Return to The Reign of Mary No. 139
The Reign of Mary
Vol. XLI, No. 139: Letter from the Editor
August 10, 2010
St. Lawrence
Praised be Jesus and Mary. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been much in the news over the past few months, practically to the exclusion of other news. Recently, however, I came across a brief article in Newsweek magazine while sitting in a doctor’s office (July 12, 2010, issue). The article on page 6 has to do with the Church in Belgium and contains several rather astounding statements.
First, the article mentions that “Belgian authorities seized documents and computers from local church offices, cracked open the tombs of two archbishops, and detained several living bishops,” in their ongoing investigation into clergy sexual abuse. It underscores the tense relationship between the Church and the civil government in that country by further stating that “the new archbishop of Belgium is ‘openly held in contempt by the Belgian government.’” This is particularly surprising because Belgium had long been a predominately Catholic country. It would seem that whatever respect and good will the Conciliar Church had — which it took from the true Church — has been gradually depleted to the point there is little left.
Another significant section in the brief Newsweek article on Belgium is the statement that in just one generation the Church in Belgium has lost its faithful — in other words, the formerly Catholic populace have left their Church in droves. (“The once Catholic country has become overwhelmingly secular in just a generation.”)You and I know the reason for this startling overnight change, and that, simply, is “Vatican II.” Ever since the Second Vatican Council, and the changes brought about subsequent to it by Paul VI and his successors, there has been a dry wind blowing over the landscape that was the Catholic Church. Not only have doctrines been undermined, if not entirely denied, but the Mass and sacraments have been destroyed. So there are no longer the means of grace to help the faithful live good Catholic lives. In short, this New Church seems practically lifeless.
Such news of the devastation that continues to be felt in the Conciliar Church ought to give us pause to thank God for the knowledge that has been given us. We priests have frequent opportunity to meet and speak with Catholics who are theologically conservative yet fail to see the whole picture. They remain entrenched in the New Church, thinking that they must work to change it from within. Yet the problem is that it is not any longer even the Catholic Church, but an entirely new creation which mimics the Mystical Body of Christ. We must continue to pray for these souls that they will have the grace and the humility to recognize their error and, departing the Conciliar Church, return to the true Church.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you, our readers, for your support. We continue to receive appreciative and encouraging comments and are most grateful. May we all continue to live our Faith fervently and make the effort to acquaint others with the truth of what has happened to the Catholic Church in our times.
In the service of Jesus and Mary
Fr. Benedict Hughes, CMRI
(Email Father)