Automatically extracted text. OCR transcription may contain errors.
1985
support a nuclear even if involves
more vulnerable to
much the
freeze and
it.
Conciliar teenagers were in the late 1 of the
early 1 and so, unlike their parents, ought to
no personal experience with Catholic percent
America the Vatican Councii and are in
vastly it was from the ' ' parishes as people
in which they They what can called swered "no"
Conciliar generation, as their beliefs and atti- Catholic Church's that the use of
tudes faithfully mirror the and doctrinal up- methods birth control ls immoral?"-with another
heavals that so characterize post-conciliar percent "it ' and only i 2 percent
tics. responding ' ' Also on the question of blrth con-
trol, 18 percent they were currently con-
traceptives and 73 percent they would consider
you the Catholic Church using them after they married. According to 21
was founded by or is it just a creation man?", percent the seniors, abortion never
79 percent of the respondents answered·"God," but while 53 percent opted it should
20 percent "man." Belief in life after "only to save the mother's ' and 25 percent held
fundamental to a Catholic outlook, but that the decision "should be left up to the woman and
cent these young "Catholics" affirmed this article her
Faith-1 2 percent they didn't believe it.
Regarding international affairs, question '
A QUESTION OF ACCURACY
The results of The Voice's poll drew mixed reviews servations by students in area schools about the
from Conciliar educators in South Florida. Father survey's findings. Julie DiCamillo, a sophomore at
Vincent Kelly, the Miami Archdiocese's superinten- Miami's Lourdes Academy, is described as a devout
dent of education, called the findings "not represen- girl who "for the most part, agrees with the teachings
tative." And the associate principal of one of the of the church." She is quoted as saying that the poll
schools involved, Father John Maloney of Monsignor is "about right" regarding sexual attitudes, attribut-
Edward Pace High School in Opa-locka, criticized ing it to "peer pressure." "They are considered to be
the methodology, saying that The Voice "made an abnormal," she said, "if they haven't had sex by the
awful lot of assumptions on a very poor sampling." time they are 16." Another sophomore, Andrew
But Carol Farrell, director of the archdiocesan Family Livingstone of Christopher Columbus High in West
Enrichment Center, sees it as a tool for the "overall Dade, who, along with his closest friends, "neither
strengthening" of families. Father Joseph Kershner, drink, use drugs nor are sexually active," agrees that
supervising principal at another participating school, the percentages reflect the social environment at the
Ft. Lauderdale's Cardinal Gibbons High School, is school he attends. Freshman Ida Davis of St. Bren-
another defender of the findings, which he views as a dan High in Miami said she may use birth control
way to "stimulate parents … to get on the ball." The when married and "after I have children," and would
responses on sex, drugs and alcohol are not sur- seek an abortion "in the case of rape or a really bad
prising to Father Kershner, who adds: "Seeing how situation.''
the kids behave on campus in the daytime, I say, I
wonder what happens at night when they're by them- The Herald article also notes that Robert Bezilla,
selves." director of youth surveys for the Gallup Poll, says
that the results correspond with his own findings
When some Conciliar officials and parents, shocked among young Americans in general. While Gallup
by questions on sex and alcohol, objected to the sur- isn't exactly known for its objectivity, there are
vey, Voice Editor Robert O'Steen replied: "Actually, Conciliar sources that also confirm the authenticity.
most of the kids did not have a problem in these Consider the following passage from Douglas J.
areas. It's just that a sizable number did, and we Roche's book, The Catholic Revoiution, and, as you
need to deal with it somehow. To question the survey read, keep in mind two points about it-first, like The
results because they are unpleasant or suggest that Voice's poll, we have a study conducted by
they sho.uid not be printed is not going to help the Conciliarists about student views at their schools
problems any." (this time a college) and second, that the book was
written in 1968:
It isn't unusual to hear people question the accuracy
and reliability of public opinion polls (we've been More evidence of the credibility gap between
known to question them at times ourselves). Some the skepticism of the young and the faith of their
find a problem with the size of the sampling (too fathers was offered by Father Bruce M. Ritter, a
small to determine what a much larger group thinks Franciscan who teaches theology at Manhattan
about an issue); others with the makeup of the group College in New York City. Some 3,000 of the col-
(doesn't reflect a true cross section of those it pur- lege's 3,500 students at this all-male school run
ports to be surveying); and still others with the way by the Christian Brothers answered a 152-ques-
the data is gathered (the asking of biased, or tion survey.
"loaded," questions).
Of these Catholic students, 41 percent don't go
How accurate, then, is the Voice survey in revealing to Sunday Mass regularly; 45 percent don't
what's on the minds of these teens? And, if it is accu- believe in the real presence of Christ in the
rate, does it apply equally to other parts of the Eucharist; 88 percent don't believe the pope is
country as well? It should, of course, be remembered personally infallible; only 21 percent believe that
that even when a poll is fair, carefully worded and premarital sex is always wrong; only 33 percent
subjected to every scientific rigor and control to as- think a bishop has, in practice, much influence
sure a truly representative test group, it remains only on Catholic life in his diocese; only 7 percent
an indication of what people are thinking. Therefore, think that the use of contraceptive devices is
it becomes necessary to look at the larger picture to always wrong.
see if this study is consistent with a larger pattern or
is an exception. One of the many contradictions exposed by the
survey is that, while only 6 percent of the re-
In an article, "Catholic teens: Their beliefs, spondents said they were influenced by the
behavior," which appeared in the Miami Herald of Church's teaching in making moral decisions,
February 1, 1985, religion writer Adon Taft cites ob- and only 3 percent said they were influenced by
THE ATHANASIAN 2 SEPTEMBER 1, 1985
their parents' teaching, a high proportion ob- standing of the genuine message" of Vatican II.
serves a moral code stricter than they actually Father Paul Wickens, a conservative Conciliar priest
profess. Though only 21 percent believe that who defied the notorious Archbishop Peter Gerety's
premarital sexual intercourse is always morally sex education program in his parish in the Newark,
wrong, 80 percent of the freshmen came to New Jersey area, is still waiting for the New Rome to
Manhattan without the experience, and 50 per- intercede for him. He was rudely ejected from his
cent of the seniors had not had the experience. rectory for the "crime" of upholding Catholic moral
teachings but, aside from pubiic relations "hype,"
Though only 22 percent accept a distinction in the Polish actor in the Vatican is no friend of
theory between mortal and venial sin, 72 per- defenders of Catholicism. (On the subject of
cent will not receive the Eucharist without con- Archbishop Gerety, one wonders if Howard Stevens'
fessing their mortal sins-and this in spite of Making Moral Decisions, a Gerety-imprimatured
the fact that only 17 percent believe confession textbook defending sodomy, abortion, divorce,
is necessary for forgiveness. "mercy killing," fetal experimentation, etc., is used
in Miami's "Catholic" high schools.)
The similarities here with the Miami poll are clear
enough, the only real difference, aside from some WHO'S TO BLAME?
variety in questions, being the degree to which "pro- When there is widespread defection from the teach-
gressive" views are favored over Catholic ones. If ings of the Church by pupils in supposedly Catholic
anything, the two surveys show a widening "gap," schools-defection at a level unprecedented in his-
consistent with the conviction of many observers tory-then one naturally must wonder if part of the
that the Vatican II revolution is aimed at destroying underlying cause isn't in the Conciliar educational
Catholicism and introducing Modernism in measured establishment itself. Might not the reason that Miami
doses. (Notice that the number of boys entering Man- archdiocesan educators cast doubts about the Voice
hattan College who admitted to engaging in fornica- poll be that it was striking too close to home?
tion, however scandalously high it may be by Catho-
lic standards, is still almost 30 percentage points On the question of church attendance, Voice Editor
below that of Conciliar teens-boys and girls-12 O'Sheen deflected criticism of the schools saying,
years later!) "They (the seniors) don't all go to Mass every week,
but then Gallup surveys show that only about half of
More proof of the move away from Catholicism is the adults go to Mass in a given week. So ii we want
found in publications of the Conciliar Church. On our kids to go to Mass, we must go to Mass. We cer-
May 1 9, 1985, Our Sunday Visitor printed the final in can't expect the schools to make up for adult
a series of four articles by Peter Sheehen, entitled shortcomings.''
"Do Catholics still honor the traditional values?"
Among those quoted in the article is Dr. William Concerning promiscuity, in the same study Family
Mccready, a sociologist at the National Opinion Re- Enrichment Center Director Carol Farrell remarked,
search Center, who has researched the continuing "So many parents have a fear or reluctance of dis-
subversion of the Church for over a decade. As far as cussing sex because they did not have that experi-
values go, "the change is ongoing," said Dr. ence with their own parents. That's one of the diffi-
Mccready, who concedes that "we have given up on culties with sex education-so many never had
Catholic schools. That is about half of the problem any." A curious inversion of logic here; instead of
we face in trying to instill Catholic identity in our placing the blame on the sex-ed classes, she says
children." And in an admission that points to the that the problem is partiaily with the parents who
theological confusion, he asks, "The· big question weren't "blessed" by having such classes in their
today is that, with Catholics finding different ways to own school days. Yet if these parents did miss out on
identify with the Church, how are our children, who Impurity 10'1, it was only because the Catholic
will be further removed, going to identify with the Church, obeying Pope Pius Xi's instructions in his en-
Church?" cyclical on Christian Education and other such papal
pronouncements, forbade the introduction of it into
Even "Pope" John Paul II has seen fit, while address- parochial schools. Isn't it very strange, if the Concil-
ing Italian bishops on May 30, 1985, to bemoan the iar defense of sex-ed is to be believed, that at no time
"deficient catechetical formation (which) is at the before Vatican II was there anything like the sexual
root of not a few crises of faith." In telling them that epidemic going on today in the Conciliar Church?
"Catholic education is a right and a need for the bap-
tized," he gave an idea of the "education" he meant ,A.s the Conciliar halls of learning grow increasingly
by encouraging their prayers that the upcoming secularized, shedding every Catholic vestige, they
synod of Conciliar bishops will bring "a better under- move ever closer to approximating the excesses of
THE ATHANASIAN 3 SEPTEMBER 1, 1985
the government-masonic schools. It is not at all un- the Conciiiar revolutionists to draw Catholics gradu-
usual to hear conservative Conciliar faculty mem- ally from the Faith, while replacing it entirely for the
bers lament that the once-Catholic colleges and younger generation. An unmistakable example of
universities at which they teach have lost their this comes as a condition made by the Vatican when
ethical moorings and have drifted into the dangerous it gave "permission" to attend Tridentine Masses:
waters of academic "freedom" occupied by the only those who had attended them before they were
state schools. The head of a theology department at "outlawed" are eligible-clearly this rules out any
the turn of the century honoring arch-Modernnist teens or preteens.
Alfred Loisy as a "fellow Catholic theologian" would
have certainly provoked response from Pope Saint The spiritual harm being inflicted by the Conciliar
Pius X; yet, when Notre Dame's Father Richard Church upon the young in the name of "reform" and
McBrien used precisely those words to welcome "renewal" is incalculable. But anarchy knows no
Loisy's heir apparent, Hans Kung, as guest speaker, mercy. The nineteenth century writer Georg
John Paul II didn't bat an eyelash (talk about deficient Buchner, in his Danton's Death, compared the
catechetical formation 1). Where the blame lies is French Revolution to a bloodthirsty Roman god in
painfully obvious to t11ose who refuse to close their words equally applicable to the Conciliar Revolt:
eyes to it "The Revolution is like Saturn-it eats its own
children." t
CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION
No doubt some "see no evil" Conciliarists, having
read all of this, will exclaim, "Yes, things are bad, but
they could be worse." Well, things are worse, if
fidelity to Catholic doctrine matters any more. With
the i 985 convention of the National Catholic Educa- founded in Spain several decades
tion Association n April, infidelity among Conciliar the movement bearing the above name
pedagogues hit rock bottom. has recently been getting worldwide publicity
because of the special attention treatment
The meeting took place in St. Louis and had as fea- given to it by John Paul I. However, as an
tured speakers Father Avery Dulles, Robert Muller article in the December 1, 1984 issue of this
and Carl Sagan. Father Dulles, introduced as "one of newsletter makes very clear, Opus Dei may not
America's finest theologians," is the author of sever- really be what it gives the impression of being.
al controversial books, such as Models of the Church The favoritism shown to it by I could
and Models of Revelation. A linear descendant of be one more indictment of rather than a vin-
Loisy, George Tyrell and their disciples, he didn't let dication of Opus Dei. Having in especially
t1is audience down, questioning the "so-called Christ those who have but recently been The
event" and attacking traditional Catholic apologetics Athanasian hence, may not be fami with
as "widely discredited" because in it "the miracles the article mentioned above, we still have a
and prophecies of the bibiical period were depicted number copies (at $1.00 each) the issue in
not as rich and meaningful symbols but as incontro- which it appeared. Perhaps some may wish to
vertible facts … " Rather than "suffocate our stu- this expose of Opus Dei by ordering that
dents with too many definitions and dogmas," he issue.
continually championed throughout his address the
"new" (read Modernist) approach of religious imagi-
nation." Robert Muller, Under Secretary of the
United Nations' Economic and Social Council and a The date on the envelope address iabel
disciple of Teilhard de Chardin, gave a lesson in glo- indicates the month and year in which the
balism. Though a self-professed Catholic, Muller recipient's subscription is due for renewal. At
denies that anyone can be certain that he belongs to the proper time, a subscription envelope will be
the true Faith. For this reason he is a cult figure in enclosed with tr1e newsletter. One may enter a
New Age circles. Another New Age luminary, Cari new subscription at any time, of course, and
Sagan, also took the podium. Sagan is well-known for then receive the eight following newsletter
his "nuclear winter" theory, and for hosting the PBS issues. t
series, Cosmos. He is a past recipient of the
American Humanist Association's "Humanist of the <p,(ay
Year" award and, when asked at the NCEA conven- CJhe 'R.95ary
tion, admitted that he didn't know if God exists. Daily
As has been indicated in past articles, it is the aim of
THE ATHANASIAN 4 SEPTEMBER 1, 19B5
America's Catholic Heritage (Part IV)
Jill
merican independence was won through the American Navy,'' Barry outranks even John Paul
courage and perseverance. American Cath- ,Jones Born in Wexford, I re land, in 17 45, he went to
olics, who had remained true to their Faith in spite of sea at a very young age. On one occasion, his ship
numerous forms of persecution, possessed these docked at Philadelphia and, seeing America for the
qualities in abundance. As a result, they often led first time, he knew he wanted this to be his home.
their countrymen in the struggle for independence When the War for Independence began, he imme-
from England European Catholics also came to the diately offered his services. His commission, autho-
aid of America, giving their experience, their fortunes rized on December 7, i 775, was the first commission
and, in many cases, their lives, so that America could issued by the Maritime Committee of the Continental
be free. Congress. He was given command of the first avail-
able vessel, an old ship named the Lexington. With it,
One of Maryland's wealthiest families, the Carrolls of he captured the Edward, a large British warship.
Maryland, had a profound influence on their colony's
decision to vote for independence in the Continental After this victory, went to Philadelphia, where
Congress. Charles Carroll of Carrollton first spoke he was to be given a new which, however, was
out, in a series of letters to the Maryland Gazette, not yet ready. While waiting, he learned that British
opposing Daniel Dulany's support Governor Robert ships were stopping all American boats on the Dela-
Eden's plan to reinstate mandatory stipends for the ware River and were bringing supplies to the
Anglican clergy. Through their subsequent printed land troops. Barry boatloads of men down
debates, Carroll gained popular support the Patriot the Delaware night. rags in their
Party which opposed the governor. to muffle the sounds the oars, to a
British warship and silently climbed onto her decks.
As a of his courageous Taken by surprise, the British surrendered
was soon eiected to represent Anne In a manner, Barry his men
and Annapoiis at the transferring the
the Catholic to hold l\mericans.
mores had deposed.
Declaration of Independence was discussed,
opposed it. arguments
fellow
a personal fortune of
risked it to
America's freedom. 4, i he signed the no. i ."
Declaration of Independence for the State of
land, using full designation of Charles Carroll of Support for American independence also came
Carrollton, "so that King George would know Catholic clergy. Father Pierre a
Carroll to down for treason." ary priest Canada to
made it possible for George Rogers
Daniel , brother of , An1erica's first territory the States. When
bishop. was a staunch ally his cousin Charles in men attacked and
convincing their fellow citizens to for indepen- at Kaskaskia, I on 4, 1778, Father
dence. Like his cousin, he was a representative in the was stationed there at the time, came to know
Continental Congress. After the war, Daniel Carroll, the Americans they represented. then
with another . Thomas Fitzsimons, partici- convinced the citizens at the key fort Vincennes,
oated in the Convention that framed the Constitution. Indiana, to r1aul down the Union Jack and raise the
'1n defense of that document, he said, "I am bold to American flag. His letter to Clark, dated August 7,
assert that it is the best form of government which has 1778, reflects the hardships he and his flock suffered
ever been offered to the world." as a result:
Our American Navy owes its beginning to John Barry, We are very poor and destitute of all things. We
who was the first to volunteer to defend the new are impatiently awaiting the village boats. We
nation against the British at sea. The "Father of fear the savages and the eviliy disposed people
THE ATHANASIAN s SEPTEMBER 1, 1985
who are urging them to kill us. In-a word, we are his nation from domination and
in a truly sad situation. ln spite of this we are of captured and killed by the Russians.
good courage and are so good Americans that attempted to avenge his father by bringing
we are ready to defend ourselves to the death Poland and Lithuania into open revolt. The revolt
against any who attack us. I pray you to failed of the overwhelming size of the
my respects and to employ me in any way in my Russian forces. and he was forced to flee into exile.
power for your service.
Count Pulaski understood the American yearning for
The most famous marksman of the war was Penn- liberty and offered his services to Benjamin Franklin
sylvania-born Timothy Murphy. Though only about 5 in In i 778, Congress put him in charge of a
feet 6 inches tall, Tim Murphy was powerfully built cavalry unit. trained prisoners, deserters and vol-
and a swift runner. He had vast experience as a unteers to form Pulaski's Legion, a highly efficient
woodsman, which he used to the detriment of the troop used in surprise raids for protecting the
British. He and a companion, David were frontier from British and Indian attacks.
particularly adept at Indian-style attacks on British
foraging parties. Once, they learned the password to Battle of Charleston, Pulaski ignored the
a British camp and used it to carry off an officer. With advice of military counselors, who told him to pull
Morgan's Riflemen, Murphy also helped to protect out. He refused to leave or to surrender. His deter-
the villagers of the Mohawk Valley against British- mination led to victory for the American forces.
instigated Indian raids.
On 9, 1779, Pulaski led his Legion, as well as
he and a friend were captured the and American ry, in a charge
by a party and subjected to hours of against the British line at Savannah. The casualties
nizing torture. In the night, as their captors slept, they were high and included the heroic young Pulaski,
freed each and knifed eleven Only one who from his wounds a few days after the battle.
escaped.
The and Queen of sent some of their
in October same year, at Schoharie Valley in finest officers to America. men were experi-
New York, a large British force surrounded the mili- enced and disciplined, and often served without pay
tary unit to which Murphy was attached. Ameri- during their duty here. Jean Baptiste Donatien de
can commander, Major Woolsey, decided to surren- Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, headed the French
der and started toward the British with a white flag. force. in Vendome in 1 the Comte de
Murphy immediately fired on him and forced him had been training for the priesthood
back. Three times Woolsey tried to reach the British, elder brother died. a result, he was re-
but each time Murphy and his men fired on him and to the seminary assume the family
made him turn back. When Woolsey demanded that title and responsibilities.
the troops themselves raise the flag surrender,
Murphy to the first man to try it. The Tall, refined, and distinguished, Rochambeau was
British, whose artillery was less than had shocked the ragged appearance the American
thought, decided the Americans could not made troops. sight of the elegant troops pro-
to surrender and moved on. Murphy and his men voked derision among the But the meet-
were not captured and went on to the Battle of York- ing of Washington and Rochambeau inspired mutual
town, the battle of the war. respect between the two leaders and they came to
work together, Rochambeau serving as aide-
European Catholics, sympathetic to the cause of for Washington.
freedom, also invaluable help to America.
Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciuszko, of the Polish no- Combining their outstanding Washington
bility, had orphaned at an early age. Having and Rochambeau devised military strategies which
seen the freedom of his own country crushed by the overcame the superior British On the march
Russians, he came to America in 1 went to from York to Virginia to join the American forces
George Washington to enlist in the Continental Army. at Yorktown, Washington and Rochambeau con-
He was given a commission in the Engineer Corps vinced enemy that they intended to remain in
and put in command of the defenses of West Point as New York and attack the British there. Leaving a
weil as Saratoga, where his defenses resulted in an small force at the1r original camp, they marched to
American victory. General Kosiuszko is known as the where they built a dummy encampment,
Father of the United States Army Engineers. indicating that they planned to lay siege along the
Hudson River. As the British planned their defense,
Count Casimir was the son of a Washington and Rochambeau slipped out of sight
man who had fought a tough but cam- continued on page 8
THE ATHANASIAN 6 1, 19B5
A Crucial Question-
Fr. Francis E. Fenton
raditional Catholicism is the Roman Catholic more non-Catholic denomination; the former is the
Faith. Only since Vatican Council II has it be- real thing, the Roman Catholic Faith, the same yes-
come necessary to employ the term "traditional" in terday, today and forever. The acceptance of the one
conjunction with the word "Catholicism" to distin- demands the complete repudiation of the other.
guish the genuine article from the false religion of
the Conciliar Church which deceptively persists in One cause of extensive confusion among traditional
calling itself Roman Catholic. It has, of course, long Roman Catholics today is found in the use of that
since relinquished ail claim to that title. To differen- very term "traditional," primarily in reference to
tiate the Roman Catholic Church, however, from the priests" Is a priest traditional because he offers the
non-Catholic Conciliar Church, it is a practical ne- traditional Latin Mass even though he refuses to
cessity today to speak of traditional Catholicism to break with the Conciliar Church and considers John
identify the former, the true Church. Paul II a valid pontiff? As for members of the laity who
accept the validity of the pontificate of John Paul II,
Nine years ago Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre made are they traditional because they attend the True
the statement that "the Conciliar Church is not Cath- Mass? Indeed, are they not disobeying him by their
olic." Since I have never heard nor read that he re- attendance at such Masses which are regularly and
tracted those words, I assume he still subscribes to publicly offered by a priest such as I?
them-and, presumably, the priests, religious and
laity aligned with him subscribe to them as well. In In a new allegedly traditional magazine, there ap-
any case, I most certainly agree with that statement peared a list of six publications, all described as
of the archbishop and quote him merely because his "bonafide Traditional Roman Catholic" publications.
words carry far more weight than mine. But four of the six are aligned with the Conciliar
Church! While much of the content of some of them
But if indeed "the Conciliar Church is not Catholic," is soundly Roman Catholic, should not the four to
why is it, for example, that so many priests who call which refer be identified as publications whose edi-
themselves traditional refuse to repudiate that tors, writers, etc., are a part of the Conciliar Church?
Church? On the contrary, the so-called traditional To include clergy and laity who consider that Church
priests to whom I refer are a part of it, a fact com- as the one true Church and accept John Paul II as a
pletely obvious by their acceptance of the head of legitimate pope with those who totally repudiate
the Conciliar Church, John Paul II, as a valid pope. both-and to call them all traditional-is certainly
But, since these self-styled traditional priests ac- misleading and, I submit, gives to the term "tradition-
knowledge John Paul 11, as a legitimate pontiff, why al" a broad meaning which, for the sake of clarity, it
do they disobey him, as, for example, in their regular certainly ought not to have in the present context.
public offering of tr1e traditional Latin Mass, a
practice known to be opposed by him? Is not this a
blatant contradiction and an open defiance of his As the word is used in relation to the Faith, the term
supreme authority-and in a matter of such central "traditional" is today a widely abused one. So many
importance as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? priests are called traditional who really are not such
except in a very liberal or general sense. In order to
Either the Conciliar Church is the one true Church or dispel the existing confusion on this matter then, and
it is not. Either John Paul ii is a valid pope or he is in the interest of honesty, it is my contention that the
not. If an individual, priest or layman, believes that term "traditional" should have a very limited applica-
the Conciliar Church (as inconceivable as this is to tion and that that application should be directly re-
the author of this article) is the one true Church and lated to the position a priest takes (the same goes for
that its head is a valid pontiff (likewise inconceivable the laity) on the Conciliar Church and its acknowl-
to me), then that individual should have nothing to do edged leader, John Paul II. If the Conciliar Church is
with the traditional Roman Catholic movement. By not the Roman Catholic Church, how can the man
the same token, if any priest or layman believes that who is its recognized and official head be an authen-
the historic Roman Catholic Church exists today in tic pontiff? And if the Conciliar Church and John Paul
traditional Catholicism-and nowhere else-then II are not, in actual fact, Roman Catholic, by what
he should totally avoid and reject the Conciliar stretch of the imagination is it possible to justify
Church. We cannot have it both ways. The latter, de- calling any priest traditional who accepts both as
spite any appearances to the contrary, is but one Roman Catholic? And by what justification does a
THE ATHANASIAN 7 SEPTEMBER 1, 1985
traditional Catholic layman attend of promising one way or the other. The Conciliar
those priests (or bishops) who so believe? Church has inflicted massive destruction upon the
true Church and is the archenemy of traditional
it being understood, of course, that is in all Catholicism. Consequently, the choice is a clear-cut
other respects soundly traditional as well, the bottom one. Either an individual is a traditional Roman
line, I maintain, in conclusively determining the iden- Catholic or he is not. t
tification of a particular priest as truly traditional is
this: He totally rejects the Conciliar Church and he
firmly believes John Paul II to an invalid pope.
What sense does it make to call a priest or layman a A booklet written by Father Noel Barbara of France
traditional Roman Catholic who accepts a non-Cath- contains the best treatment l have seen of the sub-
olic sect as the true Church and its head as being the ject of the invalidity John II. I urge our readers
Vicar of Christ? to secure one or more copies. The booklet is entitled
Fortes in Fide (No. 1, 1985 Review). It is available at
Of all the issues, then, which separate tradition- $4.00 per copy from:
al Roman Catholics from those who are not, those in- William F. J. Christian, Sr.
volving the identity of Hie Conciliar Church and the 758 Lemay Ferry
validity/invalidity of its head are, far and away, the St. Louis, Missouri 631
most fundamental ones. Again, either the Conciliar
Church is the one true Church or it is not; either John Checks should be made payable to in Fide
Paul II is a valid pope or he is not. Nearly 20 years and payment must accompany order It might be
having now passed since the conclusion of the in- visable to allow four to six weeks delivery. (Please
famous Vatican Council II, surely it is high time for note: the booklets are to ordered from Mr. Chris-
those priests and members of the who have for tian in Saint Louis and not from our office here in
so long been straddling the fence on these essential Colorado Springs.)
issues, to take-at long open, firm. uncom-
"Catholic, in the War" from 6
and did not reappear until they and their forces
reached Philadelphia, enabling them to continue An article on Roman Catholics who were promi-
unhampered to Yorktown. nent on the side of America in its war for inde-
pendence from England would appear quite in-
The Catholic patriots who fought to win American complete without at least a lines about the
independence shared with their European allies a Marquis de Lafayette. It was deemed advisable,
vital quality which the Catholic explorers and however, to omit all reference to him in the
missionary priests had possessed: perseverance. In above article because Lafayette was a Free-
the face of insurmountable odds they held firm and, mason-and Catholicism and Freemasonry are
as a result, they won the day. The conversion of incompatible. -Editor
America could well depend in good part upon our
ability to follow their example of dogged perse-
verance. t
hy Traditional Catholics of America
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