interior life. Any change whether it be individual, social, or secular, within or without the Church, must begin and end in interior union with Christ.
Peace
It is certainly true that if each of us Catholics did as you say, our Church would be purified and sanctified. But until that happens, we should not quell our anger over the presence of pure evil in our Church. Remember Christ's unmitigated anger at the temple...
This reminds me of a story told by Fr. Leo Gifford on EWTN.
St. Francis used to walk to the different towns surrounding Assisi, to witness to God and his faith. He always took along another brother when he travelled. This one day, it was Brother Leo's turn. Brother Leo was quite excited and his heart was bursting with inspiration, ready to proclaim the Kingdom of God to the villagers.
They set off early that morning and walked for many hours before arriving at this particular town. Brother Leo's excitement grew as did his passionate desire to inspire the towns people. Francis and Leo, dressed in their brown habits, hoods up, arms folded within their sleeves, walked into the town. Brother Leo looked around and continued to follow Francis who walked through the town and out the other side.
"Francis", asked Brother Leo, "when are we going to witness to God?". "We just did", said Francis.
Beautifully stated. In chaos theory, even a butterfly's wings' flapping my bring about massive meterological change. So it is with each little advance against evil. Perhaps in the youth of Mother Theresa, John Paul II, or St. Francis, someone caused a tiny butterfly's wings to flap.
I love it!! Thanks.
RCF has begun formal investigations (partially as a result of information gathered in the Springfield diocese) of the dioceses of Joliet, and Saginaw, and the Archdioceses of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit. These investigations are prompted by the pre-existing conditions brought to our attention which involve serious unremedied abuses. We have no desire to find problems where none exist. It does appear that there is a connection between what is going on in Springfield and Chicago, Detroit, Saginaw, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles.
There is something terribly wrong in a diocese when an orthodox priest is persecuted and a sexual predator is protected.
RCF has opened a door that leads into a world of pornography, sex, gambling, and clerical drunkenness. This world was a carefully guarded secret until recently.
Our fight is against Satan who appears to be in control of more than one diocese. To control the diocese he (Satan) must control the bishop.
Catholicism!
In the May 98 issue of the New Oxford Review, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz made the following statement: "....if authority isn’t exercised by those who are constituted to exercise it, others who are not constituted to exercise it will rush in and fill the vacuum." If only the so-called "good" bishops would do their job and exercise authority in defense of the faith as Bishop Bruskewitz has done we might find hope in the hierarchy. How pleased must Satan be with our bishops.
What does God require of our bishops? Moreover, what does it mean to be a Catholic?
"It is, then, perfectly true, that the Church does not allow her children to entertain any doubt of her teaching; and that, first of all, simply for this reason, because they are Catholics only while they have faith, and faith is incompatible with doubt. No one can be a Catholic without simple faith, that what the Church declares in God’s name; is God’s word, and therefore true. A man must simply believe that the Church is the oracle of God; he must be as certain of her mission, as he is of the mission of the Apostles."...And so again, when a man has become a Catholic, were he to set about following out a doubt which has occurred to him, he has already disbelieved. I have not to warn him against losing his faith, he is not merely in danger of losing it, he has lost it;...he fell from grace at the moment when he deliberately entertained and pursued his doubt." (John Henry Newman, The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom.)
Newman has just described many of our bishops.
"The Church is a community into which admittance is gained by Baptism. ...Moreover a man must make external profession of being a member of the Church, so that any one who breaks away, for instance, by heresy, no longer belongs to the Church in spite of his baptism, though he is not thereby freed from his obligations to the Church. Neither heathens, Jews, heretics, nor schismatics are members of the Church (Council of Florence), though children baptized validly in other communions really belong to it." (The Catechism Explained)
There is a remnant of clergy left who will not surrender—who are Catholic in every sense. Many are guiding RCF. One such priest was Father Alfred Kunz (RIP).
One of the last conversations I had with Father Kunz was on Justice in the Church. Father had told me, "In ordinary times you could find justice within the Church. These are extraordinary times and you will not find justice within the Church."
Father had offered his services to RCF and for over a year he had been working with RCF on the Bishop Ryan case.
In his "March Message" ( March 12, 1998) Malachi B. Martin refers to Father Kunz’s murder as "The Assassination of Christ's Hero." I tend to agree. More details of Father’s life and death are reported on in another section of this newsletter; but for now let us take a closer look at some of what Malachi Martin went on to say in his "March Message" concerning what we Catholics are up against.
"It is important to note that Catholics should be wary of those who reject legitimate Religious authorities, or who appear to be obsessed with the environment, and so called women's rights, while not respecting sanctity of unborn human life. Support for Luciferianism in the main stream media rarely comes directly, but is disguised as a plea for freedom of expression or belief. Similarly, support for witchcraft appears as a plea for tolerance and understanding of those who simply wish to return to a pre-industrial world where women could enjoy "natural well-being and spirituality without being oppressed by men".
"The point to be remembered about the many supporters of the Prince of this World, no matter what name they use in referring to him, no matter how lofty the ideals they profess in this name, is that we must remember ultimately he is the Prince of this World and is bent on corrupting any vestige of real faith. Already, he has made huge inroads, not merely in Academia (including supposedly Catholic Academia) but, in Catholic organizations and amongst the Catholic clergy not merely in North America but in South America and in Europe and in Rome.
Reflecting on the death of Al Kunz, we should remember the words the Lord Jesus spoke to the women of Jerusalem as He wound His way to Calvary, and came across them crying and weeping for the coming loss of His life:
"Weep not for Me", He said, "but weep for yourself and your children, because if they can do this to Me, the Greenwood, what do you think they are going to do to you, the dry wood".
If the evil of Lucifer can reach out —with God's permission -- to strike down cruelly a saintly man such as Fr. Alfred Kunz... we are facing a merciless opponent, who is supported by merciless supporters and agents!" Malachi Martin
What next ? RCF is now pressing forward with investigations in the Archdioceses of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and the dioceses of Joliet and Saginaw. However, we are still in the process of finishing up work in the Springfield Diocese. We are working in one diocese at a time—all connected in one way or another. We start with paper ads seeking information regarding clergy misconduct. These ads always bring a response—both positive and negative. Once loyal Catholics find out what we are up to—they usually join up. These individuals lead us to many others who have the information we need. Next, we research court documents within each county of the diocese. Any criminal or civil cases brought against a bishop or his priests are sought. Then we contact all parties involved in these cases. In many instances, the victims find comfort in knowing that somebody cares. Next, public meetings following paper ads throughout the diocese. All the information gathered is compiled to form a complete picture. In time, RCF will be holding press conferences in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Detroit to expose what we have learned. Many priests, lawyers, journalists and everyday Catholics are now involved.
If we as Catholics have not had the influence on society that our numbers should have produced, the reason is to be found in our individual lack of the interior life. Any change whether it be individual, social, or secular, within or without the Church, must begin and end in interior union with Christ.
Excellent and timely reminder. Thank you.
NYer,
Thank you for posting this!
Reflecting on the death of Al Kunz, we should remember the words the Lord Jesus spoke to the women of Jerusalem as He wound His way to Calvary, and came across them crying and weeping for the coming loss of His life:
"Weep not for Me", He said, "but weep for yourself and your children, because if they can do this to Me, the Greenwood, what do you think they are going to do to you, the dry wood".
If the evil of Lucifer can reach out —with God's permission -- to strike down cruelly a saintly man such as Fr. Alfred Kunz... we are facing a merciless opponent, who is supported by merciless supporters and agents!" Malachi Martin
This means that any admixture of any other substance renders the use of the bread for consecration automatically illicit (unlawful). Concerning the issue of what happens to the validity of the consecration (i.e., whether Transubstantiation occurs), here is what Fr. Nicholas Halligan, one of the foremost sacramental theologians in the country, has to say in his manual of sacramental theology:
"The requisite material for the celebration of the Eucharist and the confection of the sacrament is only weaten bread, recently made whereby the danger of corruption is avoided... Unleavened bread alone is to be used in the Latin Rite.
"The bread must be made from wheat, mixed with natural water, baked by the application of fire heat (including electric cooking) and substantially uncorrupted. The variety of the wheat or the region of its origin does not affect its validity, but bread made from any other grain is invalid material. Bread made with milk, wine, oil, etc., either entirely or in a notable part, is invalid material. The addition of a condiment, such as salt or sugar, is unlwaful but valid, unless added in a notable quantity. Unbaked dough or dough fried in butter or cooked in water is invalid matter; likewise bread which is corrupted substantially, but not if it has merely begun to corrupt....
"The bread must be of wheat flour and only in case of necessity a white material thrashed or crushed from wheat. It must be free from mixture with any other substance besides flour and water. It is gravely unlawful to consecrate with doubtful matter. Altar breads must be fresh or recently baked and must not be allowed to get mouldy, which condition varies with regions, climates, etc." (Nicholas Halligan, The Sacraments and Their Celebration, [New York: Alba House, 1986], 65-66).
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