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H I
A publication of Vol. IV, No. 3
Traditional Catholics of America, Inc. April 15, 1983
Editor: Fr. Francis E. Fenton, STL
First Things First
Fr. Francis E. Fenton
According to a study made a few years ago, an secularism and pleasure-seeking. "Have fun" ·
average 70-year-old man has spent his life as that's the word, and to blazes with religion, family
follows: 24 years sleeping; 14 years working; 8 years and country!
in amusements; 6 years eating; 5 years traveling; 5
years in education and reading; 4 years in conversa- In the eternal plan of God as manifest in the world
tion; 3 years and 7 months in miscellaneous other there is a divine order of priorities, a scale values
activities; and church on and which we must observe if we would live our lives in a
daily prayer. In the course of a life then, the rational and intelligent manner. "God made us to
average man has given Almighty God a measly five know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world
months of his more or less undivided time and atten- and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven." This
tion. In other words, God has rated a total of one one simple catechism statement says it all.
month of prayer out of every 168 months in the life of created every human being for eternal union with
chat average man. The average 70-year-old woman Him in Heaven, the Beatific Vision, to be attained by
has likely amassed a less atrocious record, an man through knowing and loving and serving God in
achievement which obviously wouldn't take much this world. Such is the very simple principle upon
doing. which the life of each and every person must be
based and upon which the only true scale of values
The overwhelming majority of Americans seems all can be established. The things of God must come
but totally lacking a scale of values. Nor is any par- before those of man; the spiritual must take
ticular brilliance or insight required to arrive at that precedence over the temporal and material; our lives
conclusion. Any reasonably intelligent person of on this earth must be ever lived with an eye on eter-
principle cannot help but conclude likewise for the nity. In a word, the only kind of life that makes any
signs are everywhere. Money, sex, sports, fun· these sense in the final analysis is that which is lived
are the things which occupy the time and attention according to the plan of God and in obedience to His
of the typical American. Not that any of them are moral law. Any other kind of life is a paradox, a con-
wrong or immoral in themselves. Money is an essen- tradiction in which an individual lives according to
tial commodity of life; morally licit sex is a part of his own rules – or according to no rules – while often
God's creative plan; sports are a legitimate form of enough risking the salvation of his immortal soul in
recreation and entertainment; fun or pleasure as the process. And if, God forbid, this ultimate tragedy
such is surely not frowned upon by God. But proper should befall him, what, pray tell, all of his
and lawful and orderly use is one thing; abuse, earthly successes and pleasures. avail liim? "What
immoderation, excess is something else again. doth it profit a man if he gain the wor.ld and suffer
the loss of his soul?"
In this country today money and sex and sports and
fun and the like (such as television and video games) But what about traditional Roman Catholics? Surely
are the overriding interest and concern of countless they are one category of people who have their
Americans. Indeed, they are so preoccupied with, priorities straight. Well, in many matters I would say
and absorbed in, them that these things are, in that that is probably true for a number of them· with
effect, gods or idols to which all else in life is sub- one notable exception. It just happens though that
ordinate. One sor:netil)1es wonders whether such the exception to which I refer is supposed to be the
concepts as Church, lieaven, hell, prayer, the soul, number one priority in any traditional Catholic's
etc. have any meaning at all in the lives of so many scale of values · and that is our Roman Catholic
Americans, so engulfed are they in materialism and Faith. Cont. on page 5
Saint Benedict
R. Lance Lohr
"The social institution who had been entrusted to the
carried out the work
which dominated the whole
medieval culture was the mn,n<><H there was a lake
a waterfall. Neither exists at
was attracted
that saw Placid
monasticism in the West com-
reliable means to an holds
salvation of the ran across the of the lake
acculturation" Placid and carried him to
there were many
earlier condemned
these fake ascetics and
The word monasticism comes from the Greek mean- monks who lived In idleness and exploited
ing "dwelling alone." although Benedict for superstition!"
some time was a hermit, living in a cave only ten feet
deep near the ruins of the pagan Emperor Nero's At Subiaco the jealousy of a local priest led to the
villa at Subiaco, he did not really wish to reject harassment of Benedict and his monks and even
totally the world in the fashion of the hermits of the threats on Benedict's life. This prompted him to
Egyptian desert. Years later In his famous Rule, he leave his secluded valley in search of a new place of
would be quite critical of those ascetics several peace. Along one of the famous roads, the
reasons. Tradition holds that while at Subiaco Via Latina, between Rome and Benedict
Benedict did frequent battle with the Devil, once found the site for his. holy high on a
having to roll in thorns to overcome severe tempta- mountainside above the town Cassino. He
tions. Still in his early twenties, Benedict was asked destroyed the altar of the pagan Jupiter he
by the monks of a nearby monastery to become their found there, and in its place erected an oratory. Title
abbot. He reluctantly accepted. But when he to the land was arranged by Placid's well-born
attempted to cure them of their laxity they tried to father, Tertullus. Here in 529 A.D. the great Abbey of
poison him. Benedict returned to his cave. Monte Cassino had its beginnings. Unlike out-of-the-
way Subiaco, Monte Cassino, although high in the
St. Gregory's Dialogues frequently recounts Bene- Apennines, was not really out of the world's way. 1~
dict's miracles and piety. It is not surprising then was quite in the world's way. Very much in the
that he soon attracted many men to his isolated but not of it. Benedict and his preached to
At first he divided them into and aided the people of the vast val
each with an abbot, and soon and his first monks his monastery surveyed. Travellers and guests, he
began the great Benedictine apostolate to ""' … v'""" wrote, should be as frequently they
the ignorant. One of his first students was stayed within the walls. Only a
2
Chapter five of the seventy-three chapters of the
deals with obedience although
1 ro,<>t~,r1 in absolute terms, it is not the obedience
soldier is described, but that obedience ne1eC1f~d
a common goat
most
its
of the
an avenue to work: " … idleness is an enemy
women who it the to be
us that the rule was with their hands."
In the saint's own words: of work a should
My words are to whoever thou the individual, his
art, that renouncing thine own will dost on the needs of the community. Thus,
the strong and bright armour of obedience in really have no set apostolate as do newer orders of
order to for the Lord Christ, our true King. religious. This freedom has great things.
No small number of monks became builders and
The Church has, over the centuries, added the architects, producing many of the most beautiful
clerical aspects to monastic life. There is no record, cathedrals, monasteries and churches in Western
for example, of Benedict's ever having been Europe. Others have become scholars and
ordained. And priest members of the community educators of the first rank, responsible for schools
exercise their sacerdotal powers at the will of the and universities.
abbot, enjoying no superior rank otherwise.
Monks were in large part responsible for developing
The rule is far from original and some Church the "Trivium" and the "Quadrivium" or the seven
historians believe that Benedict was commissioned "liberal arts." Although classical and therefore
'-.y Pope Hormisdas to write it To those familiar with secular in origin, the liberal arts should not be con-
.1e subject it is obvious that the Rule is a synthesis nected to the liberalism that has been so justly con-
of existing rules, albeit an original synthesis. demned by the Church. They were the studies of a
Benedict set out to "form a school of divine service free (Latin: liber) man. In the Christian sense, with
in which we trust nothing too heavy or too vigorous philosophy and theology added, they were the
will be established." Thus the hallmark of his rule studies that freed men from many of the useless
was its moderation or, as St. Gregory the Great distractions of this life (as opposed to the servile
called it, discretion. Benedict enjoined grave reser- arts, in ancient and medieval times equated with the
vations on his monks with relation to the eremites or work of slaves, now the preoccupation of most men
hermits, discouraging the imitation of the hermits by in today's world whose daily activities rarely reflect
all but the hardiest in spirit. He criticized the man's divine origin or his supernatural destiny).
undisciplined sarabitae monks, the source of great
scandal for centuries, and the gyroyagi monks who Because of their skill and learning and because
wandered from place to place, frequently idle. monasteries had become the depositories for
classical manuscripts, writings of the Church
The Rule was not written for hermits but for Fathers, and the first manuscripts of Holy Scripture,
cenobites, that is, for those who would live a com- monks began the work of reproducing, with
munity life. The common life was not to be coldly beautiful illumination, these invaluable writings. By
institutional. Benedict wished it to be in many ways the middle ages the scriptorium monastery
a warmly human family. Monks pledged to work to was very well organized, with various monks in
preserve the monastery until their death, unless sent charge of making Ink, painting miniatures or copy-
by their superiors to tend to other important work ing documents, frequently working six hours a day
outside the monastery. The abbot was to be obeyed at this tedious occupation.
like a father even in difficult assignments, in many
ways like children should obey their parents. As with But most monks through history have engaged in
all obedience, it was not to be blind. Benedict much more humble tasks. Agriculture has been the
'lowed for the questioning of authority. He even labor most common, for Benedict insisted that the
the demeanor for those who feel they can- monastery be self-sufficient, especially providing for
not obey: its own food so as not to be in competition with the
Let him reasonably and with patience lay poor for alms (the seeming opposite of mendicant
before his superior the reasons for his incapac- orders of friars, like the Franciscans, of a few cen-
ity to obey, without showing pride, resistance turies later). The monastery was expected to take
or contradiction. 3 care of the poor. Monks not only became
cont. on next oaae
accomplished farmers teaching peasants who munity prayer to the Almighty. Beautiful as it is,
sought their aid, but also were responsible for the recited in Latin or English and coupled with
spreading of civilization as they cleared forests and Gregorian Chant, it becomes a combination that
drained swamps in the European wilderness. quite fully raises the mind and heart to God. And
in his wisdom limits the Office
In time many monasteries, or
iency and occasional
became
St
riches and
as Jesus did in His
Rule writes: "The vice
(a vice for the monks – is all to be cut off
from the monastery by the roots. Let none presume
to give or receive without leave of the
Abbot … But if any one shall be to in "''"''""''"'" as a seer had
this baneful vice, . . . let him be subject to Totila, king of
correction." Pius XII passages from for his
Rule that give answer for the at
tion of a wealth: "Let
taken in the poor and
them is most " "Let all
who come to the be entertained like
Christ H because He will say 'I was a very
and you took Me in."' all First he con-
above all care must be taken of the then said he rule his
be served in very deed as new domains nine years and die in the tenth.
'I was sick and you visited Me."' St records the and tells us
while Totiia was not as vile a man he
This did not mean that die ten years later.
themselves to the
mentioned, St. Benedict had a sister that many hold to be his
one of the hallmarks was twin. Her name was In imitation of her
tion. Benedict even brother she was a woman, founding
He limited to the sick the several convents to Benedict's Rule. Each
in Chapter 40, he two in summer he would visit his sister and did so for the last
one in winter, with two cooked vegetables at each time shortly before her death. At this time
and a pound of bread daily. He compromises on the Scholastica wanted him to stay with her, but
consumption of wine, stating that it be allowed, but Benedict insisted that his first duty was to return to
avoided. In addition Benedict called for reasonable Monte Cassino. Undaunted, she said a short prayer
hours of sleep and sufficient clothing for his monks, and there arose such a storm that Benedict and his
a reaction to the excesses observed in many of the companions were forced to stay the night. Three
ascetics of the time. days later Benedict saw his sister's soul rise to
heaven in the form of a dove. (Saint Benedict's sister
But more important than work, rest, food or recrea- is honored by the Church on February iO as Saint
tion was prayer. In this also Benedict discouraged Scholastica.)
excess although, by modem standards, the monk's
prayers seem quite lengthy. In addition to their own St. Gregory wrote that :shortly Benedict died
private prayer and community Mass, the monks were he had a vision of God and all creation. (St. Thomas
to gather several times during the day to chant the rejects this as impossible for he no mortal
Divine Office or Opus Dei. The Office or Breviary is could look upon God and live.) Soon after, Benedict
of course the Psalms. (Today the Breviary has addi- did plan for his own death. On his last day on earth
tional other prayers which are to be recited in the he asked to be carried to the oratocy of St. John the
course of the week.) In Benedict's day the Office or Baptist at Monte Cassino. There ,he received the
Psalter was much less formal and was the common Holy Eucharist, raised his arms in prayer, and died.
prayer of the laity, a practice encouraged by Pope His feast day is March 21.
Pius XII and, in this country, by Cardinal Spellman
who gave his imprimatur and provided the introduc- A most fitting of Benedict was penned
tion to an English edition of the Breviary in 1951 – a John Cardinal Newman a little over one hundred
practice (the Breviary's recitation the laity) that years ago:
has not been widespread, unfortunately. But for the St. Benedict found the world, physical and
monk this official prayer of the Church was his com- 4 social, in ruins, and his mission was to restore
it in the way not of science, but of nature, not number of such traditional Catholics is but a small
as if setting about to do it, not professing to do percentage of the total. There are many, to be sure,
it by set time, or rare specific, or by who are vitally concerned about their own spiritual
any series of but so quietly, welfare and eternal salvation and that those
that often till the closest to them – and that, course, is as it should
be. But what I have in mind here is that
and dedication to the which
and saturate the
ic of the
is one who not
religion in his
his associates
to a knowledge and acceptance of the one true
Church. Such an individual is one who is and
willing courageously to defend his Faith and his
Church whenever are attacked. Such a person
is one to whom the preservation and the
of the traditional Roman Faith is the most
in the Such a in a
love for the Faith and
at least
that of the of saints and _
But most the result his labor that Saint the centuries whose lives and deaths
is that so of the of the Roman
many men and the centuries have
worked out their eternal salvation fol his
Rule. And how many traditional Roman Catholics of the
calibre I have indicated do we few
indeed. never the dawn of
has there been a time when the Church
the nation have more needed such
is a most such ic men and women, as
because he a The fact that we have so
Roman Catholic For a number of years now them is not a sad
Father White has been the pastor of the traditional Roman
Roman _ _ indication as well the extent to which the
Colorado. In he the Mass and the manifold evils of our have rubbed on so many
Sacraments to several locations on our TCA Mass of them.
circuit. you see, Father White is 84 years of
age, the oldest in the USA -if Multitudes of Americans have a totally materialistic
indeed, in the world. outlook on and attitude toward life, a pagan
philosophy well expressed by the words: "Eat, drink
Father Placid White is a truly traditional Roman and be merry for tomorrow we die." If they can be
Catholic priest in the full sense of those terms. His said to have any sense or scale of values at all, it is a
love for the priesthood of Christ; his unswerving very twisted and distorted one indeed. Traditional
loyalty to the Faith and his refusal to have any part Roman Catholics though, with the powerful super-
of the Conciliar Church; his so obviously deep devo- natural helps and incentives they have for leading
tion to the true Mass; his steadfastness, despite his exemplary Christian lives, should be radically dif-
advanced years, in the performance of his priestly ferent from their non-Catholic fellow men in the
duties – all of these, and much more, combine to spiritual and moral quality of their lives and in their
make Father White an exemplar of the Roman dedication to the glorious cause they espouse. if
Catholic priesthood. As a spiritual son of Saint any category of people on earth should have their
Benedict, he is a priest of God of whom that great priorities straight and live accordingly, surely it must
saint must be very proud indeed. – Ed. be traditional Roman Catholics. But is this true? It is
my conviction that traditional Roman Catholics in
geneal leave much to be desired in this matter. For
nt. from page 1
them an examination of conscience is very much in
How many traditional Catholics order with the purpose of overhauling their scale
in their daily and its values and their And the
top in their those
tions in my extensive with them around the
some years now, I believe the 5
The of
{The following is taken from A Course in Religion (Part IV, pp. 127, 128), a 1934 catechism of four volumes by Father John
Laux, M.A.)
those who are outside the
no fault of theirs can be
of the inestimable
Catholics. We must never
the which her immemorial
the means appointed her noble
and salvation of mankind, are in all priceless works
original purity, lness, and power in the wondrous unity of her ancient prayers, her
Church, and in her alone. the privilege of matchless organization, her authority, her
being Catholics is a grace for which we can never be splendid roll of Saints and reaching up like
sufficiently thankful. How wonderful this privilege Jacob's ladder, and uniting earth and Heaven; when
is, can be best felt by one who has long groped I reflect upon the intercession for us those Saints
about in the darkness of unbelief and the half-light and Martyrs, enhanced by the petitions of the
of Protestantism, and then found his way suddenly Blessed Mother of our Lord; and, last but not least,
into the "light and kingdom of God." when I consider the abiding Presence of the Saviour
on her altars; – I feel that this One, Holy, Apostolic
"When I am asked," writes John L Stoddard, "what I Church has given me certainty for doubt, order for
have found within the Catholic Church superior to all confusion, sunlight for darkness, and substance for
that Protestantism gave me, I find that language is shadow. It is the Bread of Life and the Wine of the
inadequate to express it. One thinks of the familiar Soul, instead of the unsatisfying husks; the father's
metaphor of the stained-glass window in a vast welcome, with the ring and the robe, instead of the
cathedral. Seen from without by day, this seems to weary exile in the wilderness of doubt. It is true, the
be an unintelligible mass of dusky glass. Viewed prodigal must retrace the homeward road, and ever
from within, however, it reveals a beautiful design, enter the doorway of the mansion on his knees; but,
where sacred story glows resplendently in form and within, what a recompense!" (Rebuilding a Lost
color. So it is with the Church of Rome. One must Faith, pp. 221-222).
Once Again
Fr. Francis E. Fenton
The previous issue of this newsletter contained an
earnest request for financial help that I might pay An Oversight
the debt incurred by our now defunct traditional
Roman Catholic school. Only about $3,000 was In the articles that appeared in the two previous
received in response to that request. That leaves a issues of this newsletter on the closing our Christ
balance of about $11,000 still to be paid. And so the King School last December, we neglected to
once again I ask for help. Hopefully, the necessary mention the various items '(books, religious articles,
funds will be forthcoming. If they are not, well, I just etc.) which had been donated to the sc.hool. Perhaps
don't know right now what to do about it (Ironically, the donors may have rightly wondered what hap-
I never owed anyone anything in my life until I pened to these things. If so, we assure them that,
became involved in this debt incurred in trying to while some of these items are in use, most of them
maintain a Roman Catholic school.) In any case, I are in storage. We would not want thotse who made
will not ask further for financial assistance in this contributions of this kind to the school to think that
matter from the subscribers to this newsletter. If the their contributions were discarded when the school
response to this appeal is not sufficient to liquidate was closed.
the school debt, I will drop the subject in these
pages. One thing is certain though: every penny of
the debt will be paid, God willing, insofar as it is
humanly possible for me to accomplish this.
6
•
The other of God and theistic ommun1sm
throne God and to whom the Almighty will give a
more attentive and than to Mary,
His "Never was it known that anyone who
,w"'fn,-.flr,n lmnlnwn…4 her assistance or
forces of our
all women,
and bestowed upon her graces and bless-
other
which
are one essen- we wil have no one but
This being so, blame for the consequences that wi I
no one who follow upon such a momentous and
cusable failure.
R
ttt t ttttt t t t th
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tttt t t t t t t t
me as I will pray for that we may merrily
meet in heaven.
7
St. Thomas More
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f i
–
THE ATHANASIAN
§ Published by Traditional Catholics of America §
Fr. Francis E. Fenton, Editor §i
i
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8