The other night I watched, once again, the 1973 film, The Catholics, with Martin Sheen and Trevor Howard. The title was later changed to Conflict.
If you want to understand where we're going, watch the movie.
Brief synopsis: The Latin Mass has almost disappeared after Vatican IV. A group of Irish monks, however, continue to pray the Latin Mass and, to accommodate the crowds, they say it on a mountain that was once the scene of Masses during Cromwell's persecution. After a news broadcast about the Mass, pilgrims head to Ireland from all over the world to attend the Latin Mass which puts the monks on modern Rome's radar screen.
Are you getting the gist of where I'm going?
A young priest (Sheen) comes from Rome charged with bringing the recalcitrant monks into the post Vatican IV fold.
Good grief, you rigid troglodytes, get with the program! Believing in the Real Presence is optional these days, you know, just a symbol. And individual confessions are definitely out! Besides, the superior of the order is meeting at an important ecumenical conference with the Buddhists. You're rocking the boat and endangering the Church of anything goes, any belief works, and who needs God when we're so enlightened? So just bend your knees in obedience and pray the new Mass!
The film is powerful and prophetic. (Spoiler alert!) The abbot (who has lost his faith) agrees to suppress the Mass and faces a monastery in rebellion. At the end, after Sheen leaves to head back to Rome, the monks are angry and confront the abbot. In the final scene, they go into the church with the abbot, who has assured the young modernist priest that his monks will obey him. As we hear the monks praying the Our Father, we are left wondering what happens next.
Like in Arlington!
That's us, folks! But will our priests resist?
Many, perhaps most, of our bishops seem to have lost the faith like the sad abbot. The question is -- what will the faith-filled priests in the Abbey do? How will they respond? Will the last Mass of the Ages on the earth be finally suppressed. Will the abbot really be able to control them through their vow of obedience?
That's the question! The steamroller of suppression is gathering steam. What will happen next?
Under the guise of a false obedience many bishops (Cardinal Cupich for sure) seem eager to lead the flock over the cliff like the herd of pigs in the Gerasene story described in Matthew chapter 8. Jeremiah has a word for them! “'Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!' declares the LORD."
So many of the priests of Arlington have been a gift to the faithful and have stood up to serious challenges. It was the priests who instigated opposition to the so-called Safe Touch sex ed program when Bishop Paul Loverde tried to impose it. They succeeded with the support of the laity.
The question now is whether our priests will organize and just say no to what is happening.
Obedience is a limited virtue. Yes, we owe obedience to lawful authority, but that authority is limited. Parents cannot order an adult child to marry their choice. A boss can't demand his secretary clean his house. No one can order someone to sin. The pope is not a dictator with unlimited authority although the pope of Pachamama and circle spirits seems to think he is. Every word from the mouth of a pope is not infallible. Popes can sin! And they can sin against the flock.
It's time for faithful priests who love God to walk in the footsteps of those holy martyrs of England who risked everything to bring the Mass to the Catholic people in time of persecution. And we laity need to be ready to support them. How many went to death for the crime of allowing Mass to be said in their homes. How many priests died for offering it?
Fr. Hardon used to say, "Raise your children to be martyrs." The persecution is here. That it's coming from our shepherds is tragic, but we are nonetheless called to respond with courage. The Latin Mass was being prayed in 21 locations in Arlington prior to Bishop Burbidge's action on Friday. There are at least 21 priests in that group. Will the bishop really throw a significant percentage of his priests under the bus for resisting an evil and unjust order that oversteps the authority of the pope?
Perhaps he will. I hope we are blessed to have an opportunity to find out.
Please, dear priests of Arlington, resist this evil and continue to give us the Mass!
I heard Ted Flynn on Lepanto say that the freemasons would destroy the Church by obedience. Let's obey sacred scripture and tradition and not false shepherd's
ReplyDeleteAs you know, my favorite movie. I have watched it dozens of times and keep finding something new. I keep telling fellow trads to watch this very accurate prediction of the disastrous outcome of Vatican II which appeared on TV in 1973. Probably earlier than that since it was based on a novel. Last Sunday my hopes were dashed at the cave in of the ICKSP in Chicago. I had high hopes this would mark the start of the "counter revolution" as they say in the movie, the one Sheen told Howard he would start if he banned filming on holy ground. I don't know if the Institute realizes that the scorched earth policy of Cupich will not stop there. Here in Rockford I am sure Francis toady Bishop Malloy will be only too happy to kick out the institute from Rockford as I don't think they own the building like they do in Milwaukee and Chicago. Then its the domino effect oratory by oratory. Catholic family news has given May 2023 as the date when all Ecclesia Dei masses will be eliminated. What is so criminal about this is every week in Rockford many new large young families go to mass there and this Sunday with the cave in Chicago I am sure we will see packed masses on top of the packed masses we already have. Malloy will not stand for that! However, like in the movie where the young priest screams at Sheen as he is taking off in the helecopter (or flying machine as the older monk calls it)"You have not won, we are not giving up, we will never give up" so we will go on. I am already looking into a Thuc ordained priest here in town. Or if I had to the SSPX in Oak park, I hate driving into the city but desperate times call for desperate measures.These young Catholics have had a taste of Real Catholicism in the Latin venue, not just the mass but all the sacraments and I don't think they will go back. Our canon in one sermon even remarked that he would read this mass in peoples living rooms if he had to which I am sure that is what many of the Canons feel, they will not go back either despite the cave of their superiors. Our Lord said sell your cloaks and buy swords. I think its time we clean out our closets folks for the garage sale.
ReplyDeleteI think anonymous is correct. Freemasons have been embedding themselves in the church since the early 1900s. Bugnini the man who destroyed the liturgy is believed to be a Freemason as well as Roncali, or stage name John XXIII
ReplyDeleteSchism: the rejection of legitimate ecclesial authority. Normally we define schism in terms of the "pope", but the papacy is an office, and office that preceeds and succeeds the occupant. The acts of the ordinary, universal Magesterium, which include those of previous, legitimate, popes (we have had 40 some antipopes), are immutable. To reject them, to reject the authority of the papacy, is an act of schism.
ReplyDeleteThis is what has occurred. Vatican II changed the perennial teaching of the Church on the nature of the Church, on Episcopal consecration, on ecumenism, on false religions. In short, it was a schismatic act. Those who place any allegiance to Vatican II are following a schismatic sect.
The way this ends is by physical removal of Bergogio and his clan in Rome. The Macabees destroyed the Selucids who outlawed Jewish circumcision. They didn't pray, or fast, or morn-- they used physically punitive measures to stop the Selucids who wanted to end a most sacred rite to the Jews. That is the only way Bergoglio or his excremental crowd will back down. Never forget that it was Karol Woytyla, supposedly Pope St. John Paul the Great, who gave us Bergoglio while the Jesuit Superior General told Woytyla not make Gordo a Bishop.
ReplyDeleteVia e-mail
ReplyDeleteHello Mary Ann,
Another good column today! Thank you. I don't know of any priests who would challenge the bishop, and proceed with saying the TLM in spite of restrictions. I recall when the fingerprinting issue was front and center, many years ago, for all who had contact with children. At the time, I thought that about 12 - 17 priests would refuse to be fingerprinted. There were only 4, and Bp. Loverde came down hard on them.
Right now, saying the TLM would probably cause Bp. Burbidge to remove their faculties. They would lose everything -- like Frs. Altman and Lovell--including their respective bread and butter. Ours is not an age of courage and fortitude among clergy. Perhaps invoking "prudence" to the extreme! Mostly company men, as Bp. B. seems to be. And when "they" come for us Catholics, bishop and priests will not be examples to emulate as martyrs. There will be precious few priests to show us the way. So, on the one hand.... On the other hand, I can understand the points of view of such diocesan priests. I believe that the SSPX priests are a completely different breed, and I am so grateful for them.
If, as some people predict, the TLM will be completely gone in the USA by May 2023, I think a few Arlington priests might enroll in the SSPX 2-year program for accepting diocesan priests. Some Catholics are going to refuse to be crammed into small spaces in schools and gyms, and surely the fearless, peerless bishops in the USA are going to have fewer dollars in the diocesan treasuries---all the while lamenting the "shortage of priests!"
How "insightful" of Bp. Burbridge to select Sept. 8 for the implementation. The BVM may have a few plans of her own.
I am watching Catholics again myself. I swear every time I watch it I find something new. This time it was the Father General says in response to the Abbot continuing the Latin mass, "He belongs to the old church the church we left behind". Francis has just said that Traditionalist follow a Dead faith, we can not look to the past but always to the future. Again this movie was so prophetic!
ReplyDeleteSedevacantism is logical, coherent and in line with the Magisterium of the Church as well as with the prophecies of dozens of saints from all periods of the Church, including the real St. Francis of Assisi.
ReplyDeleteFake Catholic impostors that at best are arch-heretics and most likely never were Catholics but rather freemasons wearing the skinsuit of clergy, are NOT even Catholic, never mind Popes. Why are Catholics unaware of Cum Ex Apostolato Officio or of Quo Primum?
Sedevacantists are the only actual Catholics left.