San Jose Bishop McGrath Denounced for Heresy by Local Area Priest

St. Joseph's Men Society ^ | February 2004 | Ken Malone

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

On Sunday, Feb. 22, 2004, Rev. Daniel Cooper, pastor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Los Gatos, CA, denounced Bishop Patrick McGrath for heresy. The priest was responding to a stand taken by the bishop against the historical truth of the four Gospels

Bishop McGrath wrote the heretical comments as part of an op-ed piece which appeared in the February 1st edition of the San Jose Mercury News. The newspaper also recently featured a number of by-line pieces linking The Passion of the Christ and Mel Gibson to charges of anti-Semitism. Under the title "Its Just a Movie", Bishop McGrath states:

"While the primary source material of the film is attributed to the four gospels, these sacred books are not historical accounts of the historical events that they narrate. They are theological reflections upon the events that form the core of Christian faith and belief."

Father Cooper said the bishop had contradicted official teachings of the church and thereby committed heresy. "Non-Catholic Christians will look down on us" he noted, "since our common thread has always been a belief in the Gospels." Presumably, the priest’s position was taken from church documents such as the Syllabus of Errors and Dei Verbum, Vatican II.

"Holy Mother Church has firmly and with absolute constancy held, and continues to hold, that the four Gospels just named, whose historical character the Church unhesitatingly asserts, faithfully hand on what Jesus Christ, while living among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation until the day He was taken up into heaven." Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum 19. Promulgated in 1965.

The Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office at the command of Pope St. Pius X issued the Syllabus of Errors condemning the errors of the Modernists on July 3, 1907 which officially CONDEMNED 65 modernist propositions including #16 "The narrations of John are not properly history, but a mystical contemplation of the Gospel. The discourses contained in his Gospel are theological meditations, lacking historical truth concerning the mystery of salvation." (See also #3,16,29 and 36) etc. Promulgated in 1864.

"I was surprised to hear him take the position he did, but then, how many holy priests do I really know" said one eye witness. "For a supposed schismatic, he was pretty true to the Gospels."

Father Cooper’s chapel is located in the St. Aloysius Retreat Center at 101 Bear Creek Road, Los Gatos, CA within the Diocese of San Jose which is headed by Bishop McGrath. St. Aloysius is operated by the Society of St. Pius X, the largest organization within the Catholic traditionalist movement. Catholic traditionalists, whose number includes Mel Gibson, typically suspend obedience from church office-holders who reject church teachings handed down by their predecessors because of biblical (2 Th 2:15, 1 Co 11:2, Ga 2:11) and various papal injunctions to defend Tradition.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Ping

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

SSPX has become quite outspoken in the past few months. First, the October 2003 protest at Fatima, then the Michigan Buddhists in the sanctuary protest, Bishop Fellay's letter to the Cardinals, and now this. Is the SSPX taking a new approach to combating Modernism in the Church?

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

It is bishops like McGrath, that I cannot bring myself to fault those individuals who seek sanctuary in SSPX. This priest should be applauded for saying what he said. When I first read it, I thought this was an ordinary diocesan priest, but I doubt that even the most orthodox diocesan priest would call his bishop a heretic (a reassignment would be coming rather quickly).

Question of Church Law. Bishop McGrath has showed himself to be a heretic by his words, are priests and laity now free to ignore him, as he is no longer a just orindary?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

I am no expert in canon law but it is my understanding that when a prelate teaches heresy he loses jurisdiction. Of course, this presents a problem for Mahony also.

[B Knotts]

Well, somebody had to say it. I thought the same thing when I read the bishop's column.

[sinkspur]

Is the SSPX taking a new approach to combating Modernism in the Church?

Who cares? They're a sect.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

No kidding. I would just wish the Vatican would crackdown on these heretical prelates and replace them, they are driving so many away.

[undirish01]

Uh-oh! After #6, I see another SSPX blogging meltdown!

[B Knotts]

Who cares?

We should all care. We should pray for their return to the Church.

They're a sect.

Perhaps, but what is Bishop McGrath? His own "sect?"

[B Knotts]

I don't understand.

I'm not SSPX. Not at all.

[sinkspur]

We should pray for their return to the Church.

They are free to return to the Church any time. They are not going to return to the Church, until the Church agrees to scrap the Mass of Paul VI.

McGrath's statement is wrong, of course, but not completely. There can be no doubt that each gospel was written some years after the occurrences described, and that each was written from a particular perspective. So, the fact that an event, such as the Last Supper, occurred is incontrovertible, but whether each and every last word was spoken as recounted has to take into consideration the particular purpose of the Gospel and the fact that the Gospel developed between the time of Christ and the time of its writing.

[rogator]

Sounds to me like San Jose has joined the many American dioceses without a Catholic bishop. What a profound trajedy.

[narses]

"Who cares? They're a sect."

They are a sect DEFENDING authentic Roman Catholic Dogma against heretical hierarchs. When the limp wristed criminals who have infested the hierarchy return to tradition, then you may have a point, "deacon".

BTW, have you read NYer's exposure of the limp wristed criminals in charge of her diocese? Their DELIBERATE use of INVALID matter to confect false services? Did you?

[narses]

I have attended both the NO and "Indult" available here, I will no longer until the criminal abusers leave the hierarchy. The SSPX priests are validly ordained Roman Catholic priests. Their bishops are in the Apostolic succession. Unlike the criminal class running the modernist AmChurch, they preach the Gospel and they live the Gospel. They are FAR more Catholic than the heretics running the Diocese I am in and those on the borders. Pray for the heretics to repent, confess and return to Catholicism and the SSPX will be just a footnote in history. Until then they are a lifeboat.

[B Knotts]

I understand and accept their validity, but I also am aware of the illicit nature of their Masses, at least from the perspective of Rome. I generally shy away from getting into the SSPX controversy, in part because I acknowledge as accurate many valid criticisms they make. I still believe the best place to fight for what is right is within the formal Church.

I pray that at some point, a reasonable accomodation can be made that will bring us all back together, as an SSPX within the Church would be a great blessing to those many Catholics who would benefit from completely traditional parishes.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

I came across this little gem recently.

----

IS THE SSPX SCHISMATIC?

The Society is not regarded as schismatic by some of the highest prelates in the Vatican. As proof the letter from the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio in the United States in the name of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (1), Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and a letter from Cardinal Edward Cassidy (2), President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

(1) In Hawaii in May 1991 Bishop Ferrario decided to excommunicate some followers of the Society of St.Pius X for supporting the Society and attending its Masses. Rome declared that the decision "lacks foundation and hence validity". The excommunication was overturned by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on June 28, 1993.
"From the examination of the case, conducted on the basis of the Law of the Church, it did not result that the facts referred to in the above-mentioned Decreee, are formal schismatic acts in the strict sense, as they do not constitute the offence of schism; and therefore the Congregation holds that the Decree of May 1, 1991, lacks foundation and hence validity" (Apostolic Nunciature, Washington DC)

(2) Extract from a reply written on May 3,1994 by Cardinal Edward Casssidy, President of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity,to an inquiry about the status of the Society of St.Pius X
"... Regarding your inquiry (March 25, 1994) I would point out at once that the Directory on Ecumenism is not concerned with the Society of St. Pius X. The situation of the members of this Society is an internal matter of the Catholic Church. The Society is not another Church or Ecclesial Community in the meaning used in the Directory. Of course the Mass and Sacraments administered by the priests of the Society are valid. The Bishops are validly, but not lawfully, consecrated.... I hope this answers your letter satisfactorily."

[rogator]

"I still believe the best place to fight for what is right is within the formal Church."

This is a still a defensible statement in our Portland diocese, but I can certainly see a need to flee to the spiritual refuge of the SSPX in some regions of the country. Then again, I am not sure that the SSPX is not part of the formal church. I guess it depends where you draw the line.

[sydney smith]

You got that right dude. People that put money into the novus ordo basket each week are basically supporting gutless/weakling(land) bishops. Catholics should give nothing or a dollar each week. Teach these pansies a lesson. The same pansies that tried initially to call "The Passion" anti-semitic(a joke) and are now trying to soften their stance(see Rush Limbaugh's great attack elswhere on Freerepublic). They have to be hit where it hurts them the most, in their $$ bags. That really is all they care about.

[sydney smith]

Sinkspur, can't you find another site? Maybe one called Liberalrepublic.com? I would invite you there post-haste.