In
this interesting letter of the Society's District Superior of Australia,
Father Violette exposes the radical contradictions of those who, in
Rome or elsewhere, preach the novelty of Religious Liberty.
March
1999
Dear Faithful,
As many of you
already know the Society has two new schools. Indeed Tuesday February
2, feast of the Purification of Our Lady, after many years of prayerful
expectation, St. Philomena School opened in Parkridge (Brisbane) with
47 children. Fr. Hogan and his team of helpers have done a truly marvelous
work. Since the last letter, teachers were hired, the sewage system
put in place making it possible to open just a day later than the
public schools. Also in Tynong, St. Thomas Aquinas College has added
the primary level to the existing secondary level.
His Lordship
Bishop Fellay during his recent visit was very pleased with the marvelous
work done at both institutions. Tuesday 16th he visited St. Thomas
Aquinas and inspected the new classrooms and staff. Thursday 18th
His Lordship blessed the new school in Parkridge to the joy and satisfaction
of all. Thank you to all who have prayed and sacrificed for these
intentions. Let us thank almighty God and His holy Mother for these
signal graces. They are not small graces in the times of destruction
we are living in.
Indeed from Rome
the news is not so good. "Religious freedom therefore constitutes
the very heart of human rights. Its inviolability is such that individuals
must be recognized as having the right even to change their religion,
if their conscience so demands." These are the words of Pope
John Paul II in his New Years message as reported by the Catholic
weekly of January 10, 1999.
It is hard to
believe that such words can come from a Pope! Here is what Pope Gregory
XVI said on the same subject in his encyclical Mirari vos1.
of August 15, 1832: ". . . indifferentism, or that base opinion
which has become prevalent everywhere through the deceit of wicked
men, that eternal salvation of the soul cart be acquired by any profession
of faith whatever, if morals are conformed to the standard of the
just and honest... And so from this most rotten source of indifferentism
flows that absurd and erroneous opinion, or rather insanity, that
liberty of conscience must be claimed and defended for anyone.
If
John Paul II is right then what about Our Lord's words, "He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth
not shall be condemned."2. We certainly do
not agree with them. How could we? They place human conscience above
the law of God. So many Popes in addition to Gregory XVI have already
condemned them.
So
what about a Catholic who "in conscience" cannot accept the Church's
teaching on contraception, abortion, divorce and remarriage, does
he have a right to become an Anglican?
But
then, if the Pope and those who are "in communion" really believe
these words why punish us, why falsely accuse us for doing exactly
what he says every human being has a right to do? Why then the condemnation,
the supposed excommunication of Archbishop Levebvre? He didn't want
to change his religion.
Where
was religious freedom for Archbishop Levebvre and Bishop de Castro
Mayer who, following their conscience, refused to change their religion,
choosing to continue Tradition? Where is freedom of religion for those
priests who want to continue wearing their habits and remain faithful
to their vows?
Where
is freedom of religion for the hundreds of thousands of Catholics
who signed all the petitions asking for the Traditional Mass? Where
is freedom of religion for Catholics who attend our Masses? Why threaten
them with excommunication? After all, they are only following their
conscience.
Indeed
why are we condemned? Why does the Ecclesia Dei commission, the St.
Peter Society, Una Voce, Ecclesia Dei Society attack us? Because we
do exactly what the Holy Father says we have a right to do: follow
our conscience! We have not gone as far as changing our religion;
on the contrary we do not want to change because we believe it comes
from God, not from man's conscience.
This
just shows two things: the hypocrisy and injustice of the whole process
against Archbishop Lefevre and Traditionalists. Everybody is free
to follow his conscience except us. Freedom of conscience is only
for those who promote errors many times condemned. It is not for those
who do not believe in this "insanity" (to use the word of Gregory
XVI), for those who want to hold to the truth. Because truth condemns
error, is intolerant of error. It also shows their idea of Tradition.
Dear
Faithful keep the faith! IT is all that matters. Are we living the
times Dom Gueranger prophetically spoke about: "woe to those
times when the dispensers of the divine word, having themselves nought
but halved or false principles, give but weak, shriveled seed to the
souls entrusted to them! The Holy Ghost is not bound to supply their
insufficiency, ordinarily speaking, He does not supply it, for such
is not the way established by Christ for the sanctification of the
members of His Church. The common Mother, however, has supplementary
aid for such of her children as may be thus treated: it is her liturgy.
"3. There you have it! That is why they are so
against Tradition and especially against the liturgy: it is contrary
to their false principles. Stay attached to the traditional liturgy
without compromise! Leave the rest to God; He will take care of it.
Again
thank you for your continued support both prayerful and financial.
As always the monthly Mass for friends and benefactors will be offered
on the last Sunday of the month. Have a blessed Easter.
With
my blessing,
Father
Jean Violette
1.
The Sources of Catholic Dogma, translated by Roy J. Defarrari
from the Thirtieth edition of Henry Denzingers's Enchiridion Symbolorum,
published by Marian House Powers Lake ND USA, page 403
2.
Mark XVI, 16
3.
Dom Gueranger The Liturgical Year vol. XI Time after Pentecost Book
II page 202
