The Apostolate

"Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and see the countries; for they are white already to harvest. " JOHN 4:35

"And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. "  LUKE 10:2


When I was growing up in the turbulent post conciliar 1970s we were fortunate enough to have had "old school" style nuns who taught us religion. I know my faith today thanks to the Penny Catechism which we received in religion class. If I were a wealthy man, I would distribute this priceless little book far and wide. We were urged to be 'apostles' .  Sister told us to be little missionaries in our homes and in society. We were encouraged to start a 'little apostolate' distributing rosaries, holy cards, catechisms etc. My apostolate was to spread the message of Fatima and the rosary. It is something that is still very dear to my heart. 

 There was still talk in the 1970s of 'The Apostolate'. I doubt most Catholics today have even heard the term 'apostolate'. In the past decades there has been talk about 'ministries'. What is an apostolate?
Well, according to Fr John Hardon here is the definition:

APOSTOLATE

The work of an apostle, not only of the first followers of Christ but of all the faithful who carry on the original mission entrusted by the Savior to the twelve to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The apostolate belongs essentially to the order of grace. Its purpose is not temporal welfare, however noble, but to bring people to the knowledge and love of Christ and, through obedience to his teaching, help them attain life everlasting.

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

There is more need than ever in our times for lay apostles who are knowledgeable, convinced Catholics living lives in faithfulness to Christ and His Church.  We are all called to take an active part in the apostolate of the salvation of souls. We might wish to ask ourselves, how is my life reflective of my traditional Catholic faith? What in the way I live my life from day to day would draw others to the truth of the Catholic faith? What in my words, actions or omissions would others find perhaps a scandal or contradiction to the Catholic faith I profess to believe?  Not all are called to the priesthood, religious life or even to married life. This doesn't absolve us from our responsiblity for the propagation of the apostolate in the salvation of souls.  We are are so desperately in need of faithful, traditional Catechists, Bible teachers, nursery teachers, soup kitchen helpers. The mistaken notion in the post conciliar era that one must be a lector, or communion helper etc in order to be taking active part in the apostolate is preposterous. 

according to the DECREE ON THE APOSTOLATE OF THE LAITY APOSTOLICAM ACTUOSITATEM 

SOLEMNLY PROMULGATED BY HIS HOLINESS,
POPE PAUL VI
ON NOVEMBER 18, 1965:

 The mission of the Church pertains to the salvation of men, which is to be achieved by belief in Christ and by His grace. The apostolate of the Church and of all its members is primarily designed to manifest Christ's message by words and deeds and to communicate His grace to the world. This is done mainly through the ministry of the Word and the sacraments, entrusted in a special way to the clergy, wherein the laity also have their very important roles to fulfill if they are to be "fellow workers for the truth" (3 John 8). It is especially on this level that the apostolate of the laity and the pastoral ministry are mutually complementary.

There are innumerable opportunities open to the laity for the exercise of their apostolate of evangelization and sanctification. The very testimony of their Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have the power to draw men to belief and to God; for the Lord says, "Even so let your light shine before men in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

However, an apostolate of this kind does not consist only in the witness of one's way of life; a true apostle looks for opportunities to announce Christ by words addressed either to non-believers with a view to leading them to faith, or to the faithful with a view to instructing, strengthening, and encouraging them to a more fervent life. "For the charity of Christ impels us" (2 Cor. 5:14). The words of the Apostle should echo in all hearts, "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16).

An invaluable spiritual work on this subject is The Soul of the Apostolate by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard  which is said to have been a favorite book of Pope St Pius X. 

“He meant to pass by them.”

The “bark” (or “ship”) of St. Peter is a common symbol for the 

Christian church, “tossed on the sea of disbelief, worldliness, and 

persecution but finally reaching safe harbor with its cargo of 

human souls.”

"And he saw that they were distressed in 

rowing, for the wind was against them. And 

about the fourth watch of the night, he came 

to them walking on the sea. He meant to pass 

by them."


 (Mk 6:48 RSVCE, 2d ed.).

“He meant to pass by them.” Jesus saw their distress and did not intend to do anything about it. This statement appears shocking and contrary to the comfortable attitudes of some in the Church who believe that we can simply fall backwards and Christ will catch us. This is not so. In most cases, Christ will simply let us hit the ground. This divine allowance is not to our detriment; rather, it is a consequence of our freedom and for our instruction. God permits our freedom in order to draw the will and the intellect to Him. That is the meaning of the words, “He meant to pass by them.” Blessed Theophylact comments on this passage as follows:

He permits the disciples to be tested, so that they would learn to endure. This is why He does not go to them at once, but allows them to be tossed by the storm throughout the night, teaching them to persevere and not to hope for rest at the very beginning of their troubles.

SOURCE BELLARMINE FORUM

LINEN ON THE HEDGEROW: Bernard on Francis

LINEN ON THE HEDGEROW: Bernard on Francis

Cardinal Cipriani: "Müller is a bit naive"

FROM CRUSADERS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART BLOG

Cardinal Cipriani: "Müller is a bit naive"

Photo ~ Francis Pope (front), Cardinal Cipriani Thorne (rear) Cardinal Cipriani: Liberation Theology Church Caused "Big Damage"

(Rome) on 11 September, Pope Francis received the "Father of Liberation Theology," the Peruvian Gustavo Gutierrez, in audience. Gutierrez had been invited to Rome by his friend, the new Prefect of the CDF Gerhard Archbishop Ludwig Müller.

Müller presented with Gutierrez the recently published Italian edition of a book jointly written by the two. There was very little enthusiasm about it given by the highest representative of the Peruvian church, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of Lima. He described Müller's pretense toward the topic of Liberation Theology as, "a bit naive".

Cardinal Cipriani Criticizes New "Courting" of Gutierrez and Liberation Theology in Rome

Cardinal Cipriani was critical in courting the new Liberation Theology in Rome. It is a purified form of Marxism and Liberation Theology has become quite toothless, but the word still evokes bad memories, as the "Liberation Theology" in the 70s and 80s, worked as a Marxist idea-gate into the Catholic Church.

About the audience of Gutierrez with Pope Francis Gutierrez the Cardinal said: "My reading is that he [Müller] wanted to do a favor for his friend [Gutierrez], who is dear to him, wanted to do a favor, and wants to help him in any way, to correct himself and incorporate in the Catholic Church. "According to Cardinal Cipriani, the Pope had only received Gutierrez at the request of Curial Archbishop Müller and not officially.

Continued at The Eponymous Flower.

OPEN LETTER TO PAPA FRANCESCO FROM LUCRECIA REGO DE PLANAS

In several Catholic sites and blogs, is circulating an open letter to Pope Francisco by former director of Catholic.net  Lucrecia Rego de Planas . As important is the author, having been the director (until recently) one of the largest Catholic networks in  the Internet,  with its amount of material and its visitors. Mrs. Lucretia, and other industry Catholic "conservative" (which come sighting) have begun to show their concern for what we may call-gradual disfigurement of the papacy, which is promoting the same Francisco with his gestures and words to the media communication.

As our readers will not agree with several of the statements of Ms. Rego de Planas, but we see interesting and brave of them-in some respects-this letter he addressed Francisco and then reproduce.

Who do we believe?

Letter to Pope Francis from an Argentine Catholic who knows him very well: "Who should I believe, the Gospel, the Magisterium, Tradition or the Pope?" by  Lucrecia Rego de Planas   

                                              

10/10/2013

Dearest Papa Francesco, I am so pleased to have the opportunity to greet you. Surely you will not remember me, seeing so many new people every day must be hard to remember everyone, even those with whom you talked and lived during the long course of your life.

Over the past 12 years, you and I, many times have found ourselves in several meetings, church meetings and conferences that took place in the cities of Central and South America on various topics (communication, catechesis, education). During these pastoral meetings I had the opportunity to live with you for so many days, sleeping under the same roof, sharing the same table and also the same desk. Then you were the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and I was the director of a leading Catholic media.

Now you are the Holy Father and I ... only a mother, a Christian, married to a good husband and nine children, who teaches mathematics at the University and seeks to cooperate as best as I can with the Church, the place where God has put it.

In these meetings several years ago, I remember more than one brought you to me and said: - "Girl, tell Jorge Mario, we're friends", I replied, startled: "Absolutely not, Mr. Cardinal! God forbid you from giving of one of his princes on earth. "

Now, however, I beg to call you, because you are no longer the card. Bergoglio, but the Pope, my Pope, the sweet Christ on earth, to which I have the confidence to address as my father.

I decided to write to you because I suffer and I need you to comfort me. I'll explain what is happening to me, trying to be as short as possible. I know you like to comfort those who suffer, and now I'm one of them.

When I first met you during these retreats, when you were still Cardinal Bergoglio, I was struck and puzzled that you never acted like the other cardinals and bishops. To give some examples: you were the only one there that did not genuflect before the tabernacle or during the Consecration, if all the bishops presented themselves with their cassocks and their clerical garb, because that was required by the necessary rules for the meeting, you will presented yourself in suit and clerical collar. If all of you were sitting on the seats reserved for the bishops and cardinals, you left empty the place of Cardinal Bergoglio and you sat in back, saying "I'm fine here, so I feel more at ease."If others came with a vehicle that corresponds to the dignity of a bishop, you had arrived after the others, busy and in a hurry, telling aloud your encounters in public transport in order to come to the meeting. Seeing these things - I am ashamed in telling this - I said to myself: - "Phew ... who wants to attract attention! Because, if you want to be truly humble and simple, is it not better to behave like the other bishops to go unnoticed? ". Even some of my Argentine friends who attended these meetings, somehow noticed my confusion, and I said - "No, you're not the only one. We all were always puzzled, but we know that clear criteria, and in speeches show convictions and certainties always faithful to the Magisterium and the Tradition of the Church, it is a brave loyal defender of right doctrine ... Apparently, however, loves to be loved by all and please everyone. In this sense could one day make a speech on TV against abortion and the next day, in the same TV show, bless the pro-abortion feminists in the Plaza de Mayo, could make a wonderful speech against masons and, hours later, eat and drink with them at the Club Rotary Club. "

My dear Papa Francesco, it is true, this was the card. Bergoglio I knew closely. One day, intent on chatting animatedly with Bishop Duarte Aguer in the defense of life and of the liturgy and the same day, at dinner, chatting animatedly with always Ysern Bishop and Bishop Rosa Chavez on base communities and the terrible obstacles that represent "the dogmatic teachings "of the Church. One day a friend of the Cardinal Cipriani and Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga to talk about business ethics and against the ideologies of the New Age and a little later a friend of Casaldáliga and Boff to talk about class struggle and the "wealth" that the techniques could donate to the Eastern Church.

With this in mind, you will understand that I with greatly widened his eyes when I heard your name after the '"We Have a Pope" and from that moment (before you ask) I have prayed for you and for my beloved Church. And I have not stopped doing it for a single day since then. When I saw you on the balcony, without miter, without cape, breaking the protocol of greeting and the reading of the Latin text, with this trying to differentiate yourself from the rest of the Popes in history, smiling, worried, I said to myself: "Yes, without a doubt. This is the Cardinal Bergoglio. " In the days following your election, you gave me a number of occasions to confirm that you are the same person I had known closely, always looking for a diversity: you asked for different shoes, a different ring, a different Cross , a different chair and even room and home different from the rest of Popes that always had been content humbly with those things provided, without the need of "special" things, especially for them. In those days I was trying to recover from the immense pain felt by the resignation of my beloved and much admired Pope Benedict XVI, in which I identified from the beginning to the clarity in his teachings (the best teacher in the world), for his loyalty the Liturgy, for his courage in defending the right doctrine among the enemies of the Church and a thousand things that will not be listed here. With him at the helm of Peter I felt like I had stepped on land. And with his resignation, I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet, but I understand it, the winds were really stormy and the papacy was something too rough for his strength, now diminished by age, in the terrible and violent culture war being waged.

At that moment I felt abandoned in the midst of war, the earthquake, in the increasingly fierce hurricane, and suddenly you came to replace him at the helm. We have a new captain, we give thanks to God! I confided in full (without any doubt) that, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer of the faithful, with the weight of responsibility, with the assistance of the working group in the Vatican and with the awareness of being observed throughout the world , Papa Francesco leave behind the special things and ambivalences of the card. Bergoglio and would immediately take command of the army, and with renewed vigor continuing the path of struggle that his predecessor had set.

Unfortunately, to my surprise and dismay, my new general, rather than take up arms once arrived, he began his tenure using the time as the Pope to call his barber, to his dentist, his milkman and his newsagent, attracting attention to his person and not on the relevant issues of the Papacy.

Six months have passed since then and I recognize, with love and emotion, you've done thousands of good things. I really like (very much) your formal speeches (to politicians, gynecologists, communicators, the World Day of Peace, etc..) And your homilies on feast days, because in them we see a thorough preparation and a deep meditation of each word used. Your words, in these discourses and homilies have been a real food for my spirit. I really like that people love you and applaud you. You are my Papa, the Supreme Head of my Church, the Church of Christ. However - and this is the reason for my letter - I must say that I also suffered (and suffer), from many of your words, because you say things that feel like stabs in the lower abdomen during my repeated attempts to a sincere loyalty to the Pope and the Magisterium .

I feel sad, yes, but the best word to express my current feelings is: perplexity. I do not know what to say and what not to say, I do not know where to go on and let it go. I need you to orient me, dear Papa Francesco. I'm really suffering, and much, for this concerns me still. My biggest problem is that I have devoted much of my life to the study of Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium, in order to have strong reasons to defend my faith. And now, many of these solid foundations are in contradiction with what my beloved Pope says and does. I am shocked and I need you to tell me what to do.

I'll explain myself better, with a few examples. I can not applaud a Pope who does not kneel before the tabernacle or during the Consecration as taught by the rite of the Mass, but I can not criticize it, because it is the Pope! Benedict XVI asked us in the Redemptoris Sacramentum that we are to inform the bishop of the unfaithfulness and liturgical abuses we are witnessing. Ma .. Who should I inform if the Pope himself does not respect the liturgy? I do not know what to do. I disobey the instructions of our Pope Emeritus? I can not feel happy to have eliminated the use of the paten and kneeling for Holy Communion, and even that you never give communion to the faithful, who do not call yourself "the Pope", but only "Bishop of Rome "or you do not use the fisherman's ring. But I can not even complain, because you are the Pope! I do not feel proud that you have washed the feet of a Muslim woman on Holy Thursday, since it is a violation of liturgical law, but I can not issue a peep, because You are the Pope, to whom I owe respect and to whom I must be faithful! I was hurt terribly when you have punished the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, because they were celebrating the Mass in the ancient rite with the explicit permission of your predecessor in Summorum Pontificum. And punish them, is to go against the teachings of previous popes. But who do I communicate my pain, you're the Pope! I did not know what to think or say when you have mocked publicly a group that had sent you a Spiritual Bouquet of rosaries, calling them "those who count the prayers." Such Spiritual Bouquets are a wonderful tradition in the Church, what am I to think and I do not like it if my Papa derides those who offer them to him? I have many friends who are "pro-life" who a few days ago were very saddened by your calling them "obsessed and obsessive." What should I do? Console, softening falsely your words or hurt them even more, repeating what you said to them, seeking to be faithful to the Pope and his teachings? WYD you asked young people to "make some noise in the streets." The word "casino", as far as I know, is synonymous with "disorder", "chaos", "confusion." Really this is what you want them to do the young Christians in the streets? There are already enough confusion and disorder in the world? I know of many single and older women (spinsters), which are very cheerful, funny and generous and really felt badly when you said that the nuns were not to have a face like a spinster. I was very sick at heart for my friends and me, it hurt me in my soul for them, because there is nothing wrong with being alone and to dedicate one's life to good works (in fact, loneliness is specified as a vocation in the Catechism). What should I tell my friends who are "spinsters"? That the Pope was serious (which I can not do a Pope), or that I support the Pope in the fact that all the old maids have a face like a bitter religious?

A couple of weeks ago you said that "what we are experiencing is one of the best moments of the Church." How can you say that as Pope when we all know that there are millions of young Catholics who live in concubinage and many millions of Catholic marriages where they use contraceptives, when the divorce is "our daily bread" and millions of Catholic mothers kill their children not born with the help of Catholic doctors, when there are millions of Catholic businessmen who are not guided by the social doctrine of the Church, but by ambition and avarice; when there are thousands of priests who commit liturgical abuses, and when there are hundreds of millions of Catholics who have never had an encounter with Christ and do not know the essence of the doctrine, when education and governments are in the hands of the Freemasons and the world economy in the hands of Zionism? This is the best time of the Church? When you said it, beloved Pope, I panicked. If the captain is not seeing the iceberg before us, it is very likely that we smash against it. Do You really believe that or is it just a way of saying dear Pope? Many great preachers have felt devastated to know that you said that now no longer have to talk about the themes of which the Church has already spoken and which are written in the Catechism.

Tell me, dear Papa Francesco, what must we Christians who want to be faithful to the Pope and also to the Magisterium and Tradition do? Let's stop preaching even though St. Paul has told us that we must do so at every opportunity in season and out of season? What with the courageous preachers, we force them to silence, while truly spoil sinners and gently tell them that if they can and want to, should read the Catechism to know what the Church says? Whenever you speak of the "shepherds smelling of their sheep," I think of all those priests who allowed themselves to be contaminated by the things of the world and have lost their scent of priesthood to acquire a certain smell of decomposition. I do not want the smell of shepherds with sheep, but sheep that do not smell of dung, because their pastor care and always keep clean. A few days ago you talked about the vocation of Matthew with these words:  "I am impressed by the gesture of Matthew.He clings to his money, as saying: 'No, not me! No, this money is mine " .  could not help but compare your words with the Gospel (Mt 9, 9), contrary to what Matthew himself says of his vocation: "And Jesus went forth from thence, he saw a man who was sitting at the tax office, whose name was Matthew, and said unto him, Follow me. And he rose and followed him. " 

I can not see where the grasping of money (not what I see in the painting by Caravaggio). I see two different narratives and wrong exegesis. Who should I believe, the Gospel or the Pope, if you want (as I really want to) be faithful to the Gospel and the Pope?

When you talked about the woman who lives in concubinage after a divorce and an abortion, you said  she "now lives in peace." I wonder: can someone live in peace, a lady who is voluntarily removed from the grace of God? The previous Popes, from St. Peter to Benedict XVI, said that it is not possible to find peace away from God, but Pope Francis said so. What should I support, the teachers always or this news? Should I say, starting today, to be faithful to the Pope, that peace can be found in a life of sin? Then you tossed the question without answer on how a confessor should behave, as if to open the Pandora's box knowing that there are hundreds of priests who mistakenly recommend continuing in concubinage. Why does my Papa, my dear Papa, not tell us in a few words what should be advised in cases like this, instead of opening doubts in sincere hearts?

I met Cardinal Bergoglio in almost a family environment and I am a faithful witness to that you are intelligent, friendly, spontaneous, very witty and very clever. But I do not like that the press is publishing all your sayings and quips, because are not a village priest, nor the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, now you're the Pope! and every word you say as Pope, acquires ordinary magisterial value for many of who read and hear you.

Anyway, I wrote taking too much of your time, my good Papa. With the examples I have given you (although there are many others) I think I made clear the pain of uncertainty and perplexity I'm living.

Only you can help. I need a guide that illuminates my steps based on what the Church has always said, speak boldly and clearly, does not offend those who work to be faithful to Jesus' command, to call "the bread, bread and wine wine"," to call sin " sin" virtue " virtue", although this risks his popularity. I need your wisdom, your firmness and clarity. I ask for help, please, because I am in agony.

 I know that God has equipped you with a very acute intelligence, so that, trying to comfort me alone, I could imagine that everything you do and say is part of a strategy to disconcert the enemy, by introducing yourself in front of him with the white flag and so letting your guard down.

But I'd like you to share it with those who are fighting this strategy at your side, because, in addition to disconcerting the enemy, you are disconcerting us, we do not know where he is and where our headquarters is located in front of the enemy. Thank you once again for all the good you have done and what you said during the feast, when you uttered beautiful homilies and speeches because there really are served a lot. Your words inspired and gave us the impulse to love more, to love, to love in the best way, to show the world the loving face of Jesus

I send you a hug branch very loving, my dear Papa, with the assurance of my prayers. I also ask for yours, for me and for my family, of which I enclose a photo, so that you can pray for us, knowing our face. Your daughter loves you and pray for you every day, 

Lucrecia Rego de Planas

Huixquilucan, Mexico, September 23, 2013

You can read the text of the original letter in Spanish:

http://lacomunidad.elpais.com/lplanas/2013/9/26/perplejidad-carta-al-papa-francisco

Liturgia Latina: 11th October, Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary...

Liturgia Latina: 11th October, Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary...: Maternity of the BVM Mary is the Mother of Jesus and the spiritual Mother of all those who were redeemed by the blood of Jesus. The divin...

SOME DEFINITE SERVICE BY CARDINAL JOHN HENRY NEWMAN (1801-1890)

SOME DEFINITE SERVICE BY CARDINAL JOHN HENRY NEWMAN (1801-1890)

“God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.

He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work.

I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place,
while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.

Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.”

PAPA FRANCESCO AND THE MOST HOLY ROSARY

The Holy Father said the month of October is also the month of the Rosary, noting how it is the tradition on the first Sunday of this month to pray to the Madonna of Pompeii, the blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary. Pope Francis said the Rosary is “a school of prayer,” and “a school of faith!”

From Papa Francesco's Angelus message Sunday October 6, 2013



Prayer with Mary, especially the rosary – but listen carefully: the Rosary. Do you pray the Rosary every 

day? But I’m not sure you do… [the people shout "Yes!"] Really? Well, prayer with Mary, especially the 

Rosary, has this "suffering" dimension, that is of struggle, a sustaining prayer in the battle against the evil one 

and his accomplices. The Rosary also sustains us in the battle.

From Papa Francesco's Assumption Day homily 2013

Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary

On this feast of the Most Holy Rosary, I ponder just how many souls have been snatched from the jaws of hell through the tenacity of grandmothers (and mothers) faithfully praying the rosary every day? How many graces of conversion (and reversion) can be directly contributed to the continual, relentless 'telling of the beads' down through the centuries?

  We read about the miracles wrought through praying Our Lady's rosary. We especially think today about the victory over the Turks at Lepanto attributed to Our Lady's rosary. How often has Our Lady in her apparitions of the past centuries called us to take up our rosaries daily and pray them? I think we can be tempted to think of the rosary as simply a private devotion which is antiquated and too repetitious for modern man. I have said it before and I shall say it to my last breath: the faithful recitation of at least 5 decades of Our Lady's rosary will change your life!  I cannot reiterate this enough. I would shout it from the mountain tops if I were able.  Recitation of the rosary ever day will be one habit which will be our greatest comfort (next to our worthy receptions of Holy Communion) at death. My dear deceased confessor Fr Charles Schoenbaechler used to refer to the holy rosary as "a cell phone to Our Lady". He used to tell us to always "keep our cell phone to our mother in our pockets".  I would urge everyone who does not already pray the rosary every day to begin this holy practice today if only one decade at a time.

THE CHURCH IN GERMANY WILL COLLAPSE

This is my English translation of an interview by the German News Weekly Spiegel Magazine with Fr Gaudron of the SSPX. 

Priest of the Society of St Pius X Father Gaudron: "The Church in Germany will collapse"

Anna-Katharina Pale

The members of the SSPX despise homosexuality, religious freedom and ecumenism. Pope Benedict sought dialogue with the ultra-Catholic community, his successor runs a different course. In the interview, the dogmatist Matthias Gaudron talks about the difficult relationship with Francis.

Pope Francis promotes himself as a reform-Pope. He wants to open the Catholic Church to accept gays and promote inter-religious dialogue. Contact with the Pius brothers, he has broken off.

This is also part of its path towards a church which no longer closes its mind from the social reality anymore: The SSPX are of the opinion that real Catholics do not tolerate gays in the church, that the Mass is to be celebrated according to the old rites. Matthias Gaudron is the head of the German SSPX dogmatists. He taught Dogma for 15 years at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Zaitzkofen and deals with the contents of Catholic doctrine. In this interview he explains the attitude of the Brotherhood to the Pope.

SPIEGEL: Benedict XVI. examined the approach to the SSPX Now Pope Francis sits on the chair of Peter.  What do you expect from his pontificate?

Gaudron: Currently the talks between the Vatican and SSPX are on ice. In part, it looked perhaps under Pope Benedict that criticism of the Second Vatican Council would be allowed. But now we have found that we cannot express any more criticism. Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller is responsible as Prefect of the Congregation for us. He does not like us. He acts hostile towards us, since he has been in Rome.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Francis said in a much-publicized interview : "Whoever looks for 'Security' in the theory in an exaggerated manner, who doggedly seeks the lost past, has a static and backward-looking vision in this way, faith is an ideology among many.."

Gaudron: This is a very problematic statement. It is simply a fact that the Catholic faith has something about it that is beyond time. If the only dogmatic security should be that God is God in man, I think that's a little bit too little. For this I do not have to be Catholic. The truths of the creed can not be changed even by the Pope.

SPIEGEL: Benedict defended and promoted the old liturgy. What do you expect from Pope Francis?

Gaudron: It was clear this important act of Benedict, in principle, that every priest has the right to celebrate the old liturgy. Francis can not revoke it.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Francis has sent a signal to homosexuals ...

Gaudron: ... his attitude is contradictory. The Pope claims to accept the teaching of the Catholic Church. Stating that homosexuality is a sin. And on the other hand Francis gives the impression that it was okay to be gay. The belief that homosexuality is a sin, we share with Jews and Muslims, this is not a teaching of the SSPX. Either I stick to this theory, I can not approve of homosexuality, or I'll accept it. But then I am no longer Catholic.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: The Pope is not Catholic therefore in your mind?

Gaudron: Well, I would not say that. He says yes, he would adhere to the doctrine. I would only point to the contrary.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: . Pope John XXIII and John Paul II will be canonized.What do you say?

Gaudron: We have serious reservations about it. With John XXIII will especially the Council be canonized, which he opened. Pope John Paul II has given the impression that all religions are equal. But that's not true. The Catholic Church is founded by Christ and therefore true. But when I realize this truth, then I can not pretend it does not matter what religion I have. Only the Catholic Church is the true Church.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: That attitude does not help in inter-religious dialogue.

Gaudron: Our mission is to lead people into the Catholic Church.Therefore, we must talk to each other and lead to inter-religious dialogue.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Tolerance is something else. They carry the idea, the aim of the dialogue ad absurdum.

Gaudron: Tolerance means that I respect the other in his convictions, even if I think this is wrong and do not want to force him to convert to my own views. This is self-evident. The Catholic Church has lost among those convinced dissenters much credibility, because it is often done in interreligious dialogue as if we as Catholics did not know ourselves what is true and the truth would have still to explore with believers of other religions.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Is it true that the SSPX members are growing?

Gaudron: Yes, and therefore we can no longer be overlooked by the Vatican. It is not a rapid growth, but a constant.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: How do you explain that?

Gaudron: It attracts people, who are drawn to someone who consistently lives his faith. Many say the church would regain members if they would be open. But if that were so, then people would still flock en masse to the Protestant churches, where there already is what they seek from the Catholic Church: gay marriage, no celibacy. Such noncommital attitude has no power to inspire. Where there is tradition there is growth.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Pope Benedict has always upheld the tradition, still in Germany Catholics abound who have left the church.

Gaudron: The Church in Germany will collapse in 15 to 20 years. There will be neither priests nor faithful. So I do not understand how Francis can tell the church the situation is better than almost never before. That's far from reality. The church has no growth. At World Youth Day  very many young people go who would otherwise never go to church and have nothing to do with Christ.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: So rather a small church strictly for believers as a national church, standing in the middle of society?

Gaudron: Yes. Most of all I would of course rather have a large church of convinced staunch Catholics, as was the case before the Council. But if the price of the membership is to water down the faith, then I would prefer the small one.

Father Gaudron is the author of an excellent work, "The Catechism of the Crisis in the Church" published in English by Angelus Press.