Crusade 1976 march april

March-April 1976

nusabe f on C Chn1st1an CIQ1l1zat1on

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THE TFP PROCLAIMS THE WHOLE TRUTH

The Church of Silence in Chile

They tied His hands because He used them to do good ...

In this present age in which Christ suffers His passion in His Mystical Body, the same dra1na unfolds.

Behind the Iron Curtain there are millions of Catholics living in a Church of Silence with their hands bound tightly by the enemies of Christ, those ivho have continually said no to Him, no to His requests~ no to the good He wanted to do for them .. .

And in one 1nore nation of the West there is a Church of Silence made up of anti-communist Cathol,ics whose hands have been tied because they usecl them to do good . ..

(;nu.sabÂŁ fon Chrushan C1v1hzabon i\

fSJorgoffen (9rufn~

Editor: John Hart Circulation Director: Philip Moran Foreign correspondents: Jules Ubbelohdc (England), Guy de Rider (France), Jose Luis de Zayas (Spain), Luis Dufour (Italy), Michel Renaud (Canada), Aloisia Schclin i (Brazil), Pedro Morazzani (Venezuela) Vol. 6

March-April, 1976

No. 2

CONTENTS

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"It Is Better That Some Scandal Arise Than Th at Truth Be Abandoned," 1 The Always Grave Obligation to Denounce the Heretics, 1

Q The Devil Also Has His Mystical Body, 1 O The Sphinx Souls. By Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira, 2 D The Autodemolition of the Church, 3 O The American TFP Sponsors Dr.

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Cosme Beccar Varela Jr. in Lecture Tour, 8 The Ozark Sunbeam Honors Prof.

Plinio Correa de Oliveira, 8

O Book

Reveals the Drama of the Church in Chile, 9

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A Book of the Chilean TFP Makes Moscow Indignant, 12

D The Chilean TFP Comments on the Declaration of the Standing Committee of the Episcopate of Ch ile, 14

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Declaration of the Episcopate, 15 The Chilean TFP Toward the Apostolic Nunciature of Chile: Respect, Firmness, and a Request for Clarification, 16 Declaration of the Nunciature, 17

D Infallibility, Heresy, and the Catholic

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Conscience. By Dr. Arnaldo Xavier da Silveira, 18 Lumen Mariae in Elegant Opening for New Book, 32

DEPARTMENTS Forgotten T ruths, 1 Plinio Correa de Oliveira column, 2 The Autodemolition of the Church, 3 The Twentieth Century Ideological Crusade, 8

"IT IS BETTER THAT SOME SCANDAL ARISE THAN THAT TRUTH BE ABANDONED" From the Apology, a work wrfrten - as one reads in the prologue to "praise the Order of Cluny . . . and to reprimand those who reprimand it, as well as, none the less, to condemn all that in it which merits correction."

"Although these abuses exist in your Order, I am far from imputing them to your Order .... It is not against the Order, but against its men and in favor of the Order; so then, I shall reprove not the Order in its men, but the vices of the men in the Order to which they pertain. And I'm certainly not afraid that those who truly love the Order will become annoyed with me in ( the carrying out of) this task: rather, on the contrary, I believe that it will be very pleasing to them that I persecute that which they hate. If some should be irritated, this by itself will reveal them as not having any love for their Religion, (a synonym for Order) for they do not want the vices that disfigure and corrupt it to be condemned. I will shut their lips (Hamil. 7, in Ezech.): "Melius est ut scandal um oriatur quam veritas reliquatur" ("It is better that some scandal arise from telling the truth than that the truth itself be left abandoned and defenseless.") - Apologia, cap. VII - Obras Completas de San Bernardo, translation of Father Jaime Pons, S. J., ed. Rafael Casulleros, Barcelona, Vol. IV, page 349, and Vol. I, page XXXV. - St. Bernard of Clairveaux, Doctor of the Church

THE ALWAYS GRAVE OBLIGATION TO DENOUNCE THE HERETICS On September 24, 1665, the following proposltlon was "condemned and prohibited, at least as scand alous," by a decree of Pope Alexander VII: "Although it be evident to you that Peter (someone) is a heretic, you are not obliged to denounce him unless you can prove it."

(Denzingen 1105 ).

THE DEVIL ALSO HAS HIS MYSTICAL BODY "There are two mystical bodies in the world: the Mystical Body of Christ and the mystical body of the demon or of the antichrist.

(Continued on page 31) CRUSADE

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THE SPHINX SOULS

By Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira

No Latin American - and I believe no North American either has forgotten that some years ago Castro's Cuba exported guerrilla warfare to the whole of South America. And the reaction to this undertaking also has not been forgotten, for without the allergy to Communism of almost the whole of the rural populations and the great majority of the urban masses, Marxism would have come to dominate all the vast regions between the Caribbean and the South Pole, between the Pacific and the Atlantic.

This Castroist endeavor - which could be considered one of the most typical imperialist adventures in the post-war period - provides clear lessons which are still present in the memories of the peoples of the Americas. Nevertheless, what do we find happening? In the Fifteenth Consultative Conference of the OAS (Organization of American States) which met in Quito, Ecuador in 1974, Cuba came very close to being the full beneficiary of the following gifts: the absolution of the sins of its Communist leaders, the granting of an amnesty from all the blockades and sanctions to which it was subjected, and the reintroduction with complete honors and advantages into the family of American nations. To say simply that Cuba was one step away from winning this advantageous and clamorous political victory is to fall short of the reality. As many as a dozen nations voted in favor of the admission of Cuba. Only three pronounced themselves against it. Six maintained neutrality. In the loose and thoughtless atmosphere in which the non-communist world lives, it is we ll to note that the "defeat" of Cuba at the Quito conference was really a half-success that left everything prepared for a complete victory at another OAS meeting.

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Th is finally came at the Sixteenth Consultative Conference of the OAS, held in July of 1975 at Costa Rica, I FIDEL CASTRO, IMPERIA LIST ADVENTURER 1. Exported guerrilla warfare all

over Latin America. That imperialist adventure failed because of the allergy of our rural and urban populations to Communism.

2. In spite of this, the American nations permitted his return: in 1975 , the end of the blockade of Cuba. Now the only thing left is for her to be admitted as a member of the OAS. 3. Nevertheless, Cuba continues to be a poisonous spike, stuck into the flank of the United States, which Moscow can twist at any moment.

4. Cuban guerrillas at the service of Russia are agitating Africa and Asia Minor.

II HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE FOR CUBA TO BE REINTRODUCED INTO THE PEACEFUL ASSOCIATION OF NATIONS? 1. "Confiden t" souls believe that

the Communists of Cuba, like those of Russia and China, are no longer the aggressive bullies they used to be ...

2. What happened in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Portugal is a categorical refutation of this thesis.

3. But the "confident" souls smile on ce again: the conversion of the Communists to pacifism is a fact known by intuition, it does not require proofs...

III CONTRADICTIONS AND MYSTERIES 1. I-low is it possible to continue

believing in this pacifism in the face of the recent Cuban intervention in Angola?

2. The word "scandal" is colorless and insufficient to describe this mystery.

3. It is necessary to make a supreme effort to unmask this fam ily of sp hinx souls who are playing the game of international Communism.

when, by 16 votes to 3, with 2 abstentions, the blockade was in fact suspended, leaving each country free to resume diplomatic and econom ic relations with Cuba.

Now the only thing that remains is for Cuba to be readmitted as a member of the OAS. This is m erely a step, the automatic consequence of the previous successes. * * * Intermingled w ith this complex of events is a simply shocking contradiction. It is one of those obvious and grotesque contradictions that will make the contemporary West the laughing stock of History as long as the world exists.

In fact, in the case of Castro's Cuba (sometimes the instrument of Peking and sometimes of Moscow) , the "dossier" shows that its activities have not been limited to spreading guerrilla warfare in the immense regions of South America. In 1962 that island served, in the hands of Russia, as the powder train which almost set fire to the whole world.

And it continues to be a poisonous spike sunk into the flanks of the United States. This spike - and we allude in th is way to all the tactical and logistical advantages that the geographical position of Cuba confers upon it - can be twisted at any mom ent by Moscow into the fl esh of the Southern coast of t he Un ited States.

As if all this were not enough, Fidel Castro and h is henchmen must be mentioned as those responsible for the agitations that have been churning almost all of Africa for ten years now. Thus it is that Cuban guerrillas, supported by Russian techn icians an d armament, have been spreading Communist or para-communist revolutions in Algeria, the Congo, G uinea, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, and Zaire, not to mention Yemen, South Yemen, Oman, and Syria.

(Continued on page 31)

flu Aurotlemolilioo

ol the etm,ek hierarchy of the Church and as a consequence the obliteration of the visible Church itself.

Because the Revolution moves at diverse paces with varying degrees of success, we can examine contemporary events around the world with a view toward isolating the different stages of the process and then rearranging them so that the reader may have a sense of the over-all process. And this is what we propose to do in this essay in respect to the autodemolition of the Church.

In his Allocution at the Lombard Seminary on December 7, 1968, Paul VI described the Church as being in a process of "autodemolition."

This self-destruction of the Church is being caused by the action of her own sons, filled with the spirit of the Revolution, and acting according to its consistent principles. There are basically two revolutionary aims: the liberalization of the Church and the advance of egalitarianism in it. Both of these drives have the same end: the destruction of the

THE SLOW PACE OF THE AUTODEMOLITION quick-paced revolutionaries in small ways, they act over the tendencies of Catholics to make them more amenable to revolutionary ideas and to prepare for their establishment in fact.

The slow pace of autodemolition is represented by the third-force clergy who do not agree entirely, but only partially, with the progressivist clergy.

They help to weaken the 'barrier of horror' that the faithful would normally have against the progressives, in this way preparing the way for the quickpaced revolutionaries. Sometimes it may be no more than remaining silent when they should express their opposition; at other times it may be a criticism with qualifications, or an equivocation. By adopting the fashions or gestures of the

Though the timid actions of the thirdforce priests do not make sensational headlines, this does not discount their importance, but rather they are the most important because, being close in spirit to the general public, they are able to influence large numbers to move slowly toward the ends of the Revolution.

THE QUICK PACE OF THE AUTODEMOLITION Quick-paced revolutionaries are more radicalized and raise a standard which slow-paced revolutionaries in secret admiration follow.

THE CHURCH'S TRADITIONAL DOCTRINE ON SEXUAL ETHICS IS ATTACKED Paul Vi's former cathedral in Milan was invaded by 17 militant feminists protesting against the Vatican's recent reaffirmation of traditional Catholic sexual ethics which restated the Church's opposition to extramarital relations, homosexual acts, and others. (The Irish Catholic, Jan. 22, 1976).

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Challenging the authority of the Magisterium and of the whole tradition of the Church, Fr. Rene Simon, president of the moral theologians from French speaking countries, attacked the Vatican's recent declaration on sexual ethics for "using a largely irrelevant, very clumsy, and outrageously over-simplified concept of natural law." Father Simon refuses to accept that premarital relations are always sinful, in this way placing himself in frontal opposition to the doctrine of the Church. He believes that the fact that Paul VI merely read the declaration without signing it is a factor in favor of those who oppose it. (London Catholic Herald , Feb. 20, 1976).

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BISHOP "CONDEMNS CAPITALISM AND ITS ALLY THE HIERARCHY Ecclesiastics attacking private property and the hierarchical structures of Western civilization are undermining the very offices they represent. This is made explicit in a statement by Bishop Antonio Parrilla Bonilla of Puerto Rico, which is quoted below: "I was made a Bishop after Vatican II. I am in contact with the progressive priests of Latin America. I visit the political prisoners. During the Korean war, 1 made a special effort to console the true heroes, those who refused to serve in imperialist wars. " I consider that we have the righ t to use all the necessary means - even violence - to acquire ou r independence and our sovereignty. I do not say that we should do so now. We would not be followed by the masses. Right now we must continue the process of education, increase thei r consciousness.

"I condemn capitalism. I am not a Marxist, but a transcendentalist. Capitalism is a system of exploitation, it is the incarnation of the anti-Christ; the devil made a structure. I believe in a world without classes; we live in a world dominated by the class struggle. " I condemn capitalism and its allies, the hierarchy. The bishops ought to be elected, and the priests too.

"My· hope is that over the ruins of capitalism a form of socialism will be built in which the people will be able to participate truly." (Le Monde Diplomatique, J an. 19 76).

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As a word of clarification, it can be noted that the Church teaches that capitalism is condemnable only in its abuses, but that socialism is in trinsically wrong.

CHURCH GROUPS WARN GENERAL MOTORS Tbe Layman's Digest (Chicago, Dec. 15 , 197 5) reports that 15 high executives of different Roman Catholic organizations, as well as several protestant churches warned General Motors t hat their planned investment in anti-communist Chile where they are going to build a new automobile factory is "immoral" and economically wrong." The proMarxist coalition declared that the "Government of Chile . .. represses its people and is recognized as repressive by numerous churches, foreign govern-

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ments, and financial institutions." Why don't we see this same kind of toughness manifested against the gigantic repression being carried out by the Communist regimes?

Among the parties signing the "warning" to General Motors are the U.S. Catholic Conference (organ of the Bishop's Confere nce), the Passionist Congregation, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Notre Dame Missionary Congregation, the Catholic Coalition for Responsible Investme nt, the Episcopal Church, the American Baptist Church, etc.

The action of this coalition of ch urches and church groups makes it possible for leftist American politicians to pretend that the moral authority of the churches is united against repression in Chile, and, thus, push through legislation harmful to that nation.

Indeed, fruits of this kind are already becoming manifest. As reported in OESP (Feb. 19, 1976), the U.S. Senate has decided to suspend all furnishing of arms to the anti-communist military government in Chile. The motion presented by Senator Kennedy proh ibi ting the sale of arms to the "present dictatorship in

Chile" was approved by 48 votes to 39.

MARX AND JESUS In an ecumenical gathering in Detroit of Roman Catholic and Protestant theologians from North and South America, the meetings focused on the theology of liberation. The participants would defend an argument by citing a scriptural passage from Jeremiah or a verse from Luke, then, just as earnestly cite Marx in condemning economic injustice."

This practice whe reby Marx (the source of evil) is placed on the same plane with Jesus (the source of all good) is a clear reflection of the Gnostic heretical me ntality whereby good is equal to evil, and evil is good.

• • • "My Lord and Master, Light of light and my strength, in thy help alone do I place all my confidence and the exaltation of thy h oly name. All th ose that speak of otherwise I abjure, abhor, and detest."

Our Lady's words to Our Lord as reported by the Venerable Maria de Agreda.

THE EGALITARIAN AUTODEMOLITION ACTIVIST NUNS CALL FOR ORDINATION OF WOMEN Holy Tradition and Sacred Scripture are unanimous in proscribing th e ord ination of women, another hierarchical attribute of the Church which egali tarian spirits find reasons to oppose.

This was show n recently when the National Assembly of Women Religious (NAWR), which has a membership of 3500 nuns, called for the· inclusion of women in "decision-making bodies at all levels" of the Roman Catholic Chu rch and for the ordination of women as deacons , priests, and bishops. This statement was contained in resolutions approved in a meeting of some 800 Catholic nuns in San Francisco. (Tbe Cbristian News, Aug. 25, 1975).

ECUMENICAL CONFERENCE AT GRAYMOOR ATTACKS THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE Tbe Tablet, Brooklyn (Oct. 30, 1975) describes a conference at Graymoor Ecumenical Institute in Garrison, New York, which brought together "theologians" of the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican Churches to explore their re-

spective views of the Papacy. Nothing about the report suggests that any effort was made to get the Protestant theologians to accept the Catholic doctrine of infallibility which has been infall ibly defined by Pope Pius IX and Vatican Coun cil I. Accord ing to Tbe Tablet, that two day confere nce attracted some 60 priests, ministers, seminarians, and ecumenical officers of various churches, and a variety of views of the papal office were explored, including that of an "ecumenical pope" who perhaps "without the controversial mantle of infallibility and supreme authority," could be "first among equals" among the world Christian leaders, serve as a symbol of unity for the universal church, and be its chief spokesman.

CARDINALSUENENSSAYS PARISH MUST BECOME A "PRAYER LIFE" COMMUNITY The prophetic groups serve as an agitational arm to establish small " base commu nities" in which clergymen and laymen stand side by side in the most egalitarian conditions. These "base communities" m ay be given the name of "prayer groups," "prayer life communities," "charismatic groups," or " little

parishes." They work to weaken the hierarchical structure of the Constantinian Church.

In this respect, Cardinal Suenens has declared recently that parishes can be transformed into truly apostolic communmes by allowing "spontaneous communities of prayer life" within parish es. These communities would be made up of people committed to each other within the parishes, but wou ld also "find other Christians (outside the parish) with whom to love Christianity in depth."

WISCONSIN PARISH FORMS SEVERAL LITTLE PARISHES According to The Catholic News (J anuary 22, 1976), a Roman Catholic parish in Me nasha, Wisconsin is implementing a program called "little parishes." Now in its third year, the program establishes smaller units within a large parish.

The coordinators of the program are Father Roland Laliberte and Sister Marjorie Maly, S.F.C.C. Members of the "little parishes" go through six weeks of instructional meetings with the coordinators. When a group completes its training, a "commitment service" is held at the time th at members gather at home for Mass. The group's name, symbol, leaders, andcommunityprojectare chosen earlier.

Each member of a group signs a personal commitment and a commitment to the group, which are read during the offertory of the "commissioning Mass."

The community project is the area which ties the "little parish" to the larger parish. One "little parish" may work on parish communications, another may work with the elderly, and so forth . T he phenomenon of the prophetic groups was analyzed by Harold Wyn Newcastle in depth in Crusade for a Christian Civilization (Nov.-Dec., 1975 ).

AUTODEMOLITION IN THE MORAL SPHERE The advance of the revolutionary principle of lib eralism in the Church becomes increasingly manifest as members of the clergy defend the relaxation of the discipline of the Church, attack and violate God's law, and bring their au thority co bear in the temporal sphe re in order co effect the liberalization of the laws of a nation. All of this shows the aurod emolition of the Church in the moral sphere.

APOSTATE PRIESTS AND THE IR WIVES ATTEND MEETING IN CHICAGO T he Association of Chicago Priests held a meeting co which priests who have left the "active priesthood" were

invited to attend with their wives. The meeting was chaired by J ohn Hill, a priest who resigned and was one of the leaders in the establishment of the Association of Chicago Priests and the National Federation of Priests' Conferences.

(Our Szmday Visit or, March 7, 1976).

THE VATICAN STILL DEBATES THE QUESTION OF SEX According to O Globo (Jan. 30, 1976), the Osservatore Romano made a long first- page analysis of the recentdocument in which the Ho ly See affirms that homosexuality is in principle sinful.

The article in Osservatore Romano comments that, with rare exceptions, the homosexuals suffer from "unj ust d iscrimination." It adds that chis is un-

just because "homosexuals freq uently have a more interesting personality than those wh o recriminate against them."

The Vatican paper insists that the general rules of the Church on th is matter be applied in accordance w ith each individual case. The article asserts that diverse psychological and physical factors influencing homosexuals make it possible for some homosexual acts to be not sinful.

The author of the analysis, Fr. Dome nico Capone, who is president of th e Roman Institute of Mo ral Theology, affirms th at the Vatican declaration "was not directed at the men and especially the youth who experience the problem and the tension of their sexuality, but rather at the theories that reduce sexuality to an entertainment of physical love without any limits." After saying that homosexuality is in itself a moral disturbance, Fr. Capone advised moderation in judgment, sustaining that "going from the general theory co real life requires flexibility in the application of the general rules."

RIGHTS OF HOMOSEXUALS D EFENDED BY BROOKLYN DIOCESE Bisho p Mugavero of Brooklyn has affirmed: "Being subject to misunderstanding and at times unjust discrimination has resulted in an overreaction o n the part of some persons of homosexual orientation ... Our com munity must explore ways to secure the legitimate rights of all our citizens, regardless of sexual orientatio n . . . " (Pastoral letter Sexuality - God's Gift). ' And Father Anthony J. Bevilacqua, chancellor of the Brooklyn chancery, explains: " . .. it can be said in general chat ho mosexuals have the same righ cs as any other human being, that is, there should be no unjust discrimination against a homosexual simply because he or she is a homosexual." ( The Table t, Brooklyn , March 4, 1976).

These statements, bad in themselves, are made worse by their timing, for coming now they provide a strong assistance to pending legislation favoring a liberalizatio n of the laws aga inst homosexuality.

Shown in the photo a nun, with a priest to her right and left. A friend is to the far left of the picture. The pictu re reflects very well the ideal of the prophetic groups: a desacralized disalienated clergy in the new Church.

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It is obvious that if homosexuality is professed publicly, it is being done to facilitate the practice of this sin and crime. That is why discrimination against homosexuals by law is essential to protect the rights of the general public.

Could not the "compassion" which Bisho p Mugavero shows toward homosexuals be understood as a lack of consideration for the decent citizen who will be victimized by a lib eralization of the laws against this vice, for which God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

MINNESOTA BISHOPS DEFEND LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD WEAKEN THE FAMILY

legislation would have a devastating effect in the moral sphere.

According to The R e111na11t (Feb. 18, 1976), Archbishop Roach, speaking for the Minnesota Conference of Bishops, has defended Walter Mondale's Child and Family Service Bill - S626 and HR 2966 - with the words: "The attacks on the bill are dishonest, and we, as the bishops of Minnesota deplore them."

If passed, the bill would weaken the control that parents have over their own children by transferring authority that rightfully belongs to them to the federal government. Since parents have the responsibility of inculcating moral values in their ch ildren , the passage of such

CHURCH LEADERS OPPOSED BRITISH DEATH PENALTY With the full backing of all Britian's church leaders, the House of Commons rejected a d emand for the restoration of the death penalty for terrorist murders.

In a separate letter, Roman Catholic Archbishop George Patrick Dwyer of Birmingham wrote; " ... reintroduction of the death penalty now would be neither justified nor effective." (The Catholic News, December 25, 1975).

In this way we see how the action of th e clergy encourages the continued growth of terrorism in Britain . .

THE "CATHOLIC" - COMMUNIST COLLABORATION: THE OPEN COOPERATION OF THE HIERARCHY IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH Members of the hierarchy and the clergy in the West commonly take stands on political issues in such a way as to favor the autodcmolition of the Church and the advance of the Revolutio n in the West. What happens in those countries where Communist regimes arc already manifest? Do we find the Bishops crying out for human rights, and working against the repressive tactics of the regime?

selves to th e revolution, which intends radically to transform society in Mozambique into a community for solidarity for all people of good will whether believers or nonbelievers."

"The Gospel is an ever new force for the liberation of man from oppression," th ey added, sayi ng Christ was present in the history of mankind " in every struggle for justice and liberty."

MOZAMBIQUE BISHOPS FAVOR A SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONt

The Catholic Bishops have allowed the Catholic schools and hospitals to be closed rather than to protest, saying that it brings the Church closer to the poor.

According to Our Sunday Visitor, Samora Machel , Marxist president of Mozamb ique, has proclaimed his intention ro impose Communism in that country . Though he lacks support among the people, the Bishops o~ Mozambiq~e, voicing their support of the soetaltst revolution, declared: "We pledge our-

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THE CHURCH WANTS COEXISTENCE IN RED HUNGARY The following statement is based on accounts in OESP, Feb. 17 and 2 1, 1976.

The successor of Cardinal Mindszenty as primate of Hungary and Archbishop of Esztergom is Dom Laszlo Lekai, an ecclesiastic who had previously s,vorn his fidelity to the Communist Constitution of Red Hungary. The new prelate granted an in terview to the press of Budapest; it was published by the journal of th e Hu ngarian Communist Party.

The prelate promised that, if the rights of Catholics are respected, he would work in harmony with the Co mmunist government and follow a "realistic" orientation in regard to relations between the Church and the State, giving it to be understood that in acting this way he is obeyi ng orders from theVatican. He appealed to Catholics to mobilize their forces for the good and prosperity of the natio n: "Hungarians must take into account th at which unites them and avoid that which separates them."

In respect to relations between Catholics and Communists, he declared: "We Catholics wish to respect the convictions of those who have a different vis ion o f the world, but we h ope that they also will respect our convictions."

After prom ising to respect a declaration adopted last year by the Hungarian Episcopate which affirms that "the Church has found a new place in the socialist society," and ough t to participate in the destiny of the nation the Archbishop th anked the Vatican for the "realism" with which it approached relations with theCommunist government.

Finally, taking a position that contrasts sharply with that of the former primate, Cardinal Mindszenty, he re-

vealed that he will not u se the title of Pr ince, to which the Primates of Hungary have had a right for 250 years, enjoying thereby certain prerogatives as "Prince Prim ate ." Dom Lek a i ex plained that the Vatican had ordered the ecclesiastical hi erarchy to re nounce all secular titl es and p osts.

Prof. Plinio Correa d e Olive ira proves the following: " If any given earthly government deman ded, as a co ndition for the Church's liberty, t hat she reno unce the preach ing of a ny one o f the precepts of the Law, She could not accept this liberty which would only b e a sham.

In an article which is part of a camp aign begun some time ago by the Catholic Hierarchy and the Red regime to demonstrate that relatio ns between the Church and the State have b ee n norm alized , Bishop Cserha ti, of Pees, affirmed that the numerous agreeme nts signed between the Vatican and Hungary ought to co nvince Catholics that the Vatican "accepts the historical re ality. " He stat ed : " Th e role of the Church in socie ty corresponds to her way, that is to say, to the spiritual sphert. T he Church as a religious institu tio n must not m ake politics; h er o bjective is not to mod ify any political structure."

Th e decl aration of the Hu ngarian prelate in a society where the socialists have all the power contrasts strangely with the clamorous outcries of the hie rarchy all ove r the world , calling for social change m the n o n-communist countries.

"We affirm that this liberty would b e a sham because the teaching mission of th e Chu rch h as as its objective the teaching of a doctrine wh ich is an indivisible wh ole. Either She is free to fulfill the mandate of Our Lord Jcsus Christ, teaching that whole, or She must consider herself oppressed and persecuted.

If h er complete liberty is not recognized , She must - du e to her militan t nature fight against the oppressor. The Church cann ot accep t a p artial silen cing of her teach ing fun ction nor a partial oppressi on in order to obtain a partial libe rty. It would be a complete be traya l of he r mis-

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In hi s cl assic wo rk , T be Freedom of tbe Cburch in the Co1111111mist State,

sion."

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The Sac red Congregation of Seminaries an d Universities of Ro me described Professor Olive ira's essay as a "most fai thful ech o of all the d ocumen ts of the supreme Magistcrium of the Church, in cluding the encyclicals Ma ter et Magistra of John XXII I and Ecclesiam Suam of Paul VI. . . " ( Letter by G. Card inal Pi zzardo , Dec. 2, 1964).

THE END OF THE PROCESS: THE DESTRUCTION OR NEAR DESTRUCTION OF THE VISIBLE CH URCH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT VISIBLE IN MAO'S CHINA Christ to the World ( Ro me, 1974) reports that a certain number of Chinese, fore ign priests, Chi nese nuns, and Catho lic layme n have obtained permission in che p ast few m onths to visit their parents. Up on their re turn, they have given impressio ns of different regions, but they are unanimous o n one poi nt: "The Catholic Church is not visib le any m ore in Communist Ch ina."

The Cath o lic Ch urch which impressed the visitors of 25 years ago with its sanctuaries, h as disappeared . The Church edifices - i t is true - still ex ist, "although some of th em have been destroyed or are in ruins," but th ey have been put co o ch e r uses: athe ist schools, museums, stores, read ing rooms, and observatories, such as in th e case o f the famous Basilica of Zo-se, near Shanghai.

There arc two exceptio ns. One is the church in South Pek ing, which is ope n on Sund ays for the functionaries of foreign embassies. T he other is a tiny ch apel in Canton. Th ese arc probably open to sh ow foreigners chat religious freedom is gu aran te ed b y the regime.

Ca th o lic priests who h ave b een th e re as tourists h ave reported that they foun d no place to say Mass, except for their h otel rooms.

T he twenty legitimate Bishops that were th e re in 1949 have d isappeared w ithout a trace . Arc they alive or dead?

Bishop Ignatius Ki ong of Sh anghai, for exam ple, was taken prisoner in 19 55 and condemned to life imprisonment .

The 45 bishops favo rable to the regime who were consecrated in 1957-1958, have been swep t away by the Cultural Revo lution and n obody can tell where they arc or where they live.

Priests are not visible either. Ir is known chat there are priests in the fo rced

labor camps; othe r arc employed m agricultural communes ; othe rs work m factories.

Does this mean chat in this a tmosph ere of terror the fa ith is dead in the hearts of the Christians who have survived the horrors of the persecutio n?

Everything leads us to believe t he contrary. Fµgitives escaping fro m the cou ntry and reach ing H ong Kong h ave not broke n with the Church. A Ch inese pries t who visited the Continent affirmed that the Rosary is recited in secret. Some young people, knowing that h e was a priest, said to him : "We are in favor of th e Chu rch."

....

In the wake of these events, the Vatican R ad io eulogized Chou En-Lai, emphasizing his role as a defender of dialogue w ith the We ste rn world . The radio statio n said: " T o his tenacity a nd daring as a rcvolu tio nary, he added a se nse of prude nce and diplomacy." And it contin ued: "Ch ou was a convinced d efender of dialogue between the Chinese reality a nd the cap ita lise world , and o ne of the m ost renowned men of co ntempo rary Ch ina."

CAMBODIA: BRUTAL COMPULSION TRANSFORMS A NATION OESP, February 28, 1976 .

Th e characteristic b ru tality of t he Khmer Rouge has estab lish ed in th e last few months a totall y repressive Comm unist regim e in Cambod ia. O ne might (Continued on page 31) CRUSADE

7

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IDEOLOGICAL CRUSADE THE AMERICAN TFP SPONSORS DR. COSME BECCAR VARELA JR. IN LECTURE TOUR The celebrated Argentine writer and orator, Dr. Cosme Beccar Varela, Jr., is coming to the United States where he

will begin a lecture tour on April 29th.

Dr. Varela is a best-selling author and th e dynamic president of the brilliant Argentine Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Pro perry. His writings, which have electrified Argentine public opin ion, are recognized by the

press as being the principle obstacle co the progress of the Peronist attempt co uni fy labor under the standard of the left.

THE OZARK SUNBEAM HONORS PROF. PLINIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA

Man at the left shown reading CRUSADE while another is making a purchase from a militant of the American TFP.

~:.

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'

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,..

"

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.,

Tbe Ozark Sunbeam, of Seligma n, Misso uri , has nominated Prof. Plin io Correa de Oliveira as an honorary member o f its staff.

Th e text of the distinguished citation reads: "know ye by these presents : Professor Plinio Correa de Oliveira, in co n(Conti1111ed 011 page 32)

., ...

Th e reception at the Liede rkranz Club in Manhattan for Lum en Mariae Publications' first book - Cursillos in Christianity.

8 CRUSADE

BOOK REVEALS THE DRAMA OF THE CHURCH IN CHILE The Chilean TFP, which eight years ago launched in that country F abio Xavier da Silveira's book Frei, the Chilean Ke rensky, which proved to be prophetic of events to come , has just published a book destined to have even greater national and international repercussions. Written by the TFP itself, it is entitled Th e Church of Silen ce in Chile: the TFP Proclaims the Whole T ruth.

During the first days of its publication in the middle of F ebruary , it was the object of vociferous attacks by Radio Moscow and another radio station in Moscow. T wo weeks later th e book was denounced by the Chilean Episcopate and the Apostolic Nu nciature in Chile. The Chilean TFP published serene answers to all of th e charges raised against the book.

All o f the documents involved in the exchange were widely disseminated in Chile, and appear in this issue of Crusade f or a Christian Civilization.

None o f the attacks against the book have succeeded in quelling the very great interest o f the Chilean people in it since it first ap peared in that country. It has already gone th rough two editions, and the third edition is n early sold out. A fourth edition is being prepared by the University of Chile Press, the most prestigious publisher in Chile. In addition to being sold in the street during the campaigns of the TFP, it is in all o f the book stores of the nation where its sales are running from 15 0 to 200 copies per day per sh op .

It is now the best selling book in Chile.

The great reception of the Chilean public to the book is expressed also in the ample publicity being given to it. For example, the Chilean T F P reports that it has already collected over 100 clippings about the book from the Chilean daily papers. In the United States, the publicity is just beginning with articles about the book appearing in a number o f m ajor news-

papers (Th e T ablet of Brooklyn, T he Los A ngeles Herald Examiner, etc.).

THE RELIGIOUS DRAMA OF PRESENT-DAY CHILE Why is the book attracting such great interest ?

What is its theme? It portrays Chile as b eing at a crossroads in history, facing the dramatic interplay of ideological and religious factors.

It shows that the immense majority of Chilean Catholics are reduced to the spiritual situation of an authentic Church o f Silence, confounded and kept in fear by the proceedings of the canonical power by which the le ftist priests and bisho ps support themselves as they dedicate all of their efforts to bringing about a reversal of the counter-revolution by which the Chilean people overthrew the Marxist regime o f Alle nde.

Considered as a whole, the n ational episcopate under the leadership of Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez constitutes, in the eyes of leftists in Chile who are nostalgic for the deposed regime, the great h o pe for the restoration of a Marxist regime in Chile. This hope is founded on the pro-marxist at titudes taken by t he majority o f the prelates or their representative organs a fter the suicide o f Allende.

O n the other hand, those Catholics who oppose the return o f the sinister Marxist adventure, find in these same attitudes a cause for apprehensio n and perplexity . Indeed, a dramatic question o f conscience has been created for them by this situation and it fills them with anguish and suspense.

As Catholics, do th ey have an obligation to follow these shepherds in a m arch headed for the self-destructio n of the Church and the ruin of their country?

In order to resp on d to this delicate situation, th e CRUSADE 9

book of the TFP focuses on the historical panorama that precedes the ac tua l situation.

A PERFECTLY LOGICAL AND STRUCTURED PROCESS The Chu rch of Silence i11 Cl1ile is based on more than 220 d ocu mei~ts, and embraces 15 years ofChilean ecclesiastical civil h istory . It d e picts the action of Cardinal Raul Silva Henriqu ez, mos t of the episcopate, and a d ecisive part of the cle rgy in favor of the implantation of th e Marx ist regime chat devastated Chile, de monstrating in the course of th e presentation chat the sup po rt of the leftist ecclesiastics was the decisive factor in the rise of the Marxist Allende to powe r. It shows, moreover, that the events giving rise to this situ ation developed as a perfectly consistent and s tructured process.

EVERYTHING BEGAN WITH CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY The first s tage in this process was the formation and launching of the Christian Democratic Party, which presented a liberal permissive program in the political and social spheres and a socialistic a nd co nfiscatory one in the economic sphere. Shepherds committed to th ese programs, b y the adherence they demonstrated, began the process by which traditional Catholics were t o become m ore and more isolated.

This initial stage cu lmina ted with the rise to power of Eduardo Fre i in 1964.

With the inst allation of the Kerenskian government of Fre i, the second stage was set into motion.

Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez in Allende's home. With this visit, he recognized the Marxist candidate as the presidentelect even before congress settled the electoral impasse.

During this period, prestigious sup port was m obilized for his socialistic and confiscatory reforms, the reby preparing the way for Marxi sm to come to power.

The bish ops and priests le d by Cardinal Silva Henriquez adopted - in various degrees of radicality - all the measures necessary to destroy the foci of anticommunist ideological resistance such as existed in th e Catholic University of Santiago; the y combated as much as possible the public action of the anticommu nist Catholics who denounced the tragic direction of the events; they convoked, especially in Santiago, a pastoral synod in which priests and layme n advocating a more open collaboration with Marxi sm had in practice every opportunity to poison the ecclesiastical struc tures, religious congregations, apostolic organizations, etc .

Finally, afte r the move me nt co the left in Chile had been radicalized, these shephe rds threw the ir support into the political are na in critical ways chat were d ecisive for the final victory of the Marxist-Le ninist, Allende.

THE ALLENDE PHASE Mr. Patricio Larrain, president of the Chilean TFP, leading a march of Chilean peasants aga inst agrarian reform during Frei's regime.

10 CRUSADE

During the t hird s tage, the revolutio n ary bishops and pries ts transformed th emselves into one of the most fundamental supports of the Marxist re gime of

Allende as it applied programs aimed at the gradual communization of Chile.

Insensible to the popular clamor against the moral ruin and misery produced by the regime, these shepherds continued to stand behind it right up to the last moment when Allende, not able to carry out the bloodbath he had planned, committed suicide.

THE POINT OF THE LANCE

The fourth stage of the process covers the period beginning with the fall of Allende and continuing into the present. The book demonstrates that during this stage, the leftist majority of the episcopate and clergy actually transformed itself into the point of the lance of an offensive to return Marxism to power in Chile.

The book shows that during a 15 year period - in spite of strategic retreats - the aforementioned prelates have continued to support inflexibly a confiscatory regime contrary to Christian principles - a regime indistinguishable from Marxist socialism of the style being proposed by the Communist Berlinguer in Italy and b y Marchais in France. This is a Marxist socialism which, in order to gain the acceptance of the noncommunist majorities, presents itself in its early stages as having been purged of its militant atheism and its open bloodthirstiness.

HOW THE CHURCH OF SILENCE WAS FORMED IN CHILE

Thus it was that the activities of these 15 years gene_rated in the Chilean Church an immense category of faithful Catholics who were perplexed and silent , handcuffed by the spiritual iron of the ecclesiastical artifices and by fear of canonical sanctions from the revolutionary shepherds.

Accordingly , an uncountable number of these faith fol Chilean Catholics did not know which way to turn in the face of the work of demolition that was being carried out by these shepherds and priests.

More and more, within the depths of their souls, they were asking themselves if they had an obligation to follow such pastors.

In its conclusion, the book, basing itself firmly on theology and canon law, sh ows that Catholics do not have the obligation to follow the erroneous orientation of such bishops and priests.

Th is inevitably leads to the formu lation of other grave questions: what then is the position that one ought to take toward shepherds who have departed from their mission and their flock to the extent that the flock no longer has the obligation to follow t hem?

What is the situation of these sheph erds?

The book does not back away from these questions which Chilean Catholics have b een formulating

silently to themselves. It turns to the history of the Church and Canon Law to find the answer. And this answer is simple: A bishop can enter into schism not only by breaking with the Roman Pontiff but also by abandoning the essential obligations of his charge.

And this unhappily is what the facts show has happened to the Chilean prelates who collaborated in the implantation of the Marxist regime in Chile and who today are trying to facilitate its restoration. At the same time , the book shows that the systematic favoring of heresy creates, according to canon law, the suspicion of heresy which, according to the gravity of the case, generates in its turn the entrance into h eresy as such, properly so-called.

A CALL TO THE FAITHFUL ECCLESIASTIC

Next, the book turns to those Chilean ecclesiastics and theologians who have not applauded this process of demolition of the Church and of the country and who up till now have maintained a relative silence. It calls upon them to pronounce publicly upon the moral and canonical aspect of the delicate case expounded by the book, and thereby make their own position known.

WHAT MUST A GOOD CATHOLIC DO?

Concerning what a good Catholic of the Church of Silence in Chile should do in such grave circumstances, the book affirms that he has the right to resist, that is, not to obey those orders and dictates of the sheph erds which favor the Marxist cause. He may resist actively , that is, oppose himself against these destructive shepherds and priests by all licit means that morality and right offer, so that they may be hindered from continuing to use the prestige that comes from the positions by which they support themselves and from doing all the evil that is described in this book.

In regard to the religious situation o f the Catholics of the Church of Silence in Chile, the book sh ows that there are no longer any conditions for continuing the obligatory and habitual ecclesiastical relations with these destructive bishops and shepherds whose conduct - in the objective plane of facts - cannot fail to be classified as schismatic and favoring heresy.

Finally, the book explains that it was written so that the immense majority of Chilean Catholics who are incarcerated in this way within the Church of Silence, might know the reality of their situation and th e sacred rights that assist them , so that they will no~ take desperate attitude~ but will remain firmly united to the Roman Ca th olic a nd Apostolic Chu rch as intransigent defenders of the true faith and 0 f their threatened cou ntry .

CRUSADE

11

A Communique from the Chilean Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property

MOSCOW TRANSMITTERS DEFEND THE RED BISHOPS OF CHILE The lively repercussions in the length and breadth of Chile to the book Tbe Cburcb of Silence in Cbile: Tbe TFP Proclaims the Whole Trntb, recently launched by the Ch ilean TFP, is a clear sign o f the angu ish in w hich t he consciences of uncountable Catholics are submerged due to the action of numerous leftist ecclesiastics.

F o r Catholics, this book rep resents a factor of clarification that illuminates the way to be fo llowed, and in the proclamation of the TFP, they are finding relief from that which disturbed them to the depths of their souls.

A

JB(O)(O)I[ (O)JF

1rJHIJE CJHIIlJLJEAN

1rfIP> MAKES MOSCOW IlN[))IlCGNANT

fered, promptly informed the Russians, and asked for orientat ion from their guides and mento rs in the Kremlin. Since their Catholic rank and file, d ragged along in a deceptive way by the leftist clergy, do not heed the o fficial Comm u nist voice emitted directly from Mosco w, it is also to be presumed that the undergr ou nd action of the Russians at t he natio nal level was made ineffective through the impact of the book.

Indeed the reaeton of Moscow to the book The Church ofS ilence i11Cbile: Tbe TFP Proclaims tbe Wbo/e Trutb was so immediate that o ne may presume one of the firs t copies put on sale was sen t by extraordinarily rapid means to Moscow. In responding, Moscow delayed only a sufficient time fo r a meticulous

study of th e m aterial contained in the book and for an immediate refl ection on h ow to act.

The fru it of t h is reflection corresponds to a directive emitted by the Russians to the Chilean Communists and the Catho lic ecclesiastics and laymen wh o are so vastly influenced by the Marxists of o u r country. This d irective was commu nicated in the Spanish language by speakers having an undisguisable Ch ilean accent as they transmitted th e program made b y Radio Moscow "Escucha Chile"( L isten Chile) of February 23 and by another radio station in Moscow b y the name of Peace and Progress o n the following day. A record ing of th e radio program picked up by the TFP is in the office of this

THE COMMUN IST REACTION As is natural, Communism cries o ut against th e blow that has harmed the most central plan in its subversive design - this plan which they have been applying successfully thanks to d1 e cover and collaboration of important Chil ean eccl esiastical sectors, or th at is, of the Card inal Archbishop of Santiago Msgr. Raul Silva Henriqu ez - and a great part of th e ep iscopate and clergy. T o the detriment of me subvers ive forces, th e action that the Reds have been carry ing out through this lance point of the Comm unist onslaught in Chile, constituted of the destructive ecclesiastics th emselves, has been made evident and therefore u nusable through th e book launched by th e TFP.

THE ORIENTATION FROM MOSCOW Everyth ing seems to indicate that the Chilean Communists grave ly disoriented by the serious blow which they had suf-

12

CR USADE

The Chi lean Card inal welcom es the Red butcher, Fidel Castro.

·~ Moscow Radio never expressed any idignation over the misery which Marxism produced in C~ ile. The Chilean Episcopate · ·1ar re t·ice nce • Why this common si lence of the wolves and the sh epherds over the plig ht of the sheep.1 showed a s1m1

entity a nd is at the disposition of the Ch ilcan radio stations.

THE KREMLIN DEFENDS THE PREROGATIVES OF THE HIERARCHY AND THE UNITY OF CATHOLICS The o rd er cm ittcd by Moscow consists in taking up the defense of those who are advocates of Communism, that is, to defend those who defend them, chat is, Cardi nal Sil va Henriquez and a great part of the episcopate and clergy.

More yet, in order to maintain th e unh appy Chi lean Church of Silence spiritually tied to the aforementioned bishops, Moscow goes so far as to raise its voice in defense not only of the unity of Catholics but also of the prerogatives of the hierarchy!

• 'TELL ME WITH WHOM THOU GOEST . .. " On the basis of this fact and call ing to mind the old proverb " Te ll me with whom th ou goest and I shall tell thee who thou art," we conclude paraphrasing the same: "Tell me what defenders arise in thy favor and I shall tell th ee what cau se thou servest."

THE INDIGNANT HOWLING OF THE KREMLIN In its program of February 23, Radio Moscow, giving a proof of its profound concern over the effects that the book has been having in Cathol ic circl es, frequently being dragged unwarily in to Comm unism by members of the episcopate and clergy, tries from the beginning to falsify the reality by presenting the work referred to as an attack against the Church : "A new wave of attacks

aga inst the Catholic Church" it points out a nd adds "the Chilean fascists have opened a new front o f attack against the Catholic Church a nd Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez with the bombastic lau nching (of a book) edited by the socalled Ch il ean Society for the Defense of Tradition, F amily, and Property."

Show ing that it possessed d etail ed in format ion abou t the Chilean TFP, a nd in deformation of the facts in order to deny the local autonomy of this society and to accuse it of belonging to a n international network, it adds: "This society is commonly known in Chile by the name of Fiducia because this was the name of its magazine when it was published years ago. The Chi lea n Society for the Defense of Trad ition, Fam ily, and Property forms p art of an international chain of organizations of the same name existing in Brazil, Colombia, Arge ntina, and other countries - the stand ard bearers of the most outmoded religious fa:1at icism of the extreme right."

After vociferating against the Fiducian aristocrats, stude nts of the Catholic University and of religious preparato ry schools, a nd imp ugning them for distributing the book Frei: Tbe Cbilea11 Kerensky, the transmission of Moscow returns, d u ring its address to a Cath olic people dece ived by a leftist clergy, to raise itself up in defense of theological o rth odoxy and the Cardinal: "The new book which has bee n put into circulation by the Fiducians of Chi le dedicates its 468 pages to attacking with the most siby lline language covered over by a pretended Christ ia n and theological conten t the ecclesiastical autho rities.

The on,slaugh ts are directed especiall y aga inst Cardinal Rau l S ilva He nriquez who app ears in a photograph on th e cover of the bo ok next to the assassi nated Constitutional Pri:sid ent Salvador Allende.

Adding other "theological" consider,ltions always w ith the purpose pointed out above, the Kremlin emissa ry impugns th e TFP with ma ni fest falsity of h aving pronounced itself "violently against the Church for its actions in defense of hum an rights. ' ' Fin ally, Radio Moscow and R adio Peace and Progress proclaim pharisaically their co ncern about the possible division that m ight be brought about in the Church by the launching of the book by the TFP. A nd afterwa rds, with undisguisable aims in respect to t h is society, which all of Chile kn ows to be a private e ntity, they spread the fa lse rumor that it acts in dependence on the Chilean executive.

Ne ith e r this affirmatio n nor the o ne that a Ch ilean sta te or semi-state entity has dona ted to the Chi lean TFP its seat and its printing shop is true.

A GRAVE TACTICAL ERROR In both of th ese transmissions from Moscow, one notes the comple te absence of t he Commun ist d octrinal premises of the dialectic and of the language so characteristic of the Reds. Th is co nstitutes a proof that Moscow was not speaking on ly to Communists. The Kreml in knows that it exercises influ ence over broad Catholi c masses, a nd co nceived these broadcasts in orde r to influence them in favo r of the Chilean Cardinal and Bishops. This was a tacti cal error a nd a grave one, for it very well confirms the "Catholic" - Commun ist pact pointed our in the book of the TFP. Let us see if in the next broadcas ts the same erro r persists and if the wolves continue h ow ling in defense of the Shepherds.

CRUSADE

13

The. Chilean TFP Comments Committee of the Episcopate of Chile:

A declaration of the Standing Committee of the Chilean Episcopal Conference signed by bishops Juan Francisco Fresno and Carlos Camus Larena, President and Secretary respectively, was released the 9th of this month on the book The Church of Silence in Cbile: tbe TFP Proclaims tbe Whole Trutb, written and edited by this Society. The aforementioned declaration contains many points which in themselves m_ake one wonder and even give rise to protest. In the interest of brevity, we shall point out only some of them: 1. In the book referred to, the TFP on the basis of 220 documents affirms that almost the whole Chilean Episcopate and a great part of the clergy have left the mission confided to them by the Holy Ghost, to "Rule the Church of God," and have dedicated all of their authority and prestige to promoting the late Marxist President Salvador Allende's rise to power and to keeping him there. Strengthened by this support, the president of the Republic at that time and his collaborators applied the gravely anti-Christian, unjust, and tyrannical principles of Communism as much as they could in Chile. One of the consequences of this was the misery that spread all over our country.

These same bishops and priests, far from fighting for the Church, for Christian Civilization, and for their hungry people, supported Allende up to the last moment, and after he had fallen, they dedicated themselves to raising up again the Marxist power that the Chileans had overthrown.

2. Any judgment that may be expressed about the conduct of the TFP, and about those who have collaborated with it by printing and distributing this book, can only be considered serious and efficacious on the condition that it answer clearly and categorically the following questions: a) Are the facts related in the book of the TFP well documented? b) Are they true? c) Are they analyzed objectively?

3. If these questions are answered in the affirmative, the inevitable conclusion is that the aforementioned prelates and priests are in a state of schism and are suspect of heresy , according to Canon Law (Th e Churcb of Sile nce in Chile, conclusion, items I and II , pages 337-390).

14 CRUSADE

As a consequence, they thus lack the power to declare schismatic and suspect of heresy those of the faithful who have denounced their gravely irregular conduct and who have drawn from it the conclusions that every one of the faithful may licitly draw in circumstances like the present ones.

Far from giving a clear answer to the questions enunciated above, the representatives of the Episcopate have cautiously eluded dialogue about the matter in their public declarations. They are not offering the least explanation to the faithful - who are buying the book with such interest and sympathy that it could be said to amount to an ovation - of their reasons for considering the affirmations of the TFP to be unfounded.

4. On the contrary, the bishops, who are so zealous about being up-to-date, respond merely with the argument of authority. The reason adduced to prove that they have not departed from the fulfillment of their mission is their own word - "Hoc volo, sic jubeo: sit pro ratione voluntas," Juvenal, Sat. VI ("So I will , so I command: my will is my reason").

5. Naturally, since the authors of the declaration realized the obvious lack of basis for their arguments which are contorted into a vicious circle, the bishops appeal to the supreme authority by alleging that their lamentable behavior is not schismatic nor suspect of heresy because they supposedly have been approve-cl

by Paul VI. Taking up this matter with the unlimited veneration that we profess for the Chair of Peter, we merely call to mind in passing that the Chilean public does not know of a single document in which the Sovereign Pontiff has officially expressed his approval for the over-all activity of the Episcopate which is related in the book by the TFP. On the other hand, and even more summarily, we emphasize that the declaration of the Standing Committee of the Episcopate does not take into consideration the principles contained in Revelation - and carefully studied by theologians, canonists, and moral theologians - in respect to the distinction that exists between the doctrinal documents of the Supreme Magisterium and the conduct of the Popes considered as a norm for the thinking and action of the faithful.

It would be indispensable for the bishops to make this distinction before they, in order to resolve the difficult situation that they have created for themselves, seek to declare us to be as it were persons who have resigned from the Church.

Their attitude, which is canonically unfounded, has a summary character that differs from the respect and charity the Sovereign Pontiff and the bishops of the whole world in conformity to a tradition coming from the beginnings of the Church, h ave always gloried in showing in dealing with their sheep.

6. A serene analysis of the de claration demands still another observation on our part. The amply ecumenical sentiments of the Cardinal and the other ecclesiastics of our country has been manifested on several important occasions. One of these was the official presence of rabbis and protestant ministers at the "Te Deum" sung in the cathedral of Santiago on th e occasion of President Allende's inauguration.

It is obvious that the premise underlying the h olding of such activities is the acceptance of the broadest religious liberty . In view of this fact, we do not understand how the signers of the declaration are able to ask, or even more, to demand that the civil authorities fall with their power upon us, Roman Apostolic Catholics, who in the book The Church of Silence in Chile do n o more th an evaluate in respectful language the atti tude of these prelates, thus fulfilling an obligation of our faith in accordance with the law of the Church.

We act in this matter also within the liberty that the Chilean State allows to all those who, like us, take their p osition in an essentially religious sphere .

Emphatic ecclesiastical repres- . sion, affecting n ot only the TFP but also all those who collaborate with it in the publication and distribution of this book. Threat of possible police repression. With measures such as these - never,

absolutely never adopted by anyone in the present Chilean Episcopate against Communism - the Standing Committee of the Episcopate is trying to intimidate and reduce the faithful to silence. If no other eviden ce existed, th is would already be enough to demonstrate that there does indeed ex ist a Church of Silence in Chile, as our book affirms ...

* * * The Chilean Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property manifests sadly its profound disagreement with these attitudes of the Standing Committee of the Episcopate.

Th e National Council of the Chilean TFP Santiago March 11 , 1976

DECLARATION OF THE EPISCOPATE "For some time now there have been diverse tendencies in one direction or an other to construct in the Chilean Catholic Church a parallel magisterium. The ultimate concrete expression of this we see in the book The Church of Silence in Chile edited by the so-called Chilean Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property."

"We know that we have been placed by the Holy Spirit to govern the Church of G od (Acts 20: 28). A nd we are in profound com munion w ith the Ho ly Fathe r Paul V I, w h o has always accom pa nied us in ou r decisi on s w ith enormous clarity and tender kindness. We recall the word s of Jesu s Christ: ' He w h o hears you, hears me, and he w h o despises you, despises m e' (Luke 10: 16) and we find ourselves obliged to express publicly: "1. The persons w ho h ave coll a bo rate d in these writings and in this cam paign whether it be by writing, editing, or di stributing this publication h ave put the mselves by their own actions, outside of the Ca th o lic Church' w hose sp irit is absolutely opposed to what they are doing. ' "2. We ask Catholics that they keep in mind that the Church is bu ilt on J esus Christ in commu n ion w ith the Hol y Father and the legitimate bishops. He who does not accept this doctrine does not be long to the Catholic Church.

"3. It seems strange to us that in the present situation suc h an attack 's permitted, and that in a regime of authority proclaiming the Christian orientation of its principles, people are allowed freely to offend Ho ly Mo ther Church in this manne r and call for di sobedience to its legitimate shephe rds."

Juan Francisco Fresno, Archbishop of la Se rena, President o f the Episcopal Conference of Chile

Carlos Camus Larena, Secretary of th e Ep iscopal Conference o f Chile

CRUSADE

15

The Chilean TFP Toward the Apostolic Nunciature of Chile:

The Hon. Apostolic Nunciature widely distributed yesterday a note about the book The Church of Silence in Cbile.- the TFP Proclaims the Wbole Truth.

In view of the high respect due to the Apostolic Nunciature as the representative of the Holy See in our country, we direct without delay to his Eminence the Most Rev. Archbishop Sotero Sanz Villalba, Apostolic Nuncio, who signed the aforementioned note, the explanations which the latter requires from us.

Before doing so, we proclaim in the full measure established by the doctrine and by the laws of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, our entire and loving obedience to the Sovereign Pontiff and our profound respect for him who acts as his representative among us. * * * Respect for authority is an obligation. Frankness in relation to the same authority is also an obligation, especially in circumstances like th e present ones.

We begin then by expressing how much it pains us that, without hearing us or previously admonishing us, Archbishop Sotero Sanz has publicly expressed in such a categorical way - better yet we would say a rude way his "rejection with all force," and his condemnation of the "inadmis16 CRUSADE

sible invitation" to resist ecclesiastical authorities who favor Communism, which is contained in our book.

The gates of the Apostolic Nunciature, which were recently opened with so much concern and cordiality to grant asylum to mirists (Editor's Note: Communist guerrillas of the MIR - Movement of the Revolutionary Left), were closed to us.

Once more, we deplore this. * * * Let us go on now to the facts.

The Apostolic Nuncio occupies almost the entire length of his communique in affirm ing a principle that we do not deny but, on the contrary, love from the depths of our hearts. It is that of the obedience of the faithful to the shepherds of the Holy Church.

Nevertheless, his Excellency passes over in silence the key point of the book. Citing St. Thomas Aquinas and doctors and canonists of great authority, Tbe Cburcb of Silence in Chile (pages 386, 391, and 393) affirms that obedience to the Holy Church, in the case of a Shepherd who has separated himself from his mission by teaching or ordering that which is contrary to what the Church teaches and orders, consists in not following the disobedient Shepherd.

Why did the communique of the Most Rev. Nun cio not treat this point, when it is precisely the point on which we base our position?

Perplexed, we must say that we do not find an answer to this question, which we here place in the hands of His Excellency. * * * Let us proceed.

Have almost all the Chilean Archbishops and Bishops and the great majority of the Clergy acted in a way that is opposed to their sublime mission by favoring the rise of the Marxist President, by imp lementing the false Marxist postulates in the political, social, and economic life of our country, and by lending prestige to the shattered remnants of Ch ilean Communism? We have published a careful study of nearly 500 pages, based on 220 documents, and written in clear and respectful language, to affirm that th is is so.

In order to exp lain to the Ch ilean public the reason for his harsh rejection, the Apostolic Nuncio satisfies himself by affirming that this considerable and attentive study is nothing more than a (compilation of) "partial versions of documents and postures." And he fails to state how these "versions of documents and postures" are partial.

By His Excellency's leave we ask him: does he imagine by any chance that with such a succinct commenta1y he will satisfy the legitimate intellectual demands of a people as intelligent as ours?

Moreover, does His Excellency imagine that with no more than this he will convince the thousands

of readers eagerly acqumng the work in our bookstores?

Does His Excellency think that these words of his are enough to change the conviction of the thousands of Chileans who - sunk in anguish, pain, and hunger - witnessed the march of so many of their Shepherds toward Marxism?

The moral and juridical authority of an Apostolic Nuncio is indeed very great. We respect it with all our souls. Nevertheless, according to the doctrine and the laws of the Church, it does not reach the point of being able to imp ose on the faithful the acceptance of this authority in that which is contrary to the evidence of the facts.

Let us ponder this respectfully.

* * * The Apostolic Nuncio affirms that his "rejection with all force" is made "as the representative of the Pope in this country." We are certain that everyone in Chile would like to h ave a clarification in this respect.

Does His Excellency here manifest his personal opinion, making use for this end of the faculties ordinarily inherent to an Apostolic Nuncio? Or does he express, more than that, the very thinking of the Holy Father Paul VI in respect to the events that have occurred in Chile and that have been related in our book?

Moreover, it is precisely the immense majority of Catholic Chileans who would like to know whether it is in his own name or officially expressing the thinking of the Holy Father, that His Excellency has affirmed in an explicit or implicit way: a) That the bishops and priests referred to in our book did not do what was mentioned in it. b) That such actions, so evidently favorable to Marxism, did not constitute, nor do they constitute, an advance in a direction manifestly opposed to the pastoral mission confided to them.

If an expression of the august

thinking of the Sovereign Pontiff exists, is it to be found in an official document of the Holy Church?

This is another important question, to which finally one more is to be added.

If such a document exists, dealing with an evaluation of concrete facts, to what degree does this evaluation impose itself on the conscience of Catholics according to the doctrine and laws of the Church?

We know very well that as such, an Apostolic Nuncio does not have an obligation stemming from his high mission to make a public pronouncement on these delicate matters.

Nevertheless, since His Excellency has publicly expressed his thinking and position in regard to the book of the TFP, i r appears to

us that it is natural for us to desire to know this thinking and stand to its full extent. This is all the more the case, since this thinking and stand are crucially related to our own thoughts and our own stands.

* * * The Apostolic Nuncio concludes his declaration by "beseech ing" the Virgin Mary to make us see our error, that we may thus be promptly reconciled with the legitimate authority of the Church of God. We, for our part, while expressing our gratitude for the good intention of these prayers, beg the most Holy Virgin that She grant us the grace to be always faithfu l to legitimate authority, that is, that which does not lead toward either Marx or Brezhnev.

The National Council of the Chilean TFP

DECLARATION OF THE NUNCIATURE "The book entitled The Church of Silence in Chile for whose publication the 'Chilean Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Prope rty' makes itself respons ible constitutes a grave accusation against the episcopal hierarchy of this country and against the greater part of the priests and rel igious who are our collaborators in the tasks proper to their ministry. It is, in addition to an offense, a call to resist their teachings and decisions as is understood explicitly from the pages of this publication.

"As representative of the Pope in this country, I can do no less than reject with all force such a painful accusation and condemn such an inadmissible suggestion.

"In the course of the more than five years of my stay in Chile I have been able to admire the generosity and the elevation with which the Shepherds of the Catholic Church, even in the midst of situations that were by no means easy, have put the interest of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God above any partisan option.

"In the exhortation that the Holy Father addressed on the 8th of Decembe r 1974 to the Episcopate, the Clergy, and the faithful of the whole world on the subject of reconci li ation within the Church, one reads these words: 'The au thority with wh ich they (the shepherds) propose (the Gospel) is binding, due not to men's acceptance but because Ch rist has conferred it (authority).' As a consequence, since those who hear th e m or despise them hear or despise Christ and Him who has sent Him, this obligation of obedience of the faithful to the authority of the Shepherds, is an ontological demand of their very being Christian .

"The obligation already inculcated by Vatican Council 11 is also none other than this: 'The faithful for their part must be united to their bishop like the Church is to J esus Christ and like J esus Christ is to the Father so that all th in gs may harmoni ze in unity and grow for the glory of God. "With all my soul I deplore the attitude of those who by means of partial versions of documents and postures seek to separate the faithful from their communion ~ ith their Bishop and Priests: may the Virgin Mary ma ke them see the ir error so that they may promptly reconcile themselves with the legitimate authorities of the Church of God." Sotero Sanz V, Apostolic Nuncio

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DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

lrnfallibility, 'Heresy, anil tqr <tratqolir <tronsrienrr

Today, modernism, condemned by the Church, has taken hold in the Church, as Pau l VI recognized implicitly in his statement about "the sm oke of Satan" penetrating into the temple of God (Allocution of June 29, 19 72). Although modernism had been beaten back by the heroic labors of St. Pius X, it did not cease to exert its poisonous influence. Once outlawed, it concealed itself in the secret socie ties as St. Pius X has said (Motu Proprio Sacrorum Antistitum, Sept. 1, 1910) and continued to spread its errors. And 110w the modernists, and tl1eir successors the progressives, work brazenly and openly to reconcile the Ch i( rch to a modern, evolutionist, and sensual world, in wl1at ltas come to be known as the "post-conciliar" Church .

Seci11g these conditions develop ing, we recognized, dun'ng the first issues of the publicatio11 Crusade for a Chris tian Civil ization, tltat the Cath olic, beset by the raging onslaugh t of e rrors and disorders within the very f abric of the Chu rch, needed in particular to understand clearly three ,natters: ( 1) the nature of infallibility and ecclesiastical authority , ( 2) the definition of heresy, and (3 ) the obligations of the Catholic conscience in such a situation where erro r is being fom ented within tl1e Church on a large scale.

In response to this need, we published in October 19 72 an essay entitled "infallibility, Heresy, a,:zd the Catholic Conscience," which is a comp ilation of three Sl(mmaries of longer essays by Dr. Arnaldo Xavier da Silveira which had been previously published in Catolicismo and other South American journals.

The repercussions from the first publication of this matter in the United States were excellent. Many readers thanked us for making available such a clear exposition of the Catholic doctrine on the central questions which are of primary concern to Catholics today. So,ne of them asked for and received from us permission to reproduce it and disseminate it further, which gai1Led for the essay additional friendly readers.

Considering now that the questions which it treats are more pulpable than ever and our many new readers, we judge that the time is pressing and opportune for its wider distribution . The text of the essay follows.

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WHAT IS THE DOCTRINAL AUTHORITY OF THE PONTIFICAL AND CONCILIA R DOCUMENTS 1 The infallibility of the Sovereign Pontiffs and of the Church is the guarantee of Tradition and of all that is con tained in Revelation.

THE MODERN SPIRIT OF INSUBORDINATION TO THE TEACHINGS OF ST. PETER

The times in which we live are subversive of all values. In such a period of crises, when as stated by J o hn XXIII, the rule is the antidecalog, it is fundam ental for us to know the extension of the infallibility of the Pope and of the Church .

As early as the pontificate of St. Pius X, the modernists were already refusing to accept decisions of the Apostolic See which did no t involve infallibility.

And in our days also we find the same lack of submission, as disobedience to the teachings of the Church permeates the Cath olic popu lation .

* * *

·"'1.•. : .

-w ' I •

THE EXTENSION OF PONTIFICAL INFALLIBILITY

The idea that the Sovereign Pontiff is infallible in everyth ing he says has taken root in the minds of many Catholics having an average religious instructio n. Among other Catholics, we encou nter the equally mistaken notion that onl y the solemn difinitions, such as the Assumption of O ur Lady, are in fallible .

Other Catholics ask: Is an Ecumenical Council always infallible? Can the Pope be wrong? Do I h ave to b elieve everything the Popes have taught throughou t the centuries? Do I have to believe all of the doctrinal d ocuments published by the Roman Congregations? Do I have to believe everything taught by the Bish ops, o r at least by my Bishop?

We wi ll analyze the fundamental points of these questions.

THE MAGISTERIUM, PONTIFICAL AND UNIVERSAL

Before broach ing the subj ec t of infallibility, we need to est ablish some fu ndamental distinctions.

T h e ecclesiastical Magisterium sh ould be divided initially into the pontifical Magist erium and the universal Magisterium. The pontifical Magisterium is that of the Pope, Supreme Chief of the Church.

The universal Magisterium is th at of the Bishops united with the Pope.

Now we need to establish another basic division: It is the one which distinguishes the ordinary from the extraordinary Magisterium.

Two views of St. Pius X. Above: in the full ness of papal splendo r; below: when he was younger.

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In the extraordinary Magisterium, each statement possesses infallibility in itself. These statements are the solemn definitions, such as the ones on the Immaculate Conception, th e pontifical Infallibility, the Assumption of Our Lady.

As we will see further on, however, not every teaching of the Popes, the Councils, and the Bishops is infallible in itself (extraordinary Magisterium).

There are teachings of the Popes, the Councils, and th e Bishops which belong to the ordinary Magisterium. The ordinary Magisterium is the one which does not fulfill the necessary conditions of a statement that is infallible in itself.

Both the pontifical and the universal Magisterium may be ordinary or extraordinary. There are, therefore, four different modalities of teachings in the Holy Church as shown by the scheme below: EXTRAORDINARY: Solemn papal statement, in itself infallible. Examples: Definitions of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption ¡of Our Lady.

PONTIFICAL MAGISTERIUM

ORDINARY: The Pope's common teachings, in which each statement is not infallible in itself. Example: The doctrine generally contained in the encycl icals, etc.

UNIVERSAL MAGISTERIUM

EXTRAORDINARY: Solemn statement, in itself infallible, of the Bishops jointly with the Pope. Example: Definition of the dogma of pontifical infallibility by Vatican Council I. ORDINARY : Common teaching of the Bishops jointly with the Pope, in which each statement is not in itself infallible.

Example: The teaching of the universal mediation of Our Lady, for the whole world, in the complex of pastoral letters, preachings, etc.

WHAT IS AN "EX CATHEDRA" PONTIFICAL STATEMENT? Let us analyze the extraordinary pontifical Magisterium.

The Pope is infallible whe n he speaks "ex cathedra," and on matters of faith and/or morals.

What does "ex cathedra" mean? First it may be noted that these Latin words mean literally , "from the chair," in this case, Peter's chair, the seat of authority in the Church. Then certain questions may be raised. Does speaking from Peter's chair mean only official teaching? Is it a speaking to the universal Church? Are the Encyclicals, for instance, as official docume nts addressed to the entire Church, "ipso facto" "ex cathedra" statements?

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The comple te resolution of these problems is to be found in the definition of pontifical infallibility given b y Vatican Council I. The Constitution Pastor Aeternus establishes the necessary conditions for the in fallibility of the pontifical de finitions. It teaches that the Pope is infallible when he speaks "ex cathedra," which means, when in the use of his privilege of 1\!Jaster and Shepherd of all Christians, and by his supreme apostolic authority, he defines the doctrine which, in matters of faith and morals, must be supported by¡ the entire Church. (Denzinger, Ench. symb., 1839).

Four conditions are necessary for the statement of an extraordinary pontifical teaching: (1) The Pope must speak as the universal Master and Shepherd; (2) he must make full use of his apostolic authority; (3) he must exteriorize the will to define; (4) he must teach on matters of faith o r morals.

Infallibility is a power established in the person of the Pontiff, as a being endowed with intelligence and will. He will use this power or not, according to his wishes.

It is evident that the Pope does not use the power of infallibility in order to define statements made by him in his private life, for instance, in a conversation with friends or in a letter to his relatives. Th is case does not fulfill the first condition, that he speak as the universal Master.

But for the occurrence of infallibility it is not en ough that the Pope should speak as the universal Master. In fact, a second condition must be fulfilled; he must speak in the full use of his powers. Such is the impo rtance and gravity of an infallible statement that it should be made quite clear that, in doing so, the Pope is making full use of t he privileges which are his by right as the legitimate Successor of Saint Pe ter.

Even this, however, is not enough. For speaking as the universal Mas ter and in the use of all his authority, the Pope may o nly recommend a doctrine , or order that it be taught in the Seminaries, or warn of th e danger there may be in denying it. That is wh y there is a third condition: the exteriorization of the will to define.

The last condition is that the statement sho uld cover matters of faith or morals.

THE EXTERIORIZATION OF THE WILL TO DEFINE The most crucial point t o be considered is the third condition: that there should be the intention to define.

How is that intention disclosed? Is it by the words "we define"? Is it by the excommunication of those who contradict it? Is it by the juridical nature of the document?

crees are proposed as infallible. And he concludes that if the words are not clear in this particular, it is not assured that the doctine be an article of faith (De Cone., 2, 12). And if it is not assured, it is not dogma.

CONTINUITY OF A TEACHING IN THE ORDINARY MAGISTERIUM

None of these signs has an absolute value. The fundamental point is that it be made clear, in any way , that the Pope wanted to define a dogma.

Thus, in the solemn definitions, the Popes accumulate verbs to make their intention undoubtable: "we decree, we declare, we proclaim," etc.

In other cases, these verbs are not used, but the will to de fine is made manifest by the circumstances involved with the document. For example , when the Pope imposes on the entire Church the acceptance of a formula of faith, the will to define has been exteriorized. It is also manifest when he solves officially and definitely a doctrinal dispute which has arisen between Bishops, in a d ocume nt addressed , in a more or less indirect manner, to the universal Church.

THE EXTRAORDINARY UNIVERSAL MAGISTERIUM

Vati can Council I did not declare under what conditions an Ecumenical Counc il is in fallible. It may be said, however - by analogy with the pontifical Magisterium - that the same four conditions must be fu lfilled. Th us, as in the case o f the Pope, the Council has the power to be infallible, but may or may not use this power according to its wishes.

At this point, many wrongly informed Catholics might object that they have always heard that every Ecumenical Synod is necessarily infallible. That is not, however, what the theologians say .

Saint R o bert Bellarmine ex plains that only by th e words of the Council is it possible to know if its de-

We cannot define the ordinary Magisterium, either the pontifical or the universal, as that in which the teachings do not carry the note of infallibility.

It is true, a teaching from the ordinary Magisterium does not involve infallibility when by itself, that is to say, isolated from the other teachings. Thus, the Encylical Ad Diem Ilium of St. Pius in defending the Marian Co-redemption says nothing that involves the pontifical infallibility. In this case, therefore, we are far from the solemn definitions such as, for instance, that of the Immaculate Conception in t he Bull Ineffabilis Deus, a definition which by itself would close the subject even if there were no other pontifical statements on the matter.

T he ordinary Magisterium, however, may involve infallibility in another way. This is the case where the same doctrine is taught by the ordinary Magisterium continuously and for a long time . Accordingly , in regard to the Marian Co-redemption, Father ].A. Aldama, S.J. , says: "Though the o rdinary Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff is no t infallible in itself, if, however, it teaches constantly and for a long time a certain doctrine in the entire Church as occurs in our case (the Co-redemption), its infallibility must be absolutely admitted; otherwise, it would lead the Church t o an error." (Mariology, p. 418).

Therefore, according to Fath er Aldama , the doctrine of the Marian Co-redemption is now considered to be infallibly taught by the Church, even though not the object of any stateme nt of the extraordinary Magisterium , either pontifical or unive rsal.

This case illu strates the infallibil ity o f the ord inary Magisterium by the continuity of a same teaching, a very important principle usually forgotten by many Catholics who study our faith.

The doctrinal basis of this claim to infallibility is the one pointed o ut by Father Aldam a : If the Popes and the universal Church could be wrong in a long and con tinuous series of ordinary documents on the same subject, th e gates of hell would have prevailed against the Bride of Christ. The Church would have been transformed into a teacher of errors, from whose dangerous and even fatal influence t he faithfu l would have no means of escaping.

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What period of time is necessary for a certain truth to be considered infallible on the basis of the continuity of the ordinary Magisterium ? It is childish to try to decide these questions w ith an hour-glass in hand.

Th e live facts are not measured by computers but by common sense , the only instrument capable of weighing that which is not capable of being weighed. And the facts of faith , which are not only live but of supernatural character, can only be measured by the Catholic sense, inspired by grace.

FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONTINUITY It is evident th at time is not the only factor to be considered in establishing the series of continuity.

There are many others, some of which will be pointed out: *The importance that the Pope grants to the document. - If the Pope grants grea t importance to th e d ocument, it will have more weight in establishing th e series o f continuity than another which was not th e object of any great insistence or enhanceme nt on th e part of the Pope himself. *The importance that subsequent Popes grant to the document. - Very frequently, the Popes mention th eir Predecessors, repeat what they have taugh t, and praise their d oc umen ts. This practice by a Pope makes it evident that he wishes to foll ow the same path as his Predecessor. *The solemnity of the statem en t. *The universality of the teaching. - The catechism classes that Saint Pius X gave to the people of Rome and the pilgrims have less authority than the Christmas radio broadcasts that Pius XII add ressed every year to the Catholic population. *The audience to which the Pope addresses himself - For example, the speeches to scientific congresses are particularly important because of the high technical level of the listeners. Such congresses sometimes act as amplifiers for the voice of th e Pope with the purpose of enriching it, of comme nting upon it, and of scattering it th roughout the world. *The attention given by the theologians to the statement.

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*The effect of the document on the Catholic world in general. - If a pontifical or conciliar statement is the object of a wide receptivity in the world of politics, newspapers, religious associations, etc ., and if the Po pe is silen t, it is because he wishes to see it widely disseminated. *That which is peacefully taught for a long time to the entire Catholic population easily acquires the characteristic of an infall ible teaching. *The continuous character of the series. - If a doctrine of several Popes is opposed by one of their Successors, or by a Council before it becomes an infallible teaching, it is evident th at the series is broken.

This negative factor may considerably influence the establishment of the continuity.

Is it possible for some pontifical or conciliar documents to oppose frontally infallible teachings of the past ? If the new statement is also infallible, this opposition cannot exist. But if the new statement is not infallible, authors of responsibility - such as Saint Robert Bellarmine, Suarez, Cano, and Soto consider that assumption to be theologically possible.

And it is obvious that the Catholic should then remain faithful to the infallible doctrine. This assumption would lead the studious to a question m any centuries old, upon which the greatest theologians of modern times have particularly engaged themselves, th at of the possibility of a Pope heretic . . *The importance bestowed on the thesis in the document. *The manne r in which the document presen ts the subject.

An example: private property. - It seems unquestionable that the principles laid d own by t he theologians, in regard to infallibility on the basis of the continuity of a same teaching, apply to the fundamental points o f the doctrine on private property.

How is it possible to sustain that the series of teachings on private property is not as rich as that of the Marian Co-redemption, which, however , according to Father Aldama is no longer a free question among Catholics?

CANNONIZATIONS, LITURGY , ECCLESIASTICAL LAWS In the study of both the ordinary and th e extraordinary ~a~isteriu_m, special attention must be given to cano111zat1ons, liturgy, ecclesiastical laws, and the ap~roval o f the rules for religious orders or congregations.

In a canonization, the Pope declares that a certain servant of God was sanc tified and deserves the veneration of t_he universal Church , presenting the li fe of that particular saint as a model to all the faith fol.

Actually, if that soul had been condemned, Holy Mother Church would be proposing to its followers a false cult and a model which w ould lead them to eternal damnation. And then, the gates of hell would have prevailed over Peter's Rock. For that reason, the Pope is in fallible in canonizations.

law of faith." How could the Church , by the prayers it recommends, instill into souls principles opposed to the Faith?

The infallibility that exists in regard to an ecclesiastical law does not imply that it is the most perfec t possible, bu t only that it does not oblige the practicing of sinful acts.

The legislation of the Church cannot oblige the practice of mortal sins. This is unquestionable. It cannot even recomme nd them. Can a certain ecclesiastical law ultimately insinu ate them? Can it expressly allow them? Can it tacitly allow them? Can it oblige the practice of venial sins? Can it recomme nd them, insinuate them, allow them expressly or tacitly .

These points, which it is believed have not been studied by the theologians, are, h owever, of the utmost importance for the idea of infallibility .

AUTHORITY OF NON-INFALLIBLE DOCUMENTS Our concern with the study of infallibility should not lead u s to give little attention to the non-infallible documents.

Actually , most of the teachings contained in the en cyclicals, in the pontifical addresses, in th e letters addressed by the Holy See to Bishops and congresses all over the world, and in the decrees of the Roman Sacred Congregations, do not involve infallibility.

Should they be despised because of this?

Monument of S t. Pius X.

Similarly, if the Pope put into force ecclesiastical laws or rules for religious orders designed to lead the faithfu l to e ternal perdition , the gates of hell would have prevailed over t he Church. Thus, for the same re ason, the ecclesiastical laws and particularly the rules for religious ord ers possess infallibility. If the Holy See forc ed the fai t hfu l to practice sinfu l actions or proposed obje ctionable rules of li fe, it would have been transformed into an instrument o f damnation.

In prin ciple, * the prayers of the sacred liturgy, approved directly or indirectly, cannot contain errors.

"Lex orandi, lex credendi" - "the law o f pray er is the *E ditor 's N o te: Sp ecial a ttention is c alled to the phr ase "in princ ip le,' ' since as Dr. Silveira h as shown in ano th er study, th e re are " grave reasons ... to doubt th a t th e universal liturgical laws implic ate alwa y s and necessarily the infallibility of the Church. " (S ilveira, The Infallib ility of the Church in t he liturgical l aws). Dr. Silveira p oints o ut th at " t he unive rsal li t urgica l disposi tion s involve th e authority of the Church .. . in th e m easure tha t the Holy See or the sacred Hierarchy, have com mitted in each spec ific case th eir o wn auth ority ." For exampl e, we know th e ex tent th at Paul V I h as des ired to com m it his authority t o th e ne w Mass from his own words about the ne w

A single citation of the E ncyclical Hu m ani Gen eris of Pius XII is sufficien t to resolve the matter. " Neither should it be thought that the teachings of the Encyclicals do not require assent p e r se under the pretence that the Popes did not exercise in th em th e power of their supreme Magisterium. These teachings are part of the ordinary Magisterium for which these words are also valid. 'He that heareth y ou heareth me ' (Luke 10: 16)."

THE PROBLEM OF WITHHOLDING THE ASSENT OF THE INTELLIGENCE After all of this has been considered, there still rema ins one problem: Is it licit to withhold the assent of the intelligence in regard to a document of the "Ordo": "th e rite and the respec tive rubrics ARE NOT by the m selves A DOGMATIC DEFINITION, they are SUSCEPTIB L E OF THEOLOGICAL QUALIFICATION OF VARY I NG VALUE" (Paul V I, Gene ral Audie nce. Nov. 19 , 1969, Jn seguame nti di Paulo V I, Vo l. V il , p. 1123 . - Th e c apitals are o urs.) In commenting on this p assage , Or. Silveira remarks tha t "if Paul V I himself declar ed explicitly that the rites and th e rubrics o f the new Mass ' ar e susceptible of th eological qualifica tion o f var y ing value ,' it d oes n o t seem to us p ossib le to sustain tha t the texts of the new Mass, as such, involve the infallibil ity of the Church." (S ilve ira , Th e inf allibility of the Church in the l iturgical l aws.)

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ordinary Magisterium if it opposes in a frontal manner a doctrine traditionally taught by the Church?

Many theologians give an affirmative answer to that question.

Others, however, do not allow the withholding of the assent of the intelligence in regard to such a document. The position of this latter group of theologians does not seem to be clear.

In certain writings, they insinuate that Divine Providence will never allow the occurrence of errors in the decisions of the ordinary Magisterium. Thus, they do not make statements on the merit of the question, but refuse to study the assumption.

In other writings, they admit the possibility of error, declaring that, if it is evident, " it is necessary to maintain a firm support of the decree of the Holy Congregation, considering it at least as probable, until the Congregation itself or a higher court decide differently on the matter." (Salaverri).

It does not seem to us that these authors have faced the possibility of the following factors acting jointly in the same case:

( 1) The circumstances of actual life force the faithful Catholic in his conscience to take a position on a problem. ( 2) He has evidence that there is a precise opposition between the teaching of the ordinary Magisterium on the subject and the other testimonies of Tradition.

(3) The infallible decision which could put an end to the ques tion - referred to above by Father Salaverri - has not been pronounced.

It seems to u s, therefore, that the position of those who do not refuse to examine that possibility - at least as a subject for mere speculation - is more objective.

ARE THE DOCUMENTS OF VATICAN COUNCIL II INFALLIBLE? At this time there is a question which the reader

may have in mind: Did Vatican Council II use the privilege of in fallibility?

The answer is a simple and positive no. The Conciliar Fathers never showed the will to define, that is to say, on no occasion did they fulfill the third condition for infallibility listed above. That Vatican II did not wish to define any dogma is proven by its records and the text of its documents; in none of these can the exteriorization of the will to define be unmistakeably found.

Some theologians might oppose what has just been said, if it were not for several statements of Paul VI which have , in a final and irrevocable manner decided this important question. ' In closing the Council, His Holiness declared that in it "the Magisterium of the Church ... did not wish to proclaim an extraordinary dogmatic sentence" (Speech of December 7, 1965 ).

Later, on less solemn occasions, but in an even clearer and more detailed manner, Paul VI confirmed that the Council "avoided proclaiming in an extraordinary manner dogmas endowed with the note of infallib_ility" but "conferred on its teachings the authority of the supreme ordinary Magisterium" (Speech of January 12, 1966); and that it had as one of its programmed ite ms " not to give new solemn dogmatic definitions. " (S peech of March 8, 1967 ).

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A Council has only the authority which the Pope wishes to grant to it. Accordingly, it is clear that the above pontifical statements, made after the publication of the conciliar documents, put an end to all doubts which might have occurred.

We will not attempt, therefore, to give Vatican II an assent_ which t~e Council itself did not request. Let us obey its teachmgs to the full extent of the authority with which they are vested, and it should be understood that, in the measure in which the y maintain previous teachings of the Church, they may become factors of enormous weight for the establishment o f infallibility due to the continuity of a same teaching.

NOT ONLY HERESY SHOULD BE CONDEMNED BY ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITY

Throughout the centuries, the Church developed a detailed classification of those half-errors which surround the total and confessed error. A knowledge of these half-errors can be obtained by a study of the so-calle d "theological admonitions." To know th ese theological admonitions is to be equipped with a sub24 CRUSADE

de _an? e fficient instrument for unmasking heresy yet m its embryonic form . . Ac_cor~ing to Tanquerey, the theological admonition 1s a ~udgmen t or sentence by which a proposition or doc~nne h armful to faith is marked by a note expressing the reason to be used in condemning it.

Thus a statement is censured as "heretical" if it fro ntally opposes a dogma, as "dangerous" if it contains a threat to faith , as "scandalous" if it causes scandal t o th e faithful, etc.

THE HERETICAL PROPOSITION According to canon 1325, the heretic is one who, after being baptized and mai n taining the condition of Christian, denies or puts in doubt stubbornly a truth which must be b elieved by Divine and Catholic Faith.

The several e lements contained in this canonical th ought shall be summaril y analyzed along the lines developed by Genecot.

The heretic is a baptized person and c onsiders himself as a Christian. Those who are not baptized, as for example a jew, or those who apostatize from Christianity cannot actuall y be c onsidere d heretical.

It is necessary to be persistent in den y ing a truth of the Faith to fall into heresy. If som eone, fo r instance , due to plain ignoran ce, declares that the H oly Ghost proceeds only from the Son and not from the Father, he cannot be considered heretical only fo r ch is. U pon being warned, he will immediately correc t h is s tate m e nt.

Heretics are those who deny a truth of the Divine a nd Cath olic Faith . A truth of Divine Faith is one chat was reve aled. And a truth o f Catholic Faith is one proposed by the Chu rch to its followers as one chat must b e believe d . Thus, if som eone da res to deny chat th e Cou ncil of Trent was a legitimate Cou nc il , he is no t a h eretic for this, since in Re velation nothing is dire c tl y stated in this respect. And if Saint Be rnard , fo r ins tance , denied th e Imm aculate Conception , he did not for this reason bec ome a heretic , sin ce in his days the Church had not yet proposed chis truth as one chat must be belie ve d b y the faithful.

Finally , to be heretical it is no t nec essary to deny a truth o f the Divine a nd Catho lic Faith, it is e nough to d o ubt it pe rsis te ntl y . F o r as Ge nicot points o ut, he who pe rsists in s uc h a doubt ¡be lieves. formally o r virtuall y, that a d ogma submitted b y th e Churc h is incorrec t, and there fo re de fi es the authority o f th e Churc h .' ' An idea widely disseminate d amo ng C atholics in ge ne ral is th a t onl y a pro positio n whic h o ppose s a dogm a sole mnl y de fin e d by th e Chu rch - su ch as t hat o f pontifical infallibility o r the Immaculate Concepti o n - is he re tic al.

Actu all y, t his idea is false. Accordin g to the unanim o us o pini o n o f th e th eologians, he resy is n o t o nl y th e de nial of a truth re vealed an d solemnl y defined b ut also th e de nial o f a truth reveale d a nd proposed as su ch b y th e o rdi nary a nd unive rsal Magis tc ri u m.

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25

cal. :11111111g at a grea te r clarification of th e dogmatic asp ect.

A PROPOSITION INDIRECTLY OPPOSED TO FAITH Only a proposition that frontally contradicts a dogma is he re tical. T hus the nu mber o f heretical prop ositions is limited b y chis condition , that is , the condition of direct oppositio n to faith. There are, however, seve ral t ypes of prop osition s chat are indirec tl y o pposed to faith. Among th ese, the th eologians - Tanque rey, He rve, Pa re nte, e tc . - list three large categories:

( 1) Th ose whose contents express a doctrine opposed to faith.

(2) Those that are objecti onable becau se of the manne r in which they are expressed.

(3) Those that are objec tionable because of the bad e ffe cts they ma y produce.

At the left, St. Augustine crushing a heretic. At the right, a medieval representation of a demon tak ing a damned soul to hell.

Th erefore, it is possible to have he resies against truth s not de fin ed solemnly.

Th e prac tical ra nge of the correct unde rstanding of heresy is enormous. I t d ocs no t seem possible, for instance , as we noted in the first sect io n , th at nowadays the Marian Co-redemptio n or the basic principles of private property may be de nie d without falling into heresy.

It should be pointed out that whe n we declare th a t a p ropositio n may be condemne d - either as heretical or as deservin g a less serious reproach we are, in th e prese nt article, considerin g the proposition in itself, in its obj ective meaning. We judge it in re gard to wh at is taught by the Church in its d ogmas a nd in the en tire scop e of its excee dingl y rich archives of Cathol ic doctrine .

Actuall y, if someone d efends a proposition that is wrong, there are moral, canonicaJ, and d ogmatic conside rations. From a moral standpoint, th e question to ask is what sin is that person committing, and then it would be necessary to conside r if the person is ac ting in ignorance or if he is obstinate , e tc.

The can onic aJ problem would consist in checking to determine the p e nalty t hat sh ould be imp osed on those wh o admit a ny of th ese condem nable propositions.

In the present article, the referen ces which may be made to m o ral or canonicaJ aspects are o nl y inc ide n26

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Le t us anal yze summaril y each one o f these three categories.

(1) Co11tents objectionab le. An asse rtion even if it is n ot he re tical , may have in itself an error, overt or disguised. In this class, for instance , a rc listed the propositions close to heresy, with the fl avor of he resy, th e ones in error, close to error, with the flavor of error, the dangerous ones (according to Tanquc rcy ).

(2) Manner of exp ression objec tionable. It is possible to state eve n a truth in an objec tio nable manne r.

Statements o f this kind make it possible for he resy to appear or to spread by p re paring the minds of the people to accept the error. That is wh y the Church condemns suspicious propositions, those that d o not sound correct , those that offend pious e ars, the dubious ones, etc. (according to Tanque rey) .

(3) Objectionable because of bad effects tl1 ey may produce. There are propositions that, thou gh possibl y not objec tionable in the ir conte nts, will produce noxious e ffects and , for this reason, arc condemnable . In th is cl ass are the scandal o us pro positio ns, th e schism atic ones the seditious o nes those that arc n o t safe, e tc. ' '

A PROPOSITION CLOSE TO HERESY A proposition is said to be close to heresy whe n it opposes a truth not yet d e fine d , but tha t soon will be defined. E xa mple : T o d en y the Imm acu late Co nce ption shortl y b efore its de finition (accordin g to Tangue rey) .

A PROPOSITION WITH THE FLAVOR OF HERESY An assertio n is said t o have th e flavor of he resy when it is so a m b iguou s that , th ough it may have a good in te rp retation, every thing in it sugges ts a b ad in terp retation . E x am ple : Faii/1 j ustifies. (accord ing to T a nq ue rey) . T h is prop ositio n strongly sugges ts th e idea that fai t h jus ti fies w ith n o wor k , wh ich is a pro tes tan t here ti cal t hesis.

A PROPOSITION SUSPECT OF HERESY A proposition suspect of he resy is ver y close to one w ith the flavor o f heresy. But as the Salman tines explain very veil "we do no t de ny that in a certai n way they d iffe r. Suspicion implies a ligh t foun d ation whe reas fl avor contai ns a serious indication supplied by experi e nce . Moreover, less is requ ire d for a proposit ion t o be susp ic ious, than for o ne to h ave the flavor o f he resy : for th e latter the accum u latio n of more nu m er ous circu mstances is required. "

A WRONG PROPOSITION What d istinguis hes a heretical propos1t 1on from a wrong o ne is that the form er de nies a tru th revealed an d proposed as suc h by the Church, whe reas the lat ter de n ies a tru th not revealed but which necessaril y m ay be in fe rred from a revealed t ruth (acco rding t o T a nq uere y) . T h is in ference is so necessary th a t o nce the conc lusion is d enied, then "ipso facto" th e prem ise is den ied, a nd if the premise is asserted, th en " ipso facto" the conclusio n is asse rted.

Let us give an example . It was no t formally revealed that the science of Our Lo rd was immune from any e rror . Therefore, th ose who deny that truth a re not heretics. But it was revealed t hat J esus Christ is God . and th e nce it is necessarily in fe rre d t hat His science cannot con tain any error. Th erefore, the proposition which de n ies tha t t ruth is wrong.

For concre te purposes - pe rh aps som e read er wi ll ask - w h at diffe rence 1s the re between heresy an d e rror?

The basic diffe rence 1s that the reason for the asse nt given to a dogma is the aut h ority of God in revealing, for He cannot be wrong or deceive us. But if a truth was not formally reveale d by God , but is in ferred from another t ruth, wh ic h was revealed, the assent give n to t h is in ferred tru th is based not o n ly on the au thority of God in reveal ing but also on the hu man reaso ning w h ich made the in fere nce .

This difference h as a g reat effect for concrete purposes : T he accepta nce of a heretical proposition eliminates from the Chu rch , because it is a de n ial of

what cons titu te s t he for mal reason for faith, whe reas t he acceptance of a w rong proposition is a mor tal sin but docs not exclude the faithful from the Church .

A DANGEROUS PROPOSITION A proposit ion th at opp oses sta temen ts comm only professed by the t heologians is called dangerous.

Example : There are saints, beside Our Lady , conce ived w ithout original sin (according to Prumme r ).

Another example: Mos t men who lead a bad life are converted at the moment of their death by a special grace of Divine Mercy.

A SCANDALOUS PROPOSITION Scandalous is the statement that, t h o ugh u ltimately contai n ing a truth, "gives cause for ruin , lead ing t he hea rers to sin and driving them from the exerc ise of virtue." (Cartechini). Example : God predicted th at you will condemn yourse lves, pe rish in sin, what ever you may do (according to Tanquerey ).

OTHER CENSURES So many a rc the censures w ith wh ich th e Churc h and the theologians L]Ualify the propositions wh ich m ay be condemned that we do not intend to define t hem all. The Dictionaire ,.le '/'/,eologie Cat/10 /iqu e ad vises us that " Antonio Sessa, a Fran c isc an from Pal e rmo, cou n ted 69 re proaches in the seven teenth century in his Scruti11i11111 Doctrinaru111. And until our CRUSADE

27

days, oth e r kinds have increased this quite high figure" (Quilliet, co l. 2 104 ).

F u rthermore, in view of the reprehensions that have already b een a na lyzed herein, it is quite clear which propositions are impious, blasphemous , improbable, d angerous, seditious, unsafe , captious, outrageous - not only against the Church but also against the secular authorities - those which have been condemned many times, the im pure, unsc rupulous, schism atic, those wh ich seduce simple minds, etc. (according to Quillict).

THE ECCLESIASTICAL MAGISTERIUM AND THE THEOLOGICAL CENSURES Misin fo rmed persons migh t object that propositions susceptible to a censure below that of heresy cannot be formally condemned by the Church. This idea is very common in certain Cath olic circles.

Nothing could be more false . One nee d only open the Enchiridion Syrnbolon u11 to find in it for m al condemn ations of p ropositions qualified b y the widest range of theological censures.

Saint Pius V condem ned 79 theses of Baio, declarin g that among the m were propositions that were heretical , wrong, suspicious, da ngerous, scan dalous, an d offensive to pious ears (De nz, 1001-1080).

Blessed Innocent X I condemned 68 propositions of Molinas as heretical , su spicious, wrong, scandalous , blasphem ous, offensive to pious ears, dangerou s, destro yers of Chris t ian d isc iplin e, su bve rsive, and seditiou s (Denz , 122 1-1288).

Alexander V III condem ne d 31 janscn ist prop ositions as dangerous, scandalous, bad sounding, injuri-

ous, close to heresy, with the fl avor of heresy, wrong, schismatic, and heretical (Dcnz, 1291-1321 ).

Inn ocent X II con demned 23 propositions of Fe nelon , Archbish op of Cam bray, as dangerous, scandalous, bad-soundin g, offensive to pious ears, nox ious in practice, and wrong (De nz , 1327-1349).

The list could be extended to the condemnations of the "fraticell i" (Denz, 484-490) , of Marsilio de Padu a (Denz, 495-500), of Master Eckart (De nz , 501 -529 ), of Wycliffe (Denz, 581-625) , of Luther (De nz, 741-78 1), of the Pistoia Synod (Denz, 15011599), e tc . But these listings, exten sive a nd tiresome, are qui te unnecessary.

A FINAL OBJECTION : TO CENSURE IS NOT PROPER FOR LAYMEN In view of this list o f doctrinal censures, some reader may perhaps object th at t his is n o concern of h is, for the responsibility of censuring a statement opposed to faith be longs o nl y to the Pope a nd Bish ops, never to a simple layma n.

This object ion is incorrect. Actually, the t heologians, a fter showing that the task of pronounc ing doctrin,J cen sures is the responsibility , in the fi rst in stance, of the Sovereign Pontiff and of the Bishops, an d to all who have external jurisd iction , add tha t "private individuals may also use their C h ristian in telligence to evaluate and qualify books and proposi tions in regard to orthodoxy a nd to the usages.

T h is is a right and, to a certain ex tent, a duty for each individual, the purpose of which is to maintain, defe n d, and disseminate the gospel. " (Quillic t , col.

210 1).

PUBUC 1?.ESISTANCE TO DECISIONS OT ECCLESIASTIC.-IL .-I UT/-1O/UT)'

The notion of auth ority is so essential to t he Catho lic, n ot only from th e standpoint of his way of thinking but also from that of his method o f conduct, that we would prefer not to look closely into this de licate question o f public resistanc e to the d ec isio ns of ecclesiastical a u th ori ty.

However, w e feel drive n to this for nowadays amo ng this ve ry Sac re d Hierarchy the re are those who constan ti y scandalize th c peop le of t he Lo rd with th e ir utterings a nd behavior at variance with sound doctri ne.

Suc h utterances a nd b eh avior e ndange r rh e fai th of many a simp le soul. We should not id ly watch suc h a serious evil b eing committed.

Thus our aim is none oth e r than to provide guidan ce, h ow ever h umble, to th ose who stand perplexed .

28

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There fore, let us sec what Catholic d octrine has to say conce rning the possibility of a believer resisting wic ked disciplinary ac tion or the wronoful tcachin ot:> t:> of those who hold cle rical authority.

BISHOPS AND LOWER ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITIES In taki ng up th is matter, we prefer not to mix our voice with those of th e great saints and o f th e theologians approved in the Holy C hurch . Such being th e case , in the prese n t section, we sh ,JI lim it ourselves t o re produc ing what some of them h ave said . T o the m we sh all leave th e charge of teac hing us the exte nsion of the theses tha t they defend an d the argume nts upon wh ich they arc fou nded .

Herc arc some tex t s th at refer to the legitimacy of

public resistance to episcopal authority. a) D. Gueranger. Writing about Saint Cyril of Alexandria, the outstanding adversary of Nestorianism, Dom Prosper Gueranger, Abbot of Solesmes, teaches: "When the pastor becomes a wolf, it is the flock in the first place that has the duty to defend itself. Normally, undoubtedly, doctrine comes down from the Bishops to the faithful, and subj ects, in the domain of faith, must not judge their chiefs. But there are, in the treasury of Revelation, essential points that every Christian by virtue of his very title of Christian, necessarily knows and has the obligation to defend" (D. Gueranger, L'Anne Lit Feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria, pp. 340-341 ). b) Herve. In analyzing the different factors that contribute to an even greater explication of dogma during the course of the centuries, Herve eulogizes the opposition mounted by the faithful against Nestorius, the heretical patriarch of Cons tan tin op le: "By an instinct of the Holy Spirit, the faithful may be led to a better understanding and belief in respect to what increases piety and worship, favoring in this way the progress of dogma. Indeed, the rnurmuring of the faithful against Nestorius was a great help toward the definition of the Divine Maternity of the Most Holy Virgin... " (Herve, Man. Theol. Dogm., Vol. Ill, p. 305). c) D. Antonio de Castro Mayer. The illustrious Bishop of Campos published recently a document in which he called to mind the traditional doctrine on the right of resistance to iniquitous ecclesiastical authorities. It was in a letter of praise of the magnificent Vadecurn of the Faithful Catholic, in which four hundred priests of different countries, combating progressivism, expounded the principles of the true Catholic Faith and invited the faithful to oppose the new heresy that today invades the whole world.

In his letter of praise, the Lord Bishop of Campos declares this Vademecum to be most opportune and adds: " ... let no one come and say that it is not for the faithful - as the Vademecum proclaims - to pass judgment on what is happening in the Church; that it is for them only to follow docilely the orientation given by the Ministers of the Lord. It is not true. The History of the Church eulogizes the attitude of the faithful of Constantinople who opposed the heresy of their Patriarch, Nestorius."

"I RESISTED HIM TO HIS FACE BECAUSE HE MERITED REPROOF"

Would it be legitimate, in extreme cases, to resist even decisions of the Sovereign Pontiff? In answering this question, we shall transcribe only documents that are related to public resistance because, if in

certain circumstances this is legitimate, with greater reason it would be legitimate to oppose a papal decision privately. No author, of whom we have ever heard, has ever raised any doubt about the right of such private resistance. We will pass on to the texts that admit public resistance in very special cases: a) Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Angelic Doctor teaches, in several of his works, that in extreme cases it is licit to resist publicly a papal decision. He states " . .. when there is a proximate danger for the faith, prelates .must be questioned even publicly by their subjects." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theol. II-II 33 , 4,2). In his commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, concerning the episode in which St. Paul resisted St. Peter to his face, St. Thomas writes: "The

St. Paul: "I resisted him to his face, because he merited reproof."

rebuke was just and useful, and its motive was not light: it was a question of a danger to the preservation of the evangelical truth ... The manner in which the rebuke was given was appropriate, for it was public and manifest. For this reason St. Paul writes: 'I spoke to Cephas,' that is, to Peter, ' before all,' because the simulation practiced by St. Peter created a danger for all. - In I Tim. 5: 20 we read: 'As for those who sin, let them be rebuked before all.' This has to be understood of manifest sins, and not of CRUSADE

29

are, according to Suarez . .. , the more abundant help of the grace of God, the special protection of one's guardian Angel, the prayer of the universal Church, admonition or fraternal correction in secret or even in public, as well as legitimate defense against aggression whether it be physical or moral." (Wernz-Vidal, fos. Canon., Vol. II. , p. 436).

Prof. Plinio Correa de O liveira speaking in TFP auditorium in Sao Paul o, Brazi l. The banner reads: "Resistance."

hidden sins, because in the case of the latter one must proceed according to the order that is proper to fraternal correctio n." (St. Thomas Aquinas, ad. Gal. 2: 11-14, lec t. III , nn. 83-84). b) Vitoria. The eminent Dominican theologian of the sixteenth century writes: "If the Pope, by his orders and his acts, destroys the Church, one can resist him and impede the execu tion of his commands."

(Vitoria, Obras de Francisco de Vitoria, pp . 486-487). c) Suarez . Suarez states: "If (the Pope) lays down an order contrary to right customs, one does not have to obey him; if he tries to do something manifestly opposed to justice and to the common good, it would be licit to resist him; if he attacks by force, he could be repelled by force , with the moderation characteristic of a just defense." (Suarez, De Fide, disp. X, sect V I no.16). d) Saint Robert Be llarmine. The Saint writes: "just as it is licit to resist the Po n tiff who attacks the body, so also it is licit to resist him who attacks souls, or who disturbs the civil order, or, above all, him who tried to destroy the Church. I say that it is licit to resist him by not doing what he orders and by impeding the execution of his will; it is not licit, however, to judge him, to punish him or depose him, for these are acts proper t o a superior." (St. Robert Bellarmine, De Rom. Pont. , lib. II , c. 29). e) Corne lius a Lapide. T he illustrious exegete shows that, according to St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Bede, St. Anselm, 路and many other Fathers, the resistance of St. Paul to St . Peter was public "so that in this way the public scandal given by Saint Peter was remedied by a re buke that was also publi c." (Corn elius a Lapide , ad Ga. 2: 11 ). f) Wernz -Vidal. Citin_g ~u~r~z, Wern_z-Vidal admits 路 extreme cases ' 1t 1s licit to resist a bad Pope : t h at, m . 路 e路 ans to be employed agamst a bad Pope "Th e JUSt m 30 CRUSADE

g) Peinador. T he authors of our days adopt as their own the assertions of the classical authors about the matter which we are analyzing. Thus it is that Peinador, citing large sections from St. Thomas, writes: " . . . 'a subject also can be obliged to correct fraternally his superior.' (S . Theol. II-II, 33,4 ). For the superior also can be spiritually needy, and th ere is nothing to prevent his b eing liberated from such need by one of his subj ects. Nevertheless, 'in a correction in which subjects reprehend their prelates, it behooves them to act in an appropriate manner, that is, not with insolence and asperity, but with meekness and reverence. (S. Theol. ibid.). Therefore, in general the superior must always be admonish ed privately. 'Keep in mind however that, when there is a proximate danger for the faith, prelates must be censured even publicly by their subjects (S. Theo[.

II-II 33, 4, 2) .' " (Peinador, Cursus Brevior Th eol.

Mor. II , Vol. I, p .. 278) .

CONCLUSION F inally we should like once again to profess our humble and loving submission, to the full extent laid down by canon law, to those who "appointed by the Holy Ghost, have succeeded the Apostles as shepherds of souls, and together with the Pope and subject to his authority, have been given the task of making the work of Christ, the Eternal Shepherd, an everlasting work." (Vatican Council II, Chris tus Dominus, Decree, No. 2).

T o better illustrate the feelings th at we carry in our heart, we would like to cite some texts of Holy Scripture along with Pius Xi's words (Ubi Arcano, p. 21) in eloquent praise of the episcopacy; the Bish ops of the Church are " its chief members, joined together with loops of gold, they who preserve the strong unity of the Body of Christ" (cf. Eph. 4: 15-16 ); they are "doctors and parents of the Christian peoples, th e model for the flock (cf. I Pet. 5: 3 ), instituted by the Holy Ghost "to govern the Church of God." ( cf.

Acts 20: 28).

DEVIL'S MYSTICAL BODY

(Continued from page 1) All men belong to one or the other. The Mystical Body of Christ is the Holy Church, His pure and faithful Spouse...

The body of the devil is all of the im___...,1-' ious, for whom he acts at times as an

question. Any American from Alaska to Patagonia nced....only look around himself a bit, and he will find people in favor of tlie~ eadmission of Cuba into the OAS. lf~w ask- any! one of th ese advocates ot ' ~"'-t1!5y can maintain such a~ iQlrri;e,~ rtontradictory position, t~~'1;~ eh will, always be the same: â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘~ smile ./

of Christ and make them m embers of a prostitute?' (I Cor. 6: 15). It is as if he were to say, far from me to perpetrate such a crime. But, Oh, how many do that! St. Augustine writes: "They cannot be members of Christ and members of the harlot at the same time. Do not let them claim, even though they may receive the Body of Christ sacramentally, that they receive it spiritually. On the contrary, by not receiving the Body of Christ spiritually and by leading a bad life, th ey take members away from Christ by making them members of the demon, and so they reduce as much as they can the Body of Christ... " (Mariett 1931, page 114).

St. Thomas Aquinas

of the world before the eyes leep ing and imbecilized West.

CAMBODIA

(Continued from page 7)

THE SPHINX SOULS

(Continued from page 2) In the face of th e enormi ty of these actions, co nsritu ting as th ey do so many other transgressions against the most basic norms of internatio nal relations, how was it possible fo r Cuba to be reintrodu ced in to peaceful association with so many nations of this hemisphere?

Since Cuba is the most blatantly aggressive of the American nations, how could it even happen that it was practically invited to take its seat in honor and comfort among its peace ful sister nations? * * *

It would be a waste o f time to begin digging in th e secret files of the various state departments to try to answer th is

trust

try to minimize the atrocities reported by the re fugees, but the proofs that come from Cambodia point to a society moved by fear and not by in centives.

The reports of the witnesses are consistent, not because of internal reasons. bur because the "hard line" provided th e Khmer Ro uge with its only opportunity for success.

For the Khmer Rouge it was a problem of social co ntrol: how to organize discipline and direct the enormous and potentially hostile population of 7 million which had previously lived under Lo n No l? Of immediate concern were: * a great number of peasant families who, as the owners of the land th at they cultivated, represented a class on the rise; * businessmen, professors, university students, doctors, and intellectuals who cou ld be expected to resist a Communist governm ent; * active groups in resist ance w ho con-

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tinued to fight after the fall of Pnomh Penh.

In the face of such a threatening picture, the army of the government was too small and its civilian cadre too limited to control these millions of people.

The Khmer Rouge came to fear a wide counter-revolution by partisans of Sihanouk or a second civil war.

By the force-marching of 4 million people and the killing of over a million, they transformed the urban population into a vast mass of isolated individuals who are disoriented, without property, contacts, or resources.

This action had the same effects upon the peasants. With the invasion of their regions and the removal of their priests and other national leaders, they found themselves in almost the same situation as the city dwellers.

The next task was to collectivize these individuals into small groups. The populat ion was organized into work and social units according to their age and civil status. Every group has a leader, and its members generally live, eat, and work together. These groups are the new basic units of Cambodian society.

Each village has a clinic with a Khmer Rouge doctor who uses traditional remedies, generally herbs. There is also an elementary school, in which the children are instructed in lesser agricul rural chores while they learn revolutionary songs.

According to the refugees, the teaching of reading and writing is minimal.

The result is the transformation of Cambodia into an agricultural labor camp directed at the lower levels by Khmer Rouge "supervisors" and at the higher levels by economic administrators.

The living conditions of the workers are extremely harsh - no salaries and no money. All that the worker receives is a little can of rice per day, weighing about a. quarter of a pound, which is much below the level recommended by the United Nations for a manual worker.

(Indications exist, however, that the population is complementing this ration with fish and vegetables.)

There is no freedom of movement. If a person merely asks where his group is going, he is viewed with suspicion.

•••

All that remains is fear, institutionalized torture, the forced break up of families, and the physical extermination of those who were considered the worst "class enemies."

• • •

The shriveling of the resistance move32

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ments and the reorganization of Cambodian society have reduced the masses to an indiscriminate level, in which all of the professions and institutions have gone through a process of fusion. "Your diplomas are worthless," the intellectuals were told. "Forget your academic formation."

Replacing the family unit is a new unit of society: the collective cell, gnostic and impersonal. In these groups, all pursue the same occupation, t illing the soil with the hands; all receive the same subsistence, the same misery; all are grouped together, without privacy, without moral or physical protection.

The magnificent diversity of the human creation, with its richness of culture, institutional order, civilization, as well as personal distinction, is obliterated, obscured, and blurred to the maximum extent in th is anti-natural society made up of egali tarian, anarchistic cells, held in place only by the iron of repression. The interior metaphysical principle directing th is repression is a hatred of God, for in obsu ring the hierarchy and diversity of creation, it distorts the mirror which God created of His own virtues and excellences.

In such a society, where is the church which Christ founded, with its hierarchy, doctrines, and sacraments? Where are the families to teach the young and pass its traditions on from generation to generation? Where is the right of private property which gives stability and security to the family and permits its generous development? Within such a hatred of God, where is the love of God?

• • •

Against such a stark background, what better meditation is there than the passion of Our Lord in His Mystical Body, the Church, One, Holy, and Indestructible? How awesome the Holiness of the God and Savior of the world in His Church and Bride, which is destroying Herself, weakening Herself, to present Him to His most terrible enemy.

How wounded the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the sins and ingratitude, sacrileges and treasons of ungrateful men by which He is too much offended. How awesome the wrath and power of the Mother of God coming to the aid of Her only begotten Son against His e nemies. How majestic and consoling Her promise at Fatima, confirming Our Lord's promise that the gates of h ell will not prevail against His Church. In the face of the reality we see, how great is the glory, how magnificent the triumph of the Im-

maculate Heart of Mary - the restoration of all hierarchy, all purity, all graciousness by Her Queenship in the hearts and souls of men. How sweet to contemplate the ultimate victory, which is the certain crushing of the whole Revolution, as embodied in Her words at Fatima: "In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph!"

OZARK SUNBEAM

(Continued fro111 page 8) tributing to The Ozark Sunbeam, has shown extreme courage and has by said contribution demonstrated that he is a dedicated American and concerned with the future welfare of his country. Be it known: that his contribution has won the admiration and respect of all the members and staff of said publication who have bestowed upon him an honorary membership on the staff of The Ozark Sunbeam. March 12, 1976.

Delamer Duverus, Editor-in-chief."

LUMEN MARIAE IN ELEGANT OPENING FOR NEW BOOK In troducing its first published book, Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer's Cursillos in Christianity, Lumen Mariae Publications held a reception at the elegant Liederkranz in Manhattan, on April 3, for a capacity crowd of enthusiastic admirers.

Addresses were given by John Parrot, president of the American TFP, and by John Spann. Mr. Philip Calder played the harpsichord.

The event was continuously praised by the large crowd of friends and guests, who lingered there in warm conversation, loathe to depart from the convivial surroundings in which they had gathered.

Crusade for a Christian Civilization is a bi-monthly journal, the spokesman for the Am erican TFP. Annual price: $9,50. Mail your check made out fo Crusade for a Christian Civilization, to P.O. Box 1281, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801.

CURSILLOS IN CHRISTIL\ ITY

By Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer This book presents a profound critique of the doctrinal and moral dangers within the Cursillo movement and the inevitable consequences in the socio-economic sphere. In reading this book you will learn how traditional sp irituality, even that of the saints, has been ridiculed in some Cursillo circles; how the hierarchy of human fac ulties is overturned a nd intell ectual faith is replaced by a "faith" of emotions; how the effects of original sin are belittled, egalitarianism within the Church is promoted, and J esus Christ is referred to as a "Big Boss"; how subversion of present political and social structures is fostered, and in a manner favorable to Communism.

Cursillos in Christianity is not only useful for analyzing the Cursillos, but also provides the doc trinal foundation for scrutinizing any movements of the apostolate in these critical times. (Price: $2.95)

A bi-monthly magazine, spokesman of the American TFP. Provides a penetrating analysis of international events relating to both the Church and secular society, and articles on the doctrinal, historical , philosophical, and aesthetic foundations of Christian Civilization. Shows just what must be done if the Christian Civilization is to be restored.

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