Almost Always Silent About the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ Before Men
Expose on the heresy of Religious Liberty
NOTE: Not an endorsement for sedevacantism
Much
has been written thus far about the inauguration of Donald John Trump
as the forty-fifth President of the United States of America on Friday,
January 20, 2017, the Feast of Saints Fabian and Sebastian. As I am no
longer capable of doing “rapid response” articles, though, I am simply
taking the time that is needed to complete part nine of “Sober Up,”
which will be the conclusion of “Jerusalem Belongs to Christ the King
and His Catholic Church.” Indeed, the latter title will be very
appropriate if press reports concerning an announcement on the move of
American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem prove correct at
some point later this week or next.
For
the moment, however, I want to focus on the multiple ways in which the
true God of Divine Revelation, the Most Blessed Trinity, was offended
three days ago and, of course, at the absolutely abhorrent “national
prayer service” at so-called “Washington National Cathedral” on
Saturday, January 21, 2017, the Feast of Saint Agnes. These offenses are
far, far more important than the new president’s “take no prisoners”
inaugural address, which, of course, made no reference whatsoever to the
One Who is the King of all men and all nations, Christ the King, the
very Co-Eternal Word Who was made Incarnate in the Virginal and
Immaculate Womb of His Most Blessed Mother by the power of the Third
Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, God the Holy Ghost, at the
Annunciation.
This
should not be in the least bit surprising as the United States of
America is itself the product of complete indifference about the fact of
the Incarnation and thus of the Holy Name of Jesus, and it has been the
case since the first president, George Washington, took the oath of
office on April 1, 1789, in the City of New York, New York, that no
president of the United States of America has ever invoked the Holy Name
of Our Lord Jesus Christ in an inaugural address.
Ah, you doubt my word?
Please review the facts provided in Not A Mention of Christ the King.,
which, I think, should be updated and put out on a pamphlet. Gee, I
will try to do add this to a "to-do list" of such projects that may
remain unfinished for quite a while!
Anyhow,
readers of this site know that the errrors of "religious liberty" and
"freedom of speech" that have been nurtured in the United State of
America have made this country a haven for every error imaginable.,
which is why the spectacle at the Protestant temple of the devil called
the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday, January 21, 2017, was
just another example of the Americanist heresy at work. Although a
specific article on that travesty, which could just as easily have been a
conciliar production as its cast of characters came from the same sort
of idol-worshipping and heretical sects featured in the infamous Assisi
events" (see, for example, Outcome Based Conciliar Math: Assisi I + Assisi II + Assisi III = A-P-O-S-T-A-S-Y.)
Perhaps
the easiest way to deal the "prayer service" at the Washington National
Cathedral on Saturday, January 21, 2017, is to review the "prayer"
offered by some kind of Navajo idolater, who kept talking about "beauty"
(perhaps "Beauty" is a sibling of "Fortune," a famous canary to those
familiar with a certain fictional bus driver from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn,
and his belief that he had inherited a deceased passenger's "fortune,"
which turned out to be a canard) as follows:
In
beauty I walk. With beauty before me I walk. With beauty behind me I
walk. With beauty above me I walk. With beauty around me I walk. It has
become beauty again. It has become beauty again. It has become beauty
again. It has become beauty again.
7
Hózhó (Walking in Beauty) Today I will walk out; today everything
unnecessary will leave me; I will be as I was before; I will have a cool
breeze over my body. I will have a light body; I will be happy forever;
nothing will hinder me. I walk with beauty before me. I walk with
beauty behind me. I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above
me. I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful. In beauty
all day long, may I walk. Through the returning seasons, may I walk. On
the trail marked with pollen, may I walk. With dew about my feet, may I
walk. With beauty before me, may I walk. With beauty behind me, may I
walk. With beauty below me, may I walk. With beauty above me, may I
walk. With beauty all around me, may I walk. In old age wandering on a
trail of beauty, lively, may I walk. In old age wandering on a trail of
beauty, living again, may I walk. My words will be beautiful. (Inaugural "Prayer".)
It would have been better to have simply played the theme music to: Pow-Wow the Indian Boy. who, the song made clear repeatedly, "loved all the animals in the woods, in the woods, in the woods."
Paganism.
Rank paganism.
Ah, but wait until you get a load the other twenty-five supposed "ministers" of various false religions, i including a Hindu "priest" whose face was nothing other than a portrait of devil worship: Straight From The Roman Pantheon of False Gods. Donald
Wuerl, the conciliar "archbishop" of Washington, District of Columbia,
and friend of all things lavender (see Mrs. Randy Engel's series, The Abuse Case Against Father Anthony J. Cipollla), who
permits pro-abortion, pro-perversity Catholics in public life to
receive what purports to be Holy Communion in the Protestant and
Judeo-Masonic Novus Ordo liturgical
service, at least invoked the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the
end of his "prayer for the country," although he only limply grazed his
hand with that of President Trump's when the latter tried to shake his
hand as "ministers" recessed down the cathedral's main aisle. Father
Wuerl does not like President Trump and what he thinks are his
"exclusionary" and "divisive" policies.
The easiest way to deal with the diabolical "prayer" service two days ago is to provide you with the following quotation:
I am the LORD thy God: thou shalt not have strange Gods before me.
Donald
John Trump does not know this, of course, and he continues to live in
the darkness of his own false beliefs about God because the "popes" and
the "bishops" of the counterfeit church of conciliarism have repeatedly
demonstrated their conscious decision to forget about the First
Commandment in order to curry favor with men. There is only one true
religion, Catholicism, something that the conciliar officials do not
believe because they are not members of the Catholic Church. Their
heresies and apostasies have expelled them from the bosom of Holy Mother
Church long ago.
In
truth, though, nations, including the United States of America, must
suffer when men who purport to be officials of the Catholic Church
refuse to invoke the Holy Name of Jesus at public ceremonies as to do so
would be to "offend" non-Catholics. One of the chief American exemplars
of this is none other than Timothy Michael Dolan, who has been the
conciliar "archbishop" of New York since April 15, 2009, and he
demonstrated this once again when he simply recited Chapter Nine from
The Book of Wisdom during the invocation he gave at the inauguration of
President Donald John Trump and Vice President Michael Richard Pence on
Friday, January 20, 2017, the Feast of Saints Fabian and Sebastian:
Cardinal DOLAN. The prayer of King Solomon from the Book of Wisdom.
Let us pray.
God
of our ancestors and Lord of mercy, You have made all things, and in
Your providence have charged us to rule the creatures produced by You,
to govern the world in holiness and righteousness and to render judgment
with integrity of heart. Give us wisdom, for we are Your servants, weak
and short lived, lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws.
Indeed, though one might be perfect among mortals, if wisdom which comes
from You be lacking, we count for nothing.
Now
with You is wisdom who knows Your will and was there when You made the
world, who understands what is pleasing in Your eyes, what is
conformable with Your commands. Send her forth from Your holy heavens.
From Your glorious throne dispatch her that she may be with us and work
with us that we may grasp what is pleasing to You, for she knows and
understands all things and will guide us prudently in our affairs and
safeguard us by her glory. Amen. (Text of Timothy Michael Dolan Prayer at the Inauguration of President Donald John Trump.)
It
is pretty sad when President Trump’s own personal “pastor,” Paula
White-Cain, a Pentecostalist, invoked the Most Holy Trinity while
delivering her own "prayer" and "Cardinal" Dolan prayed as though the
Incarnation of Our Lord must be ignored on the grounds of the United
States Capitol in order to avoid offending Jews, Mohammedans, Hindus,
Buddhists, followers of the "Great Thumb," atheists, agnostics and any
and all others who deny the Sacred Divinity of Christ the King.
Timothy
Michael Dolan had company on Friday, January 20, 2017, the Feast of
Saints Vincent and Anastasius, as "Father" Patrick J. Conroy, S.J., the
Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives, prayed as
follows at the "benediction" to close the Congressional luncheon
honoring the newly-inaugurated President Donald John Trump and Vice
President Michael Richard Pence, a baptized Catholic who apostatized
when he became an "evangelical" Protestant in the late-1970s:
PATRICK
J. CONROY, CHAPLAIN OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Let
us pray. As we leave this place we give you thanks, oh lord, for the
meal we have shared and those who have worked hard to prepare and
deliver it to us, may we always be grateful for the kindnesses we have
received. We thank you as well for the celebration of this day when our
nation once again models for the world, the greatness of peaceful
transition of power.
We ask blessing special blessing upon our new president, Donald Trump, give him an understanding heart to discern between good and evil, may he be strengthened in his work and grow in understanding as he proves ever attentive to the American people. We pray that he might become his best self. Bless as well all those who are in place to exercise power in our nation, save them from seeking those things as chewed by Solomon.
Long life, riches for self and the lives of enemies and impel them to seek the gift of discernment so as to understand justice. Lord, may the people of this nation stand with our president and all our leaders to face any challenge endure any difficulty without fear. Learn how to accept every success and every failure with grace and support our president and leaders with encouragement and prayer. Now, as we move forward this day and through all days, may all that is done be for your greater honor and glory, amen. (See the video at: "Father" Conroy's Supposed Prayer on You Tube; and the text at: Transcript of Remarks at the Congressional Luncheon for President Trump and Vice President Pence.)
We ask blessing special blessing upon our new president, Donald Trump, give him an understanding heart to discern between good and evil, may he be strengthened in his work and grow in understanding as he proves ever attentive to the American people. We pray that he might become his best self. Bless as well all those who are in place to exercise power in our nation, save them from seeking those things as chewed by Solomon.
Long life, riches for self and the lives of enemies and impel them to seek the gift of discernment so as to understand justice. Lord, may the people of this nation stand with our president and all our leaders to face any challenge endure any difficulty without fear. Learn how to accept every success and every failure with grace and support our president and leaders with encouragement and prayer. Now, as we move forward this day and through all days, may all that is done be for your greater honor and glory, amen. (See the video at: "Father" Conroy's Supposed Prayer on You Tube; and the text at: Transcript of Remarks at the Congressional Luncheon for President Trump and Vice President Pence.)
This
was no mere oversight on the part of "Father" Conroy. He has been so
kind enough as to tell us in his own words that he never prayers in the
Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ unless he is doing "something
Catholic," such as saying what he thinks is Holy Mass:
"I never pray in the name of Jesus -- except when I'm doing something Catholic -- saying Mass, for example." Oregon Live Interview with the "Reverend" Patrick Conroy, S.J..)
Patrick
Conroy is just a true son of the conciliar revolution, but he is also a
disciple of what can be called the spirit of practical religious
indifferentism that was set Lord Cecil Calvert when he urged the first
Catholic settlers to arrive in Maryland in 1632 to be quiet about the
Holy Faith:
Ten
days before the ships [taking Catholics to the Colony of Maryland]
sailed, Baron [Cecil, later to be the Second Lord of Baltimore] handed
his brother [Leonard] instructions enjoining the Catholics aboard the
Ark and the Dove to be careful “that they suffer no scandal or
offence be given to any of the Protestants,” and that they hold their
own services “as privately as may be,” remembering “to be silent upon
all occasions of discourse concerning matters of Religion.” Baltimore
not only sought “unity and peace amongst all the passengers on
Shipp-board,” but ashore as well, and thus he gave orders that upon
landing the Catholics should immediately make a public oath of
allegiance to the king, that when a messenger was sent to Virginia he
should be “such a one as is conformable to the Church of England,”
and that throughout their governance of Maryland “the said Governor and
Commissioners [who were all Catholic] treate the Protestants with as
much mildness and favor as Justice will permit.”
In
these famous instructions, then Cecilius Calvert wrote the blueprint
for religious freedom in America. His father had conceived of a colony
in which Protestants and Catholics might live side by side in amity,
each respecting the rights of the other, and he himself had put it into
execution. True as it undoubtedly is that the Calverts were motivated by
expediency, that they desperately desired to obtain religious freedom
for their persecuted brethren, and that there is no reason to believe
that they would have been offered it had the Catholic party, rather than
the Protestant been in power, the fact remains that the Maryland Colony
was tolerant at a time when all others were intolerant, and in this it
was unique. As John Tracy Ellis has observed: “Two years before Roger
Williams fled the Puritan wrath of Massachusetts Bay to establish
religious tolerance in Rhode Island, Baltimore had laid the groundwork
for such a policy in Maryland.” (Robert Leckie, American and Catholic, Doubleday, 1970, p. 25.)
Catholics
are not baptized to be “silent upon all occasions of discourse
concerning matters of Religion.” They are baptized and confirmed to bear
witness to the truths of the true Faith. The process of “conversion in
reverse” had begun. The state of apostasy and blasphemy and sacrilege
and betrayal that is so prevalent today among Catholics in the United
States of America and elsewhere in the world is traceable, at least in
large measure, to the “relief” that Catholics, who ought to rejoice in
being persecuted for the Holy Faith as Our Lord Himself promised a great
reward for those who are persecuted for His Name’s sake, felt at being
able to practice their Faith without persecution upon arrival in
Maryland in 1634. It is no wonder that some of the descendants of those
first Catholics, including the Shrivers of Maryland, have been so
supportive of a “quiet” and “respectable” Catholicism as the
precondition for good citizenship and “peace” with those who belong to
false religions.
Protestants
did not return the gift of “toleration” that Catholics had extended to
them in Maryland, especially when Puritans were in control of the colony
during the years when the bloodthirsty Puritan named Oliver Cromwell
had overthrown and then had beheaded King Charles I, making him,
Cromwell, England’s stern, Catholic-killing dictator between 1649 and
the time of his death on September 3, 1658. Maryland’s “Toleration Act",
which established toleration for “Trinitarian Christians” in a vote
taken by the colonial assembly on April 21, 1649, was revoked by
Cromwell’s colonial commissioner, William Clairbone, in 1654, before
being reinstated again after the Calverts regained control of Maryland
in 1658 but abolished permanently in 1692 following the “Glorious
Revolution” that had overthrown King James II, the last Catholic to have
reigned in England.
Yes,
there is a long history that is distinctly American of Catholics
preferring a false peace to bearing a public witness to the Holy Faith,
recognizing, of course, that there is also a history of American
Catholics, including prelates and clerics and consecrated religious, who
were most courageous in defending and propagating the true Faith,
outside of which there is no salvation and without which there can be no
true social order.
Here
are some antidotes to the apostasy exhibited by the conciliar "popes"
and thier underlings, including Timothy Michael Dolan and Patrick
Conroy, conerning the necessity of proclaiming the Holy Name of Jesus
publicly and of being willing to defend the Catholic Faith to the point
of persecution and death:
Then
Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them: Ye princes of the
people, and ancients, hear: If we this day are examined concerning the
good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he hath been made whole:
Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God
hath raised from the dead, even by him this man standeth here before you
whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which
is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4: 8-12)
If
the proclamation of the Holy Name was good enough for Our Blessed Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ's parents and for the Apostles, then it is good
enough for us. We must never fear the consequences of proclaiming His
Holy Name, especially in "mixed company." Remember Our Blessed Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ's own words:
For
he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and
sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he
shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mk. 8: 38)
Our
Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ used the occasion of the
discourse at the Last Supper to remind the Apostles that the world would
hate them on account of His Name, but that they had to rely upon the
help of the Holy Ghost to remain steadfast in loyalty to Him:
If
the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. 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. 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.
But
all these things they will do to you for my name's sake: because they
know not him who sent me. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they
would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He that
hateth me, hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works
that no other man hath done, they would not have sin; but now they have
both seen and hated both me and my Father. But that the word may be
fulfilled which is written in their law: They hated me without cause.
But
when the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the
Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony
of me.And you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the
beginning. (Jn. 15: 18-27)
Do
not be surprised, therefore, that the world will hate us as much as it
hated Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who told us in the
Sermon of the Mount that those who were persecuted for His Name's sake
would have a blessed reward:
Blessed
are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all
that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for
your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the
prophets that were before you. (Mt. 5: 11-12)
Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ repeated this in the Sermon on the Plain as recorded in the Gospel of Saint Luke:
Blessed
shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you,
and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of
man's sake. Be glad in that day and rejoice; for behold, your reward is
great in heaven. For according to these things did their fathers to the
prophets. (Lk. 6: 22-23)
The
first Pope wrote the following in his first Epistle to instruct us to
be ready to suffer for the sake of the Holy Name of Jesus:
If
you be reproached for the name of Christ, you shall be blessed: for
that which is of the honour, glory, and power of God, and that which is
his Spirit, resteth upon you. (1 Pt. 4: 14)
The
Acts of the Apostles records the courage of the Apostles, headed by the
first pope, Saint Peter, when they were brought before the Sanhedrin:
[26] Then
went the officer with the ministers, and brought them without violence;
for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. [27] And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, [28] Saying:
Commanding we commanded you, that you should not teach in this name;
and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and you have a
mind to bring the blood of this man upon us. [29] But Peter and the apostles answering, said: We ought to obey God, rather than men. [30] The God of our fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom you put to death, hanging him upon a tree.
[31] Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. [32] And we are witnesses of these things and the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to all that obey him. [33] When they had heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they thought to put them to death. [34] But
one in the council rising up, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of
the law, respected by all the people, commanded the men to be put forth a
little while. [35] And he said to them: Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do, as touching these men.
[36] For
before these days rose up Theodas, affirming himself to be somebody, to
whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was
slain; and all that believed him were scattered, and brought to
nothing. [37] After
this man, rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the enrolling, and
drew away the people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many
as consented to him, were dispersed. [38] And
now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from these men, and let them
alone; for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to
nought; [39] But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God. And they consented to him. [40] And
calling in the apostles, after they had scourged them, they charged
them that they should not speak at all in the name of Jesus; and they
dismissed them.
[41] And
they indeed went from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they
were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus.[42] And every day they ceased not in the temple, and from house to house, to teach and preach Christ Jesus. (Acts 5: 26-42.)
The
conciliar revolutionaries believe that it is virtuous to be silent
about the Holy Name of Jesus before men, a veritable requirement to be a
"good citizen" of the United States of America and, of course, of the
"world."
Far
from the warped, twisted mind of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an anti-apostle
who keeps silent about the Holy Name of Jesus in “mixed company," Saint
Bernardine of Siena, whose preaching about the Name above all other
Names was responsible for the feast we celebrated on Monday, January 2,
2017, explained that the Holy Name of Jesus is the glory of preachers:
The
name of Jesus is the glory of preachers, because the shining splendor
of that name causes his word to be proclaimed and heard. And how do you
think such an immense, sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the
world, if not because Jesus was preached? Was it not through the brilliance and sweet savor of this name that God called us into his marvelous light? When we have been enlightened, and in that same light behold the light of heaven, rightly may the apostle Paul say to us: Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.
So
this name must be proclaimed, that it may shine out and never be
suppressed. But it must not be preached by someone with sullied mind or
unclean lips, but stored up and poured out from a chosen vessel. That is why our Lord said of Saint Paul: He
is a chosen instrument of mine, the vessel of my choice, to carry my
name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. In this
chosen vessel there was to be a drink more pleasing than earth ever
knew, offered to all mankind for a price they could pay, so that they
would be drawn to taste of it. Poured into other chosen vessels, it
would grow and radiate splendor. For our Lord said: He is to Carry my name.
When
a fire is lit to clear a field, it burns off all the dry and useless
weeds and thorns. When the sun rises and darkness is dispelled, robbers,
night-prowlers and burglars hide away. So when Paul's voice was raised
to preach the Gospel to the nations, like a great clap of thunder in the
sky, his preaching was a blazing fire carrying all before it. It was
the sun rising in full glory. Infidelity was consumed by it, false
beliefs fled away, and the truth appeared like a great candle lighting
the whole world with its brilliant flame.
By
word of mouth, by letters, by miracles and by the example of his own
life, Saint Paul bore the name of Jesus wherever he went. He praised the
name of Jesus at all times, but never more than when bearing witness to his faith. Moreover, the Apostle did indeed carry this name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel as a light to enlighten all nations. And this was his cry wherever he journeyed: The
night is passing away, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the
works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct
ourselves honorably as in the day. Paul himself showed forth the burning and shining light set upon a candlestick, everywhere proclaiming Jesus, and him crucified.
And so the Church, the bride of Christ strengthened by his testimony, rejoices with the psalmist, singing: 0 God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. The psalmist exhorts her to do this, as he says: Sing to the Lord, and bless his name, proclaim his salvation day after day. And
this salvation is Jesus, her savior." (Saint Bernardine of Siena,
(Sermo 49, De glorioso Nomine Iesu Christi, cap 2: Opera omnia,
4. 505-506)
To
be silent about the Holy Name of Jesus for fear of offending men is a
grave sin as it offends God by showing one prefers the respect of mere
creatures to giving the true God of Divine Revelation His due no matter
the venue.
Similarly, Pope Leo XIII exhorted us in Sapientiae Christianae, January 10, 1890, to defend and to proclaim the truths of the Catholic Faith at all times without fail:
But
in this same matter, touching Christian faith, there are other duties
whose exact and religious observance, necessary at all times in the
interests of eternal salvation, become more especially so in these our
days. Amid such reckless and widespread folly of opinion, it is, as We
have said, the office of the Church to undertake the defense of truth
and uproot errors from the mind, and this charge has to be at all times
sacredly observed by her, seeing that the honor of God and the salvation
of men are confided to her keeping. But,
when necessity compels, not those only who are invested with power of
rule are bound to safeguard the integrity of faith, but, as St. Thomas
maintains: "Each one is under obligation to show forth his faith, either
to instruct and encourage others of the faithful, or to repel the
attacks of unbelievers.'' To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence
when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is the part
of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubt as to the
truth of what he professes to believe. In both cases such mode of
behaving is base and is insulting to God, and both are incompatible with
the salvation of mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to
the enemies of the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as
the lack of courage on the part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on
the part of Christians is so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom
little would be needed on their part to bring to naught false charges
and refute erroneous opinions, and by always exerting themselves more
strenuously they might reckon upon being successful. After all,
no one can be prevented from putting forth that strength of soul which
is the characteristic of true Christians, and very frequently by such
display of courage our enemies lose heart and their designs are
thwarted. Christians are, moreover, born for combat, whereof the greater
the vehemence, the more assured, God aiding, the triumph: "Have
confidence; I have overcome the world." Nor is there any ground for
alleging that Jesus Christ, the Guardian and Champion of the Church,
needs not in any manner the help of men. Power certainly is not wanting
to Him, but in His loving kindness He would assign to us a share in
obtaining and applying the fruits of salvation procured through His
grace.
The
chief elements of this duty consist in professing openly and
unflinchingly the Catholic doctrine, and in propagating it to the utmost
of our power. For, as is often said, with the greatest truth, there is
nothing so hurtful to Christian wisdom as that it should not be known,
since it possesses, when loyally received, inherent power to drive away
error. (Pope Leo XIII, Sapientiae Christianae, January 10, 1890.)
Alas,
to call to mind a metaphor used by a concliar priest to exculpate
himself for a massive rainfall on Easter Sunday over three decades ago
now,the likes of Timothy Michael Doland and Patrick Conroy are "in
sales, not management." That is, these sanctimonious men who prefer
human respect are just following the example set by the conciliar
"popes," starting with the first of their number who made "pastoral
visits" outside of Italy, Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria
Montini/Paul VI.
Here
is the precedent set in this regard by Giovanni Eugenio Antonio Maria
Montini/Paul VI on January 4, 1964, when he addressed King Hussein of
Jordan:
Majesty!
We are most appreciative of your kindness in coming to welcome Us personally on Our arrival in your Kingdom.
Our
visit is a spiritual one, a humble pilgrimage to the sacred places made
holy by the Birth, the Life, the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, and
by His glorious Resurrection and Ascension. At each of these venerable
shrines, We shall pray for that peace which Jesus left to His disciples,
that peace which the world cannot give, but which comes from the
fulfilment of His commandment: to love one another as He loved us (cfr. Io. 14, 27; 15, 12).
Your
Majesty, We know, ardently desires peace and prosperity for your
people, and for all the nations of the world; and We, Peter’s Successor,
remember his reference to the Psalms in his first Epistle: «He who
would love life, and see good days,… let him turn away from evil and do
good, let him seek after peace and pursue it )» (Ps. 23, 13-15). Saint
Peter also wrote: “(Honour all men; love the brotherhood; fear God;
honour the king” (1 Petr. 11, 17).
May
God grant Our prayer, and that of all men of good will, that, living
together in harmony and accord, they may help one another in love and
justice, and attain to universal peace in true brotherhood. (Address to the King of Jordan, January 4, 1964.)
The
second of the conciliar “popes” established the precedent for his
successors when visiting the Holy Land: never seek the conversion of any
non-Catholic to the Catholic Faith. Always speak in Judeo-Masonic
terms. The conciliar motto can be summarized s follows: “Thou shalt
never offend a non-Catholic.”
Another
way of phrasing this is as follows: “Thou shalt obey the commands of
the Sanhedrin that the Apostles dared to defy as cited just above in
this commentary:
Saying:
What shall we do to these men? for indeed a known miracle hath been
done by them, to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: it is manifest, and
we cannot deny it. But that it may be no farther spread among the
people, let us threaten them that they speak no more in this name to any
man. And calling them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor teach
in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answering, said to them: If it
be just in the sight of God, to hear you rather than God, judge ye. For
we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:
16-20.)
When
one speaks and acts in Judeo-Masonic terms, however, especially in the
Holy Land, which is in a state of conflict because of the unbelief of
Talmudists and the Mohammedans, whom the conciliar “popes” have
reaffirmed in their false religions time and time and time again, one
winds up pleasing no one, most especially Christ the King Himself.
As
even a selective documentation of the ways in which “Saint John Paul
II” refused to proclaim the Holy Name of Jesus before non-Catholics,
refusing also, of course, to seek the conversion of those they addressed
both in Rome and elsewhere around the world, would take too much space
in the body of this commentary, the appendix provides those who are
interested with all of the documentation that is needed to understand
that Jorge Mario Bergoglio and his own band of Jacobin/Bolshevik
conciliar revolutionaries are merely carrying on a “tradition,” albeit a
perverse one, that is at the very center of all things conciliar.
For
his own part, of course, the Argentine Apostate has distinguished
himself on a number of levels as a man who is unafraid to blaspheme
Christ the King and His Most Blessed Mother before Catholic audiences
and who is too ashamed of the Holy Name of Jesus to proclaim Him to the
members of the contemporary Sanhedrin, which is both Talmudic and
Cabalistic. All we have to remember is that Bergoglio never once
mentioned the Holy Name of Jesus when addressing “mixed audiences” at
the White House on Wednesday, September 23, 2015, the Feast of Pope
Saint Linus and the Commemoration of Saint Thecla, before a special
joint meeting of the Congress of the United States of America on
Thursday, September 24, 2015, the Feast of Our Lady of Ransom, at the
United Nations and at “Ground Zero” on Friday, September 25, 2015, and
while speaking in support of the heresy of “religious liberty” at
Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday September
26, 2015, the Feast of the North American Martyrs.
Bergoglio mentioned the Quakers as pioneers of “religious liberty” in colonial America:
The
Quakers who founded Philadelphia were inspired by a profound
evangelical sense of the dignity of each individual and the ideal of a
community united by brotherly love. This conviction led them to found a
colony which would be a haven of religious freedom and tolerance. (hJorge Blathers About Religious Liberty in the City of Judeo-Masonic "love," September 26, 2015..)
The
Quakers were founded by an Englishman, George Fox, who hated the way in
which the vestiges of Catholicism still “corrupted” religious
sensibilities in England during the latter part of the Seventeenth and
early Eighteenth Centuries as William Penn imported this syncretistic
religion into Colony of Pennsylvania:
Meanwhile,
Fox, in the intervals between his frequent imprisonments, had laboured
to impart the semblance of an organization to the society;
whilst the excesses of some of his followers compelled him to enact a
code of discipline. His efforts in both these directions encountered
strong opposition from many who had been taught to regard the inward
light as the all-sufficient guide. However, the majority, sacrificing
consistency, acquiesced; and before the death of Fox, 13 Jan., 1691,
Quakerism was established on the principles which it has since
substantially preserved.
Although the Friends repudiate creeds as "external" and "human", yet they, at least the early Quakers and their orthodox modern followers, admit the fundamental dogmas of Christianity as expounded in the Apostles' Creed. Rejecting as non-Scriptural the term Trinity, they confess theGodhead of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; the doctrine of the Redemption and salvation through Christ; and the sanctification of soulsthrough the Holy Spirit.
Their ablest apologists, as Robert Barclay and William Penn, have not
been able to explain satisfactorily in what respect the "inward light"
differs from the light of the individual reason; neither have they reconciled the doctrine of the supreme authority of the "inner voice" with the "external" claims of Scripture and the historic Christ. These doctrinal weaknesses were fruitful germs of dissensions in later times.
Though
one of the earliest of Fox's "testimonies" was in reprobation of
"steeple-houses", that is, the stately edifices with which Catholicpiety had covered the soil of England,
nevertheless, as his adherents grew in numbers, he was forced to gather
them into congregations for purposes of worship and business. These
"particular meetings" assembled on the first day of the week. They worshipped without any form of liturgy and in silence until some man, woman, or child was moved by the Spirit to "give testimony", the value of which was gauged by the common sense of the assembly. (Society of Friends, as found at New Advent Encyclopedia.)
There
is, you see, a great similarity between the liturgically and
doctrinally “liberated” Quakers and the man who, most tragically, is
accepted by most people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, in the world
as “Pope Francis,” namely, the blaspheming heretic named Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, who has kept his peace about the Holy Name of Jesus in front
of Jews, Mohammedans, Hindus, Budhists, Communists and other atheists,
and just about anyone else.
Indeed,
fearing to offend “nonbelievers” with even a pretend blessing, the lay
Jesuit simply asked the crowd gathered on the Capitol Mall to send him
“good wishes” after he had addressed Congress on September 24, 2015:
In
improvised remarks made from the balcony of the American Congress to
huge crowds gathered in the National Mall in Washington, Pope Francis
asked God to bless all the people of America, especially the children
and their families. Speaking in his native Spanish, he asked the crowds
to pray for him too, adding that “if there are among you any who do not believe or cannot pray, I ask you please to send good wishes my way”.
The
Pope's impromptu greeting came after his address inside Congress to a
joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Before
taking his leave of the cheering crowds lining the Mall, the Pope said
in English “Thank you very much – and God bless America!” (Bergoglio gives impromptu greeting to crowds in Washington Mall.)
It is as though Jorge said, "Hey, baby, send me some good vibes." To quote a friend of ours, "What a jerk."
The
conciliar “popes” have acted as though the courage of the Apostles
themselves, who had been enjoined by the Sanhedrin never to speak the
Holy Name of Jesus again, was nothing other than a personal choice on
their part that carries with it no binding obligation today, especially
after the events of World War II that keep being used as a pretext for
the apostate conciliar “doctrine” concerning the “enduring” nature of
the Old Covenant.
refusal
of Jorge Mario Bergoglio and his band of concilar revolutionaries,
including is fellow lay Jesuit, Patrick Conroy, and one of the "bishops"
he inherited from Joseph Alois Ratzinger/Benedict XVI by way of Karol
Josef Wojtyla/"Saint" John Paul II, Timothy Michael Dolan, to utter the
Holy Name of Jesus when im the presence of those who do not believe in
Our Lord’s Sacred Divinity stands in stark contrast to the examples
provided us by millions of martyrs, many of whom died with the sweet
Name of Jesus on their very lips as they died after refusing to disown
the only Name given to men by which they can be saved.
Consider
the example of the very saints whose feast day was celebrated on the
very same day, January 20, 2017, that Timothy Michael Dolan and Patrick
Conroy chose not to invoke the Holy Name of Jesus before men in a public
setting:
Two
great Martyrs divide between them the honours of the twentieth day of
Janauary—one, a Pontiff of the Church in Rome; the other, a member of
that Mother-Church. Fabian received the crown of martyrdom, in the year
250, under the persecution of Decius; the persecution of Diocletian
crowned Sebastian in the year 288. We will consider the merits of these
two champions of Christ separately.
Saint Fabian
St.
Fabian, like St. Clement and St. Antherus, two of his predecessors, was
extremely zealous in seeing that the Acts of the Martyrs were carefully
drawn up. This zeal was no doubt exercised by the clergy in the case of
our holy Pontiff himself, and his sufferings and martyrdom were
carefully registered; but all these interesting particulars have been
lost, in common with condemned to the flames, by the Imperial Edicts,
during the persecution under Diocletian. Nothing is now known of the
life of St. Fabian, save a few of his actions as Pope; but we may have
some idea of his virtues by the praise given him by St. Cyprian, who, in
a letter to St. Cornelius, the immediate successor of St. Fabian, calls
him an incomparable man. The Bishop of Carthage extols the
purity and holiness of the life of the holy Pontiff, who so peaceably
governed the Church amidst all the storms which then assailed her. There
is an interesting circumstance related of him by Eusebius. After the
death of St. Antherus, the people and clergy of Rome assembled together
for the election of a new Pontiff. Heaven marked out the successor of
St. Peter: a dove was seen to rest on the venerable head of Fabian and
he was unanimously chosen. This reminds us of the even in our Lord’s
Life, which we celebrated a few days back, when standing in the river
Jordan, the Dove came down from heaven, and showed him to the people as
the Son of God. Fabian was depository of the power of regeneration,
which Jesus by his baptism gave to the element of water; he zealously
propagated the Faith of his Divine Master, and among the Bishops he
consecrated for divers places, one or more Twere sent by him into these western parts of Europe. (Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year, Christmas Book II, Volume 3, pp. 346-348.)
We give the short account of the Acts of St. Fabian, as recorded in the Liturgy.
Fabian
was a Roman, and sat as Pope from the year of our Lord 236, in the
reign of the Emperor Maximin till 250, in that of Decius. He appointed a
Deacon to each of the seven districts of Rome to look after the poor.
He likewise appointed the same number of Subdeacons to collect the acts
of the Martyrs from the records kept by the seven district notaries. It
was by him that it was ordained that every Maundy Thursday the old
Chrism should be burnt and new consecrated. He was crowned with
martyrdom upon the 20th of January, in the persecution of Decius, and
buried in the cemetery of St Kallistus on the Appian Way, having sat in
the throne of Peter fifteen years and four days. He held five Advent
ordinations, in which he ordained twenty - two Priests, seven Deacons,
and eleven Bishops for divers Sees. (As found at: Divinum Officio.)
Dom
Prosper Gueranger composed a prayer to Pope Saint Fabian that shows the
contrast between this true pope and martyr for the Catholic Faith, not
for religious liberty, and the false "popes" and their appartchiks of
the counterfeit church of conciliarism:
Thus
dist thou live out the long tempestuous days of thy Pontificate, O
Fabian! But thou hadst the presentiment of the peaceful future reserved
by God for his Church, and thou didst zealously labour to hand down to
the coming generations the great examples of the Martyrs. The flames
have robbed us of a great portion of the treasures thou preparedst for
us, and have deprived us of knowing the Fabian who so loved the Martyrs,
and died one himself. But of thee, Blessed Pontiff ! we know enough to
make us thank God for having set thee over his Church in those hard
times, and keep this day as a feast in celebration of thy glorious
triumph. The dove, which marked out as the one chosen by heaven, showed
thee to men as the visible Christ on earth; it told thee that thou wert
destined for heavy responsibilities and martyrdom; it was a
warning to the Church that she should recognize and hear thee as her
guide and teacher. Honoured with a resemblance to Jesus in the mystery
of his Epiphany, pray to him for us, that he may mercifully manifest himself
our mind and heart. Obtain of him for us that docility to his grace,
that loving submisveness to his will, that detachment from all created
things, which were the support of thy life during those fifteen years of
thy threatened and anxious pontificate. When the angry persecution of
length broke on thee, it found thee prepared, and martyrdom carried thee
to the bosom of that God, who had already welcomed so many of thy
martyred children. We too are looking for that last wave which is to
break over us, and carry us from the shore of this present life to
eternity; oh ! pray for us, that it may find us ready! If the love of
the Divine Babe, our Jesus, be within us; if, like thee, we imitate the
simplicity of the dove; we shall not be lost! Here are our hearts—we wish for nothing but God; help us by thy prayers. (Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year, Christmas Book II, Volume 3, pp. 348-350.)
Saint Sebastian
At
the head of her list of heroes, after the two glorious Apostles Peter
and Paul, who form her chief glory, Rome puts her two most valiant
martyrs, Laurence and Sebastian, and her two most illustrious Virgins,
Cecily and Agnes. Of these four, two are given us by the Calendar of
Chistmastide as attendants in the court of the Infant Jesus at Bethelem.
Laurence and Cecily come later in the year, when other mysteries are
brought before us by the Liturgy; but Christmas calls forth Sebastian
and Agnes. To-day it is the brave soldier of the pretorian band,
Sebastian, who stands by the Crib to-morrow we shall see Agnes, gentle
as a lamb, yet fearless as a lion, inviting us to love the sweet Babe
whom she chose for her Spouse.
The
chivalrous spirit of Sebastian reminds us of the great Archdeacon; both
of them, one in the sanctuary and the other in the world, defied the
tortures of death. Burnt on one side, Laurence bids the tyrant roast the
other; Sebastian, pieced with his arrows, waits till the gaping wounds
are closed, and then runs to his persecutor Diocletian, asking for a
second martyrdom. But we must forget Laurence to-day, to think of
Sebastian.
We
must picture to ourselves a young soldier, who tears himself away from
all the ties of his home at Milan, because the persecution there was too
tame, whereas at Rome, it was at its fiercest. He trembles with anxiety
at the thought that perhaps some of the Christians in the Capital may
be losing courage. He has been told that at times some of the Emperor’s
soldiers, who were also soldiers of Christ, have gained admission into
the prisons, and have roused up the singing courage of the confessors.
He is resolved to go on the like mission, and hopes that he may also
receiving the blessing of martyrdom. He reaches Rome, he is admitted
into the prisons, and encourages to martyrdom such as had been shaken by
the tears of those who were dear to them. Some of gaolers, converted by
witnessing his faith and his miracles, become martyrs themselves; and
one of the Roman Magistrates asks to be instructed in a religion which
can produce such men as Sebastian. He has won the esteem of the Emperors
Diocletian and Maximian Hercules for his fidelity and courage as a
soldier; they have loaded him with favours; and this gives him an
influence in Rome which he so zealously turns to the advantage of the
Christian religion, that the holy Pope Caius calls him the Defender of the Faith.
After
sending innumerable martyrs to heaven, Sebastian at length wins the
crown he had so ardently desired. He incurs the displeasure of
Diocletian by confessing himself to be a Christian; the heavenly King,
for whose sake alone he had put on the helmet and soldier’s cloak, was
to him above all Emperors and Princes. He is handed over to the
archers of Mauritania, who strip him, bind him, and wound him from head
to foot with their arrows. They left him, and his wounds were healed.
Sebastian again approaches the Emperor, who orders him to be beaten to
death in the circus, near the Imperial Palace.
Such
are the Soldiers of our new-born King; but oh! how richly does repay
them for their service! Rome, the Capital of his Church, is founded on
seven Basilicas, as ancient City was on its seven hills; and the name
and tomb of Sebastian graces one of these seven sanctuaries. The
Basilica of Sebastian stands in a sort of solitude, on the Appian Way,
outside the walls of Eternal City; it is enriched with the relics of the
holy Pope and Martyr Fabian; but Sebastian, the valiant leader of the
pretorian guard, is the Patron, and as it were the Prince of the holy
temple. It was here that he wished to be buried, as a faithful guardian,
near the well wherein the bodies of the holy Apostles had been
concealed, lest they be desecrated by the persecutors.
In
return for the zeal of St. Sebastian for the souls of his Christian
brethren, whom he preserved from the contagion of paganism. God has made
him the Protector of the faithful pestilence. A signal proof of the
power granted to the holy Martyr was given at Rome, in the year 680,
under the Pontificate of St. Agatho.
Let us now listen to our holy Mother the Church, who thus speaks of her glorious Martyr in the Office of his Feast. (Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year, Christmas Book II, Volume 3, pp. 349-351.)
The
father of Sebastian was of Narbonne, and his mother a Milanese. He was a
great favourite of the Emperor Diocletian, both on account of his noble
birth and his personal bravery, and was by him appointed captain of the
first company of the Praetorian Guards. He was in secret a Christian,
and often supported the others both by good offices and money. When
some showed signs of yielding under persecution, he so successfully
exhorted them, that, for Jesus Christ's sake, many offered themselves to
the tormentors. Among these were the brothers Mark and Marcellian who
were imprisoned at Rome in the house of Nicostratus. The wife of Nicostratus himself, named Zoe, had lost her voice, but it was restored to her at the prayer of Sebastian. These
facts becoming known to Diocletian, he sent for Sebastian, and after
violently rebuking him, used every means to turn him from his faith in
Christ. But as neither promises nor threats availed, he ordered him to
be tied to a post and shot to death with arrows.
Sebastian
was treated accordingly, and left for dead, but in the night the holy
widow Irene sent for the body in order to bury it, and then found that
he was still alive, and nursed him in her own house. As soon as his
health was restored, he went out to meet Diocletian, and boldly rebuked
him for his wickedness. The Emperor was first thunderstruck at the sight
of a man whom he believed to have been some time dead, but afterwards,
frenzied with rage at tl\e reproaches of Sebastian, ordered him to be
beaten to death with rods, under which torment the martyr yielded his
blessed soul to God, (upon the 20th day of January, in the year of our
Lord 288.) His body was thrown into a sewer, but he appeared in sleep to
Lucina, and made known to her where it was, and where he would have it
buried. She accordingly found it and laid it in those Catacombs, over
which a famous Church hath since been built, called St
Sebastian's-without-the-Walls. (As found at: Divinum Officio.)
Dom
Prosper Gueranger’s prayer to Saint Sebastian invites us all to pray to
this great martyr for courage to profess the Holy Name at all times no
matter what temporal suffering we might suffer as a result:
Brave
Soldier of our Emmauel! thou art now sweetly reposing at the foot of
his throne. Thy wounds are closed, and thy rich palm-branch delights all
heaven by the freshness of it unfading beauty. Look down the Church on
earth, that tires not in singing thy praise. Each Christmas, we find
these near the Crib of the Divine Babe, its brave and faithful sentinel.
The office tho didst once fill in an earthly prince’s court is still
thine, but it is in the palace of the King of kings. Into that palace,
we beseech, lead us by thy prayers, and gain a favourable hearing to our
unworthy petitions.
With
what a favourable ear must not Jesus receive all thy requests, who
didst love him such a brave love! Thirsting to shed thy blood in his
service, thou didst scorn a battlefield where danger was not sure, and
Rome, that Babylon which as St. John says, was drunk with the blood of the Martyrs.
Rome
alone was worthy of thee. And there it was not thy plan to secure the
palm of martyrdom only for thyself; the courage of some of thy
fellow-Christians had wavered, and the thought of their danger troubled
thee. Rushing into their prisons, where they lay mutilated by the
tortures they had endured, thou didst give then back the fallen laurel,
and teach them how to secure it in the gasp of holy defiance. It seemed
as though thou wast commissioned to form a pretorian band for the King
of heaven, and that thou couldst not enter heaven unless marshaling
thither a troop of veterans for Jesus Thy turn came at last; the hour of
thy confession was at hand, and thou hadst to think of thine own fair
crown. But for such a soldier as thou, Sebastian, one martyrdom is not
enough. The archers have faithfully done their work—not an arrow is left
in their quivers; and yet their victim lives, ready for a second
sacrifice. Such were the Christians of the early times, and we are their
children!
Look,
then, O Soldier of Christ! upon us, and pity us, as thou didst thy
brethren, who once faltered in the combat. Alas! we let everything
frighten and discourage us; and oftentimes we are enemies of the Cross,
even while professing that we love it. We too easily forget that we
cannot be companions of the martyrs unless our hearts have the
generosity of the martyrs. We are cowardly in our contest with the world
and it pomps; with the evil propensities of our nature, and the tyranny
of our senses; and thus we fall. And when we have made an easy peace
with God, and sealed it with the sacrament of his love, we behave as
though we have nothing more to do than to go quietly to heaven, without
further trials or self-imposed sacrifices. Rouse us, great Saint! from
these illusions, and waken us from our listless life. Our love of God is
asleep, and all must needs go wrong.
Preserve
us from the contagion of bad example, that we may be clad with the
armour of God, described to us by the great Apostle. May we have
on the breastplate of justice, which will defend us from sin; the
helmet of salvation, that is, the hope of gaining heaven, which will
preserve us from both despair and presumption; the shield of faith,
which will wad off the darts of the enemy who seeks to corrupt the heart
by leading the mind into error; and lastly, the word of the Spirit,
which is the word of God, whereby we may put all false doctrines to
flight, and vanquish all our vices; for heaven and earth pass away, but
the word of God abides for ever, and is given us as our rule and the
pledge of our salvation.
Defender
of the Church, as the Vicar of Christ called thee, lift up thy sword
and defend her now. Prostrate her enemies, and frustrate the plots they
have laid for her destruction. Let her enjoy one of those rare periods
of peace during which she prepares for fresh combats. Obtain for
Christian soldiers, engaged in just wars, the blessing of the God of
Hosts. Protect the Holy City of Rome, where thy Tomb is honoured. Avert
from us, by thy intercession, the scourge of pestilence and contagion.
Hear the prayers which each year are addressed to thee for the
preservation of the creatures given to man to aid him in his daily
labour. Secure to us, by thy prayers, peace and happiness in this
present life, and the good thing of the life to come. (Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year, Christmas Book II, Volume 3, pp. 354-356.)
The
silence about the Holy Name of Jesus as maintained by Jorge Mario
Bergoglio and his conciliar revolutionaries has only emboldened the
forces of Judeo-Masonry, who helped to enginerr the anti-Incarnational
world of Modernity that coopted so many Catholics before the "Second"
Vatican Council and was the driving force at that illegal council,
abroad in the world to step up their attacks on those who dare to
profess the Holy Name of Jesus in public.
Our
Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is both the King of men and their
nations whether or not He is acknowledged as such by the lords of the
world or the lords of the counterfeit church of conciliarism. Can it be
any accident that the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus does not exist in
the liturgical calendar of the Protestant and Judeo-Masonic Novus Ordo liturgical
service or that the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, which was
invoked—along with that of the Holy Name of Jesus Itself—by King Jan
Sobieski as the Mohammedans were turned back at the Gates of Vienna on
September 12, 1683, is but an “optional memorial” on September 12?
Unlike the conciliar “pontiffs,” including Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Pius XI explained in Quas Primas, December 11, 1925, that Catholics have an obligation to proclaim the Holy Name of Jesus in public assemblies:
Moreover,
the annual and universal celebration of the feast of the Kingship of
Christ will draw attention to the evils which anticlericalism has
brought upon society in drawing men away from Christ, and will also do
much to remedy them. While nations
insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by suppressing all mention of it
in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the more loudly
proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm
his rights. (Pope Pius XI, Quas Primas, December 11, 1925.)
We
utter the Holy Name of Jesus fifty-three times when we pray one set of
mysteries of Our Lady’s Most Holy Rosary, bowing our heads as we do so.
May this daily utterance of the sweet and Holy Name of Jesus during the
praying of the Most Holy Rosary help us to have fortitude to invoke the
Holy Name of Jesus without hesitation and to have the courage to suffer
both the white martyrdom of persecution, ridicule and ostracism and
actual blood martyrdom if such a golden opportunity to save one’s soul
should be within the Providence of God to give us.
Most Holy Name of Jesus, be my love.
Most Sweet Name of Mary, be my salvation.
Vivat Christus Rex! Viva Cristo Rey!
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.
Saint John the Evangelist, pray for us.
Saint Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Gabriel the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Raphael the Archangel, pray for us.
Saints Joachim and Anne, pray for us.
Saints Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, pray for us.
Saints Vincent and Anastasius, pray for us.
Saint Raymond of Penafort, pray for us.
Saint Emerentiana, pray for us.
Saint Timothy, pray for us.
Appendix A
A Sampling of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II's Addresses to Non-Christian Audiences
Dear Friends,
1.
My visit to India is a pilgrimage of good will and peace, and the
fulfilment of a desire to experience personally the very soul of your
country.
It
is entirely fitting that this pilgrimage should begin here, at Raj
Ghat, dedicated to the memory of the illustrious Mahatma Gandhi, the
Father of the Nation and "apostle of non-violence".
The figure of Mahatma Gandhi and
the meaning of his life’s work have penetrated the consciousness of
humanity. In his famous words, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has expressed the
conviction of the whole world: "The light that shone in this country
was no ordinary light" .
Two
days ago marked the thirty-eighth anniversary of his death. He who
lived by non-violence appeared to be defeated by violence.
For
a brief moment the light seemed to have gone out. Yet his teachings and
the example of his life live on in the minds and hearts of millions of
men and women. And so it was said: "The light has gone out of our lives
and there is darkness everywhere and I do not quite know what to tell
you and how to say it... The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was
wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light.
The light that has illumined this country for these many years will
illumine this country for many more years..." . Yes, the light is still
shining, and the heritage of Mahatma Gandhi speaks to us still. And today as a pilgrim of peace I have come here to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, hero of humanity.
2.
From this place, which is forever bound to the memory of this
extraordinary man, I wish to express to the people of India and of the
world my profound conviction that the peace and justice of which
contemporary society has such great need will be achieved only along the
path which was at the core of his teaching: the supremacy of the spirit
and Satyagraha, the "truthforce", which conquers without violence by
the dynamism intrinsic to just action. .
The
power of truth leads us to recognize with Mahatma Gandhi the dignity,
equality and fraternal solidarity of all human beings, and it prompts us
to reject every form of discrimination. It shows us once again the need
for mutual understanding acceptance and collaboration between religious
groups in the pluralist society of modern India and throughout the
world.
3.
The traditional problems of poverty, hunger and disease have not yet
been eradicated from our world. Indeed, in some ways they are more
virulent than ever. In addition, new sources of tension and anxiety have
emerged as well The existence of immense arsenals of weapons of mass
destruction causes a grave and justified uneasiness in our minds. The
inequality of development favours some and plunges others into
inextricable dependence. In these conditions peace is fragile and
injustice abounds.
From
this place, which belongs in a sense to the history of the entire human
family, I wish, however, to reaffirm the conviction that with the help
of God the construction of a better world, in peace and justice, lies
within the reach of human beings.
But
the leaders of peoples, and all men and women of good will, must
believe and act of the belief that the solution lies within the human
heart: "from a new heart, peace is born"... Mahatma Gandhi reveals to us
his own heart as he repeats today to those who listen: "The law of love
governs the world... Truth triumphs over untruth. Love conquers
hate..." .
4.
In this place, as we meditate on the figure of this man so marked by
his noble devotion to God and his respect for every living being, I wish
also to recall those words of Jesus recorded in the Christian
Scriptures – with which the Mahatma was very familiar and in which he
found the confirmation of the deep thoughts of his heart:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" .
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" .
May
these words, and other expressions in the sacred books of the great
religious traditions present on the fruitful soil of India be a source
of inspiration to all peoples, and to their leaders, ín the search for
justice among people and peace between all the nations of the world.
Mahatma
Gandhi taught that if all men and women, whatever the differences
between them, cling to the truth, with respect for the unique dignity of
every human being, a new world order – a civilization of love – can be
achieved. And today we hear him still pleading with the world: "Conquer
hate by love, untruth by truth, violence by suffering" .
May God guide us and bless us as we strive to walk together, hand in hand, and build together a world of peace! Visit to the funerary monument of Raj Ghat dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, in Delhi, February 1, 1986.)
O
Lord and God of all, you have willed that all your children, united by
the Spirit, should live and grow together in mutual acceptance, harmony
and peace. We grieve in our hearts that our human selfishness and greed
have prevented your plan from being realised in our times.
We
recognise that Peace is a gift from you. We also know that our
collaboration as your instruments requires a wise stewardship of the
earth’s resources for the true progress of all peoples. It calls for a
deep respect and reverence for life and a keen appreciation of the human
dignity and sacredness of conscience of every person, and a constant
struggle against all forms of discrimination in law or in fact.
We
commit ourselves, together with all our brothers and sisters, to
cultivating a deeper awareness of your presence and action in history,
to a more effective practice of truthfulness and responsibility, the
ceaseless pursuit of freedom from all oppressive structures, fellowship
across all barriers and justice and fullness of life for all.
Gathered
in India’s Capital at this Memorial to the Father of the Nation – an
outstanding and courageous witness to truth, love and non-violence – we
invoke your blessings on the leaders of this country and of all nations,
on the followers of all religious traditions and of all people of good
will. Enable us, Lord, to live and grow as active partners with you and
with one another in the common task of building a culture without
violence, a world community that places its security not in the
manufacture of ever more deadly weapons but in mutual trust and
practical concern for a better future for all your children within a
worldwide civilisation of truth, love and peace. Prayer for peace at the conlcusion of the visit to Raj Ghat in Delhi, February 1, 1986.)
Dear Friends,
1.
I am pleased that my pilgrimage to India has brought me to Delhi, and
once again to this Indira Gandhi Stadium. Here we are experiencing
together, in a religious and cultural setting, the reality that is man
in this your vast and fascinating land. You are representatives and
leaders in various fields of human life and endeavour. To all of you I
offer my greetings of friendship, respect and fraternal love.
I
wish to thank all who have made this meeting possible, and I am
especially pleased that so many young people are able to be here. I
am very grateful to those of different religions who have welcomed me
so cordially and have presented their deep reflections, together with
their earnest hopes for India and for the world.
For
all of us this experience is conducive to a deep reflection on this
reality of man which we perceive and are immersed in. In India, without
doubt, this reality offers us a spiritual vision of man. I believe that
this spiritual vision is of supreme relevance for the people of India
and for their future; it says much about their values, their hopes and
aspirations and their human dignity. I believe that a spiritual vision
of man is of immense importance for the whole of humanity With an
emphasis on spiritual values the world is capable of formulating a new
attitude towards itself – new, but based to a great extent on ethical
values preserved for centuries, many of them in this ancient land. These
include a spirit of fraternal charity and dedicated service,
forgiveness, sacrifice and renunciation, remorse and penance for moral
failings and patience and forbearance.
2.
With the passing of time, it becomes evident that it is necessary to
return over and again to the central issue of the world, which is man:
man as a creature and child of God; man bearing within his heart and
soul the image to fulfil his calling to live for ever.
The one who speaks to you today is convinced that man is the way that the Catholic Church must take in order to be faithful to herself. In my first Encyclical I stated: " Man
is the full truth of his existence, of his personal being and also of
his community and social being – in the sphere of his own family, in the
sphere of society and very diverse contexts, in the sphere of his own
nation or people... and in the sphere of the whole of mankind – this man
is the primary route that the Church must travel in fulfilling her
mission" . And with equal
conviction I would state that man is the primary route that all humanity
must follow – but always man in the "full truth of his existence".
3. India has so much to offer to the world in the task of understanding man and the truth of his existence. And what she offers specifically is a noble spiritual vision of man – man, a
pilgrim of the Absolute, travelling towards a goal, seeking the face of
God. Did not Mahatma Gandhi put it this way: "What I want to achieve –
what I have been striving and pining to achieve... is self-realization –
to see God face to face. I live and move and have my being in pursuit
of this goal" .
On
the rectitude of this spiritual vision is built the defence of man in
his daily life. With this spiritual vision of man we are equipped to
face the concrete problems that affect man, torment his soul and afflict
his body.
From
this vision comes the incentive to undertake the struggle to remedy and
improve man’s condition, and to pursue relentlessly his integral human
development. From it comes the strength to persevere in the cause, as
well as the clarity of thought needed to find concrete solutions to
man’s problems. From a spiritual vision of man is derived the
inspiration to seek help and to offer collaboration in promoting the
true good of humanity at every level. Yes, from this spiritual vision
comes an indomitable spirit to win for man – for each man – his rightful
place in this world.
Despite
all the powerful forces of poverty and oppression, of evil and sin in
all their forms, the power of truth, will prevail – the truth about God,
the truth about man. It will prevail because it is invincible. The
power of truth is invincible! "Satyam èva jayatè – Truth alone
triumphs", as the motto of India proclaims.
4. The
full truth about man constitutes a whole programme for world-wide
commitment and collaboration. My predecessor Paul VI returned over and
over again to the concept of integral human development, because it is
based on the truth about man. He proposed it as the only way to bring
about man’s true progress at any time, but especially at this juncture
of history.
In
particular Paul VI looked upon integral human development as a
condition for arriving at that great and all pervasive good which is
peace. Indeed, he stated that this development is " the new name for
peace" .
To
pursue integral human development it is necessary to take a stand on
what is greatest and most noble in man: to reflect on his nature, his
life and his destiny. In a word, integral human development requires a
spiritual vision of man.
If
we are to further the advancement of man we must identify whatever
obstructs and contradicts his total well-being and affects his life; we
must identify whatever wounds, weakens or destroys life, whatever
attacks human dignity and hinders man from attaining the truth or from
living according to the truth.
The
pursuit of integral human development invites the world to reflect on
culture and to view it in its relationship to the final end of man.
Culture is not only an expression of man’s temporal life but an aid in
reaching his eternal life.
India’s
mission in all of this is crucial, because of her intuition of the
spiritual nature of man. Indeed India’s greatest contribution to the
world can be to offer it a spiritual vision of man. And the world does
well to attend willingly to this ancient wisdom and in it to find
enrichment for human laving.
5. The
attainment of integral human development for mankind makes demands on
each individual. It requires a radical openness to others, and people
are more readily open to each other when they understand their own
spiritual nature and that of their neighbour.
The Second Vatican Council perceived in our world "the
birth of a new humanism in which man is defined above all by his
responsibility towards his brothers and sisters and towards history" .
It is indeed evident that there is no place in this world for "man’s
inhumanity to man". Selfishness is a contradiction. By his nature man is
called to open his heart, in love, to his neighbours, because he has
been loved by God. In Christian tradition as expressed by Saint John’s
Letter we read: " Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another... If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is
perfected in us" .
The
building of a new world requires something deeply personal from each
human being. The renewal of the world in all its social relations begins
in the heart of every individual. It calls for a change of heart and
for repentance. It calls for a purification of heart and a real turning
to God. And what is deeply personal is supremely social, because "man is
defined above all in his responsibilities to his brothers and
sisters...". Christians cherish the fact that, in teaching his followers
how to pray, Jesus told them to approach God by calling him "Our Father
".
While
speaking of my own convictions, I know that many of them are in accord
with what is expressed in the ancient wisdom of this land. And in this
wisdom we find today an ever old and ever new basis for fraternal
solidarity in the cause of man and therefore ultimately in the service
of God.
The spiritual vision of man that India shares with the world is the vision of man seeking the face of God. The
very words used by Mahatma Gandhi about his own spiritual quest echo
the words quoted by Saint Paul when he explained that God is not far
from each of us: " In him we live and move and have our being " .
6. Religion
directs our lives totally to God, and at the same time our lives must
be totally permeated by our relationship to God – to the point that our
religion becomes our life. Religion is concerned with humanity and
everything that belongs to humanity, and at the same time it directs to
God all that is human within us. I would repeat what I wrote at the
beginning of my Pontificate: "Inspired by eschatological faith, the
Church considers an essential, unbreakably united element of her mission
this solicitude for man, for his humanity, for the future of men on
earth and therefore also for the course set for the whole of development
and progress" . As religion works to promote the reign of God in
this world, it tries to help the whole of society to promote man’s
transcendent destiny. At the same time it teaches its members a deep
personal concern for neighbour and civic responsibility for the
community. The Apostle John issued a challenge to the early Christian
community which remains valid for all religious people everywhere: " I
ask you, how can God’s love survive in a man who has enough of this
world’s goods yet closes his heart to his brother when he sees him in
need?" .
7. In
the world today, there is a need for all religions to collaborate in
the cause of humanity, and to do this from the viewpoint of the
spiritual nature of man. Today, as Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists,
Jains, Parsees and Christians, we gather in fraternal love to assert
this by our very presence. As we proclaim the truth about man, we insist
that man’s search for temporal and social well-being and full human
dignity corresponds to the deep longings of his spiritual nature.
To work for the attainment and preservation of all human rights,
including the basic right to worship God according to the dictates of an
upright conscience and to profess that faith externally, must become
ever more a subject of interreligious collaboration at all levels. This
interreligious collaboration must also be concerned with the struggle to
eliminate hunger, poverty, ignorance, persecution, discrimination and
every form of enslavement of the human spirit. Religion is the
mainspring of society’s commitment to justice, and interreligious
collaboration must reaffirm this in practice.
8.
All efforts in the cause of man are linked to a particular vision of
man, and all effective and complete efforts require a spiritual vision
of man. With Paul VI I repeat the conviction that " there is no true
humanism but that which is open to the Absolute and is conscious of a
vocation which gives human life its true meaning... Man can only realise
himself by reaching beyond himself" .
The
late President of India, Dr Radhakrishnan, was right when he said: "
Only a moral and spiritual revolution in the name of human dignity can
place man above the idols of economic production technological
organisation, racial discrimination and national egotism" . And again
"The new world of peace, freedom and safety for all can be achieved only
by those who are moved by great spiritual ideals" .
The
wisdom of India will contribute incalculably to the world by its
witness to the fact that increased possession is not the ultimate goal
of life. The true liberation of man will be brought about, as also the
elimination of all that militates against human dignity, only when the
spiritual vision of man is held in honour and pursued. Only within this
framework can the world adequately face the many problems of justice,
peace and integral human development that call for urgent solutions. And
within this framework of the truth of man, the holiness of God will be
made manifest by the rectitude and uprightness of human relations in the
social, political, cultural and economic spheres of life.
9.
This is the humanism that unites us today and invites us to fraternal
collaboration. This is the humanism that we offer to all the young
people present here today and to all the young people of the world. This
is the humanism to which India can make an imperishable contribution.
What is at stake is the well-being of all human society – the building
up of an earthly city that will already prefigure the eternal one and
contain in initial form the elements that will for ever be part of man’s
eternal destiny.
The Prophet Isaiah offers us his vision of this reality:
"I will appoint peace your governor,
and justice your ruler.
No longer shall violence be heard of in your land,
or plunder and ruin within your boundaries.
You shall call your walls ‘ Salvation’
and your gates ‘Praise’.
No longer shall the sun
be your light by day,
Nor the brightness of the moon shine upon you at night;
The Lord shall be your light forever,
your God shall be your glory" .
and justice your ruler.
No longer shall violence be heard of in your land,
or plunder and ruin within your boundaries.
You shall call your walls ‘ Salvation’
and your gates ‘Praise’.
No longer shall the sun
be your light by day,
Nor the brightness of the moon shine upon you at night;
The Lord shall be your light forever,
your God shall be your glory" .
However
we describe our spiritual vision of man, we know that man is central to
God’s plan. And it is for man that we are all called to work – to
labour and toil for his betterment, for his advancement, for his
integral human development. A creature and child of God, man is, today
and always, the path of humanity – man in the full truth of his
existence! ( Meeting with the representatives of the different religious and cultural traditions in the «Indira Gandhi» Stadium (February 2, 1986)
O
Lord and God of all, you have willed that all your children, united by
the Spirit, should live and grow together in mutual acceptance, harmony
and peace. We grieve in our hearts that our human selfishness and greed
have prevented your plan from being realised in our times.
We
recognise that Peace is a gift from you. We also know that our
collaboration as your instruments requires a wise stewardship of the
earth’s resources for the true progress of all peoples. It calls for a
deep respect and reverence for life and a keen appreciation of the human
dignity and sacredness of conscience of every person, and a constant
struggle against all forms of discrimination in law or in fact.
We
commit ourselves, together with all our brothers and sisters, to
cultivating a deeper awareness of your presence and action in history,
to a more effective practice of truthfulness and responsibility, the
ceaseless pursuit of freedom from all oppressive structures, fellowship
across all barriers and justice and fullness of life for all.
Gathered
in India’s Capital at this Memorial to the Father of the Nation – an
outstanding and courageous witness to truth, love and non-violence – we
invoke your blessings on the leaders of this country and of all nations,
on the followers of all religious traditions and of all people of good
will. Enable us, Lord, to live and grow as active partners with you and
with one another in the common task of building a culture without
violence, a world community that places its security not in the
manufacture of ever more deadly weapons but in mutual trust and
practical concern for a better future for all your children within a
worldwide civilisation of truth, love and peace. Prayer for peace at the conlcusion of the visit to Raj Ghat in Delhi (February 1, 1986)
In other words, Baal, yes, the Most Holy Trinity, no!
Dear Friends,
It
gives me particular pleasure to have this opportunity of meeting you,
the distinguished representatives of the religious, cultural and social
life of this city of Calcutta, of Bengal and of India.
1. In you I greet the spiritual vitality of Bengala and of the whole of India.
In
you I salute the venerable culture of this land. You are the heirs of
more than three thousand years of intense artistic cultural and
religious life in this region. Here the human spirit has been nobly
served by a host of men and women rightly esteemed for their learning
and wisdom, for their sensitivity to the deepest, aspirations of the
human heart, for their precious artistic achievements.
In you I acknowledge with admiration not only the achievements of the past, but also those of modern Bengal and modern India.
I
have looked forward to this meeting in a spirit of fraternal dialogue,
with sentiments of solidarity with you who are engaged in many different
forms of service to your fellow citizens.
I
wish to say to you what the Second Vatican Council declared to the men
and women of thought and science: "Happy are those who, while possessing
the truth, search more earnestly for it in order to renew it, deepen it
and transmit it to others. Happy also are those who, not having found
it are working towards it with a sincere heart. May they seek the light
of tomorrow with the light of today until they reach the fulness of
light" .
May this be our common hope and prayer!
2. This afternoon I visited the Nirmal Hriday, the "Home of the Dying" at Kalighat.
In
every country of the world, in every city, town and village, in every
family, indeed in every human life, we come face to face with the
ever-present reality of human suffering. "The ‘unwritten book’ of the
history of humanity speaks constantly of the theme of suffering" .
Individuals
and groups and whole populations suffer when they see something good in
which they "ought" to share, but which escapes them. At times this
suffering becomes especially intense. In certain historical situations
the burden of pain borne by the human family seems to grove beyond all
possibility of relief.
Elsewhere
I have spoken concerning our contemporary world which "as never before
has been transformed by progress through man’s work and, at the same
time, is as never before in danger because of man’s mistakes and
offences" .
Suffering,
with its accompanying fear and frustration, becomes especially dramatic
and acute when the question is asked: Why? and no adequate response is
forthcoming.
I
strongly believe that just as all human beings are joined in the
experience of pain and suffering, so too all men and women of good will
who are the leaders in the field op intellectual and artistic endeavour
must join together in a new solidarity in order to respond to the
fundamental challenges of our times. In this sense you are invested with
an altogether special responsibility for the well-being of your
motherland.
The
new situation into which the advances of knowledge and technology have
thrust the human family requires vision and wisdom equal to the best
that humanity has produced under the guidance of its saints and sages. A
new civilisation is struggling to be born: a civilisation of
understanding and respect for the inalienable dignity of every human
person created in the image of God; a civilisation of justice and peace
in which there will be ample room for legitimate differences, and in
which disputes will be settled through enlightened dialogue, not through
confrontation.
3. Religious
leaders, by a special title must be sensitive to the sufferings and
needs of humanity. " Men look to the various religions for answers to
those profound mysteries of the human condition which, today even as in
olden times deeply stir the human heart: What is man? What is the
meaning and the purpose of our life? What is goodness and what is sin?
What gives rise to our sorrows and to what intent? Where lies the path
to true happiness?..." .
There
opens up an immense field of dialogue between the various philosophies
and religious traditions in answer to these questions, and of mutual
collaboration in seeking to respond concretely to the challenges of
development and assistance, especially to the poorest.
The saints and true men and women of religion have
always been moved try a powerful and active compassion for the poor and
the suffering. In our day, as well as seeking to relieve the distress
of individuals and groups, our religious and social conscience is
challenged by the questions inevitably raised by the growing inequality
between developed areas and those which are increasingly dependent, and
by the injustice of much needed resources being channelled into the
production of terrifying weapons of death and destruction.
Our
religious beliefs, which teach us the value and dignity of all life,
urge us to commit our energies to the endeavour of men and women of good
will, in the first place the poor themselves, to help change those
attitudes and structures which are responsible for man-made poverty and
oppressive suffering. This requires a mighty investment of intellectual
energy and imagination. Herein your contribution in the cause of truth
is paramount. As intellectuals, thinkers, writers, scientists artists,
you must always be intent on unleashing in the world the power of truth for the service of humanity.
And
I am sure that you share a conviction once expressed by Paul of Tarsus:
"We cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth" .
This in fact is an echo of what is stated in the ancient Upanishads and
upheld as the very motto of your revered nation: "Truth alone triumphs –
Satyam èva jayatè" .
It is a deep religious intuition that the "service of men is service of God" – as
expressed by Swami Vivekananda, one of the renowned figures connected
with this city – and That when we go out to our brothers and sisters in
fraternal love we receive from them more than we give them. This is an
intuition which is also deeply Indian, as witnessed by your holy books
and by the testimony of so many religious men and women.
I
wish to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s commitment to the processes of
development which lead to greater justice for all. I invite the Catholic
community of Bengal and all India to work wholeheartedly for this goal,
and I express the hope that followers of all religious persuasions will
in the construction of a new civilisation of peace and love.
4.
In speaking to you, men and women of the academic world,
representatives of the world of art and the sciences, religious leaders I
cannot but underline the Catholic Church’s esteem for the manifold
cultural life which you represent. The Church rejoices at the creative
richness which has characterised the culture of India during its history
of thousands of years. During this time it has preserved a marvellous
continuity and a subtle unity in the midst of a wide variety of
manifestations.
Its
vitality and relevance are borne out by the fact that it has moulded
many sages and saintly mystics, poets and artists, philosophers and
statesmen of great excellence. Yes, the Church looks in admiration upon
your contribution to humanity and feels so close to you in so many
expressions of your ethics and your asceticism. She attests to her
profound respect for the spiritual vision of man that is expressed
century after century through your culture and in the education that
transmits it. And she is pleased that, from the beginning, Christianity
has become incarnate on Indian soil and in Indian hearts.
Yes,
culture is the embodiment of the spiritual experiences and desires of a
people. It refines and unfolds the spiritual and native qualities of
each human group. It creates the customs and institutions which seek to
render social life more human and more conducive to the common good. It
gives concrete expression to truth, goodness and beauty in a multitude
of artistic forms .
Here
it is fitting to make reference in particular to the rich cultural
heritage of Bengal and of the city of Calcutta, graced with a great
variety of ethnic communities, each making its specific contribution to
the general culture.
In
spite of a succession of traumatic experiences consequent upon natural
disasters and political events, Bengal has been renowned for the
vitality of its cultural and artistic life. In song, poetry, drama,
dance and the graphic arts this culture gives expression to the original
values present in the life of the people. It is a culture deeply rooted
in the soil of this region. One notes warm hospitality, openness to
others, and the strength of family life.
Against
the background of great suffering and social problems all of this helps
us to believe in the forces of hope and in the triumph, under God, of
the human spirit.
5.
In preparing for this visit I have learned that Bengal was pioneer in
introducing modern education on a large scale. This is not to say that
you do not have to contend today with serious problems in the field of
education and culture. It is facing these problems with courage and
resourcefulness that you show the integrity of your spiritual and
intellectual leadership.
I
am pleased to know that the Christian Churches have contributed to the
cultural development of Bengal through their educational institutions. I
wish to encourage the Catholic educators of all India to make their
schools and centres of higher education ever better instruments at the
service of justice development and harmony in social life, inspiring an
ever-increasing awareness of the vocation to serve the integral
well-being of people, especially the young and the poor.
In
order to fulfil this task with completeness these institutions are
called to a twofold fidelity. Fidelity, in the first place, to the
Gospel message of universal brotherhood and solidarity under the loving
providence of our heavenly Father, and fidelity to what is best and most
valuable in Indian culture.
Christians
in India know that their vocation is not only to give, but also to
receive. Theirs is a pilgrimage to the depths of the human spirit, a
pilgrimage which enriches their vision and insight into religious truth
and into the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My
dear friends: in the Catholic Church you will find a willing partner in
the dialogue of truth and in the service of man; you will find a
persevering ally to encourage you in making your irreplaceable
contribution to humanity. Catholics in every part of the world are
exhorted by the Second Vatican Council " that through dialogue and
collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in witness of
Christian faith and life, they acknowledge, preserve and promote the
spiritual and moral goods found among these people, as well as in their
social and cultural values" .
The
Catholic Church in turn looks to you, men and women of the world of
culture, to defend and promote the spiritual and moral well-being of
your people, in the common cause of safeguarding and fostering human
dignity, social justice, peace and freedom in the world.
To conclude, I
would like to raise to God this significant prayer uttered by one of
the great sons of this very region, Rabindranath Tagore: "Give us
strength to love, to love fully, our life in its joys and sorrows, in
its gains and losses, in its rise and fall. Let us have strength enough
fully to see and hear Thy universe and to work with full vigour therein.
Let us fully live the life Thou hast given us, let us bravely take and
bravely give. This is our prayer to Thee" .
And may Almighty God help us to build together a civilisation of harmony and love for every human being! ( To the representatives of other religions in the College of Saint Francis Xavier of Calcutta, February 3 , 1986.)
Just as a reality check, my friends, please see One or the Other for
some quotations from Saint Francis Xavier, whose work in India was
blasphemed by Wojtyla/John Paul II's remarks above (and below).
Distinguished Friends,
1.
I have been longing to visit India, the land of many religions and of a
rich cultural heritage, and I have looked forward to this meeting. I am
very happy to have this occasion of spiritual fellowship with you.
India is indeed the cradle of ancient religious traditions. The
belief in a reality within man which is beyond the material and
biological, the belief in the Supreme Being which explains, justifies,
and makes possible man’s rising above all aspects of his material self –
these beliefs are deeply experienced in India. Your meditations on
things unseen and spiritual have made a deep impression on the world.
Your overwhelming sense of the primacy of religion and of the greatness
of the Supreme Being has been a powerful witness against a materialistic
and atheistic view of life.
The
Indian rightly thinks that religion has a profound meaning for him. His
very being experiences impulses, instincts, questions, longings and
aspirations which testify to the greatest of all human quests: the quest
for the Absolute, the quest for God. In my first Encyclical after being
elected Pope, I made reference to the fact that the Second Vatican
Council’s Declaration on non-Christian Religions "is
filled with deep esteem for the great spiritual values, indeed for the
primacy of the spiritual, which in the life of mankind finds expression
in religion and then in morality, with direct effects on the whole of
culture" .
2.
The Catholic Church recognises the truths that are contained in the
religious traditions of India. This recognition makes true dialogue
possible. Here today the Church wishes to voice again her true
appreciation of the great heritage of the religious spirit that is
manifested in your cultural tradition. The Church’s approach to other
religions is one of genuine respect;
with them she seeks mutual collaboration. This respect is twofold:
respect for man in his quest for answers to the deepest questions of his
life, and respect for the action of the Spirit in man.
As
an inner attitude of the mind and heart, spirituality involves an
emphasis on the inner man and it produces an inward transformation of
the self. The emphasis on the spiritual nature of man is an emphasis on
the sublime dignity of every human person. Spirituality teaches that at
the core of all outward appearances there is that inner self which in so
many ways is related to the Infinite. This spirituality of inwardness
which is so predominant in the Indian religious tradition achieves its
complement and fulfilment in the external life of man. Gandhi’s
spirituality is an eloquent illustration of this. He says: "Let me
explain what I mean by religion... that which changes one’s very nature,
which binds one indissolubly to the truth within and which ever
purifies. It is the permanent element in human nature which counts no
cost too great in order to find full expression and which leaves the
soul utterly restless until it has found itself, known its Maker and
appreciated the true correspondence between the Maker and itself " .
3.
In a world filled with poverty, disease, ignorance and suffering,
genuine spirituality can not only change the mind of man but also change
the whole world for the better. Genuine spirituality is seriously
concerned with bringing relief to all those who are suffering or in
want. In the Christian Scriptures there is a particular passage which, I
believe, the followers of all religious traditions will agree with: "He
who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness
still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is
no cause for stumbling" .
The
abolition of inhuman living conditions is an authentic spiritual
victory, because it brings man freedom, dignity, and the possibility of
spiritual life. It enables him to rise above the material. Every man, no
matter how poor or unfortunate, is worthy of respect and freedom by
reason of his spiritual nature. Because we believe in man, in his value
and in his innate excellence, we love him and serve him and seek to
relieve his sufferings. As a sage of Tamilnadu, Pattinattar, puts it:
"Believe the One above. Believe that God is.
Know that all other wealth is naught. Feed the hungry.
Know that righteousness and good company are beneficial;
Be content that God’s will be done.
A sermon this is unto thee, O Heart!" .
Know that all other wealth is naught. Feed the hungry.
Know that righteousness and good company are beneficial;
Be content that God’s will be done.
A sermon this is unto thee, O Heart!" .
The
Catholic Church has time and again expressed the conviction that all
people, both believers and non-believers, must unite and collaborate in
the task of bettering this world where all live together. "This
certainly cannot be done without a dialogue that is sincere and prudent"
. Dialogue which proceeds from the "internal drive of charity" is a
powerful means of collaboration between people in eradicating evil from
human life and from the life of the community, in establishing right
order in human society and thus contributing to the common good of all
men in every walk of life.
4.
Dialogue between members of different religions increases and deepens
mutual respect and paves the way for relationships that are crucial in
solving the problems of human suffering. Dialogue that is respectful and
open to the opinions of others can promote union and a commitment to
this noble cause. Besides, the experience of dialogue gives a sense of
solidarity and courage for overcoming barriers and difficulties in the
task of nation-building. For without dialogue the barriers of prejudice,
suspicion and misunderstanding cannot be effectively removed. With
dialogue, each partner makes an honest attempt to deal with the common
problems of life and receives courage to accept the challenge of
pursuing truth and achieving good. The experience of suffering,
disappointment, disillusionment and conflict are changed from signs of
failure and doom to occasions for progress in friendship and trust.
Again,
dialogue is a means of seeking after truth and of sharing it with
others. For truth is light, newness and strength. The Catholic Church
holds that "the search for truth, however, must be carried out in a
manner that is appropriate to the dignity of the human person and his
social nature, namely by free enquiry with the help of teaching or
instruction, communication and dialogue. It is by these means that men
share with each other the truth they have discovered, or are convinced
they have discovered, in such a way that they help one another in the
search for truth" . Modern man seeks dialogue as an apt means of
establishing and developing mutual understanding, esteem and love,
whether between individuals or groups. In this spirit of understanding,
the Second Vatican Council urges Christians to acknowledge, preserve and
promote the spiritual and moral values found among non-Christians, as
well as their social and cultural values .
The
fruit of dialogue is union between people and union of people with God,
who is the source and revealer of all truth and whose Spirit guides men
in freedom only when they meet one another in all honesty and love. By
dialogue we let God be present in our midst; for as we open ourselves in
dialogue to one another, we also open ourselves to God. We should use
the legitimate means of human friendliness, mutual understanding and
interior persuasion. We should respect the personal and civic rights of
the individual. As followers of different religions we should join
together in promoting and defending common ideals in the spheres of
religious liberty, human brotherhood, education, culture, social welfare
and civic order. Dialogue and collaboration are possible in all these
great projects.
5.
In the context of religious pluralism, the spirit of tolerance, which
has always been part of the Indian heritage, is not only desirable but
imperative and must be implemented in a framework of practical means of
support. It is the teaching of the Church that the human person has a
right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be
immune from coercion on the part of individuals or social groups or any
human power, so that no one is forced to act against his convictions or
is prevented from acting in accordance with his convictions in religious
matters, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association
with others, within due limits . The world notes with great
satisfaction that in the Preamble to her Constitution India has assured
to all her citizens liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and
worship. It therefore becomes a duty incumbent on all citizens,
especially on leaders in religious life, to support and guard this
precious principle which specifically includes the right "to profess,
practise and propagate religion". The way to do so is to show its
effectiveness in the reality of public life. Everyone is called upon to
uphold this religious liberty and to work for peace and harmony among
people of different religious traditions, among societies, and among
nations.
6. It is my humble prayer that the remarkable
sense of "the sacred" which characterises your culture may penetrate
the minds and hearts of all men and women everywhere. In this way God
will be honoured and the human family will experience ever more fully
its oneness and its common destiny. Peoples will feel the urgency of a
global solidarity in the face of the enormous challenges facing mankind.
The wisdom and strength which comes from religious commitment will
further humanise man’s path through history.
May
the Most High God, the Creator and Father of all that exists, man’s
highest good, bless us in our task and guide our steps to peace!
With
sincere gratitude for the generous hospitality with which you have
received me, I wish you the fullness of peace in joy and in love!
(Meeting with the exponents of Non-Christian religions in the Rajaji Hall of Madras, February 5, 1986.)
In other words, my friends, Baal, yes, the Most Holy Trinity, no!
Your Excellency,
Distinguished Ministers and Members of Government,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Distinguished Ministers and Members of Government,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am pleased to have this opportunity to meet you, the respected leaders of the major religious communities represented
among the people of Indonesia. As the Bishop of Rome, Successor of the
Apostle Peter to whom Christ entrusted a responsibility for all his
disciples, I have come on this pastoral visit to Indonesia in order to
strengthen the faith of my Catholic brothers and sisters (Cfr. Luc.
22, 32). I have come to meet them, to pray with them, and to assure
them that they are an important part of the Catholic Church spread
throughout the world.
My
visit is not restricted, however, to Indonesia’s Catholics. This
country embraces within its far-flung boundaries a number of peoples,
with a great richness of languages and customs. There are the
traditional, indigenous religious cultures which still are found in many
places. Ancient religious traditions such as Buddhism and Hinduism
nourish their adherents with the age-old wisdom of the East.
Confucianism too has added its characteristic note, while Islam has
become the religious path of the majority of Indonesians. The Catholic
Church has been present here for centuries and can give thanks to God
for the deep faith of generations of Indonesian Catholics. Other
Christian communities also have had a long history in this nation. Thisimpressive heritage of religious traditions is
widely recognized as a significant dimension of Indonesia’s life as a
nation, one that calls for profound respect from all its citizens.
For
this reason, I am happy to greet you, the representatives of those
communities with which Indonesia’s Catholics are in close contact. I
come to you as a man of peace concerned, like yourselves, for the growth
of peace and true harmony among all the peoples of the earth. I come to you as a man of faith who believes that all peace is a gift from God. It is this peace of God “which passes all understanding” (Phil. 4, 7) that I invoke upon all the people of Indonesia.
One
of the principal challenges facing modern Indonesia is that of building
a harmonious society from the many diverse elements which are the
source of the nation’s present promise and future greatness. Indonesia’s
Catholics find a deep motivation for their contributions to this
enterprise in the vision of universal harmony which the Christian faith offers them.
By our belief in the one God who is the Creator of heaven and earth, of
all that is seen and unseen, we who follow Christ are inspired to work
for the advancement of peace and harmony among all people.
This
Christian vision is in no way alien to the vision of unity which is
characteristic of many other religions. Many religious traditions view
the universe as an organic whole, whose parts are knit together in a
great web of relations. From this vision is derived a respect for
nature, sensitivity in human relationships, a high esteem for love and
cooperation within families, a strong sense of justice and the
recognition of the rights of each person. Belief in God as the
Creator of all things is a powerful stimulus to promote a respectful
dialogue among the adherents of the various religions. Undoubtedly,
“when Christians and the followers of other religions are united in
their belief in the Creator, there exists a sound basis for mutual
understanding and peaceful exchange” (Ioannis Pauli PP. II Allocutio ad Indonesiae episcopos limina Apostolorum visitantes 7, die 20 maii 1989: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II XII, 1 [1989] 1290).
This
sort of respectful dialogue and exchange can play a powerful role in
the building up of a peaceful and unified society. I wish to express my
hope that Indonesia’s religious believers will take the lead in showing
that profound respect for others which can foster enduring harmony among the diverse peoples of this nation.
In
this regard I am very encouraged by the ideals and practical structures
established by the Indonesian Constitution of 1945 concerning the
freedom of each citizen to profess the religion of his or her choice and
to enjoy freedom of worship. It is the
teaching of the Catholic Church that this right to religious freedom is
grounded in the very dignity of the human person created by God (Cfr. Dignitatis Humanae, 2). Religious
freedom is indeed a fundamental human right, one which should be
enjoyed by all religious communities, as well as individuals.
Hence, it is very important that this right be protected, “ that the
State should effectively ensure and promote the observance of religious
freedom, especially when, alongside the great majority who follow one
religion, there exist one or more minority groups of another faith
(Ioannis Pauli PP. II Nuntius ob diem ad pacem fovendam dicatum, pro a. D. 1989, 8, die 8 dec. 1988: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Polo II, XI, 4 [1988] 1788).
Distinguished
friends: today more than ever the world has become sensitive to the
yearning of all peoples to be free, to experience the liberty to live in
accordance with the dictates of conscience, to search for the truth
without constraint, and to express one’s convictions in a society which
promotes authentic progress and a constructive dialogue among people of
different beliefs. It is true that this yearning for freedom, unless it
is disciplined and directed by a sensitivity to spiritual values and the
objective principles of human morality, can degenerate into a
permissiveness which enslaves rather than liberates. But this is the very reason why all religious believers should support the cause of authentic liberation by providing that spiritual vision which must necessarily inform any genuine growth in freedom.
In a very real sense, it can be said that the responsibility for
building a society of cooperation, tolerance and unity within diversity
falls to the present generation as a sacred trust, and that Indonesia’s religious leaders have a weighty responsibility in this regard.
So too, do Indonesia’s young people.
For this reason I would appeal to them with the words I addressed to
young Muslims in Morocco in 1985. “Normally”, I said, “young people look
towards the future, they long for a more just and more human world...
(But) young people can build a better future if they first put their faith in God and
if they pledge themselves to build this new world in accordance with
God’s plan, with wisdom and trust” (Ioannis Pauli PP. II Allocutio Albae domi, in Marochio, ad iuvenes muslimos, 6. 4, die 19 aug. 1985: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, VIII, 2 [1985] 501 s. 500).
This
is no small challenge. Indeed, the project of working together in
respectful collaboration often involves adopting new perspectives,
putting past tensions or hostilities behind and looking towards the
future. Each of us is called to adopt an attitude of generous service to one another and in favour of all.
As the Second Vatican Council has impressed upon Catholics: “we cannot
truly pray to God the Father of all if we treat any people in other than
a brotherly fashion” (Nostra Aetate, 5).
In a culturally diverse society, “to treat others in a brotherly fashion” means to live in dialogue.
This can take on a number of forms. “Before all else, dialogue is a
manner of acting, an attitude and a spirit which guides one’s conduct.
It implies concern, respect, and hospitality towards the other” (Secret.
pro Non Christianis “Notae quaedam de Ecclesiae rationibus ad asseclas aliarum religionum”, 1984, n. 29: AAS 76 [1984] 824). In other words, it involves what is often called the “dialogue of life”,
where people strive to live in an open and neighbourly spirit, sharing
their joys and sorrows, their human problems and preoccupations.
But there is also the “dialogue of deeds”: collaboration for the integral development of all citizens. To this can be added the important dialogue of theological exchange,
by which the partners aim to grow in understanding of their respective
religious heritages, and to appreciate each other’s spiritual values.
And finally, there can be the dialogue of religious experience by which persons rooted in their own religious traditions share their spiritual riches, such as prayer and contemplation (Cfr. ibid. 29-35: “l. c.” pp. 824-825).
In this context, a particular question merits attention. It is that of truth itself,
its demands on those who believe, and its requirements for a sincere
and respectful dialogue. Unless these issues are faced forthrightly and
honestly, an enduring and fruitful collaboration among believers will
not be possible.
The voice of conscience commits the human person at the deepest level to think and act in accordance with the truth. To act against one’s conscience would be to betray both the truth and our very selves. Religious believers therefore can never be expected to compromise the truth that they are committed to uphold in their lives.
Yet a firm adherence to the truth of one’s convictions in no way implies being closed to others. Rather it is an invitation to open oneself to the dialoguewhich we have already described. This is so for two reasons.
First, knowledge of the truth commits us to share the gift we have received with others. In the Holy Bible, Christians read that “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (Cfr. 1Tim. 2, 4). The Catholic Church is profoundly convinced that the truth,
wherever it is found, can serve as a path to the one God, the Father of
all. For this reason, she rejects nothing which is true and holy in
other religions (Cfr. Nostra Aetate, 2).
The Church does not waver in her belief that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Io. 14, 6) and the definitive revelation of God to humanity. Yet, in the service to the truth that she has received, and in a spirit of respect and dialogue, the Church does not hesitate to cooperate with all men and women of good will for the spiritual and moral elevation of mankind and the dawn of a just and peaceful human society.
Respectful dialogue with others also enables us to be enriched by their insights, challenged by their questions and impelled to deepen our knowledge of the truth. Far from stifling dialogue or rendering it superfluous, a commitment to the truth of one’s religious tradition by its very nature makes dialogue with others both necessary and fruitful.
Here
in Indonesia, the establishment by the Ministry for Religious Affairs
of a national forum for communication and dialogue between religions may
be viewed as a positive step. The great task of serving the truth
invites you to join hands in cooperation. I offer my prayers for the
success and the continuing fruitfulness of the good work that you have
begun.
Dear
brothers and sister: with each passing day, the unity of the human
family becomes more and more apparent, even when that unity is
dramatically threatened by the forces of war, violence and repression.
Where spiritual values such as mutual respect, peaceful collaboration, and reconciliation are
present, not only is the unity of individual groups strengthened, but
the life of entire nations can well be changed and the course of history
altered.
The
challenge is ours. Together let us strive for mutual understanding and
peace. On behalf of all mankind, let us make common cause of
safeguarding and fostering those values which will build up the
spiritual and moral health of our world. Let us generously serve the will of God, as we have come to know it, in a spirit of dialogue, respect and cooperation.
May God bless you all with his peace! ( Meeting with the leaders of the major religious communities of Indonesia (October 10, 1989)
Dear Friends,
I have looked forward to this meeting with you, the leaders of the various religions professed by the people of the Sudan.
My Pastoral Visit to the Catholic Church in this Nation gives me the
opportunity to extend the hand of friendship to you, and to express the
hope that all the citizens of the Sudan, irrespective of differences
between them, will live in harmony and in mutual cooperation for the
common good.
Religion
permeates all aspects of life in society, and citizens need to accept
one another, with all their differences of language, customs, culture
and belief, if civic harmony is to be maintained. Religious leaders play
an important role in fostering that harmony.
Here in the Sudan I cannot fail to emphasize once more the Catholic Church’s high regard for the followers of Islam. Sudanese Catholics recognize that their Muslim neighbours prize the moral life, and
worship the One God, Almighty and Merciful–especially through prayer,
almsgiving and fasting. They appreciate the fact that you revere Jesus
and his Mother Mary (Cf. Nostra Aetate,
3). They acknowledge that there are very solid reasons for greater
mutual understanding, and they are eager to work with you in order to
restore peace and prosperity to the Nation. I hope that this meeting
will contribute to a new era of constructive dialogue and goodwill.
I would also like to offer a special greeting to my Christian brothers from
other Churches and Ecclesial Communities: "The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ be with your spirit" (Phil. 4: 23). As you are well aware, the
Catholic Church is deeply committed to the search for
ecumenical understanding, in the perspective of fulfilling the will of
our Lord Jesus Christ, "that they may be one" (Jn. 17: 21). I am happy
to know that here in the Sudan good ecumenical relations exist and that
there are many instances of cooperation. I am confident that the Lord
will bless your efforts to proceed further along that path.
To all of you, respected
religious leaders of the Sudan, I express once more my esteem, and I
repeat that the Catholic Church is irrevocably committed to ecumenical
and interreligious dialogue. May God inspire thoughts of peace in the
hearts of all believers.
Baraka Allah as–Sudan!
(God bless the Sudan!) ( Meeting with the leaders of other religions in the Apostolic Nunciature of Khartoum (February 10, 1993)
1. I am very pleased to have this opportunity during my visit to Sri Lanka to meet representatives of the various religions which have lived together in harmony for a very long time on this Island: especially Buddhism, present for over two thousand years, Hinduism, also of very long standing, along with Islam and Christianity. This simultaneous presence of great religious traditions is a source of enrichment for Sri Lankan society. At the same time it is a challenge to believers and especially to religious leaders, to ensure that religion itself always remains a force for harmony and peace. On the occasion of my Pastoral Visit to the Catholics of Sri Lanka, I wish to reaffirm the Church’s, and my own, deep and abiding respect for the spiritual and cultural values of which you are the guardians.
Especially since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has been fully committed to pursuing the path of dialogue and cooperation with the members of other religions.
Interreligious dialogue is a precious means by which the followers of
the various religions discover shared points of contact in the spiritual
life, while acknowledging the differences which exist between them. The
Church respects the freedom of individuals to seek the truth and to
embrace it according to the dictates of conscience, and in this light she firmly rejects proselytism and the use of unethical means to gain conversions.
2.
The Catholic community hopes that through a continuing "dialogue of
life" all believers will co–operate willingly in order to defend and
promote moral values, social justice, liberty and peace. Like many
modern societies, Sri Lanka is facing the spiritual threat represented by the growth of a materialistic outlook,
which is more concerned with "having" than with "being". Experience
makes it clear that mere technological progress does not satisfy man’s
inner yearning for truth and communion. Deeper spiritual needs have to
be met if individuals, families, and society itself are not to fall into
a serious crisis of values. There is ample room for co–operation among
the followers of the various religions in meeting this serious
challenge.
For this reason, I appeal to you and encourage you, as the religious leaders of the Sri Lankan people, to consider the concerns which unite believers,
rather than the things which divide them. The safeguarding of Sri
Lanka’s spiritual heritage calls for strenuous efforts on the part of
everyone to proclaim before the world the sacredness of human life, to
defend the inalienable dignity and rights of every individual, to
strengthen the family as the primary unit of society and the place where
children learn humanity, generosity and love, and to encourage respect
for the natural environment. Interreligious co–operation is also a
powerful force for promoting ethically upright socio–economic and
political standards. Democracy itself benefits greatly from the
religiously motivated commitment of believers to the common good.
3.
Perhaps nothing represents a greater threat to the spiritual fabric of
Sri Lankan society than the continuing ethnic conflict. The religious resources of the entire nation must converge to bring an end to this tragic situation.
I recently had occasion to say to an international group of religious
leaders: "violence in any form is opposed not only to the respect which
we owe to every fellow human being; it is opposed also to the true
essence of religion. Whatever the conflicts of the past and even of the
present, it is our common task and common duty to make better known the
relation between religion and peace" (John Paul II, Address for the Opening of the Sixth World Assembly of the World Conference on Religion and Peace,
2) . The only struggle worthy of man is "the struggle against his own
disordered passions, against every type of hatred and violence; in short
against everything that is the exact opposite of peace and
reconciliation" (John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace 1992, 7).
4.
Very dear esteemed friends: I am certain that the principles of mercy
and non–violence present in your traditions will be a source of
inspiration to Sri Lankans in their efforts to build a peace which will
be lasting because it is built upon justice and respect for every human
being. I express once more my confidence that your country’s long
tradition of religious harmony will grow ever stronger, for the peace
and well–being of individuals, for the good of Sri Lanka and of all
Asia.
[At the end of the meeting the Holy Father added the following words:]
And
now I offer you a gift memorable of these days and of the meeting. I am
very grateful for your presence and very grateful for this meeting with
you that we are together... not against, but together!
Not to be together is dangerous. It is necessary to be together, to dialogue. I am very grateful for that. I see in your presence the signs of the goodwill and of the future, the good future, for Sri Lanka and for the whole world. And so I can return to Rome, more hopeful. Thank you. (Meeting with representatives of other religions (January 21, 1995)
It
is a great joy for me to visit once again the beloved land of India and
to have this opportunity in particular to greet you, the
representatives of different religious traditions, which embody not only
great achievements of the past but also the hope of a better future for
the human family. I thank the Government and the people of India
for the welcome I have received. I come among you as a pilgrim of peace
and as a fellow-traveller on the road that leads to the complete
fulfilment of the deepest human longings. On
the occasion of Diwali, the festival of lights, which symbolizes the
victory of life over death, good over evil, I express the hope that this
meeting will speak to the world of the things which unite us all: our
common human origin and destiny, our shared responsibility for people’s
well-being and progress, our need of the light and strength that we seek
in our religious convictions. Down the ages and in so many ways,
India has taught that truth which the great Christian teachers also
propose, that men and women “by inward instinct” are deeply oriented
towards God and seek him from the depths of their being (cf. Saint
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, III, q. 60, art. 5, 3). On this basis,
I am convinced that together we can successfully take the path of
understanding and dialogue.
2.
My presence here among you is meant as a further sign that the Catholic
Church wants to enter ever more deeply into dialogue with the religions
of the world. She sees this dialogue as an act of love which has its
roots in God himself. “God is love”, proclaims the New Testament, “and
whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. . . Let us love,
then, because he has loved us first. . . no-one who fails to love the
brother whom he sees can love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:16,
19-20).
It
is a sign of hope that the religions of the world are becoming more
aware of their shared responsibility for the well-being of the human
family. This is a crucial part of the
globalization of solidarity which must come if the future of the world
is to be secure. This sense of shared responsibility increases as we
discover more of what we have in common as religious men and women.
Which
of us does not grapple with the mystery of suffering and death? Which
of us does not hold life, truth, peace, freedom and justice to be
supremely important values? Which of us is not convinced that moral
goodness is soundly rooted in the individual’s and society’s openness to
the transcendent world of the Divinity? Which of us does not believe
that the way to God requires prayer, silence, asceticism, sacrifice and
humility? Which of us is not concerned that scientific and technical
progress should be accompanied by spiritual and moral awareness? And
which of us does not believe that the challenges now facing society can
only be met by building a civilization of love founded on the universal
values of peace, solidarity, justice and liberty? And how can we do
this, except through encounter, mutual understanding and cooperation?
3.
The path before us is demanding, and there is always the temptation to
choose instead the path of isolation and division, which leads to
conflict. This in turn unleashes the forces which make religion an
excuse for violence, as we see too often around the world. Recently
I was happy to welcome to the Vatican representatives of the world
religions who had gathered to build upon the achievements of the Assisi
Meeting in 1986. I repeat here what I said to that distinguished
Assembly: “Religion is not, and must not become a pretext for conflict,
particularly when religious, cultural and ethnic identity coincide.
Religion and peace go together: to wage war in the name of religion is a
blatant contradiction”. Religious leaders in particular have the duty
to do everything possible to ensure that religion is what God intends it
to be – a source of goodness, respect, harmony and peace! This is the
only way to honour God in truth and justice!
Our
encounter requires that we strive to discern and welcome whatever is
good and holy in one another, so that together we can acknowledge,
preserve and promote the spiritual and moral truths which alone
guarantee the world’s future (cf. Nostra Aetate, 2). In this
sense dialogue is never an attempt to impose our own views upon others,
since such dialogue would become a form of spiritual and cultural domination.
This does not mean that we abandon our own convictions. What it means
is that, holding firmly to what we believe, we listen respectfully to
others, seeking to discern all that is good and holy, all that favours peace and cooperation.
4.
It is vital to recognize that there is a close and unbreakable bond
between peace and freedom. Freedom is the most noble prerogative of the
human person, and one of the principal demands of freedom is the free
exercise of religion in society (cf. Dignitatis Humanae, 3). No State,
no group has the right to control either directly or indirectly a
person’s religious convictions, nor can it justifiably claim the right
to impose or impede the public profession and practice of religion, or
the respectful appeal of a particular religion to people’s free
conscience. Recalling this year the fiftieth anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I wrote that “religious freedom
constitutes the very heart of human rights. Its inviolability is such
that individuals must be recognized as having the right even to change
their religion, if their conscience so demands. People are obliged to
follow their conscience in all circumstances and cannot be forced to act
against it (cf. Article 18)” (Message for the 1999 World Day of Peace,
5).
5. In
India the way of dialogue and tolerance was the path followed by the
great Emperors Ashoka, Akbar and Chatrapati Shivaji; by wise men like
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda; and by luminous figures
such as Mahatma Gandhi, Gurudeva Tagore and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan,
who understood profoundly that to serve peace and harmony is a holy task.
These are people who, in India and beyond, have made a significant
contribution to the increased awareness of our universal brotherhood,
and they point us to a future where our deep longing to pass through the
door of freedom will find its fulfilment because we will pass through
that door together. To choose tolerance, dialogue and cooperation as the
path into the future is to preserve what is most precious in the great
religious heritage of mankind. It is also to ensure that in the
centuries to come the world will not be without that hope which is the
life-blood of the human heart. May the Lord of heaven and earth grant
this now and for ever. (Meeting
with the Representatives of the Other Religions and of the Other
Christian denominations, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, November 7, 1999)
Dear
Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community in Rome; dear president of the
Union of Italian Jewish Communities; dear president of the community in
Rome; dear rabbis, dear Jewish and Christian friends and brethren taking
part in this historic celebration:
First
of all, I would like, together with you, to give thanks and praise to
the Lord who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the
earth and who chose Abraham in order to make him father of a multitude
of children, as numerous ''as the stars of heaven and as the sand which
is on the seashore,'' to give thanks and praise to Him because it has
been His good pleasure, in the mystery of His providence, that this
evening there should be a meeting in this your ''major temple'' between
the Jewish community that has been living in this city since the times
of the ancient Romans and the Bishop of Rome and universal pastor of the
Catholic Church.
I
likewise feel it is my duty to thank the Chief Rabbi, Prof. Elio Toaff,
who from the first moment accepted with joy the idea that I should make
this visit, and who is now receiving me with great openness of heart
and a profound sense of hospitality, and in addition to him I also thank
all those members of the Jewish community in Rome who have made this
meeting possible and who in so many ways have worked to insure that it
should be at one and the same time a reality and symbol.
Reflecting on Significance
Many thanks therefore to you all.
Toda rabba [ Hebrew for ''Many thanks'' ] .
In
the light of the word of God that has just been proclaimed and that
lives forever, I would like us to reflect together, in the presence of
the Holy One - may he be blessed! - on the fact and the significance of
this meeting between the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, and the Jewish
community that lives and works in this city, which is so dear to you and
to me.
I
had been thinking of this visit for a long time. In fact, the Chief
Rabbi was kind enough to come and see me in February 1981 when I paid a
pastoral visit to the nearby parish of San Carlo ai Catenari. In
addition, a number of you have been more than once to the Vatican on the
occasion of the numerous audiences that I have been able to have with
representatives of Italian and world Jewry, and still earlier, in the
time of my predecessors Paul VI, John XXIII and Pius XII.
I
am likewise well aware that the Chief Rabbi, on the night before the
death of Pope John, did not hesitate to go to St. Peter's Square, and,
accompanied by members of the Jewish faithful, he mingled with the crowd
of Catholics and other Christians in order to pray and keep vigil, as
it were, bearing witness in a silent but very effective way, to the
greatness of the soul of that Pontiff, who was open to all people
without distinction and in particular to the Jewish brethen.
The
heritage that I would now like to take up is precisely that of Pope
John, who on one occasion as he passed by here - as the Chief Rabbi has
just mentioned - stopped the car so that he could bless the crowd of
Jews who were coming out of this very temple. And I would like to take
up his heritage at this very moment when I find myself not just outside
but, thanks to your generous hospitality, inside, the synagogue of Rome.
This
gathering in a way brings to a close, after the pontificate of John
XXIII and the Second Vatican Council, a long period which we must not
tire of reflecting upon in order to draw from it the appropriate
lessons. Certainly, we cannot and should not forget that the historical
circumstances of the past were very different from those that have
laboriously matured over the centuries. The general acceptance of a
legitimate plurality on the social, civil and religious levels has been
arrived at with great difficulty.
Nevertheless,
a consideration of centuries-long cultural conditioning could not
prevent us from recognizing that the acts of discrimination, unjustified
limitation of religious freedom, oppression, also on the level of civil
freedom, in regard to the Jews were, from an objective point of view,
gravely deplorable manifestations. Yes, once again, through myself, the
church, in the words of the well-known declaration ''Nostra Aetate,''
''deplores the hatred, persecutions, and displays of anti-Semitism
directed against the Jews at any time and by anyone.'' I repeat, ''By
anyone.''
I
would like once more to express a word of abhorrence for the genocide
decreed against the Jewish people during the last war, which led to the
holocaust of millions of innocent victims.
When
I visited on 7 June 1979 the concentration camp at Auschwitz and prayed
for the many victims from various nations, I paused in particular
before the memorial stone with the inscription in Hebrew and thus
manifested the sentiments of my heart: ''This inscription stirs the
memory of the people whose sons and daughters were destined to total
extermination. This people has its origin in Abraham, who is our father
in faith, as Paul of Tarsus expressed it. Precisely this people, which
received from God the commandment, ''Thou shalt not kill,'' has
experienced in itself to a particular degree what killing means. Before
this inscription it is not permissible for anyone to pass by with
indifference.''
The Jewish community of Rome, too, paid a high price in blood.
Church Offered Refuge
And
it was surely a significant gesture that in those dark years of racial
persecution the doors of our religious houses, of our churches, of the
Roman Seminary, of buildings belonging to the Holy See and of Vatican
City itself were thrown open to offer refuge and safety to so many Jews
of Rome being hunted by their persecutors.
Today's
visit is meant to make a decisive contribution to the consolidation of
the good relations between our two communities, in imitation of the
example of so many men and women who have worked and who are still
working today, on both sides, to overcome old prejudices and to secure
ever wider and fuller recognition of that ''bond'' and that ''common
spiritual patrimony'' that exists between Jews and Christians.
This
is the hope expressed in the fourth paragraph of the council's
declaration ''Nostra Aetate,'' which I have just mentioned, on the
relationship of the church to non-Christian religions. The decisive
turning-point in relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism, and
with individual Jews, was occasioned by this brief but incisive
paragraph.
We
are all aware that, among the riches of this paragraph No. 4 of
''Nostra Aetate,'' three points are especially relevant. I would like to
underline them here before you in this truly unique circumstance.
The Bond With Judaism
The
first is that the church of Christ discovers her ''bond'' with Judaism
by ''searching into her own mystery.'' The Jewish religion is not
''extrinsic'' to us, but in a certain way is ''intrinsic'' to our own
religion. With Judaism, therefore, we have a relationship which we do
not have with any other religion. You are our dearly beloved brothers,
and in a certain way, it could be said that you are our elder
brothers.''
The
second point noted by the Council is that no ancestral or collective
blame can be imputed to the Jews as a people for ''what happened in
Christ's passion.'' Not indiscriminately to the Jews of that time nor to
those who came afterward nor to those of today. So any alleged
theological justification for discriminatory measures or, worse still,
for acts of persecution is unfounded. The Lord will judge each one
''according to his own works,'' Jews and Christians alike.
The
third point that I would like to emphasize in the Council's declaration
is a consequence of the second. Notwithstanding the church's awareness
of her own identity, it is not lawful to
say that the Jews are ''repudiated or cursed,'' as if this were taught
or could be deduced from the sacred Scriptures of the Old or the New
Testament. Indeed, the Council had already said in this same text of
''Nostra Aetate,'' but also in the dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium
referring to St. Paul in the Letter to the Romans, that the Jews are
beloved of God, who has called them with an irrevocable calling.
On
these convictions rest our present relations. On the occasion of this
visit to your synagogue, I wish to reaffirm them and to proclaim them in
their perennial value.
For this is the meaning which is to be attributed to my visit to you, the Jews of Rome.
It
is not, of course, because the differences between us have now been
overcome that I have come among you. We know well that this is not so.
First
of all, each of our religions, in the full awareness of the many bonds
which unite them to each other, and in the first place that ''bond''
which the council spoke of, wishes to be recognized and respected in its
own identity, beyond any syncretism and any ambiguous appropriation.
Path Is Still at Beginning
Furthermore,
it is necessary to say that the path undertaken is still at the
beginning and, therefore, a considerable amount of time will still be
needed, notwithstanding the great efforts already made on both sides, to
remove all forms of prejudice, even subtle ones, to readjust every
manner of self-expression and, therefore, to present always and
everywhere, to ourselves and to others, the true face of the Jews and of
Judaism as likewise of Christians and of Christianity and this at every
level of outlook, teaching and communication.
In
this regard, I would like to remind my brothers and sisters of the
Catholic Church, also those living in Rome, of the fact that the
guidelines for implementing the Council in this precise field are
already available to everyone in the two documents published
respectively in 1974 and 1985 by the Holy See's Commission for Religious
Relations with Judaism. It is only a question of studying them
carefully, of immersing oneself in their teachings and of putting them
into practice.
Perhaps
there still remain between us difficulties of the practical order
waiting to be overcome on the level of fraternal relations. These are
the result of centuries of mutual misunderstanding and also of different
positions and attitudes, not easily settled, in complex and important
matters.
Jesus a Son of Your People
No one is unaware that the fundamental difference from the very beginning has been the attachment of us Catholics to the person and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, a
son of your people, from which were also born the Virgin Mary, the
Apostles who were the ''foundations and pillars of the church'' and the
greater part of the first Christian community. But
this attachment is located in the order of faith, that is to say, in
the free assent of the mind and heart guided by the spirit, and
it can never be the object of exterior pressure in one sense or the
other. This is the reason why we wish to deepen dialogue in loyalty and
friendship, in respect for one another's intimate convictions, taking as
a fundamental basis the elements of the revelation which we have in
common as a ''great spiritual patrimony.''
It
must be said, then, that the ways opened for our collaboration in the
light of our common heritage, drawn from the law and the prophets, are
various and important. We wish to recall first of all a collaboration in
favor of man, his life from conception until natural death, his
dignity, his freedom, his rights, his self-development in a society
which is not hostile but friendly and favorable, where justice reigns
and where, in this nation, on the various continents and throughout the
world, it is peace that rules, the shalom hoped for by their lawmakers,
prophets and wise men of Israel.
More
in general, there is the problem of morality, the great field of
individual and social ethics. We are all aware of how acute the crisis
is on this point in the age in which we are living. In a society which
is often lost in agnosticism and individualism and which is suffering
the bitter consequences of selfishness and violence, Jews and Christians
are the trustees and witnesses of an ethic marked by the Ten
Commandments, in the observance of which man finds his truth and
freedom. To promote a common reflection and collaboration on this point
is one of the great duties of the hour.
And
finally, I wish to address a thought to this city in which there live
side by side the Catholic community with its Bishop and the Jewish
community with its authorities and its Chief Rabbi.
Let
this not be a mere ''co-existence,'' a kind of juxtaposition,
interspersed with limited and occasional meetings, but let it be
animated by fraternal love.
The
problems of Rome are many. You know this well. Each one of us, in the
light of that blessed heritage to which I alluded earlier, is conscious
of an obligation to work together, at least to some degree, for their
solution. Let us seek, as far as possible, to do so together. From this
visit of mine and from the harmony and serenity which we have attained
may there flow forth a fresh and health-giving spring like the river
that Ezekiel saw gushing from the eastern gate of the Temple of
Jerusalem, which will help to heal the wounds from which Rome is
suffering.
In
doing this, I venture to say, we shall each be faithful to our most
sacred commitments and also to that which most profoundly unites and
gathers us together: faith in the one God who ''loves strangers'' and
''renders justice to the orphan and the wise,'' commanding us too to
love and help them. Christians have learned this desire of the Lord from
the Torah, which you here venerate, and from Jesus, who took to its
extreme consequences the love demanded by the Torah. Rediscovered
Brotherhood
All
that remains for me now, as at the beginning of my address, is to turn
my eyes and my mind to the Lord, to thank him and praise him for this
joyful meeting and for the good things which are already flowing from
it, for the rediscovered brotherhood and for the new and more profound
understanding between us here in Rome and between the church and Judaism
everywhere, in every country, for the benefit of all.
Therefore I would like to say with the Psalmist, in his original language which is also your own inheritance:
Hodu la Adonai Ki tob Ki le olam hasdo Yomar-na Yisrael Ki le olam hasdo Yomeru-na yire Adonai Ki le olam hasdo.
O
give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His steadfast love endures
forever! Let Israel say, ''His steadfast love endures forever.'' Let
those who fear the Lord say, ''His steadfast love endures forever.''
Amen. (Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II, Speech at the Synogogue of Rome, April 13, 1986, purchased from The New York Times for a single purchase price of $3.95; I don't know if this link, TEXT OF JOHN PAUL II'S SPEECH AT ROME SYNAGOGUE: 'YOU ARE OUR ELDER BROTHERS', will work for you.)
Appendix B
From "You're Not Supposed to Say This," March 1, 2013
Timothy Michael
Dolan's departure from the Catholic Faith includes in a very special
way a constant obeisance that he pays the ancient enemies of Christ the
King and His Holy Church, something that he demonstrated amply in the
speech that he gave at the Lincoln Square Synagogue on Sunday, February
24, 2013:
Shabbat Shalom!
Thank
you so much for your generous invitation and warm welcome. What an
honor and a joy to be with you here at the historic and renowned Lincoln Square Synagogue.
Long
have I been aware of the prominence of this community, as, during my
graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, our course in
American Religious History featured attention to Modern Orthodox Judaism, its flagship synagogue here, and the foundational efforts of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.
Now what a privilege it is to be a part of the celebration of welcome as
we thank God for this splendid new sanctuary! As your psalms pray,
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who toil!” So, praise God:
I’d say “Alleluia” but I can’t because for us Catholics it’s our penitential season of Lent, and we can’t say that “A-word” until Easter!
Can
I get a little personal here? Today is the fourth anniversary of my
appointment by Pope Benedict XVI as archbishop of New York.
Four happy years…and the Jewish community of New York is one of the big reasons why. From the start you have welcomed and embraced me. I love you; I respect you; I need you; I thank you.
Tomorrow, the second Sunday of Lent, we always have the Gospel account of what we call the Transfiguration of
Jesus on Mount Tabor. There, the Jewish fisherman, the Jewish first
pope, St. Peter, said to Jesus, “It is good for us to be here.”
Those words I make my own this morning.
I
also appreciate the encouragement this visit gives me in my efforts to
repair and restore another historic house of prayer and worship, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
Don’t worry: I’m not going to ask for money—while recognizing what a
tradition that is in both of our religions—although I do happen to have
some pledge cards on me!
This
beautiful occasion this morning might be a providential occasion to
celebrate as well the common values we as Jews and Catholics deeply
cherish. Can I mention just two?
One would be the high importance of the Sabbath: you begin with sundown on Friday and go through Saturday; we start with sundown on Saturday and go through Sunday.
We
both do it with humble obedience to the Lord’s command, following His
own example of rest after the labor of creation, don’t we?
I propose that our fidelity to the Sabbath is good for us, and good for the world.
It’s good for us as
we individually, and as a religious community, need worship, prayer,
and fellowship to keep our spirits focused and our faith fervent.
A
wise mentor once told me, “Science teaches us that the earth is not the
center of the universe. Faith teaches me that neither am I.”
God and others come first. The weekly reminder of the Sabbath.
I
suppose that’s the message to be found in the startling decision of
Pope Benedict XVI to leave the Chair of St. Peter. It’s not about an
office, the pomp, the prominence, the prestige, the Holy Father hints,
but about Jesus and His Church. It’s really all about God.
That’s what you and I profess every Sabbath! That’s good for us; that’s good for our culture.
Two, we both value love and service.
Just ten days ago, on Ash Wednesday, as we began our forty days of
fervent prayer, penance, and acts of charity in preparation for our high
holy days, the fifty thousand folks who came through Saint Patrick’s
Cathedral, heard the words of your prophet, Isaiah.
“This
is the worship and fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking
every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed
and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning
your back on your own.”
Jesus
won’t let me brag about such work that we as Catholics do, since, on
that same day, Ash Wednesday, He told us in the Gospel that our good
works should be done in secret.
But, I sure can congratulate you for
the radiant love, service, and works of charity and justice you do!
We’re all impressed by your effective food and clothing drives, your Red
Cross blood drives, your community outreach and weekly bags of bread to
the West Side Campaign Against Hunger. And we sure appreciated the partnership of the UJA with Catholic Charities in the Feeding Our Neighbors Campaign three weeks ago.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta observed, “There’s a word for faith without love, and that word is a sham.”
And Bl. John Paul II, who so loved you, remarked, “Men and women today learn much more from witness than from words.”
God bless you, Lincoln Square Synagogue, for the radiant witness of your love which make genuine the words of praise we express on the sabbath! (The Gospel in the Digital Age.)
I
will take a few selected excerpts from this piece of
diabolically-inspired piece of emotionalism in order to make a few brief
comments as I am already way, way, way, way past my bedtime.
Excerpt Number One:
I love you; I respect you; I need you; I thank you, (The Gospel in the Digital Age.)
Brief Comment:
Our
Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wants to effect the conversion of
the all non-Catholics, including adherents of the Talmud, to the true
Faith. He loves all men in that He wills their eternal good, which is
the salvation of their immortal souls as members of the Catholic Church.
Authentic love is not an expression of naturalistic sentimentality or
emotionalism. It wills the good others. In this regard, you see, Timothy
Michael Dolan is a false friend to the congregation at Lincoln Square
Synagogue as he did not seek their conversion to the true Faith and
expressed "respect" for those who adhere to a false religion that denies
Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's Sacred Divinity and his
hideous in his sight, a false religion whose Biblical ancestor was
abolished when He breathed His last breath on the wood of the Holy Cross
and the curtain in the Temple was torn in two as the earth shook and
quaked.
Respect?
You're not supposed to do this, Timothy Dolan.
Let's turn to Saint John Chrysostom to handle this one:
Let
that be your judgment about the synagogue, too. For they brought the
books of Moses and the prophets along with them into the synagogue, not
to honor them but to outrage them with dishonor. When they say that
Moses and the prophets knew not Christ and said nothing about his
coming, what greater outrage could they do to those holy men than to
accuse them of failing to recognize their Master, than to say that those
saintly prophets are partners of their impiety? And so it is
that we must hate both them and their synagogue all the more because of
their offensive treatment of those holy men." (Saint John Chrysostom,
Fourth Century, A.D., Saint John Chrysostom: Eight Homilies Against the Jews.)
Many,
I know, respect the Jews and think that their present way of life is a
venerable one. This is why I hasten to uproot and tear out this deadly
opinion. I said that the synagogue is no better than a theater and I
bring forward a prophet as my witness. Surely the Jews are not more
deserving of belief than their prophets. "You had a harlot's brow; you
became shameless before all". Where a harlot has set herself up, that
place is a brothel. But the synagogue is not only a brothel and a
theater; it also is a den of robbers and a lodging for wild beasts.
Jeremiah said: "Your house has become for me the den of a hyena". He
does not simply say "of wild beast", but "of a filthy wild beast", and
again: "I have abandoned my house, I have cast off my inheritance".But
when God forsakes a people, what hope of salvation is left? When God
forsakes a place, that place becomes the dwelling of demons.
(2) But
at any rate the Jews say that they, too, adore God. God forbid that I
say that. No Jew adores God! Who says so? The Son of God says so. For he
said: "If you were to know my Father, you would also know me. But you
neither know me nor do you know my Father". Could I produce a witness
more trustworthy than the Son of God?
(3)
If, then, the Jews fail to know the Father, if they crucified the Son,
if they thrust off the help of the Spirit, who should not make bold to
declare plainly that the synagogue is a dwelling of demons? God
is not worshipped there. Heaven forbid! From now on it remains a place
of idolatry. But still some people pay it honor as a holy place. (Saint John Chrysostom: Eight Homilies Against the Jews)
I need you?
Need?
You're not supposed to do this, Timothy Dolan.
Timothy Michael Dolan "needs" adherents of the Talmud?
To what end?
Human respect and his own self-esteem, that's what end.
What
was this moron doing, asking the adherents of the Talmud for their
support in the 2013 "conclave" so that they could pray to the devil who
controls their religion to have him be the successor of Joseph Alois
Ratzinger/Benedict XVI? As it turns out, Talmudists of the reform
vareity got an even better
Excerpt Number Two:
Tomorrow, the second Sunday of Lent, we always have the Gospel account of what we call the Transfiguration of
Jesus on Mount Tabor. There, the Jewish fisherman, the Jewish first
pope, St. Peter, said to Jesus, “It is good for us to be here.”
Those words I make my own this morning. (The Gospel in the Digital Age.)
Brief Comment:
Blasphemy!
Utter and complete blasphemy.
"Good for us to be here."
You're not supposed to do this, Timothy Dolan.
Saint John Chrysostom, would you mind repeating yourself here?
(3)
If, then, the Jews fail to know the Father, if they crucified the Son,
if they thrust off the help of the Spirit, who should not make bold to
declare plainly that the synagogue is a dwelling of demons? God
is not worshipped there. Heaven forbid! From now on it remains a place
of idolatry. But still some people pay it honor as a holy place. (Saint John Chrysostom: Eight Homilies Against the Jews)
Timothy Michael Dolan's whole speech revolved around the blasphemous assertion that God is worshiped
at Lincoln Square Synagogue. To enter such a place is forbidden and
carries with it an censure of automatic excommunication:
The
spirit of Christ, which dictated the Holy Scriptures, and the spirit
which animates and guides the Church of Christ, and teaches her all
truth, is the same; and therefore in all
ages her conduct on this point has been uniformly the same as what the
Holy Scripture teaches. She has constantly forbidden her children to
hold any communication, in religious matters, with those who are
separated from her communion; and this she has sometimes done under the
most severe penalties. In the apostolical canons, which are of
very ancient standing, and for the most part handed down from the
apostolical age, it is thus decreed: "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, shall join in prayers with heretics, let him be suspended from Communion". (Can. 44)
Also, "If
any clergyman or laic shall go into the synagogue of the Jews, or the
meetings of heretics, to join in prayer with them, let him be deposed,
and deprived of communion". (Can. 63) (Bishop George Hay, (The Laws of God Forbidding All Communication in Religion With Those of a False Religion.)
Excerpt Number Three:
Jesus
won’t let me brag about such work that we as Catholics do, since, on
that same day, Ash Wednesday, He told us in the Gospel that our good
works should be done in secret.
But, I sure can congratulate you for
the radiant love, service, and works of charity and justice you do!
We’re all impressed by your effective food and clothing drives, your Red
Cross blood drives, your community outreach and weekly bags of bread to
the West Side Campaign Against Hunger. And we sure appreciated the partnership of the UJA with Catholic Charities in the Feeding Our Neighbors Campaign three weeks ago.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta observed, “There’s a word for faith without love, and that word is a sham.”
And Bl. John Paul II, who so loved you, remarked, “Men and women today learn much more from witness than from words.”
God bless you, Lincoln Square Synagogue, for the radiant witness of your love which make genuine the words of praise we express on the sabbath! (The Gospel in the Digital Age.)
Radiant love?
Works of charity and justice?
Charity and justice?
What about the chemical and surgical assassination of innocent preborn children in their mothers' wombs?
"Modern
Orthodox Judaism" seems to support such killing in at least some
instances, although one would be hard-pressed to find any statement of
the fact on its website. Obviously, its rabbis support the chemical
assassination by means of contraception.
Does that matter to Timothy Michael Dolan?
Of course not.
Timothy
Dolan departs from the Catholic Faith in this as does in almost
everything else, which is why he may have a chance, however slim it
appears, to be a possible new universal public face of apostasy.
You're not supposed to do any of this, Timothy Dolan.
Moreover,
Timothy Michael Dolan has no problem at all with the fact that "Modern
Orthodox Judaism" supports Zionism, whose founder was addressed in
direct terms by Pope Saint Pius X one hundred nine years ago now:
POPE:
We are unable to favor this movement [of Zionism]. We cannot prevent
the Jews from going to Jerusalem—but we could never sanction it. The
ground of Jerusalem, if it were not always sacred, has been sanctified
by the life of Jesus Christ. As the head of the Church I cannot answer
you otherwise. The Jews have not recognized our Lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people.
HERZL:
[The conflict between Rome and Jerusalem, represented by the one and
the other of us, was once again under way. At the outset I tried to be
conciliatory. I said my little piece. . . . It didn’t greatly impress
him. Jerusalem was not to be placed in Jewish hands.] And its present
status, Holy Father?
POPE: I know, it is disagreeable to see the Turks in possession of our Holy Places. We simply have to put up with it. But to sanction the Jewish wish to occupy these sites, that we cannot do.
HERZL: [I said that we based our movement solely on the sufferings of the Jews, and wished to put aside all religious issues].
POPE: Yes, but we, but I as the head of the Catholic Church, cannot do this. One of two things will likely happen. Either the Jews will retain their ancient faith and continue to await the Messiah whom we believe has already appeared—in which case they are denying the divinity of Jesus and we cannot assist them. Or else they will go there with no religion whatever, and then we can have nothing at all to do with them. The Jewish faith was the foundation of our own, but it has been superceded by the teachings of Christ, and we cannot admit that it still enjoys any validity. The Jews who should have been the first to acknowledge Jesus Christ have not done so to this day.
HERZL: [It was on the tip of my tongue to remark, “It happens in every family: no one believes in his own relative.” But, instead, I said:] Terror and persecution were not precisely the best means for converting the Jews. [His reply had an element of grandeur in its simplicity:]
POPE: Our Lord came without power. He came in peace. He persecuted no one. He was abandoned even by his apostles. It was only later that he attained stature. It took three centuries for the Church to evolve. The Jews therefore had plenty of time in which to accept his divinity without duress or pressure. But they chose not to do so, and they have not done it yet.
HERZL:
But, Holy Father, the Jews are in a terrible plight. I do not know if
Your Holiness is aware of the full extent of their tragedy. We need a
land for these harried people.
POPE: Must it be Jerusalem?
HERZL: We are not asking for Jerusalem, but for Palestine—for only the secular land.
POPE: We cannot be in favor of it.
[Editor Lowenthal interjects here] Here unrelenting replacement theology is plainly upheld as the norm of the Roman Catholic Church. Further, this confession, along with the whole tone of the Pope in his meeting with Herzl, indicates the perpetuation of a doctrinal emphasis that has resulted in centuries of degrading behavior toward the Jews. However, this response has the “grandeur” of total avoidance of that which Herzl had intimated, namely that the abusive reputation of Roman Catholicism toward the Jews was unlikely to foster conversion. Further, if, “It took three centuries for the Church to evolve,” it was that very same period of time that it took for the Church to consolidate and launch its thrust of anti-Semitism through the following centuries.
HERZL: Does Your Holiness know the situation of the Jews?
POPE: Yes, from my days in Mantua, where there are Jews. I have always been in friendly relations with Jews. Only the other evening two Jews were here to see me. There are other bonds than those of religion: social intercourse, for example, and philanthropy. Such bonds we do not refuse to maintain with the Jews. Indeed we also pray for them, that their spirit see the light. This very day the Church is celebrating the feast of an unbeliever who became converted in a miraculous manner—on the road to Damascus. And so if you come to Palestine and settle your people there, we will be ready with churches and priests to baptize all of you. (Marvin Lowenthal, The Diaries of Theodore Herzl.)
Yes,
Timothy Michael Dolan's "departure" from proper form in the
"Eucharistic prayer" he prayed in a chapel at the North American College
in Rome where he was rector was nothing new. He departs from the Holy
Integrity of the Sacred Deposit of Faith on multiple points. He is truly
a motor mouth representative of the first generation trained in the
imprecision of apostates during and after the "Second" Vatican Council.
Tell you
what, Timmy, my boy, you and your false religion are a sham. And
insofar as finding out that the "chair is vacant," it's been
vacant since the death of Pope Pius XII on October 9, 1958. Timmy, ya
oughta read The Chair is Still Empty. Like, wow, man.
Appendix C
The Popes Against Religious Liberty
For
how can We tolerate with equanimity that the Catholic religion, which
France received in the first ages of the Church, which was confirmed in
that very kingdom by the blood of so many most valiant martyrs, which by
far the greatest part of the French race professes, and indeed bravely
and constantly defended even among the most grave adversities and
persecutions and dangers of recent years, and which, finally, that very
dynasty to which the designated king belongs both professes and has
defended with much zeal - that this Catholic, this most holy religion,
We say, should not only not be declared to be the only one in the whole
of France supported by the bulwark of the laws and by the authority of
the Government, but should even, in the very restoration of the
monarchy, be entirely passed over? But a much more grave, and indeed
very bitter, sorrow increased in Our heart - a sorrow by which We
confess that We were crushed, overwhelmed and torn in two - from the
twenty-second article of the constitution in which We
saw, not only that "liberty of religion and of conscience" (to use the
same words found in the article) were permitted by the force of the
constitution, but also that assistance and patronage were promised both
to this liberty and also to the ministers of these different forms of
"religion". There is certainly no need of many words, in
addressing you, to make you fully recognize by how lethal a wound the
Catholic religion in France is struck by this article. For
when the liberty of all "religions" is indiscriminately asserted, by
this very fact truth is confounded with error and the holy and
immaculate Spouse of Christ, the Church, outside of which there can be
no salvation, is set on a par with the sects of heretics and with Judaic
perfidy itself. For when favour and patronage is promised even to the
sects of heretics and their ministers, not only their persons, but also
their very errors, are tolerated and fostered: a system of errors in
which is contained that fatal and never sufficiently to be deplored
HERESY which, as St. Augustine says (de Haeresibus, no.72), "asserts
that all heretics proceed correctly and tell the truth: which is so
absurd that it seems incredible to me." (Pope Pius VII, Post Tam Diuturnas, April 29, 1814, POST TAM DIUTURNAS)
"This shameful font of indifferentism gives
rise to that absurd and erroneous proposition which claims that liberty
of conscience must be maintained for everyone. It spreads ruin in
sacred and civil affairs, though some repeat over and over again with
the greatest impudence that some advantage accrues to religion from it. "But the death of the soul is worse than freedom of error," as Augustine was wont to say.When
all restraints are removed by which men are kept on the narrow path of
truth, their nature, which is already inclined to evil, propels them to
ruin. Then truly "the bottomless pit" is open from which John saw smoke
ascending which obscured the sun, and out of which locusts flew forth to
devastate the earth. Thence comes transformation of minds, corruption
of youths, contempt of sacred things and holy laws -- in other words, a
pestilence more deadly to the state than any other. Experience shows,
even from earliest times, that cities renowned for wealth, dominion, and
glory perished as a result of this single evil, namely immoderate
freedom of opinion, license of free speech, and desire for novelty.
Here
We must include that harmful and never sufficiently denounced freedom
to publish any writings whatever and disseminate them to the people,
which some dare to demand and promote with so great a clamor. We are
horrified to see what monstrous doctrines and prodigious errors are
disseminated far and wide in countless books, pamphlets, and other
writings which, though small in weight, are very great in malice. We
are in tears at the abuse which proceeds from them over the face of the
earth. Some are so carried away that they contentiously assert that the
flock of errors arising from them is sufficiently compensated by the
publication of some book which defends religion and truth. Every law
condemns deliberately doing evil simply because there is some hope that
good may result. Is there any sane man who would say poison ought to be
distributed, sold publicly, stored, and even drunk because some antidote
is available and those who use it may be snatched from death again and
again? (Pope Gregory XVI, Mirari Vos, August 15, 1832.)
"But,
although we have not omitted often to proscribe and reprobate the chief
errors of this kind, yet the cause of the Catholic Church, and the
salvation of souls entrusted to us by God, and the welfare of human
society itself, altogether demand that we again stir up your pastoral
solicitude to exterminate other evil opinions, which spring forth from
the said errors as from a fountain. Which false and perverse opinions
are on that ground the more to be detested, because they chiefly tend to
this, that that salutary influence be impeded and (even) removed, which
the Catholic Church, according to the institution and command of her
Divine Author, should freely exercise even to the end of the world --
not only over private individuals, but over nations, peoples, and their
sovereign princes; and (tend also) to take away that mutual fellowship
and concord of counsels between Church and State which has ever proved
itself propitious and salutary, both for religious and civil interests.
"For
you well know, venerable brethren, that at this time men are found not a
few who, applying to civil society the impious and absurd principle of
"naturalism," as they call it, dare to teach that "the best constitution
of public society and (also) civil progress altogether require that
human society be conducted and governed without regard being had to
religion any more than if it did not exist; or, at least, without any
distinction being made between the true religion and false ones." And,
against the doctrine of Scripture, of the Church, and of the Holy
Fathers, they do not hesitate to assert that "that is the best condition
of civil society, in which no duty is recognized, as attached to the
civil power, of restraining by enacted penalties, offenders against the
Catholic religion, except so far as public peace may require." From
which totally false idea of social government they do not fear to
foster that erroneous opinion, most fatal in its effects on the Catholic
Church and the salvation of souls, called by Our Predecessor, Gregory
XVI, an "insanity," viz., that "liberty of conscience and worship is
each man's personal right, which ought to be legally proclaimed and
asserted in every rightly constituted society; and that a right resides
in the citizens to an absolute liberty, which should be restrained by no
authority whether ecclesiastical or civil, whereby they may be able
openly and publicly to manifest and declare any of their ideas whatever,
either by word of mouth, by the press, or in any other way." But, while
they rashly affirm this, they do not think and consider that they are
preaching "liberty of perdition;" and that "if human arguments are
always allowed free room for discussion, there will never be wanting men
who will dare to resist truth, and to trust in the flowing speech of
human wisdom; whereas we know, from the very teaching of our Lord Jesus
Christ, how carefully Christian faith and wisdom should avoid this most
injurious babbling."
"And,
since where religion has been removed from civil society, and the
doctrine and authority of divine revelation repudiated, the genuine
notion itself of justice and human right is darkened and lost, and the
place of true justice and legitimate right is supplied by material
force, thence it appears why it is that some, utterly neglecting and
disregarding the surest principles of sound reason, dare to proclaim
that "the people's will, manifested by what is called public opinion or
in some other way, constitutes a supreme law, free from all divine and
human control; and that in the political order accomplished facts, from
the very circumstance that they are accomplished, have the force of
right." But
who, does not see and clearly perceive that human society, when set
loose from the bonds of religion and true justice, can have, in truth,
no other end than the purpose of obtaining and amassing wealth, and that
(society under such circumstances) follows no other law in its actions,
except the unchastened desire of ministering to its own pleasure and
interests?" (Pope Pius IX, Quanta Cura, December 8, 1864.)
The
only world that really matters is eternity. Social order, no less than
national security, can never be established while a nation’s citizens
wallow in lives in unrepentant sins, which are protected and promoted
both here and abroad by the civil government.
