After the first terrorist attack in Paris in January of 2014, I began working on this essay. Following the most recent attacks, I decided it was time to finish it and see it published. Two important articles have raised important questions about the state of the West in its unavoidable confrontation with the increasing expansiveness of Islam. After the attacks of felonious homicide in Paris, France on January 7th, two authors, Professor Roberto de Mattei[1] from Italy, and Emeritus Professor William Kilpatrick[2] from the United States, have both warned the West to understand the resolute will of Islam, despite their varied means, to attain one main objective: to take over Western culture and civilization, and not only in Europe. Both show that the West in its vacillating and relativist ideology of multi-culturalism and liberalism is not prepared to defend its own countries against a growing Muslim influence and implantation. In the face of the recent attacks again in Paris, it is worthwhile considering these two authors once more.
De Mattei wisely says that many methods of the modern Muslim combatants have been influenced by revolutionary methods of Terror that derive originally from the secular Enlightenment as well as from Communism-Leninism (and the subtler forms of Gramscianism) all of which have implemented their anti-Christian worldview in Europe with the indispensable help of terror, perhaps first practiced systematically in France itself in 1793. Thus, de Mattei shows how the Christian West is encircled or permeated by two antagonistic powers—Secular and Islamic—which are both anti-Christian and also disposed to employ inhuman methods to spread their worldview, especially those hypocritical Secularists who openly support the systemic large-scale terror of “abortion” (the deliberate killing of pre-born children). The answer of the Italian historian, de Mattei, to this grave, even mortal, challenge, is: Christ Crucified. Only by clinging to Him and to His truth in full will the West be able to recover its strength and find the will to defend itself, or the vulnerable women and little children. As he shows, a weakened and softened West without strong convictions and principles will lack the necessary strength to oppose such declared and resolute opponents.
The interrelated theses of these two authors have further inspired me as a German, moreover, to think, as a convert, even more practically about the Catholic Faith as the only adequate resistance and remedy for our situation.
The Catholic Church has long been largely under attack from Liberals, especially since the visceralities of the 1960s, when feminism gave rise to criticism of the “patriarchical structures” of the Church. The society, and especially the women, purportedly had to be disencumbered from such suppression and submission. In the wake of this ongoing cultural revolution, women strove more and more to be like men, to seek their types of institutional functions, to emulate the men and take their positions and jobs, and even to look more and more like them in dress and gesture. The women toughened up—and are now even entering Army Ranger School—and the men increasingly conceded and receded and were further weakened, in part, by the spreading suspicion that the men enduringly have had an underlying “will to subjugate the women.” And from early childhood on boys, often taught largely by women, were thwarted, if not nearly suffocated, in their natural desire to be protectors and providers and to be manifoldly strong.
My husband – who himself is a West Point graduate and Special Forces officer – memorably reported to me how a fine young Catholic Marine recruit from Baltimore was sent home from his basic training in the mid-1980s, because he would not surrender his rifle to a woman inspecting-officer. The male officers privately appreciated his choice, but dared not make their views public—and thus they asked him to relent, because he was even then considered to be such an excellent prospect as a full Marine and was already at the very top of his class at his well-known Parris Island, South Carolina basic training. When the young man then very soon came to visit my husband at his home in Front Royal, Virginia to tell him, with much embarrassment, the whole story, my husband warmly honored him and embraced him, especially after the young man said the following words: “Sir, there comes a time when a man should no longer have to take orders from a woman—and certainly not to have her inspect his rifle.” That was so in the 1980s, but we have gone much further now in what my husband calls “the forward march of regress.”
My husband and I have already observed in our own little boy of five years of age, how much he desires to be a protector and provider. He blossoms when he can “cut trees down,” “clear the yard,” “rescue people,” “shoot the invader,” or just show how strong he is, wrestling and boxing with his dad and asking to be thrown high aloft. All these ideas and desires of our little son derive nothing from television or video games, for he has none of these and has no access to them, but only to books and an occasional film. We have abstained from exposing him to examples that directly or indirectly present such sensation and violence and worse, to include the spreading scenes of unmistakable inhumanity. Our little son’s recurrent desire to protect, to do the difficult chores, to be strong is somehow implanted, and I believe it is God-given. That is what he is made for: to found a family, for example, and to protect and provide for that family: indeed a beautiful and challenging adventure itself. God made men strong so that they can do hard jobs and can make a living to feed a whole family. What an honor. What a grace. God made men also strong so that they can protect their families against intruders and aggressors, which is an enlivening form of just defense. Such was part of the chivalrous ethos which forthrightly said, or implied: “the more defenseless someone is, the more that person calls out for your defense.” It is according to this ethos that, in an emergency situation when a ship is sinking, women and children are always first put into the rescue boats. Men need to be honored for that. But, my husband sometimes asks with agony and from his heart: “Where are the men now when we are drowning in the blood of our children and are even sending women to do our fighting for us?”
That these same virtuous and chivalrous qualities are needed now again—and more and more so in our degenerating societies and the deeper culture—should be a conviction growing continually clearer to any reflective person—even to one who is but briefly and desultorily exposed to the happenings of war and diminishing peace in our world today. For instance, I remember seeing recently with my husband a short film about the citizenry in that contested strategic part of Ukraine (and historic Russia) called the Crimea and how the men in the towns of these contested areas on the verge of civil war took prompt precautions and concrete actions for the protection of their families—and they took them in their own hands without waiting for any government approval, much less supervision. They set up check points and made sure no one with weapons would enter their town. (I do not intend to enter into the discussion about the merits of the Russian-Ukrainian historical and cultural and strategical claims in this exacerbating conflict in the Ukraine; I only take this manly and vividly remembered sincere response of family fathers as a supporting example). When I saw the serene and unpretentious and abidingly responsible conduct of these men, I said to my husband: “Which men would act like this in the U.S., or even in Old Europe, any more? Sincerity, cheerfulness, no strutting or swaggering, and yet a just and persevering determination to do the right thing for the right reason—always to protect the little ones. ”
One cannot expect men to protect us women if we have feminized them for decades and have gotten them accustomed to being halted in their attempt to guide and to lead. If you take away their leadership—and their sense of responsibility and of accountability—in society and in families, they will not later be leaders in a larger conflict in society, or in a challenge coming from without.
That is where the full truth of the Catholic Church should be re-introduced into the discourse and manners and our practical and unblushingly virtuous conduct. While honoring and cherishing women throughout the centuries and giving them prominent as well as humble places where, in their different “states of life,” they became admired and cherished saints, spiritual doctors of the Church, prioresses, foundresses of religious orders, authors, solitary contemplatives and quietly suffering souls—but especially mothers and nourishers of family love—the Church herself as an intrinsically hierarchical communion is led by men. God has become man in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ founded His Church with twelve men, while holy women had their own important and indispensable part in the Passion and Salvation History. (We think now especially of St. Mary Magdalene!) While the Church was led by a Pope, as the Vicar of Christ, the families were analogously led by men as the heads of families. St. Paul even more explicitly presents the analogy between Church and Family in the following pericope, when he says in Ephesians 5:
“Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord: Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the savior of his body. Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it.” (Eph. 5: 22-25, Douay-Rheims translation).
In both cases, the men who lead are called to a special form of self-sacrifice. The men, traditionally, are the ones who volunteer first and die first in a war. Christ loved us first and died first for us. In this teaching and fostered expectation, the Church strengthens manhood and the leadership of man, and unto the greater good of the families and of the society and the authoritative State. Since God has created us, He knows best how we should live on earth unto the benefit of larger mankind and, most of all, unto eternal life and the salvation of souls: i.e., the supernatural Common Good, not just the natural-temporal Common Good.
Therefore—and here I hope with my husband and with our children to follow in the steep and good footsteps of Roberto de Mattei himself (indeed a “Bonum Arduum” in the words of Saint Thomas)—the world should (and must) rediscover the fuller truth of the Person of Christ and His more abundant life and teaching: Christ Crucified and Christ the King. We would, thereby, not only create happier families and a happier society, but ultimately we would also know, with the indispensable help and virtues of Catholic Manhood, how better then to defend ourselves against all enemies coming from without and from within the Church, knowing that we were made for Beatitude and may thus trust in the Divine Grace to assist our completion there—with the hope that not one of our little children would be finally lost.
[1] Roberto de Mattei, “Christ Crucified: Scandal to the Muslims, Foolishness to the Secularists,” Corrispondenza Romana, January 14, 2015, as translated by Rorate Caeli: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/01/christ-crucified-scandal-to-muslims.html
[2] William Kilpatrick, “Will a Future Pope Be Forced to Flee Rome?,” The Catholic World Report, 21 January 2015: http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/3645/will_a_future_pope_be_forced_to_flee_rome.aspx
Dear Mrs. Hickson,
You wrote this above: “the full truth of the Catholic Church should be re-introduced into the discourse and manners and our practical and unblushingly virtuous conduct.”
Well, web sites like 1 Peter 5 exist to proclaim that “the full truth of the Catholic Church should be re-introduced” into all aspects of the Church, family life, the military, and the society at large.
But I wonder what we can accomplish when the popes and the bishops have a very different agenda.
The current pope and several hundred of the bishops just finished up their Synod on the Family, Part I & II. They didn’t say a single thing about restoring traditional masculine male manners and leadership. Instead, their main objective was to integrate divorced and remarried couples and gay couples into the everyday life of the parish.
Mrs. Hickson, we are on the Catholic Ship, and we are not the captain of the Catholic Ship. We aren’t even among the officers of the Catholic Ship.
How can we expect the Catholic Ship to move in a traditional direction when the men piloting the Catholic Ship have the ship on a very different course?
Should we jump ship? Should we mutiny? Should we go full SSPX?
This is not a merely rhetorical question. I’m really asking. I’ve been reading conservative and traditional Catholic protest literature for about 25 years now, and I’ve noticed that it has accomplished nothing. The captains and officers of the Catholic Ship have kept the Catholic Ship on a course away from all things traditional, and in the last 2 1/2 years, the Catholic Ship has accelerated its pace toward the obvious iceberg ahead.
I’m not saying that all is lost, and that there is no hope. I’m just proposing that conservative and traditional Catholic protest writing isn’t the answer.
Something ELSE is the answer.
In the Soviet Union, dissidents secretly circulated “samizdat”–writings against the government. But I think the samizdat had no role in bringing down the Soviet Union.
I think that traditional Catholics need to organize and speak as one and publicly declare and document that the popes and bishops for 50 years now have NOT been giving us “the full truth of the Catholic Church” and that the Holy Almighty God HATES and does not approve of the watered-down, wishy-washy, twisted Catholicism that they have been giving the Catholic People, and so we will NOT accept tolerate this situation any longer. Period. We must say that we will not set foot in any parish church building where the “the full truth of the Catholic Church” is not taught, and will not give obedience to any prelate who does not teach “the full truth of the Catholic Church.” We must SHOW that we take the Catholic Faith very seriously, even if many prelates do not.
Well, am I right or am I wrong?
(Thank you for letting my express my foolishness.)
(Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us all.)
These kinds of articles most likely do not reach the ears of the men in charge, although the petition on the synod walk out did. Apparently it went all the way to Pope Francis himself, even though it had only about 3,000 signatures – from people who read sites like this. His holiness was not happy about it.
But I think the target audience is ordinary Catholic people on the ground, who, sensing that there is something really wrong in the Church (and that takes grace to get even that far), seek out answers online. It provides a link with others, both authors of articles and the comm box contributors. It helps people waking up to the big picture know that they are not mad, even though no-one else in the entire Parish thinks anything is wrong.
I think these sites do accomplish a great good, and God has provided things like the internet for us in our time for this very purpose. If enough people act on what they learn here, then that can make a difference. As for those in the upper hierarchy, Catholics on the ground will just have to do what they have always done – sit tight, don’t compromise anything, and wait for them to shuffle off stage to their eternal reward. May God give them all the grace and mercy they need to do their proper duty and attain heaven.
“sit tight, don’t compromise anything, and wait”
Hmmm.
Well that, and storming St Peter’s and installing +Fellay as Holy Father by force. That’s all I’ve got.
Well, that’s more like it. I’m sure you jest. But, even so, it is a happy thought. (To be serious, I am against all violence.)
But I would like to Bishop Fellay as pope.
Is it wrong to fantasize that bishops like Bishop Athanasius Schneider, and Cardinals Mueller and Burke, could get together in Rome and elect a new pope, and simultaneously declaring Francis to have lost his office due to heresy?
I’m sure we all remember the Great Western Schism, from 1378 to 1417, when several different men were recognized as being pope by different parts of the Catholic Church.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism
In the end, it was all sorted out when all the popes except for one agreed to resign.
The bottom line is this: the Catholic Religion doesn’t work when the popes are not zealous defenders of the orthodox faith.
It is so unnatural and un-Catholic to be so opposed to what the pope is doing.
We so badly need a pope who is leading us to God.
I think we agree on every single thing that has been said here, except I just don’t remember the Great Western Schism. Being born in 1972 (the Novus Ordo hey days!) I can only read about it in history books.
Cardinal Mueller is a bit shaky on certain doctrines though, so I’ve read. And Cardinal Pell could be good, but he’s got to stop talking in public about how he thinks monkeys can turn into people. And saying the Novus Ordo Mass. That has got to stop.
Bishop Fellay for Pope. It could happen you know, what you said above. Or, God could be letting Our Holy Father, Pope Francis carry on like he is because He wants to reassure people that the Church’s indefectibility is not threatened by bad popes, even though he may be the worst Pope in history.
Dear Mr. Gus,
Thank you for your thoughtful and heartfelt comments which I appreciate very much. My husband and I are convinced that we as Catholics are called to bear loyal witness to the Faith, independently whether we will ever see the sustaining good fruits within time. We believe that this is a very honorable fight, sub gratia, and that we are to do our small part, and God will take care of the rest, at His timing. Thank you again very much!
Your are a witness to what you say Dr. Hickson. You write all these wonderful articles [e.g. at catholicism.org] yet you and they pass almost unnoticed. May you [and your husband] not lose your reward. God bless.
“Thus, de Mattei shows how the Christian West is encircled or permeated
by two antagonistic powers—Secular and Islamic—which are both
anti-Christian and also disposed to employ inhuman methods to spread
their worldview, especially those hypocritical Secularists who openly
support the systemic large-scale terror of “abortion” (the deliberate
killing of pre-born children).”
It’s the old Alliance of the Left and the Right against the Middle. Secularists don’t realize it (at least not yet), but if they are successful, Islam will turn on them with a vengeance.
Speaking of being manly, Father George David Byers, in his blog, has written an open letter to Pope Francis, with a merciful warning to not overturn doctrine. The title of the post is quite dramatic, but the open letter is worth reading for its orthodoxy and truth:
http://ariseletusbegoing.com/2015/11/16/death-or-incapacitation-of-pope-francis-soon/
Fr. Byers realizes he may be silenced by the hierarchy for writing this letter, but he understands that this is his duty, out of charity for our Holy Father, and love for the Church.
May many more clergy stand up for the truth as this good priest has done.
Yes. The virtue that is needed the most at this time is the Virtue of Standing Up for the Truth.
The Catholic hierarchy has not been doing that since the Vatican II Council (over 50 years now).
That’s the problem.
This should have never happened.
But it did happen, is happening, and there’s no end in sight.
We can see the iceberg ahead, but our captain has given orders that the course my not be changed, and that the speed must be increased.
What are we do to? Jump ship? Get in a life raft now? Wait until the collision with the iceberg and hope to get in a life raft then?
Gus, we stay in the Barque of Peter. No way can we jump ship. Our Lord Jesus has instituted His Church, and we stay with it, and pray for the Pope. …Fr. Byers has courageously in his open letter to Pope Francis, warned the Holy Father that he (i.e.the Holy Father) is courting disaster, both for the Church, and for himself if he disregards Church doctrine.
What’s so interesting about the Fr. Byers, is that he has been selected by Pope Francis as a Missionary of Mercy in the upcoming Year of Mercy, starting on December 8. And one of the first actions of this Missionary of Mercy is toward Pope Francis himself.
If you read the comments to the open letter, you will see a priest from Rome begging Fr. Byers to take down the post, because of the potential negative consequences to Fr Byers.
In a subsequent post, Fr. Byers relates that he thinks that Pope Francis is personally holy. I would disagree with that. I honestly don’t see how true personal holiness can lead an assault against the Church that Our Lord Himself founded. But then again …”Who am I to judge”?
How timely! I have just the suggestion to get some “iron” sharpening iron in your parish and diocese: Fraternus. It is a brilliant organization whose motto is “To Mentor Boys into Virtuous Catholic Men”. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough, and I also can’t help but wonder if the dads don’t get more out of it than the boys. We just started a chapter here in Birmingham and it is going gangbusters. We were guided by the chapter in Nashville that formed 7 years ago, and they now have EIGHT seminarians who came out of Fraternus, and that was never even their intention. Their goal was just to help solve the crisis of fatherhood in our culture, and in the Church. If you are sick to death of sitting back watching Holy Mother Church being attacked, do yourself a favor and 1) check out their website http://www.fraternusbrothers.org 2) If this is something you want to do PRAY!!!! And don’t stop! then 3) plan a HOME get together of COUPLES (Dad will not sign on to lead unless Mom is supportive, it’s just the way it is) and invite a leader from another chapter to speak 4) Don’t give in until William Wallace appears. He will.
5) Have him meet with the parish priest who will be your home base and get his permission – the priest has as little or as much involvement as he wants after that 6) Recruit members and support 7) Have the time of your life.
As I write this, our chapter is on their first excursion – 30 boys,15 dads – doctors, lawyers, business men – camping out on some hunting grounds 2 hours out of town. They will have Adoration, confession, pray the Rosary, celebrate mass, and do what men do in the great outdoors. They will also be taught by Father about the pre-determined theme for the weekend: Battle, and more specifically the story of Lepanto.
Fraternus meets weekly for two hours and they have a very detailed, specific catechesis involving every human aspect – mind, body and soul.
If you have been waiting for a lay movement that will give men a mission, boys leadership and the Church hope – Fraternus is it. Our Lady, Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
You chose as an illustration a picture of a movie scene in which a man is beating his wife: that scene is from “The Quiet Man,” in the part where John Wayne’s character drags Maureen O’Hara’s character back from the train station and throws her down more than once, finally throwing her at her brother. Then the brother and the Wayne character have a long fistfight, which proves something. If being beaten and publicly humiliated is what your church means by ‘protection,’ I’ll risk life without it, thanks.
And I’m raising my sons to respect women by treating us a competent adults, not taller children with an uncanny knowledge of the mysteries of laundry.
The Quiet Man may seem like a good ideal compared to today, but you will notice in that movie Wayne’s character runs off with Maureen O’Hara’s character whom he is romantically interested in. When they run off, they end up kissing each other in what is a fairly extended embrace. And this is before they are married.
This was pushing it for a movie released in 1952. It’s also technically a mortal sin for the unmarried to passionately kiss like that, even if they are engaged, since that kind of passion is reserved only for the married as Pope Alexander VII tells us. So really, his character in that movie should not be an example any Catholic man should be aspiring to follow.