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August
2005
Dear
Faithful,
In
a recent commentary on CBC Radio, a retired professor from
the Royal Military College, Bob Ferguson, called for state
control over religion, specifically Catholicism. "Given
the inertia of the Catholic Church, perhaps we could encourage
reform by changing the environment in which all religions
operate… Couldn't we insist that human rights, employment
and consumer legislation apply to them as it does other organizations?
Then it would be illegal to require a particular marital status
as a condition of employment or to exclude women from the
priesthood. This is a good one: “We could also help
the general cause of religious freedom by introducing a code
of moral practice for religions…" So to help religious
freedom let us regulate religion. Brilliant! This is the
ridiculousness to which we fall. "They will
never achieve unity so why not try for compatibility? Can't
religious leaders agree to adjust doctrine so all religions
can operate within the code?" This is obviously
from a man who does not believe in one true faith, in objective
truth and objective morality. But my issue is not with Mr.
Ferguson. I don’t expect much more from him.
The
point I want to make is simply this: Mr. Ferguson need not
worry about the Catholic hierarchy in this country. They
are not a threat to anyone, except maybe to Catholics who
still trust them. Their inaction is a scandal to all, even
non-Catholics who expect Catholic bishops to stand up for
what is right. This is nothing new. They are continuing
an established tradition of non interference in politics.
Where were the Canadian bishops when Trudeau, who was also
a “practicing Catholic”, made substantial changes to the Criminal
Code and divorce law, liberalizing Canadian regulations on
the matters of contraception, divorce, homosexuality, gross
indecency and abortion?
Prime
Minister Paul Martin, who rammed Bill C-38 through Parliament
is not disciplined, is not even contradicted when he calls
himself a “devout catholic”. One voice is the exception that
of Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary stands out.
As
for the other 50 or so Catholic MPs and Senators who voted
for this so-called law (it is not a law) only 3 were somewhat
disciplined. I say somewhat because it really amounted to
nothing even if the media made such a big deal about it.
According to ‘Lifesitenews.com’of July 25, 2005: “MP Charlie
Angus, has been denied communion by his priest with the support
of Timmins Bishop Paul Marchand. London Bishop Ronald
Fabbro has publicly announced that MP Joe Comartin is no longer
allowed to act in public roles in the Church, neither to give
marriage preparation classes (as he did formerly) nor to distribute
communion nor to read the Bible at Masses. MP Tony Martin
who expressed publicly his support for homosexual 'marriage'
prior to the vote on the legislation was suspended as a reader
at Masses.” Some punishment!
But,
what can be expected from churchmen who have destroyed the
faith for 40 years? Their morality has nothing to stand on.
Or rather it stands on the false creed which they have been
preaching for the last 30 – 40 years: human rights, human
dignity and freedom of conscience. These are the same arguments
used by the liberals to justify their immorality. They do
not mind if the bishops use these arguments.
It
is time to stop using these arguments. You don’t fight fire
with fire, you fight fire with water! But the bishops are
not in a position to use arguments of the faith. They are
not about to tell these politicians that they are on the road
to hell and leading others there also. First they are probably,
afraid they will be ridiculed for using such medieval arguments.
You don’t do that in the 21st century. It is not
politically correct to mix religion and politics. Secondly,
because even if they still believe in hell, they don’t believe
anyone goes there, except maybe traditional Catholics. Most
of them believe in universal salvation. So, if it is not
a matter of salvation, the politicians can laugh at them or
ignore them and follow their own opinion.
One
of Cardinal Ouellet’s arguments when he appeared before the
Senate comity was that same-sex marriages threaten religious
freedom. Big deal! Cardinal Ouellet is also against refusing
Holy Communion to pro-gay marriage, pro-abortion politicians
because, he says, we are all sinners. Yes we are all sinners
but there is a difference between a sinner who is struggling
with his sins, who is trying to get out of them and someone
who publicly and scandalously rejects the teaching of the
Church and leads others to reject it. According to the cardinal,
those who openly and publicly reject Church teaching, the
public sinners, are only to be denied leadership roles. Yet
according to canon 915 of the code of canon law of 1983: “Those…who
obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted
to Holy Communion.”
But
the debate is more profound. They are reaping what they have
sown. It is a consequence of the revolution introduced by
Vatican II. Before Vatican II, Catholic churchmen knew that
the Catholic religion was the only true divinely revealed
religion. Religion was not a matter of opinion, but of objective
truth. Since Vatican II’s acceptance of the best values of
two centuries of liberal culture culminating with the ecumenical
movement, the only difference between religions is that some
have a fuller revelation than others, but they are all good,
they are all paths leading to God. Religion is now a matter
of feelings and of opinion. It is no longer a matter of true
or false, of Divine revelation or man made ideas. It is
normal that morality, which is founded on and is a consequence
of this revelation and which defines man’s duties to God and
his fellow man, should follow the same path. Morality also
is therefore a matter of feelings, of general consensus and
no longer a matter of right or wrong. This explains how Catholic
politicians can come up with ridiculous saying like: “I’m
personally against it, but I cannot impose my views on others.”
Morality like religion has become a matter of opinion. The
claim that they cannot impose their morality on the people
is of course bogus, because it is precisely what they are
doing. Didn’t Prime Ministers Trudeau & Martin impose
their views on Parliament and the country despite the opposition
of the majority of the people they are supposed to represent?
So much for democracy! There is no democracy in this country.
So
keep praying for our bishops that they have the courage necessary
to do their duty and protect the souls entrusted to them.
They have a terrible responsibility. They are the watchmen
established by God to watch over his vineyard.
As
usual, the monthly Mass for all our friends and benefactors
is offered on the last Sunday of the month. We will carry
all your intentions to Fatima, where at the request of Bishop
Fellay the Society is making a pilgrimage of reparation for
the ecumenical scandals which have taken place in that hallowed
shrine.
With
continued prayers and my blessing,
Father
Jean Violette
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