You may have noticed that posting has been light this week. I’ve noticed too. What used to take me a few hours to write seems to be taking several days. My reserves are tapped out. Every day is starting to feel like deja vu all over again — the same stories, or some variation on the same stories, again and again and again until you’re not sure if you’ve seen this one before. I’m not sure how many more beatings this dead horse can take. Is there any honest Catholic left on earth who doesn’t recognize the utter insanity of what is happening in the Church? When I started this gig, defenders of this papacy and the steps being taken in its “program of reform” were legion. The challenge back then was waking them up.
Now, the challenge is keeping the people who have woken up from jumping ship.
I had a conversation with someone the other day who told me a story. He said that when he was young, he went to confession, and for some reason he asked his confessor the question, “What would happen if we had a bad pope who was really damaging the Church? What would we do?”
“I couldn’t have imagined it would ever happen,” he said to me. “I don’t know why I asked, but I did.”
The wise old confessor said to him, “What do you think people did in the middle ages when popes were accusing popes and fighting over the throne and there were antipopes rivaling real popes? They put their heads down, they prayed, they studied, they taught their children, they lived their faith, and they protected those who would become the next generation of priests, bishops, and cardinals.”
“Until very recently, I kept thinking we needed to form some kind of organized resistance,” my friend said to me. “But now, I realize this is what we must do.”
This same person told me another story, about a wise bishop who was faced with great challenges in his diocese. Loss of faith, disinterested people, parishes a mess…just a range of seemingly unsolvable problems.
“What can you do?” My friend asked.
“Focus on becoming a saint,” the bishop replied. “Taking action can only accomplish so much, but one saint can convert an entire country.”
It seems this is where we find ourselves. Maybe this is what Bishop Athanasius Schneider means when he tells us that it is the laity who will save the Church. Or when he exhorts:
I would like to say to these priests, seminarians, young people and families: “It is an honor and a privilege to be faithful to the Divine truth and to the spiritual and liturgical traditions of our forefathers and of the saints and being therefore marginalized by those who currently occupy administrative power in the Church. This your fidelity and courage constitute the real power in the Church. You are the real ecclesiastical periphery, which with God’s power renews the Church. Living the true tradition of dogma, liturgy and holiness is a manifestation of the democracy of the Saints, because tradition is the democracy of the Saints. With Saint Athanasius I would like to tell you these words: Those in the Church who oppose, humiliate and marginalize you, have occupied the churches, while during this time you are outside; it is a fact that they have the premises – but you have the Apostolic Faith. They claim that they represent the Church, but in reality, they are the ones who are expelling themselves from it and going astray (cf. Letter to his flock)”.
For my part, I don’t want to tell you the same bad stories day after day anymore. I don’t want this to be the place where you go to hear the latest outrage, to stoke the fires of discontent, to lose your peace of soul. I asked recently if you’re in this fight. But what I think I’ve been coming to understand is that the battle has actually shifted to a different front, and it’s time we did too.
Scandal is addictive. We do not manufacture it here, but we have put it on display. We believe that the faithful have the right — and even the duty — to be informed. But at some point, we have to draw a line. We have to make choices about where to place our focus. We have woken up about as many people as we can hope to wake.
So what do we do now? Where are we going?
These are the questions I can’t stop asking myself. Our motto here is our mission statement: Rebuilding Catholic Culture. Restoring Catholic Tradition. Why did I choose this phrase? Because Catholic Culture built Western Civilization, preserved the knowledge of the ancients, brought innovations in science and technology, invented the University system, inspired the greatest artists, musicians, and craftsmen of all time, and filled countless souls with a zeal for God that led them to live holy lives, and even to preach the Gospel at the cost of their blood. Every answer to every problem we have now can be found in our long-abandoned roots. And Catholic Tradition — those teachings, devotions, practices, and most of all, the Mass of All Time, are what nurture and nourish an authentic Catholic culture.
We can return to these things. We can make them present again, and allow them, once rediscovered, to flourish anew.
Over the years, I’ve occasionally mentioned that I want to focus more of our efforts on the timeless things. On exploring the beauty of our Catholic Faith, and on learning from those people and places in the world where it is being manifested most impressively today. We have never stopped producing this kind of content — the kind that reminds us why we fight, but in our attempts to stay abreast of the avalanche of current events, it has continuously slipped into last place in our list of priorities.
In that respect, we’ve failed you.
My friend Hilary White said to me recently that she thinks we’ve been hoodwinked into playing the enemy’s game. That they do something awful, and we react. Again and again, this cycle repeats itself, until we suddenly realize that we’ve long since been dancing to their tune. You may have noticed that she shut down her blog, What’s Up With the Synod? These realizations — and the alarming awareness that this isn’t good for any of us — were among the reasons she made that decision.
What I’m telling you is, I think we need to find a way back. Back out of the cesspool that our alleged shepherds have dug out for us. We need to study our faith. To re-learn it, or even to learn it for the first time. There are a lot of young Catholics now looking to tradition. They haven’t read the books. They are too young to remember what things were like before Summorum Pontificum. They do not carry the baggage of having watched the asteroid hit. They just want to know, to learn, to understand.
We can help them.
As long as only a very few publications are willing to stand in the breach, we will never be free of the duty to cover the stories that matter most. But we can no longer be so heavily focused on nothing but the scandal du jour in Rome. It’s killing me. I’m miserable. I don’t want to think of nothing but the evils that have infested the Mystical Body of Christ. I want to remember why Holy Mother Church is beautiful, lovable, a majestic creature worthy of the painstaking work of restoration.
And I know in my bones that the enemy has co-opted us — all of us who have become frustrated and disillusioned — in his plans for the papacy. Francis may be the one destroying the credibility of that office, but he is doing it with our help. For just as none of us who lived through the sexual abuse crisis will ever really trust a priest around our children, even though we want to, those of us who have lived through this crisis of the papacy will likely always have a reflexive distrust of the Successor of St. Peter. We are forgetting how to respect the office because the man in the office has behaved so disrespectfully. We are losing an essential part of the sensus fidei. We must be very careful to guard ourselves against a bitterness that cannot be rooted out.
I don’t know exactly how to move forward from here. I may be the captain of this ship, but there’s no definitive map for where we are, or where we must go, though we’ve been given some clues. If we truly want to engage in the work of restoring what was made ugly into something beautiful again, we’re going to have to roll up our sleeves. We’re going to have to read more, research more, spend a lot more time thinking through what and how we should discuss, highlight, and share. We need to get serious about providing resources for people to grow in their faith, not just show them the horror show in Rome and hope they don’t lose it.
It may mean fewer, but better posts, with more time in between. It may mean new features added on to the site that have been on the back burner for years. It’s going to mean more collaboration with all of you to tell us what we can help you with.
Are you a homeschooling mom? What are you looking for?
Are you a husband and father trying to find a way to network with other men of like mind? How can we connect you?
Are you a parish priest who needs resources for your parishioners? What can we make?
Are you a new Catholic — or just new to tradition — trying to figure out what you should read and where you should go? Tell us what you lack.
Whoever you are, whatever you need, help us help you. This should be more than just a place where you come for information. It should be a real community. The internet now makes possible the kind of networking and distribution of resources that just a generation ago were unimaginable. Let’s use them! We have hundreds of thousands of visitors here each month. How can we all help one another?
I’ll be candid: I’m terrified to open this door. I already feel overwhelmed, burned out, and emotionally drained to my absolute limits. But the way I see it, I can either give up and throw in the towel, or I can dig in and find a new way to do more, and better. At this time when our little publication has reached a surprisingly wide audience, how can we use our superpowers for good?
And while what I am asking for here is your input and suggestions — knowing full well I can’t implement them all — I will also remind you that we need your financial support. We hit our goal last month, thanks in large part to one anonymous donor. But it’s a new month, with new bills, and we’re not doing so hot on the latest campaign. Remember, every little bit helps. (And for those who keep asking: yes, you can donate by mail.)
It’s time to turn the corner. Everything in me is screaming that we had so much momentum in bringing the fight against the revolution that we’re overcommitted to that path. We’ve won some major battles. The tide of public opinion among orthodox Catholics has definitively turned.
But we can’t leave all these people blinking in the sunlight with nowhere to go. The question that is always asked of me is: “what do we do now?”
The answer, I suspect, is, “What we’ve always done. Live our faith, and by so doing, change the world.”
Please pray that I find the strength and guidance to chart out a new and better course. We’ve got to do a better job of helping people get to heaven. If we fail at that, the rest of this is just a waste of time.
Excellent essay Steve, thank you for posting this. I am a member at ricochet.com and blog there mainly on issues related to the Church. As I survey what I’ve posted over the years I find I’ve fallen into the same trap as you. It’s important to make the scandals in the Church known, but it’s more important to speak of her truth, beauty, and goodness. Thanks for the slap upside the head – I’m taking your advice.
As for what I would like to see here: I came into full communion with the Church in October of 2009. I’ve only known the Novus Ordo mass. But recently, as I’ve spent time back here in Ohio caring for my ailing father, I have started attending St. Stephen Church in Cleveland where they have a Latin High Mass every Sunday. I take a Saint Edmund Campion Missal & Hymnal with me to mass and am finally able to follow the structure of the mass but really don’t know how to participate. Do I try to follow everything in the missal and then miss out on the beauty or do I admire the beauty but not really understand what is going on. I’m sure with time I’ll figure it our but some commentary for those of us who are new to the extraordinary form on how people participate would be helpful to me.
Thanks. God bless you and keep up the good work.
https://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Superfluous-Rev-James-Jackson/dp/0997032901
This is a great book on the Latin Mass. As you learn, I suggest to initially take in the beauty and the built in silence of the mass and contemplate. Allow The Lord to speak to you in the silence. And focus on the Mass as Sacrifice. I find that doing those things help me. I’m still learning more about the mass of the ages. I’m sure Steve will come out with a fuller response in time 🙂
That is a fantastic book! I accidentally ordered 2 and have given 1 away, and I wish I could order thousands, and mail them to seminarians, priests, laity…
If all you have is that book and the little red missal, you’re good
(I realized after writing this that you weren’t asking other commenters for help, but were asking Steve for help : / I’d love to see the same here, it’s a great idea. I guess I’ll just post this anyway, maybe you’ll get something out of it 🙂
I remember the feeling. When we first switched to the Latin High Mass I used to try to read along with everything the priest was saying, which is kind of hard since a lot of it is silent 😉 I think that’s a natural reaction coming from the Novus Ordo, which is a different animal. Things changed for me a bit when someone remarked that we go to Mass to witness an act of worship, i.e. not to play a role *in* the Mass but to act as witnesses *to* the Mass, so to speak, and make our own offerings, etc. The long silences are for this purpose, while the priest prays alone, directly to God.
Have you heard the acronym ACTS used to describe what to do during Mass? It stands for adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication, ways we can participate in the Mass and unite ourselves to Christ. I think following the actions and prayers of the priest from start to finish can hinder this a bit (others may disagree). Once you know the Mass really well it’ll be as natural as breathing, and you won’t have to think about this stuff anymore. You’ll fall into contemplation when you’re meant to (for instance, during the gradual/alleluia, following the Consecration, etc.) because the Mass will lead you there, as it’s beautifully designed to aid us in this capacity. As you say, in time it will come. And btw I think admiring the beauty *is* participating.
Yes Marytoo! Exactly.
Once in a while I find myself contemplating something on a stained glass window or absorbed in the sight of the altar being incensed, or my own petition being prayed mentally.
(During the latter, I once shut my eyes and opened them to find I’d missed something else) but it’s all good…
I quote a description of Saint Padre Pio explaining about how to assist at the traditional Latin Mass of the saints and the ages:-
“To someone asking whether it is necessary to follow the Mass in a missal, Padre Pio answered that only the priest needs a missal. According to him, the best way to attend the Holy Sacrifice is by uniting oneself to the Virgin of Sorrows at the foot of the cross, in compassion and love. It is only in Paradise, he assures his interlocutor, that we will learn of all the benefits that we received by assisting at Holy Mass.”
Here is the link:-
http://www.olrl.org/lives/padrepio.shtml
Hear, hear! I am so happy to read this. I started following 1P5 because of its devotion to tradition but for several months have skipped past its posts because of its negativity. Yes, the church is in trouble right now, and yes we shouldn’t be blind to it, but constant exposure to the scandals and harsh commentary are not good for my soul. And they don’t help me be a positive influence on the many, many Catholics who still see nothing wrong with this papacy. In fact, I’ve read that if I don’t see the positive changes that Pope Francis is trying to make, then I just don’t understand. But I digress. I would love to read traditional, honest teaching of the Church through the saints and Fathers of the Church with no biting commentary or snarky comparisons to present day issues. I’d like to be able to share 1P5’s posts with the aforementioned people without having to try to draw their attention to the good, solid teaching without having to worry that a disrespectful comment distracts them from the main message. That’s my 2 cents’ worth. Thank you for the work you do, and I pray you find your new path…one that is sustainable, reflects the mission of 1P5, and helps you and all of your readers get to heaven.
You probably mean to say, …”nothing wrong with this pontificate” rather than “papacy”. Otherwise completely agree.
If that’s more correct, then yes, that’s what I meant. 🙂
It’s very open of you to share your thoughts on this. Very healthy. We have all hit saturation points perhaps. We have needed ample evidence, after all, this is our church we are talking about, and every single day we open up the Internet hoping that today is the day when things will revert, some group of Cardinals or bishops will have called a press conference, and we’ll know, we can go home again.
But it never happened. In fact, it has gotten worse and worse every week. Once you have the travesty we have, what is there left to say. It’s all been said at this point. You can’t help but notice that camps are becoming more and more divided, as frustration starts to mount over our inability to actually do anything about it. People start to snarl and devour each other.
I would like to echo Scott’s comment below. The NO has lost it’s charm for me at this point, I can’t do it. But the Latin Rite is actually very challenging to follow for someone who hasn’t done it all their life. How do people know the Propers? It would make it much better to know the how-to’s and whys.
God bless you for doing the blog. It cannot be easy. None of us have the answers to things now, or knows exactly what to do. We’re in uncharted waters. No matter what other generations saw, this is entirely unique.
Hello Evangeline. I am 66 years old and I can remember my catechism from 1st and 2nd grade. I can still remember all the answers (they were in a Q and A format). My son began singing in the schola at our local Latin Mass and so my husband decided to get up “so early” and listen to the singing at Mass. We were dressed in BLUE JEANS!!! I was horrified when I saw how people dressed and sat in the back row. He no longer sings in the choir and it did not bring him back to the Church but he brought ME back. It all came back washing over me and I almost cried in Church. I felt I was finally HOME. And I also thought “Latin Mass? I got this”. Well I was lost for months. It turns out I was using the new Novus Ordo Missal. I thought they were the same. Was wondering whey I couldn’t follow along. Anyway, I have over the past few years purchased the entire set of The Liturgical Year by Gueranger. It gives which saints feast days and holy days are every day of the year. You can follow along and usually the propers are in there. Even if they are not, maybe you could get a bulletin and see what the feast day is each day and look it up in your missal if you have one and I strongly recommend you get a 1962 or earlier one. So happy to have you join us in worshipping God the way He desires. It’s a beautiful thing! Also, The Liturgical Year is something I cannot live without. You can even use it as a missal. The mass is in every volume. God bless.
Thank you so much. I have never even heard of that series, and I will look into it. 🙂
Try out these sources:
Angelus Press 1-800-96-ORDER or http://www.angeluspress.org (publishing arm of the SSPX)
TAN Books 1-800-437-5876 or http://www.tanbooks.com. They were taken over by St. Benedict Press some years ago. Personally, I would get only the TAN Books titles.
The TLM takes a bit of getting used to when we have gotten used to the busyness of the NO. May I suggest, get a copy of Treasure and Tradition: the ultimate guide to the Latin mass, by Augustine Press. It is a picture missal, explains everything, just awesome for anyone new to the TLM. God bless!!!!
Just get the super little red missal. I just took it home, read it over and over, savouring everything, all the extra info, the information, listened to the melodies of the chants – especially the credo – and it just all gradually, gradually grows and grows…
As I mentioned once to you a few years ago: Education – in many cases, re-education – is what is needed. Most people can’t afford to go to a brick-and-mortar Catholic university, however, either because it’s too expensive or too time-consuming. But there is a positively *huge* need for solid Catholic educational material. And, as you note, modern technology has made it possible to spread this wealth of information we now have available to us in ways never before imagined. But – as you replied back then – who is going to pay for it? I still don’t have a good answer to that. However, I know that other Catholic apostolates – though none of them outspokenly Traditional – have invested time and energy into providing good educational content, and that investment is paying large dividends today – in more ways than one.
THANK YOU for the excellent post. I’ve been saying for years that we need adult catechesis. The best time to do it imho is in the 6 months to 1 year before getting married. If you have the time to pick out the best wedding dress, tuxedo, caterer, DJ etc before the wedding, then prospective bride and groom should be able to spend AT LEAST one hour per month with a good Catholic priest like Fr. RP in addition to pre-Cana to learn the traditional teaching of the Church on marriage and the family. Thus, on your wedding day, you can make those vows with eyes wide open, understanding the full import of what you are saying before God.
Also NO bachelor/ette parties less than 2 weeks before the wedding, and certainly NOT the night before!
Having gone through pre-Cana 6 years ago… it’s worthless. Time with a good priest would have been worth so much more. Otherwise, I agree with you 100%!
Sensus Fidelium channel on YouTube.
If I remember rightly you homeschool. I was wondering if you have put anything together for teaching history in upper high school? In particular from the Renaissance on.
While I strongly support Homeschooling, I live in a part of the world where it’s illegal unless you have a university degree in pedagogy with a minor in developmental psychology. No joke. The Catholic schools here are, believe it or not, worse than the public schools. Thus, on the advice of my parish priest, our kids are in the public system. It requires a tremendous amount of supplemental and correctional work, but I dare say it brings with it a few minor advantages.
I wonder how far behind you we (in Australia) are!
Thanks for replying! Sorry for my slow reply! As a mum of 8 time can get away on me.
And I have a tiredness that dulls my mind at this moment for a thoughtful response but now’s the moment.
I did try to join your ‘History of the Catholic Church’ group but I’m not too good at these type of things and nothing seems to have happened. I thought I’d get started back at the beginning of it with my eldest children, which of course I can do without being ‘joined’ to the group.
I’m very interested in putting together a comprehensive course of history. Particularly modern history for which I have yet to find something already put together which is either suitable or thorough. So I will start to work something out. Could I ask, if there is just one book (or two) you could recommend for upper high for helping to understand what has happened in the Church, at least as an intro book. I would appreciate your thoughts!
Just remembering that I thought to say that I think something like your ‘History of the Catholic Church’ google group would be a good idea for 1P5.
God bless!
An idea for a post could be about possible options for a parish that is being closed. I’m in the Omaha Archdiocese and attend a parish that is on the chopping block. Do we just go to the next town? Is there any option of bringing in a priest from a religious society or from another country? Who actually owns the Church property? I assume the Bishop holds all the cards. We are just grasping at straws at this point. It’s especially frustrating being next to the vibrant Lincoln NE diocese. The Omaha Archdiocese doesn’t seem to be able to get the hint about why they are flourishing. Can we live in one diocese and belong to a parish in another diocese?
If it were me, I would go to the neighbouring diocese
That’s interesting, Steve.
I’ve been feeling the same way.
For you folks who are struggling thru the Latin Mass, well, I’m a convert and I was a bit overwhelmed myself. But it is really not hard to do. I got a traditional missal, began to read it and found it is a wonderful devotional and roadmap thru the Mass.
In truth, it took me a long time to “become comfortable” but it only took a short time for me to know how much meaning there was…I just had to find it!
It is NOT hard to follow, if that is your desire. You can, however, use the time to focus on Jesus and meditate.
Get a missal. Read it.
Also, it’s handy, if you like, to get a good Church calendar. Remember, back in the day, many Catholics lived by the calendar and new it from year to year. They planted crops and married and lived by the Saint’s days. They knew them. The collapse of the Church culture has indeed taken its toll. We are rebuilding something here, and it is worth knowing just how the Church teaching can permeate your life. The calendar and the Missal are wonderful tools to get that done.
A good “How to” would be great, but if I can do it, so can you. Get a Missal. Get a calendar, and have at it.
A site devoted to “Loving Jesus the Way He Taught Us to Love Him…Through the Church”, would be a great concept. How to’s, Bible studies, reflections on the Truth of the Catholic faith.
God’s blessings on you, Steve.
This is my favourite calendar. It is the most detailed one I have come across. http://www.papastronsay.com/bookshop/product.php?ID=61
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfBZNmmeAaE
One suggestion is running a series of how Saints dealt with a crisis in their time. Focusing on how to be holy, especially amongst darkness. I’ve been working on starting a blog and I’m sure others here may be considering doing the same. Perhaps each of us could support each other in growing in holiness. I think creating a community here is very important, so no one feels isolated and all who visit here can network with each other. Indeed we will still be in the fight but we’ll be fighting on God’s terms. We are the Church Militant and we know The Lord wins in the end! May God bless you Steve and your apostolate.
Thank you, Steve. I have never written a comment before. As a home schooling mother of eight beautiful children, all I can say is that the answer to all of this is mental prayer. Daily. Mental. Prayer.
It solves everything because in it we find union with God. May God give you the grace to encourage others in the interior life through your writing.
Indeed!
As our Savior teached: “we ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Lk 18,1)
As Apostles preached: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5, 17)
As Holy Fathers kept: “The remembrance of the name of Jesus rouses the enemy to battle. For a soul that forces itself to pray the Prayer of Jesus can find anything by this prayer, both good and evil. First it can see evil in the recesses of its own heart, and afterwards good. This prayer can stir the snake to action, and this prayer can lay it low. This prayer can expose the sin that is living in us, and this prayer can eradicate it. This prayer can stir up in the heart all the power of the enemy, and this prayer can conquer it and gradually root it out. The name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it descends into the depths of the heart, will subdue the snake which controls its ranges, and will save and quicken the soul. Continue constantly in the name of the Lord Jesus that the heart may swallow the Lord and the Lord the heart, and that these two may be one. However, this is not accomplished in a single day, nor in two days, but requires many years and much time. Much time and labor are needed in order to expel the enemy and instate Christ. St. John Chrysostom, Letter to Monks (PG 60, p. 753)”
The “Jesus Prayer”: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!”
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” is my favorite variation on this most excellent and accessible-throughout-the-day prayer, Margaret!!
There is a website called The Counter Revolution. You have to send in a request to be on their email list. It takes a little while for them to get back to you. I’m not sure what it’s really all about yet; they seem new and small but they have a wonderful reading list about culture and Traditional Christianity. I am finding that a lot of these books are free online. If anyone knows anything about them I’d appreciate some information.
http://www.thecounterrevolution.org/p/counter-revolutionary-reading-list.html
Initially your post made complete sense. But then I remembered the great saints of the past who opposed heresies. These saints continued to campaign against the errors with their tongues and pens until the heresies were defeated.
Modernism is “the synthesis of all heresies.” Those called by God to fight this greatest of evils that now bedevil the Church must not stop their valiant war until complete victory is won.
Steve, you’ve chosen the role of a soldier and now are very tired and demoralized. You likely want to switch to a more personally rewarding effort to maintain and even rebuild critical Church edifices that Modernism is burning down. Don’t you think it is necessary to first stop the Modernist flamethrowers before it is even possible to rebuild the Church?
Too many times, a soldier wants to believe it is time to go home and take care of his other responsibilities, rather than continue to fight the enemy until he is defeated. You surely understand why that will allow the Adversary to continue his assaults on all of us.
You’re a very special soldier, Steve. Modify your battle strategies but don’t quit on us.
I agree, Mary Ann. However, in the midst of the news of scandals, we need to take actions. These actions might entail boycotting questionable collections. They might entail publicly confronting a priest after a heretical homily or other liturgical malfeasance. They might entail a picket of a pro-abortion “dignitary” on Catholic property. Talking about these things is not enough. We must be willing to make the malefactors uncomfortable in the commission of their misdeeds. That means we must be willing to step out of comfort zones ourselves. Of course we must always pray and frequent the Sacraments, educate ourselves and our families, etc. But never fail to speak out. Whether or not what we say is “negative” is absolutely irrelevant, for truth is not dependent on being “positive” or “negative”.
“Don’t you think it’s necessary to first stop the modernist flame throwers before it is even possible to rebuild the Church?” ……….Just EXACTLY what I was thinking as well. That said though, it is necessary to interject some real meat and potatoes of our beautiful faith! Something we can learn from and reflect on to help us on our journey and a lot of times struggle to reach Heaven. It’s a balancing act to be sure and I myself have been struggling with the need to both know what’s going on but also grow in my spiritual life because as Steve has rightly said, what difference does all of this make if we loose our way?
Switch gears a little bit Steve, it will be good for all of us, and especially for YOU, but you can’t take your eye off the ball altogether either. I feel we are being asked to be a tad schizophrenic in our walk with the Lord at present, but it’s important we both ‘stay awake’ and continue to defend the faith and also grow in our own holiness and enrichment of our faith at the same time.
I think this sentence from what I wrote above is key: “As long as only a very few publications are willing to stand in the breach, we will never be free of the duty to cover the stories that matter most. But we can no longer be so heavily focused on nothing but the scandal du jour in Rome.”
We aren’t going to stop, because we can’t. But we’re going to be more discriminating about what we cover.
But it is precisely ‘the scandal du jour’ and its no-holds-barred reportage that has driven and inspired me to brush-up on Catholic doctrine, devotion, and declamation, Steve.
I don’t want parish picnics and puppies. I want to be inspired to learn and live my Fatith. Keep at what you are doing!
Yes, we do want information & truth. Not just the ‘bad stuff,’ but definitely including it – all of it
Just remembered a similar conundrum on the ‘big screen’.
The Godfather “What am I to do Godfather?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nqcgUDoV_M
Steve, I will pray for your journey. I hope that you will find people to support you financially because, it seems to me in every media and venue, that people only support financially what tickles their emotions, feeds their good or bad passions or enables them to feel better/superior to others. If you focus on becoming a source of information and resources for those who are focused on preserving the faith in their own world rather than just complain about whatever Pope Francis is or is not doing or holding on to false money-generating promises from schismatic priests now dead and moved on, you will be accomplishing more for Christ and His Church but will lose lots of support and views. I hope I am wrong and will pray God gives you the moral courage and financial support as He always does, through His faithful, though few, people. God bless you and your ministry.
Whoa there.
I think it is a bit presumptuous to believe that most who post here are somehow “tickled” by emotion of feeding passions that fuel superiority.
The Church has been “lulled to sleep” for a very long time. It is time to wake up.
It is good that sites such as OnePeterFive not only report the difficulties our Church is going through right now, but such reporting has served to ” awaken” many Catholics who have always somehow known, ” that something is not right here”, whether it be from the irreverent Masses, to an overall more ” man centered’ faith rather than a God centered faith.
It is helpful to see this false Church, within our Church.
For if you cannot see evil, one will never be able to see the good, the True and the beauty of our Church. And without the goodness of our Church, and the graces given, how can one offer charity to others?
Knowledge of our faith is important and that would include what this pontificate says and is doing, for it gets filtered to the bishop to the pastor and hence to the flock.
It is a duty of Catholic journalists to point out heresy to the faithful, to be on guard.
Moral courage comes from knowing the Truth, and living one’s life accordingly, in spite
of resistance. I would add that I look at OnePeterFive as an apostolate, not just a ministry.
St. John Chrysostom:
“Only the person who becomes irate without reason, sins. Whoever becomes irate for a just reason is not guilty. Because, if ire were lacking, the science of God would not progress, judgments would not be sound, and crimes would not be repressed.
Further, the person who does not become irate when he has cause to be, sins. For an unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices: it fosters negligence, and stimulates not only the wicked, but above all the good, to do wrong.” (Homily XI super Matheum, 1c, nt.7)
Very interesting????
Balance is the beautiful key. Faithful Catholics are always walking a wire of creative tension. I totally support you, Steve!
Dear Steve,
I think you have your answer by asking these questions:
“Are you a homeschooling mom? What are you looking for?
Are you a husband and father trying to find a way to network with other men of like mind? How can we connect you?
Are you a parish priest who needs resources for your parishioners? What can we make?
Are you a new Catholic — or just new to tradition — trying to figure out what you should read and where you should go? Tell us what you lack.
Whoever you are, whatever you need, help us help you. This should be more than just a place where you come for information. It should be a real community.”
Let me put it this way: If you have a negative story, try to counterbalance it with a post that teaches the truth of the Catholic Faith. E.g. your last post on the resignation of BXVI and the Obama administration. The last sentence of that post should inspire a positive one or two: a) that no matter how bad the corruption gets, the gates of Hell will never prevail against the Church (I’m paraphrasing the last sentence here) and b) the sixth precept of the Church: ” to contribute to the support of the Church”. How do I fulfill the sixth precept of the Church in the midst of allegations that money from Peter’s Pence was given to a pro-abortion presidential campaign? This is what both priests and laity need to know. (How much would you want to bet that most Catholics have never heard of the 6 precepts of the Church?)
Homeschooling parents (fathers are NOT exempt from teaching the Faith to their children) could take those positive posts on the Church and use it to teach their children.
Look at the The Fount of Knowledge by St. John Damascene or the Summa Theologiae by St. Thomas Aquinas, two of the greatest theologians of the Church.
Btw, take a look at these when you get a moment:
http://www.christianorder.com/features/features_2015/features_mar15.html
http://www.christianorder.com/features/features_2015/features_apr15.html
They’re about the crucial role of the father in the family.
That’s it for now.
God bless!
In Christ the King,
Margaret
There aren’t many paths to God, as false ecumenists would have us believe, but within the body of the Church there is room for many approaches to Rome’s apostasy. I disagree with the claim that all those who were to be woken up, have been already. We don’t know it.
You should do what seems right at this moment, of course. This has been a helpful blog for me. I hope however, that you are not suspecting others, those determined to continue to expose evil, of sensationalism, pride and rigidity.
You know what you need, man?
You need to be around some balance and laughter and joy.
I may be VERY confused by what Pope Francis says, but he does get in some salient zingers.
Why, oh why, trad folks do we walk around looking like we sucked on lemons?
We “faithful” in the West aren’t being persecuted. We are being punished. Let’s be real and admit that even those in the trad community are a part of what got us here, if not a LARGE part of what got us here. We got the priests we deserved.
Meanwhile, how can we have a truly bad day when we still have the gift of seeing Jesus in Adoration or at daily Mass? Maybe we need to focus more on getting our own acts together and let the progressive goofballs fizzle into obscurity? I dunno.
Even though I get down, sometimes, i prefer to take St. Lawrence’s cue.
This world and progressives in the Church can flip me over. This side is done.
I say you’re on the right course, Steve, and you should stick with it. Let’s all get out of the trad echo chamber and get to work loving out rich lives of love.
Crisis in the Catholic Church is not a matter?
Our resistance has a limit? Like in Communist system that only allows opposing to certain level, cross the line they put you in concentration camp. Probably Steve get a lot of pressures from his bishop to change course. Little compromise like Vat II has caused a lot of irreparable damages. Praying that Holy Spirit guides you.
No, I think Steve might be right, that it is not heathy to focus on evil so much if it is causing a sense of despair. As far as I can tell, combatting evil does not automatically make one personally holy, and thus it could be distracting to one’s own holiness.
And also, it is a traditional understanding that evil is an abscence of good, like darkness is an abscence of light and cold is an abscence of heat. So in order to grow in holiness, we cannot just reject evil, but we need to accept what is good. So learning how to properly live out the Faith, especially in the way of rebuilding a solid Catholic society of orthopraxy, is of utmost importance.
And let’s remember, Steve is a real person and we aren’t just talking in generalities, but we could positively influence his life down the right or wrong path by suggesting where he should go from here and how he should think about it. So this is pretty serious stuff, especially as Steve is concerned, since he’s not above spiritual struggles even though he runs a Catholic website.
And then finally, as far as I know, he is not under an oath of religious obedience to run this website, so he should be able to change the website or stop it altogether without feeling guilted by it or feeling like he is letting people down, so long as he doesn’t think that God is calling him to do otherwise. Because everyone’s primary vocation is to holiness, and 1P5 doesn’t quite rise to the level of a vocation such that he is *obliged* to do this. His necessary obligations are to holiness (everyone) and to the proper raising of his children (since he is married with kids).
His fight is with his own sins and the evil that could affect his children, so being a ‘soldier against Modernism’ in society at large is going above and beyond his necessary responsibilies and is dangerous if it lessens his focus on fighting on his own sins and the evil that threatens his children.
A thoughtful reply. Thank you. And I agree- One must discern what one’s primary vocation is…and being a parent to one’s children is as primary vocation as it can get.
I couldn’t have responded any better than what you wrote in response to Steve’s article. Steve, do not become discouraged. Discouragement is only natural after waging spiritual warfare for so long. You only need to read about Jeremiah, Elijah, the Apostle Paul, the desert Father’s, the list is long….My only point is, every great warrior of God is to fall into discouragement, it is an easy tool of the devil. The remedy? Rest a while with Our Lord, be with Him, be at peace to simply be in His presence, nothing more, no words, silence, He knows exactly why you need to be with Him in the Tabernacle of your soul. Rest, even sleep.He will awaken you and you will be strong once again in your apostolic endeavor to proclaim the truth. Steve, when you are with the Lord, just bring all of your followers, your loved ones and even your enemies in your heart. God bless you always. Courage!
Very well said. Is Trump stop fighting NWO? Hell no. He’s continuing to be insulted, betrayed, lied and cheated by people around him even his family members get attacked, harassed. We’ve been chosen to be foot soldiers, be watchful and kept resisting the enemy. Devil never takes a break. God bless.
Are you a follower of Sensus Fidelium on You Tube? These homilies/conferences are keeping me sane right now. I’m a new Trad catholic and I’ve learned so much from these talks. About the Saints, the catechism, theology etc. I devour them. I know the FSSP priests are on there but I really don’t know where the content comes from. Having content like this in written form would be so useful. It’s faster to read than listen to a 45 min podcast. Also, easier to go back and reference as well as forward to people.
Thank you. I was just about to recommend that.
Check out SensusTraditionis also, for sermons and for books
Thinking about this some more…..what is Sensus Fidelium’s back up plan when You Tube kicks shuts them down for hate speech? A partnership between 1P5 and Sensus Fidelium could bring about miraculous things.
This is an awesome idea. I think you are correct that there will come a day when they will be shut down for supposed “hate speech”. Not just these, but many more from other Catholic groups as well. Is there a way to preserve these CD, videos, resources when political correctness runs amuck?
For what it is worth, I totally agree. I was a “cradle catholic” who grew up in the Church with the Novus Ordo going to Catholic school my whole life. I started out good as a child (even wanting to be a priest and serving at daily mass) but as I grew up I became luke warm at best, really Catholic in name only. I had long stopped going to mass and practicing my faith. The Catholic Faith became somewhat of an embarrassment in the world. It was only practiced in private, never in public. For family reasons, I started to go to mass again, but at a Norus Ordo parish, where there where greeters at the door, felt banners all around, a rock-n-roll mass for the kids, sung versions of the Our Father with people holding hands and swaying, high fives and peace signs flashed during the sign of peace, young girls in micro mini skirts and leggings or yoga pants, altar girls with dangling earrings and high heels, an army of Eucharistic ministers, a priest telling the parishioners to not say the rosary during mass or read during mass, a Christmas sermon on how we don’t really know if there were 3 kings…etc. It was a faith and a church that was emasculated, effeminate, impotent, but always “nice”. No heard sermons, no hard saying, only nice ones encouraging us to just get along with everyone. I though that was how the Catholic Church was now…until I came across Sensus Fidelium on You Tube. I heard a traditional Catholic priest give a sermon on traditional Catholic dogma and I …was…floored. Priests don’t talk like that… at least not anymore for the majority of ones I’ve met. I devoured it. I couldn’t get enough. I became researching my Catholic faith, listened to numerous sermons in my car, searching out traditional blogs, like OnePeter5 and TheRadicalCatholic. I bought and read books on Fatima, and the saints. I found and joined a FSSP parish. And after all that I…was…MAD. I was mad that I had been denied this. I was mad I was never taught traditional Catholic dogma. I was mad the priests never gave sermons on it. I was mad because I was robbed of my faith by the very people who received it and were supposed to pass it on to me. I was robbed of my inheritance. At least that’s how I felt. In short, education is the key and it would indeed be helpful if you and other traditional catholic media sources joined forces and networked together to provide a strong base for us, the lay folk who are struggling to stay afloat in this river spewed forth from the mouth of the devil. Many in the church who are supposed to certainly are not. Thanks for listening.
This was great to hear, my story mirrors yours in each and every point made, to the “T.”
And thank YOU for talking. That story is so many of our stories.
For most of us, add on the (justified!) anger of what has / is happening to souls, esprecially our very own children & other loved ones.
Despair we must not because it is Satan’s wish & his tool – continue to pray & work for guidance & strength.
Thank you for this site and a great post. It does seem at times like we are all shooting arrows at each other while the enemy is watching and laughing. As a father and husband, I’d like to hear about what we should be doing every time there is mention of a scandal. Perhaps if an article is written about how we are living in times as bad as the arian crisis, end the article with how they overcame it. This is why I tuned out of Voris, the non-stop pounding of how terrible the Church has become weakened my soul. In less than 10 Years my children will start entering the world as Catholic adults and they need other Catholic adults, friends, co-workers to converse with. They may need to find a seminary that supports the faith or another Catholic to take in marriage and we’ve a responsibility to make that happen. They need to witness one other person at work, in the supermarket, at a restaurant, who has the faith and it allows them to continue the battle. They need to witness just one other family praying publicly before a meal. They need us to be Catholic. Keep fighting the good fight, this site is doing great things. Donation on the way.
An article encouraging people to pray the rosary daily. The Blessed Virgin Mary is our only hope these days.
I promote that often in my comments: “Pray the Rosary daily!” Never underestimate the power of the Rosary!! I myself have experienced so many tangible miracles through the Rosary, I can’t begin to count!! The Blessed Mother is absolutely guiding her children in these turbulent days, no doubt about it.
Maybe I shouldn’t say this …. At risk of stating the obvious, Steve, have you considered a vacation or a retreat or something that would renew and energize yourself? Take your kids to the zoo. Go plant and weed in the flower beds. Play fetch with the dog. Take a hike in a state park. Find a swimming hole. Spend some time in adoration. Go on a pilgrimage to a local shrine. Take a road trip. Explore the tourist sites in your own community.
I don’t know …. whatever you and/or your family cherish and enjoy. Mini-trips. Backyard vacation. Unplug the phone. Ditch the technology. Turn off the TV. It sounds as if you are burnt out. I am sure it is an occupational hazard of running a website such as this. I think many Catholics who are aware/ awake are discouraged and disheartened by what is happening in the Church. I certainly am. Truly we are living in unprecedented times.
Uncharted waters for faithful Catholics ABSOLUTELY!
Unprecedented times. Yes, indeed. Thankfully, the Lord warned us of them- warnings which the new head of the Jesuits is taking great pains to discredit. God help us to be strong and faithful.
The SSPX has a Retreat House in Phoenix…
http://sspx.org/en/our-lady-sorrows-retreat-center
Steve, although I donate every month (very little but this is what I can afford), I neglected you and your work with in my prayers. For that I am sincerely sorry. Thank you for reminding me what is important, most important: mutual spiritual support. And thank for all the work you do despite all the obstacles and mental drain and battles. Remember, that there are many of us who appreciate you work a lot. Let us now also to pray for one another as a true Christians should do.
You have a beautiful posting name: The Truth will set you free, I love it!!
Amen- that is what I too have realized????????????????????????
Steve, as I read Matthew 26, 47 – 56 this evening, it was as if a light came on. It’s about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and His arrest. Remember, one of Jesus’ followers struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear in an attempt to keep Jesus from being arrested. Our Lord told him to put his sword away, that all He had to do was appeal to His Father and twelve legions of angels would come to His defense if that’s what He wanted. But then God’s plan would not be fulfilled. And we wouldn’t have a Savior!
It’s the same today. God could stop all the evil in a second. What is happening has all been prophesied and it must take place. His Church must be cleansed and all the rot and filth coming to light is part of the process.
People are waking up to the Truth because you and many others are doing your/their part in awakening them.
The bishop is right. We must focus on becoming saints.
Exactly.
Thank you, Steve. Sometimes I think it is a mercy that some less-informed Catholics don’t know the depth of the problems, as those of us paying attention take enough of a beating. How might their faith be weakened if they knew?
What do I need? My husband and I have been running a small, Catholic classical education homeschool co-op for a few years. It’s mission is to assist homeschool families in educating their children while passing on the truths of our Faith in a community setting. It is being run on a shoestring budget. We pay our tutors, but my husband and I take no money for the work we do. We have tremendous difficulty hiring orthodox Catholic people to teach. We know many solid Catholic mothers with no young kids at home and retirees young enough to still work who are quite qualified to teach the classes, but who have no interest in working 2 or 3 hours a week for us. They just have no interest in doing anything to help the wider community. If we are to hold on to and pass on our faith, especially when our shepherds are the wolves, we need to band together in small communities to survive. Can you please prick the consciences of your readers to look outside of themselves and see if God might be calling them to help somewhere to build up His little remaining flock?
Steve, I am pretty new to 1P5, and in the short time I’ve been reading this site, I have gotten completely discouraged about the state of the Church, so I can imagine how you feel having to be immersed in these sordid details as you research and write these articles. I agree, something needs to change. It’s clear that what this site does needs to continue, but may I suggest that these types of articles be posted only once per week at most, unless there is some absolutely urgent news. These types of articles would be balanced by what you would post all the other days of the week: articles about those things that ARE the beauty of the Church. These things would be the Church Fathers, great Church architecture, different orders of men and women religious, how the Church developed the university system, writings and speeches of great bishops, etc. The possibilities are endless. May I also make another suggestion. This site must generate money for you, other than by donations. You have a huge following. I would think you would be very valuable to advertisers. Have you considered accepting advertising? God’s blessings be upon you as you navigate your way through this.
I’d be very circumspect about accepting advertising.
Stuff to try:
1) Interviews
2) Comedy / Satire (like a Steven Crowder kind of thing)
3) Video / live talk format feeds (like Remnant Underground – bring someone on to talk)
4) Culture / Arts / Film / Music reviews
5) Anything to lighten things up / see things from a different angle
I think of Fr Z who goes from reporting “brick by brick” progress to lambasting Fishwrap to posting pictures of the fish he eats to the backs of the seats in front of him on planes. It’s a mix, but a balance, and that kind of levity keeps him and his readers sane, and he’s able to keep doing what he does.
6) Try some Fr Z style commentary (patent pending) on broader news articles in the culture from various sources.
I saved the best idea for last:
7) “Cooking with Skojec”, which for some reason I assume would include a lot of bourbon and grilled meat.
While those are all super, we (& Steve) need not try to be something we’re not. I’m sure his prayers invite grace, guidance, inspiration & protection as the Almighty Father implements His will.
I love the cooking angle. I’m grateful for this website and its contributors. They bear a unique burden. They have a love for God and us. I don’t always agree with everything that is said but that’s life in a community, right, even an online community…which gets me to my next point, a small suggestion: how about a book club? Everyone could make suggestions for selections. And they could run the gamut from A to Z of genres. Then once a month a selection is read and discussed. It could provide education, entertainment, and community all in one package. If Steve could link the books to online purchases we could send a little extra cash his way, too. Anyway, just my two cents. Grateful for 1P5.
I ran a history course for some home schoolers recently. It turned out really well, I thank God. We did an overview of the history of Christendom from ancient times to the second world war. We had four sessions of about 3:15 hours each of lectures, during which the students, aged 13+ sat up and paid attention the whole time. They were amazing! This year, as a follow up, I will be running what I call “Christendom Club” twice a month. This will consist of prayer, scripture, catechesis, history, art appreciation etc for four hours (including lunch break) each time. It will be a celebration of the glories of Christendom, with – at the very heart of it – the opportunity for all of us to grow closer to God. I did this, because it seemed like the right thing to do, in spite of our miseries.
So, I would encourage everyone to pray for guidance, do the next things in front of you, and give others hope. As bad as things are – and they are dire, but could easily get worse – we have every reason to hope.
“Our help is in the name of the Lord Who made heaven and earth.”
You should videotape it and sell it. I would buy it! Got four homeschooling grandkids. Second generation. ????
I might. Thanks!
What did you use?
Based it mostly on “Christ the King, Lord of History” (Anne Carroll), and Belloc’s work. Also, some choice quotes from Cobbett.
http://www.exclassics.com/protref/protref.txt
Thank you! You’re inspiring me to start a history class with our hs group!
(Sorry for the slow reply! Hit a busy patch.)
Good for you! I know all about busy patches.
I would urge everyone to fast, seriously.
I agree. In the Byzantine Tradition, almost all the Wednesdays and Fridays of the year are days of fast and abstinence from meat.
August 29th is the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. By tradition, a strict fast day (no meat, dairy products or anything that contains them). In our house you also don’t eat anything in the shape of a head (lettuce, cabbage) and don’t eat off a plate.
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14th) is also a strict fast day (again, no meat, dairy products or anything that contains them).
Latin Catholics used to have Ember Days. They’re gone from the new calendar.
Yes, I agree and do????????
One particular thought about information more parents need – how to teach their children.
I was raised a traditionalist in a family that never lost the information we need. I’m 34 years old. Most of my generation has either lapsed, attends the TLM and is learning, or goes to the NO because their parents did and has no idea how to teach their children the Faith because they were never taught – and they are highly frustrated because they know they don’t know what they are supposed to be doing.
I know how to teach the Faith to my children and do so, just as we were taught. I give resources to people as I see them. Perhaps, in amidst everything else you do, you might be able to provide resources to help that third category as well.
Yes you are doing Gods work by teaching your children. Any good resources on how it worked with you as a child and we can likewise do with our children? Please let us know.
God blessed you with good parents who knew their obligations re marriage, family and passing on the Faith to their children.
If they’re deceased: Eternal memory! If living: Many blessed years!
When I came back to the Church last March after 41 years, I started looking for Catholic websites to reintegrate myself into the Church. I discovered your website and other traditionalist sites. I was drawn immediately to the Latin Mass and I have since attended only Latin masses. I also pray in Latin, especially the Rosary everyday. There is such profound beauty in our Catholic tradition: art, architecture, music, etc.
Write posts about these beautiful things. They encourage us and deepen our faith. Ask readers to contribute their photos of ancient churches. Ask readers for their conversion stories. I would be willing to contribute my own “return to the Church” story and my impressions of medieval churches in Europe, where I spent several weeks traveling.
Great ideas Julia! Maybe also some (especially recent) miracles that have been reported. There is a Eucharistic miracle that took place recently, but I can’t remember the country it was in. I believe it has already been confirmed, if I am correct. So many avenues can be taken to prop up our faith. The list is endless.
Welcome back in the Roman Catholic Church!! Deo gratias. May God bless you and keep you.
Dear Steve, when I was reading this …”I don’t know exactly how to move forward from here.” … and this … “We’re going to have to read more, research more,…”, – I was thinking on this: I’ll give you one suggestion. Please take enough time, even all time that you need, for research, understanding and sharing the truth about the importance of the Fifth, the last, and for all of us, right now most important Marian dogma: “The Lady of All Nations – Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate”.
You really must continue, if only to encourage those like me, who feel just as you do about the great damage being done to the Church. I lived through the aftermath of what was done in the so called “spirit of Vatican II”. Without the benefit of the internet and the kind of well informed laity we have today, particularly in America, there was a widespread feeling at that time that once decisions had been made change was inevitable. We all know how serious the consequences have been since these have now been well documented. You, and others like you, help us all to be ever vigilant about what is happening in our Church and to be able to challenge it. Please do keep up your excellent work.
Sounds like you need a holiday Steve. Come to Australia and sunny Queensland to recharge. I like your change of focus and agree the only way to win this game is through sanctity. Saints have won the unwinnable battles in the past and that’s how it will be this time. We might even be surprised just how quickly immanent defeat turns into improbable victory. There is no better example than Calvary. All we have to do is to continue carrying our crosses. Cheers.
Isn’t it winter down under?
Queensland is a large state. The top bit is monsoonal and the bottom bit does have a ‘winter’ but it’s not what many would call a winter. Where I am in Western Australia it doesn’t get very cold either. The wattles are already coming into bloom. Spring is on its way!
Great article, it reminds me of the vision Pope Innocent 111 had when he met St Francis, Our Lord said in the vision “he is the one who will hold up Christ’s Church by what he does and what he teaches.”
https://the-american-catholic.com/2011/10/04/saint-francis-of-assisi-and-innocent-iii/
“…where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
Long before Satan’s attack on the Church culminated in the attack on the Mass, the priesthood, the Sacraments, the moral life, fatherhood, the family and the Church’s self-identity and self-confidence, he laid the ground over 200 years ago by the attack on Sacred Scripture. The truthfulness, accuracy, historicity and comprehensibility of Scripture were all called into doubt as the Protestant/Enlightenment disease invaded the lifeblood of the Catholic Church. Everything that has gone wrong in the last 200 years has its roots in this demonic strategy to the extent that we recently observe the Jesuit General whatsisname saying: “We can’t be sure what Jesus said or meant because nobody had voice recorders back then”!!!!
Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ, and Christ is the only answer, the only purpose and the only telos for the Church. In the Mass we kiss the altar, but we also kiss the book of the Gospels. If we want to help Catholics build their faith on the Rock which is Christ, build it so that it is strong enough to withstand and resist all the winds of every false doctrine which emanate even from their own shepherds, then a thoroughly Catholic understanding and love of Scripture is a vital weapon in their armoury. It is the Sword of the Spirit which can cut through every attack on the Mass, the Church and the Way of Christ.
If you want to broaden the scope of 1P5 to edify more as well as forewarn, then help Catholics to develop the same love for Christ in His Word as they traditionally have love for Him in His Body.
Everything the Church is going through now was experienced over and over again by the Old Covenant Church – nothing is “new”, there should really be no “surprises”. The problem is that most Catholics don’t know the story of how we got here in the first place.
Spot on, this. I helped at an English-language parish here in Budapest (I’ve friends there but I attend the TLM in town). What we were doing was discussing some basic Catholic teachings after Mass and how Holy Scripture supports them. (The basic focus was on the Reformation 500 years on, and the part Holy Writ played in it them and now.) But what was astounding was the utter ignorance of the participants, and I mean good folks, various ages, solid Catholics, regular Mass attenders, all that. And we’re talking about multi-lingual Europeans with excellent secular educations, too. Better than the average found in the U.S.
I, too, suspect that the Scripture is the key. It seems an incomprehensible maze to them. But in any event we ought to try.
Raghn Crow
God bless you Steve. It will be our witness to Christ and His Church that matters most. Some like you Steve are very gifted with knowledge and understanding helping those of us take comfort in the beauty of our Church. I think pointing out the problems in our Church is vital as well. Helping people recognize what is not good or evil, helps us to recognize and seek what is good, what is true. May God provide you moments of rest with Him. I look forward to reading more on your site. And it is time for another donation.
Speaking only for myself, the greatest benefit of exposing the depth of the crisis under an array of well crafted essays, is reading the comments of your readers. Sometimes I just skim quickly through the articles in order to read the comments in detail. Why? Because it relieves the sense of being alone with your own thoughts. When I read the reaction to the trying events about which you report, Steve, a great part of my isolation is eased. I am no longer alone with my own thoughts. When I disagree with a poster, it forces me to sharpen my thinking and, yes, even sometimes revise it. Few of us have well-informed Catholics who are near enough to discuss the greatest crisis in the history of the Church. Being isolated during these times within your own mind and with your own thoughts can be quite fearful and it is quite dangerous. Isolation and the fear and dread it can develop is the playpen of the demons. They’re out to destroy faith. Permitting the members of the Mystical Body to offer the mutual support of ideas and reflections (and, yes,even visceral reactions) in a time when communication is instantaneous around the globe is a great antidote to our diabolical nemeses.
Thank you for shouldering your burden.
Really though, you speak for most of us.
Yep, senrex really nailed it I do believe for most of us I would venture to say. Isn’t this one important reason God gave us a ‘Church Community’? To share and help each other in whatever way bolsters our faith and enhances our spiritual journey? The lay of the land out there in a good number of our ‘parish communities’ is rather dismal looking at present for a good number of us. I am in a parish community with an elderly population, who really are oblivious to the crisis unfolding in the Church at large They have the look of a deer in headlights when you try to discuss anything going on that is outside of their own ‘Catholic’ world. I’ve even had some of them say, ‘where in did you get this information?’ Or ‘That can’t be right’. Pretty futile for some of us to try and share news, even news that is well documented. I guess being of the age they are, they’re pretty set in their ways and don’t want to rock any boats and I really can’t blame them. And maybe, as another poster said, God is being merciful to those of His that are in their last years and have probably had a lifetime of crosses to bear.
Yes, I know just what you’ve shared to be true. Many in my parish don’t have much understanding as to what is happening in the Church. I mention a few things to see how they react and they are silent. What concerns me most is that when I’ve expressed concerns to my priest I get no comment at all…. I’m not sure why???!
Thank you, c2. Hang in there!
Sensex, excellent comment. You capture why I check 1P5 each morning…as a priest it’s also easy to experience isolation. The majority of my brothers either approve of what is coming from Rome or could care less, just go with the flow, do my work etc. However as Msgr. Nicola Bux said, “the Church is in a crisis of faith”. The more I read, reflect and pray, I see that it is so deep, deeper than just the papacy of Pope Francis. He merely continues and, perhaps, broadens the crisis. I so appreciate what Steve is doing through 1P5. And I do realize he can not bear this all by himself, as I can not bear the crisis by myself but I find support in people like you. I am going to begin a novena to the Holy Spirit for Steve and for all of us so that we can find the most faithful and faith-filled ways to resist and witness ot Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Thank you, Father. My husband and myself have been given permission to not have to attend the NO Masses. We live far from a TLM and poor health prevents us from traveling regularly to one. So we practice the faith as best we can. Websites like 1P5 and the community therein are like a lifeline to us. To know that we are being prayed for means a great deal. The carnage is great, but the full flowering of evil presages its great downfall into rottenness and death. I pray to live to see it!
Thank you, Father. Your comment means a great deal to me. God bless you and Our Lady keep you.
It’s surreal to me how many priests and bishops are on board with Francis the Destroyer. Are they ignorant, ill-educated, apathetic? All part of the mystery of iniquity?
Surreal to me also, Pearl. Ignorant, ill-educated, apathetic…all of the three. For some it’s a liberal leftist sort of papolatry. He’s the Pope. He said it. Get in line…that sort of thing. For me the worse are the bishops and cardinals who are singing a different tune than they sang with Pope John Paul or Pope Benedict!
Yes, sadly this is very true (regarding Bishops and Cardinals) I pray for them daily… such responsibility not being carried out????
I’m leaning towards iniquity
Truth always hurts.
What a great idea – a Novena to the Holy Spirit!
Steve, a suggestion for future endeavors with your blog. When I returned to the faith back in the mid-nineties, I found it extremely difficult to get a hold of materials about the true teaching of the Church. Priests were of no help whatsoever. In my area there were next to no priests who were not modernists, the same for pretty much anyone connected with the institutional Church. DREs RCIA teachers, Catechists all had been influenced by modernism to some extent or another. I spent a lot of time tracking down answers to my questions on my own to get the answers that satisfied me. Resources for folks who want to know more would be a good thing I think. Encyclicals from the olden days, articles, books, talks. There are many now, but perhaps you could do a once a month thing that gave out the resources you think helpful. Just a thought.
I agree that this would be a good idea. Most people don’t even know where to start looking. Only weekly would be better.
Yes, I agree 100% with this idea – and it’s the only comment I’m making on here! eg which are the genuine, no-holes barred Traditional Catholic books/articles ? Simple lists would do me as a resource, rather than trying to identify everything which has been ‘updated’ in some way so it’s no longer in line with Catholic Tradition.
Thank you Steve for all your hard work and sacrifice! My prayers are you and your family and well as the whole 1P5 community. Times are scary and it’s hard to not lose hope but, the 1P5 community makes the journey not quite as lonely.
For those interested, the 33day total consecration to our Lady of Sorrows starts tomorrow.
“For those interested, the 33 day total consecration to our Lady of Sorrows starts tomorrow.”
What an absolutely awesome idea. Thank you.
What do we do now? As a very good priest told me in answer to that question: you stay in the state of grace, do your duties for your state in life, continue your daily routine of prayer, and make frequent use of the Sacraments.
The daily routine of prayer is the very heart of it all. The very source of our energy, our connection with God. Great boosters to this: Sensus Fidelium videos on YouTube, particularly Fr Ripperger’s Mental Prayer as a great start.
Also, book: The Soul of the Apostolate by Jean-Baptiste Chautard, OCSO.
1000 upvotes for your post.
There isn’t going to BE a Shire, Pippin.
Perfect comment. Nicely done, Helen.
Bravo!
Yes, Steve, I agree. We tend to be stimulated by the controversy, though we hate it. Satan can certainly get us on both extremes. Focused on the bad too much or ignoring it. Jesus commonly spoke about the evils of sin, the pharisees, etc. He spent yet more time speaking about how we can rid ourselves of these very same problems. Perhaps in your articles you can highlight some parish that is growing, is building a more wonderful church, a holy monastery or convent, a life of a saint who faced similar issues.
Of course, we should try to pray for those who are trying to destroy the Church. I am going to try to say a decade of the rosary after each article for this.
God bless you because you are the soldier that the rest of us are too busy, lazy, or cowardly to be. Keep up the good work but remember to balance zeal with love.
I don’t really disagree with you, but the stimulation may also be because we are soldiers of Christ, and soldiers are meant to fight. I find it quite invigorating, but I don’t do it in the same quantity as Steve et al.
“Quo vadis? The answer, I suspect, is, “What we’ve always done ”
But Steve, it can’t be what you’ve always done because as you have pointed out you have failed in some respects.
Quo Vadis? Do better. Less angst. Less doom and gloom and more exhortation to the fact that Christ lives and reigns.
The com box here is full of angst and “the sky is falling” and the articles for the most part is the source of that angst.
Goodness people, God reigns. He has triumphed over death. Whatever is happening in the Church is being allowed by God. Fast, pray and don’t worry. Be a Christian. Follow the Lord and cease all the despair and panic.
I don’t see despair here on this site related to the crisis in the Church. I see many faithful desiring to follow Church teachings, and with justified angst regarding, not just the situation in Rome, but how it is effecting clergy, parishes and souls. Yes the Church will get through this as it has done before. However never do I recall where impurities were justified and promoted by the Church leaders: homosexuality, and adultry. Why is it when laity and faithful priests point this out we are seen as despairing? I wonder what St Paul would be posting here in this regard?
But despair does abound in this site but they don’t want to label it as such.
The theme of a majority of the posts is either filled with angst and a kind of “the sky is falling”.
Take for example the oft mentioned reason for the fear and angst in their post: that souls are lost.
Well do you not think that the Lord is aware of that? Do you not think that God who created everything from nothing, who calmed the sea, healed the cripple, healed the blind, and rose from the dead do not know that? And yet He permits this. If God did not allow Francis to ascend to the chair of Peter, no amount of machinations from the St Gallen Mafia would have made it happen.
So, if we are so concerned about lost souls to the point of panicking, what do we think of Christ’s attitude then. It seems we are like the apostles who were upset with Him for sleeping while the boat gets battered.
In the process, people here have even maligned Pope Benedict and other faithful bishops for not doing enough as if if they were in Benedict’s shoes or Chaput’s or Burke, they would have discerned better. One poster here made a similar argument and was promptly booted out or at least I think he was booted out because I don’t see him here anymore.
Those who write the articles and those who join the comboxes need to take a breather and perhaps affirm in their hearts that the Lord reigns. It seems that they don’t really believe that. If they do, they will still write critics minus the “woe is us, we are sinking” tenor.
We could all take a leaf from GK Chesterton and say that what is wrong with the Church is me. When we ask for the grace to change ourselves and focus on our shortcomings and pray and fast and evangelize , then we can turn this around because we will be all the more uniting ourselves with Him who has conquered sin and death. That is all he asks of us.
Thank you for your response.
One should be afraid of hell, don’t you think?
The Church’s Magisterial teachings are under attack. And there is an attack from
Rome on those who are orthodox. A battle is waging and we had best face that and ask God how He wishes us each to respond. It will be different for each, depending upon
how God sees fit to give His graces accordingly.
That is all I care about, and think many here do as well.
Of course emotions are intense, some blaming Benedict for leaving, some saying he was forced to leave, etc., and on and on. I agree this focus does not help the Church.
And personally, I do not think one should call Pope Francis anything but Pope Francis.
He is the pope….period.
Our Lord gave us an intellect, our senses, to be used to adore Him.
If one is not prepared to do battle to defend His Bride, to risk all, not for us, but
for the little ones yet to be born, than what is the purpose of our life?
If one is not faithful, then there is no hope in charity.
All these things you’ve mentioned. Don’t you think the Lord knows all that. And yet He permits it.
So is God doing something wrong for allowing it?
And yes one must defend the Bride, but what goes on in this forums is beyond simply defending the Bride.
For all the vehement pontificating that happens here, I wonder if they would actually be willing to go to jail, be killed, be kicked out of a job to defend the bride. Or is it a case of bravado in the comfort of one’s home.
I am currently reading a history of The Church “The First Thousand Years”, and find it inspiring given the full range of struggles The Church has gone through….although the current situation is a unique challenge, we can all take heart in knowing the challenges She has come through in the past. We all mention that The Church has been through tough times, but to understand it more fully is an uplifting experience, that is to say it has been for me.
To your point, the Church has so much rich history and Truth to draw from, it would be good to read more on Her History, the great Saints, and perhaps most importantly – a record of Her suffering this world that would give us perspective and strength in current times. It would take a special editorial skill and writing style to bring to mind relevant histories that relate to our times. – just a thought.
Have you seen “Phoenix From the Ashes” ? Another very well researched & written book.
I agree. Learning more about Church history can be really helpful, due to the perspective it provides.
The website Ars Orandi left a big hole that you can fill.
Great post Steve. I agree. While it is good to point out the crisis in the Church, what we need more than anything is to know what to do for ourselves.
We can’t promote despair and chaos.
Fr. Alban at the CRNJ recently stated in a sermon words to the effect of: “Do you really believe that your arguments and endless discussions on the internet can have a better effect than your own personal holiness?” These priests are well aware of the disturbance in all our lives made by too much internet, and the loss of personal heroic virtue. While we need to support and teach each other, words go only so far.
As you know, I had a relative who was among the first in the old guard group in the early 70s alerting Catholics about the crisis in the Church [yea – pretty much everything was discovered and said back then, speaking of deja vu LOL]. Many rad trads followed her volumes of writings. The problem is that most people feel the need to DO something, to react, to run, to punch. Whereas others can simply read, be aware, pray more, and resolve to wait for the hand of God to act. Otherwise in their despair, I saw many of her readers leave the Authority of the Church behind and jump into a version of ‘nobody’s gonna tell me what to do, trust no one’. Kids get disgusted and leave the Church, easily swayed by the more organized worldly temptations. One confused priest left the priesthood completely after being challenged on his swallowing and promoting de Chardinism in the parish.
We need to prepare for the absolute death of the Church – Marie-Julie Jahenny describes the future Church as a sepluchre, no Mass, no Sacraments. Our Lady of Good Success describes the crisis after the mid-20th century with alarming accuracy. What more do we need? The how, why, who, and timing is not as important as the simple acceptance of this terrible punishment and the preparation for it.
We need spiritual direction, help, and resources that are faithful to Tradition and obedience. Can these be promoted?
I have been thinking about the direction of this blog for the past couple of months and I believe you are on the right track. Bishop Schneider and Cardinal Burke have spoken out about crisis in the Church, and I am sure will continue to do so, but they have also provided a path in how to deal with it and proceed into the future without losing our faith. When I was growing up, (which was during the VII upheaval) my father didn’t say much about it, but told us to always stay with the Pope, but never mentioned the name of a particular Pope. The reason being I concluded over the years is because he was not referring to a particular Pope, but the teachings and magisterium of the Church. I have often thought about this over the years in relation to sedevacantism, liturgical and doctrinal abuse, etc., and recently when discerning this papacy debacle. I agree it is so important now to help others and ourselves navigate through this, and not lose our faith, but to see it as a grace-filled opportunity to grow in faithfulness to Christ and His Church.
Steve:
long time reader, seldom comment.
i think that you are right to pull away from focusing on the constant assault to the Faith.
the modernists may dominate the hierarchy but they cannot enter into our individual minds unless we let them.
i have been giving Satan and heresy space in my mind, rent free, for too long.
at least for me, it is time for some serious study.
enough negativity and worry.
“hades’ gates shall not prevail against it”
David..I had the same thoughts (above). Satan is a supernatural being who can not only use priests and masons to demolish the church, he can also paralyze good and faithful Catholics to wring their hands in despair and fall into grave sins of pride and defamation. Christ IS King and the end of the story belongs to HIM…He knows who his angels are going to pull out as chaff and who are to be gathered as wheat. When I look into the heavens at night it fills me with awe and hope. Our Great God is returning in His time. And all will be well. Our role is to pray for the conversion of the souls who have no idea what awaits them.
This is a wonderful insight. May God bless this initiative.
The website, Ars Orandi, left a big hole that 1P5 can fill.
Most of what Ars Orandi posted was excerpts from Dom Prosper Gueranger’s seminal, The Liturgical Year. For each day of the year, be it a day dedicated to a particular Saint, a Feria, or some great Feast, you could drop by and get extensive excerpts from Gueranger’s coverage of the same Saint or Feast in The Liturgical Year. -From, A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
David Werling’s Ars Orandi also offered high quality photos of Churches, Altars and other pious subjects. Ars Orandi always made you feel the beauty and wisdom of the Catholic Faith. 1P5 has the tools to do this and more.
Are they still online?
No.
Steve, I just thought of this — a well-meant suggestion, whether it brings inspiration or a personal, peaceful respite for you: the Canons Regular of The New Jerusalem Charles Town, West Virginia has a guest house w. suggested donation of $50 / night, kitchen w. breakfast supplies; daily offices & low mass, Sunday High Mass, kindness, smiles, holy peace, prayers, artistic talents, (& they have a bakery????). Further, you could show us pictures when u get back.
I think its canonsregular.com
I can’t imagine anything that would delight Bergoglio, Maradiaga, Kasper, Marx, Wuerl, McElroy, Cupich, Paglia, Coccopalmerio, O’Malley, etc., more than knowing they are succeeding in wearing faithful Catholics out. They would welcome the chance to operate in the dark once again.
A change in emphasis is one thing. But throwing in the towel is another.
I am beginning to wonder whether Recognize and Resist is one side of the coin and the other side of the coin is Welcome and Embrace. It is seeming like a never-ending contradiction and a never-ending conflict. It is still the same coin. Is any of this actually helping? making any difference in the trajectory? what are the results of 50+ years of R&R? is this good for our souls? making us holier and more like Christ?
The articles and comments on 1P5 will be a lasting testament as long as we have internet and electricity and as long as Steve keeps the site active and accessible in some manner (even if the focus changes).
I guess what I am asking: What does it mean to “win this battle”? Can we win with “human measures”? Okay folks, lets march on the Vatican with pitchforks and torches? Okay folks, lets put flyers on all the cars in the NO church parking lot explaining the crisis in the Church? urging them to do what? Come and be part of a Latin Mass community that may not even be available and that they have no familiarity with?
Steve is NOT “throwing in the towel”.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/946a9b1207f90398bcb4ed872c008c7b3e70b4516be4ab0c3594eef71ebafff1.jpg
” The question that is always asked of me is: “what do we do now?”
The answer, I suspect, is, “What we’ve always done. Live our faith, and by so doing, change the world.”
Please pray that I find the strength and guidance to chart out a new and better course. We’ve got to do a better job of helping people get to heaven. If we fail at that, the rest of this is just a waste of time.”
We can not do this alone as these are “principalities” we are fighting and we need Holy Catholic Priests “to restore all things in Christ” which the Society of St. Pius X has been doing for over 40 years. Schools, Monasteries, Seminaries, Retreat Houses preserving the WHOLE Faith. They are the one place that the modernists warn against. “You can go anywhere or do ANYthing and we’ll “accompany” you but NOT the SSPX. God sent Archbishop Lefebvre but so many could not recognize and still can’t recognize this “prophet” in our “own land”… Christ never left us orphans, Deo Gratias!! We cannot do this alone, we need the Sacraments and without true Priests, no Sacraments!!
CELIBATE
STEEL
Take our churches
Take our pews
Orthodox bloggers
Shun, refuse.
Take our schools
Take our kneelers
Fill your space with
P. C. feelers.
Shove Tabernacles
In a room
So bride can play
Without her Groom.
Some will run
Some will hide
Some defend,
“Flow with the tide.”
But like the Saints,
Laity, before –
Joan, Clitherow,
Thomas More,
You can burn our books
Cast off to waste lands
Cut off His Crowned Head
Plop Him into our hands,
Confuse the weak,
“They’re men of smells, bells,
Not in full-communion”
Their lie impels
These, real men –
In the state of grace –
You’ve tried to shred
But they are steel lace –
“I am the Good Shepherd”
Laced-lambs to Him kneel
And they breed the True Faith –
They…are…celibate-steel!
Thank you for the excellent post and the magnificent poem.
Do you mind if I reprint some of your poems in our parish bulletin or send them to others?
Of course not, reprint anything you want. I just want souls to know that Christ never left us orphans because of the work of Archbishop Lefebvre to preserve the Priesthood for us and the Sacraments to give us sustenance while we “fight the good fight”, which we have to do, like Steve Skojec, “admonishing the sinner” so they will be saved!
You are absolutely correct, Long-Skirts. It is because of the work of Archbishop Lefebvre that we have access to the traditional sacraments. For Archbishop Lefebvre, the battle began with the Second Vatican Council, since he was asked (by the Pope, I believe) to be on the preparatory commission for the Council. Imagine the Archbishop’s shock and disappointment when those preparatory documents were chucked out, and replaced with a progressive agenda.
Archbishop Lefebvre’s books, such as “I Accuse the Council,” and “Open Letter to Confused Catholics” shows that he saw the serious problems with Modernism from the start of the Council, and how it has affected the Church. Many of us came later to the realization of the problems in the Church, but the Archbishop knew about the problem in the 1960’s. Pope St. Pius X knew about the problem, too, but wasn’t able to eradicate the problem of Modernism from the Church in his day.
Archbishop Lefebvre had always been a loyal son of the Church and was held in high esteem when he was younger, and had been appointed, by the Pope, to be Apostolic Delegate for all of French-speaking Africa. There was never any scandal or issues of any kind – until the Archbishop began to question the fruits of the Council in the 1970’s, which earned him the derision of the Progressives in the Church, and therefore apostolic visitations from Rome, to his traditional seminary. That’s when the Problems with the Vatican really began, and hence his eventual suspension (because he wouldn’t shut down his seminary), and then his excommunication. And people wonder why the SSPX doesn’t trust Rome!
The rest is history. But he was the first leader in the battle for the Faith, and as such, his fight should be studied by those who want to continue the battle.
If anyone’s a Saint it is he and not John23
Well, yes, though John 23, unfortunately, believed that he was doing the right thing in calling the Council. He was more traditional than people think, but he was very weak in enforcing that bishops, priests, and cardinals stay true to the teachings of the Church, when they went astray. He would tell them to shape up, but if they didn’t, he did not remove them, or do anything about the problems that the progressives started.
Yes; I feel for the man. Haven’t we all done big or small in err, thinking it was good…nonetheless its horrific (& a stretch?) that he’s been sainted, and very sad that Lefebvre is a villain.
Yes, I agree.
Awesome
No Steve, you haven’t failed us–though I appreciate your wish not to be “dancing to their tune.” No one can estimate the immense good you’ve done by bringing so many facts and reports to light. I don’t think it’s either reporting the truth or teaching the Faith–it’s not one or the other–but both that are important. How you balance one against another is always a question that we need to pose to the Infinite Wisdom, our Lord Jesus, and prayerfully try to be faithful to that cause. To help us along the way, perhaps this pearl of wisdom put to me once upon a time by a holy Franciscan Friar: “It is better to turn on the light than to condemn the darkness.”
Surely this crisis in the Church is unlike any other previous crisis–the fact that we need to re-evaluate our position therefore should not surprise us. Sanctity is surely the means that Christ will use to save the world, and Mary is our best means of attaining sanctification.
It is worth recalling that, while it falls on the Pope’s shoulders to defend the faith, he is not the foundation of our faith. Our faith is authored by the Lord Jesus Christ, not by the pope:
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1,2)
A pope might go astray but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
And even a bad pope cannot steal souls away from Christ: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27,28)
Steve,
God bless you in all the world that you and OnePeterFive do. I think the emotional burnout you are experiencing may be due not to a fear of the challenges facing faithful Catholics and confronting them, but from focusing too much on every single heretical word and scandal that comes out of the Vatican.
While Catholics need to know generally about the problem, I know that, at least for me, living on the internet waiting for the next scandal was very harmful for my prayer life and the daily living of my Catholic faith. Rather than focusing on bearing the crosses in my own life, such as being a young male convert living in a family of Protestants and fallen-away Catholics, I wanted to spend more time on the internet as an escape from my crosses.
Instead, I know now that I have to become a saint in my duties (very difficult on account of my sins) in order that my family and friends may see the change in me, see my love of Jesus and His Blessed Mother, the beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass, and be drawn to embrace what I have.
I suggest more posts on articles that offer strategies on how best to live out our daily lives as saints, in order to bring people into Christ’s One True Fold. I would recommend seeing if more priests are willing to write spiritual posts, and I am also curious to know if Fr. Ingo Dollinger had any spiritual writings that could be of benefit to our sanctification.
At the end of the day people, this crisis is punishment for our sins yet also a means of our sanctification. We have bad priests and bishops because we have not been living proper family lives. So many Catholics don’t know the faith because it wasn’t passed on to them.
At the end of the day, if we want to change the situation, it is time for a courageous turn. We must live holy lives and literally and seriously reach out to those who do not know the Gospel. This means approaching people on the streets to share the faith, talking with fallen-away relatives about the beauty and truth of Tradition, and getting out of our “bubbles” and comfort zones.
Of course, Steve please still report the major heretical stuff happening in our Church. But let us focus more on becoming saints that will not only denounce heresy, but will confront it in real life. This is admittedly difficult (thinking of my own experiences), but through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, Padre Pio, and all the saints, it can be done. Brethren, let us fight the good fight and leave the victory to God.
‘Instead, I know now that I have to become a saint in my duties’
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God bless you!
Steve, since you are emotionally burned-out, why not take a break for a couple of weeks, and spend time in prayer and reflection, if that’s possible. I know that you have to make a living, but still….
I’ve had the same feeling lately, in that I just don’t want to pay attention to all of the horrible things happening in the Church, so I’m going to take a break from the internet for awhile.
I attend an SSPX chapel. I recall a sermon that was given by an SSPX priest quite a few years ago. He said that when the SSPX chapel originally opened up in Minneapolis, his family attended, though he was a grade-school aged boy at the time. He recalled that those Catholics who attended Mass there in the beginning(who had not been able to attend a Latin Mass for many years) went over-the-top in their devotions, since they had been so starved for so long in not being able to practice the Catholic Faith as they wanted to at the Novus Ordo. They would do things like lay prostrate in front of the Blessed Sacrament before Mass, wear their Rosaries around their necks, that sort of thing. Eventually, they calmed down, but they were just so happy and grateful for the chapel and the Old Mass.
I should mention that the many of the faithful who attend SSPX chapels don’t have access to the internet, and so don’t get too caught up in the latest scandals. They just want to practice their Faith as it had always been practiced, before the Council. Thanks to Archbishop Lefebvre, we still have access to the TLM, whether it be an SSPX chapel, or a diocesan TLM.
Keep in mind, Steve, that you may not have so many readers if you change your format. It can indeed be addictive to read about the latest goings-on in the Church, (I have that addiction/problem myself) and it could take awhile for Catholics to make the switch to wanting to read edifying material to help them in their faith. But surely you can find a way to do it, with Our Lord’s help. And not only Our Lord, but His Blessed Mother, the Saints, and even your guardian angel, are all on hand to help, through prayer and devotions, and perhaps little sacrifices here and there.
Something else I should mention is that Archbishop Lefebvre didn’t focus so much on the Pope as he did on “Rome” as a whole. Not that he didn’t level criticisms at Pope John Paul ll, but he saw the problem as being systemic, in that the conciliar church as a whole has gone Modernist.
Both the sedevacantists, and those who think that the Pope can do or say no wrong, are focusing too much on the Pope.
Steve, would you consider a permanent section along the lines of “these are some of the things we are doing to thrive and grow during this crisis in the Church”? It could be a collection of classic spiritual books/ authors, links to like-minded websites, photos of beautiful churches and stained glass, book reviews, videos, MP3 recommendations, etc. (anything that would be an encouragement and uplift to the faith).
Must disagree with Hilary. You’re not being hoodwinked, but if you’re not careful, you might be. The notion that you’ve become a reactionary who’s eroding the credibility of the papacy seems like precisely what enemy would like one of his fiercest opponents to believe. Steve, to put it bluntly, you’ve not reacting, and you’re not spinning your wheels. You’re kicking they’re asses by simultaneously exposing their villainy, and pointing the bleeding obvious out that, no, we do not have to sit by and obsequiously accept every error that originates in Rome — or even worse — pretend those errors don’t exist. The emperors clothes aren’t magnificent, they’re in rags, and someone needs to keep saying it till everyone is saying it. The enemies of the Faith thrive on darkness and secrecy. You’re denying them that. The Church was rife with Ultramontanism before Francis, this false idea
that the papacy can do no wrong and should be supported whatever its aims may be. And despite all the damage Francis has done, I think it’s a healthy thing that the Church is getting a course correction on that score, even if there are some who have taken it too far the other direction. 1P5 doesn’t erode the credibility of the papacy; just the opposite is true. My love and respect for the papacy only grows as I see the office mishandled, much the way a husband’s love for his wife is aroused when he sees her attacked. Give us the good, the beautiful, and the true, certainly, but do not let up on exposing and calling to account the rot that has been left alone to fester for far far far too long. That’s how we got into this mess, by ignoring it. God bless you Steve, and Godspeed.
If I may, I would like to whole-heartedly endorse this comment 110 percent.
I had an uncle, Uncle John, wonderful man, a saint (really, he was, from helping old ladies across the street as a kid to as an adult helping convicts released from prison find a job). But he was the perfect Vatican I man, a graduate of Aquinas High School in Columbus, Ohio, back about 1935, and knew a tremendous amount about the Faith (more so than many today, one could be forgiven for saying). But wow, he never EVER questioned anything the Church did. And it was those Vatican I Catholics who the Modernist rebels got to support their changes, because of course the Vatican I’s were drilled NEVER to question the Church.
I remember him giving me a lecture once, right in the middle of the Mass, for my not shaking hands (obviously this was at a Vat II Mass). I never liked shaking hands, Appalachians never did, it was rare among ‘the old Irish” and so on. (It took a Boston Irishman, a Dominican, to teach me how to do it when I was in my 30s.) But for Uncle John, it didn’t matter. OBEYing the Church mattered.
Well, at numerous times in his life, he’d go try to join a monastic order or the Franciscans. After retirement in the 1990s, he knew some prior somewhere who let him try again (something rare because they don’t like to accept old guys). After some months or so he returned and seemed a broken man. My mother asked him what had happened and he would only answer cryptically. He died soon after. A few years later, when the first sex scandals began to break, me mother said solemnly, “That’s it. That was what he found out was going on. And it broke him.”
I think my mother was spot on. Silence, things done in darkness, getting the good to cover for the bad. Enough is enough. Hence, my 110 percent agreement with Brian Miles comment.
Raghn Crow
It’s a learned lesson. To be faithful some times you have to be very steadfast even stubborn. Truth never changes and conserved. Have you heard story of Fr. Z altar rail electrified two feminists. Go to Fr. Z website. Good article.
Yes, ignoring what is happening IS how we got to where we are. Wake up Church and speak up!!! Sins of omission are subtle but dangerous… we must never give in to His Truth but proclaim it from the roof tops???? We are in a battle and you are in the front lines by speaking up. You are weary but this should be expected. What we all need to do is be in strong prayer for Steve and this apostolate ????????⚔️???? I have not done so as much before but will more and more. Please don’t give in. These are difficult days no doubt. I am praying for you and your family and others in this apostolate. The evil one desires you to give up…. DON’T!!!
I would amend this to say, there are a lot of young people in general looking to tradition–and looking at Catholic tradition. I’ve been seeing a trend of anti-republicanism/anti-secular democracy/anti-classical liberalism/anti-revolutionary activity among youth.
Anyway, thought I’d add that positive caveat.
Classical liberalism seems to be beloved by the “reasonable” ones. The only saving grace is that those who support such a thing are fighting against political correctness.
Steve, yes, Yes, YES! and no. [Not to be confused with the answers to the Dubia] That is, as an individual soul, I have thought as well that I likely know most of what I need to know about the shenanigans and omissions of the hierarchy. Therefore I need to limit my consumption of reports and certainly on speculation on what they are up to now and double down on my prayer life. Your own feeling of oppression is certainly a sign that you have reached a saturation point. On the other hand, the recent attacks by the Vatican on faithful and knowledgeable Catholics and on Church Militant shows that they are sensitive to the fact that they are being watched and that you and others intend to shine a light on their words and actions.
That said, one suggestion may be to prepare some articles designed to bring Catholics who are new to the crisis up to speed on various issues without their having to slog through dozens of posts now several years old. These articles would give us loyal followers more concise material to pass on to friends and relatives who need to wake up or who are just waking up to the catastrophe, and who are, to be sure, still far more numerous than we who are in danger, as you point out, of being junkies on ecclesial goings on. In medicine, we call these “Review Articles” and they are a goldmine when it comes to getting up to speed quickly on a topic of interest and to obtaining some historical/big picture perspective. The qualifications for writing a review article are almost nil as long as you stick with the facts and write clear concise English. Therefore, you could probably recruit readers for some of this work.
The fight will simply migrate elsewhere. Your choice, Steve, to is mantle the effort with your prayers and “wise man” experience – or not.
Yes, the oasis beauty of the Church must be upheld, strengthened, and beacon-lighted (“to save souls”) But don’t be fooled. The Church holds much mystery (she is, as St Seraphim of Sarov noted, Mystery herself, for the sacramental action of the Eucharist resides in her, and her only).
Yet, she, Our Mother, is not a magician; there is nothing magical about her. She cannot safely rout the platoons back into the barracks by magically wanding preservation (or isolation) about her mysteries and beauties. Mother Church cannot do such (she dare not) no more than the Holy Virgin (our Lady Theotokos) could bid the practical wisdom of Joseph goodby. Mary could not (for that would be tempting tempt her *Aye* before the Lord) trek to Egypt alone – Eternal Beauty bundled in her care – without the strong arm and sentinel gaze of her spouse.
Steve, go ahead, step back, do other. Exhaustion is a poor shield against the sting of enemy arrows. But – as with all of us – you are not commissioned to lay down the sword, only to hand it off with blessings and prayers.
I’ve never commented before. I just want to let you know that you have articulated perfectly the thoughts and concerns I’ve been having for the past couple months; also that I am praying for you.
I don’t think you have a way out of this. If your website has the purpose of giving the news about the Church, and the state of the Church is catastrophic, then the news and hence your site are all going to have to be about catastrophe.
But the constant response is: what should I personally do? And the answer will vary. Its good to hear many answers.
It is good to hear many answers, for inspiration and encouragement.
As long as we can accept that each one’s path with vary, if only a little,
because of vocation, circumstance, age, health, education, temperament,
talents and spritiual gifts and keep from insisting that there if only ONE way to fight, then
we will have done our duty.
It’s a fight, but we all can’t be the same.
Agreed!
Yes. And, you reminded me of the act that we are all DIFFERENT parts of the Mystical Body of Christ, all important.
1 Corinthians 12: 25-26.
I’m just gettin’ started! I’m a long-suffering Novus Ordo pewsitter and long time “Vatican II Kool Aid” drinker but no more. I’ve watched this malarkey unfold since the ’60s when I was a kid in elementary school on the other side of the world and for many years…..too many…… I swallowed the Kool Aid about the wonders of Vatican II, despite what my lying eyes were seeing all around me. I’ve had it with this faithless garbage, now! The current pontificate has opened my eyes and given me a sense of perspective of the last 50 years like nothing else ever has.
I (and lots like me) have been played for a sucker. I don’t care about the worthless apostate blowing smoke in the Casa Santa Marta. I’ve watched my contemporaries all leave the Church, I’ve watched most of the priests whom I knew, break their vows and get married. I’ve watched the seminaries and the pews empty. I’ve watched the religious orders which taught me in elementary and high school (Sisters of Mercy and De La Salle Brothers) implode and disintegrate. I’ve watched the sodomites take over and start calling the shots. It’s time to fight!!
My high school motto was “Bonum Certamen Certa”……”Fight the Good Fight”……Paul’s words to Timothy (1Tim 6:12). This is the good fight, folks. There is no other!
Do you understand Latin? If you don’t why do you want the Mass in a language you don’t understand? There is no reason .why the ordinary form of the Roman liturgy cannot be properly and devoutly celebrated and dsome of it sung in Gregorian. Notthing in this life is perfect. You have to wait for heaven for that. I am tired ot reading in publications like this one people whining about the “Novus Ordo” as if it were some kind of heresy iitself. The manner in wich the liturgy was celebrated before Vatican II had many defects and urgently needed reform. I knews the way the liturgy was celelbrated until I was 18 years of age and I consider that the reform has had some positive elements, such as a greater and better selection of Biblical readings. Most Catholics have their only coantact with the Bible in the Mass and no matter how much many of them are invited to read and study it, they won’t pay any attention. Of course, many hacks have made a mess of the liturgy and done crazy things, but that is not the fault of the liturgy itself, but of these hacks. Before the Mass was in Latin, it was in Greek in Rome. Siince Greek is the language of the New Testament, why are you not whining that Latin took the place of Greek? After all, St. Paul and the rest of the Aposltes preached in Greek. By the way, I do know something about liturgy, as I have tuaght it in seminaries for several years.
Well, the priest, unless he is directly facing the congregation in the classical rite, isn’t actually speaking to us. He’s speaking to God, much of it quietly. And every priest I have witnessed say the classical rite reads the Epistle and Gospel in the vernacular before giving his sermon on Sundays and days of obligation.
Then why are reverent Novus Ordo Masses so rare, then? If the rite itself is free from flaw, then that shouldn’t be possible.
Please enlighten us on these specific defects and how the new Mass “corrects” them. You haven’t provided any examples, and those of us here who have spent years studying the rubrics and history of both forms, such as myself, aren’t going to just take your word for it. I can easily point to “defects” in the Novus Ordo (e.g., the plethora of options, suppression of the traditional Offertory and its explicit mention of the host and chalice as sacrificial offerings, removal of the Last Gospel, etc.).
Ah, yes. The old chestnut about how the new Mass provides so much more Scripture, therefore it must inherently be better (because we’re apparently relying solely on quantity, rather than quality). Can you point to any scientific study suggesting Catholics are any more familiar with Scripture than they were before the Mass was changed? If anything, all anecdotal evidence suggests the contrary, as the Sunday readings are now on a three-year rotation, depriving the faithful of the annual exposure to the same readings on the same Sundays each year. In addition, the propers (Introit, Offertory, etc.) are all but nonexistent in most Novus Ordo Masses, so the Scripture to be found there is replaced with (typically banal) songs.
Relax, Thomas. Perhaps he just wants to attend the ancient rite that all the saints and martyrs attended, not a 1969 invention with Eucharistic Prayers like the third which was created over coffee at a restaurant.
I can’t imagine the saints complaining that the beloved Roman Rite needed reform.
If you think the Traditional Latin Mass vs. the Novus Ordo mass is about “Latin and updating and adding scripture” … then I would suggest you have lots of homework to do. You might start by googling Strassburg Liturgy of 1545 where you will discover that the Novus Ordo mass is nearly identical to a Protestant worship service. No need to convert to Protestantism anymore — just go to the modern Catholic mass and you too can worship as the Protestants do. That’s just for starters.
Ouch. Indeed.
I remember when I reverted, then brought my Baptist girlfriend (future wife) to the Novus Ordo. She commented on how similar it was to their ‘communion service.’ Talk about horrified.
This is a recent discovery for me. I had absolutely no idea. I truly feel betrayed. Most of my life I thought the changes to the mass were about “updating and using English (instead of Latin).” That’s what everyone said. Side by side comparison, there is no comparison.
Now if you compare a Christian “rock band and motivational talk” type of service to the Novus Ordo mass, then there is a huge difference. But with the mainline Protestant sects, the mass is very similar to what they do each week. So why be Catholic (that’s the point)?
It really takes serious willing blindness to ignore the differences between the rites. I think anyone who has come from the Novus Ordo and is blessed to have access to the traditional rite and attends it exclusively has felt that feeling of betrayal. I certainly did.
When I reverted (and converted from pantheistic paganism), I wanted to go all in. The rite from 1969 lacks something very discernable, something so profound that you know there is some break in being connected with the Church of the saints and martyrs. Of course, you have to witness the traditional rite in order to spot the deficiencies.
Exactly like how a bank teller has to study the real bills to spot a fake.
Its fairly recent for me too, & I, also, was always told it was just the language thing, including by people who should know better. I, also, feel betrayed.
How ridiculous it would be to NOT be angered, especially by the destruction, & the danger to ourselves & our loved ones.
Naturally, how we proceed from all that matters very much.
Susan, one aspect of this I might suggest is that Catholics tend not to know much about Protestants. I grew up with Protestants (my father was a Methodist, though not a strong one) and I didn’t have any Catholic friends (as opposed to relatives and acquaintances) till I was in my later 20s. So I knew all too well how “Protestant” the N.O. was. For years, my only chance at something different was a Byzantine-rite Greek Catholic parish in Columbus, Ohio, then a Melkite one. Eventually a TLM was established in an old downtown parish they were trying to close. That made the parish bloom again (and of course the bishop moved the priest out).
But as most American Catholics traditionally had little or nothing to do with Protestants “up close and personal” and didn’t attend Protestant services, etc., well, that made it all too easy for the Modernists.
RC
About 20 years ago, a friend asked me to accompany him to a Protestant wedding. I agreed provided we did not participate in the service. He agreed and off we went.
I was shocked when we got to the wedding. The service was exactly – and I mean EXACTLY – like the NO Mass at the RC church near me.
When Mom and I have to attend the NO for family functions, Mom always says that she feels like she hasn’t been to church. She’s in her 80s and doesn’t follow blogs but has a good sensus Fidei (thanks be to God).
Do you understand Latin? If you don’t why do you want the Mass in a language you don’t understand?
Exhibit “A” of the thinking which has caused shipwreck in the Church. We’re talking here of the Sacred Mysteries. As if the Sacred Mysteries can be made “understandable”. As if the Sacred Mysteries require our understanding. As if the Sacred Mysteries are somehow deficient or inefficacious when celebrated in a language other than the vernacular.
The Mass is not about me, me, me……I’m a prayerful witness to the Holy Sacrifice offered by the priest in persona Christi. The Missal (in English and Latin) enables me to follow what the priest is saying and doing so there’s no problem with the language but I’m not an active participant. This fever for reducing the sublime to the banal has utterly ruined the liturgy.
When I was little, we had the entire Liturgy in Slavonic. My late father and 3 other gentlemen (all deceased now) would read the Epistle in Ukrainian and English. The Gospel was read in
Slavonic and English. The Liturgy was offered in the church hall (our church wasn’t built until 1997) yet people dressed better then than they do now for Liturgy.
Also, please see my reply to tall order.
Why Latin?
There are just so many reasons.
Here is just one. Latin is a sacral language, a language elevated above everyday language, a language suitable for addressing the Almighty. The Church has (until recently) always used sacral language (just as the Jews used Hebrew at the time of Our Lord).
Modern English has no sacral language that we can easily adopt, though one might argue that the language of the “Book of Common” Prayer and the AV Bible provide one (“Cranmerian” English). It is possible to argue that the beautiful English of the English Missal (an Anglican Missal, pretty much a translation of Missale Romanum into Cranmerian English) would provide a sacral language. And it needs to be remembered that the Anglican “Book of Common Prayer” was deliberately written in an antiquated form of English to give it a sacral quality. Even Protestants used to understand the need.
But to adopt the Anglican solution (except for the Ordinariate) could be regarded as anachronistic almost a museum liturgy.
The answer is simple. Latin is the Catholic Church’s sacral language and as far as the Church is concerned still a living language.
The use of Latin is just one way in which we avoid the banal English, the English of our humdrum everyday lives. The Revised Novus Ordo missal is obviously an improvement on the appalling translation that went before, but it is nowhere near enough.
With Latin we become aware that the worship of God is something different, something above the commonplace. So what if it takes a little more effort. Perhaps the worship of God is worth the effort. Previous generations coped admirably (and almost certainly knew more about the Mass the our present generation).
Besides, if Our Lord was prepared to learn and used Hebrew to praise the Father, why should we jib at learning Latin?
I love the mass that is celebrated by the Ordinariate father, very solemnly, seems like exact TLM mass, but in English. No feminist, no EM and the altar is a real sanctuary not a stage. My Diocese bishop dislikes his priests conduct Latin mass.
Thomas, ask yourself: Why, when the mass was in Latin, “nobody understood it” according to the current thinking, but, funny thing, they understood it well enough to know it was worth attending. Now we “understand” every word and the number who think it is worthwhile continues to plummet . I grew up with the Latin mass. We definitely “understood” it especially in all of the nonverbal language that indicated a Most Sacred Sacrifice. The Novus Ordo also communicates a great deal nonverbally but for the worse and for the most part fails to communicate the Sacred. I understand the comfort with the now familiar NO but I do not understand the antipathy toward the Usus Antiquior. The Byzantine Catholic Liturgy has been in the vernacular for centuries and continues to communicate the Sacred magnificently. It is the nonverbal communication, the informality of the language of the NO that surely had some contribution to the exodus.
Good for you!!
Prayers for you.
I would like to offer a perspective from “outside” the Catholic Church as a soon to be confirmed Anglican Catholic.
Take a hard look at what is happening with the Church of England. Under Archbishop Justin Welby, he is directing the Church of England toward the Pit and at supersonic speed. He claim he wants to be radically inclusive while forgetting that the God we serve is radically exclusive. The Epistles of St. Paul and the Apocalypse both clearly warns that God does not tolerant sins of any kind. When I read of what is happening in the Church of England and how it is imploding under the weight of heresies, it should serve as a klaxon blaring to every Christ loving people that to embrace the world is to become an enemy of God as the Epistle of James eloquently puts it.
Thus, what is happening in the Vatican does affect me as an Anglican Catholic just as the events in the Church of England does.
Does it mean that we should give in to despair? No, because that would be sin. Instead, we must turn to the words of Christ Himself when He promised, “The gates of hell will not prevail,” and tighten up our bootstraps. Yes, we will be slandered, vilified, and bullied. Those are the marks of being a true Christian.
In response to the Church of England’s apostasy, orthodox Anglicans have already responded by installing a consecrated missionary bishop to shepherd the orthodox Anglicans. I strongly suspect that the Holy Spirit is preparing to fulfill the words of angel to Daniel, “The people will know their God and be strong, and do great exploit.” It is a prophecy of all time.
We can turn to the inspired efforts of St. Alexander of Alexandria and his star pupil, St. Athanasius, in their effort to defeat the Arian heresy that threatened to tear the fabric of the unity of the Church. When St. Athanasius was told that it was like the world was against him, he famously said, “Then I am against the world!”
We cannot afford to retreat or surrender. The devil may win the battle, but he will never win the war. Christ will be victorious. The Church, especially the faithful, will be victorious.
The Church has been in dire straits many tiemes in its history and ven seemed to be floundering. St. Francis thought that what he had to do was to rebuild an old Church until he found out that he had to rebuild the Church itself. After great periods of confusion in the Church there come great reforms and great saints. It happened in the fourth century not only with St Athanasius, but also the three Cappadocian Fathers, not to mention St. Hillary of Poitiers, St. Amrbose and the greatest of them all, St. Augustine. When St. Augustine was dying in Hippo, the Vandals were laying siege to the city. He had the 7 penitential psalms written on the wall of his bedroom.and he felt that all he had achieved in life would be lost. How wrong he was! Who would ever have thought that the foundation the great monastery of Cluny, from which originated the Cluniac Reform with the creation of as many as 1200 affiliated monasteries, and several saintly abbots, was actually apaprroved by Pope John XII, one of the very worst Popes in history. Or how about Pope Paul III, who convoked the Council of Trent, and he was no example of holiness. He had his natural son’s wedding in the Vatican ? A little later, St.Ignatius of Loyola arrived in Rome with his companions and that same Pope approved the foundation of the Society of Jesus. At the same time, St. Philip Neri carried out his great apostolate in Rome and founded the Oratory. He is most famous for his good humour.
Yes, we have to figure out how we can help overcome the problems facing the Church at present, realizing that the business of the Church is holiness and that the Lord is the one truly in charge, and he will never abanndon it. Remember what St. Paul says in Ephesians 5,22-32. I am also convinced that here are many saintly people everyhwere. They are not known, but they are in every parish, at least all the ones I have served as a priest in several countries. I would imagine that St. Paul after his lack of great success in Athens, went to Corinth. He had a visión from the Lord who told him that He “had prepared for himself a great people there” in Corinth. Perhaps, if he hadn’t been in Corinth with all , the problems that arose there we wouldn’t have the letters to the Corinthians. We have them because the Lord wanted it that way. St. Alphonsus Ligouri stated that 1 saint gives more glory to God than 1000 mediocres people.
Perhaps some articles about periods of great reform in Church history would help encourage people who may be getting discouraged. Pope Benedict, when he was a professor of theology in 1968 has a piece that he gave on the radio on what he foresaw as the future of the Church, in a word, a massive downsizing and the loss of many great Catholic institutions etc. It seems that Western Civilizaiton, produced by the Catholic Church in the MIddle Ages, is in a process of self-destruction due to secluarism, nihilism and the Islamic invasion of Europe. It may well be that Europe will end like the North of Africa and the MIddle East, the places from which the great Fathers of the Church came. We don’t know what Providence has in store, but we can be absolutely sure that the Catholic Church is the one true Church and although it may have fewer members, it is the Body of Chriist and the whole reason why God created the Universe, called Abraham, made his Covenant with Moses, why Jesus Christ became man and how he intends to bring about the salvltion of the world. If the present generation is hell bent on secularismm and nihilism, God will raise up future generations who will realize that
Steve, I think some distinctions need to be made…..
I, too, have grown weary of the constant reporting each new day on the next new scandal within the church and the newest outrage.
I, too, began to think that I just didn’t need or want to read about it anymore.
However…. a distinction needs to be made between sensationalizing the latest outrage and simply explaining what the errors are, so that our exposure to them — which is inevitable — does not harm our faith and that of those who are less formed and less fortified in matters of solid Church teaching.
It is, therefore, a matter of the very much needed service of dispassionate, calm, luminous apologetics, versus the clickbait of sensational headlines and reportage decrying in highly emotional terms the latest treachery within the Church and Her Hierarchy.
Do not ignore the latest outrages…..simply examine them from the point of view of the Church’s millennials-old magisterium and explain what the errors are so that your readers come away better Catholics – and more knowledgeable Catholics – without any of the emotional duress associated with sensationalizing the outrages.
@ Marie… that is what the Denzinger-Bergoglio site did, (examining the latest scandals in light of what the Church always thought, before it went off-line – mysteriously, some months ago. It was run by priests. Maybe the lay people can now do the same without being shut down. …mysteriously.
Your suggestion has much merit.
Hmmmm, interesting. I didn’t know about that site. I wonder what did happen to it?
If it was run by priests it was likely done with a great sense of responsibility for souls. It’s strange they would simply close it down.
Anyone reading this who might know…..?
It was run by priests anonymously, with approval from their bishops, also anonymously. All of a sudden it was not being updated. …
Possibly because they had proved their point with study references.
I’d like to know too.
Steve was pretty hostile to the Denzinger Bergoglio site and there was glee when it ceased..
Could you support your assertion about Steve with a link to the hostility displayed by Steven, and also a link to the ‘glee’? I’ve been reading 1P5 for quite a while, and don’t recall what you say.
Entirely incorrect.
I had that book and gave it away.
Steve,
For awhile now I have stayed off line because I sensed within myself (again!) a developing addiction for more daily bad church news which ended up disturbing my soul. Since I have been reading Cardinal Sarah’s book on the power of silence I have come to realize what a dangerous place I was in spiritually. I was losing peace, hope and docility, littleness and was losing sight of all that was good. I was becoming sarcastic and cynical which I know is not of Christ. This weekend I attended some classes on Beauty. Beauty in art and literature, beauty and liturgy. It was so uplifting. There are no shortage of commenters online who continue each day, to wring their hands with despair or worse, obscenity about Francis. What futility. I am convinced that that is not what God wants of me
Remember when the Cure of Ars arrived in his parish and nobody was coming to Mass or Confession? What he DIDN’T do was think about what so many priests today would be tempted to do……i.e. lets get a rock band to draw in the kids…..etc. He got up at two or three a.m. and went to the church and knelt before the Tabernacle and kept Our Blessed Lord company and prayed in silence until it was time to prepare for early morning Mass. You know the story I am sure. After some time people began returning until he ended up spending the whole day in the confessional. He was a true priest. This tells us something so important. In silence John Vianney prayed for his people and became a victim soul in a sense for their souls to be converted. I don’t think it is healthy for us to be watching so vigilantly, every time an erring priest blows his nose. I prayed a novena to St. Charbel to please give me a revulsion for my curiosity about what is going on. He answered me in a very powerful way that confirmed that my prayer had been heard. I am more quiet interiorly since I asked for help and have limited my intake of the world and church news and am more hopeful because I know that Our Blessed Lord is in charge and the end of the story is His. We are his servants and each must discern what he is asking of us in how he wants us to serve him. St. John Vianney proved to us how begging and fervent prayer changes things and bears abundantly good fruit. All this coverage of our poor shell of a church has burnt you out. You are always seeking for the right thing to do Steve and I am sure that with humility and a desire to know what path He wants you on….you will find it. “Father, calm my spirit and guide my path.”
Hilary White is wrong but go ahead and get out of the breach if you’re weary. I will say I have an almost endless supply of beautiful traditional Catholic literature at my disposal but maybe youngsters of today aren’t so good on the line. I say they want to draw us into a battle, win.
Steve never said he was stepping out of the battle. I doubt very much that Hilary is either. No Catholic who is aiming for Heaven ever can. Only heroic Catholics will survive. But only holy Catholics will survive too. In fighting we must not fall into sin nor lead others into it. What Steve is doing here, as I see it, is bringing out the blue paint, Catholic style.
Yes you hit a key point – only *heroic Catholics* will win. If that is not your primary goal then you will burn out and give up or play ostrich.
‘Only heroic Catholic families will survive’ was a saying of Fr John Hardon. There used to be a good article of his on homeschooling online with this quote in it but I can no longer find it. Here’s a good one though where the idea is mentioned http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Family/Family_016.htm
Just want to add though that heroism must come from holiness if it is to survive. I’m a Catholic homeschool mum of many and the changes that are happening are such that I can see that Father Hardon knew what he was on about. There is getting to be less and less room for anything less than Catholic heroism.
A priest I know said ‘only heroic catholics will survive’
Father John Hardon used to say this. Please see my comment to Eyes Opened.
The priest I know here who said it years ago is also American based in Oz.
Fr Robert Fox had a book by the same title but as far as I know it originated from Fr Hardon. Does anyone know differently?
As to the American priest in Oz now you’ve got me curious as I’m an Aussie 😉
I dont think I should.mention names Sharyn as he belongs to a community. He said this prior to 2013.
That’s okay. I should have said that my curiousity is a statement and not a question.
Even battles, rightly fought, possess beauty.
After this grand one of ours there *will be* a homecoming – there will, certainly, be joy.
Thanks to 1P5 we have a foretaste. We have, if only as dawn mist, seen the rain. It replenishes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMMTPt4OtG4
…”But when [evil] seems triumphant and when authority abuses its power, committing all manner of injustice and oppressing the weak, their ruin shall be near. They will fall and crash to the ground….”
“….To be delivered from the slavery of these heresies, those whom the merciful love of my Son has destined for this restoration will need great will-power, perseverance, courage, and confidence in God. To try the faith and trust of these just ones, there will be times when all will seem lost and paralyzed. It will then be the happy beginning of the complete restoration….”
Our Lady of Good Success, Quito, Equidor
(Stay the course, Steve!)
I love this prophecy. Where did you get this quote?
https://www.ourladyofgoodsuccess.com
Thank you
You’re welcome. ????
I think you are right, Steve, because you say you will not stop telling what needs to be told about the state of the Church, but you are going to focus in the beauty of our Mother Church. If I can help, I will.
This is what we are all facing. However, there is both truth and power and I think we are leaving the power of the gospel on the table. I think when St. Paul struggled with the Athenians he went to Corinth and resolved to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. So, in addition the the obligation that we all have to fight heresy, we must proclaim the truth with power. This is not impossible. We are not orphans. IP5 has all it needs to lead the way. Archbishop Schneider has it right and we must move ahead. Don’t worry, they hated Him first. We are greatly blessed to live in this time and age. The message is simple, the truth is simple. Keep it simple and don’t get discouraged and don’t apologize for the great job you have been doing. More prayer to write the solid food we need to have the grace to make it through this, perhaps the final, battle.
What I really need is more in-depth formation, e.g. what canon law forbids us to do regarding such things as speculation about the papacy and so on. I know when Steve has discussed on twitter and elsewhere the issues about not having the authority to make pronouncements etc it’s been pretty helpful to me.
I’m thinking of getting Ott’s “Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma” https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/fundamentals-of-catholic-dogma.html
for instance. Now someone go ahead and tell me why I shouldn’t (and save me some money!)
I also like reading the comments here.
It’s on my list of books to buy. Get it before it goes out of print 😉
Marie Dean of Etheldredasplace used to do something like this. She had posts on current Church and cultural events, mixed with long selections, with comments, from classic Catholic authors such as Garrigou-Lagrange.
My only problem was that the quotations were much too long. They were far too rich to be digested in such large chunks, and I wound up feeling quite frustrated. However, the bits that I could absorb were immensely valuable. Many times, despite years of Catholic reading, I had never even heard of them. Her discussion of the virtue of studiosity versus the vice of (idle) curiosity stuck firmly in my head.
The quotes from the various authors also led me to their books, and to spending far too much money on Amazon.
Perhaps something like this might be a model. I do know that my attempts to learn about virtues and vices have been quite challenging. The authors who deal with them are mostly theologians who already thoroughly understand their topic, and their discussions were far over my head. I needed to know the basics: what do the words mean, and what are they? It is very hard to find any serious books for beginners. And yes, I did buy Piepher. I had better luck with the Summa. At least St. Thomas explains things.
We all need to read St Thomas, who happily is free online.
Thank you for recognizing how depressing all this bad news has gotten. There have been times like this before in the Church and they will come again. One of the things that convinced me the Holy Spirit truly does lead the Catholic Church was because it’s still here after 2000 years, despite the scandals, scoundrels, heresies from within and without, etc. If the Catholic Church was merely man-led, it would have imploded centuries ago. One of the dangers of our time is that we forget that we are not the Savior nor the Holy Spirit. One of the reasons I stopped reading stuff from SSPX was when I realized that’s what Lefebvre had done–thought it was his responsibility to save the Traditional Mass, rather than the Holy Spirit’s. That fracture is still there, wounding the Church. We must be aware of what is going on, but I agree that we don’t need it by the bucketful. We need enough to keep praying so we don’t grow forgetful. Aside from that, there is little the average Catholic can do directly. But with prayer, fasting, and sacrifice, much is possible.
Archbishop Lefebvre handed on what was handed to him. He simply preserved the WHOLE Catholic Faith and the fruits can be seen. While everyone else kept their mouths shut or just criticized, he continued ordaining Priests for the future as a Catholic Bishop should. All we have to do, now, is give our support to these Priests who are bringing the Sacraments to us DAILY. But … the modernists say, don’t go near them, they are not in “full” communion … no, they’re in COMPLETE Communion!!
PIUS
THE
TENTH
PATCH
Brer bishops
Brer priests
And brer people of god
Dialogue, collaborate
To sacrifice just seems odd.
Brer mother of ten cried,
“I assist tried and trued.”
Brer people of god cried,
“Chill out
Take a lude.”
Brer priest said,
“Ms. Brer come on smile
Serve with me
The True Faith, let pass,
Make a mess – harmony!”
With these words
Brer mother got sick
And threw up
So brer priest urged her, “Go
If you can’t drink our cup.”
“So you’re urgin’ I go?”
And her head she did scratch,
“Jus’ please don’t throw me
In no Pius
The Tenth Patch!!”
But brer priest
Flung brer mother
Out the door shut the latch
And forced her to land
In a Pius the Tenth Patch.
So sacrilegious celebration
Is given the nod
By brer bishops
Brer priests
And brer people of god
But high on a hill
Brer mother of ten
Is singin’ and kickin’
Her heels
Up again…
“I was born and raised
In a Pius the Tenth Patch
Known as Catholic Church
And there still ain’t
No match!!!”
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb315f386e0ad2865d792c0bb9d8cf70b228f61945d8dd7b062c10bd4c0b9427.jpg
Are you in the picture?
Yes, along with husband, children and grandchildren, at least some of them. More have come since.
Is that you in the lilac dress?
What a lovely family! Would love to chat with you. You can find me on FB!! 🙂
Great article. I remember the first time I volunteered at a food giveaway that’s ran by a local group of Franciscan sisters. They’re young and orthodox. For a while I had read many articles about scandals in the Church, the jettisoning of the Faith by the Bishops, etc. All that time reading about how bad modern clergy were failing the flock, had festered into this isolated animosity and immediate judgementalism of all things Catholic. These sisters though, they just exuded joy, confidence, and compassion. I heard a couple of them preach at later events, and they were FIERCELY orthodox, but it’s the Orthodoxy that is defined by their willingness to sacrifice for others and their love of Christ. They didn’t want to be “right” they just wanted to serve. I realized I had totally missed something. I realized that all my “study” (heavy on “outrage porn” and apologetics) was not making me Holy, in fact I becoming quite the jerk! I feel like this article articulates many of the thoughts that began back then, and some that I still struggle with to this day. One thing I’ve come to realize is you can’t argue with Charity. Not volunteering and donations and all that, but genuine Caritas, that active participation in life of God Himself that has been given to us through his Son, Our King, Jesus Christ. It speaks for itself.
Steve
Why don ‘t you read a few good books on atheïsm. If you are smart and honest, which i think you are, you wil soon find out you are waisting your precious time and you can start really enjoying your life.
Ah yes, eat, drink, and be merry! Wine, women, and song! Why didn’t I think of that?
Because you’re wise.
Have you ever consiidered, dear lady, that it is not rational to believe in an intervening God, regardless of the consequenses?
I was only pointing out that atheism of itself won’t make Steve happy. My reasoning is that things around the world are pretty dire right now.
Of course, if there is no God, there is no point believing.
Hey ‘dear’ man, thats not what we’re discussing here. But since you’re so ‘rational,’ it would be enthralling to hear how the universe created itself out of nothing. I’m always up for a good chuckle.
Go read https://www.magiscenter.org for the truth about atheism
I’m very pleased to read this post, Steve. It’s courageous because it would be so easy just to carry on as normal. I think this is a wise move for you and for all of us. Let’s focus more on edifying each other (without pretending the problems we all know about have gone away or are likely to anytime soon).
“It may mean fewer, but better posts, with more time in between.” I think this is key. Quality not quantity. Time for breathing and reflection is important. I really like 1P5 and there are only two occasions where I’ve voiced some level of ‘objection’ to your content: 1) the story about the five alleged questions the pope asked Cardinal Müller and 2) the story about Father Gerstle FSSP and his views of the SSPX, both of which I feel were examples of pieces that essentially acted as a catalyst for scandal and shouldn’t have been published.
I would welcome seeing more interviews with and stories about solid orthodox traditional Catholics that we can be inspired about. Let’s not give Francis and his clan more attention than they deserve. Keep up the great work and thanks for all thst you do. God bless.
Steve hand everything over to Mary as St Louis de Montford teaches. I’ve just read his book for the second time and now I understand it better. Everything through Mary to Jesus. Be peacefull, all will be well. Hand 1peter5 over to Her protection and relax, it will be in good hands.
And St. Joseph! “Ite ad Joseph.” – Pope Leo XIII
Might I timidly suggest happy stories? The one Hilary told of that beautiful nun, the story of Father Carney that you ran just recently and the one on Rorate the other day about the convert professor in Hiroshima is the sort of thing I mean. Frequent, inspriring stories so we can feel real hope. The beacons WILL be lit and Rohan WILL answer. In the meantime we need to keep spirits up. I read a catholic magazine years ago, no idea what it was called, but it was full of these sort of articles. Cheered me up no end. People could write in with them. Conversions, cures, winning battles. Sorry if this sounds stupid.
President Truman, a 33rd degree mason had purposely chosen Nagasaki and Hiroshima where most Japanese Catholic concentrated to drop A-bombs. Public enemy #1 is Catholic Church!
???
Steve, you are spot on. I have also been thinking and feeling the same things. This constant cycle of “bad” news is not spiritually healthy.
I repaired my house over the past several weeks. I removed the rotted wood and replaced it with “good” wood. After I finished, I realized it was not right still. It was not square. My first effort seemed like the right way rebuild it but it was not. So I tore off what I built and built it again. This time it is right.
So tear up the way you built your blog and say a prayer to our Lord for guidance and rebuild it. Your efforts will be rewarded. Provide us spiritual and intellectual guidance. We need encouragement from the stable holy priests and lay people who contribute to your blog.
Mart Ann G are you saying we are all great saints. We are not but what we were or are is destined to be by the thought of God when His thoughts created us, is to be Catholic and to pray that we are what He wanted us to be. So the majority of us should just pray and pray and pray. Pray that the abusers of the church outside and inside change or as Moses prayed in Numbers send them to where they cannot abuse God’s children anymore. Pray that God pricks us awake with a sharp stick and then pray some more. Pray that the heretics and schismatics are converted into the Church and as the most important message in Fatima called us to do pray that those who abuse the Eucharist are converted and pray for all of us that through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart Jesus Christ, the infinite merits of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the infinite merits of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church we will be converted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F3UcUmO8TE
Yes these are dark and unprecedented times for sure – the devil is hard at work (before he’s out of time) spreading despair and discouragement where truth is told. He’s keeping us squabbling amongst ourselves, focussed on things that frustrate us, scare us and things that we can’t answer…all so that we miss the real issue of saving souls and to distract us in this battle. Perhaps we ALL need to take a step back and regroup.
That being said…everything happening today in the Church has been foretold, so why are we surprised at the diabolical disorientation and heresy that’s going on? We might not like all the bad news, but it’s happening despite our disposition towards it. We have been forewarned so we can navigate our way through the storm. We have been given the saints and martyrs to show us example.
Just a thought but perhaps we can feel exhausted because not only are we dealing with the nightmare that’s going on in our Church, we’re also faced with the uncertainty and worry of what’s going on in the world. There seems to be little respite from bad news everywhere. A little good news here and there would certainly be welcome.
If I may share a story with you: I was visited by a Jehovah Witness recently (who I entertained so I could evangelize her!) and she told me that she’s noticed a shift in people’s attitudes – no longer are JW’s experiencing the majority of people shutting the door in their faces. No, people are more receptive, more open to talk about faith than she’s ever known, they ‘feel something’ has changed. That’s very telling of the times.
Now is not the time for us to take our eyes off the ball.
Suggestions for other items
– how about more prophecy articles to give us understanding,
– or perhaps a “saint of the day/week/month” and a quote from them or their story to give us hope.
– Our Lady’s messages of Akita, La Sallette , Good Success and so on need to be more visible alongside Fatima to give us direction.
My dear brother in Christ,
I acknowledge your deep anguish in having to report such horrible things happening in our Church today, We must all pray more for you as the evil one hates what you are exposing ???????????????????????? I completely understand the constant battle this is and why you feel that you need to walk in a different direction….. yes, but…. we need to be aware of these discrepancies and false teachings to maintain the True faith and pray well and yes, live the faith. We can do BOTH but we need prayer support which is what all those in your apostolate need more than ever! Don’t stop looking into things to expose evil!!!!!! We need the Truth! You must NEVER give in and stop reporting the Truth!!!!!! The evil one HATES Truth! This is what you are reporting so no wonder the spiritual attack you are enduring!!! This is PROOF that what you report is hiring the target right on and you are under persecution big time. Do NOT abandon this mission of Truth!!!! We need to know this.
Now how we handle this Truth amongst such opposition …. we must come to the point of complete TRUST in HIS Divine Will in these very difficult days! I believe we are in a spiritual battle of enormous consequences and we MUST continually communicate the TRUTH in charity and not let the evil one intimidate us into silence when the TRUTH is being distorted beyond belief! We must hold FAST to this and yes, expose the false messages for the sake of souls!!!! It is a sin of omission to NOT speak when we could! We must continue to give witness to Truth regardless the persecution and attack. You absolutely NEED our prayer support and this I will promise you more of. Please don’t back down as the evil one one HATES the LIGHT of TRUTH exposing him. But don’t be surprised by His violent attacks to those who dare to expose Him. Blessed Mother we consecrate this apostolate to a your protective Mantle of protection and pray for the grace to be able to continue in this mission to expose lies and show the Truth. I pray most specifically for your servant Steve and his family and all those connected with this apostolate to be protected from evil and be given Your great peace and perseverance to continue in this mission of Truth. In the most Holy Name of Jesus, Amen.
AMEN.
Nice post Steve. Diversifying the reporting is not a harm to our current fight against ruthlessness. Evil does have a weird power in it that if your attention is so focused on it, it brings you constant despair. Another thing, You and your journalists, who are on the frontlines of this war, journalistically speaking…would know better than any of us as to what you all need and need not do. So, I place faith in your judgement because I like your body of work and the passion you have for the faith. I know you get tons of material to potentially report on and you must make decisive decisions that will effect your credibility and I’m sure some of these decisions may have seen and unseen effects on your family. Whatever you think you need to do, do it, because I know that you, as a journalistic soldier of Christ, loves the Lord too much not to give all that you have. And I’m sure Christ has granted you time of rest as others “step into the breach.”
Hi Steve, I made a couple of comments here, then read through many of the other comments, then pondered your article again. The concerns you raise are very deep.
It seems to me your most fundamental impulse in creating 1P5 was to awaken Catholics to the real nature of the Church’s predicament in our time–as so many are in ignorance or in denial, which in turn only helps to perpetuate the crisis in the Church. This is, on one level, the greatest need of the Church today. I think 1P5’s basic orientation is defined by this most important need of the Church. So I can understand it’s not something that you will want to quit, but to integrate with that other great objective: to build souls up in the Faith–“Rebuilding Catholic Culture”. The two objectives are organically connected and mutually support one another.
How does one faithfully address and balance both objectives/needs? Perhaps the answer is beyond the scope of a mere comment in a com-box, and is surely better suited to a live discussion among friends which can appropriately weigh the issues and effectively sound the depths of the relevant concerns. But I want to encourage you in this mission and to say that you and the team are in my prayers.
Very good Steve. Yes, we must learn to be better friends with God than bitter enemies of the devil lest we become more like the latter than the former.
As a way forward, perhaps you, Steve, could become the first of the ‘IP5 Community Organizers’, so to speak. The mission would be to keep ourselves pumped up through prayer and the sacraments in order to engage in a two-fold mission of defending the historic patrimony of the Church while aggressively disseminating the truth of Catholicism in Liberal publications such as the New York Times, Crux, etc via comboxes, etc. We then would share experiences of the impact we were having with others on 1P5 along with suggestions on how to be more effective.
Might I say that both kinds of articles need to be present. We need strong and sound critical analysis of the current crisis in the Church for the sake of the defense of the Truth and we need to need good devout fully Catholic articles revealing the splendor of The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
One of the problems I have noticed is that people don’t pay enough attention to articles on devotion, or the Faith that are not linked to the present crisis, which reveals a sort of myopia ( an understandable one, but also a potential risk.)
Holy Balance is the key. Sometimes a news cycle can be a very hurried and frantic thing as events unfold rapidly, then articles analyzing a certain serious or series of events should be numerous. However, all the while other Faith Building and Truth enriching articles need to be in the works and produced.
Which means that donations need to be regular and meet the goal so that Catholic authors can be producing good sound articles for 1P5 on a regular basis.
It is easy to skim past the articles on devotion with the thought “I’ve got that down, now what’s the dirt today?” I find it much harder to actually do the work of exercising the devotional life. I concur with Fr. RP – both are needed, but the focus and priority may need to shift from time to time.
Information is good if it leads to action and increased devotion. Thanks for what you do.
When we are silent, the error progresses
There is a point no one is taking into account.
Events taken to heart here, those perceived as “scandals,” are counted as points of great pride and victory for those riding the Bergoglian current. They are not burdened with the heavy conscience shouldered by any faithful Catholic objecting to the outrageous program of a pope gone off the tracks. They love it. They love what he is doing. They love the way he does it. They love the way he spits in the face of any Catholic with a cognizance of the faith. They just wish he did more of it.
Scandals?
Does anyone really believe for instance that the Bergoglians of an “NCReporter” or “Crux” truly find the homosexual cocaine orgy a scandal? Be very much assured, they don’t. Things got out of hand, that’s all. It was “unfortunate.” Some discretion need be restored to those activities – but it will goes on – and on. James Martin is the merely the face of a legion of homoerotic heretics. The scandal doesn’t reflect on “liberal katholics,” it reflects on the outmoded oppressive Roman Catholicism and those faithful to tradition. It bespeaks a need to trash these unrealistic moral norms and “get with the science.” That poor priest would never have been in such a situation if he had only been left to live out his nature and love freely.
Each side is fighting a different fight, for far different reasons, with far different goals. They have no limitations but to remain somewhat veiled in their tactics and objectives. They are guerrilla warriors. They are mendacious terrorists. They are liars without morals. They have no values but self-gratification and self-justification.
It be the “Church of Me.”
The only way to restore order is to flush them out by name. Christian charity need be rendered only when they are brought to their knees – not before.
War weary and battle scared we might be, but the fruit of the last sixty years is what we have on our hands today – and we have this foul deposit in our hands because of a submission, a charity, a deference given to those who should have rather been rendered a boot in the posterior. They have won because of our stupidity and cowardliness.
And won they have. We live in the prelude of a conclave will produce hell on earth. That is
what they are crafting with every new cardinal.
Perhaps it’s done already. Perhaps they have said me already.
Perhaps they have carried me to the threshold of my story, before the
door that opens on my story. (That would surprise me, if it opens.)
It will be I? It will be the silence, where I am? I don’t know, I’ll never know: in the silence you don’t know.
You must go on. I can’t go on. I’ll go on.
—Samuel Beckett, The Unnameable
Maybe it’s time to shut 1P5 down and get a 9 to 5 job. You’ve been complaining of mental tiredness for more than a year and that and the waspishness I’ve noticed lately towards Trads who don’t agree with you are reasons why I don’t visit as often as I used to. . If all you’re going to do is happy talk then we can go to Fr. Z for that.
I’m guessing that people come here for varying reasons. My own reasons change periodically, it seems. Really, I think only God can fix this, but we do need to do our part also.
Unbelievably, there are still a large number of Pollyannas in the Church.
This is a wise direction adjustment. I found myself reading 1P5 less and less this year because I’m worn out by the problems in the church and tired of hearing about them every day. Problems about which we can do something should be confronted, but for every problem some constructive solutions, alternatives or generally positive truths should be put forward to displace them.
Maybe this should be your rule: for every error confronted, some Catholic truth will be elucidated with equal time and effort.
Good idea.
Coward
??
THANK YOU! Sending you a big hug.
The remark could not go unremarked.
You’re cute. ????
Seriously, though, that was extremely insulting by Jock B. (I flagged it.) Thanks again for standing up for Steve.
I can’t believe you would even post that about Steve.
I wouldn ‘t have, if hé would have replied..
Go crawl back in ur cave.
Steve is a Catholic gentleman – NOT a coward.
Steve is anything but a coward. What have you done, JockB, to fight in this battle? Steve has worn himself down to exhaustion.
I believe 1P5 needs to continue the fight, providing both intelligence on enemy movements, and helping us find the weapons and knowledge we need to fight them. Both are needed.
An you, sir, are an uncharitable toad.
The battle, you talk a bout, only exists in your head. It s stad you don-t even realize the crazy things you believe.
“I come, not to bring peace, but a sword.” I guess He believed crazy things too.
Wrong, and you are an atheist troll who is going bye bye.
In general anyone who isn’t aiming at becoming a saint will not persevere, the virtue of fortitude. This is the worst time in history since the great apostasy goes right to the top. The news reports don’t get me depressed but rather more riled up for the great battle coming as the schism happens (Akita). Please keep the news going and point out the errors and do balance it out with how to become a saint these days, some practical tips. Bring back discussions on forgotten devotions like the Sacred Heart, first Friday, first Saturday. Include segments on saint writers on how to deal with difficulties, that is quote their works. Write about how a particular saint’s difficulties can be likened to today to give more hope. Do not be afraid.
I have just recently placed a copy of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart by St Alphonsus Liguori on my blog, for anyone who wants a copy.
https://louiseyvette.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/devotion-to-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus
Absolutely – I agree. We are living in the days referred to in the prophesy of Fatima/ Akita and others. At first I was fearful but now in a strange way it excites me as I see our Lord’s return and to be a part of His Remnant Army????⚔️????Trusting totally in Him because I can’t do it myself. He will give us what we need but we must prepare and know what is happening! It helps us see our
enemy and keeps us on His path! I suggest looking at twoheartspress.org
Yes, Dr. Bowring is a good source of info.
Steve: I applaud you in wanting to do something positive for restoration and tradition. I will pray that Holy Spirit guide you. I think though that what is needed is balance. We can’t become ostriches, and I am not accusing you of wanting to be one. You stated in your article “What I’m telling you is, I think we need to find a way back. Back out of the cesspool that our alleged shepherds have dug out for us.” I wouldn’t have known just how bad the cesspool was if it wasn’t for blogs like yours (and others) to inform us about what is going on. The reporting on the cesspool has helped the scales drop from my eyes. Again, perhaps you have to strive for balance. In addition to positively helping homeschooling moms, fathers, priests and those new to tradition, you can just occasionally report on the current condition of the cesspool and give a positive way to counteract it. One positive way to counteract it would be to establish networks of like-hearted and minded people in different geographical regions – not to become a counter church but to be united in our Catholic worship (TLM) and become saints for the world.
Scandal is addictive. We do not manufacture it here, but we have put it on display. We believe that the faithful have the right — and even the duty — to be informed.
From the Lord:
“And whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me: it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea,” Mk. 9:42.
From C. C. C.:
“2489 Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication. The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.”
What I say to you, Mr. Skojec, I say to all of us: Repent!
No, I really think in the current climate, the truth needs to come out. It’s true that I do not need to know everything – nor do I want to – but we’re at the “let all the poisons lurking in the mud hatch out” stage.
The Scripture and Catechism are misapplied if they are taken to mean that Catholics should not discuss PUBLIC ACTS of officials of the Church which are unjust and abusive, or which undermine the truth.
I can think of someone who was very fond of “avoiding scandal” through “strict discretion”: Bernard Cardinal Law. (And 66% of the bishops.)
So let me see if I understand. Francis and Friends can say and do all manner of scandalous things — in direct opposition to what the Catholic Church has taught for nearly twenty centuries. Openly. Publicly. Notoriously. And we, who are faithful to Catholic teaching, must not call them out on it lest we “scandalize the little ones.” We are the ones who should repent — not Francis and Friends. Is your post by chance satire? Because if it is, you have perfected it to an art.
On Doomsday, you will have to answer for how you chose to either keep or not keep God’s law.
And you read God’s law as requiring the faithful to remain silent in the face of evil? If we are playing Jeopardy, then I’ll take Arthur McGowan and misapplication of Scripture and Catechism for $500 please. Nope, I guess it wasn’t satire!
Do you ecumenate?
You’re cute. Now add that to the CED. 😉
Did st paul scandalise the apostles taking st peter to task legitimately and publically? your accusation does not apply here.
Don’t forget this little gem from Dr Shaw. I’ve just re-read it:
http://www.lmschairman.org/2016/09/you-cant-fight-it.html
“So in these two senses, it is not at all true that ‘you can’t fight it’: as far as our own lives are concerned, our own living according to the truth, and insofar as the fate of the Church as an institution is concerned, the opposite is true. For ourselves, the battle can go either way: there is everything to fight for. For the Church, victory for the truth is actually guaranteed.
Indeed, the frustration of the opponents of the Church’s teaching not infrequently breaks through the facade of optimism. They think the Church must be conformed to the world, and it just won’t. They can’t control all of the people, not even all of the bishops and cardinals, and they can’t erase the historical record of the Church’s teaching, and if the people were silent the stones themselves would proclaim the kingship of Christ.”
At the “new” 1P5, would the news of the million-dollar donation to Hillary’s campaign from Peter’s Pence be suppressed in favor of a cookie recipe for homeschooling moms?
Pleasantly surprised to read this. Good for you. The media do indeed call the tune. It seems the entire political spectrum is dancing to it. I hope you do indeed jump off the merry-go-round.
Please don’t become another gathering place for clique Catholics. They drive people away as fast as anti popes. And they’ve had their glory days.
CORRECTION– It was the Fra Cristoforo site NOT the Denzinger Bergoglio site that 1P5 was hostile to.
Not hostile, legitimately skeptical of…
What is becoming increasingly and vividly clear to me is that even as large sections of the Church are dying, there is new growth founded in the Traditional Faith. Interest in the TLM is growing, orders like the FSSP and ICK are booming. The Francis papacy was 60+ years in the making, and is the encapsulation of all the error. The Body of Christ is expelling this false growth, painfully but surely. Ok, we know all that.
I don’t 1P5 needs to stop shedding light on the scandals, as doing so does help the process of ridding us of the modernist cancer. However, I agree that it should be more. We should also be confidently living in the true Church that is reawakening.
Here’s what I’d like to see: Write articles that profile traditional orders, interview pastors of FSSP and ICK parishes, mother superiors of traditional convents, etc. We need to know names and places. I want to support Tradition with dollars. Who needs my contribution?
This is really out there, but what if there was a 1P5 forum similar to the Catholic Answers forum, where Traddies from different parts of the country could communicate and share information about TLM opportunities and band together to form communities that work with their pastors for more TLMs.
In sum , my own focus is increasingly shifting to what comes next. I care less and less about the current pope or the current madness. It’s all yesterday’s news. Tomorrow is bright in the Church. Report to the extent that you feel is wise, and then write about what’s coming next. That’s what gets us excited.
Balance is beautiful….but return to Rome!
There are 2 Rome’s! One is built over Peter the rock historically and spiritually, and the other is pagan Rome. We know where we belong. Please chase up bishop fulton sheen’s comments on this epic struggle!
Thanks for your reply, I mean the masquerading ‘church’ in Rome needs to be exposed so that the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church in Rome and beyond can shine for all to come home!
So what do we do now? Where are we going?
Answer: Live the Holy Virgins Messages and by doing so be prepared for what is soon to come:
“We must make many sacrifices, perform much penance, and visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. But first, we must lead good lives. If we do not…… a very great chastisement will come upon us…….”
The importance of those messages should not be underestimated. Saint John Paul II urged their entrance into the hearts of the faithful before it’s too late. By any amount of reckoning we are fast running out of time.
Louie was thinking along the same lines, read his post and related comments here: https://akacatholic.com/concerning-russias-errors-what-are-we-to-do-now/
Keep up to date with the latest developments from the Vatican. Get to Confession as soon as possible and pray the Rosary – every day.
Pax.
I just found out that’s a sedevacantist website. Caveat lector!
What website are you talking about? Please identify your source.
I think she means akacatholic.com, & she’s correct – he also leans towards childish / nasty
You’re correct. Thank you.
The topic under discussion is far too important to be trivialized. Sticking labels on individuals is divisive and in the present context off-topic. Better to look for common ground. I’ve no doubt Steve’s concerns about the future are genuine and shared by millions of like-minded Catholics around the world – Louie included – that is my point.
Pax.
Margaret, I do not believe akaCatholic is a sedevacantist website. I think Louie V. has different editorial and posting policies as compared to 1 Peter 5 and therefore there are commentators who are sedevacantists who post in the comment boxes there. I may be wrong about what I have written and if so, I am open to correction.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for fighting the good fight. Please consider attending the Az Marian Conference for reflection time and discerning what the Holy Spirit is up to in these days. My wife and I have been attending this conference for over 20 yrs, you will find it very fruitful. http://www.arizonapeacecenter.org/
PMc
How is the Holy Spirit “these days” dearie?
Yo! So how are YOU feeling, half-blue? ????
Same malaise as Steve. Had to get rid of TGS, even if only for a while. Being attacked by some bloke called Brian for calling Bergoglio an anti-Pope was the last straw. I certainly don’t think Bergoglio is fortunate enough to be a mere anti-Pope. I think he’s the False Prophet.
Personally, I’m glad you got rid of that heretical Georgian mustache. It was unbecoming to your noble English countenance.
Btw, did you read the lengthy post I left you on CT?
Also, Athanasius sent me an article. I read that first and I’m still working on yours.
Re your post: Kindly edit your last 2 sentences. Neither of us has tge authority to say that.
Finally, I’m glad you’re OK. I was very worried about you.
Thanks Margaret. Yes, am OK, just heavily mired in debts following a business disaster and not sure which way to turn. I read your CT comment. I find the Scots there a little too intense for my liking.
Please edit your remarks on PF before a moderator notices them. I know you’re really angry at what’s going on in the Church and so am I. But both Madame Editor and Steve have points which you should consider.
A long time ago (probably in the last millennium) I was down in the dumps. I’m only one person. What can I do?
I read Mystici Corporis Christi by Pope Pius XII. God used one passage in there to break the chains that held my soul. I will look it up and try to find it for you.
It’s 11:46 pm, so I’m signing off.
“Please edit your remarks on PF before a moderator notices them.”
Of course I will not. If the Traditionalist blogosphere is not ready for the truth about him, then it is an abject failure.
“I find the Scots there [at CT] a little too intense for my liking.”
The Scots are “too intense”? And this isn’t???: “Of course I will not. If the Traditionalist blogosphere is not ready for the truth about him, then it is an abject failure.”
Look, I understand that you’re still grieving after your mum died. However, until the *Church* – NOT you or me – decides otherwise, then PF is still the Pope. When the *Church* absolves us from all allegiance to him, THEN I will agree with you.
I really don’t want to see you banned again. Please take some time off. Go home and visit your mum’s grave. (I visited my dad’s yesterday.) Ask Our Lady and your mum to intercede for you. I’m going to church tomorrow for the Feast of the Dormition (Assumption) and hope you do the same.
Our Lord said: “I will not leave you orphans…” (John 14: 18)
You earthly parents are gone, but you still have a spiritual father who is ill. He may not recognize you as his son, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s your spiritual father (I’m paraphrasing Archbishop Lefebvre here).
Please think about what I said.
Margaret
Dear Margaret, not for the first time you have completely misunderstood what has been written.
Bergoglio is the Pope – tragically! If only he was just an awful Pope, the worst in history. But he is not only that. I believe him to be the False Prophet who will uisher in the Anti-Christ. I am no sedevacantist. It might be easier if I was. You really should try to comprehend before posting.
The Antichrist (and by extension, the False Prophet) will come AFTER the period of peace promised by Our Lady, which will come AFTER the Collegial Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which in turn will come AFTER the Holy Father reveals the Third Secret of Fatima (I.e. the exact words of Our Lady NOT the vision).
PF may not be a perfect pope (I’m really, really trying to be charitable here) but he’s NOT the False Prophet. The False Prophet is yet to come.
P.S. If you think we’re in the period of peace promised by Our Lady, then I have a bridge on the Thames that I’d like to sell you. (sarc)
Everything, including Scripture, must conform to fatima.org, Margaret?
Sources: your “favourite” book (sarc) Catholic Prophecy, Malachi Martin, http://www.fatima.org and trying to “comprehend before posting” ????. As you’ve already noticed, comprehension is not one of my big suits. I’m just trying to make sense of it all.
I, for one, happen to agree with you Enid. (I must admit, though, that I’m impressed by and feel like I should take my hat off at Margaret’s concern for you, since she seems to be trying real hard to follow what she feels like charity dictates for her in this case.)
Nonetheless, this is an interesting conversation and I apologize if I find myself intruding in it, but I would like to add my 2 cents to it.
At the risk of sounding like the Modernists over at the Vatican I believe that there is a very important thing to take into consideration here, namely, that we humans are creatures of habit and sensible beings at that too, who need the correct pedagogical approach according to our nature (I believe this is particularly observable (for us Catholics) all throughout the Tanakh in general and in the book of Exodus in particular).
Now, it’s true we can only ever speculate about these things but if your appreciation of PF is indeed true, then that is probably a truth that needs to be conveyed carefully, especially in times such as these, in order not to be counterproductive and play right into the Adversary’s hands (not to mention that we don’t know that for sure).
As for Fatima, this reminds me of a recent thread here about the line “the Gates of Hell will not prevail against Her” in that it seems only natural that, in the face of the constant threats to the Church and the Faith that we should latch onto some explanation to help us make sense of it all.
I’m only thinking out loud here and by no means pretend that any of my thoughts are absolute truth or that I can’t be wrong. However, it seems to me that Fatima was one link in a big chain of prophetic messages that carried onto the Akita apparitions, and was an offer from our Mother at that particular time that we have, unfortunately, collectively spurned.
No, we don’t know Adonai, but Bergoglio fits the Apocalyptic description. We are told that a particular star will fall (stars have always been taken to mean the clergy) and will be given the means to unlock hell. The Anti-Christ follows.
Oh Enid, you’ve said nothing we don’t know but it made my skin crawl…????
There are many other Biblical and (approved) prophetic indicators that this is the time. I see no other candidates for the role of False Prophet. Indeed, who could possibly be a better one?
unfortunately…
& that first moment he gazed out at the crowd – another flesh-crawler.
Time for a Popsicle.
I share the apocalyptic sense of our times. One of the factors I’ve noticed, just in the last few years, is the increasing defiance of all
that is evil.
Our Lord has said that those who love good do their deeds in the light while those who love evil love the darkness. That seems to be rapidly changing. Evil doesn’t care anymore and has taken off the mask. On a mundane level, just consider the defiance of the lies coming from the media; and open calls for the assassination of the President. I suggest it’s primarily a result of the repeated cowardice of the otherwise good. Evil understands that there are fewer and fewer consequences that will ever be brought to bear —at least from the human community.
At the same time, and as a counterbalance, historian Norman Cohn—not a Catholic, I admit—in “The Pursuit of the Millennium,” demonstrates that, since day one, people have been able to fit the “signs of their times” into an apocalyptic template and have thought they were living in the end times.
Either way, I won’t be surprised; but I’m more inclined to believe that a great chastisement may be in the offing rather than the Second Coming. On the other hand, maybe it’s both.
“At the same time, and as a counterbalance, historian Norman Cohn, in “The Pursuit of the Millennium,” demonstrates that, since day one, people have been able to fit the “signs of their times” into an apocalyptic template and have thought they were living in the end times.”
A good point and a healthy consideration. Kinda makes you wonder if there ever will be a Second Coming.
That being said, spiritual entities (and God’s providential ordaining of history for the better) operate at their own time and with their own schedule so it’s not really a level playing field for us, such that even if these were in fact the “end times”
I once attended a parish mission given by Father Benedict Groeschel. Surveying the dismal state of things at the time—Nov. ’99–his attitude towards “the end of the world” was: it can’t come soon enough; bring it on!
“Woe to them that desire the day of the Lord: to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18)
I hit post before I could finish my reply, but yeah I do know where you’re coming from.
I sometimes feel like the “the times of refreshment”/Day of the Lord/Messianic Era get conflated with the end of the world and usually devolves into fire from the sky and earthquakes everywhere kind of preaching.
Regardless, God’s got planned what he’s got planned for the day he’s got it planned. Only time will tell, I guess.
“The whirlwind is in the thorn-tree…Alpha and Omega’s Kingdom Come…” -Johnny Cash, When the Man Comes Around
That’s my bad, I wasn’t thinking of Fr. Groeschel when I replied with that quote but I wasn’t clear either.
My point was that Amos seems to be trying to underline the aspect of the Dies Irae of the Day of the Lord.
I meant that traditionally the Day of the Lord is the day the G-d ( the Messiah) comes down as the terrible judge before whom no justification can be easily had and so that should be a day we prepare for rather than a day we long for, lest we witness against ourselves.
Again, I don’t mean this with Fr. Groeschel in mind, but more generally, in an event horizon kind of way
Gotcha. Although I was thinking of the courtroom scene in “A Man For All Seasons” when St. Thomas More resignedly declares: “I am the King’s true subject and I pray for him, and all the realm. I do none harm. I say none harm. I think…none harm. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive then, in good faith, I long not to live.”
We wrymmin at the St. Martina Luther Feminist Institute of Advanced Ecumenical Heresy think that Ms. Skojec should consider the following:
1. We already know we are in the Last Times. Sister Lucia reported that Our Lady informed her of this fact. Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI all made direct allusions to the “novissimi” , or Last Times, being these times on several occasions. You have absolutely no right to give up on the uncovering of the devil’s people inside the Church: it is an inestimable service for the laity as things move to their ordained conclusion and it is your apostalate, freely chosen. The niche you have found for 1P5 is what it is and the times we are living in are what they are. Do not re-invent yourself or take the advice of posters who ask for slappy-happy gooey articles, comedy or cooking lessons.
2. You are the victim of exhaustion and of a spiritual malaise that affects all who have been and are engaged in this work. It is as much (or more) a spiritual attack as much as it is physical tiredness.
3. Follow the ‘Rorate Caeli’ option. Get other people involved directly with 1P5 so that the burden of editing and writing does not fall entirely on your own shoulders. Rorate has a central team of five or six people who can post when they have material to post. That is not every day.
4. Will posters here wake up and understand what is going on! We do not need a new 1P5. We need a site that is even more aggressive than it has been, reports ever-more deeply on all aspects of the great crisis, uncovers all the filth in the Church, shies away from nothing. The only problem is that Steve cannot hack it on his own.
Thanks for the laughs, “Enid”
(Are u sure you’re a woman ?) Love your eyeballs ????
I don’t know why she’s knocking the cooking segment, I think it would have been just the thing if she would have hosted it 😉
“Enid” is not a “she”.
Yeah, you’re onto something –
“Enid” is not a “she”.
Well maybe he can share all about Communist cooking then 😉
No, no, NO!
As a Ukrainian Greek Catholic, it grieves me that you would encourage him like that.
“See to it, Venerable Brethren, that the Faithful do not allow themselves to be deceived! Communism is intrinsically wrong, and no one who would save Christian civilization may collaborate with it in any undertaking whatsoever. ” – Pope Pius XI
Sorry Margaret! I should have made it clear that I was joking. It meant I had discovered who Enid is. What I meant was that TGS could tell us all of what is wrong with what the Communist have been ‘cooking’.
And I hope he will also choose a new name like you mention.
God bless!
“Enid” is not a woman.
Silly character; the post is serious.
C2 is not a silly character and does know your post is serious. C2 was thanking you for your sense of humour.
Yes I did get that, though I guess it was hard to tell.
Why do you say that?
Not hard to tell Enid was serious. Rather, that it was difficult for Enid to see, from my written words, that I ‘got it’.
Get it? Apologies.
We wymmin understand each other. Dialogue is so important when there are patriarchies on all sides. Anyway, Enid will disappear before too long and I’ll come back as myself. Best solution.
Try Allatae sunt. Please, please, PLEASE don’t regrow that heretical Georgian mustache.
???? Goin’ to get my much-needed beauty rest. Take care
I think it would be most helpful to focus on two things – 1. the general topic “Catholic information you should hear from the pulpit but probably don’t” – this would include things like what is and is not a mortal sin, a practical guide to eliminating all sin in your life, detailed instructions for practicing devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, increasing our knowledge about the lives of the Saints, answers to frequently asked moral questions, how to avoid common sinful pitfalls in marriage and family life, recognizing and resisting Satan’s influence in your daily life, etc.
2. To have a section of the website where you provide clickable links to helpful information elsewhere on the internet without having to write an article about it. It may be an article on another site, a link to an online Perpetual Adoration Chapel or an online sermon. Many incredibly helpful sermons by traditionalist priests can be found on YouTube headlined by Sensus Fidelium. Thanks Steve!
First of, I would like to thank Steve Skojec and all the collaborators here at 1p5 and at also those over at the Remnant for their valuable work. And if I’m allowed to, I would like to add my 2 cents to this post, even though I’m not sure my previous posts have contributed much to the discussions to which they’ve been a part of.
I used to be one of those people who needed “waking up” and I while I cannot attribute my rediscovery of the Faith to anything but G-d and G-d alone, I can attest to the often unseen outreach and effectivity sites such as 1p5 actually have.
I live in a country where “Traditionalism” is nothing but a quaint idea, a sort of memory from the past or an overly “Trumpian” effect, if you will, trickling down on us from the US via the internet; we only have one parish, as far as I know, in the whole country where the TLM is officially permitted, and topics such as the ones that are regularly taken up here, whether in the comboxes or in the articles themselves, are not even close to being registered as potentially worthy of discussion by the general populace. Nonetheless, the current state of the Church has prompted a huge amount of Catholics here to look elsewhere for answers and since many have a gut feeling that something’s wrong but don’t really know why, when they are able to move past the sea of “feel good” online apostolates, they are forced to look to sites such as these for answers and information and usually come away rejecting them emotionally but not intellectually (it seems to me, that in recent times many have begun to wonder if maybe, just maybe all those schismatic traditionalists with their conspiracy theories may actually have a point or two)
Now, I myself have also come to the same conclusion that this article brings up and so I can’t really blame the editor for seeking better ways to serve G-d, but I keep coming back to that old saying “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad”. Demons having once posed as the Baals and the Zeus’s of yore may have shifted gears recently as they get closer to victory but that doesn’t mean they can’t bring back old tactics they know work, and so I wonder if they have collectively descended upon traditionalists as black cloud of demonic oppression in the hopes of breaking us.
I now funds are limited and assistance is wanted but I would suggest, if possible, to use 1p5 as a springboard to develop a sort of social platform that will bring together all the people in this community and offer them the content described above, not at the expense of the really essential news coverage and witnessing the site already does or its pacing in doing it, but on top of it.
” … (the demons) have collectively descended upon traditionalists as black cloud of demonic oppression in the hopes of breaking us.”
Of course they have. And their attacks will only grow.
Why do you refer to God as ‘G-d’? What persuasion do you belong to?
I’m not sure what you mean by what persuasion I belong to and I’m afraid my ignorance may make me take a defensive position. But why does it matter?
As in ‘persuasion’ sense 2: ‘a belief or set of beliefs, especially religious or political ones.’
Above all else God deserves our total respect – why do you hyphenate His Name?
I believe that is an import from Judaism; possibly AdonaiYeshua is a convert from Judaism. And it is spelled that way by Orthodox Jews out of deep reverence for the Almighty. I for one don’t have any problem with it.
Thank you for letting me know – I’d never seen that before – you learn something new every day. Cheers and thanks.
Sure; and I appreciate your comments on this site.
A fine point. Still, relative to the context of this discussion and the thrust of my original post, what is the importance of ascertaining “my persuasion”? And what do you feel is the connection between the two?
It’s a matter of cultural difference – here in New Zealand it’s considered very poor form to shorten or alter in any way a person’s name – unless it’s a good hearted nickname. But as didymus46 set me on the right path (and I looked it up) I now understand that what you do is a matter of deep reverence with reference to Our Lord. So I’m pleased to make your acquaintance and have upvoted your post – it’s actually very good. Peace and Blessings your way. Your brother Mark.
Dear Steve,
You are right, of course. We are dancing to their tune and we must stop doing so. Imagine for a moment what would happen if all the trads in the world a means to fire back when they read the disgusting events that are part of our daily life now? Just to be clear, I am saying that ALL of the ‘bad news’ has to STAY. However, there has to be an ANSWER. When I read these things, I am grateful that people out there are exposing this evil to the light of day. But I am also enraged and frustrated by sense of powerlessness, the lack of anything that can be done. Yet, we know that, individually, much can be done. We can each, individually, simply ignore what certain people in Rome have to say, about anything. Read the headline, acknowledge the fact that we are still at war, take note of they front the enemy is attacking, and then move to RESPONSE MODE. It is not that we have too much bad news: we NEED this. The problem is we have no ANSWER to it. So now, what to do? There are many sites that encourage Catholics to love the Faith, that encourage TLM attendance, traditional devotions, and the like. All are wonderful and necessary. Probably all struggle financially. In my opinion, you need to answer the ONE issue that will bring the false edifice down to rubble. Give me this moment to explain what it is. The enemy is Modern Materialism in the Catholic Church. The enemy has political power that depends on the physical presence and activity of their agents. The physical presence of these agents and all of their activities depend entirely on MONEY. If we remove the money, the lands, the buildings, the offices, the fancy dinners must all be sold off and must all disappear. With this, their ability to influence politicians and lobbyists will also disappear and they will no longer be able to falsely represent the views of Catholics. This process is already taking place. Materialists do not care about people, about babies, about families, so materialist parishes are losing their people, and materialist dioceses are going broke, and while materialist dioceses have zero vocations, traditional and traditionalist groups are enjoying massive waves of vocations. Therefore, while we have spiritual weapons of prayer and sacrifice at our disposal, we could do with guidance and coordination in encouraging Catholics of good will to move their resources away from enemy clutches and into the hands of their real community, a Catholic community that is not geographically circumscribed, but is global. We need someone to begin the creation of a global network, not of news, but of collaboration, of cooperation, of coordination of all resources, financial, educational, and personal. Ultimately, we need someone to make it possible for the isolated homeschooled, Catholic family in some place to NOT BE isolated. And I don’t just mean an internet forum. I mean they should know where the closest traditionally Catholic family is, and this latter family should be welcoming. Right now, we have sites that provide ideas. And there are forums for Catholics. And there are news sites. Fine. Now, who can bring all of this together? Clearly not one guy. But a large team could, one that could use the global reach of the internet to connect the families. How is it that all of the Catholic families of the world are not connected, in a technological age such as this, and at a time of crisis such as this? We need to connect the families. I feel that the enemy smells blood here, realizing that there is still time to cut people off here, this man, this other priest, a whole group, cut, cut, cut. But connected, you will see how the resources that are already being allocated to rotten parishes every Sunday, and to rotten dioceses, just out of the habit of the Sunday basket, could get re-allocated to the Church right where these resources should really go. Families working together can restore churches, build homes for their poor members, support all of the priestly vocations, and bring down that other dark tower that lives for itself off of the hard-earned money of good Catholics hoping against all hope that they are working to make things better, when in reality they aren’t.
Well, for what it;s worth, there is the beginning of my answer. It is an absolute fact that soon the enemy will run out of vocations. What will they do then? The old ones will want to keep their buildings and lifestyle. They will do more and more what they are already doing: they will discourage serious candidates to the priesthood. How will they keep their buildings? By marrying the world. They will look for grants from the governments, and taxes, and so on. This is how the rot lives on in Germany and in the US. However, the moment the lobbyists and government officials see that the enemy are NOT reaching the public, they will turn on them. They will eat their own. A serious replacement community needs to already be in place for this or there will be a diaspora of believers, each one in isolation. Look at Quebec and Ireland to know what will happen. But if we are organized, we might be able to keep some of the churches, and at least we will not survive, but thrive. Sorry for the long post but I never post.
‘We need to connect the families.’
Remembering that I meant to say I totally agree that we all need to start connecting. This is something I am trying to do as I can. Getting Catholics knowing one another. On that note I thought to come back and say Hi from Australia 🙂 My blog here http://thewildestofadventures.blogspot.com.au
Pleased to meet you and hope you will comment more often!
God bless!
Thank you so much, both for this site and for sharing your sense of frustration with us. I am new here and, while I may not be as conservative as many, I certainly have found no seat in the pews of the churches in my city. I am not a “Progressive”, which is the religion of my city and, it seems, of our times. Many of the priests I knew and respected have been subsumed by “Progressivism” and seem to have elevated it above their Catholic faith. I am tired. Tired and discouraged by how quickly and deeply the Church seems to be finding restful accomodation with modernity to be preeminent. We were warned of this, repeatedly. And now, the tide is turning against those of us who wish to stand, simply, in Christ and his salvific gift. But, as you say, the Enemy enlists us through our discouragement and lack of trust in God. We are losing the battle, but God has already won the war. So, what do each of us do. What’s our job now? I guess mine is what someone else suggested: to be a saint, a Christian and to trust the Lord. It would be nice to find a church in Seatttle, though. Anyone with suggestions? Thank you!
http://www.northamericanmartyrs.org Would this be close by? If not give them a call and they should be able to help.
Yes!!! It’s only a few miles away, quite walkable. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome Anne! How great that it is close by! God bless you!
Wow, this post touched my heart. I will sincerely pray that you find the strength and guidance to chart out a new and better course that will help people get to Heaven. I will not only pray- I will fast. Your web site has been a blessing to me.
Our greatest challenge is to transmit the true depth and fullness of our Faith to the next generation.
In the confused and turbulent post-Vatican II days, the poison of “modernism” flooded our Church. For example, in 1973 when preparing for my confirmation, we studied Buddha and Mohammed in CCD, in some kind of moral equivalence and comparative religion exercise that was supposed to increase our appreciation of our Catholic Faith.
By the Grace of God, I have grown in the Faith in spite of that “poor formation”, certainly not because of it. There is much I still do not know, but I have had a real encounter with Jesus Christ, and His Real Presence will continue to nourish us spiritually. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you. When that trumpet sounds on that last day, may you hear his sweet and holy voice call you Steve, saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
https://mundabor.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/mundabor-is-not-for-turning/
I understand these feelings. I have them too. However, it is a feeling of capitulation. It is the idea that we’ve lost and must withdraw behind local barricades. Nothing wrong with fighting locally, but when the heterodox occupy the Cathedrals, many souls will be lost for the lack of the truth. For this reason alone, we must resist any heterdoxy from our diocese and speak the truth. Error must be identified and proclaimed as error. The work is a work of charity.
I’ve mulled this over.
As demonstrated in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New, thru the words of Jesus and the Apostles, mirrored in the Fathers and then embedded in Catholic Tradition all the way until Pope John XXIII’s hideous speech opening V2, the Church has ALWAYS both AFFIRMED THE GOOD and CONDEMNED THE BAD.
With the words of Pope John this tradition changed. And since then we have had affirmations of all sorts; of not just good, but ambiguity, confusion and at times, downright evil from our prelates BUT WE HAVE LOST THE WEAPON OF CONDEMNATION OF GRAVE EVIL AND HERESY.
Even those things which are commonly assessed by the media to be “condemnations” are pathetic in their effeminacy in comparison to the strong, stark words of truth commonly uttered when necessary by the leadership before Vatican 2.
Even Pope Benedict’s Regensburg Address which is one of those instances when the media claimed he demonstrated that approaching a condemnation was weak and borderline vapid compared to the words of past Popes. And what was it, 2 weeks later he more or less apologized when the Muslims reacted to his previous words by proving him right?
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH NEEDS TO AFFIRM THE TRUTH AND CONDEMN THE LIES.
And so does this blog.
So keep at it, Steve. Do both; Affirm the good with writing that draws and educates and empowers in the faith and condemn the bad that denies and attacks the faith.
In doing so you will stand among the best of our great ancestors in the faith and you will be continuing the way of our Blessed Lord.
Steve – I wasn’t going to contribute to this discussion on the basis that I have enough to do trying to work out God’s will for my own path (I’m very isolated on Terra Firma), but I glanced at the article again and something just jumped off the page.
I’d just been reading about the closure of the Ars Orandi website in 2014, and the owner’s ‘reasons’, when I saw this that you wrote about Hilary White “You may have noticed that she shut down her blog, What’s Up With the Synod?” etc.
Well, yes, I had noticed and I noticed because all these sites are the sites where I learn what’s going on in the Church, what’s been going on there for 60 years+, what the truth is about headlines in newspapers. Two years ago I had no idea of the reality of the Catholic Church.
I never used Ars Orandi, but having now read the final post, I’m not sure I can believe that it’s purely coincidental that you are all suddenly disillusioned or think you are becoming part of the problem, shutting up shop or changing the way you do things.
Surely that’s what Satan wants? To shut you all down? To shut you all up? To make sure no-one knows what’s really going on, so it can continue going on? What better way to do it than by appealing to a sense of weariness, disillusionment in the fight, sense of failure and worry about spreading scandal? There even seems to be some sense of guilt around!
Scandal is what the hierarchy of the Church is providing. It is not private scandal but public scandal. If people don’t know about it, they can’t fight it, even with prayer. Yes, one can argue the finer points about how to present it but it
mustn’t be hidden. “And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.” and “For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.”
I think Hilary has got it wrong – she should keep going with the blog and give up Twitter if anything (because it doesn’t really tell us anything whereas the blog does, so it’s a real weapon). Others might not agree about Twitter – I just find it irritating and senseless!)
You do sound, though, as if you are sorely in need of a retreat and spiritual refreshment. Prayers are with you – and all other bloggers at this time.
Amen. You have swallowed the red pill. I went through this same transformation back in 2004 after countless nights digging deeper and deeper into the darkness. I, too, was dark. Morose. Miserable. The scandal and abuses almost became a sort of tabloid addiction for me.
Then it hit me. Millions have gone before us, and went through a lot more, and suffered a lot more. I’m sure we haven’t seen the end of the cleansing, but I find it hard to awfulize too hard when the majority of my posts are written from an air conditioned cafe, sipping on organic espresso, with my choice of any food on this plant within a 20 minute drive, at the slightest whimper of my stomach.
My journey out of the darkness began with the Light, more directly, Doctrine. I pretty much stick to doctrine and don’t allow anything else to rattle me. I dont really care about new visions, revelations, or anything that doesnt have the Magisterium behind it. Too confusing. I hear interesting trad sermons online, only to have another trad priest contradict. Hugh? Too confusing.
We raise the kids like In 1940s/50s withlut being ludites, and try to go to TLM as often as possible, but we don’t freak out when a NO mass is the only option. The same Church that allows for the TLM is the same Church that allows the NO. I prefer Cardinal Sarah’s way forward, but that is above my pay grade. I’m the captain of my little family and I have their souls to guide and my soul to work on salvation. That’s quite a full plate! I’ll fight where the Lord asks me to, and stay out of the areas beyond my jurisprudence. Like Jesus told St. Peter regarding the temple tax trap. …go pay them the tax with the fish coin, and let’s refocus on more important things in building up the kingdom.
Perhaps a way forward is to turn a few of these posts into positive lessons on the trad life? Father Heilman and father Z have a fairly upbeat tempo.
Either way, I think we are just all trying to figure it out. When I get too freaked out, I go to Adoration and then I get some ice cream. Ha 🙂 God bless you all
This is a brilliant comment, Jim, fair play to you mate! Avoid
the Vatican controversies, concentrate on what’s essential in our traditional
beliefs, and do it the best you can, that’s my plan too. My regular Mass is a Novus,
and though I have some doubts about it these days (it seemed just fine and
dandy to me when I was a new convert!) I do my best to pray it as reverently as
I can, reading along in my Missal and toting my Rosary beads. My doubts about
it I offer up as a penance for my sins. If a great liturgist like Pope Benedict
approves of it, it can’t be all bad! So the problem must lie with me. I need to
be a better Christian. That would be a good place to start.
Things have a natural life, and the trad Catholic
blogosphere is now in terminal decline. Mr Skojec and others are beginning to
realise that online lobbying isn’t going to change a thing in Rome. We need a
new model, and his blogpost outline very accurately what it should be.
What should the new model be?
Become a saint, I believe. Focus on our faith.
Hi CS, the “new model” would be an emphasis on one’s own personal
devotion; a reflexive loyalty towards our beautiful Church and its unchangeable doctrines, underpinned by a constant deepening of our knowledge of the Faith in order to protect ourselves against the views
of our secularised society; and finally, using the internet primarily as a tool
for organising and supporting each other.
In terms of “protest”, boots on the ground are needed if we are to pierce the consciousness of our fellow-Catholics. Look at France, the street protests against SSM, the Lourdes Pilgrimage. We need more of this.
Sorry, this wasn’t meant to be sermon. Best wishes to all.
Thank you.
The more we know, the more we love Christ and our Church, so true. God’s graces
seem to flow more powerfully with more knowledge of our Church Doctrines, Teachings, Lives of Saints, and so forth.
And then our witness becomes born out of love for Him, and not pride or anger?
Bless you Father and may our Mother keep you safe.
btw, I have a feeling your sermons are most wonderful. Hope to read more of your thoughts here on OnePeterFive.
Thanks CS but I’m not a priest! But I do have the greatest regard for your compatriot, the late Fr John Hardon, SJ. It was his Catechism (much favoured by Fr Z) that more than anything brought me into the Church.
A dear Catholic friend of mine, older and far wiser, told me of Father Hardon about five years ago. I have not purchased his Catechism, but have read his writings on making a good Confession. I used to listen to some of his talks on youtube in the evening; such holiness and brilliance.
Your thoughts were certainly holy as well. I quickly saw Fr., in your post and as I can be very ‘concrete’ at times, thought you were a priest as well. The ” brains” in my family come from my husband. LOL
God bless and do hope you post here onepeterfive.
You are much too kind, CS. And I doubt there’ll be many “homilies” from me on onepeterfive in the future!
Let’s hope I can put all my fine words into practice. God bless.
Oh, how I love Cardinal Sarah! Thank God for such as him.
The same reasoning that the sex abuse by clergy went on for so long, why the homosexuals in the priesthood expanded under the nose of many good bishops, seems to be occurring again.
” We cannot make these sex abuses cases known, for it will rattle the faith of many.” or
” How can I, a bishop, deal with these homosexual priests without compromising the faith of many? It is too much too handle for one bishop and may harm my own abilities and energies”
Yes, there is ugliness out there. It will not go away, if you wish it to go away, or pray it to away, or
somehow make peace with the ugliness, because why after all, God is in control.
Foolishness!
For those who will despair regarding the news of the ugliness of the Church, grow up a bit, and be a man or a woman and stop whining. For those who want to leave the Church because of it; then Go.
These times were made for men and women of Catholic faith who have a duty to not just impart the faith, but defend the Church. Hiding our bloody heads in the sand will not work anymore.
Take time to rest and pray Steve. You deserve it. And remember that humility coupled with justice is mighty.
Thank you for all your well-researched and insightful articles. They will be available on the web for sharing for years to come. I’ve spent the last 3 years reading about scandals in the Church on your website and others. I’ve gone from disbelief to outrage to acceptance that, “it is what it is.” God chose that we live at this time in His Church’s history for a reason. Our beloved Church will not be destroyed! All confirmed Catholics have a responsibility to be “soldiers for Christ” as members of the Church Militant. It’s not all on your shoulders, Steve. Enjoy life, beauty, joy, laughter, family…. Once you are rested and refreshed, the Holy Spirit will guide you to your next step. May God bless you and your loved ones.
I sympathize with you greatly on not wanting to be the Scandalum Magnatum blog.
As newly-practicing TLM, I am most interested in how the Sacrificial Eucharist re-presents the entirety of Christ’s Passion, among other symbology.
I am most bereft of knowledge about Saints. And have recently discovered via a friend the many 19th century great Catholic minds I have heretofore not known.
Quo vadis? In Peter’s footsteps, of course.
Are you familiar with Rev. Nicholas Gihr’s work “The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – Dogmatically, Liturgically and Aesthetically Explained”?
Yes, via “Nothing Superfluous: An Explanation of the Symbolism of the Rite of St. Gregory the Great.”
Thank you.
excellent book
P.S.: I have said to several priests at my TLM church that the tenor of America right now is highly amenable to the TLM.
That it is frustrating to me to see the opportunity wasted.
This is a very good homily that puts a lot of what is being discussed here in perspective:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5FgSDKD-9Q
Does anyone know if there’s a problem over at Torch of the Faith? They haven’t posted since middle of May and I can’t find any news about them or explanation in their own blog. I’m missing reading it.
They may have discerned a “Power of Silence” approach for themselves.
There are some good things happening! Austen Ivereigh has apologised. For those who have not the energy to wade through his rather turgid grovelling at:
https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/08/12/apology-needless-offense-disagree-better/
there is an excellent precis at:
http://ecclesandbosco.blogspot.co.uk/
I love Eccles! discovered him by accident. So funny. So glad he is ‘saved.’
Austin Ivereigh holds pride of place among the mendacious.
His apology relates to the fact that he unmasked himself, much as he unmasked the connivance of the Sankt Gallen Mafia in his biography of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Both of his miscalculations stem from pride. His only regret is that he tripped over his own ego in relating his treasury of “enlightened” perspective and inside knowledge. Sean Michael Winters at the NCReporter, John Allen at Crux, et al., they are legion. They regard themselves as wisdom figures.
Not a word from their keyboard is above suspicion. Apologies and pieties above all. If they were yelling fire in a visibly burning building I’d have to question it.
I hope you continue. The excellent Michael Voris may break his long-term lack of engagement only to scold you, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he reads this blog. And so does everybody else that matters. I recommend sticking to the knitting and don’t bother with the networking thing, for now. Hell is only having Aleteia/Crux as one’s Catholic news source. Especially at a time like ours. I see you as a kind of Catholic Lee Stranahan, not a pastor. The commenters are the citizen journalist army. Don’t worry about money, excommunication or rash judgements of creating scandal. Anxiety is a sin. But obviously shut this down altogether, if your marriage is at risk. Certain writers contributing pro bono is Divine Providence. You have the gift of political discernment, imo. God bless your stable of writers, moderators and commenters.
https://twitter.com/SteveSkojec/status/887506915613302784
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BamZY04bpe8
I can understand how you feel and how you came to the decisions which you outline in your article. The first 25 years of my priesthood were spent (except for the first two) under a bishop who did horrible things to the diocese in which I had grown up. At times I thought of leaving the diocese or even the priesthood. I thought about some of the other things I had always wanted to do and imagined that I would get a little apartment somewhere, live quietly, and just try to be a good person. Of course, that is not what I was ordained to do. God had given me a different vocation. Now I am officially old and I am tired and all the old nonsense is being touted by all the same old crowd that held sway in the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s in most dioceses in the USA. I don’t really relish the job of being “Athanasius Contra Mundum” all over again, and maybe I won’t be able to. You, however have a very definite role to play. The scoundrels who lied, manipulated, bullied, and co-opted Vatican II got away with what they did because there was no way for most of us to hear or read anything but what they were telling us – on their own, and through the chanceries, schools, and universities they controlled. There were the darlings of the secular media. Now things have changed. They did not get away with their plans to corrupt the last synod of bishops with impunity as they had Vatican II and it made them as angry as hell! Why was their campaign for the spreading of false information foiled? It was because of people like you! I think that somebody out there needs to tell the truth!!!! The internet is the most powerful tool for doing that. The scoundrels in high places would love nothing more than for you to give up. Yes, we need saints! There is always going to be a need for people who go off to the wilderness and live lives of holiness, sacrifice, penance, and prayer. But there is also a need for somebody to tell the truth – and that somebody is you!
I hope you read this. When I write comments in blogs like this I often think that I am wasting my time. I almost never get any feedback, and I become more and more convinced that the authors of the articles upon which I am commenting don’t have the time to read anything I am writing. I hope things are different this time. God bless and keep ypu. Don’t give up!
Thank you Msgr. Schulte for your faithful service to Our Blessed Lord, Our Blessed Lady and Our Holy Mother Church. Thank you for resisting the voice of the tempter and remaining faithful to the promises you made at your Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for taking the time to speak the Truth of Jesus Christ in the wilderness of the West and the nearly desolate Sanctuaries of Our Lord which have been invaded by the miserable smoke of Satan and his effeminate minions.
And thank you for taking the time to post your wisdom here. I read it and I whole heartedly endorse what you have said.
May the Lord reward you for your priestly ministry, especially for serving Him when the Truth of the Gospel out of season in large parts of the Church.
+1
Totally agree with you!!!!
Dear Msgr. Schulte,
While there’s no way I can respond to all the comments, I do read many of them. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the wisdom of your experience.
I’m not quitting. I’m just shifting gears a little bit. We need to build up the faith, not just document them trying to tear it down.
Now there you go! Thank you Msgr. Schulte.
I know the truth is hard to hear, but hear it we must.
I don’t want people to despair or to be so angry as to walk away, but these fears cannot prevent the truth from being stated and praise God for this bloody internet and good souls such as Steve and others out there. I do not relish what they do, for how it must wear them to the bone.
But, God has imparted particular graces in men like Steve and priests as yourself.
Enough of the cover up and hope it will all go away. We have had it for too long in our Church and it has caused great damage.
As I said in a post earlier; these are the days when men and women, must rise; no longer selfish, but selfless. We must take it! And take it we shall.
We must be strong and bear it for the good of the Church.
If Christ can be mocked, whipped, scourged, and nailed while seeing the sorrow on His mother’s face,
then we can bear the truth, and if we can’t, than………pray to do so.
GREAT POST!!!!!!
Thank you Monsignor, because your words are deeply heartening for the rest of us too.
Yes Monsignor the internet has been a great blessing and a refuge and you are right too about the revolution which has been played out within the Church. It is only now that pieces are completing the puzzle and thousands of laity can see how the Truth has been suppressed. The only effective way to fight is spiritually. The battle today is not even recognised by many Catholics. At least for the Vendeans, the battle was visible for all to see and was more an historical event. God bless you!
Bread cast upon the waters………………at least you’re feeding a few fishes…..just sayin’ Hang in there. There are eyes that see and ears that hear. You’ll find out when you get to Heaven what God did with the rest of the story. God bless. Ginnyfree.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be faithful to the Divine truth and to the spiritual and liturgical traditions of our forefathers and of the saints and being therefore *marginalized* by those who currently occupy administrative power in the Church. This your fidelity and courage constitute the real power in the Church. You are the real ecclesiastical *periphery*, which with God’s power renews the Church.”
“Through the days of shame that are coming; through the nights of wild distress,
Though our promise count for nothing, we must keep it nonetheless.
“We must keep it for the captain whose ship has not been built;
For the mother in confusion, her cradle still unfilled;
For the heart with no companion; for the soul without a King;
For the prima ballerina who cannot dance to anything.” – Leonard Cohen
[A proviso: I’m sure it wasn’t anything especially memorable but I
recently gave another commenter to know that when I revert to quoting
lyrics or lines of literature it means my BS meter is on overload and
I’m shunning discursive discourse. Well—just so I’m not taken
amiss—I should qualify: sometimes I do it simply because it seems apt
to me; other times just to change the conversational atmosphere and only
occasionally is it a cynical reflex. In any case, it’s a habit too
ingrained to change.]
The best thing you can do in turbulent times is to learn your faith. Find out what the Church truly teaches, not what has been filtered to you in the pew by persons who are either subversives or subverted themselves and simply passing along what was taught them (errors and confusion). Read a book: the Bible, the whole thing. Read the Catechism. Read the documents of V2. Read the Catechism of the Council of Trent. Learn about heresies of the past and listen for them in the things you hear and see around you. Eph. 4:14 “That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive.” Stop relying upon the few cherries picked from encyclicals and other sources to lead you away from the Sacred Heart of Jesus found in the Magisterium of the Church, both Ordinary and Extraordinary. Learn your faith for yourself. Too many persons allow themselves to be mislead because they are spiritually slothful. They listen, have their ears tickled and the fires of their own passions are enkindled instead of the Living Flame of Love. They go wherever the winds blow. They don’t want to do the work that it takes to study their own faith. What little faith they have is supplanted by these evil men and women and then they become dependent upon their mouthpieces for affirmation. If they knew their faith they’d never fall for it. One of the characteristics of demonic influence is supplantion. “you shall become like gods.” A lie supplanting the Truth that they’d already bore a resemblance to God their Creator as they were created in His image and likeness. The devil supplanted that truth with his lie and they doubted.
The devil loves ignorance. Think about it. It is a vacuum he fills with lies and half truths.
Proverbs 4:11-15 “I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity: Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumbling block. Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life. Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee. Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.”
Learn your faith. And also do everything else mentioned in the article, (which is excellent BTW. Glad I stumbled upon it. Michael Hichborn provided the link). If you work on becoming a saint yourself, then nothing will shake you. Absolutely nothing.
“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
— St. Teresa of Avila
God bless. Ginnyfree.
Steve, I happen to agree with your resolution entirely. Well before I read this article, I’d already felt this viscerally. My appetite for literature felt strained by the same daily drumbeat. Of course, this is not neglect or willful passivity, but simply a purposeful, strategic re-direction of emphasis.
Summarily, most readers are agreed as to the depth and breadth of manifest Vatican infiltrations and the serpents many venomous heads. This knowledge, and all correlated resolution, have not wavered nor yielded. In fact, with this decision, I think it safe to assert that this is actually an advancement. With learned knowledge to the enemy and his tactics, it would be foolishness to follow his pawns around the board, as many of us have been doing now for a few years. All the while, our discontent leaves us in a darkening position, flirting with the gray edges of despair in one of its forms. This is the danger – to finally open ones eyes at some time later only to realize that the real fight was being waged elsewhere by the enemy…for years, while we couldn’t peel our attentive faculties from the shiny object planted by the enemy.
Further, neither do I see this as a capitulation of militant duty. Rather, it is a strategic, discerned, prayer-rooted re-entrenchment.
We are far closer to the catacombs than rooftops these days. There will be circumstances for both, but in present conditions we need a counter-revolution more deeply seeded in interior development (of the Chautard variety).
Fight, yes. Always. Yet in terms of daily emphasis, we collective remnant must fill up with Christ, and only when absolutely spilling over and in accord with Divine timing will our ostensible efforts be called upon with certainty.