We All Need the Courage of Don Camillo!

When I was a child I read all the books in The Little World of Don Camillo series set in Italy after World War II. Don Camillo, the fictional priest of the fictional village of Boscaccio on the Po river is a foil to Peppone, the Communist mayor of the town. Don Camillo and Peppone often fight as you can see from this clip.

While they often fought, however, they also often worked together against injustice.

Think of that -- a Catholic priest and a communist working together.

I see that as ironic, when today so often Catholics who believe the same thing are fighting with each other instead of fighting together against evil. A sad example is the battle where traditional Catholics attack other traditional Catholics who attend SSPX chapels tarring them with the false accusation of "schism." 

I'm in the middle of that myself right now, and, sad to say, I've seen people lose friends over it, myself included. 

What a stupid and unnecessary fight. Some appear to see the traditional community as a pie that one doesn't want to share. "Hey, you can't have that piece; it's mine!"  

I challenge them to recognize that the call to tradition is unlimited like the little pool that bubbled up at Lourdes and still flows today or the river gushing from the temple in the book of Ezekiel that grows wider and wider. 

There are so many souls out there to bring to Christ. If we do the work of God well, we can fill every Catholic church in the world to overflowing even without the help of the pope and his clones. We don't have to be in competition with each other.

People who see the SSPX as a threat, while they enjoy their temporary oasis at a diocesan TLM are sadly delusional. The pope and his cohorts are determined to ban the TLM everywhere. Oh, they are taking their time with the FSSP and the other traditional congregations for now, but does anyone realistically think that will last? Look at what Cupich did to the Institute of Christ the King in Chicago. There will come a day when the only traditional Latin Masses will be in SSPX and independent chapels or being said by independent traveling priests. You can bet the farm on it.

The fighting needs to stop! "Come and see," should be our rallying cry. Come and see what God has done and is doing. Fill up the churches. Call to all the people everywhere who love the Lord and want to give him the greatest honor represented by the Mass of the Ages. How can it be anathema, the Mass that made so many saints and inspired the sacrifice of so many martyrs? The harvest is plentiful. Can there be too many harvesters? Stop taking the sickles to each other. Go out threshing and gather the wheat together!

We would do well to imitate Don Camillo who would work with Peppone when circumstances called for it. Can not we, who share belief in the same doctrine and tradition, not work together as well as a Catholic and a Communist?

Perhaps the ability to work with Peppone came from the wonderful relationship Don Camillo had with the Lord who often spoke to him from the crucifix. Don Camillo never fled from controversy and he refused to be cowed by the Catholic commies who couldn't decide whether to make the sign of the cross or ridicule Christ's bearer. 

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas we can hardly give Jesus a better gift than to pledge ourselves to hold our ground standing firmly in the faith! And what a particularly wonderful blessing if we stand firmly shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters, fellow traditional Catholics. We all love the Lord. Can we not do a better job of loving one another and all the priests who lead us?

What a Christmas gift that would be to Baby Jesus in the manger. 

May Jesus Christ be praised!