Calx Mariae issue 15, Winter 2021

MARIAE CALX

Rebuilding our Christian civilisation

£ 5 . 0 0 , S E E T H E I N S I D E B A C K C O V E R F O R D E TA I L S O N H O W T O S U B S C R I B E

FOCUS:

HEALTH OF THE SICK AND SALVATION OF SOULS

Church and society in this dark hour of history INCLUDING:

PRO-LIFE MANIFESTO

An appeal to the world’ s bishops What the Fathers and Saints valued and defended, we also feel called to value and defend

AN INTERVIEW WITH DR JOSEPH SHAW A V O I C E O F T H E FA M I LY P U B L I C AT I O N

ISSUE 15

WINTER 2021

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MARIAE CALX

ISSUE 15

WINTER 2021

CONTENTS 2

r o m F th e d i r

3 L i fe a n d t h w o r l d t h a k n o w s i Hm t : e x a m i n t o f 2 0 1 byMaria Madise 9

Pro-lifeManifesto An appeal to the world’s

bishops 1 7

FO C U S e H a l t h f o s i c k a n d lv t i o n f s u l : C h u r c a n d s o c i e yt n h s d a rk h o u f i s t r y

18 e C h u r c a n d e pi m c s n h i t o r y

by Prof. Roberto de Mattei

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18

53

17

45

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27 S p i r u t a l fe d r i n g a p d e m i c

by Fr Serano M. Lanzetta 36

HIG L H T S e H a l t h f o s i c k a n d lv t i o n f s u l : C h u r c a n d s o c i e yt n h s d a rk h o u f i s t r y

43

PrayetoS Raphelt Archangel

45 W h a t e r Fs n d S a i t s v l u e d a n fe d , wealsofe caledtovalue nd f Interview with Dr o J seph Shaw 53

‘Bishop,knwthydign!’

57

A l te r f o m a B e n d i c t m o n k

61 e C h r i s t m a f eo h w st T

by Cristiana de Magistris

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I S S N :2 51 7 - 6 4 5 5

uch of what this edition of Calx Mariae covers is rather EDITORIAL BOARD grim, dark and distant from the joy of Christmas, soon Liam Gibson to be heralded by the angels over the fields of Bethlehem.

John Smeaton However, this reflects the birth of Our Lord at the darkest DESIGN & PRODUCTION EDITOR time of the year, allowing His light to shine all the brighter.

Selina Fang Even the deepest darkness, therefore, is at the service of the VOICE OF THE FAMILY light! Similarly, the spiritual darkness of our world today could deepen, until it 7 Bell Yard becomes clear – to every man, woman and child –whereourtruehopelies.ItisLondon WC2A 2JR inaNewbornChild,cradledinamanger,inthestillnessof night.

United Kingdom Abrief examinationof thispastyear(p.3)revealshowquicklyaworldthat Email: editor@voiceofthefamily.com hasabandonedGoddescendsintodarkness.Manytodayhavebeenseizedbythe www.voiceofthefamily.com/calxmariae temporalrealitiescreatedbytheCoronaviruscrisis.Somuchsothatincreasingly DISCLAIMER: Great care is taken to ruthless attacks on human life on multiple fronts go virtually unnoticed, because credit photos and seek permission before our attention is firmly fixed on a potential apocalypse believed to be looming publishing.

If you have a query regarding copyright, please contact the Editor. No onthehorizon.Wecouldaskourselveswhatwilltoday’ssoldiersfindwhenthey part of this magazine may be reproduced will return from the Covid battlefield?

– home abortions, rampant euthanasia without written permission. and more and more children robbed of their innocence by sex education and Donations for the continuation of this in print gender theory. It is more vital than ever, therefore, to maintain themagazine priority of will be gratefully received by Voice of the Family at the fighting for–life as ordered by God towards eternal happiness with Him in address above or online via: heaven –becausethetemptationisalwaystothrowourselvesintoafightfor life www.voiceofthefamily.com/donate asorderedbymen.Therehasbeen,asFrLanzettaremindsus(p.a27), lackof Calx Mariae seeks to contribute to the rebuilding of Christian civilisation by supernaturalwisdominhandlingthissituation. providing features and analysis in the Wecouldalsoaskourselves:if thebattleagainsttheCoviddirectives areasis ofwon; life, family and culture. Our aim in producing this magazine thatis,if allrestrictionsareliftedandvaccinationpoliciesscrapped; would thisis to strengthen our readers in the faith and in their witness bringChrist’speoplebacktoHim?Woulditbringustoourkneesatthemanger? to the truth about human life and the Woulditfilloursoulswithhumbleadoration?Orcanourcurrenttrials,like the family. epidemicsof thepastp. ( 8)1 help , usrealisehowinconstantthisworldisand thatMariae is published by Voice of the Calx Family, formed in support of Catholic we can do nothing without that same Almighty God who will soon lie helpless teaching on the family. The following inthearmsof HisBlessedMother? truths are particularly at the heart of Voice of the Family’s work: His Mother Mary was the only person who was present both at the crib and thecross.If wefollowherfromonetotheother,wewillsurelyfollow herto 9 Marriage, the the exclusive, life-long union of oneis man and one woman, is the joy of heaven. She is the Mistress of every correct step in the Truth, which foundation of a stable and flourishing Christ.SheistheChurchthatweloveanddefend.Todaywemustnotonlyfight society and is the greatest protector of for the Truth of the Church, but also for her honour, at a time when she is sochildren, born and unborn.

9 The procreative and unitive ends of grievouslyozended,evenbyherownchildren. marriage cannot licitly be separated; “What the Fathers and Saints valued and defended, we also feel called to the rejection of this truth lies at the valueanddefend,”explainsthenewPresidentof theUnaVoceFederation, root ofDr modern attacks on life and the JosephShaw(p.By 45). honouringthetraditionof theChurch,wehonourher family.

9 Parents are the primary educators of motherhoodandthewayinwhichshewantstoraiseherchildren. their children and the protection of If,bythegraceof God,ourfaithisstrongandourhopealive,thentheymust this right is essential for building a new “culture of life”. stillbeunitedintruecharity.Thisiswhatisrequiredof usmorethananything at this moment. St Louis de Montfort instructs us to implore Mary to lend us herheart,sothatwemayreceiveherSonwithherdispositions:“Tellherthat,if shewilltakeupherabodeinyoutoreceiveherSon;whichshecandobecause of the sovereignty that she has over all hearts; He will be received by her in a perfect manner, without danger of being azronted or forced to depart… Tell her…thatJesus,whoseloveforherisunique,stillwishestotakeHisdelightand reposeinher;eveninyoursoul;eventhoughitispoorerandlesscleanthanthe stable,whichHereadilyenteredbecauseshewasthere.Beghertolendyouher heart,saying,‘OMary,Itakeyouformyall–givemeyourheart.’”

OF T HE FA M I LY 2 021

M

EDITOR Maria Madise

© VOICE

FROM THE EDITOR

AND THE WORLD THAT KNOWS HIM NOT

examination of 2021

pro-life action

Life

by MARIA MADISE

F

or many Catholics, going to confession and beexamination reveal about our society’s disregard ing in a state of grace before the celebration forthesanctityof humanlife? of Christmas is one of the most important aspects Many nations have struggled to emerge from of Advent.Agoodconfession,however,requires lockdowns, a restore their economy and move on thoroughexaminationof conscience.Andfrom although the disruption wrought by the pandemic in confession is not an option for communities, naevery area of life. Yet, while the virus - has force tions and states, there is an onus on each of us to fully reminded us of the fragility of human life, ozerreparationforthesinsof oursociety. attacks Asthis ontherighttolifehaveintensified.

Some year draws to a close and the world prepares, once thing which should be of particular concern is the again,towelcomeaChild,theLifeandtheLight rapid advance of euthanasia and assisted suicide, of men, to dwell among us, what would an honest also spreading like a contagion across much of the westernworld.

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JANUARY

ThedebatealsocontinuedinGermany,where theBundestagconsideredtwoBillsoneuthanasia.

In the last days of 20, the conservative Argen Thefirstsoughttheliberalisationof assistedsuicide tine Senate voted to legalise abortion. A leading for patients suzering from serious and incurable South American country – predominantly Catholic diseases.Underthesecondproposal,noincurable and the homeland of Pope Francis – began the pathology would be required before- a lethal sub new year with pro-abortion activists jubilant over stance could be requested. This would go further the vote which introduced free abortion until the thanotherEuropeanstates.If successful,itiseasy fourteenthweekof pregnancy.AlbertoFernández, to imagine the disaster that could follow the introelectedPresidentof Argentinain2019,signedthe duction of such a law – with nothing to stop anyone BillintolawonJanuary 41 and 120 itenteredinto struggling with a bout of depression, for example, forceon24January. from ending his or her life. At the same time, the InPortugal,justaftertheelectionof President FederalOrderof Physicianslifteditsprohibitiono Marcelo Rebelo for a second term, the Parliament assistedsuicide,imposedthroughitscodeof ethics. voted to decriminalise voluntary euthanasia, or “medically assisted anticipation of death”.

MAY The debate, however, was set to continue throughout In a statement released on 5 May, the Catholic the year. In February, President Rebelo, a Catho Bishops of Costa Rica denounced a decision by lic, asked the Constitutional Court to evaluate the the country’s government to make the so-called law and it was declared unconstitutional due to the morning-after pill (MAP) available free of charge vaguenessof itsprovisions. inallhealthcarefacilities.Promotionof theMAP, FEBRUARY/MARCH which acts as an early abortifacient, is seen by many asasteptowardsthelegalisationof abortion.The EuthanasiawasalreadylegalinCanadasince,6102 CostaRicanMovementforLegalAbortion - hasal when the Senate voted to broaden the conditions in ready presented a proposal for its decriminalisation, whichitcanberequested.Thenewcriteriaallow whichtheorganisationhopestofileinParliament those experiencing what they consider to be “inif itcollects170,signatures. tolerable” psychological suzering to ask for their Sixty-two per cent of Costa Rica’s population lives to be ended even if their natural death is not is Catholic but the country has grown increasingly foreseeable.Thepreviouslegislationpermittedthe secular since the election of Carlos Alvarado, a assisted suicide of Canadian citizens, 18 years or 38-year-old French-speaking, lapsed Catholic, in older, diagnosed with a grievous and irremediable 8.102 Thatsameyear,theSupremeCourtdeclared condition and capable of making their own health thelawdefiningmarriageasaunionbetweenone caredecisionsfreefromundueinfluence.Thenew manandwomantobeunconstitutional.Twoyears law permits people with mental illness to make an later,CostaRicabecamethefirstnationinCentral advancedrequestforeuthanasia,whichwillremain Americatolegalisesame-sex“marriage”. valid even after a patient is no longer capable of makingdecisions.

JUNE APRIL

InFrance,thelawonbioethicswasradicallyrevised by the National Assembly, ushering in a raft of proInSpain,theCongressof Deputiesadoptedalaw visionsdeeplyozensivetohumandignity.Thenew that allowed both euthanasia as well as medically law expanded the provision of medically assisted assisted suicide. The law, which would come into procreation (PMA) to female couples and single force in June, meant that Spain became the fourth women,withhealthinsurancecoverageopentoall.

European nation and the sixth country in the world ThelawallowschildrenconceivedthroughPMA, to allow a patient with an incurable disease to resort once they come of age, to access non-identifying toeuthanasia. donordataage, ( physicalcharacteristics,etc)orthe 4

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mental or physical health, in cases of rape or incest or when the baby has a fatal physical condition.

Gibraltar has a population of 32,0 of which 25,0areCatholics.

OnJune, 32 theEuropeanParliamentendorsed theMatiReport.CompiledbyCroatiansocialist PredragFredMati,thereportpromotedalitanyof radicalanti-lifeandanti-familypoliciestotheEU’s 27membernations.Itsagendaincludedabortion on request, compulsory “comprehensive sex edu cation” beginning in primary schools, measures to combat “harmful gender stereotypes” (such as the depictionof womenasmothers)andtherestriction of conscientiousobjectiontoabortion.Itconclu bycallingontheEuropeanCommissionto:

“take concrete steps in protecting SRHR, startidentity of a donor who does not wish to maintain with the establishment of an EU Special his anonymity. This not only violates Articleing 8 of Envoy on Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Convention on the Rights of the Child1 but Rights and the addition of a designated chapter deprives them of a true understanding of maternity on the‘Stateof Playof SRHR’intheEUAnnuandpaternity.

ReportonHumanRightsandDemocracy…”

Thenewregimerelaxesrestrictions - onal experi ments using embryonic stem cells and establishes a IgnoringthefactthatEUinstitutionshave-nocom day 14- periodfortheinvitroresearchonso-petence called in this area, a resolution backing the report “supernumerary”embryosabandonedbycouples. falsely asserted that recognition of “sexual and reA new category of abortion was also created – “the productiverights”isalegalobligationrequiredb partial voluntary termination of a multiple preginternationalhumanrightslaw.Whilesuch- resolu nancy in the event of endangering the health of the tionsarenotlegallybinding,theycanbeinfluential. woman,theembryos,andthefoetuses”.Whatwas associated before with assisted reproduction leading JULY tomultiplepregnancyisnowroutine.

OnJuly, 20 inadevelopmentthateventookabor Finally, the law authorises the creation - of chi tion activists by surprise, Veracruz became the meric embryos – through the addition of human fourth state in Mexico to decriminalise abortion DNAtoanimalembryos,withtheaimof producing Legislatorsvoted,to 52 to ,31 removecriminal - pen human organs through animal breeding – supposaltiesforabortioninthefirstweeks 21 of pregnancy. edly to alleviate the shortage of organs for transIn 20, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled against plantation.Thechimericembryowouldbeplaced a proposal to decriminalise abortion in the state inapig’suterusresultinginthebirthof ananimal However, earlier in July, the Court struck down a withhumanorgans.Twoteamsof researchershave law in the southern state of Chiapas that limited already succeeded in creating chimeric monkey-huthe abortion of children conceived in rape to the manembryos. firsttrimesterof pregnancy,sayingthatit - wasun Also in June, the people of Gibraltar voted to constitutional. All but two of Mexico’s 32 states expandtheprovisionof abortion.Previously,itwas allow abortion on grounds of rape, though some prohibitedunlessawoman'slifewasindanger.The imposelimits. newlegislation,basedonthatof theBritish abor tion law, was supported by 62 per cent of voters and will make abortion available on grounds of WI N T E R 2 021

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AUGUST

Onthesameday,areferenduminSwitzerland approvedtheintroductionof same-sex“marriage”.

InthePhilippines,theonlycountryotherthanthe Civil unions between persons of the same sex have Vatican City State which recognises marriage as beeno{ciallyrecognisedsincebut 207 same-sex indissoluble, the House of Representatives gave the couples will now have all the rights of marriage, greenlighttoaBilltoconsidertheintroductionof including the possibility of adopting children and civildivorce. donorinseminationforfemalecouples.Thechang wasapprovedbyall26cantonsandsemi-cantons SEPTEMBER withthesupportof 64.1percentof voters.

Continuing its promotion of extremist social policies,onSeptember, 14 Membersof theEuropean OCTOBER Parliament demanded that all European Union Attempts to legalise assisted suicide also continued nations recognise same-sex partnerships formalised in the UK, with the introduction of a private memin other member states, in order to guarantee the ber’sBillintheHouseof LordsbyBaroness - Meach rights of “LGBT” people, especially freedom of erof Spitalfields.Itreceiveditssecondreadingo movementandfamilyreunification.MEPsalso ex October.

2 TheBillwouldallowtheprescription pressed concerns regarding opposition to the agenof lethal drugs to a terminally ill person with the da of the LGBT lobby in Hungary and Poland, approval of two independent doctors and a High whichhaveresistedadoptingitsdemands.

Courtjudge.Thepatientwouldbeprescribedlethal Meanwhile, the Parliament of Queensland bemedication, which they would administer themcamethefifthAustralianstatetodecriminalise eu selves. An attempt to introduce similar legislation thanasia;Victoria,SouthAustralia,Tasmania,and inScotlandisalsoongoing.

WesternAustraliamakinguptheotherfour.Asof However, the decline of once Christian Europe any ,320 adultsuzeringfromaseriousordegener is perhaps best highlighted by the parliamentary ative disease, whose death is expected within twelve leaders’conferenceinRome,whichalsoannounce monthswillbeabletorequest“voluntaryassistance that they will examine a new Bill on euthanasia. in dying”. The law also recognises the subjective The text of that proposal, adopted by the - com criterionof suzering“whichthepatientconsiders mittees as the base text, under the title “Refusal of tobeintolerable”asgroundsforeuthanasia. medical treatment and the legality of euthanasia”, OnSeptember, 62 theRepublicof SanMarino chillingly claims that “medically assisted voluntary –anindependentstateintheheartof Italyandthe death”, which is the killing of a consenting person at third smallest state in Europe – held a referendum taxpayers’expense,isindistinguishablefromdying whichputthisquestiontoitspeople:“Doyouwant fromnaturalcauses. a woman to be allowed to voluntarily terminate [her] pregnancy until the twelfth week of gestation, NOVEMBER andalsosubsequentlyif thereisadangertothelife FromNovember, 7 NewZealandcitizenswhofulfil of the woman or if there are anomalies and malforthecriteriaof theEndof LifeChoiceAct9102 may mations of the foetus that pose a serious risk to the As physical or psychological health of therequest woman?”euthanasiaaspartof thehealthservice. tonishingly, New Zealand’s Catholic bishops called The proposal won the support of 7.28 per cent priests to provide the sacraments to persons who of the voters. This means that the Parliamenton of have agreed to euthanasia, saying that priests who San Marino will now introduce legislation to allow object in conscience to doing so “should ensure that abortion for any reason up to the third month and provision is made for the person to be accompanied up to the ninth month if a child is disabled, on the by another”.Thisappallingrequirement,imposed pretextthatthisisathreattohismother’smental on priests by the bishops, echoes that of the End health.Ninety-sevenpercentof SanMarino’s pop of Life Choice Act, whereby health practitioners ulationof justover3,0areCatholic. who conscientiously object to assisted dying must WI N T E R 2 021

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explain to the person in their care how to contact What is most disturbing about these develop adoctorwithnosuchobjection. ments, however, is the fact that it is often Catholics Finally,inNovember,thePortugueseParliament and so-called conservatives who are the instruments voted to approve a revised Bill that clarified of the the worstattacksonlife.Twothousandyearsago, circumstances under which doctors can euthanise “He came unto his own, and his own received him patients with “grave, incurable and irreversible” not”. (John 1:11) Once again, God’s own people conditions,whowanttoendtheirlives. haveforgottenHimandliveasif Hedidnotexist.

Yet,HeexistsandweknowthatHewill“makeall CONCLUSION thingsnew”,Hewill“wipeawayalltears:anddeath shallbenomore”.Apoc ( :12 –54 Let ) usremember This brief examination of the past year reveals this great mystery as we prepare to welcome the a systematic attack on life at its most vulnerable Authorof lifeHimself:theWordmadeFlesh. stages, at the beginning and now, especially at its end. When we consider the rapidity of - these de ENDNOTE: velopments, we would be forgiven for wondering Article 8, Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN General Assembly, 20 November 1989, A/RES/44/25 whether the world around us will be recognisable States Parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or atallwhenwefinallyemergefromthepandemic. her identity, including nationality, name and family relations as recognised law without unlawful interference.

Itisworthreiteratingherethat,whereassistedby Where a child is illegally deprived of some or all of the elements of his or hertheir identity, States Parties shall provide appropriate assistance and dyingislegal,ozeringpeoplethechoicetoend protection, with a view to re-establishing speedily his or her identity. livescreatespressureforthemtochoosedeath.In particular, vulnerable groups such as the disabled and the elderly, feel pressured into taking their own livestoavoidbecominga“burden”.Forexample, per 34 centof Canadianskilledbyassistedsuicide said they feared being a burden on family and carers. In Oregon, in 20, a majority (53 per cent) of people killed by assisted suicide cited a fear of beinga“burdenonfamily,friends/caregivers”asa reasontoendtheirlives.AndinWashingtonState, in2018,51percentof peoplewhowerekilledby assisted suicide said that being a burden on family, friends and caregivers was a reason to end their lives.InScotland,one-thirdof people - over50al ready feel they are a “burden”. If assisted suicide were to be legalised, these people would no doubt feelincreasedpressuretoendtheirlives.

A society where the right to life is subject to choice, or is dependent on the health of an individual, will sink progressively deeper into injustice untilnolifeisconsideredinviolable.Thus,moving further and further away from God, there may soon come a point where such a society itself succumbs toanirreversiblepathology:afataldiagnosis.

Rec ognising the value and sanctity of every human life, created in the image and likeness of God, is thefirststepbackfrombarbarismandtowardthe restorationof aChristiansociety.Letushopethat ourlegislatorsarestillcapableof takingthatstep.

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manifesto

PRO-LIFE MANIFESTO An appeal to the world’ s bishops

Saint Eligius Consecrated as a Bishop (1526-1529). Pere Nunyes. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona.

PopeFrancishaslaunchedatwo-yearsynodon“synodality”andaconsultation- of localpar ishestolistentothe“cry”of thepeople.Thisistakingplaceatatimeinhistorywhentherei a worldwide programme of state-sanctioned killing – through abortion, through euthanasia, throughIVFprocedures–invirtuallyeverycountryonearth,aswellastheindoctrination of childrenthroughsexeducationprogrammesdesignedtodestroytheirinnocence

Withthisrealityinmind,Voiceof theFamilyhaspreparedapro-lifeManifestocallingo theworld’sbishopstoinvoketheuniqueapostolicmoralpowerbestowedonthembyChri beforeHisAscensionandurgentlytoproclaimtheGospelof Life.

Weareappealingtothebishopstohearthecriesof aroundbillion 2 unbornchildrenkill over the past thirty years alone which is more than the estimated total number of those killed inallof thewarsinrecordedhumanhistory.

Theevilswefacetodayareimmeasurablybeyondthecapacityof thepro-lifemovementto defeatonitsown.Thisfightcanonlybesuccessfulwhentheimmutablemorallawsof the Churcharetaughtwithauthorityandadheredtobyhermembers.

Themanifestoisprintedhereinfull.

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manifesto

Thecryof God’speople 1.

Wehavenotedtheworldwide consultation on synodality, launched by Pope Francis- in9.Oc Weconsiderthatoneof thegreatestcatalysts tober 201: For a Synodal Church: Communion, of the spread of abortion has been the abanParticipation and Mission. donment of the natural law relating to human 2.

Inparttwoof theo{cialSynodhandbookwe sexualityandsexualethics. read: “…By listening, the Church follows10. theIn her book, Adam and Eve after the Pill – Paraexample of God himself, who listens to the cry doxes of the Sexual Revolution,8 Mary Eberstadt, of hispeople”. a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, 3.

describes the central teaching of Pope Paul This worldwide consultation is taking place VI’sencyclical Humanae VitaeJuly (25 1968)on at a time when there is a programme of the regulation of birth, as “perhaps the most state-sanctioned murder in virtually every unfashionable, unwanted, and ubiquitously country of the globe – targeting the most vuldeplored moral teaching on earth”. She then nerable groups in the population – through abortion,throughIVFprocedures,andthrough goes on to show that the teaching enshrined in Humanae Vitae is in fact the “most thoreuthanasia. oughly vindicated” moral teaching on earth Wearemindfulof thefirstoccasiononwhich “by the accumulation of secular, empirical, God listened to the cry of his people. After post-revolutionaryfact”.Toillustrateherpoint CainkilledhisbrotherAbel,GodsaidtoAbel:Mary Eberstadt cites Nobel-Prize winning “Whathastthoudone?Thevoiceof thybroth economist George Akerlof. In a 1996 article 1 er’sbloodcriethtomefromtheearth.” in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Akerlof exPopeJohnPaulIIsaidof abortion“thatweareplains “why the sexual revolution, contrary to commonprediction…[has]ledtoanincrease dealing with murder”2 and of euthanasia, the inillegitimacyandabortion”.MaryEberstadt Pope said “depending on the circumstances, in Adam and Eve after the Pill also says: “The this practice involves the malice proper to suiyears since Humanae Vitae have … vindicated cide or murder” and that “suicide is always as 3 theencyclical’sfearthatgovernmentwoulduse morallyobjectionableasmurder”. thenewcontraceptivetechnologycoercive PopeFrancisalsospeaksof abortion - as“mur 1.

In this connection, we refer to relationshi der” referring to one particular country where and sex education programmes proceeding in six million abortions had been performed, and countries worldwide which give schoolchildren saying that if the Church accepts this “it is as 4 access to contraception and abortion and elimif itacceptsdailymurder”. inate the role of parents as the primary educaMore human beings are estimated to have been torsandprotectorsof theirchildren.Werefe killed by abortion in the past thirty years alone, particularly to “gender theory” ideology which around two billion,5 than the estimated total “deniesthedizerenceandreciprocityinnatur number of those killed in all of the wars in of a man and a woman and envisages a society 6 recordedhumanhistory. withoutsexualdizerences,therebyeliminating Worldwide,eachyear,approximatelyonebabythe anthropological basis of the family”9 and is aborted for every three babies who are born which is leading to legislation being passed in 7 alive. various parts of the world10 introducing new systems for children obtaining legal gender recognition. These programmes are intended to

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Abandonment of natural law on human sexuality and sexual ethics

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pr o-life m anifesto to the world’s bishops

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be a form of coercion on our families and to sowthecultureof deathinthenextgeneration.

After two billion abortions over the past 30 years alone and rising, the greatest slaughter in recorded human history, we note the extent to which the separation of the procreative and unitive ends of marriage has been a catalyst for the culture of death, advancing in virtually everynationonearth: i. through contraceptive drugs and devices which, other than barrier methods, according to the manufacturers, can cause early abortions intheirmodesof action; ii.through in-vitro fertilisation, which involves Source: NRL News Today the instrumentalisation of the human embryo and, each year, the destruction or loss of 10 it is also upheld and energetically defended by humanembryosforeveryonebabyborn1 alive;ourfellowcitizens. iii. through same-sex “marriage” which un14.

Taking into account that every human life is dermines Christian marriage, an institution a compound of the life of the body and the designed to nurture and protect children, and life of the soul, our work should be part of a which makes it virtually impossible for the promuch wider and deeper historic crusade for the life movement to oppose in-vitro fertilisation restoration of Christian civilisation founded on without being seen as the enemy of those with the primacy of spiritual values. What we are homosexual inclinations who demand the soseeking to achieve is immeasurably beyond the calledrighttoachildthroughIVFprocedures; capacity of our relatively small organisations in various countries which go under the pro-life iv. through relationships and sex education programmes promoting the LGBT agenda and bannertoachieveonourown. providing access to contraception and abortion, 15. which are relentlessly promoted by powerful Westernnations,UNagenciesandbytax-fund ed non-governmental organisations seeking to reach and destroy the innocence of every child 12 throughouttheworld.

Of necessity, in addition to abortion, we are opposing and seeking to defeat a wide range of related evils which directly or indirectly represent attacks on the sanctity and inviolability of human life and the inalienable rights of the family, the first protector of human life – including, as we have mentioned above, Thepro-lifemovement:Ouraim contraception, in vitro fertilisation, euthanasia, same-sex “marriage”, relationships and sex edand our limitations ucation, gender theory and attacks on parents 13.

The aim of the pro-life movement and the as the primary educators of their children, to reason for our existence is to oppose and to namebutafew. defeat the idea, which dominates virtually the 16.

Theseareevilsrootedinarevolution, arebel entire world, that there is such a thing as a life lion against God and His Church, the seeds notworthytobelived;andtocreateasociety of whichwereplantedmanycenturiesago.It inwhichGod’slaw“Thoushaltnotkill”isnot is a revolution which reached a new dramatic only written into national and international law, climaxinthe1960ssincewhentherehasbeen

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a catastrophic collapse in Christian civilisation cient birth control,16 and of the acceptance of 17 and in the recognition of truths universally uplegalisedabortionincertaincircumstances. held just a couple of decades before.

Unfor 20.

Lack of formation of the Catholic faithful is tunately, this cultural revolution, during this having disastrous consequences for souls and period,hasalsopenetratedwithintheChurch. for the world as we saw, for example, in the 17.

Weandourfellowactivistsinthepro-life move San Marino abortion referendum in Septem18 of the votment have done our best for more than half a berin 201 which7.28percent century, seeking to save lives through our witers said Yes to abortion up to19 birth and in a ness, from time to time through our successes countryinwhich97percentof thepopulation 20 faith. in courts and in state legislatures, through our professtheCatholic loving care for mothers-to-be, and through 21.

Our pro-life organizations need urgently to seeking to persevere, steadfastly, in the face of be reinforced by the prophetic-and unequiv constantsetbacksandtherisingtollof killings. ocal voices of bishops throughout the world However, relatively speaking, pro-life groups faithfully preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ are tiny compared to the wealth and political – for two reasons: because without Christ we strength of the culture of death which is supcannotdoanything;andbecausethefull - Gos portedbyvirtuallyeverygovernmentonearth. pel message about the truth and meaning of human sexuality and the sanctity of human Pro-life groups need to be reinforced life, teaching which is also part of the natural bythepropheticandunequivocallaw written on all human hearts, is nowhere more fully spelled out than in the teaching of voices of bishops theChurch.

18. Many of the moral principles by which people 2.

Bishopshaveauniqueapostolicmoralpower, have lived throughout Christian history are betopreachtheGospelof Life.AccordingtoSt ing systematically outlawed by the legislatures Matthew, Christ’s last words to the apostles of powerful nations and unjust laws are being on earth before ascending into heaven were: all but imposed on less powerful nations and Statesworldwide:thinkof themorallawthat “All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.Goingtherefore,teachyeallnations… parents are the primary educators of their chilTeachingthemtoobserveallthingswhatsoever dren;orof morallawsgoverningsexual behav 21 ” I havein commanded you.

These words were iour;orof theincreasinglysuccessfulezorts, addressed to the apostles and they are meant, relation to the sanctity of human life, to outlaw above all, for the successors of the apostles. medicalprofessionals’conscientious objection Bishops haveacharismbestowedonthemby to abortion13 andeuthanasia. 14 Jesus Christ just beforeHis Ascension. That’s 19. Those same moral laws are being rejectedwhy in PopeJohnPaulIIemphasised Evangelium in ordinary families worldwide, and the code of Vitae:“Bishopsare . thefirstonescalledtobe morality by which the overwhelming majority untiring preachers of the Gospel of life”2 – beof people have lived throughout the history of cause when they speak the Gospel truth in love, Christendom is being transgressed, including their words reverberate with authority, both within our own Catholic communities and famin the hearts of the faithful and in the hearts ilies.Wethink,forexample,of thewidespread of people who do not know Christ – just as acceptance amongst our Catholic families of Christ’swordsdid.AsStMarksaysof theJews cohabitation, of the acceptance or refusal to inCapharnaum:“Andtheywereastonishedat criticise homosexual relationships,15 of the achisdoctrine.Forhewasteachingthemasone ceptance of birth control, including abortifa23 havingauthority,andnotasthescribes”.

12

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pr o-life m anifesto to the world’s bishops

WhentheAmericanscameintothewar,they toolookedonvonGalenasahero…”

25.

Itisclearthatadizerentkindof supreme cour age is needed by bishops today in upholding the5thcommandment.Bishopstodayarenot likelytobetreatedasheroesfordoingso.They are more likely to be denounced- by the Brit ish and American authorities and mass media as the enemy of so-called fundamental rights and human freedom by speaking out against abortion and euthanasia killings and the suppression of the rights of parents as the primary educators of their children in the matter of sex education.Weareexperiencingadizerentkind of tyrannyfromtheNaziandCommunist - dic Clemens August Cardinal von Galen tatorships which aroused such fear and loathing throughouttheworld.Thisisaworldorderof Thecourageousexampleof which the State has conferred the mastery to Cardinal von Galen ordinary citizens so that it’s fragmented and dizused aroundtheworld–firstlywiththe- con 23.

80yearsagoCardinalvonGalenwonthe-ap traceptivepillandnowwiththeabortionpill; proval of the world with his denunciations of theeuthanasiaprogrammeinNaziGermany and recently in an abortion referendum in San Marino.(Seeabove.) like those in the sermon he preached as a bishopinStLambert’sChurchonAugust 3 941 in 1 Weappealtooursacredpastors whichhesaid:“Woetohumanity,woetoour German people, if the holy commandment of 26.

Weareinthemidstof theworstperiodinworld God,‘Thoushaltnotkill’,whichtheLordgave historyof legalisedmurder,firmlyinplacein on Sinai amid thunder and lightning, which virtuallyeverycountryintheworld.Weappeal God the Creator wrote into the conscience of to you, our sacred pastors, to hear the cries of man from the beginning, is not only broken, around 2 billion children killed over the past but if this breach is tolerated and taken up as thirty years alone with the approval of national aregularpracticewithoutpunishment.” legislaturesandpoliticalleadersworldwide.

4 2 24.

Inhisbook The Lion of Munster, DanielUtre 27.

With reverence, we appeal to you to hear the chtof theTorontoOratorywrites:“Notonly cries of the innocent by, for example, refuswas his sermon secretly copied and spread ing blatantly unrepentant pro-abortion politithroughout Germany and to soldiers on the cians and others openly living in mortal sin to front,thecourageof BishopClemensAugust receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of von Galen, of which the people of his diocese Jesus Christ in Holy Communion in breach were well aware, soon became known throughof God’s laws – just as, we are certain,-per out the country and, indeed throughout the mission to receive Holy Communion would world. Eventually, the sermons came into the be rightly refused to politicians who favoured handsof theBritish,whoprintedthem - inleaf the killing of any other group of people lets in the tens of thousands and dropped them created in the image and likeness of God. from airplanes all over Germany and read them 28. WeappealtoyoutouseyourGod-given-pow in radio broadcasts transmitted to Germany. er which you received as a successor of the WI N T E R 2 021

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apostles to explain to souls in your charge the irrefutable teaching of the Church on the sanctity of human life and the inviolability of the family and how that teaching finds overwhelming support in medico-scientificandotheracademicresearch,for example: i. how the separation of the procreative and unitive ends of marriage has been a catalyst for the culture of death, advancing in every nationonearth; ii. thescientificevidencethathumanlifebegins atconception; iii. the facts about human development before birthandtheinjusticeof abortion; The Betrothal of the Virgin. Sebastián López de Arteaga (1610-1656).

iv. Church doctrine that no circumstance, no The National Museum of Art, Mexico City. purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit x. the obligation of parents to uphold their right an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the Law of God which is written and duties as the primary protectors of their children particularly in resisting school-based in every human heart, knowable by reason it30 relationshipsandsexeducation; self, and proclaimed by the Church – such as 25 abortion,euthanasia,IVForcontraception; xi. loving warnings to families about the pressures brought to bear by national health services v. in this connection, Catholic teaching opposaround the world through ante-natal screening ing induction of pre-viable unborn children programmes which seek to detect and destroy 26 foranyreason; unbornchildrenwithadisability; vi. the loving forgiveness of God for anyone xii.the obligation, together with suggestions who regrets having an abortion or having been as to how to fulfil this obligation, to express involved in some way with an abortion, or the opposition to the use of embryos and aborted help which is available from the church and lay babies in the creation of fetal cell lines used organisations for those who are tempted for any to produce vaccines, medications and other reasontohaveanabortion; products albeit it is licit for the faithful to use vii.the false arguments employed by many such products31 which they played no part in scientists and politicians to justify destructive creating on the basis of the moral teaching of researchonhumanembryos; StThomasAquinasandStAlphonsusLiguori; viii. whyinvitrofertilisationIVF) ( isnever eth xiii. the special care and protection to be given 7 2 icallyjustified andtheinjusticeto,perhaps,5 to disabled babies threatened by abortion, not million human embryos created who are froleast babies who may be expected to have very zen, discarded, or used in destructive human shortliveseitherinthewomborafterbirth; embryonic research in order to enable half a xiv.to thebe obligation to campaign for and vote for millionchildrenconceivedthroughIVF 32 ethicallegislation.

28 bornalive; ix. the obligation of health professionals to oppose abortion, euthanasia and other such evils 29 byconscientiousobjection; 14

29.

Finally,wecommendtoyouthewordsof - Car dinal von Galen on the occasion of his return to Munster after being created a cardinal in

CAL X M ARI AE

pr o-life m anifesto to the world’s bishops

of California San Francisco, FAQ: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection; https://www.

Rome, which happened to be very shortly beucsfhealth.org/education/faq-intracytoplasmic-sperm-injection UNESCO, International technical guidance on sexuality education, 2018; https:// fore his death on 2 March 1946: “The dear www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/ITGSE.pdf; Stefano Gennarini, “UN GodplacedmeinapositioninwhichIhadAgency a Defies General Assembly, Promotes ‘Comprehensive Sexuality Education’”, Center for Family and Human Rights, 19 January 2018, https://c-fam.org/ dutytocallblack‘black’andwhite‘white’,friday_fax/un-agency-defies-general-assembly-promotes-comprehensive-sexas uality-education-part-1/ itsaysintheriteof consecratingabishop.

He L.A. Keogh et al., “Conscientious objection to abortion, the law and its implegave me a position that made me the leader and mentation in Victoria, Australia: perspectives of abortion service providers”, BMC Medical Ethics, 31 January 2019; https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/ responsible guide of hundreds and thousands, articles/10.1186/s12910-019-0346-1; House of Lords, Conscientious Objecwho,likeme,foundithard,whosuzereditonly tion (Medical Activities) Bill, 2018; https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/ documents/LLN-2018-0010/LLN-2018-0010.pdf with virtue and with the greatest pain, when Department for Constitutional Affairs, Mental Capacity Act 2005, 23 April 2007; God’struthandjustice,thevalueof thehuman https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/921428/Mental-capacity-act-code-of-practice.pdf being and the rights of the human being, were Jeff Diamant, “How Catholics around the world see same-sex marriage, homosexuality”, Pew Research Center, 2 November 2020; https://www.pewresearch. set aside, rejected, and thrown on the ground org/fact-tank/2020/11/02/how-catholics-around-the-world-see-same-sexI… knewthatmanysuzeredmore,muchmore marriage-homosexuality/ Davies, “Catholics and church at odds on contraception, divorce and aborthanIpersonallyhadtosuzer,fromtheattacks Lizzy tion”, The Guardian, 9 February 2014; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/ feb/09/catholics-church-contraception-abortion-survey ontruthandjusticethatweexperienced.They Dalia Fahmy, “8 key findings about Catholics and abortion”, Pew Research Center, couldnotspeak.Theycouldonlysuzer.Itmay 20 October, 2020; https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/10/20/8-keybe that in God’s sight, in which suzering hasfindings-about-catholics-and-abortion/; Andrew McCorkell and Colin Francome, “Most UK Catholics support abortion and use of contraception”, Independent, 23 morevaluethanactionsandwords;itmaybe October 2011; https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/most-ukcatholics-support-abortion-and-use-contraception-2083291.html; https://www. thatdespitetheirsuzering,evenmanyof those theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/09/catholics-church-contraception-abortion-survey who are standing here have truly merited much Angela Giuffrida, “San Marino referendum ends with 77% voting to end abormore in the holy eyes of God, because they tion ban”, The Guardian, 26 September 2021; https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2021/sep/26/san-marino-votes-in-referendum-on-lifting-abortion-ban havesuzeredmorethanIhave.Butitwasmy BBC, “San Marino votes to legalise abortion in referendum”, 26 September 2021; right and my duty to speak, and I spoke for https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58701788 World Atlas, “Religious Beliefs In San Marino”; https://www.worldatlas.com/artiyou…” 3 cles/religious-beliefs-in-san-marino.html; The World, “San Marino votes to legalize 12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

ENDNOTES: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Genesis 4:9-10.

Evangelium Vitae, 65.

Evangelium Vitae, 66.

Vatican News, “Pope Francis speaking to journalists on the return flight from Slovakia”, 16 October 2021; https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-09/ pope-abortion-is-murder-the-church-must-be-compassionate.html Guttmacher Institute, “Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion Worldwide”, July 2020; https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide Chris Hedges, “What every person should know about war”, New York Times, 6 July 2003; https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/books/chapters/what-everyperson-should-know-about-war.html The World Counts; https://www.theworldcounts.com/populations/world/births; Guttmacher Institute, “Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion Worldwide”, July 2020; https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide Mary Eberstadt, Adam and Eve After the Pill: Paradoxes of the Sexual Revolution, Ignatius Press, 2012.

Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, 19 March 2016, no 56.

New Zealand Parliament, Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill 2021; https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-digests/document/53PLLaw26531/conversion-practices-prohibition-legislation-bill-2021; “New Zealand moves closer to passing ‘self-identification’ law”, Reuters, 11 August 2021; https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-moves-closer-passing-self-identification-law-2021-08-11/; Scottish Government, Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill: consultation analysis, 2 September 2021; https:// www.gov.scot/publications/gender-recognition-reform-scotland-bill-analysis-responses-public-consultation-exercise/ In 2018, half a million babies were reported to be born annually as a result of IVF and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) procedures. The number of eggs retrieved to maximise live birthrate is around 15 of which around 11 are successfully fertilised. See “More than 8 million babies born from IVF since the world’s first in 1978”, Science Daily, 3 September 2018; https://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2018/07/180703084127.htm; S.K. Sunkara et al., “Association between the number of eggs and live birth in IVF treatment: an analysis of 400 135 treatment cycles”, July 2011; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21558332/; University

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21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

abortion, ending a 150-year-old ban”, 28 September 2021; https://www.pri.org/ stories/2021-09-28/san-marino-votes-legalize-abortion-ending-150-year-old-ban Mt 28:20.

Evangelium Vitae, 82.

Mark 1:22.

See Daniel Utrecht, The Lion of Munster, TAN Books, 2016.

Veritatis Splendor, 79-83.

See Henry Denzinger, The Sources of Catholic Dogma, Loreto Publications, 1955, section 1889 onwards https://archive.org/details/DenzingerTheSourcesOfCatholicDogma/page/n503/mode/2up Donum Vitae, 5.

See note 11.

Evangelium Vitae,73.

Sapientiae Christianae, 42; Divini Illius Magistri 65-67,74; Pope Pius XII, An address to French fathers, 18 February 1951.

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Note on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines, 17 December 2020; https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20201221_nota-vaccini-anticovid_en.html#_ftn4 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration on Procured Abortion, 18 November 1974, No. 22: AAS 66 (1974), 744.

Daniel Utrecht, The Lion of Munster, see endnote 24.

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focus

HEALTH OF THE SICK AND SALVATION OF SOULS

Church and society in this dark hour of history

O

nOctober 23 Voice 201, of theFamilyheldaninternationalconferenceinRome,at HotelMassimod’Azeglio,onthe Health theme of the sick and salvation of souls – Church and society in this dark hour of history.Theconferencewasalongawaitedopportunitytogather again in person after many months and it generated a wholesome discussion about crucial moralquestionsattherootof thecurrentcontroversiessurroundingthepandemic.

At this conference we sought to examine the moral theological, socio-medical, historical and spiritual aspects of the Covid-19 crisis to see how the Church takes care of both the healthof thebodyandthesoulof herchildrenasagoodmother;shehasdone thisthrough out history and she is also doing it today when chaos appears to reign in the world and also withinherstructures.Sheprovidesthemoralcompassintoday’strials,andhelpsusmake properassessmentsof thepandemicandthemanycriticalquestionsassociatedwithit.Above all,shehelpsherchildrentomaintainspiritualhealthatachallengingtime.

It was our particular hope that the conference would help us to create a well-ordered witnesstolifeandthefamilytoday.Withmanydebatesgoingon,wemustnotlosesightof whatwearefightingfor.Wefightforeverylife,bornandunborn,tobeprotectedsoitcan flourishintheknowledge,loveandserviceof God. To remain true to our mission amidst current controversies, we must unite evermore strongly in the perennial teaching of the Church. This is our way forward in a spirit of charitywhichgrowsfromtheloveof thetruth.

Among those present at the conference were numerous priests and their Eminences CardinalRobertSarahandCardinalFrancisArinze,bothformerprefectsof theCongregation forDivineWorship.

ThedaywasconcludedwithsolemnAdorationof theBlessedSacramentinhonourof StRaphaeltheArchangel,patronof health,bodyandsoul.

17

THE CHURCH AND EPIDEMICS IN HISTORY b y P R O F. R O B E RT O D E M AT T E I

to the inseparable bond that exists between soul andbody.1 ForthisreasontheChurchinitshistory has shown itself to be the supreme guardian of the spiritual and material good of man, protecting the health of the body and showing the soul the way of eternalsalvation.

And since the Church is not a private association but a public institution, it has publicly carried out this mission ever since, under the Emperor Constantineit ,)73-60( leftthecatacombs.Itistothatera thatthefirstexamplesof sheltersforthesickdate back, called xenodochi or nosocomi, according to the termusedbyStJerome,whostatesthatStFabiola d. ( 99) 3 wasthefirsttoestablishahospitalinRome tohousethepoorandthe2 sick.

Theso-called“Arabiancanons”of theCouncil of Nicaea (325) established that every city should The following talk was given at Voice of the Family’s con3 poor. haveaplacetohostpilgrims,thesick,andthe ference “Health of the sick and salvation of souls – Church Theseplacesof hospitalitydeveloped - neartheepi and society in this dark hour of history”, held in Rome on copal sees and monasteries, along the major road23 October 2021. waysandpilgrimageroutes.Amongthesehospices we must mention the one founded by StBenedict pidemics, or pandemics, constitute a chapter of Nursia(480near 547),Salerno,whichgaverise in the history of medicine that is of particular to the Salernian importanceforitssocialrelevance.Anepidemicis MedicalSchool,thefirstandmost 4 importantmedicalinstitutionin Europe. in fact a collective evil that has a strong impact on InRome,amongtheoldesthospitalswefindthe theideasandcustomsof apeople.

Hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia, whose origins How has the Church behaved in history in the to date back to the 8th century, when the faceof epidemics?Iwilltrytoozerafewseem “history “schola sassonum” was founded, an inn and hospital flashes”,recallingthatinspeakingof theChurchI for welcoming the Angles and Saxons who came to am referring not only to the ecclesiastical authorities visitthetombsof theapostles.Manyotherplacesof but to all the Christian people who are part of the this kind arose through the initiative of the Church Church, starting with the saints, who are the highest in the following centuries. At first hospitals were expression of the sensus fidei and of the sensus moralis places of “welcome” rather than of treatment and of theMysticalBodyof Christ.

TheChurch,foundedbyJesusChrist,hasasits werenotstazedbyphysicians.InParis,forexample, attheHotel-Dieu,thedoctorcameonce5 aweek. primary mission the eternal salvation of souls, but Thestructureof thehospitalwasthatof achurch, does not neglect the temporal health of bodies, due

E

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the chur ch and epidemics in history

“For the Church, tending to the sick is a corporal work of mercy, yet supernatural life has a much greater value than natural life, because the body will die but is called to rise again in glory.” at the centre or end of which was an altar, to allow Thefirstgreatepidemicthatisrememberedin all the sick to attend Mass. As soon as the patientChristian history broke out in Constantinople in arrived he had to go to confession, and if he did not 541 and is called the Justinian plague (482-56), dosohewaslikelytobedischarged.Withthefrom bull the name of the Emperor of the East who was 6 Supra gregem Dominicum of 8MarchSt 156 PiusV reigningatthetime.“Aplague”,writesthe - histori confirmed )2751-6 ( thedecree Cum infirmitas7 of an Procopius of Caesarea (490-560), “that barely PopeInnocentIII,whichrequireddoctorsstopped toexhort shortof destroyingthewholehumanrace. thesicktoreceivethesacraments.FortheChurch, It (…) isimpossibleforwordsorthoughtstoarrive tending to the sick is a corporal work of mercy, yet atanexplanationforthis:itcanonlybeattributed 8 supernatural life has a much greater value than tothewillof God. natural life, because the body will die but is called Thecirculationof thediseasewasnotasrapid toriseagaininglory. asitistoday.Onlyafewdecadeslaterdiditreach These are the religious and moral principles theWest.WhenPopePelagiusIIdiedinRomein professed by the founders of the great hospitaller theyear590,duetothespreadof theplague,the religiousorders,suchasStJohnof God9541( )051monkGregory590( was )046- electedashissucces andStCamillusdeLellisAnd .)416-05( itwasin sor, not only because of the holiness of his life but the light of these principles that the Church faced also because of the extraordinary organisational thegreatepidemicsof history. skills he had demonstrated as praefectus urbis, the

Castel Sant'Angelo (mausoleum of Hadrian), Rome: as seen from the river. Line engraving by F. Morelli, 1796. Wellcome Collection, London.

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St Sebastian pleads with Jesus for the life of a gravedigger afflicted by plague during the Plague of Justinian. Josse Lieferinxe, c.1497–1499.

The Walters Art Museum, Maryland, United States.

the chur ch and epidemics in history

highestcivilo{ceinRome,whichheheldof before theWesternRomanEmpire.Thefamous Black “ enteringthecloister.

Death ”of 8431 inturnmarkedtheendof theMid Gregory ezectively organised hospitaller dleAges. assis Thisplague,accordingtothemostreliable tance, but also led a grand penitential procession figures, killed between 40 and 60 percent of the of the clergy and the Roman people to ask God to entire population of Europe, the Middle East, and 9 At the end of this procession there 21 ThefiguresfortheJustinianplague endthescourge.

NorthAfrica. appeared on top of the Mausoleum of Hadrian an are similar. The American historian Kyle Harper Angel who was sheathing his sword as a sign that has written that “if the trauma of the pandemic theplaguewasover.Thestatueof StMichaelthe of the fourteenth century in many ways marked Archangel sheathing his sword on top of Castel the threshold between the Middle Ages and the Sant’Angelo transmits the memory of thismodern event world,thedisintegratingforceof thefirs downthroughthecenturies. plague deserves to be considered as the moment of 13 If theAngelsheathedthesword,thismeansthat transitionfromAntiquitytotheMiddle Ages”. it had first been drawn to punish the sins of thePlaguescourgedEuropeforfourcenturies.

Fa Roman people, as St Gregory himself had stated in mous is that of Milan, known as the plague of Saint one of his sermons, inviting the Romans to follow, Charles, from the name of the archbishop of that 14 contrite and penitent, the example of the inhabitcity, Charles Borromeo (1538-1584).

While the antsof Nineveh:“Lookaroundyou,”heexclaimed, plaguewasspreading,CardinalBorromeoordered “hereistheswordof God’swrathwieldedover three the general processions, “to appease the wrath of 0 1 wholepeople.”

God”.Hehimself tooktheplaceattheheadof the

“Historians observe that pandemics very often accompany great historical upheavals. The plague epidemic of 541 coincided with the disintegration of the Western Roman Empire. The famous ‘Black Death’ of 1348 in turn marked the end of the Middle Ages.”

ForcenturiesChristianshaveprayedtothepeople, Lord dressed in the purple cloak, hooded and tobefreedfromtheevilsof thebody.Theshrine barefoot, of the penitent’s rope around his neck and Lourdes, with its miracles, confirms how pleasing alargecrossinhishand.StCharlesalsosuggested theseprayersaretoHeaven.Butif someoneadmits to the magistrates of Milan that they rebuild the that God may free humanity from the individual sanctuary dedicated to St Sebastian and celebrate a andcollectiveevilsthata|ictit,howcanhesolemn deny feastinhishonour.InJulythe 157 plague that the Lord may use these same evils to strike ceased and the first stone of the temple was laid, andpurifyunrepentanthumanity?Thisiswhythe where on 20 January of each year a Mass is still Church has always considered epidemics as divine celebratedtocommemoratetheendof thescourge. punishments, like wars, famines, and other calamAlessandroManzoni,The inBetrothed (I Promessi ities. Hence the prayer in the Rogations: A fame, Sposi), made famous another plague that scourged peste et bello, libera nos Domine:“fromfamine,war,and Milan,thatof during 1630, theThirtyYearsWar. plague,deliverusLord”.

AnotherBorromeoarchbishopof Milan,Cardinal Historians observe that pandemics very often Federicoshone, (1564-3), likehisuncle,forhis 1 accompanygreathistoricalupheavals.

Theplague charitytowardsplaguevictims. epidemicof coincided 541 withthedisintegration WI N T E R 2 021

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“The Church has always encouraged man’ s effort to dominate the forces of nature and use them for his own benefit… However, scientific progress is not enough, because man is a compound of soul and body, and in the relationship of mutual dependence that unites them, the primacy belongs to the spiritual soul, which determines and governs the psychosomatic unity of the human being.” be admired today at the entrance to the Grand Canal.Sincethen,everyNovember, 12 thedaythe plague ended, a grand procession has been held fromSanMarcotothevotivetemple.

ThisishowChristianEuropereactedintheface of epidemics.

Another important moment in history was what thehistorianPaulHazardhascalledthe“European 15 crisis of conscience”, between 1685 and 17 5.

Twoholysoulswerelivinginthe Marseilles cityof at that time: the bishop, Henri Francois-Xavier de Belsunce (1670-5) and a Visitandine nun, Anne-Madeleine Remusat (1796-1730), spiritual heirof StMargaretMaryAlacoque.Bothpropa gated devotion to the Sacred Heart, outraged by theJansenists.

Santa Maria della Salute (English: Saint Mary of Health), Venice.

OnMay 52 a,0271 shipfromtheOrientdocked Inthatsameyear,thebubonicplaguebrokeout in Marseilles, and the plague spread throughout the inBavaria.Theinhabitantsof thetownof- Ober city.Thedeathtollwasenormous.Thepavement ammergau promised that if God would free the was covered with the sick and dying, stretched out population from the scourge, the city council would onmattressesandabandonedwithouthelp.-Every stageaperformanceof thePassioneveryten years. one fled,eventhedoctors.BishopDeBelsunce re TheplaguesparedOberammergauandthesacred mainedathispostand,inJuneofconsecrated ,127 representation has become an international event the city to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, leading a that is repeated regularly, with the inhabitants of publicprocessionfromtheBasilicaof NotreDame thevillageastheactors. delaGardetothechurchof Accoules.Immediately Inthespringof 9261 theepidemicalsoreached aftertheconsecration,theplaguebegantosubside.

Venice,mowingdownthousandsof victims.In Doge September,thecitywasfreeof thedisease.

Niccolò Contarini (15 3- 6 1) and the Senate Theplaguewithdrew,butintheeraof the - En asked the Virgin Mary to spare the city, vowing to lightenmentandtheFrenchRevolution - anewep build a large church in her honour and to organise idemicappearedinEurope:smallpox.Inthe18th every year, in perpetuity, a procession to this temcentury, smallpox was the leading cause of death ple. The plague ceased and the architect - Baldas inEurope,withsixtymillionvictims.Thesurvivors sarreLonghena9851( 8261 built ) themonumental were marked with indelible scars that disfigured church of Santa Maria della Salute, which can still theirfacesandbodies.

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In 174 the disease struck the king of France, with military-controlled barriers, which rigorously LouisXVwho (175-4), hadmadehiscourta blocked border crossings in the pontifical state. A denof immoralityandunbelief.OnMay, 01 before commission he established imposed a quarantine the king passed away, his body already decaying, of at least fourteen days, “health passports” in orParisarchbishopChristophedeBeaumont(1703- der to be able to circulate, and the suspension of 8171 stopped ) atthethresholdof thechamber,pro all religious holidays and all types of gatherings nouncing these words in front of the assembled Punishment for violations of these provisions went 20 Thesesanitaryprovi court:“Mylords,theKingchargesmetotellasyou farasthedeathpenalty. thatheasksGod’sforgivenessforhavingozended sionswereaccompaniedbyprayers.On6August 16 himandgivenscandaltohiscourt. ” a solemn procession of the image of Our Lady His successor Louis XVI (174-93) and the of SanLucawas madefrom thebasilicaof Saint whole royal family asked to be vaccinated against MaryMajortothechurchof theGesùThe . cholera smallpox,whichtookplaceonJune 42 in ,471 the finallywithdrewfromRome. rudimentary form of inoculation with pus from an WhathappenedinRomedidnothowever - hap infected person. It was a courageous undertaking pen in the great European capitals. Viscount de of seriousrisks,whichleadsustoreflectonhow, Chateaubriand in (1768-1848), who was in Paris in an era like our own, the demand is for vaccination 1832, wrote in his Memoirs: “If this scourge had with zero risk. Furthermore, it must be borne come in amongusinareligiouscenturyit (…) would mind that the discovery of the smallpox vaccine haveleftastartlingpicture.Imagineafuneralcloth tookplaceonlyin1798,throughtheworkof - Ed flyingasaflagontopof thetowersof NotreDame wardJenner(1749-1823),whoused,withlessrisk (…) the churches full of a groaning crowd, (…) and greater ezectiveness, cowpox instead the of monks the atthecrossroadswithcrucifixinhand, 7 1 applicationof humanpus. calling the people to penance, preaching the wrath InItaly,oneof Jenner’sfirstfollowerswas and Count the judgement of God, which have become MonaldoLeopardi841-67( father ,)7 of themore visibleonthecorpsesalreadyblackenedbythefire famouspoetGiacomo9871( 831 Count .)7 Monaldo of hell”.Itwasnotlikethat.“Cholerahasbefallen is often accused of retrograde and reactionary ideas, us in a century of philanthropy, of incredulity, of 21 buthecarefullyfollowedthescientificprogress newspapers, ofof earthlyadministration. ” the time and when a new epidemic of smallpox hit AftertheFrenchRevolutionEuropehadbecome thePapalStatesbetween180and 1 180he 2 sawto unbelieving, and infectious diseases were enveloped the vaccination of his entire family and the popin a romantic halo. This was the case with tuber 18 ulation of Recanati, of which he was governor. culosis, embellished by many artists in the 19th Thanksinparttotheinfluenceof CountLeopar century. When it was proved that the disease was di, in 1822 Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) wanted to contagious, the sick were forced to enter the sanaimplement a massive vaccination campaign in the toriums,whichbecamegoldenprisonswherefifty Papal States, with a decree by Cardinal Consalvi percentof themdied.Tuberculosiswasnotcaused that defined Jenner’s method as a means given by ato virus, but by a bacterium, as the German mi9 1 humanitybyDivineProvidence. crobiologistRobertKochdemonstratedin8821 In .

Inthosesameyearsanewdiseaseappeared 894 1 the , inFranco-SwissphysicianAlexandreYersin Europe, cholera, called Indian or Asian cholera 861( 941-3 succeeded )3 inisolatingthepathogenof because the first cluster was in the Ganges valley. plague, demonstrating that it too is not a virus, but Thefirstmajorpandemicbrokeoutin1817and, a bacterium whose name today, Yersinia pestis, comes fromIndia,reachedthemouthof theVolga.from The thatof itsdiscoverer. secondwavebetween821 8and831 spread 0 tothe Theth 02 centuryopenedwiththe“Spanishflu”, heartof Europe.FromFranceitpassedtoItaly, - hit adevastatingepidemicthatbetween911 8and921 0 2 tingGenoa,Turin,andthenRome.PopeGregory claimedmorevictimsthantheFirstWorld War, XVI831( 841- organised )6 astrictsanitarycordon, but was erased from memory by a genuine “conWI N T E R 2 021

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32 YettheGermanChief of Staz spiracyof silence”.

No voice is raised to call for a ban on gain-ofErichLudendorz861( 931-5 blamed )7 thisepidemic function, a branch of research that creates the most forthefailureof hisgreatmilitaryozensive aggressive of 911 8. mutations of viruses in the laboratory Amongthevictimsof the“Spanishflu”weretwo under the pretext of preventing pandemics, just as of thethreelittleshepherdsof Fatima,StFrancisco no voice is calling for a ban on genetic engineering andStJacintaMarto.FranciscofellillinDecember experimentsonfoetusesandembryos.For - thisrea 911 8anddiedonApril 4 911 9.Jacintaenteredthe son, the contribution of churchmen such as Cardihospital shortly after and ascended to Heaven on nal Eijk, capable of combining solid moral doctrine 20February1920. withaccuratescientificcompetence,isprecious.

In Italy the prefects and mayors imposed the The Church has always encouraged man’s closing of the churches and even the silence of the ezorttodominatetheforcesof natureandusethem bells that every day with their funeral toll recalled forhisownbenefit.Thatiswhyshehasembraced 24 TheChurchacceptedthese therealityof death. all the advances in medical science, starting with restrictive measures, and appeals to penance and vaccination. In the hands of the doctor, Pius XII publicprayerbecameincreasinglyrare. states, “the properties of the most virulent poisons This loss of the supernatural spirit in Western 03 and “vast ” areusedtoprepareezectiveremedies, society was clearly felt in the face of the spread of laboratories, equipped with modern equipment, AIDS, or HIV ( Human immunodeficiency virus), as it produce in abundance vaccines and serums that was called starting in 1985. This disease spreads mainly among homosexuals. But if in the 16thprovidethebodywiththemeanstofightezectively 31 century everyone considered syphilis as a just punagainstinfection. ” 5 2 ishment for the sins of men, five centuries later, However,scientificprogressisnot-enough,be the mass media cursed those who, like Cardinal cause man is a compound of soul and body, and in Giuseppe Siri (1906-1989), dared to call AIDS a the relationship of mutual dependence that unites 6 2 “punishmentfromGod”. them, the primacy belongs to the spiritual soul, AIDSwasfollowedinthest 12 centurybyEbola, which determines and governs the psychosomatic SARS, and COVID-19, which has so far caused unityof thehumanbeing. five million deaths worldwide. The social impact Because of original sin, the law of mankind is of COVID seems even more profound thanthe that lawof suzeringanddeath.However,asPiusXII of Spanishflu,becauseithasbroughttolightthe againteaches,“Suzeringanddeathhavebecome, fragility of the world health system and above all for every man who does not reject Christ, means the instability and psychological vulnerability of of redemptionandsanctification.Thusthejourney Western man, unable to face suzering and death of mankind, which unfolds in all its length under withcourage. thesignof theCrossasitmaturesandpurifiesthe Yet epidemics still loom over humanity.

Thebelow, leads it to the limitless happiness soul here 2 7 32 plague bacterium “is out there, lurking,” writes of alifethathasnoend. ” historian Kyle Harper. Scientists even resuscitate Wemustsayit.TheChurch’sspiritualresponse pandemicviruses,ashappenedbetween1996and to the COVID-19 pandemic appears inadequate.

998 1 when,onbehalf of theNationalInstitutesof AndIamnotreferringonlytotheresponsibilitieso Health in the United States, a team of researchchurchmen, but also to those of the ordinary faithers went to the island of Spitzbergen in Norway ful, devoid of that supernatural spirit which helps anddugupsomecorpsesthathadbeenfrozen for the Christiantoovercomefear.Thissupernatural eighty years, to bring the Spanish flu virus back spirit must be sought above all in the example of to life,28 or they produce new pathogens, through many saints who during pandemics showed their laboratorytechniquessuchasgain-of-function, as lovefortheirneighbourandforGod,ozerin deep almostcertainlyhappenedattheWuhanInstitute theirlives,fromStLouisGonzaga(1568-1591)to 9 2 of VirologywithSARS-CoV-2.

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“The Church’s spiritual response to the COVID-19 pandemic appears inadequate. And I am not referring only to the responsibilities of churchmen, but also to those of the ordinary faithful, devoid of that supernatural spirit which helps the Christian to overcome fear. This supernatural spirit must be sought above all in the example of many saints who during pandemics showed their deep love for their neighbour and for God, offering their lives, from St Louis Gonzaga to St Damien de Veuster, the apostle of the lepers on the island of Molokai.”

St Damien de Veuster (1840-1889), the apostle of thelepersontheislandof Molokai.

And it is precisely from the disease of leprosy that Iwanttodrawthelast“flash”of mytalk.

Leprosy,orHansen’sdisease,presentinsomany pages of the Gospel, is one of the oldest diseases in human history. The disease covered the body withsores,alteredthefaceandstizenedthelimbs, causingthemtofallozpiecebypiece.Leperswere segregated from the rest of society in designated lazarets,likeplaguesuzerers.

During the Crusades, assistance for lepers was established in the form of the Hospitaller Orders, whichlaterbecamemilitary.Thefirst,in99, 01 was theOrderof StJohnof Jerusalem,which-laterbe camethatof Malta.InthesameyeartheOrderof A photograph of Father Damien taken shortly before his death in 1889.

St Lazarus was created to welcome those soldiers couldbeelectedkingof Jerusalem.Thishappened who, although sick, still had the strength to fight.

No one imagined that sitting on the throne of Je- on15July174.

Thediseaseprogressed,butBaldwindidnotgive rusalem one hundred years later would be a leper up governing andabovealldidnotgiveupfighting. king,BaldwinIV(16-85).

His story is told to us by a direct witness, his He personally led his own troops and was hoisted tutorthefuturearchbishopWilliamof Tyreon (130- horseback as long as his health permitted, then 3 ItwasWilliamwhonoticedthefirstsymp 186).

- hehadhimself carriedtothebattlefieldonalitter.

The most extraordinary battle took place near toms of the disease that had struck the boy, watchthe inghimplaywiththeotherkids.Inthegametheycastle of Montgiscard on 25 November 17.

BaldwinIVhadleftJerusalemtorushtothedefence injuredtheirarmsandhands,butBaldwinseemed of the city of Ashkelon, besieged by the Muslims. insensitivetotheinjuries.Itisstillamystery how this When the Crusadersreachedthehillsthatopened thirteen-year-old boy, struck by the terrible disease,

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Kyle Harper, Il destino di Roma. Clima, epidemie e la fine di un impero, Einaudi, Tuthewaytothecity,ahugearmyof men 30, led rin 2019, p. 256 {translator: please note that this is a back translation, not the original English} bySaladinhimself appearedbeforethem.Baldwin https://www.robertodemattei.it/2020/03/17/come-san-carlo-borromeo-affronhadonly50knightsandafewthousandinfantry to-lepidemia-del-suo-tempo/ Paul Hazard, La crise de la conscience européenne (1680-1715), Paris 1935, 2 vols. units,buthedidnotabandonthefield.Hisreaction Pierre Darmont, La variole, les nobles et les princes, Editions Complexe, Paris 1990.

Cf. William L. Langer, L’immunizzazione contro il vaiolo prima di Jenner, in Le Scienze, has been immortalised in a famous painting by the no. 97, 1976, pp. 62-70; Barouk M. Assael, Il favoloso innesto. Storia sociale della nineteenth-centurypainterCharles-Philippe Lariv vaccinazione, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1995.

Valentina Sordoni, “L’immortale britanno”. Monaldo Leopardi e il vaccino contro il ière (1798-1876): “The Battle of Ashkelon”. The vaiolo, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Rome 1921. young sovereign, plagued by leprosy, venerated the Edict of Cardinal Ercole Consalvi of 20 June 1822, in Effemeridi letterarie di Roma, relic of the True Cross that had been broughtTomo

by VIII, Rome, 1822, p. 103. Cf. also Dante Cecchi, L’introduzione della vaccinazione nello Stato Pontificio (1814-1822), “Rivista di storia del diritto contemporaneo”, anno 2 (1977), no. 3, pp. 197-206; Yves M. Bercé and J.C. Otteni, Pratique de la the bishop of Bethlehem, then ordered the attack vaccination antivariolique dans les Provinces de l’Etat pontifical au 19e siecle. Remarques againsttheoverwhelmingforcesof theenemy. sur le supposé interdit vaccinal de Léon XII, “Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique”, 103.2 The Crusaders charged with such an onrush(April-June 2008), pp. 448-466.

Cf. Marcello Teodonio, Francesco Negro, Colera, omeopatia ed altre storie, Rome thatthesultan’sarmywasdisorientedanddispersed 1837, Fratelli Palombi, Rome 1988; Francesco Leoni, Le epidemie di colera nell’ultimo acrosstheimmenseplain.Atthefrontof - thedecennio Cru dello Stato pontificio, Apes, Rome 1993.

François-René Chateaubriand, Memorie d’oltretomba, Libro XXXIV, Capitolo XIV, Italian translation, Einaudi-Gallimard, Turin 1995, pp. 450-451. sadercharge,nexttotheTemplars,rodetheknights Laura Spinney, 1918. L’influenza spagnola. La pandemia che cambiò il mondo, Marsilio, of theOrderof SaintLazarus,whowiththeirfaces Venezia 1918, p. 187.

Eugenia Tognotti, La “spagnola” in Italia. Storia dell’influenza che fece temere la fine disfiguredbyleprosyfoughtwithouttheprotection del mondo (1918-1919), Franco Angeli, Milan 2015, pp. 25-27. of the helmet, to strike terror into the enemy.

But Ibid, pp.162-163.

Ludwig von Pastor, Storia dei Papi dalla fine del Medioevo, Desclée & C., Rome the witnesses say that also fighting alongside1926-1963, the vol. III, p. 8.

Agenzia Ansa, 23 March 1987. Sui castighi divini, cf. Roberto de Mattei, Punishment Crusaders that day were St George and an angel, or Mercy? The divine hand in the age of the coronavirus, Calx Mariae Publishing, exterminatorof enemies,whilethelightof the True London 2021.

Harper, Il destino di Roma, p. 263. {translator: again, may not coincide with the 4 3 Crossilluminatedthebattlefield. original English} Tofightawarthatisnotatthismomentmilitary, Paul Bernard, with Steve Quay and Angus Dalgleish, L’origine del virus, Chiarelettere, Milan 2021, pp. 21-26. but cultural and moral, our wounded souls need Roberto de Mattei, Le origini misteriose del coronavirus, Fiducia, Rome 2021.

Pius XII, Address to Catholic physicians of 29 September 1949. supernaturalhelp.Thisdivinehelpwillcome only Pius XII, Address to participants in the 4th Conference on Microbiology, 13 Sepwhen we face the external and internal evils that tember 1953.

Pius XII, Address to the Italian Medical-Biological Union of 12 November 1944. a|ict us with the militant spirit of Baldwin, the Guillelmus Tyrensis (1130-1186), Chronique. Edition critique par R.B.C. Huygens, Brepols, Turnholt 1986, pp. 958-1059. Cf. also Bernard Hamilton, The Leper King LeperKing. and his Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, Cambridge UniItisalsowiththisspiritthattheChurchhasfacedversity Press, 2006.

Miriam Rita Tessera, “Una grande luce apparve dall’Oriente”: la visione provvidenziale epidemicsthroughoutitshistory.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

ENDNOTES: 1.

2.

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6.

7.

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9.

10.

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12.

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della battaglia di Montgisard nelle cronache del XII-XIII secolo, in Mediterraneo medievale. Cristiani, musulmani ed eretici tra Europa e Oltremare (secoli IX-XIII), Marco Meschini (Ed.), Vita e Pensiero, Milan 2001, pp. 87-102.

Cf. for example Il corpo umano, in Insegnamenti pontifici, Monks of Solesmes (Eds.) Italian translation by Paoline, Rome 1959.

“Prima omnium nosókomion instituit”. Cf. St Jerome. Epistula. 77, 6, in Saint Jérôme.

Lettres, J. Labourt (Ed.), Les Belles Lettres, Paris 1954, vol. IV, p. 45. Cf. Also Marilena Amerise, L’attività assistenziale di Fabiola. L’epistola 77 di Girolamo, in “Giornale di storia della medicina”, vol. 24, no. 2 (2012), pp. 307-319.

Cosimo D. Fonseca, Forme assistenziali e strutture caritative della Chiesa nel medioevo, in Storia religiosa della Lombardia, 1, Varese 1986, p.275. Cf. also Tiffany A. Ziegler, Medieval Healthcare and the Rise of Charitable Institutions: The History of the Municipal Hospital, Palgrave, London 2018.

Adalberto Pazzini, I santi nella storia della medicina, Casa Editrice “Mediterranea”, Rome 1937, pp. 441 ff.

Luigi Mezzadri, Luigi Nuovo, Storia della Carità, Jaca Book, Milan 1999, p. 47.

Bullarium Romanum, vol. VII, pp. 430-431.

Lateran Council IV, Constitution XXII. Procopius of Caesarea, The Gothic War, II, 22, 1-2.

Gregory of Tours, Historiae Francorum, liber X, 1, in Opera omnia, J.P. Migne (Ed.), Paris 1849, column 528. https://www.corrispondenzaromana.it/san-gregorio-magno-e-il-coronavirus-delsuo-tempo/ Cf. Gastone Breccia, Andrea Frediani, Epidemie e guerre che hanno cambiato il corso della storia, Newton Compton, Rome 2020.

Ole J. Benedictow, The Black Death 1346-1353: The Complete History, The Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2004, p. 383.

CAL X M ARI AE

SPIRITUAL LIFE DURING A PANDEMIC b y F R S E R A F I N O M . L A N Z E T TA

of God, by His eternal Charity, is of a supernatural order and makes man a partaker in the very life of God.TheFather,theSon,andtheHolySpiritthus liveinthesoul.Thelifeof theOne-in-Three:the generation of the Son and the breath of love that is the Holy Spirit are poured into the soul of man, so that he becomes a son in the Son and loves the Father with the same love as the Father and the Son: the Holy Spirit. This divine life in us, which through grace allows God to give himself to us as father, friend, sanctifier, and helper, is developed by growing in obedience to Christ and letting Him grow in us, with his “wisdom, stature, and grace” Lk ( :52 Spiritual .)2 lifeisthereforelivingChrist, lov ingChristandconformingoneself toHim.Inshort: beingChrist;anotherChrist,butChristhimself.

The following talk was given at Voice of the Family’s conWecanalsodefinethislifeintheSpirit - as“par ference “Health of the sick and salvation of souls – Church ticipation in the life of God through the merits of and society in this dark hour of history”, held in Rome on Jesus Christ”, or as “the life of God in us or the 1 Father 23 October 2021. life of Jesus in us”. Adolphe Tanqueray specifiesthat, havedividedthistalkintotwosections:Iwillfirst reflectontheimportanceof nourishing the spirexpressionsarecorrect,if onetakescare “These itual life in a situation of calamity, that is, when it is to explain them well in order to avoid any hint of moredi{culttodecipherthepresenceof God and pantheism.

Weinfactdonothavealifeidentical thereforeamoresolidfaithandhopearerequired, to that of God or of Our Lord, but a likeness andthenIwilltrytoozeraninterpretationof ofthe this life, a finite, albeit real, participation in present epidemic-pandemic situation caused by thislife.Wecanthereforedefineit- asapartici COVID-19, highlighting the causes of the mark pation in the divine life, conferred by the Holy edly inadequate theological-spiritual response Spirit whoto dwells in us by virtue of the merits thephenomenon. of Jesus Christ, which we must cultivate against

I

2 thetendenciesthatoppose it.”

1 .The spirituallifeof theChristian Letusbeginthisanalysisbydefiningwhat“spiritual Spiritual life, then, is the elevation of man with life”is.ThisislifeintheHolySpirit,who,byrespect virtueto material life, nourished by the external of His presence in us through sanctifying grace, and internal senses, transcending all in order to producestheindwellingof theMostHolyestablish Trinity himself in the only All, God, by virtue inthesoul.ThislifeinfusedwithinusbytheSpirit

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of the soul – through intellect and will – made from the materiality of sense knowledge and from capable of this by sanctifying grace, a supernatuthe merely carnal inclinations that keep us from ralqualitythatelevatesandperfects.Thespiritual noticing God or accustom us to a life without God, life is therefore the life of the soul in the state of without the need for faith. With the Jesuit father grace that participates in the Spirit of God, in the and great spiritual director Jean Pierre de Caussade life of God which is love in us. In fact, grace (1675-),weand cansaythatonlytotheextentto charity always go together, to the point that where which we mortify our senses and strip ourselves of thereisonethereisalsotheother.Letusnow them see do we bring faith to life; the destruction of how grace interacts with the theological virtues, in thesensesmeansthekingdomof faith.Akingdom particularwithfaith. thatishardtoaccept,thatrequires agere an contra; butonlyinsofaraswemakeanezortdowelivefor Faith 2. andprayerfornourishingthelifeof grace God by detaching ourselves from what is tempting One cannot be truly Christian only by having re because it conforms to our way of thinking. One ceivedBaptismandwithitsanctifyinggrace, with principle enunciatedbyFatherdeCaussadeinhis out taking care to nourish this supernatural life sown masterpiece Abandonment to Divine Providence is this: in us. As the seed cast upon the ground does not the life of faith is nothing other than a continuous bear fruit if it is not cared for, so it is with the divine searchforGodthroughallthatconceals,disfigures, lifeinman.Weareinfactshootsgraftedonto the and so to speak annihilates Him. This destroys, vine:wedonotbearfruitunlessweremainstatement united is surprising, yet it is only by negating withthevine,withJesuscf. ( Jn:151 8)- Grace . gives what God is in the way common to all beings that us faith – “gratia facit fidem” 3 – and with it the gift wecancometoknowwhatHeisinasingularway. of hopeandcharity.Thethreetheological virtues Here isatextinwhichthisprincipleisdeveloped together with all the other moral virtues, emanating from the four cardinal virtues, are infused in us by “Thesoulilluminatedbygraceisveryfarfrom grace.TheChristian’slifeistherefore - asupernatu judging things as those who measure them with ralorganismnourishedbythedivinelifeof their grace. senses do, being ignorant of the priceless Mortal sin kills charity and extinguishes grace, while treasuretheyconceal.Hewhoknowsthat-acer faith, even if imperfect and shapeless, remains as tain person in disguise is the King welcomes him a spur for and capacity of man toreturn toGod. inawayverydizerentfromthatof theonewho, Faith, without which one cannot please God (cf.seeing the outward aspect of an ordinary man, Heb. 1:6), therefore marks the beginning of life treats him according to what is apparent. […] in the Spirit and must be constantly nourished with Thelifeof faithisnothingotherthan - acontin prayersothatitmaynotfail.Itisfaiththatkeepsuous search for God through all that hides him, thepresenceof Godawakenedwithinus.Itmakes represents him badly and, so to speak, destroys us aware of God in us. We live through Him by and annihilates him. It is certainly the - repro virtue of the grace infused into our hearts by the duction of the life of Mary, who from the stable Holy Spirit, but we live for Him to the extent to to Calvary remains attached to a God whom which we respond to the gift of grace through the everyone else struggles to recognise, abandons, exerciseof faith. and persecutes. In the same way, men of faith pass through and beyond a continuous succes2.1Faith:seekingGodthroughthatwhich sion of veils, shadows, appearances, and deaths, conceals Him as it were, in which each thing does its best to The presence of God who sanctifies our soul, make the will of God unrecognisable, but in as we said, produces the indwelling of the Most spite of this they fulfil and love the divine will Holy Trinity. This is established in the depthuntil of thedeathof theCross.Theyknowthatthe ourhearts,submittedtothedivinewill.Faithleads shadows must always be abandoned in order to ustosubmittothewillof God,purifiesourhearts follow this divine Sun, which from its rising to its

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Coronation of the Virgin (1641-1644). Diego Velázquez. Prado Museum, Madrid.

setting, however black or heavy the clouds that cover it may be, illuminates, warms, and makes shine with love the hearts of the faithful, who bless him, praise him, and contemplate him in 4 orbit.” allthepointsof hismysterious

the sensible perceptions of her devoted son and who supplies in times of darkness. This - is there 5 fore a question of participating in Mary’s faith.

DeMontfortwrites:

“Leave,Opoorlittleslave,leavetoyour - Sover This corresponds to what St Louis Grignon de eign the clear vision of God, the transports, the Montfort (1673- ), a contemporary of Fr de joys, the pleasures, the riches, and take for yourCaussade, calls “pure faith”, full of contradictions self only pure faith, full of listlessness, distracand repugnance, which the servant of Mary lives tions,boredom,aridity;andtellher:‘Amen,So every day, leaving to the heavenly Mother, Sovereign beit,toallthatYou,myMistress,doinHeaven: 6 Queen, the clear vision of God. It is the Virgin fornowthatisthebestthatIcando’. ” who with her own supports that faith which lacks

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“Even in a pandemic, what is needed most of all in order to truly decipher what is happening is faith that is always accompanied by hope. There is hope if there is faith. Indeed, 'faith is the foundation of what is hoped for and the proof of what is not seen' (Heb 11:1).

Science and medicine play a fundamental role, but we have seen that on their own they are not enough.”

Onlya“nakedfaith”,callingusbacktothepassive theChurch?Itisallastrikinglesson:itsignifies purificationof theintellectof StJohnof the the Cross, infinite perfection of God. The Pharaoh or a “pure faith”, allows us, in the judgement of and all the wicked men who followed him and Fr de Caussade, to recognise the working of God whowillfollowhimexistonlyforthispurpose. in history, both in common events and in extraor[…]Thusyouspeak,Lord,ingeneraltoallmen dinaryones.Infact,hesaysthatalltheeventsthat through general events. Revolutions - are noth makeuphistoryexpressGod’sdivineattributes:ing hisother than the tides of your Providence that wisdom, his power, and his goodness. All preach arouse storms and tempests in the minds of the thesameadorableword;evenif wedonotseecurious. this You speak in particular to all men in 7 wemustbelieveIn it.averyinstructiveway,Frde the events that happen to each of them from Caussadeasks: momenttomoment.Butinsteadof listeningto your voice, men see nothing but a movement of “WhatdoesGodmeanbyallowingtheexistencematter,blindchance,andthehumanelement. of theTurks,Protestants,andalltheenemiesof […]ButwhatGodsaystoyou,dearsouls,the 30

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words that He speaks from moment to moment, whose substance is not paper and ink but what you suzer and what you have to do from mo ment to moment, does this not deserve attention 8 onyourpart?”

a pestilence or a pandemic, liturgical prayer and in particular the votive Mass of deliverance from death in time of pestilence must be counted, present inthe1962MissalbutgonefromtheNewMissal of PaulVI.10 ThisMassof deliveranceisenriched by a solid theology of the Provident God who pun2.Faithinatimeof apandemic ishesinordertosave.Ittakesitsnamefromthefirst In this interpretation of the Providence thatof optheIntroit words Recordare Domine, testamenti tui, erates in history and that requires our purewhich faith, hasusprayinthefollowingway: devoidof solelyhumanandperceptiblereflections or motivations, we can also add the problem that “Remember, Lord, your covenant and say to grips our days, the infection epidemic caused by the thedestroyingAngel:nowstayyourhand,that Coronavirus.Eveninapandemic,whatisneeded the earth not be left desolate, and do not destroy most of all in order to truly decipher what is hapeverylivingsoul.” peningisfaiththatisalwaysaccompaniedbyhope.

Theis collect of this Mass is also very expressive, Thereishopeif thereisfaith.Indeed,“faith the clearly indicating the action of God who scourges foundation of what is hoped for and the proof of whatisnotseen”Heb ( :11 Science .) andmedicineby virtue of his righteousness full of love, but is ready to forgive those who do penance for their sins play a fundamental role, but we have seen that on andwhodevoutlyturntotheirFather: theirowntheyarenotenough.Despitethe - remark able progress in these areas, modern man is con“O God, who do not desire the death but the fusedandfearstheremaybenowayout.Fearhas repentance of sinners: look kindly upon you shown itself to be one of the main diseases of these peoplewhoturntoYou;withclemencyremove days. Fear of contact, small or large phobias are from them the scourge of your anger in the mea9 Scienceozerscertainties, gettingtheupperhand. sure in which they turn to you with devotion: sometimes more clear and sometimes less so, when ThroughourLordJesusChrist,etc.” it comes to experimenting with treatments and vaccines, but it does not give us certainties except AvengefulGod,ashasoftenbeensaid,todisqualify whenwearriveatalawthatregulatesphenomena. thisMassandtheancientMissalitself ?No,buta Absolute certainty is only in the truth that grounds provident Father, who chastises in order to make bothmanandscienceintheirspecificbeing: God. chaste and pure those men who are stained with sin Therefore, only a faith that we have described as and therefore subject to eternal death. Alongside pure and counter-trend is capable of sustaining the the Mass, another prayer that is very instructive in human person in moments of calamity, bringing terms of the theology and catechesis it contains, aboutrelianceonGod’swill,scrutinising thisday aswell asbeingof greatbenefittothespirit,isthe afterday,frommomenttomoment.InGod’swill Litany of the Saints of the Roman Ritual,1 modifiedin isthesalvationof man;aboveallthepeacethe thatis new Book of Blessings. 12 Among the litanies usus its prelude as the tranquility of a spiritual order antiquior are the following invocations for asking the neverscratchedbytheadversityof events. Lordfordeliverance: But faith, in turn, needs to be nourished by “Fromallsin,fromyourwrath,fromsuddenand prayersothatitmaynourishhope;together,then, unprovided death, from the snares of the devil, faith and hope serve as the foundation of charfromlife all anger, hatred, and all ill will, from the ity. In charity is fulfilment, the perfection of spirit of in the Spirit. Precisely in order to reach this fulfornication, from lightning and tempest, fromthescourgeof theearthquake,from pesti filment,constantnourishmentbyprayeris - neces lence,famine,andwar,fromeverlastingdeath.” sary.Amongthemostpreciousformsof prayerthat nourish the theological virtues of faith and hope, in times of distress and hard trial such as that of WI N T E R 2 021

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If these prayers are abandoned or replaced with completely unusual new scenario opened much milder texts that make no mention at all of up with the presence of two popes in the the relationship between the scourge of an epidemic Church, one emeritus and the other reignand the provident hand of God, and this because ing. This has caused widespread mistrust of a new (apophatic) theological approach to the about leadership in the Catholic Church, problem of evil, is there not a risk that with the passwhich in fact is lacking, combined with the ingof timethefaithof believerswillalsochange? strong suspicion that Pope Francis is not Thatis,thatintimesof distressandcalamitythese the true pope due to the invalidity of Pope believers find themselves without faith or at least Ratzinger’sresignation,althoughthelatter unable to give an account of the hope that is in has repeatedly reiterated that his resignathem?Isthisalsoresponsiblefortoday’sconfusion? tionwasvoluntary.Allthiswouldgoonto Letusseewhathashappened. produce, on the one hand, even conspiracy theory-based positions that see the alliance 3.Inthispandemic:twocausesof uncertainty betweenthevaccineandthepontificateof Referring now directly to the situation that has Francis as a way to make the human race arisen from the end of 2019 to today due to the disappear, having already somehow decreed outbreak of the epidemic caused by the SARSthe disappearance of the Church; on the CoV-virus, 2 definedas“coronavirusdisease9” 102 other,anabrupt‘no’toeverythingthathas (COVID-19), we can undoubtedly assert that at been produced by the Vatican under the the alarm of an infectious disease that was spreadpontificateof Francis,eventothelittlethat ingallovertheworld,findingusunpreparedfrom has reiterated moral principles, such as the the technological-scientific point of view, no Notetrue on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 Christian response was forthcoming. As Church vaccines(21December20). and as pastors of the people of God we should have reassured the faithful, inviting them not to lose the • Theproximatecauseinsteaddependsonthe supernatural vision of what was and is happening, very historical uncertainty over the origin of interpreting the facts in the light of divine Provithe Coronavirus, which now seems to point dence.Andinstead? without doubt to the production and testing There has been significant spiritual unprepar of this virus in the Chinese laboratory in edness to face a situation that is certainly new, but Wuhan, leaving the field open to just two no more disastrous than past epidemics that have possibilities:wasitanerrorthatcausedthe claimed victims upon victims (think of the Spanish release of the virus, or an intentional act 15 Inanycase,allthis feverthatfrom911 8to921 caused 0 tensof millions of biologicalwarfare? of deaths)of , whichtheChurchhasalwaysbeena has caused doubts about the existence of witness through her great humanity and her vigilant thevirusoritsharmfulness. presence in those moments. A great uncertainty, 4.Spiritualunpreparedness:asecularisedhope instead, has characterised our days. The spiritual Webelievethatthisuncertainty,togetherwiththe response to the disaster was either lacking or was state of confusion in which both Church and civverymild,veryhuman.Thisuncertaintybasically il society, now companions in the misadventure, has two causes, a remote one of an ecclesial nature andaproximateoneof ascientificnature: have found themselves, is behind the significant spiritual unpreparedness with which the state of • Theremoteonedevelopedinwith 3102 the epidemic has been managed by the ecclesiastical resignationof BenedictXVI,hailed authorities. asthe Therehasbeenarealsurrendertothe last attempt of the katechon(cf. 2 Ts 2:6-7) government’shealth diktat regarding the manner of to hinder evil and the manifestation of the administering the sacraments and the availability 14 A antichrist,13 if nothisverydestruction. of churches to remain open for the administration

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“A perceptible lack of pure faith, which sees God even in the most glaring historical contradictions, has also brought about a lack of historical-theological reflection on our present circumstances.

The fact that it is God who controls secondary causes and allows everything for a good end is ignored if not ruled out from the start, making it possible to look for a cause of the whole epidemic-pandemic scenario that would correspond only to a subversive plan for establishing a New World Order and controlling humanity.”

The Last Judgement (c. 1429). Fra Angelico. Gemaldegalerie, Berlin.

of the sacraments. The reference is to the the Italian near future. If, in fact, at a dramatic moment Church,buttherehavebeensimilarreflections in history, in the Church closes its doors and aligns many other episcopal conferences. The itself Church, with the public health protocols, thus becomwho is a mother and has at heart the salus aeterna ingsuperfluous,whenitsmissionistospeakof life of her children, without forgetting the well-being beyond death and the good of the soul more than of the body and physical health, in letting itself be that of the body, why then in normal times, when guided by the civil authority in matters completely danger is absent as well as the need for “salvation”, extraneous to it, has not only proved itself incapashoulditbeabletospeaktoman?Whowilllisten ble of teaching what is the true good of men, but to its voice, which was absent when it should have has also laid the foundations for its irrelevance in beenpresent?Healthprotocolshaveevenimposed WI N T E R 2 021

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“There has been a lack of supernatural wisdom with which to handle this situation. Yet we could have seized in this historical moment in which everyone is talking about the common good, about solidarity, a golden opportunity to evangelise the people, getting the world to reflect on the existence of another virus that is at the origin of every virus, sin as an offence against God and neighbour.” the way of distributing the Eucharist “safely”, as if the Blessed Sacrament were a drug on sale at the first pharmacy on duty and in any case a simple ceremony that can be adapted to health require ments. Physical health has prevailed over eternal health. But is this only for pragmatic reasons or rather because faith in eternal salvation has been cloudedintheChurch,andnotjustrecently?

A perceptible lack of pure faith, which sees God even in the most glaring historical contradictions, has also brought about a lack of historical-theological reflection on our present circumstances. The fact that it is God who controls secondary causes and allows everything for a good end is ignored if not ruled out from the start, making it possible to look for a cause of the whole epidemic-pandemic A Dance of death: death and the bishop. Etching attributed to J. A. Chovin, 1720-1776, after the Basel dance of death. Wellcome collection, London. scenario that would correspond only to a subversiveplanforestablishingaNewWorldOrderand not ethically unobjectionable, tolerated but never controllinghumanity.Itcannotbedeniedthat there praised.Onefactisclear:hopehasbecomeworldly. are attempts to do this, but if disconnected from the Thus eitherthevaccineislaudedastheonlyremedy provident plan of God that allows his enemies to necessary or is considered the greatest conspiracy work, one ends up waging war on those who are not the numbing of consciences. But for both po alignedwithone’sownthinkingratherthanfor resisting sitions the problem has to do with nothing other with faith and right reason the snares of the wickthan health and medicine, which manifests a retreat edandof theEvilOne.Themoralpermissibility intomaterialism:moralityasservingthepurposes of the vaccines, which is the moral minimum that of healthandnotviceversa,asitshouldbe.God can be a{rmed without claiming to indicate the whoguideshistoryandeventsseemsabsent.Faith most perfect moral choice (and therefore neither islackingandthereforehopeaswell. theworstormostdisastrousone)iseitherderided Therehasbeenalackof supernaturalwisdom and therefore excluded a priori, or instead, in the with which to handle this situation. Yet we could vax-only camp, emphasised to the point of forgethave seized in this historical moment in which ting the need to protest against a product that is everyone is talking about the common good, about 34

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solidarity, a golden opportunity to evangelise the ing the Cross, or almost feeling a sense of shame people,gettingtheworldtoreflectonthe towards existence it, declaring all to be brothers without the of another virus that is at the origin of every viSon, without the Cross, can only cause confusion rus,sinasanozenceagainstGodandneighbour. andalackof responseinadi{culttimelikeours.

If there is this virus it is because at its origin If faith is a iscloudedinthesedarkmomentsinhistory, more pernicious virus, an evil that contaminates us whatwillman’sresponsebe? without our being able to see it and block it before itcausesdamage:sin.Sinisnotspokenof- asanEndnotes: of A. Tanquerey, Compendio di Teologia ascetica e mistica, San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo 2018, p. 60 (French original, Précis de théologie ascétique et mystique, fence against God and therefore we no longer even Tournai-Paris-Rome, 1923). know how to talk about viruses as believers, with Ibid.

“Grace causes faith not only when faith begins anew to be in a man, but also a wisdom that sees beyond the present historical as long as faith lasts […]”, St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 4, a. situationandthemuchdesiredhealing.

4, ad 3.

J.P. de Caussade, SJ, Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence, Burns & Oates, There was an opportunity to hit the ground London 1962, p. 22 (French original, Abandon a la Providence divine, 1861).

St Louis Grignon de Montfort, Treatise on True Devotion to Mary, no. 214. running in order to explain to the world what is Id., The Secret of Mary, no. 51. See also Treatise, no. 238. the true “common good” in which everyone gloJ.P. de Caussade, op. cit., p. 25.

Ibid, pp. 25-26. ries while few know that its root is Christian even See the UN report on COVID-19 and mental illness: https://www.un.org/sites/ before human and ethical-moral. The common un2.un.org/files/un_policy_brief-covid_and_mental_health_final.pdf The new votive Mass that is closest to the previous one is that in time of famgood is not the good of all summed up and put ine or for those suffering from hunger, in which however the accent is almost exclusively on hunger. together, but is above all a good, and therefore the Cf. P.T. Weller, The Roman Ritual, vol. III, The Blessings, Caritas Publishing, 1945 end of a being who therefore repudiates evil as the (republished in 2017), p. 448.

Modified according to the decrees of Vatican Council II and promulgated by inabilitytoreachhisownperfection; all as then of John Paul II in 1984. The invocations that have to do with our case are now rendered in a It single thegoodof eachinscribedineveryone’s heart. isinvocation as follows: Free humanity from famine, from war, and from all calamity as we call upon you: Save us, with all our brethren, the good of the community that prevails over that from everlasting death. [unofficial translation] This is a reflection from Luca dal Pozzo on Tempi.it, reasoning on the basis of of the individual because it is the good that every the book by Antonio Socci Il segreto di Benedetto XVI. Perché è ancora Papa, individual man could never do without, and it is Rizzoli, Milan 2018: https://www.tempi.it/benedetto-xvi-il-katechon-dei-nostri-tempi-e-forse-lultimo/. Stefano Fontana instead maintains that “in the only in this way that he is able to participate in the face of the lack of generosity in his day, Benedict XVI carried out an action of 16 Ultimately, the common good is the comKathecon, of restraining the processes of dis-solution”, Capire Benedetto XVI. whole.

Tradizione e Modernità, ultimo appuntamento, Cantagalli, Siena 2021, p. 16. munity as a good, as the capacity to achieve its end This is the thesis of the Italian philosopher Massimo Cacciari, presented in an interview together.Commongoodiscommonpurpose.

Theon vita.it, 11 March 2013: http://www.vita.it/it/article/2013/03/11/ cacciari-il-nuovo-papa-dovra-sfidare-lanticristo/122928/. Cacciari had pubcommon end that has every claim on goodness is lished Il potere che frena. Saggio di teologia politica, Adelphi, Milan 2013.

The literature on this topic is extensive. See in particular: J. Tritto, Cina God alone, a good of all and for all men, which we Covid-19. La chimera che ha cambiato il mondo, Cantagalli, Siena 2020; F. Gatti, L’infinito errore. La storia segreta di una pandemia che si doveva evitare, La Nave have however lost sight of, even in the Church, with di Teseo, Milan 2021. allthetragicconsequencesthatarebeforeour “The eyes. common good and the particular good of the individual differ not only in 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

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11.

12.

13.

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respect of the ‘many’ and the ‘few’, but also under a formal aspect.” St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q.58, a.7, ad 2.

Conclusion At the end of this brief excursus we could ask ourselves: can we still do something or is it already too late? We can certainly do quite a bit if we go back to following the Christian rule of true faith nourished by prayer so that hope and charity are alwayskeptsafe.Therulecouldbesummarisedin the well-known Carthusian motto: Stat Crux dum volvitur mundi: amid the world’s convulsions the Cross remains. The Cross of Christ is the intersection of God’sProvidence,of hisLovethatneverends,with man’ssuzering,histrials,hisguilt.IntheCrossof Christisthereason,theretheansweris.Abandon -

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Church and society in this dark hour of history ROME, 23 OCTOBER 2021

Ethical questions concerning Covid-19 vaccines H.E. WILLEM JACOBUS CARDINAL EIJK “A special objection against the use of a medical and surgical intervenof some Covid-19 vaccines is that tion, for instance, the removal of the they have been designed, developed, uterusazectedbycancerinthecase and/orproducedand/orthattheir of a pregnant woman, may be jusezectiveness has been verified by tifiableonthebasisof theprinciple 1 We owe using cell lines which derive from of double ezect) . respect human embryos, often aborted deto the essential value of human life 2 cades ago, even in the 1960s and fromconceptiontillnatural death.” early 1970s. This raises the serious “It is true that faithful Catholics recognise the questionof whetherthedevelopment,production Church’steachingonabsolutenorms,inthiscase, or use of these vaccines is cooperation with the the norm concerning the absolute prohibition of abortion of the human foetus, albeit that this was procured abortion, but that often they do not know procureddecadesago.” aboutthecasuistryof classicalmoraltheology.The “Undoubtedly,procured(direct)abortion - of principles ahu of this casuistry were developed from man foetus is a grave intrinsic evil, for it implies the the sixteenth century and generally taught till the killing of an innocent human being, created in the endof the951 s0 andthefirsthalf of the961 s.0 At image of God. Procured abortion, therefore, thattime falls seminariansfrequentlyprotestedagainst under an absolute moral norm, which means that the teaching of casuistry under the influence of it is always morally illicit, without any exception, what was called at the time “the new morality”, regardless of the intention and the circumstances especiallypromotedbyFletcherandtheAnglican indirect ( abortion,i.e.abortionasacollateral bishop ezect of Woolwich,JohnRobinson.Intheirview, 36

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3 Many there is no intrinsic evil.

Roman-Catholic thecommongoodbypayingtaxes.Bypayingthe moral theologians replaced classical moral theology premium for our health insurance, in many cases, with new moral-theological theories, which imply we also pay for procured abortion, euthanasia or that the concrete moral act cannot be an object sex reassignment procedures in transgenders, but of mortal sin or that no intrinsic evil exists on the it is a moral obligation to have health insurance in levelof theconcretemoralact.Concrete order actscould to safeguard our lives and health and those 4 not, therefore, be the object of moral absolutes. of othersforthesakeof solidarity.”

Thesetheoriesinitiallyservedtojustifytheuseof “The principle of cooperation in evil impli directcontraception.Theylimitintrinsic evil tothe distinctions in order to establish whether one is alformal level, like the intention for, and the attitude lowed to contribute to an evil act of another person with which one acts. The denial of the existence in a certain case. The first concerns the intention of intrinsically evil concrete acts implies that at the of the act. The most basic question is: does one level of the concrete acts a smaller evil, like proshare the intention of the act of the principle-agent cured abortion and direct contraception, could be ornot?

Inthefirstcase,thecooperationistermed permittedinordertorealiseagreater - good.

Con sequently,theprinciplesof casuistrywhich“formal”, classical in the second case “material”. When people designing, developing and/or produc moral theology used in order to apply moral abvaccines, and/orconfirmingtheirezectivenessor solutes in di{cult cases became superfluous. The those being vaccinated with them agree with the consequenceistheseprincipleswereoften nolonger direct taughtandfellintooblivion.Contemporary Cathabortion from which the human cell lines needed were derived, their form of cooperation is olics,whoaccepttheChurch’steachingonintrinsic evil. evil,therefore,oftendonotknowaboutthem. ” One should, however, never act with an evil intention.Formalcooperationwithevilistheref “Concerning the question of whether never creating allowed.Of course,thisonlyconcernspeople vaccines by means of the use of human cell lines who are aware of the fact that the vaccine has been derived from aborted human fetuses, one should designed,developedand/orproducedandthatits evaluate the measure of involvement in the abortion ezectiveness has been verified by using cell line from the perspective of the designer, the developer derivedfromabortedhumanfoetuses.However,I and the producer of the vaccine, and the person assume that many, if not most people, vaccinated whoisvaccinatedwithit.Thisinvolvement - is with eval Covid-19vaccines,arenotawareof thisand uated by applying the principle of cooperation in arethereforesubjectivelynotguilty.” evil, largely developed by Saint Alphonsus Maria “As I observed above, one speaks of material co deLiguori(thepatronsaintof moraltheologians, operation when a person, by performing a morally 1696-1787)intheeighteenthcentury.” 5 goodorindizerentact,cooperatesinanevilacto “The point of departure is, of course, that somebody one elsewithoutsharinghisintention.

Mate 6 shouldnotcooperateintheevilactsItof others. rial cooperation is generally illicit, too, but can be is however impossible to refuse that categorically. justified in certain specific cases and is sometimes Cooperation in evil might even be obliged, howevenunavoidable..Whenismaterialcooperation evercontradictorythatmayseemtobe.Incertain ineviljustifiable?Toanswerthisquestionweneed cases, people may have conscientious objections to analyse the relationship between the object of against acts or projects financed by the State, for the act of the principal-agent and that of the act of instanceinthefieldof educationconcerning thecooperator. gen Whenbothactsaretogetherinone dertheory.Thisdoesnot,however,meanthatthey operationalunity,cooperationisviewedasillici are therefore allowed to refuse to pay taxes. thisThe caseonespeaksof directcooperation.Thisi inhabitants of the State remain obliged to do so thecasewhenthedesigner,developerand/orthe on the basis of their obligation to contribute to producer of the vaccines made arrangements with

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the person procuring the abortion about the way 4. Oneshouldalsoconsiderthequestion - of wheth in which the abortion was performed. -Directer co theconsequencesof refusingcooperation operation in evil will practically always at the same non-proportionate compared to the gravity of timebeformal.Becausethedesigner,developer theevil. and Inthisrespect,itisimportanttoobserve the producer cannot but share the intention of the thatwithoutthevaccinestheCovid-91 pandem person who procures the abortion, their cooperation iccannotbecontrolled. withthisisformal.However,whentheabortionwas 5. Another factor to be evaluated is the risk of performed decades ago, the designer, developer and causing scandal, which here means the risk that the producer of Covid-19 vaccines did not make Christians by cooperating with an evil act, in this sucharrangements.Of course,therecipientof the case ”procured abortion, creates the impression vaccineisnotatallinvolvedinsucharrangements. that the evil in which they cooperate, is not evil “Indirectmaterialcooperationwithillicit according actsmay toChristianteaching.Bycooperating sometimes be justifiable, but then on strict - condi in an abortion, albeit in an indirect material tions. First, what the cooperator himself is doing, way, a Catholic health worker could suggest to shouldnotbeanillicitact.Designing,developing others that abortion could be licit under certain and/or producing a vaccine and confirming circumstances. its ” ezectiveness are in themselves not evil acts. And “Thecooperationof thedesigners,developersan secondly, the cooperator should have a proportionor producers of the vaccine, who do not accept allygravereasonforcooperatinginsomebody else’s procured abortion and are not involved in arrangeillicitact.Toevaluatethegravityof thereason one ments about the way in which the abortion was 7 criteria: shouldtakeintoaccountaseriesof carried out, is material, indirect, remote and in the 1. The first is whether it concerns cooperation caseof therecipientveryremote.Thecoronavir with a serious or less serious evil act. On pandemic the can cause very grave illness, has relativeone hand, procured abortion is a serious evil, on ly high death rates and may totally disrupt social theotherhandtheCovid-91 pandemicdisrupts and economic life in the whole world and vaccines social life in the whole world. It is, of arecourse, the only means by which the pandemic can be true that the disaster of the pandemic does not stopped.Material,indirectandremotecooperation justify abortion in itself, but indirect material in abortion by developing and producing vaccines, cooperation, in certain circumstances, might by means of cell lines derived from aborted foebepermissible. tuses, and using these vaccines may, therefore, be justifiable.”

2. Another factor is whether the cooperation is proximateorremote:thecooperation “Since of the people, de by being vaccinated, also protect signer, developer and producer with an abortion their fellow human beings they show respect for of a human foetus, which took place decades their right to life, one could perhaps also conclude ago, is remote and in the case of the recipient that getting vaccinated is demanded by justice. of thevaccineveryremote.

Moreover, it is a proportionate and therefore obligatory means of protecting one’s personal life 3. A third criterion is whether one’s cooperation health.Fromthisperspective,onecouldalsoargue is necessary or not. When the evil act cannot thatbeingvaccinatedagainstCovid-19isamoral be performed at all without the contribution of obligation.Thisdoesnot,however,meanthatitis the cooperator, cooperation should generally alsoajuridicalobligation.Thecompulsory admin berefused.However,thisdoesnotconcern the istration of vaccines is not ethically justified. The productionof thevaccine. decision to be vaccinated must be taken voluntarily bythepersonreceivingthevaccine.”

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The authority of Christ’s teaching and the pro-life fight J O H N S M E AT O N “The Church’s mission has always included concern for both the physical and spiritual welfare of souls in imitation of God the Father, who, Our Lord tells us, does not allow a single sparrow to fall to the ground withoutHim.8 OurLordremindsus nottofearandsays:‘Betterareyou thanmanysparrows’.9 ”

and ethical issues which threaten the physical and eternal spiritual welfare of everyhumanbeingalivetoday.”

“Pro-life groups have done, one might say, a heroic job for more than half a century, saving lives through our witness, through from time to time our successes in courts and in state legislatures, by our loving care for mothers“However, in our present age, tragically, and probto-be, and by our steadfast perseverance in the face ably overwhelmingly, lack of formation of the laity of constantsetbacksandtherisingtollof killings in church teaching on the part of Catholic pasHowever, relatively speaking, pro-life groups are tiny tors, with notable wonderful exceptions, is having compared to the wealth and political strength of the disastrous consequences for the welfare culture ofof souls death which is supported by virtually evbothinsideandoutsidethechurch.Itisresulting, ery government on earth which, in their turn, have for example, in the concept of ‘intrinsic lavished evil’ billionsnot of dollars on supporting intergovbeing understood by the people of God – neither ernmentalbodiesandNGOswhich,inparticular,

by Catholics who habitually flout the moral lawspromote abortion and corrupting relationships and of the Church nor by Catholics who are intent on sexeducation.” adheringtotheChurch’steaching.Theformerwill “To my good fellow Catholics and pro- life col make a false distinction between opposing abortion leagueswhoarguethatit’sbetterthatwekeepthe personally as a Catholic and publicly supporting outof thepro-lifebattle,Irespectfullyput its legalisation on spurious grounds. TheChurch latter is a variation of St Peter’s question to Our Blessed unable to distinguish human acts which can never be supported or justified, and human acts which,Lord:Towhomshallwego?TheChurchhasthe wordsof eternallife.Bishopshaveaunique apos on the basis of personal prudential judgments, moral power, to preach the Gospel of Life mightlawfullybenefitfromtheevilactsoftolic others According to St Matthew, Christ’s last words to – such as in the case of abortion-tainted vaccines for the apostles on earth before ascending into heavCovid-91 ormedicationswhichareabortiontaint en were: ‘All power is given to me in heaven and ed.” in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations …

“Thescaleof theattackonhumanlifeandonTeaching the them to observe all things whatsoever I 10 These moral codes by which people have lived since the have commanded you. ’ words were- ad dawn of Christianity make this a war on humanity dressed to the apostles and they are meant, above of apocalyptic proportions, which cannot be won all,forthesuccessorsof theapostles.Bishopshave without the Church, and, in particular, without a charism bestowed on them by Jesus Christ just Catholic bishops using their God-given authority beforeHisAscension.That’swhyPopeJohnPaul to teach and to lead souls, to honour God’s - com II emphasisedEvangelium in Vitae: ‘Bishops … are mandments on the massive range of bioethical thefirstonescalledtobeuntiringpreachersof the

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1 Gospel of life’ – because when they speak the be hanged about his neck, and that he should be 14 sea’.”

Gospel truth in love, their words reverberate with drownedinthedepthof the authority, both in the hearts of the faithful and in “Furthermore, the secular authorities in dizerent the hearts of people who do not know Christ – just parts of the world appear to be exploiting the preasChrist’swordsdid.AsStMarksaysof theJews occupation with the Covid-19 pandemic and its inCapharnaum:‘Andtheywereastonishedathis consequences to rush through extreme abortion doctrine.Forhewasteachingthemasonehaving 5 1 legislation and to advance their perverted gender 12 authority,andnotasthescribes’. ” 16 ideology. ” “Iappealtomycolleagues,pro-lifeleadersandlay “We in the pro-life movement must keep focused pro-life and pro-family Catholic leaders throughout on our mission and we must show humility. We the world whose prudential judgement leads them cannot win the pro-life battle on our own. Many to have serious concerns about certain political reof the moral principles by which people have lived actionstoCovid-19regardinglockdownmeasures throughout virtually the whole of human history are and/or mandatory vaccination programmes in being systematically outlawed by the legislatures of cluding for children especially those which seek to powerful suppressparentalconsent.Iappealtoyou,in this nations and unjust laws are being all but imposed on less powerful nations and States across time of unprecedented moral darkness, we who theglobe:What’smorethosesamemorallawsare have fought for decades to defend the innocent have being rejected in ordinary families worldwide, and a special responsibility to maintain a correct ethithe code of morality by which the overwhelming cal vision, a sense of proportion and well-ordered majority of people have lived throughout the history priorities.” of Christendom is being transformed, including “Thepro-lifemovementmustnotloseitsfocus within our in own Catholic communities and families, themidstof theCovid-19pandemiconthe - perse especially on matters relating to the sanctity of hucution of millions of children physically or spirimanlifeandsexualethics.Think,forexample,of tually destroyed every month, a persecution which the widespread acceptance amongst our Catholic isazectingeveryfamilyonearth.” families of cohabitation, of the acceptance or refusal to criticise homosexual relationships, of the “Abortion and school-based relationships and sex acceptance of birth control including abortifacient education are the greatest crimes, the greatest perbirth control, of the acceptance of legalised aborsecutions,inhumanhistory:intermsof thenumber tion in certain circumstances, of the acceptance of human beings killed, abortion is the greatest of explicit sex education in schools, and of in vitro crime; on the other hand, in terms of the gravity fertilisationandeuthanasia.Pro-lifeorganisation of the evil done, relationships and sex education is andthewidercommunitymustbefortified - byun the greatest crime, since it destroys the innocence of equivocal, unyielding voices of Catholic Churc children – it grooms children to be further targeted o{cialsandbishopsthroughouttheworld.” and exploited by the reproductive health industry and it sows the seeds of the culture of death in the nextgeneration.Afterall,OurBlessedLordsaid: ‘And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can 13 There is no destroy both soul and body in hell’. other crime against humanity which so justly earns thesewordsof OurBlessedLord:‘Buthethatshall scandalise one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should

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highlights

Endnotes: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Cf. John Paul II, Evangelium vitae no 57.

Gaudium et spes no 51; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Donum vitae I,1; John Paul II, Evangelium vitae no 57.

J. Fletcher, Situation ethics: The new morality, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1966, especially pp. 64-68; J.A.T. Robinson, Verschuivingen in de moraal, Amsterdam: W. ten Have, 1964 (original title Christian morals today); Idem, God bestaat in alles, Amsterdam: W. Ten Have 1968 (original title Exploration into God).

Cf. W.J. Eijk, “La persona umana e la legge naturale”, in: La legge morale naturale.

Problemi e prospettive, R. Gerardi (red.), La legge morale naturale, Problemi e prospettive, Lateran University Press, 2007 (=Dibattito per il millennio no 9), pp.

113-137, particularly pp.120-126.

Cf. Alphonsus de Liguori, Theologia Moralis, tomus I, liber III, tractatus III, caput II, dubium V, articulus III “An liceat alterius peccati materialiter cooperari” (edition consulted: D. le Noir, Parijs, 1884).

Some of the following paragraphs have been taken from: W.J. Eijk, “Catholic Health Professionals can still deliver”, conference at a congress of MaterCare, Rome, 21 September 2016, pp 5-12.

Cf. Pontifical Academy for Life in collaboration with the “Ufficio per la Pastorale della Salute” of Italian Bishops’ Conference and the “Association of Italian Catholic Doctors”, “Clarifications on the medical and scientific nature of

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8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

vaccination”, July 31, 2017, see: https://www.academyforlife.va/content/pav/ en/the-academy/activity-academy/note-vaccini.pdf.

Mt. 10:30.

Mt. 10:31.

Mt. 28:20.

Evangelium vitae, no. 82.

Mark 1:22.

Mt. 10:28.

Mt. 18:6.

Ministry of Health, New Zealand, Considering an abortion; https://www.gov. uk/government/publications/temporary-approval-of-home-use-for-bothstages-of-early-medical-abortion–2;https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/ healthy-living/sexual-health/considering-abortion “New Zealand moves closer to passing 'self-identification' law:, Reuters, August 11, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-moves-closer-passing-self-identification-law-2021-08-11/; https://www. reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-moves-closer-passing-self-identification-law-2021-08-11/; Scottish Government, Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill: consultation analysis; https://www.gov.scot/publications/ gender-recognition-reform-scotland-bill-analysis-responses-public-consultation-exercise/

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Prayer to St Raphael the Archangel O glorious Saint Raphael the Archangel, great prince of the heavenly court, thou art illustrious for thy gifts of wisdom and grace.

Thou art a guide for those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners.

I beg thee, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once thou didst help the young Tobias on his travels.

Because thou art the “medicine of God”, I humbly beseech thee to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body.

I especially ask of thee the great grace of angelic purity to allow me to be always the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

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The Mass of Saint Gregory (c. 1480). Diego de la Cruz. National Art Museum of Catalonia, Barcelona.

interview

What the Fathers and Saints valued and defended, we also feel called to value and defend An interview with Dr Joseph Shaw, the new President of the Una Voce Federation Dr Joseph Shaw is well known to the readers of Calx Mariae as a regular contributor to the magazine. In October this year, Dr Shaw was elected President of the Una Voce Federation, the lay movement that promotes and defends the Traditional Latin Mass worldwide. We were delighted to have the opportunity to interview Dr Shaw in his new capacity and hear his thoughts on the future of the Traditional Mass, its significance for family life and much more.

Dr Joseph Shaw has a DPhil in Philosophy from Oxford University, where he also currently teaches. He has published on Ethics and Philosophy of Religion and has edited The Case for Liturgical Restoration: Una Voce Position Papers on the Extraordinary Form (Angelico Press). He is the Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales and the father of nine children.

As a grouping of lay-led associations, we are CALX MARIAE: Congratulations on your able to say and do things, publicly, which religious, election as President of the Una Voce clerics,andpriestlyassociationscannot.Butweare Federation. For people who don’t know notsimplykey-boardwarriors:werepresent peo ple who are at the coal-face of organising Masses, about the Federation how would you negotiating with bishops, singing and serving and describe it to them? teachingLatinandsoon.Thismeansthatwehavea JOSEPH SHAW: Thefirstlayassociationsetupvery realistic view of what can and cannot be done,

what helps and what does not help, of the need for to defend the Church’s ancient liturgy was Una quiet diplomacyaswellaspublicgestures.

Voce France in 1964. Other national associations WhenweheardlastyearthattheCongregation followed,usuallycalledthe“UnaVoce”or“Latin fortheDoctrineof theFaithweresurveyingbishops Mass Society” of their countries. In 1965 a Fed about the implementation of Summorum Pontificum, eration of such groups was established, the - Foed thedocumentof PopeBenedictXVIwhicheased eratioInternationalisUnaVoce(FIUV:UnaVoce restrictions ontheolderMassinwe ,702 conduct International, or the Una Voce Federation), with ed a survey of our own so that the laity attached to six members; today it has more than forty. The thistoliturgy FederationisabletorepresentinRomeand the could also have their feelings known in Rome.

We had responses from 5 countries, and media the needs and concerns of our member asdetailedreportsfrom36dioceses. sociationsfromallovertheworld.

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interview

IntheLetterwhichaccompanied Summorum Ponmysteriously forbidden to look inside a cookie-jar tificum Pope Benedict noted that the question which, of far from being hidden away on a high shelf, addingextraPrefacestothe961 Missal, 2 andmakisopenrightinfrontof youonthetable. ing it possible to celebrate saints canonised since the last revision of its calendar in 1960, needed CM: The annual Summorum Pontificum pilto be looked into, with reference also to “various grimage took place at the end of October. bodies devoted to the usus antiquior”.Wewerefor mally included in this consultation, and were able As President of Una Voce, what are your tocommentonearlydraftsof bothproposals. thoughts on the pilgrimage this year?

Withaviewtotheseandotherwaysinwhichthe How did the atmosphere compare with older Missal might be changed, and also simply to explainitsmorepuzzlingaspectsandsetout ways previous years? in which it can make a contribution to the life of the JS: In 20 some events took place despite the Church,wepublished3short“PositionPapers”, Covid restrictions, but numbers were limited and whichhavenowbeenpublishedasabook: The Case travelwasdi{cult.Thisyear,althoughtravel-di{ for Liturgical Restoration(AngelicoPress,2019). culties continued for some, numbers exceeded those in9.102 IhadthesenseinRome,asIhadinrecent CM: The publication of Traditionis Cus- LatinMassSocietyeventsinEngland,thatnotonly todes in July means you are taking up were people glad to be able to attend face-to-face gatherings again, but that they were determined to the presidency at a difficult time. Interest show theirsupportfortheTraditionalMass - follow in the “old Mass” has seen remarkable ing Traditionis Custodes.

Thisdocumentseemstosaythatweshouldnot growth in recent years, will it be possible exist:wefaithfulCatholicswhowanttolive - inuni for that to continue given the Holy See’s tywiththePopeandbesustainedintheFaithby apparent hostility? theChurch’sownancientliturgicalforms.Onthe other hand,PopeFrancisletushaveHighMassin JS:Thelackof celebrationsforpeople to attend the Chapel of the Throne in St Peter’s in Rome, is obviously an obstacle to people discovering the and TraditionalMass,butovertheyearsitisremarkable to use other churches for other liturgies, so he remainshardtoread. how people have become interested in it despite Traditional Catholicsare,sadly,usedto - incon di{cultiesinattendingit.TheCovidepidemic had sistent and ambiguous messages from people in the result that many people, forced to watch Mass authority, and even to hostility. Without ignoring online, found out what the ancient Mass was like the changing political context in which we work, and sought it out when restrictions on churches wetakeourleadfromtheFathersandtheSaints. werelifted. they valued and defended, sometimes with Thosewhohavediscoveredit,particularlyWhat before their lives–liketheEnglishandWelshMartyrsof Summorum Pontificum, often had the sensation that the16thand17thcenturies–wealsofeelcalledto they were discovering some family secret that the value defend. oldergenerationforsomereasondidn’t wantand totalk about:butnotadarksecret,alosttreasure.Today itisincomparablyeasiertofindthanitwasin702 or earlier, both online and in the real world, so there willbeanaddedparadox.Withoutminimisingthe harm which will be done in some places by the ending of long-established regular celebrations, the experience for many Catholics will be one of being 46

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The procession to St Peter’s Basilica during the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage 2019.

CM: People familiar with Una Voce’s work ising pilgrimages, arranging training for people in associate it with Catholic tradition and dizerentroles,andadvertisingevents,-andanswer ingquestionsaboutUsus the Antiquior in accordance the restoration of Christian civilisation withourabilitiesandexpertise.

Thelaityhasalwaysbeeninvolvedinthe- liturgi and culture. But what is the ideal that Una cal life of the Church, and the Una Voce movement Voce is striving for, what would success continues the tradition of the numerous guilds and look like? sodalities which have supported the worthy celebrationof theliturgyoverthecenturies.

JS:Theaimof theUnaVocemovementissimple:

The liturgy is not the whole of Catholic cul therestorationof theancientMasstotheChurch’s ture, but it is an indispensable and fundamental altars. This need not imply the disappearance of component of it. This means that the restoration otherliturgicalforms.PopeBenedictthought that of theTraditionalliturgyhasfurtherimplications the attempt to stamp out the older Mass was a misforCatholiclifeandculture. take, and it is surely not unreasonable to agree with him.Catholicsshouldbeabletodiscoverit,hesaid: andthatmeansitneedstobewidelyavailable.

Wealsowantcelebrationsof theliturgytobeas reverent and solemn as possible, and for as many peopleaspossibletobemovedtoattendthem.As already noted, this is what most of the practical workof UnaVocegroupsconsistsin:singing, serv ing, mending vestments, cleaning churches, organWI N T E R 2 021

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Idonotbelievethatthisissimplybecausethe CM: The proverb “Lex orandi, lex creVetus Ordo attracts Catholics who are more orthodox dendi, lex vivendi” suggests that how we than the average. It does attract them, but if you pray is the basis of what we believe and talktoCatholicswhoattendthisMassyouquickly how we live. How is the public worship of findotherswhohavebeendrawntoitfromallkinds of background:thelapsed,atheists,peopleinvolved the Church to shape our understanding with the New Age or other religions, and many who of doctrinal issues and the moral life of received only a nominally Catholic upbringing, to whomthisMasswasanextraordinaryrevelation. the laity?

As they get to know the Mass, it very often has a JS: The ancient Mass is associated with a more profoundezectonthem. counter-cultural, more penitential, and more inThis is in part to do with an inner conversion carnated way of living the Catholic Faith than is stimulated by the graces of the Sacraments and typical among Catholics today. To take a trivial liturgical prayer. Another aspect is the sense of example, it is an unusual Novus Ordo-attending famcontinuity with the past which the ancient Mass ily which says Grace before meals, but it would makespossible. be equally unusual for a Traditional Mass-going Discontinuity is such a feature of the Church familynottosayGrace.Thiscontrastcarriesover today that classical Catholic literature and art have to belief in various Catholic teachings, a willingbecome all but incomprehensible to many Cathoness to accept a larger number of children, and lics,andforthisreasonchildren’sbooksaboutthe being prepared to adapt one’s life – what job to saints sometimes present a weirdly distorted picture do,wheretolive,howtodress–toone’sreligious of the liturgy and spirituality of the past.

- Catho obligations, the need to educate one’s children in lics who have become used to the ceremonies and theFaith,andsoon.

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prayersof theancientliturgyfindthemselves wemuch can see how our own children respond to the more at home in the world of the great spiritual Massandtraditionaldevotions. writers and theologians, who took part in the same, Inhernovel, The Awakening of Miss Prim by Nataor very similar, liturgy, in past centuries, back to the lia Sanmartin, it is the children who brought one of time of the Fathers of the Church, in whosethe age central characters, “the man in the wingchair”, and in whose spirit many of the texts of the ancient notonlytotheMassbutbacktotheFaith,having Masswerecomposed. discovered it themselves. This may sound strange Catholics who attend the older Mass are not butitisbasedonarealphenomenon.Irecentlymet only reconnected with the Fathers: the sense afather of of afamilyinRomewhosaidhe’dfound continuity also encourages them to learn from the theolderMassquitedi{cultatfirst,buthischildren responsestomodernproblemsozeredbythe hadPopes insisted on persevering with it in preference to of thecenturybeforetheCouncil.Thiswasaperiod the alternatives. In a dizerent way, one mother I of intense activity in the Church which has, with know told me the Vetus Ordo was the only place in thepartialexceptionof Leo Rerum XIII’s Novarum, Rome where her less-than-perfect small children fallen into a kind of memory-hole for many in the did not attract rude remarks from other, ageing, Churchtoday. membersof thecongregation.

All this contributes to a more intense, more milOur experience is that children and the Faith itantlivingof theFaith,whichhasgivenTradition should precisely not be treated as a special problem, al Catholics the strength to persevere when even inneedof aspecialsolution.Catholicadultsgoto their own bishops and priests have made them feel Mass;whentheyhavechildren,theynaturallytake distinctlyunwelcome.Asgovernmentsaround them the withthem.AdultsbelievetheFaith,andthey world seem to be making the living of a Catholic naturallypassiton:usingcatechismssuitedtotheir lifeincreasinglydi{cult,thisspiritualitywill children’s beeven age, of course, but the same in content morevaluable.Farfrombeingaspiritualitysuited with what the adults believe. Presenting the Faith only to members of some secure and prosperous in a dumbed down, childish way, away from the Catholic community of an idealised past, it is, as grown-ups, is a recipe for creating the impression our predecessors found it, a spirituality for the marthatitissomethingsuitedonlytochildren.Inthe ginalisedandthepersecuted. traditionalmilieu,theFaithissomethingyougrow upinto,notsomethingyougrowoutof.

Youngpeopleenteringuniversityandtheworld CM: How do the aims of Una Voce relate of workfrequentlycomeunderintensepressureto to the family? giveupontheFaith,andnoprogrammeof spiritual preparation can guarantee that they will not sucJS:TheTraditionalMasshasalwaysbeenassociat cumb tothis.Butthelapsedchildrenof traditional ed with families, and as Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos Catholicswillatleasthavesomeideaof theFaith expressedit,“familiesblessedwithmanychildren”. they Thesummaryreportof theFrenchBishopson theleft, and of the spiritual power of the Mass.

The typicalyoung“lapsedCatholic”would - strug progress of the ancient Mass in their country notes gle thatitisrequestedby“youngpeopleandlarge famto tell you what the Incarnation is, and their outstanding memories of Mass may be of acute ilies”. boredom, The practicalities of family life - and the ques orevenof embarrassment. tion of how to pass on the Faith to our children are therefore never far from our thoughts. Those of us – like me – baptised and educated as Catholics without access to the older Mass are acutely aware of the failures of the typical post-Conciliar approach to these questions. On the other hand,

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CM: What are the main obstacles to your work and what can be done to overcome them?

JS: Apart from ideological opposition by some old-

spread celebration of the old Mass is going to grow again,buttheotherlimitationsremaininplace.The movement is vastly more sophisticated today than it was ten years ago, and beautiful photographs, well-produced videos, and carefully-argued books have been pouring out, explaining, demonstrating, er clergy and laity, a miasma of suspicion about where necessary arguing, and changing negative the old Mass has lingered in some places even after perceptionsabouttheMass.Thisisanareawhere Summorum Pontificumin:702 theideathatitjustisn’t is almost as important as quality. To get part of the Church’s preferred menu ofquantity options. a message across in the crowded market-place of Sadly this sense is likely to intensify once again in ideas,youneedtosayitoverandoveragain. the wake of Traditionis Custodes, and its very vaguenessmakesitdi{culttooppose.ThekeyfactorSome in yearsagoIwastoldthatapicture-editor of a conservative Catholic publication was asked undermining this kind of opposition is the process to find some images of the Mass. He was not a thathastakenplacesinceof 70 2 theUsus Antiquior Catholic, but he looked online and included the becoming a normal and familiar part of the life of nicest ones he could find. The publication was theChurch.

Apart from that, I would say that the biggest subsequentlycriticisedbecauseamajorityof these were of the Traditional Mass. The picture editor limitationshavebeentwo:thelackof Latinamong had no idea that he was touching some kind of priests,andtheirlackof time.Itcanseem - impossi third rail, and nor do many people, Catholic or not, bletoaddaTraditionalMasstotheparishtimetable who encounter the vast output of photographers, if the priest is covering several parishes due to the artists, and writers attached to the ancient Mass. shortageof clergy. isimportanttorecognisetheezectof thiswork ThereisnotmuchwecandodirectlyaboutIt the taken asawhole. lack of priests – though the movement produces manyvocations–butwecanrespondtotheLatin problemwithtrainingcourses.OvertheyearsCM: there The uncompromising tone adopted have been various residential courses sponsored by

by Traditionis Custodes, and then by the Una Voce groups, and online courses are now bedirectives for the diocese of Rome, took comingwidespread.UnaVocegroupsalsoarrange traininginthecelebrationof theMassitself. many people by surprise but what is the Amongthelaity,sinceit 072 hasremainedthe appropriate response to it? What should case that most Catholics are completely unaware thattheancientliturgyisallowed:somedon’t the even bishops, priests and laity do, each on know that it exists. Chance encounters and word their own level? of mouth are major ways it gets discovered, and a JS: The Federation re-published the Canonical priest taking it up in a new location can open up a Guidance wholenewmarketforit.Consistentlygetting helpfulIputtogetheratfirstfortheLatinMass Society, with input from some experienced Canon or simply intriguing information or viewpoints into lawyers, to try to thrash out exactly what room for sections of the press or social media read by Cathmanoeuvreitallows.Tothosebishopsandpriests olics not already aware of the Vetus Ordo is a huge who believe, as we do, that it would be pastorally challenge, with many media channels remaining harmful to close down celebrations, to ignore needs quitenegativeaboutit.Atthesametimeonemay expressedbytheFaithfulandthedesireof priests wonder how many Catholics read their output – to make the older Mass part of their spiritual lives, the UK has lost three of its four Catholic weekly we are able to say that Traditionis Custodes is not as newspapersinrecentyears. prescriptiveasmayatfirstappear.Lifecangoon, Post-Traditionis Custodes, the number of places where the bishop is the key obstacle to a more wide50

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withoutenteringintoconflictwiththePopeThose orthewho wish to can become “Friends” of lawof theChurch. the Federation, and we have regular Masses said Pope Francis himself seemed to be eager forour tobenefactors,bothlivinganddead. dampen down concerns that Traditionis Custodes was I would encourage everyone to get involved in an aggressive and destructive act, when he spoke theirlocalUnaVoce/LatinMassSocietygroups, to a Spanish radio station, COPE, in September,makesuretheyarea{liatedtotheFederation,and andwhenhespoketosomeFrenchbishopson establish an newlocalgroupsif necessary.Priestswho ad liminamorerecently. celebrate the ancient Mass, whether they are dioceItismoredi{cultforpriestswhohaveahostile sanclergyormembersof theTraditionalInstitutes, bishop.Thesemustfindwaystonegotiatewhatev need the support of the laity: not just their mon er complex situations they find themselvesey, in.but We informed laity in stable associations doing would like to emphasise, nevertheless, that Pope practical things to support the Mass on the ground, Francishasnotclaimedtohaveabrogatedtheolder consistently representing to bishops their pastoral Missal, and private celebrations remain perfectly needs. It is essential not to limit one’s activism to legitimate.Tosayotherwiseisjustanunfortunate arguingonsocialmedia.TheUnaVocemovement misunderstanding. gives us an opportunity to make a practical difference for good, and at the same time to gain an CM: How can people find out more about understandingof howthingsworkintheChurch: therelationships,theideology,andthepolitics.With the Una Voce Federation? ourfeetfirmlyplantedinthecomplexrealitiesof JS: We have a website (fiuv.org) and a magazine Church life at the local level, and sustained by the (Gregorius Magnus, twice a year). Every two years ancientliturgyitself,wecanmakeadizerencefor good. we have a General Assembly, usually in Rome, but onlineindue 201 toCovid,partof whichisopen tothepublic.

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St Basil Dictating His Doctrine (c. 1639). Francisco Herrera the Elder. The Louvre Museum, Paris.

Opinion

‘Bishop, know thy dignity!’ b y A P R I E S T I N G O O D S TA N D I N G

I

ntheyearwhen ,273 a‘secondwave’of Arianism meonlyonce,Ishoulddie.Andthatwouldbut was sweeping over the eastern part of the Cathsend me sooner to Him for whom I live and olic Church, an extremely powerful and aggressive labour,forwhomIamalreadymoredeadthan man came to visit the bishop of a city in what is alive,andtowhomIhavelongbeenjourneying.” nowcalledTurkey.Thenameof thispowerfulman, somewhat ironically, was Modestus. He was theThepraetorianprefectwasrathertakenaback.“No one has ever dared to speak to Modestus like that praetorian prefect. This meant that he governed before”, he sternly told him. “Perhaps,” replied most of the eastern part of the Roman empire, Basil,“thatisbecauseyouhavenevermetabishop having his seat in the imperial capital, Constantinobefore. ” ple,andbeingsecondonlytotheemperor himself.

The bishop in question is celebrated by the Modestus had come to tell the bishop, whose name Church wasBasil,thattheemperorinpersonwouldsoon asStBasilof Caesarea,sometimescalled St Basil the Great. His encounter with Modestus be coming to visit him, and that he, the emperor, is related, though at greater length, by his friend wouldnolongertolerateBasil’sinsistence thatJesus St Gregory Nazianzen,inthefuneralorationthat Christ was to be called homoousios, or having the 1 same substance, as the Father. Basil must accept hepreachedafterBasil’sdeath.

Basilknewverywellthatmostbishopsinhis theemperor’sdecisiononthismatter,likeSteveryone time had allowed themselves to be intimidated into else.If Basilwasrecalcitranttoproperlyconstituted somedegreeof compromisewithArianism.Butin authority, Modestus informed him, then he could hiswould humility, rather than ascribe his own resistance expecttosuzer;themajestyof theemperor to an unusual be obliged to inflict upon him confiscation of his degree of virtue, he preferred to say that his behaviour was simply that which became property, followed by exile, and perhaps even by any member of the episcopal order. “Though we tortureandbydeathitself. arewith obliged Basillistenedtothepraetorianprefect dueby our law to be modest and submissive to all”, he told Modestus, “and to treat no man courtesy,andthengavehimthisreply: haughtily, let alone so great a person as yourself; “You must think of some other threat – these nevertheless, where the interests of God are at stake, havenoinfluenceonme.Hewhohasnothing we care for nothing else, and make these our sole to lose, except some poor garments, and a few object.” books,isnotindangerfromconfiscation!Exile All Christians, of course, are obliged to profess is not a threat to someone who is at home whertheorthodoxfaithinpublicwhenitisthreatened: ever he is, or rather who dwells everywhere in this is what the sacrament of confirmation is for.

God’shome,whosepilgrimandwanderer But he this is. dutyisincumbentmostof alluponthose Torturescannotharmabodythatissofrailthatwho are the ‘high priests’ of the new covenant, itwouldbreakunderthefirstblow:if youstruck andthesuccessorsof theapostles.“Whenbishops

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come among men,” declared the last council, “let Dobishopstodayalwaysfullyunderstandthis, their words about salvation be outstanding for their I wonder? Several years ago, I read some words clarity” (Christus Dominus,13). from a bishop who has a certain reputation for Tothisend,ourLordendowsHisbishopswith orthodoxy.Hewasexpressingconcern-overCath an abundance of graces. They have received olicthe politicians who vote to permit abortions and fullnessof thesacramentof orders.Heeven then gives gotoMasstoreceivethebodyof Christ.He them, as He did on earth to the twelve and to the saidthatsomethingshouldbedoneaboutthis;but seventy-two,poweroveruncleanspirits.Thisthen iswhyheadded,“Of course,Icannotactbymyself, a diocesan bishop is the principal exorcist in his without the bishops’ conference.” My Lord, you owndiocese. can so act, and indeed, you must: for you are not Bishops are subject to the bishop of Rome, the of vicarof thebishops’conference,butof Christ course. Yet they are not his vicars. That is to say, withinyourdiocese.Itisnotbyourfidelitytoany although a pope may, where necessary, appoint bishops’conferencethatweshallbejudged.When or even depose a bishop, as well as legislate for confronted with the praetorian prefect and his torthe universal Church, their task is not to copy his tures,StBasiltheGreatdidnotfudgethequestion. preferences or to adopt his policies in contingent He did not ask himself, for example, whether the matters.Abishopmustputonnotthemindof thedoctrinalcommitteeof thebishops’conferen popebutthemindof Christ.WhenBismarck,chan Cappadociawasrecommendingpastoralflexibility cellorof Germany,protestedthatthefirstVatican about the homoousios.HelookedtotheMasterwhom Council had reduced the world’s bishops heto served, the and the faithful for whose souls he was rank of papal spokesmen, the German episcopacy responsible,andhetoldthetruth.“Whenbishops strongly denied this, and their denial was seconded come among men, let their words about salvation byBlessedPiusIXhimself. beoutstandingfortheirclarity.”

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‘ b i s h o p, k n o w t h y d i g n i t y ! ’

Why is it that such clarity is so cruelly-wantthem. The Declaration of truths2 issuedbyfivebishops ing today? In part, perhaps, from a lack of good in9102 couldserveasamodelhere.Butplease,no education in seminaries. Yet by the timepastoral a man letters just telling the faithful that racism has become a bishop, he has had ample chance to is bad or that welcoming the stranger and caring makeupforwhateverwasdeficientinhisteachers. for the environment is good; they can hear those Partly, no doubt, because of fear: but even today, things from the world. We need letters telling us in our western countries, a bishop is unlikely to that, say, IVF and heresy are bad, that virginity suzer exile, torture or death because he tells and prayer the and fasting are good, that confession is truth.EvenCardinalPellwasfinallyvindicatedthe by only appointed way for the baptised to get rid hiscountry’shighestcourt.Lackof holiness? of grave But sins, that life is short, eternity is long, and that is always true of all of us – if we were holier, thatheavenisrealandnear,butthatsoalsoishell. weshoulddomoregood.

Yet I believe there is a second reason why our Isuggestthattherearetwospecialcausesoforthodox the bishops do not wield their apostolic power diminishment of bishops which they, but only they, as ezectively as they might. They are not saying canovercome.Iamnotthinkinghereof modernist the Mass of ages, except occasionally, but the Mass bishops, but of men who have the Catholic faith in of the1960’s.Itisnotsu{cienttosay‘theMassis their hearts and who have a love for Jesus Christ theMass’,or‘Christispresentwhatevertherite’. and His people, but who are not yet teaching and Christ is really present in the Blessed Sacrament, governingastheymight.Isuspectthatsuch-bishand so the faithful receive sacramental grace in ops often feel trapped by the present ecclesial state proportion to their dispositions when they receive of things, but it is not so. The door is locked Holy andCommunion, no matter what the rite. But bolted,buttheyhavethekey. theMassasasacrificeisnotonlytheactof Christ, What are these two causes of which I speak?but also the act of the Church. As the act of the Thefirstisthehabitof alwayslookingtoRome Church, to thissacrificewillbemoreorlesspleasing give the lead, in other words, of thinking of oneto God in function of the holiness of the rite, and self, albeit unconsciously, as a vicar of theinpope. this way it will bring down more or less grace It is understandable that such an attitude shouldand mercy upon each local church. Can it really have grown up in the past century or so: it was be pleasing to God if His bishops use a rite that occasionedbyVaticanI,withitsdefinitionof has been the partly Protestantized, in comparison to dogmas of papal infallibility and universal juristheimmemorialMass?Bycontrast,if ourbishops diction, and it was reinforced by the need for a resolvetohonourHimbyozeringMassinthemost strong central authority to deal with errors that can perfect manner that they can, graces that He is now now spread rapidly through the Church, owing to withholding from their dioceses will be unlocked, modernmeansof communications.Foraslong and places as that are now like deserts will begin to the popes themselves were generally dependable in floweranew. theireveryday(socalled‘merelyauthentic’)public Endnotes: utterances about faith and morals, such a policy This is Oration 43 in St Gregory’s works.

Declaration of the truths relating to some of the most common errors in the life of didn’t work too badly. In the case of a pope who the Church of our time (joyintruth.com). seems actively to dislike the Catholic religion, this policy of letting Rome take the initiative in teaching is disastrous. Even if the orthodox bishops of whom I am thinking cannot bring themselves to investigatePopeFrancisforheresy,whichIbelieve to be the correct action to take, they can at least issuedeclarationsof truedoctrine,requirethatall o{ce-holders in their diocese subscribe to them, and send pastoral letters to their parishes explaining 1.

2.

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St Benedict sending Mauro to France and Placido to Sicily (1540). Bartolomeo Neroni. Fresco from The Life of St Benedict in the Great Cloister of the Benedictine monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore in Tuscany.

fa i t h of o u r fat h e r s

A letter from a

Benedictine monk

THE DISPOSITIONS FOR PRAYER II:

Compunction in the rule and life of Saint Benedict

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tellsus: let us be assured that it is not in saying a great deal that we shall be heard, but in purity of heart and in tears of compunction.2 In speaking about the observance of Lent, he tells us that we should try to wash away the negligences of other times by restraining ourselves from all vices and giving ourselves up to prayer with tears, to reading, to compunction of heart and to obedience.3 When speaking about how to pray in the common oratory of the monastery, he says one should pray not in a loud voice but with tears and fervour of heart.4 Ineachof these passages, prayer is inseparably bound up with tears.Indeed,tearsconstituteawordlessprayerin themselves.

StBenedict’sbiographer,StGregorytheGreat, tellsusthatwecanlearnhowStBenedictlivedby reading his Rule, for the holy man could not otherwise teach than he himself lived.5 So we know that St Benedict prayedwithtears,sincehesofrequentlyencourages ustodoso.Furthermore,StGregory’snarrativeof thesaint’sliferelatesseveralkeymomentsinwhich tearswereanintegralcomponentof hisprayer.We St Benedict's Vision of the Globe and the three Angels (1658 - 1660). can begin by looking at his first miracle. Shortly Alonso Cano. Prado Museum, Madrid. after abandoning his studies in Rome, he sought for a deserted place where he could dwell in solitude, COMPUNCTION IN THE RULE AND LIFE OFSAINTBENEDICT and stopped for some rest in a town known today as Among thevarious tools of good works, - StBene A{le,nearSubiaco,wherehesoonbeganmonas dict exhorts us to confess our past sins to God daily in ticlife.Hewasinitiallyaccompaniedbythenurse our prayers, with tears and sighs, and to amend them for the who had attended to his needs since infancy and future.1 Howmanyof usreallydothis?Isconfession who was very attached to him. This woman had of our sins part of our daily prayer and interior borrowed a terracotta sieve for cleaning wheat and dialoguewithGod?Unfortunately,Ioftenfall into inadvertently droppeditozatable,breakingitin the trap of confessing to God not my own sins, two.Shewasgreatlydistressedbythismistaketools ( but,rather,thesinsof others,andperhapsyoufind were much harder to come by in those days, and yourself falling into the same trap as well.therefore But if, considerablymoreexpensive)and , when byHisgrace,wefindourselvesconfessingour sins StBenedictsawherlamentingthismishap,hewas to Him, do we do it with tears? Is our heart really filledwithpity,andtakingthebrokenpiecesaside, in it? Do wefeel remorse and contrition for our with tears fell to his prayers. 6 When he had finished sins, or are we merely mouthing words we think praying, the sieve was miraculously repaired. In areappropriate? thisfirstmanifestationof StBenedict’s - supernatu It may be tempting to minimize this mention ral gifts, we see that his prayer of intercession was of tears as a sentimental trace of bygone days and accompanied by tears – in this case, tears of filial cultures,orassomethingnegligibleinStBenedict’s compassionflowingfromthefervorof aheartthat overall teaching on the spiritual life. Butimplored, a glance andobtained,God’said. through other parts of the Rule will exclude this AnothereventthatbroughtStBenedicttotears 7 idea soon enough. Tears are fundamental of a imrecallsthetearsshedbyKingDavidforAbsalom, portanceforStBenedict,astheyarefortheand whole in some ways, the tears of Our Lord at the monastic tradition. In speaking about prayer, he tombof Lazarus.8 KingDavidvehementlymourn 58

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a let ter fr om a benedictine monk

ed for the death of his son Absalom, who, although the bystanders said who were near Christ when He he had turned into his hostile enemy, nevertheless weptatLazarus’tomb:Behold how he loved him. remained in his paternal azection. Indeed,One what final passage in the Life of St Benedict that pained the king most was the parricidal hatred that indicates how important tears were for his prayer waskillinghisson’ssoul,and,lamentably,tookis him inchapter17,whenaspiritualsonof thegreat to the grave. At the tomb of Lazarus, our Lord patriarchnamedTheoprobusenteredhiscelland mourned not only for the bodily death of his friend, sawthemanof Godbitterlyweeping.StGregory butaboveall,forthesinsthathadsoiledhisfriend’s points out to us that this was not according to his soul.HisraisingLazarusfromthedeadwasanact usual custom of weeping at prayer, sed moerendo, that of mercy, therefore, in that his friend could now is, but with woe.WhatthismeansisthatStBenedict have more time alive to mourn his own sins and was usually in the habit of weeping when he prayed, purifyhissoulbeforemeetingdeathagain. butonthisoccasion,histearswerefilledwithwoe Like King David, St Benedict mourned and thelamentation, as if he were beholding before his death of a man who hated and tried to kill him – a eyesthetragicdeathof someonedear.Indeed,the priestnamedFlorentiuswholivednear- thecause monas of his tears was a vision of future destruction, teryatSubiacoandwassorelya|ictedwithenvyfor God had revealed to him that his monastery at 9 Despitethisman’s towardstheholypatriarch.

- inMonte Cassino – the fruit of an entire life of hard dustrious attempts at bringing spiritual and physand patient labor for him and his monks – would, ical ruin to him and his monks, St Benedict, like according to the judgment of Almighty God, be Christ for Lazarus, genuinely cared for him, handed and overtogodlessmenwhowoulddestroyit. loved him as a spiritual son, as a brother priest, and Butthebitternessof StBenedict’stearswasnotonly as a friend and co-worker in the service of motivated God. by the foreseen loss of his whole abbey, Althoughthisman’shostilitysaddenedhim,what which,inthefinalanalysis,constitutedatemporal grievedStBenedictmostwasnottheriskofgood, being but ultimately aimed at begging God to spare personally hurt, but rather the spiritual death this the lives of the monks who would be living there man was courting by means of his malicious and at that time. And his tears barely (vix) managed to satanicenvy. obtainthisfromGod’smercy.

This painful circumstance contributedLet to Stus fervently ask St Benedict to pray for us, Benedict’sdecisiontoleaveSubiaco,inthat hopes he may that protect us, and that we may be givthe miserable priest would have less occasion to be en the grace to weep for the needs of those who temptedbyenvyandhatred.Ashelefttheterritory suzer,forourownsinsandnegligencesincharity, surrounding his abbey, his eldest disciple, St Mauandfinally,fortheChurchof God,thatitmaybe rus, came running to announce what in his eyes was protectedfromallspiritualharm. jubilant news: the unfortunate priest Florentius, Endnotes: thatswornenemyof themonks,hadjustsuzered Rule of St Benedict, 4.

RB, 20. a terrible death when the balcony on which he was RB, 49. standingcollapsed,buryinghimundertherubble.

RB, 52.

Life of St Benedict, ch. 36.

Rather than rejoice at being vindicated by divine Life of St Benedict, ch. 1. justice,StBenedict’sheartwaspiercedwithsorrow 2 Sam 18:32-33.

Jn 11:35. for the poor priest, who died with such grave sins on Life of St Benedict, ch. 8. hissoul.Quod vir Dei Benedictus audiens, sese in gravibus lamentis dedit, St Gregory says, that is, Whereupon hearing this, St Benedict gave himself up to grave lamentations.

How pregnant those words are, gravibus lamentis!The phrase suggests not simply moistened eyes, but copioustears.Inseeingsuchtears,perhapsthemonks looking on were moved to say the same thing which 1.

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saints for our times

The Christm O F THE T WO TERESA S

by CRISTIANA DE MAGISTRIS

N

othing proves harder for modern man – the Eachof “her”Childrenhadhisowntask.She so-called “grown-up” Catholic – than the also wanted the austerities of Carmel to be tempracticeof “little”virtues;insilencepered andfar during from the Christmas season and enlivened humanview,withGodaloneaswitness.Notwith withsongsof exultationandpiousrecreation.Not outreasondidtheLordwanttogiveusHis-examonlythat.Toincreasethespiritualjoyof thenuns, ple,so thatwecouldmoreeasilyfollow this thepath. saint used to compose verses to be sung while This is why it is necessary to keep our eyes fixed, carryingstatuesof OurLadyandStJosephin-pro throughout our whole life, on the “abasements of cession through the monastery. Once she taught Bethlehem”. the older nuns to sing the refrain of a song she ThiswastheschoolinwhichthegreatReform hadcomposed,whichwent: Awaken, my Sisters! Here er of Carmel, St Teresa of Ávila was instructed, comes the Virgin, who has given birth to her Son and her and the one she wanted the sons and daughters God. Full of devotion and joy, the saint asked the of Carmeltodrawfrom.Itisrecountedinthe sisters life to give hospitality to the Divine Child, His of the saint that one day at the monastery of the Holy Mother and her spouse St Joseph, to whom IncarnationinÁvila,whileshewasgoingdown she the wasparticularlydevoted. stairs, she met a beautiful child who was smiling at The saint’s devotion to the Divine Child was her. The saint, surprised to see a child inside also the attested to by a miracle, which took place at monasterycloister,askedhim,“Andwhoareyou?” theCarmelof Toledo,wherethestatueof theLittle Butthechildansweredwithanotherquestion,“And Jesus – brought by the saint herself on the occawhoareyou?”Thesaintreplied,“IamTeresaof sionof thefoundationof thatmonasteryin1569 Jesus.”TheChild,withabroadandluminoussmile,– wept when the great Reformer had to leave the saidtoher,“IamJesusof Teresa.” monastery.

Thisemblematicepisodecouldbetheorigin This is of what is written in the museum of the the special devotion that the great Carmelite Reconventthathousesthistreasure: formerhadfortheChildhoodof OurLord.None “On8June8051 Saint , Teresatookleaveof her of her foundations was ever without statues of the nuns in Toledo togotoSegovia.Thenaturally ChildJesus.Traditionhasitthatshehadanumber azectionate heart of the saint suzered great of these.Forexample,shehadoneChildJesusto ly at this farewell, especially when she thought whom she turned when she wanted it to rain or not rain; another to whom she turned when she hadshewouldnotseeherdaughtersagain.Onthat debtsanddidn’tknowhowtopaythem,andsoon. occasion, neither she nor her beloved religious

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were mistaken, because all had a presentiment epilogueof herbrief life.Later,beneathanimage that the Mother had come to the end of her of theChildJesus,shewouldwritethefollowing: earthlyjourney.Accordingtoapioustradition, “OlittleChild,myonlytreasure,Iabandon - my even an image of the Child Jesus was caught up self to your divine whims, I do not want tohave inthesorrowof thenuns;sheddingtearswhen any other joy than that of making You smile. the saint left her beloved convent in Toledo.

ImprintinmeYourchildlikegracesandvirtues, Since then this image has been called by the so that, on the day of my birth in Heaven, the azectionatenickname Niño of Lloroncito.” angels and saints may recognise in Your little DevotiontotheHolyChildthereforehasitsspouse rootsThérèse of the Child Jesus”. in the mystical experience of the Spanish ReformItisfromtheChildof BethlehemthatlittleThérèse er. Handed down by other illustrious daughters drew the spirit of childhood, which was, for her, of Carmel – such as Venerable Margherita of the above all a spirit of humility and littleness. She Most Holy Sacrament (169 –1648) of the Car melof Beaune,andSisterMaryof StPeter(1816 never missed an opportunity in her daily life at Carmeltopractisethis“LittleWay”andtoinstruct –1848) of the Carmel of Tours – who contrib othersinit. uted to developing and spreading this devotion, - her“di it finally came to the Little Flower of Lisieux,This St ishowhersisterCelinesummarises rectwaytoHeaven”.Sincethesaintfeltincapable Thérèse,destinedbyProvidencetobetheTeacher of walking the hard path of perfection, she strove of the “Little Way”, in the footsteps of the Child to become smaller and smaller, so that God would of Bethlehem. take care of everything she did and gather her up After Midnight Mass, at which she had “had in his arms, as happens with the smallest children the happiness of receiving the strong and powerful in families. She wanted to be holy but not grow God”, “Jesus, the sweet little Child, turned the night up, since, of my soul into torrents of light” Thinking backjust as the little misdeeds of children do not anger their parents, so also the imperfections onthatmoment,Thérèsewrote:“Onthatnightin humblesoulscannotseriouslyozendthegood which Jesus made himself weak and suzeringof for God,” and errors will not be ascribed to them as loveof me,Hemademestrongandcourageous. faults, according to the Scripture: Little ones are Fromthenon,Thérèsewalkedmorevigorously forgivenoutof pity. intheWayof theLordandwithgreaterassurance.

“After that blessed night,” she recalls, “I was notAs a result she was careful not to want to feel perfect defeatedinanybattle,butIwalkedfromvictory to or have others consider her so, because that would victoryandsetout,sotospeak,onagiant’scourse. ” mean she was big enough for God to let her walk Her sister Céline recalled that every yearon sheherown.“Childrendonotworktogeta position,” she said, “if they are good, they do it celebrated 25 March with the greatest devotion, to please their parents. In the same way, it is not because, she said, “this is the day when Jesus, in necessary to work to become saints, but to please Mary’swomb,wasatHissmallest.”Butsheloved God.”“Doesafather,perhaps,”shesaidtoCéline, the mystery of the Nativity scene in a very particularway.ItisherethattheChildJesusrevealed“scold to a child when he willingly accuses himself, or inflictapunishmentonhim?Notatall,buthe herallHissecretsof simplicityandabandonment.

OnChristmaspicturesthatshepaintedherself,clasps she himtohisheart.”

She also told the following story, which she had passionately wrote this phrase of Saint Bernard: heard as a child. A king, in a hunting party, was “Jesus,whomadeyousosmall?Love!” chasing a white rabbit, which his dogs were about to Hername,Thérèseof theChildJesus,whichshe catch,whenthelittlecreature,feelinglost,quickly chose at the age of nine, would remain the constant turned back and jumped into the hunter’s arms. ideal to which she strove to remain faithful until the Moved by such great trust, he did not want to part with the white rabbit and did not allow anyone 62

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the christm as of the two teresas

Thisattitudeof spiritualpovertyeventurnsfalling totheirbenefit.Shewrote,“Childrenoftenfall,but theyaretoosmalltohurtthemselvesbadly.”

She taught this wisdom to her fellow sisters, especially on Christmas day, when she busied herself with writing poems and organising pious recreations, such as the one in which an imaginary angel came to ask each nun – following the example of herHolyMother–towelcometheLittleJesuswho, having become Man, found on earth only coldness andindizerence:

“May your caresses and praise and tenderness be fortheChild!Burnwithlove,soulsaflame,for aGodhasbecomemortalforyou.Stupendous mystery: he who comes begging is the eternal St Therese, right, at age 8, and her sister, Celine, on the left.

Word!

My sisters, do not be afraid; draw near Source: The Society of the Little Flower. and, one by one, ozer your love to Jesus; you totouchit;insistingonfeedingithimself.“This,” willknowHisholywill.Iwillteachyouwhatthe Thérèsecommented,“iswhattheGoodGodwill LittleChildinswaddlingclothescravesmost;to do with us if, pursued by justice, symbolised by the you who, pure like the angels, have more than dogs, we seek to escape into the very arms of our youcansuzer.Always–butalwaysletyoursuf Judge!” feringandyourjoysbefortheLittleChild!Burn Thewisdomof theSaintof Lisieuxconsistsin with love, souls aflame; for a God has become recognising,accepting,evenloving- one’sownweak mortal for you. Stupendous mystery: he who ness, without underestimating the need for personal comesbeggingistheeternalWord!” cooperation.Itdoesnotexcusesinbuturgesthesoul to forsake all its illusions about itself; not to trust Céline notesthat,hadsheknownit,Thérèse - cer in its own merits, nor rely on its own strength, but tainlywouldhaveenjoyedthisprayerof Bossuet: cast itself with enthusiasm into the merciful love of “Great God.. grant that no learned or pious God. The “little doctrine” of the saint of Lisieux spirit may ever be accused at Your terrible tri does not make sin a mere weakness and weakness bunal of having contributed in some way to almostavirtue,asoftenhappensinourday. blockingYouraccesstocountlesshearts,because Far from it. The ascetic demands of Christian Youwanted toenterthereinawaywhose - sim perfectionarenotdiminishedinher“Little Way”. plicityozendedthem[…];helpallof usinstead “Itisnecessarytodoallwecan;togivewithout to become small like children, as Jesus Christ counting;torenounceourselvesconstantly; ina so that we may enter once and for commands, word, to prove our love with all the good deeds all through this little door and then be able to in our power. But, in truth, since all this is of showitsafelyandezectivelytoothers.Amen.” little account, it is necessary to confess ourselves Itisnostrangethingthat,inhislasthour,thisgreat useless servants after having done everything we French believedwehadtodo;hoping,however,that the prelate,whohadenchantedaudienceswith his eloquence, uttered these moving words: “If I good God will, through grace, give us everything could live my life over again, I would like to be we desire. This is the hope of the little souls who run in the way of childhood – I say run,nothing but a little boy who always gives his hand totheChildJesus.” andnotrest.”

This is the lesson of the two Teresas for this HolyChristmas.

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