Well, it seems like the New Year just started a few days ago and we’re already more than half way through January. I was talking with one of our writers the other day and they commented on just how fast events in the Church have been happening already in 2018. On the news front, we’ve already covered the powerful Kazakhstani bishops’ statement on Communion guidelines for the divorced & “remarried”, a new battle over using Amoris Laetitia to re-interpret both Humanae Vitae’s teaching on contraception (with new developments coming on the issue of homosexual unions), the renewed push for married (and in some sectors, female) priests, a petition from Muslim converts urgently asking the pope to convene a synod on the “dangers of Islam”, and a papal award given to one of the 2017’s most powerful abortion promoters. In between, we’ve run essays on topics ranging from a research-based look at the death of religious orders to Evelyn Waugh’s conversion to a Catholic approach to the theory of evolution.
And we’re just getting warmed up.
It’s our purpose here not just to inform, but to edify. We bring you not just the stories that matter to you, but the analysis that helps decode what’s really going on behind the scenes and the insight into the beautiful mysteries and treasures our faith that help us all remember why the Catholic religion is so worth fighting for. Often, we take risks, going out on a limb for stories that we know nobody else will report, because the truth matters, and we can’t stand to see it hidden.
This doesn’t always make us a lot of allies. Just this past week, we’ve been watching folks on social media discounting our story on Liliane Ploumen — the aggressive abortion fundraiser who received the Order of St. Gregory Award — for no reason other than that we were the ones reporting it. Our request for comment from the Vatican was summarily ignored, and instead they sent the information to reporters who hadn’t even been covering the story. Every day, people try to take 1P5 out of consideration before ever giving us a chance. I’m sure you’ve experienced this too. The truth can make people very uncomfortable.
But against the odds, the truth is making its way out there, and resistance to what is going on in Rome is growing.
And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved. – Mt. 10:22
You read 1P5 because you’re not content to stay asleep. You share our stories because you believe that Catholics have the right — and even the obligation — to know what’s going on in the Church. You come back day after day because you take seriously your duty, imprinted upon you at confirmation, to be a soldier for Christ. And because of you, last year we delivered over 7 million pages of news and analysis to readers from around the globe. We are the most widely-read traditionally-focused Catholic publication online. We are a voice that cannot be ignored, not at home, and not in Rome. They have gotten the message. They know that we are watching them, and that we won’t be dissuaded from defending Our Lord and His Holy Church. And they’ve gotten to the point where their only defense is to ignore us.
Which is why now, we need you to help us keep the pressure on.
I can’t say for sure, but my feeling is that the tide is turning. The progressives who thought they’d have a cakewalk through the Church once they got their man elected are finding that things aren’t nearly so easy. This isn’t the time of Vatican II. It isn’t 1968, when Humanae Vitae was subverted before it was ever propagated. It’s 2017, and as Bishop Athanasius Schneider has said, “Only on the Internet can you spread your own ideas. Thanks be to God the Internet exists.”
We absolutely believe this is a unique time for a unique fight, but we have resisted the subscription model of other publications and provide our content for free in the hopes that it will reach the largest number of people possible. That means we have no choice but to count on our readers for voluntary financial support.
The truth is, the majority of what we do here has been built and funded by people who aren’t wealthy. Lots of hard working supporters give what little they can each month. Often, these are donations of $10, $20, or $50. Some give more, some less. But the beauty of being 100% reader-funded is that we’re able to bring you stories — like the Ploumen award — that most other outlets won’t touch until we make sure people are talking about it so it can’t be ignored. Their caution is our advantage: they do this out of a fear of upsetting donors or damaging their relationships with powerful figures in the Church. But YOU are our donors. YOU are the figures in the Church we’re here to impress.
So today, I’m asking you again: will you join us in this fight?
Before I go, I wanted to share one thing with you. There was a person last year who made a donation of just 1 cent. They sent a message along with their donation that said, “I can’t afford any more than this, but as I know from personal experience, Every cent helps.” And you know what? They’re absolutely right. We don’t want anyone to give beyond their means, but there is strength in numbers, and every little bit adds up to a whole lot.
Thank you to all of you who have given so much. And thank you to all of us who will continue to give. I say it so often it may sound like a cliche, but it’s true: we cannot do this without you. If you’d like to join us, just use the mini-form below. Remember, we’re still trying to increase our guaranteed monthly income, and automatically recurring donors are a vital part of that. Either way, your tax-deductible donation today will make all the difference.
Be assured of our prayers, and remember, we have Masses offered for donors twice a month.
In Christ,
Steve Skojec
Publisher & Executive Director
OnePeterFive
