Above: Christ Carrying the Cross by Titian (1490-1576).
And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God (Ja. i. 19-20).
Yesterday I was silenced by sorrow. I did not know what to say, and my sorrow overwhelmed anything I could say. Since February we’ve spent a lot of time debating the situation with the SSPX, and in June I asked the lay faithful to fast and pray and restricted publishing to only clerics out of reverence for this clerical dispute. Now that Rome has spoken, it would seem irreverent for the lay faithful to immediately launch into more debate. Therefore it seems fitting to me to only publish the words of bishops at this time, regarding the SSPX.
I’ll have a bit more content from our contributing editor regarding the SSPX, but after that I feel the need for silence on this matter. In this silence the Lord can speak.
This is just my own approach and I respect the conscience of every Catholic on this issue.
But this is me. And this silence is what seems right to me at this time.
We can all be sure of this: Jesus carries this cross. This division rends and tears His Sacred Heart. But He carries every burden of our hearts in His cross. Therefore I recommend to you our Eucharistic crusade, so we can pour out our hearts in the right place. Let us come to Him and comfort Him in His Sorrowful Passion that He endures for the joy set before him (Heb. xii. 2). Let us be counted among the number who stay awake with Him, and watch with Him one hour in Eucharistic Adoration. In this month of July, let us silently contemplate the Precious Blood of Jesus.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Timothy S. Flanders
Editor
First Friday of July
Pope St. Leo II
St. Irenaeus
