In
Holland, Bishop
Muskens made the news again: He has declared in the Netwerk
paper of February 76 that the actual situation with the AIDS epidemic
makes the use of condoms necessary. He added that the use of condoms
could be a good remedy to curb the growth of the world population.
We are forced to question whether or not this Bishop has ever heard
of the basic principle of moral theology which forbids the use of
an intrinsically evil means for any end. His new Vicar General, V.
Schoenmakers, declared in the Catholiek Nieuwsblad that he
did not see any objection based on the Bible against the ordination
of women to the priesthood, and that he thought that the celibacy
of the priests should be made a free choice. So for these prelates,
Tradition has no meaning other than perpetual revolution.
Pope
John Paul II wishes to beatify Mother Teresa
as soon as possible, and for that end, he does not fear to breach
the Canon Law which states that the introduction of a cause for canonization
or beatification cannot be put forward until a period of five years,
from the death of the person concerned, has lapsed. The Congregation
founded by Mother Teresa numbers today close to 600 houses in 120
countries, 4000 religious sisters and 300 brothers.
The cause for the beatification of "abbe Edouard Pope",
a holy and well known Belgian priest (especially because he was one
of the pillars of the Eucharistic Crusade in Belgium), progresses
well. Initiated in 1946, the trial for the heroicity of his virtues
was closed in 1986; it seems that a miracle granted recently through
his intercession will be able to draw the cause of his beatification
to a conclusion in the near future.
On
the 2nd of May, pope John Paul II beatified Padre
Pio. The next issue of Communicantes will deal much
more with the 20th Century stigmatist.
Poland. Satanic ceremonies and ritual
murders are no more rare. The recent murder of an 18 year old boy
and of a 19 year old girl by two comrades the four of them were "initiated"
- have moved the whole country of Poland. "I do not regret my action,
I did it for the devil," one of the murderers stated coldly, the next
day. According to police information, 74 youth under the age of 20
have been convicted for murder during the first nine months of last
year.
The
Vatican.
Saturday, February 20th': the 1999 edition of the Pontifical Annual
was presented to the Holy Father. One finds in it interesting facts:
for the first time, the number of baptized Catholics in the world
is higher than one billion (1,005 millions), which makes 17.3% of
the world's population. Catholics make 62.9% in the American Continents
(North and South together). In Europe, Catholics represent 41.4% of
the population. In Africa, Catholics number 14.9%. In Oceania, they
number 27.5%, in Asia, 3%. Rome counts 4420 Bishops in the world,
404,208 priests, and 819,278 professed sisters. There is a worrying
trend: the number of priests and professed sisters did not augment
since 1996 . . . and globally, did not stop waning since the last
Council. It is sad that the Annual cannot specify the proportion of
practicing Catholics, this could prevent some to labour under a delusion.
Cardinal Martini (from Milan) himself, for instance, acknowledges
that practicing Catholics are a minority: "We should not content ourselves
with what is apparent. Statistics tell us that the number of those
who attend Sunday Masses on a regular basis is small, and that the
influence of the Church's statements upon Christians is feeble, especially
in moral matters" (30 Days).
The
Vatican again. Symptomatic naivety: the message of the
pope to the faithful on the occasion of the 33rd world day of Social
Communication (May 16th) has as its topic: "The mass-media: a friendly
companion for all those who are seeking the Father." Until now, we
had the impression that it is rather the Father of Lies who expressed
himself through the mass-media . . .
France.
The
Society Saint Pius X sent to all the diocesan priests of France a
"Letter to our priestly brothers" which is rather a communication
letter, destined to encourage a dialogue, in order to enlighten the
French clergy and to communicate with some more conservative elements
who could be interested in the Tradition of the Church. This letter
drew more than a negligible number of reactions of all kinds. At the
first onset; the French Episcopal Conference showed its ostracism
by letting it be known that it would not react officially to the proposition
of openness. Such a response demonstrates their duplicity when they
will dialogue with almost everybody, including the propagators of
error, but not with tire friends of Truth.
In
this absence of an official reaction, certain bishops, like Bishop
de Berranger (St. Denis), made a declaration to the press; the latter
judges "the initiative of the `schismatics' quite positive, in the
sense that they want to break their seclusion and that they confirm
that their real opposition does not concern liturgy, but the notion
of religious liberty.. ." and he adds, "We should ask ourselves why
did it take so many years for the Council to be understood by all."
The answer is easy. By definition, what comes from the Holy Ghost
is bright, as what comes from the spirit of Darkness is obscure (gloomy).
There is no need for a 20 year course in Theology to grasp such a
concept.
Blasphemies
of Cardinal Biffi in Bologna (Italy): "Look,
Jesus Christ had a bad temper, He did not bear other gods besides himself:"
(30 Days). These words were said to the press on the occasion of the
exchange of Christmas wishes. This is where modern Ecumenism leads to:
direct blasphemy.
