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America t Editor: Fr. Francis E. Fenton, STL
No. 6 t September 1, 1983
The American Conciliar Church Bishops and
CHRI SA
– John Kenneth Weiskittel
When our risen Lord appeared to the in of the U.S. Conciliar bishops endorsing a
closed room, greeted them, saying, "Peace be "halt" in the production deployment of nuclear
you; it is I, fear " and issued their weapons and the morality of the use of
sion ("As the Father ha.th sent me, I also "). such weapons. of these topics have
Here, and in His discourse to them at the Last Supper treated in The Athanasian and elsewhere in the tradi-
("Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not tional Catholic press, and for the sake of brevity, I will
as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your make only a few scattered remarks about them.
heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid."), Christ sought to
reassure them, despite the opposition they would en- A Word About Peoce
counter ("If the world hate you, know ye, that it hated The stated "primary objective" of Christi is "to
me before you. work with all for for all humankind,
ways witnessing to the peace of Christ."
This assistance moving on to the focus of this article, I'd
rud- pause to touch upon and misuse of the term
the Christian soul to pass unscathed "peace."
througt1 life's toughest trials and tribulations. char-
acteristic fruits of this inner tranquility are a closer har- The historian Polybius, writing over a hundred
mony of the individual with and the establishment years before the birth of Christ, makes this distinction
of peace between man and his neighbor. This true different kinds of peace: "For peace, with jus-
peace of Christ – or pax Christi – is the basis upon which tice and honor, is the fairest and most profitable of pos-
St Benedict directly founded his venerable religious sessions, but with disgrace and shameful cowardice it
order, it is an indispensable need is the most infamous harmful of all." Of the
peace among nations. kind of peace, reconciliations affectecl
medieval popes conflicting Christian
With a!I in it would seem natural doms come to America's betrayal
which identifies as the "lnternationai Vietnamese people under guise of "peace with
Movement for to select as its honor" exemplifies is not enough, then, to
Christi." Unfortunately, Pax Christi (the organization) be for peace; it is necessary to choose real peace.
seem to distinguishing the
Christ from world giveth." For The need to recognize is meant when a
pages, will to show how Pax group or individuai "peace" has never
falls short in of being an accurate more urgent than it is . The USSR, while
the Catholic position, but actually represents a danger- spreading subversion around the globe, ruthlessly
ous force advocating in many instances positions that . smothering opposition at home and in its satellites, and
are compatible with the stated opinions of the enemies engaging in the most stupendous arms build-up in his-
of the Church. tory, claims to be peace-loving. The Communist re-
gime there has supported "peace" in one form or
Two subjects that come to mind in connection with Pax another for all of its sixty plus years. "It is the banner of
Christi theory of what peace," declared Khrushchev, "that enables us
issue of the recent to rally the broadest masses around us.
carry high the banner of peace, we shall score even tion on the face of the earth; the latest Defense
greater successes." ment figures show us trailing the Kremlin in both nu-
clear and conventional arsenals. (Such evidence
For Americans, to "coexist peacefully" means to live- should be grounds enough for any thinking American
and-let-live. We see it rooted in the Golden Ruie; it a to oppose the proposed nuclear freeze.)
hoped-for goal of Christians, a good. Not so
with the USSR. For them – and for Red China and other Some have recognized the threat, and have sought to
Communist governments – it is simply a deceptive warn the American public. The American Bar Associa-
means to an end … world conquest. It is deceptive tion published a 1964 report entitled Peaceful Coexis-
because impressic:·. given to .. A Commt1nist Blueprint Victory. The
vvary t:1at their of the the same as by out that
The great of our timo well turn to
be our inability to recognize that the cold war has
In the first volume of his popular Life is Worth Living in reality become more intense despite the in-
Bishop) Fulton Sheen included a chapter creasing appearances of peace. it not be
"Peace of the " His ernphasized sentiment
repeatin;;r free woricJ
Communist notion of peace iS both a tactic illusion of for genuine peace wouid bs
and a For no other people on earth is peace a profoundly dangerous, perhaps fatal mistake.
both a tactic and a goal as it is for the In this Elsewhere, the A.B.A. has provided what may be the
quality of purpose lies their trir:kery. best illustration of 1.,vhat tr,e Communists mean wh8n
say "peace". a man enters cage with a
means the nonviolent
it is only after lion has the man that
non·military iethocs in order prepare fo;
two can down together in peace.
lent and the demoralization of other na-
tions. The goal of Communist peace is the com-
plete subservience of the world to Communist
dict:;1torship. For Communists ti~ere can
::ranee, by five of
peace there has t.1ser complets
From ':140-45 she
struction of ail private property, abolition of
fered greatly from some of the most savage fighting
morals religion, subjection of demo-
seen anywhere during Second Worid War. The
cratic processes to totalitarian dictator. That is
German invasion and occupation, by the
qoal; but in
Allied ha:J France in
inriL;::;e nations
broken
the Moscow··inspired revoi 1• , ·:ms are
local. these ruses hope to demoralize the
year at Lourdes that Monsignor Pierre M.
rest of the world prepare for its ultimate
Theas, bishop of Compiegne, proposes a bold
conquest
t,-j heal the relations his
the people. l calis
If, German
from and
·,v;ote, war is tt:e relaL;:s
forming an organization
other means, then for the Communists, peace is the
is called Pax Christi.
continuation of war by other means. in 1930,
sources set year as
corrvss rnind: is the Gxtreme
today·s Criristi consistent with ttie aims Bishop
The sad fact of the matter is that our down –
Theas had in mind thirty-five years ago or does it stem
and has down for decades. Since 1959 alone, the
from some later additions changes made? Accord-
USSR has entered into 14 arms-control agreements;
to literature from Christi USA, he
exception, has broken every single
in part because he was ,'convinced the
the USA was far-and-away most powerful na-
2
Gospel message of peace must challenge the horrors (4) eduation for peace; and (5) alternatives to violence.
of modern war." That really doesn't tell us much, since For them, disarmament means not only the curtailment
any rational Catholic would agree vvith such senti- of nuclear arms, but also a "general disarmament" and
the arises when considering seeking reorient the of our
the secured government away from heavy spending
books of Cathoiic history trying to uncover leads, but trading to policies which have as their chief concern
found few references to Bishop Theas none of the truly human development of all people,'' How there
them shedding light on his motives. can be "truly human development of people"
the ideology
of today's Pax Christi is an on earth is tiew world
of Purpose" found in a by Pax is in the
tional foider announces: " Christi USA invites con- tions, which it "strongly endorses." The feeling is
cerned Catholics to respond to the Church's call to mutual: "In i 979 Pax International received
evaluate war with an entirely new attitude and to take Consultive Status at the United Nations." Why a hang-
active role in secure peace based internatio11a1 terrorists is
love." same world ever the
accomplish its group w!II ,, I guess nitpicking, Frankly, I
Catholic cornrnunities and agencies, and also collabo- to being somewhat confused regarding "primacy
rate with other groups committed to nonviolent peace- of conscience" business or, at least, Pax Christi's posi-
making," key points in these quotes, I believe, are tion or the subject Now, I have any problem vvith
are being to Emtirely nevv eone who role, but
concerninq c:ind that Ci:;isti hew these people logically
with various pacifist in addition to aiieged uom this into advocacy ot a World Peace Tax
Catholic ones, I'll take each point individuaily and then Fund, designed to "designate tax funds to peace
show how are interconnected. groups, peace education human " Then
the to "While Pax
no t ut that,
0 this is not c::mdition of
of innovat any cost :\merica's I take they will
Church to prepare them, the bishops' pastorai letter on separate any gullible souls from their money. "Peace
nuclear 'Weapons took many surprise, Daniel and justice" courses, especially in "Catholic schools
P. Reilly (Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut), a member and universities," are the educational alternatives
:ommittez~ ::i1arge of the of ROTC
response to posed
nc.t:ona! newspaper USA lo survive, programs in no:wiclent spiritua!iiy,
is fascinated" (by the letter), nonviolent fesistance and reconciliation, nonvio-
says, "because the Catholic Church is lent civilian social defense" are required. This, too,
108i<ed upon a8 2 bs2tion me a bit puzzled; I mean, what is "nonviolent
people in press: ' social isn'i: a
ever ge! with dawned :·1e: Why cuurse, this
come out on vvhat wouid Bishop Gumbleton is talking about when says that it
of things?'" Russia us, we are to "surrender to invader
… the perfect nonviolent defense."
2r;f:wer is not
56 of Enter Bishop (Jumbletori. r'riends …
to Pax Stage Left
"Surrender to the invader" – Bishop Gumbleton's "so-
lution" to America's nuclear holocaust Really
brilliant, isn't it? And you thought being run over by a
tank was . Nuclear war wrong
murder, but complianr3 to nuclear
Ttmmas Gumbieton, auxiliary bishop in Detroit {more mail is high virtue! (VJhen Yuri gets iO Detroit, wiil Tom
about him Gumbleton there to present him the key to the city?)
bac!< to -taken Chicago' Cardinal Joseph
enumerates its as drafting
a just w:::1rld cYder; (3) of conscience; letter's
3
version – shows Bishop Gumbleton seated at his side, rights" in the Church. Bishop Gumbleton then admira-
smiling like a Cheshire cat. And why not? After all, the bly condemns the absolute poverty of millions around
outlook of Church and state found in that document re- the world as "so degrading as to insult human dignity,"
(closely places) the never abortions equally
reai inc!ictment of bishops from their
tion of him (Gumbieton) to that all-important conHnittee
in the first place, for that selection was long after Though Thomas Gumbleton is the big newsmaker
his widely-publicized, near-treasonous "surrender" over at Pax Christi, his colleagues are of a
(I say near-treasonous since, . Pax preiates part of a
treason only treason wr,en the some dinner of extremis:s in the
state of war.) Seattle's Archbishop
Bishop Leroy Matthieson of Amarillo, Texas; and
Bishop Gumbleton's radicalism is not confined to his Bishop Sullivan (Richmond, Virginia) are the
devotion to disarmament t~o mere flirtation, his long- leading headline grabbers. The visitor to these men's
taking controversial dioceses should surprised to . – amid the
issue is a bordering on obsession. Eixhortations to drop U.S. defenses – lit!
with anti-war preaching U.S. and the against in the
ment in Vietnam in the 960's, he has a for radi- including tr1e push for homosexual " " Arch-
calism is tough to top. His remarks on Latin bishop Hunthausen's Seattle archdiocese, for exam-
America have given vocal aid and comfort to the Marx- ple, is one of th9 nation's leaders in the promotion cf
subversives El Salvador, he denies t::hrist-denyinQ Masses."
awareness of in Communist Cuba. (I
sume he thinks the Cuban "boat people" were on a The best-known foreign member of Pax Christi is
pleasure cruise.) Brazil's "Red Bishop," Dom Helder Camara. He is
known as a subversive in his own country for his es-
be just as of synthesizing Marxism Catholicism
social religious theo'o9y." Dom Helder' speech for
a meeting RENEW – !nternationa.1 during the .'s Second ..,v,A,,u.,
ciliar program for so-called "spiritual renewal" – in Session on Disarmament is featured in a packet avail-
Toledo, Ohio, the Michigan firebrand eccles- able from Pax Christi USA a contribution of only
iastical of the Mansour Affair as injustice." $2.50 … tax-deductible, of course).
Na.s the case involving (now Miss)
Mansour, former Mercy who mentioned previously, Christi is a
Detroit's Conc!i:ar Archbist1op Edmund co-vvcncer with other pacifist/radica! organizations
over her insistence that permitted to continue in within outside the New Church. Conciliar
her position as director Michigan Department of group I've already alluded to is RENEW; another is the
Social Services, a jo~ that includes the allocs+ion of Marykroll Order ..h,n "educational tool" utilized at Pa~{
funding contendec presentarions the film
opposed" H'Jortion, p1actice :· produced fv1aryknolL the two
empty phrase, equivalent to some bureaucrat in Nazi (Pax Christi Maryknoll) were among the sponsors
Germany alleging to be "personally opposed" to the of last year's Catholic Disarmament Assembly held in
gassing of Jews but signing papers to fund New York. Other "Catholic" groups involved included:
" If Catholic Law had of Brotr1ers Sisters
she would been exr:;omrnunicated for and E3enedictin.es
abortions; Conciliar Mission i,ssociation; f\J,qtional
Law" held sway, she was given the choice of remain- Assembly of Women Religious; Catholic Peace Fel-
ing a religious (so to speak) or keeping secular job. lowship; The Catholic Worker; Jesuit Office, New York;
She opted for the latter. But even this slap on the hand Dominican Fathers and Brothers: Dominican Sisters of
(nuch for Gumbleton, says Poor; Network, Social
"was with you'd listing of sprinsoring
to l1ave within Church structures,'' tnat she did nor
receive "the minimum process we expect The nuciear freeze movement's ties with international
from civil society." (Did, I the unborn, murdered Communism are well documented and appeared
stroke her pen, due and One of
This, &·gues, is but Called Peace: The Soviet
;p;1omen, a detaileci look at the rnovement
4
by Western Goals, a non-profit foundation with the ad- served, that the American nuclear arsenal was never
mirable stated purpose of working " … to rebuild and used after Hiroshima/Nagasaki, despite the fact that
strengthen the political, economic, and social structure we were the only country capable of "delivering the
of the United States and Western Civilization so as to goods" for more than a decade – strange tactics for one
make any merger with totalitarians impossible." The bent on commencing an arms race or intimidating
World Peace Council (WPC) is identified as "the major neighbors). The consensus of those assembled was
Soviet-controlled front group," that operates "under that we are to blame precisely because we refuse to
the joint control of the International Department of the see the "good intentions" of the peaceloving USSR,
Central Committee of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and the but continue to cling to the "myth" of a Communist
KGB." The American branch of the WPC is the United threat. Echoing Manuilski's pledge of the "most spec-
States Peace Council (USPC). "Pax Christi," notes The tacular peace movement on record," the meeting's
War Called Peace, " … has had members participating Civil Disobedience task force promised to "build for the
in WPC disarmament activities." largest outpouring of disarmament sentiment this na-
tion, and possibly the world, has ever seen."
Halloween 1981 was an appropriate date for the
Second Special Session on Disarmament's organizing This philosophy, that it's permissible to work with the
meeting, held at Riverside Church in New York City. forces of Communism to solve the problems of the nu-
Reverend William Sloan Coffin, pastor at Riverside, is clear age, is held by Pax Christi International as fer-
truly a world class leftist whose interests seem to ex- vently as by its U.S. branch. It has attended "peace"
tend into every facet of the "New Theology" (he was conferences in East Germany and other Iron Curtain
one of the three radical ministers – Reverend William nations which were sponsored by Communist disarm-
Howard and Bishop Gumbleton were his companions – ament organizations and presided over by leaders like
selected by President Carter to visit the American Patriarch Pimen of the Russian Orthodox Church in
hostages in Iran). The meeting was an extravaganza Moscow. What the great Cardinal Mindszenty once
that was attended, notes The War Called Peace, "by said about the "religious"leaders of his native Hungary
nearly 200 representatives from 72 groups, including applies to those in other Communist lands also: "The
the Communist Party, U.S.A. (CPUSA); the U.S. Peace regime decides who is to occupy ecclesiastical posi-
Council (USPC); the Trotskyite Communist Socialist tions and for how long. Furthermore, the regime also
Workers Party (SWP); the U.S. Section of the Brussels- decides what persons the bishops will be allowed to
based Fourth International; Workers World Party consecrate as priests." It goes without saying that the
(WWP), a strident supporter of Cuba, North Korea and "peace priests" and "bearded bishops," as the late
Soviet-supported revolutionary terrorist groups that cardinal described them, will be only those amicable to
has earned a reputation for street confrontations with and willing to teach from the "Christian Marxist" cate-
police; the WWP-controlled People's Anti-War Move- chism. Some, such as Patriarch Pimen, are K.G.B. (or
ment (PAM); the Coalition for a People's Alternative its equivalent) agents. Yet we find Monsignor Bruce
(CPA), a revolutionary "party-building" formation in- Kent of Great Britain's Pax Christi sending a greeting to
cluding the Castroite Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP) the 1980 World Peace Council's World Congress in
and American Indian Movement (AIM) … ; Vieques Sofia, Bulgaria and, five years before that, Bishop
Support Network, that backs PSP causes aimed at Gumbleton was a sponsor of the same Communist
making Puerto Rico the next Cuba in the Caribbean; front's U.S. Tour. The only question in my mind is how
All-African People's Revolutionary Party (AAPRP); and professed Catholics can sit across the table from WPC-
the National Lawyer's Guild (NLG)." The United Na- types and not know that they are face-to-face with their
tions sent a delegate, and representatives from the sworn enemies. Or perhaps they do know. Although
following religious communities attended: Muslim, the Church has always condemned collaboration with
Jewish, Lutheran, Church of Christ, Presbyterian and those who would destroy her, those leaders mentioned
"Catholic," as well as "ecumenists" and Riverside's above seem ready to jump into such situations with
own Church Disarmament Program. Inevitably, Pax both feet. Can they really be that innocent? I like to
Christi was involved at the Session. avoid using worn cliches as much as possible, but in
light of Pax Christi's willing assistance to world Com-
Certainly this shows a great deal about where the senti- munism, I find myself thinking, "with friends like
ments of Pax Christi lie. The get-together was every- these … "
thing you'd imagine a reunion of Communistic factions
to be: a public flagellation of U.S. defense and an abso- The Bishop's "Prophetic" Peace Pastoral
lution of Soviet aggression. The blame for the "arms and Pax Christi
race" was placed squarely on the doorstep of the Archbishop Philip Hannan (New Orleans) was fighting
United States (funny, as President Reagan has ob- a losing battle and he knew it. Down on the floor of the
5 "Pax Christi" continued on page 8
THE WANDERER and THE REMNANT:
The Conservative \Ving of the American Conciliar Church
– Fr. Francis E
Of the numerous religious newsletters, Communists or his failure to
and magazines which are received in our TCi\. office in the most forthnght terms the abominable practice
in the course of a month, there are perhaps a dozen \vholesale granting of marriage annulments, a
or so which I quite thoroughly from beginning number of them contrary to divine law, by various
to end of each issue. Since I have long since ceased to dioceses in this country – all of this relating to John
most of the publications associated with the and much more of the same, is practically ig-
Conciliar Church, practically of those to which I nored in the pages of The Wanderer and, in The Rem-
refer are traditional Roman Catholic nant, is generally with much less
There are, , two newspapers which I complete forthrightness these
ly read are neither traditional in ters demand. a strong case
strict term nor Roman made by some Catholic writers
cause with the Concilia: Holiness" is not pontiff at all, neither
Those two publications are The Wanderer two publications discussion has ever, to my
Remnant. Perhaps they are best described as conserva- knowledge, presented to the consideration of its read-
tive "Catholic" publications. ership the reasons why an increasing number of tra-
take that position. The Wanderer ignores
Both The Wanderer and are different in the issue; The Remnant beclouds or ridicules it.
many respects from just about all other publications
of national allied with the As for the bishops of the Conciliar
Church. contain much fine Church, since been discussed in a
which no Roman Catholic of past issues there is no
ably take And therein lies the into that here. Suffice
contention of the readers of that they are a as any honest and
tions are traditional, or at least individual a body, they bear no
inclined, and think that are Roman Cath- semblance to genuine Roman Catholic prelates – and,
olic if they concur with the stance of these publica- course, they are not. From a regular reading of The
in relation to the Church. This is particularly and The Remnant, however, worst one
true of the readers of The so many of whom conclude regarding these bishops is that they
consider themselves to traditional Roman Cath- are and/ or uninformed individuals who just
olics even though they are not so in fact, Nor are happen to lack the knowledge and/ or the courage to
they such so long as cor:npre– stand up for country and morality
hension Catholicism is freedom. They are to the Church
Remnant. are more and more aiding and abetting
sworn enemies and country, yes,
Take, for treatment by the n.vo really mean Rather does it
cations in question of current occupant ot the more sense to me at this stage to conclude that at
papal throne. One not otherwise informed on the least some of these American Conciliar Church bish-
record would never suspect ops know they're about and
reading that he may be are conscious and destroyers of
other as being, while man Catholic of the USA. Could
nant does the most part, that some Freemasons or
occasional criticism of him. His heretical statements nists? I believe it could well be. Indeed, those known
and actions over the past few years; presiding over to be Masons or Communists could hardly do the
most rampant heresy in Conciliar Church job more effectively. In any case, it must surely make
and his failure to take any decisive action to punish more sense to The Wanderer The Remnant that
the culprits; his appointment scores of bishops in there are enemy agents among the hierarchy of the
this country and throughout the world who just Conciliar Church rather than the assumption that
pen to be, invariably, of the "liberal," the more than of that hierarchy
persuasion, some of them, I have weak and/ or men. If so, I do not
6
ever seeing so much as a of in either publi- Because they are conservative and because much of
cation. their content (markedly applicable to The Remnant) is
of a traditional nature, countless individuals suppose
that their is solidly Roman Catholic
And then matter of the true they find themselves agreement with the
service. The Wanderer of these two relative to the
accepts unreservedly since Church. In although the resemblance
appears criticizing it as such, much con- Roman Catholic
demning it. The Remnant, while highly critical of the is today, except m some externals, almost nonex-
many "abuses" associated with the Novus Ordo and istent, the people to whom I refer are, in general,
while even finding much fault with the service itself, either unaware of or indifferent to this most funda-
has nonetheless never condemned it nor urged its mental matter because The Wanderer and The
readership not to attend this false form of worship. Remnant assure them, at least by implication,
No rightly informed, truly traditional Roman Catho- that there is no problem here. Indeed, it is my strong
lic, however, anything whatsoever conviction in particular,
with either Ordo or with any its allegiance Conciliar Church, does
Conciliar harm to the cause authentic traditional
cism than any publication on the
As has so stated in the pages scene. At least a majority of its readers, after a
letter, the "ecumenical" Conciliar Church is simply steady diet of The Remnant treatment, are, in my
not the Roman Catholic Church. Once this premise opinion, more or less totally neutralized and actually
is accepted, then all of the abominations and immo- believe that they are truly traditional Roman Cath-
ralities associated with it, and which so many of its olics. how can a person be a member of the Con-
bishops and priests condone or encourage, and in ciliar Church and be a Roman Catholic at all? And,
which a number of them are participants – and about Paul II is the undisputed head of the non-
which the "Holy does little or nothing – all of how can he be a
this at make sense if the
Church
And so, however some of
munism; it members to join the be, are all those –
and has in some of its highest echelons; who belong Church non-Catholics,
permits members of its clergy and "religious" who are my mind, I have no doubt traditional
Marxists and self-proclaimed homosexuals and who Catholicism alone is preserved today the totality of
fundamental doctrines of divine revelation to the historic Roman Catholic Faith, pure and unadul-
remain "in good standing"; it brazenly ignores the terated. The Conciliar Church is no more the One,
and teaching of the true Church on the matter Church than, say, Hinduism – it is with
of sex education; its American bishops openly play that Church that The W/anderer and The Remnant are
into the of Communist conspirators allied, their and quasi-traditionalisrn
their declarations nuclear weapons; so notwithstanding.
on. And yet and The Remnant
believe abhorrent Conciliar Church is
Roman Church, the Mystical
Christ? And The Remnant continues to urge its
readers to petition the Vatican and various Conciliar ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
Church this, that or the – with
nothing of course, to shmv
RENEWALS
The date on address label indicates
But, one may view of the scores of " the month year which the recipient's
leftist and pro-Communist publications aligned subscription is due for renewal. the proper
with the Conciliar Church, why this denunciation of time, a subscription envelope be enclosed
The Wanderer and The Remnant? Even though they with the newsletter. One may enter a new sub-
clearly profess their affiliation with the Conciliar scription at any time, of course, will then
Church, are not they at conservative periodicals receive the eight following newsletter issues.
and, to some traditionally oriented, especially
the latter and it is, again,
ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
this reason, are singled out
7
"Pax Christi" continued from page 5
National Bishops' Conference last spring, he was To my thinking, the author hits upon one of life's great-
doing everything he could to a degree of sanity est ironies: for the pacifists to exist thrive – much
into proceedings but no one was listening. Dubbed iess together to work out a refined and rarified
by Time as "most persistent conservative ideology – witr1out and sacrifices of the mi!-
meeting, Hannan – a chaplain itary to is impossible (there
II – warned "I don't think you pacifists in the those few are
you're all, not having non-entities);
You're enemy in if you warmonger the very ones who
nuclear weapons we have." In a press conferance a debt of gratitude for protecting their life and liberty.
after his return to his diocese, he elaborated, saying:
"The bishops don't know anything about weaponry This militant pacifism is very much in line with that of
yet they're making statements about it." Although Pax Christi. Also consistent is the in the pastoral
disappointed by the Chicago Archbishop letter a "halt" to new arms negotia-
Hannan must be heartened that his office with Pax Christi's urging of a nuclear freeze. The
bishops had of trouble making
favor of my stand." minds as to phrase this
position was also tion (under tl1e Promoting
while, the term favored, but the
changed to " final draft
"The Peace: God's tence in "We support
Response" (the official of the pastoral letter) has verifiable agreements the testing, pro-
been nothing if not controversial. the surrenderists, deployment of new systems.") But
it is seen as an almost prophetic statement, "a voice of mean the same as does if we
one crying in the desert," a vindication. Interestingly, beiieve National Council of Bishop's
military leaders with backgrounds have Archbishop John to the
as enthusiastic in same question: "That's That's absolutely right!"
of them is
general in the Christi
Agency Disarmament
High Frontier (a tional Counc:i
;cmd a member of the arms " "mistake,"
of Catholics for a One difficulty an "injustice") and its on lives ("the
in letter, according to an article he wrote recently, waste involved in the overdeve!opment of military de-
"is its failure to distinguisl1 between those ele- their cost alone armaments kill the poor by
ments in it which constitute long-held moral them to starve"), the its view.
principles of the Catholic the bishops' · of life in the nuclear the Declaration
own more or less private theological conclusi0ns suggests, leave us no alternative to search "to find
reached attempting to apply a new system, new methods
realities at hand." enable us to
of humanity."
race which
'li"1e Gospels and urges "new
Jesus a condemnation of violence, and it in the world.''
praises these individuals for "courageous"
pacifisrrL piaces pacifists on The "new
moral men who have U.S. Bishops
t1ave laid down ready examined the
for world order" the promotion
schemes as the World Peace ultimately, the
Nowhere in the document is it made clear that Nations as a world government best able to
pacifists fly in the face of Just tradition of bring about such an "order." the purely
the Church, and that those the country in view that the nations of must rely
its armed forces in fact are fulfilling a solemn more on one another; that they must become
moral obligation, i.e., to contribute to "interdependent." In turn, the bishops write (also in the
(comrnon a society whose section "On
they We support,
8
world, political and economic policies designed placate their more conservative members by making
to human and to the hu- appeals the true in to their error
man of every person, especially least of an aura ortho,joxy.
us. In this regard, we call for the establishment of
some form of global authority adequate to the '"Peace, Peace'.,. Though There
needs the international common No Peace"
Whether or not they mean lhe United Nations is to Tr,e parallel of this quotation from the O!d Testament
serve as the groundwork for the "global authority" isn't (Jeremiah 8:1 i) with the Pax Christi movement is, I
spelled out although, based on the near-unanimous believe, obvious. By eagerly joining with Communist
support the U.N. U.S. bisr1ops (knrnN any of them fronts as the and USPC, lose
who dissents?), plus its enthusiastic endorsement from credibility they might have as a "Catholic Peace Move-
every post-Conciliar pontiff, it would seem well within ment." It is irrelevant to the question being considered
the bounds of possibility. Connected with this outl'.'Yok as to whether individual Pax Christi members are co!·
the implication by Christi "for estimated such groups of ignornJ1 ce or
cost of the MX missile program alone, 50 million mal- (certainly many grassroots members are ignorant of
nourished children in developing countries could be the nature of fronts just as certainly, many
adequately fed, 65,000 health care centers iHaders been aware the
340,000 primary schools could built." And the U these yet continue – whatever reason ·
bishops are on the same wavelength. "The next work with them). The reason it is irrelevant is – to go
'Peace and Justice' (pastoral) on the bishops' agenda," back to an earlier distinction – simply because trying to
notes Father Anthony Cekada in the June issue of The mconci!e Christian notion of peace the false
F/oman Catholic, "wii! 'redirecting human resources p,3ace of Communists is as futile as att!:.'m1pting
to human needs of our citizens and the poor of the mix water and oil … no matter how hard one tries to mix
globe.' Translation: raising taxes on the money you've the two substances and regardless of the good inten-
earned giving to someone " (A tions of would-be mixer, it be done
Income is being considered the U.
imagine twice as much of our tax dollars going to per- And that's the whole point: Pax Christi doesn't know
petuate Bolshevism in Russia, to procure abor- what it's talking about. does It takes its pro-
tions in and the proppin~:i up of anti- from the pacifists,
Christian, anti-American regimes around as darling, Dr. Helen
says the U.S., not the U.S.S.R., is the nation that is the
I would like to close this section much as I began it by greatest threat to world peace), as from Church
quoting leader, sources does quote Pope Paul II then, he
matter of pastoral letter. muci1 pro-United Nations ·which – wr:ether
Register recently talked with Major James F. Kealey, knows it or not – is the largest Communist front in the
whom it identified as "a Catho!ic with i 3 years Jesuit worid!). Pax Christi endangers the world in direct
E,ducation under militarv the that viewpoint
the U.S. chairman oi' the Strategic Arms :~eduction by the sha.:;ers of public policy. In the next several
Talks." "I take very seriously," Major Kealey the paragraphs I will identify a number of danger areas of
Register, "v.-hat each and every one (of tie bishops) thougllt that are underlying current and that spill ever
But, having that, I find it on into the pastoral.
responsible say, a Father Frank Winters (anotller
pacifist) or a Bishop Gumbleton or some of the others ALL-OUT NUCLEAR WAR WOULD ANNIHI-
to preface their personal opinions with
Church be to to this an Personally
personai opinions. But I it irresponsible that they're speak here only myself, other newsletter staff mem-
not labeled as such." The major could save himself bers possibly having other views on subject), I find
worry he only v1ould use this difficult imagine conditions which full-sca!e,
when comments from '"""'"'"\?, empty-ali··rnissile-siios-type nuclear war be
Gumbleton and friends and from New Church in garded as moral. I can even agree a point made
general: if the topic in question is of the infallible by the bishops' letter, if taken out of its questionable
teaching the Catholic Churct1. is open context – is trut!1 wherever found – that point
debate if it is of the modernir~t malarkey tl·:at "no defensive strategy, or tY\Cl\/ClnT!n
the "new magisterium," one is obliged to hold it as re- which exceeds the limits proportionality is morally
vealed truth in its entirety. At least that's what much of permissible." Unlike the innovative theology found
the Conciliar Churcl1 moving towards, though eisewhere in this this back to one of the
9
bases of the Just War Theory – the Principle of Double "socio-economic, political, and cultural-ideological" – a
Effect. That principle states, as described by the pro- strange omission for a "Catholic" peace movement.
life leader Father Charles Fiore, O.P., "that under cer-
tain circumstances an action may be performed even (3) A BILATERAL, VERIFIABLE NUCLEAR ARMS
though it is forseen that one of its effects will be either a FREEZE. One of the most dangerous of all proposi-
physical or moral evil." Four conditions must be met to tions to be outlined and yet, seemingly, the most inno-
justify the act. The first is that such an action cannot, of cent. It is based on two equally false assumptions: first,
itself, be immoral and, skipping over to the fourth (since that the U.S. is as much a threat to peace as the
that is what is involved with the notion of proportional- U.S.S.R. and therefore as guilty of inciting the "arms
ity), that "the good effect must be sufficiently beneficial race"; and second, that the Soviet government can be
to compensate for the permitting of the bad effect." No trusted. I have already covered the first assumption in
sane person longs to gaze upon the nightmare land- the text above, so I'll go on to the second. As also
scapes strewn with the incinerated remains of neigh- stated above, the Soviets have an abysmal record
bors and loved ones, and do so knowing that this dead when it comes to compliance with arms control trea-
hull was once a thriving city. But in spite of the real ties. Freeze groups tell us that the Communists have
capacity for terror, claims of "annihilation" (found so finally come to a realization of the need for world
often in the literature of Pax Christi and other related peace, and have made an eleventh hour conversion (if
groups) do not hold up under the light of dispassionate such is the case, someone should tell the people of Af-
scrutiny. Even the worst possible scenario, i.e., an un- ghanistan, Poland, and Russia itself, since they haven't
expected nuclear strike giving a city no time for evacu- been told). No, the successors of Lenin still subscribe
ation and to take cover, doesn't warrant the exagger- to the article of his Credo that reads "Promises are like
ated doom and gloom picture of a dead planet painted pie crusts – made to be broken." It is a disturbing after-
by the professional scare-mongers. No reputable math of the bishops' pastoral to learn that Defense Sec-
scientist with any expertise in this field has ever offered retary Caspar Weinberger says it is "consistent" with
so dark a view, yet Pax Christi has no qualms about of- Administration policy to work for a freeze – after
fering it, and is thus guilty of irresponsibly spreading "parity" of arms is reached. The U.S.S.R. has always
unjustifiable rumors and fear. refused to allow on-site inspections, a land whose bor-
ders encompass an area twice as large as that of the
(2) MORE MONEY FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS, LESS U.S. What Pax Christi, the American bishops and the
FOR DEFENSE. In a section of Pax Christi's Declara- U.S. government all deny is the most obvious of obser-
tion on Disarmament and Security entitled "Character- vations: that as long as the sky is blue and the grass is
istics of This New Way of Thinking and Approach," it is green; as long as babies cry and nightingales sing; just
stated that "there should be a search for … initiatives to as long will the committed Communist continue to lie.
diminish the military-strategic elements of security in
our societies, and to improve the socio-economic, (4) THE PUSH FOR A "NEW WORLD ORDER."
political and cultural-ideological elements." Here they Fifty-three years ago, Pope Benedict XV warned the
beg the question, since it is not so much a case of faithful of subversive moves for world government
either/or but, rather, both/and. This is to say that so- "longed for, and confidently expected, by all the worst
ciety has several components, all needed for its prop- and most distorted elements." This would be a god-
erly ordered working, and a drive to divide them into less, communistic regime reigning over the planet with
warring factions, as such proposals tend to do, has a a merciless iron fist of "unheard-of-terror." The spectre
detrimental effect on the whole. Indeed, it's reasonable of nuclear Armageddon has moved many to turn to this
to hope for improved economic conditions or better idea of a community of nations (even with Communists
social structures in a given nation and to work accord- controlling). How naive! Red insurgents in Zimbabwe
ingly but there can be none of this without a climate of pull an infant from its mother's arms and, after lopping
freedom and security, and this, in turn, is possible only off its four limbs, begin tossing and kicking the twitch-
by means of a vigilant guarding of citizens – and society ing body in a game of macabre football, before the
itself – from those enemies that would try to attack from mother's helpless and horrified gaze. This scene can
within and without. Can we really consider cutting back be projected to countries all over the earth, and multi- ·
defense outlays in the U.S. budget in favor of more so- plied literally by the millions. Such is life – and death –
cial (or "entitlement") programs? Hardly. The 1983 wherever the poison of Marxism is injected directly into
budget is now spending nearly $2.00 in welfare-ori- the body politic. Nuclear death is only one of many
ented funding for every dollar spent on the military. gruesome ways to die, and torture has been refined to
One last point: conspicuously absent, in the Pax Christi an art form by people who are consciously evil. When
passage quoted above, is any mention of religion as an the anti-war protestors helped Vietnam fall nearly a
"element" of society worthy to be considered with the decade ago, refugees in their tiny crafts managed to
10
flee to America; if the protesters are successful this
time, where are we to go? The point is made in a some-
The Church Before the Bible
what different fashion by writer Walter Berns, in his Christ never commanded His Apostles and disciples
"The New Pacifism and World Government," which to write anything. Yes, the Bible is the most precious
appeared in the 27th issue of National Review. His in the world and is one of the two sources
description of this "new 11vorld order" notes: "This divine revelation, the other being tradition. But the
universal and homogeneous state will differ from the Church antedates or predates the complete Bible by
Soviet Union in only one important respect: there will some 3V2 centuries. It is the Church then – the
be no escape from it." (emphasis added.) Roman Catholic Church – which is the ultimate
authority on divine revelation as contained in
Where does this !t~ave Pope John Paul II and the "new The interpretation of the is
Rome"? Squarely in the middle, it seems. To begin just that: the personal opinion of the individual
with, John Paul II has gotten in the habit of honoring the -hardly a sound basis for determining the eternal, un-
Pax Christi-sponsored World Day of Peace each year changeable revealed truths of Almighty God. How
with special On of that, true indeed words of one the most
nothing to public his dissatisfaction – 19th century ccinverts to Roman
he is dissatisfied – over Joseph John Cardinal r,Jewman: o
inger's political remarks praising the U bishops' let- deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant." 0
ter for having "the courage to confront (governmen~
policy squarely." Cardinal Ratzinger's statements
suggest this is the of the "new Dria"'·.,'•/
Ii
dt~ ',;
.,,I
on the since he, as prefect of the
gregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is one of its very
highest officials. the Rosary
In final
by its own
Dair\, j
has consislently rubbed
with some of the worst mass murderers, refused to
] oy i\Jrddst Adcuersity
speak out against them (indeed, it encourages us to be Any Catholic who has a real and strong faith and
"receptive" to disarmament proposals by "the who firmly believes in goodness and mercy of
Blshop knew firsthanc: be joyful even under
under the totalitar for such person has
concentratiu:1 camp.) l\Jmighty God bring forth in
cism fellow bisr1ops who failed to warn their good time. It is a contradiction that any genuine fol-
flocks of the coming danger, and his own commitment lower Christ become discouraged and lose heart
to warn them, is not unlike the situation we have today hecause of the sufferings which are his. The servant is
who out – or refus0 speak out – than }\;faster Master
ever-growing ffii.~nace of Communisrn, ' nd died
not wish," insisted Bishop Theas, "to be a aog that
does not When danger comes, I that is my , we Catholics should be always,
duty. Silence would be a betrayal." arising from conviction this short
merely a of probati~n trial
Thomas /le once happiness i God's Kingdom
hope for c:s peace, awaits who remaic faithful. We
apropos to our situation We must choose be- olics should cultivate an abiding spirit of as our
tween living peace that is Jesus Christ or a bleak Christian duty, a joy which is beyond the world and
and lifeless one offered us the world. However de- the hardness of circumstances as was of our di-
individuai of P2.x may b·,, for vine Model, He could say beloved
kind, it f:,grettably, for which the eve crucifixion: of good
are spending "It is on2 tt1ing," wrote overcome the world!". whenever we
great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine, "to see the to become sad and depressed, Christ's words of en-
land of peace from a ridge. . . another to couragement to His Apostles at the Last Supper
tread the road that !eads to it." In the case of Pax should renew in us a joyful spirit: ",,. you have sor-
it is an to see forest for the rmv now, but I your heart
0 and your no one take from you,"
11
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