Posted on 08/16/2005 8:50:57 AM PDT by Mershon
A FEW THOUGHTS for AUGUST, 2005 By Bishop Richard Williamson
In this year’s May-June issue of the French bi-monthly magazine “Sous la Bannière”, on page 7, there is a most interesting quotation attributed to Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. It reads as follows:
“A source in Austria, preferring to remain anonymous, assures us that Cardinal Ratzinger recently made the following admission to an Austrian bishop who is a friend of his: ‘I have two problems on my conscience: Archbishop Lefebvre and Fatima. As to the latter, my hand was forced. As to the former, I failed’.”
Of course if the “source in Austria” prefers to remain anonymous, we have no means of verifying whether the Cardinal truly said these things about Archbishop Lefebvre and Fatima, but the quotation is at least true to life, so it is worth dwelling on for a few moments.
As for what the Cardinal says about Fatima, we suspected back in June of 2000, when the Vatican – with the Cardinal in the forefront – supposedly released the third Secret, that there was some trickery going on. Either Rome was still hiding the true Secret, the one kept in his room by Pius XII but never looked at, or Rome was revealing the true Secret but twisting its interpretation. Either way, we said to ourselves at that time, Rome was wanting to have done with Fatima, and we saw Cardinal Ratzinger playing a leading part in the manoeuvre. Now comes the quotation from Austria confirming that the Cardinal was indeed taking part in a manoeuvre. Who “forced his hand”? Was it John-Paul II? Some hidden power behind both Pope and Cardinal? God knows.
As for what the quotation says about Archbishop Lefebvre, there too, if the quotation is not true it is certainly true to life. In May of 1988 when Archbishop Lefebvre was threatening to consecrate with or without Rome’s permission bishops for the Society of St. Pius X, it was Cardinal Ratzinger who represented the Holy See in the negotiations meant to head off the “break” that such consecrations would involve. We recall that the Cardinal almost “succeeded” on May 6 when Archbishop Lefebvre signed a draft agreement, but the Cardinal “failed” when the Archbishop after a sleepless night took his signature back on the following day. And now comes the quotation from Austria confirming that the Cardinal still sees the termination of those negotiations as a “failure”.
This confirmation is important as suggesting that the Cardinal will remain, now he is Pope, in the same frame of mind to deal with the Society of St. Pius X in the audience which this August 29 he is due to grant to Archbishop Lefebvre’s successor at the head of the Society, Bishop Bernard Fellay. In other words, it is highly likely both that the present Pope is sincerely convinced that the “break” between the Society and Rome must be brought to an end, and that he will give all the appearances of being of good will when he employs all possible means, including his long experience of Roman diplomacy and all the prestige of his now exalted rank, to bring the “break” to an end.
In fact, a Rome-SSPX agreement seems impossible. And of course if the Society rejoined Rome, the resistance of Catholic Tradition would carry on without it, and if the Pope “converted”, then instead of the gentle war now being waged on his right by Tradition, he would be faced with a savage war being waged on his left by the cabal of neo-modernists. Either way, the war goes on between the friends and the enemies of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But what is important here and now for Catholics who will be following with interest the up-coming meeting between Rome and the Society, is not to fall into any of the traps that the Devil will be setting for them.
Firstly, the fact that the Society is asking to be received in audience by the Holy Father does not mean that it is on the point of betraying. If there is no contact between Tradition and Rome, now will the truth of Tradition ever make itself heard in Rome?
Secondly, there being a contact does not mean that an agreement is possible. Let all the Catholics who dream of fitting together Catholic Tradition and the present neo-modernist authorities of the Church come back down to earth. Catholic Authority and Catholic Truth will one day re-unite, but nothing for the moment indicates that that day is tomorrow – or the day after!
Lastly – and this is the subtlest trap of them all – let nobody think that because the Pope is of good will, therefore he cannot be a neo-modernist, or that because he is a neo-modernist, therefore he cannot be of good will. The present crisis of the Church would be much less grave and would deceive far fewer people if the neo-modernists were obviously of ill will. It is characteristic of these last times that bad principles are so widespread that few people are aware of the fact, and many people do evil convinced that they are doing good. That is why the Cardinal’s quotation is true to life in which he says that his “failure” of 1988 weighs “on his conscience”.
Let us pray to the Mother of God for Benedict XVI to see, above all the need to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart, and if we ourselves can see, let us pray to her that we too not go blind – “He who thinks he stands, let him take care not to fall”, says St. Paul (I Cor X, 12). The times are bad!
And your posts show the true "spirit" of ecumenism ordered by the Second Vatican Council and truly heeding the "seeking out one lost sheep" of Sacred Scripture.
I cannot wait until this reunification takes place. I cannot wait.
We'll see who the true apes will be then... We certainly will.
I hate to say this, but many people that have become anti Traditional such as I Shawn McIlheny and a few posters here seem to fallen into the cult of personality that the papacy of Pope John Paul II(and to be fair this was not his intention) became in its later years. It seems to be the different side of the same coin that many traditionals on the other side have not only become Sedes but even become in effect, almost calvanist puritians(the snide remarks made at traditional Catholic youth at WYD attire)
Dear Mershon,
Hey, I was just trying to offer a little brotherly correction to bornacatholic.
He'd misrepresented a key part of the primary conspiracy theory most commonly posted at FR concerning the "misdeeds" of the Vatican concerning the Third Secret of Fatima.
Unlike some posters around here, bornacatholic cares about those rare occasions when he may misrepresent what others have said, invites brotherly correction, and admits to fault.
You can see that he concedes to my correction in #57.
Would that all posters follow his good example when they are found to have misrepresented others.
;-)
sitetest
Well, it is certainly true to observe I did not engage in false irenecism :)
Btw, your reference to ecumenism is appreciated. Not many self-annointed trads admit the sspx is not in the church. Are you now conceeding Vatican Two is authoritative and binding ?
BTW, I forgot to give you kudos for your response to Bulldog Catholic's post about supposed heresy of the Pope.
Kudos
* I happily proclaim I am in the Cult of Christ. How's 'bout you?
As to Mr. McElhinney, who along with Mr. Vere wrote a piece for the Wanderer called, roughly, why we are traditionalists, he claims to be a traditionalist; so does Mr. Vere.
So, as it appears one becomes a traditionalist by a self-annointing, how does one, such as yourself, gain the authority to claim he isn't a traditionalist?
BTW, any Catholic who maintains the Bonds of Unity in Worship, Doctrine, and Auhtority is axiomatically a traditionalist due to the Doctrine that it is Rome, not a schism or an individual , who defines what is and isn't Tradition.
To the tune of "Dr. Pepper"
I'm a traddie
Site's a Traddie
Dom's a traddie
Wouldn't you like to be a Traddie too?
Speaking of "double," I feel like it is almost time for a Coulombe cocktail :)
Williamson is one of the most clear thinking people in the World today. Certainly one of the only Bishops with guts.
Maybe a few hot tempered 80+ year old Italians in Rome who still have the faith and no power can stand alongside him.
He's also the worst nightmare for Modernists ever. His clarity cuts through the gobbledygook of Vatican II-speak like a buzz saw.
Williamson is a delight, an inspiration and when you hear him speak, you realize what is meant by the "spirit of combat that Catholics used to exhibit."
On top of all of that, he's a very pious and holy man. Very gentle with people and an unbending defender of the rights and prerogatives of the Catholic Church.
Su rof yarp, Amitaf fo Ydal Ruo. Sloof era ew. Ytip evah.
I did not in any way criticize those who believe Our Lady appeared to three children at Fatima and I really don't appreciate your assumption that I was attacking all who believe in Fatima. What I wrote was grammatically quite clear. There are fringe groups who employ Fatima as a vehicle for wholesale attacks on every pope since 1917 and who have become virtually schismatic in their vitriol. That's what "fringe" meant--they truly are on the fringes of a broad stream of authentic devotion to Fatima. The article in question clearly took as its premise that Cardinal Ratzinger was involved in a diabolical conspiracy to prevent the "true" (in the eyes of the fringe) handling of the third secret from taking place.
As if this hasn't been dealt with before.
Please provide the sentence before and after quote #1.
Answer: You won't find it. It doesn't exist. As an aside, disputing the details of the Holocaust right or wrong is not an article of faith in the Catholic Church. It's worth researching at least to find out if Jews were really made into lampshades and soap or not. Details of the Holocaust are still being fought over on the ADL's website. The liberals want homosexuals as part of the holocaust but the conservatives have been claiming the Nazis were all homosexual as part of their legacy. And they don't want homosexuals to be included as part of the total killed.
Quote #2 The book is fiction yet makes uncanny parallels to the behaviors of those who are enemies of the Catholic Church. Much like Taylor Caldwell and the robber barons. Also, The Freemasons poo poo the papal publications of the Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita in the same vein.
Quote #3 Mel Gibson and the treatment of the Passion of the Christ by Rabbis Marvin Heir and Abe Foxman show the truth of bishop Williamson's statement. By the way, having heard Williamson speak on these issues, he prefaces his comments with "I by no means mean "all Jews" or "all Freemasons. I'm specifically referring to those that are overt enemies of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church". And considering he has had a Rabbi as a guest at the seminary in order to teach a special area of Medieval history, it's hardly plausible that he's the raving anti-semite that enemies of traditional Catholics claim he is. First person experience puts the lie to those internet claims.
If you want to discuss this further, I'll be frequenting the Angelqueen.org forums from now on.
Beware of the wolf in sheeps clothing, I would rather face someone who is openly anti catholic than one who acts Catholic but is really a sell out. As the world glorified JPII, is this really the Vicar of Christ? Can you compare how these other "false faiths" worshipped JPII as compared to St Peter who was crucified upside down? The Post Vatican II Popes are a fraud and the wolf leading their sheep to damnation unfortunatly as evidenced by the grab the devil has over the Novus Ordo priesthood
On the death of Pope John Paul II:
Religious leaders from across the country praised Pope John Paul II on Saturday, saying the pope aggressively reached out to other faiths and inspired people worldwide.
The pope "revolutionized Catholic-Jewish relations," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. Foxman said the pope "normalized" relations with Jews and cited John Paul II's pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
"He was a man of God in every sense and a true friend whose visionary leadership will be sorely missed," Foxman said.
"Pope John Paul II was unquestionably the most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the last 100 years," said the Rev. Billy Graham. "His extraordinary gifts, his strong Catholic faith, and his experience of human tyranny and suffering in his native Poland all shaped him, and yet he was respected by men and women from every conceivable background across the world."
"I think evangelicals also recognize that in the passing of John Paul II we may never see his likes again, and there's a real sense of loss in that even as we continue to be greatly concerned about the institution of the papacy, we have great admiration for the man," said R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
"The pope was a man of true peace and justice," said Pawan Deshpande, a member of the Hindu American Foundation Executive Council. "His strong commitment to human rights, democracy and interreligious dialogue will not be forgotten."
The Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said the pope "modeled unselfish compassion."
He said the pope served as an example of how people of various faiths — or no faith — "can live and work together while enhancing the quality of life for all people."
The pope "provided inspiration and leadership, not only to Roman Catholics but also to the greater Christian world and beyond with his uncompromising stances in favor of life and against the culture of death," said the Rev. Gerald B. Kieschnick, president of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.
"His voice and moral authority gave inspiration and hope to millions well beyond the Roman Catholic Church," said the Rev. Frank Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, in seeming to sum up the feelings of many ministers.
Gospel according to St John Chapter 15
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you.
19 If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember my word that I said to you: The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake: because they know not him who sent me.
22 If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 He that hateth me, hateth my Father also.
Epistle of St. James Chapter 4
4 Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?
6 But he giveth greater grace. Wherefore he saith: God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Ahhh yes, the anti semitism card the liberal novus ordoians must play when they reach into their ammunition and find nothing but blanks
And let me ask you, are you naive enough to actually think that the Jews of the world actually love Catholics and Christ? Is there not zionism today? Was it not the zionists as recently as the 1930's and 40's who were bombing and blowing up the British in Palestine to get them out, the "original terrorists"? Are you actually fooled enough to believe that we are the evil Catholics and the rest of the world loves us? Do you really believe what you were taught in school how wonderful the French Revolution was while they ommitted that countless religious were murdered by the Masons and yes, the Jews?
The same for the Crusades. We are fed this nonsense in school and made to apologize for the Crusades, when it was the Moslems who were enslaving the Christian pilgrims to the holy land. Who actually controls the media? If you look at who controls the 3 networks like CBS (Monves), FOX news (Murdoch) and ABC (Disney and Eisner) they sure are not Catholic!
No one is ever ever condoning violence in any way against anyone, and anyone denying the holocaust should have their head examined, but if you actually think that there is not anti catholicism you have been fed this post Vatican II ecumenism garbage just as the church and those bent on destroying the faith intended
"These people really are nuts."
Funny that here, on a conservative site, the conservative Catholics are "nuts" and the leftists are held up as good examples.
"First, they continue to presume to set themselves up in judgment over the Pope."
Do they?
If there is any authority superior to the Holy Father, short of the Holy Trinity, it is the Church itself.
If obedience to the Church itself involves disobedience to the Holy Father, is that really "setting yourself up in judgment?"
It is historical fact that there have been bad popes, and I think it is clear that there is a point at which each of us would disobey a bad pope.
Therefore, the question is whether that point has been reached, not whether anyone is "setting himself up in judgment."
"It's my understanding that Rome is holding out her hand and all that the SSPX has to do is grasp it. I pray that they do."
Sure. All they have to do is agree to concelebrate the Novus Ordo.
Sort of like two friends who fight because one commits adultery with the other's wife. The adulterer says, "Let's stop this fighting. I'll shake your hand on the condition that I get to keep diddling your wife." Then the wronged husband is castigated for declining.
The Feeneyites have.
How can you steal a lie?
Are lies owned by the liar?
Can you be forced to give them back in restitution?
Maybe we should really say he joined the liar in lying.
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