Steve Skojec is the Founding Publisher of OnePeterFive.com. He received his BA in Communications and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2001. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Crisis Magazine, EWTN, Huffington Post Live, The Fox News Channel, Foreign Policy, and the BBC. Steve and his wife Jamie have eight children. You can find more of his writing at his Substack, The Skojec File.
I sent you something via USPS. You are, by the grace of God, reaching the masses for Catholic truth. You are making a difference and it would be nice if we all pitched in to keep this going.
Thanks, Nancy! God bless you.
Dear Mr. Skojec:
You are clearly a good and honest man. Your aims are true.
I WILL make financial donations to OnePeterFive IF you will provide MORE than just commentary and analysis.
We’ve had excellent Traditional Catholic commentary for about 45 years, and it has accomplished little or nothing as far as I can see.
I am sure you know all about the traditional Catholic writer Michael Davies, who published his first book in 1979 and passed away in 2004. Mr. Davies gave to the world a treasury of books and articles. And yet, in 2013 Benedict was out and Francis was in. And like it or not, most of the bishops prefer the broad and easy way of Francis to the true and narrow way of Benedict.
And then there is the Catholic journal called Angelus Magazine, published by the SSPX. It has done an excellent job of explaning the erroneous teachings of the Vatican II Council, John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict, and so on. But still, int 2013, we got Francis. The Revolution marches on essentially unimpeded.
So, am I wrong to conclude that excellent traditional Catholic commentary is NOT enough to actually change the course of events? I don’t think so.
Really, ask yourself, WHY is it that you think that more commentary will make any difference? Why should WE think that YOUR commentary will make any difference? Your commentary is of a very high quality level. You have a theology degree from Steubenville, and it shows. You have basic decency and fairness, thanks be to God. But even so, with all due respect, commentary is not going to turn the tide of the deluge that is drowning souls.
So, what will make a difference?
The traditional Catholic movement needs ORGANIZATION and it needs LEADERS. It needs sizable numbers of lay Catholics who will, as ONE VOICE, will say in a clear way, “NO!” and “NEVER!” to corruption in doctrine and pastoral practice and “YES!” and “FOREVER!” to the “way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6).
Catholics expect their spiritual leaders to be priests, bishops and popes. But that’s not going to work in the present time.
Specifically, what could you and other lay Catholic leaders organize Catholics to do? Many things are possible.
You could organize an SSPX Sunday, and show the world that you got 100,000 Catholics worldwide to ditch their Novus Ordo parish on a given Sunday and attend Holy Mass at an SSPX chapel.
You could lead 300,000 Catholics to a pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Square to submit a petition signed by all of them which asks and begs Francis to return to the Catholic Faith.
Maybe you think you are not predisposed to be a leader of men. But recall that MOSES himself said that to God, but Moses was wrong. (Exodus 4:10)
Maybe your plan with OnePeterFive was just to be a writer and commentator. But whom do you serve, your Self or your God? Forgive me for being sort of sharp, but does it matter what you want? If OnePeterFive is about bringing Glory to God and Salvation to Souls…well, I’ve said enough (too much, I guess).
The world has many commentators and essayists. Some of them have been my heroes. For a time, William F. Buckley, Jr. was a hero to me. At another time I was devoted to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Then Miguel Unamuno. Then Leah Libresco and Elizabeth Stoker. Then Steve Skojec. But now I’ve loss interest in commentators and analysts. If Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre had simply wrote commentaries on Vatican II, were would we be? Thank God that Archbishop Lefebvre was a man of faith and heroism in action!
We need now LEADERS of an ORGANIZED movement. Francis, Kasper, Cupich, Marx and their fellow travelers are VERY organized (partly in secret), and they have all world’s institutions of secularism and progressivism on their side.
For a movement to grow and succeed, it must communicate to followers and potential followers a PRECISE and MEASURABLE goal or goals.
What is the goal of the traditonal Catholic movement now? Just to prevent Francis from declaring that adulterous couples not free to receive Holy Communion? Or, after Francis does declare that, just to lead some Catholics to see that declaration as being imprudent and boarding on sacrilege?
That’s just playing defense. No one gets excited about forever playing defense. They want to win.
So what does “winning” look like for traditonal Catholics? For some, winning would be when the pope denounces the Second Vatican Council and all its liturgical and doctrical fruits, and returns the Church to the status quo of 1962. I think that is the goal the SSPX is working toward in their own fairly quiet way.
But is that goal too much to dream of? I don’t know. I’m not qualified to know.
But a LEADER MUST KNOW and MUST set specific measurable goals–otherwise an organized movement cannot exist. Just playing defense all the time and just issuing commentary and analysis from the sidelines gets us nowhere.
If you’ve found any value in this message, thanks be to God. If you’ve found no value, please accept my apologies!
I’m ready to show my commitment with my money, but only to a leader and organizer.
Gus
How about for starters a place where people who think alike could exchange e-mail addresses ?
Lately I’ve seen lots of desperate Catholics trying to get together with others who think like them in this sea of internet and real life hostility. Just yesterday I was publicly asked for my e-mail address, but I am not on FB because I don’t need that much government intrusion in my life, and also I don’t have a blog.
So far all we could do was comment and try to counteract the army of anti-Catholic trolls, but it’s clearly not enough.
People who think alike should get together because strength is in numbers. And I find it ironic that in this age of instant electronic contact we all live so distant from one another, though possibly only a block away.
Hello Bendys! I have been wanting to start a truly Catholic site that helps each of us to the Truth. There are a few out there such as, AngelQueen.org and Fisheaters, but there was something lacking in each that I can’t quite put my finger on. Not putting those sites down, just not what I need. If you’re interested, contact me at [email protected]
I’m evaluating starting a forum here that would involve a nominal membership fee (say, $5/month.) If it costs something, however small, it tends to keep the trolls at bay, while helping to support the overall cost of running the business.
Is that of interest to anyone here?
It’s of definite interest to me. I don’t think Catholics can imagine just how “bumpy” things are poised to get for Westerners in general and Catholics especially. People committed to organizing a Catholic course of action as developments arise inside and outside the Church need a place to engage one another. The fee is necessary for the financial viability of this site and to ensure that forum contributors give a flip about their shared space.
I would love to be able to instantly and easily network with solid Catholics from around the world, without running the gamut of social networks which I avoid like the plague (he said in a comment via Disqus).
Well… there has been organized movements like the one you describe with leaders. FSSP, SSPX, ICKSP are probably good examples of such organized movements. But one can argue that their existence has done nothing to change the tide as well.
The sad truth might be that we cannot do anything physical to change the tide. There is no clever plan we can follow to get out of this mess. It is far beyond the point where a cleverly devised plan can set things right.
I think all we can do is inform those who are willing to listen (hence the commentary) and build a framework of encouraging each other. Sites like 1P5 or Rorate tend to help do this and remind a faithful Catholic that they are not alone in their concerns for what is happening (and what has happened in the past ~50 years) in the Church.
As for restoring order back into the Church, I think all we can do is follow the instruction of Our Lady, pray the Rosary and do penance.
Then we might as well lay down and die..
For decades, traditional Catholics (broadly defined) unfortunately didn’t take their cues to consolidate and network from the readily apparent ecclesial decomposition because Western society, error riddled as it was, still seemed to somewhat have their back on raising kids with morals and growing a family parented by cis-gendered men and women. That’s all gone to the wind now. Commentary has its place, but on the ground action and disentanglement from the world is required of us to make space for transmitting the Faith FIRST to our children. That’s why the amorphous “Benedict Option” bandied about by Dreher and friends demands a peculiarly Catholic and immediate implementation among conscious Catholics.
Gus, with all respects this is your common spiel time and again. Are you not just ‘looking for a leader’? Your comments suggest that is exactly what you desire. In which case you’re on very dangerous ground. I don’t mean to rag on you, really I don’t, I really have a lot of sympathy for what you are experiencing right now, but please try to think about what you’re saying/asking for.
Firstly, were it not for Michael Davies, Steve Skojec et al idiots like me would be in the dark about the crisis, it’s that very analysis they provide(d) that even opens the door (mind) to the prospect of an alternative to NuChurch. So many people, myself among them, and most recently my good friend who is at present preparing to be received into the Church, have precious truth to feed our faith on. This is not nothing. I don’t want a leader, Christ is enough, (especially when the pope is a joke) and we’re all responsible for ourselves ultimately. I want information, stuff I can know and share. Sure (referring to other replies here) it would be great to network with like minds, share email addresses etc, but not some “resistance movement” – such is the making of cults and the home neurotics acting up out of desire for new masters. Don’t go there.
In love, brother, please think again before you make this plea on yet another thread/site.
Dear Steve,
OnePeterFive is among the very best sources for faithful Catholic commentary and I truly appreciate all that you do. I just submitted a one-time donation and upped my recurring monthly contribution. Not much, I know, but I hope it helps a bit.
May God continue to bless you, your family and your ministry!
I sincerely can’t thank you enough.