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Patrick Rhea wrote:

Dear Mike —

I recently came across your reply to a Miss Heather Knight, and I thought it was very interesting. However, there were various points you seemed to miss.

First, the Catholic Church has always taught that abortion is intrinsically evil — under no circumstances can it be OK whereas, the Church has not always taught against the death penalty, and even now, under Pope John Paul II, the Church does not stand fully against it.

In fact, many, if not most, of the bishops and cardinals that are anti-death penalty, are the same liberal bishops and cardinals that would like to see the Church's stance on contraceptives and pre-marital sex changed.

I would also like to note that many of the radically liberal views we get today, stem from that infamous Ecumenical Council — Vatican II. As John XXIII was dying, he was recorded begging the cardinals: Stop the Council! Stop the Council! yet his successor, Paul VI did not. Instead, he prolonged and finished the Council "opening the windows" of the Church to all. It was not until his death bed that he saw the error in his teachings. His Holiness, Paul VI, died on August 6, 1978, admitting that Satan has entered into the sanctuary of the Church. Now with John Paul II as the Vicar of Christ on earth, we see these liberal views even more. Many teachings of the Church that have stood for centuries are now beginning to be weakened, so as not to offend liberals, homosexuals, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Protestants, and any other groups that are opposed to the true teachings of the Faith.

I believe it was within the last two weeks that Cardinal Law was reported to have worshiped Allah with his "Muslim brothers" in a mosque. I do believe the smoke of Satan has entered the Church and it is only a matter of time before the Catholic Church becomes so corrupt that people will have no one to turn to, except, as some people would put it, "schismatic" branches of the Church, such as the Society of St. Pius X which I proudly belong to. (My family does go to a Society Mass.) We must pray for the Church, especially as our current Pontificate grows close and closer to death even as we speak. We must pray that God will bring a strong leader that will oppose modern views and lead all stray sheep back to our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am a 15 year old sophomore who attends a Jesuit School in Missouri. I know both sides of the argument — Liberal and Conservative. I have been brought up conservative and am now learning the liberal approach from the "defenders" of the Magisterium — the Jesuits! I have debated this with myself, talked to priests from both sides and can only conclude that modern Catholics are very, very wrong in their interpretation of Jesus' message and the teachings of the Church.

— Patrick Rhea

  { Can I correct your answer about abortion and the death penalty; and comment on Church culture? }

Mike replied:

Dear Patrick,

Thank-you for taking the time to e-mail me.

You said:
First, the Catholic Church has always taught that abortion is intrinsically evil — under no circumstances can it be OK

I re-read my answer and never implied that abortion was ever OK. If I have overlooked something, please reply and show me where I have implied abortion is permissible.

In reference to the Death Penalty:

Over the past few years Pope Francis (on May 11, 2018) changed a key paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2267, dealing with the Death Penalty. In lieu of St. Thomas Aquinas' view of self defense, I still prefer the previous version of the Catechism.

I believe Francis may have been given some bad advice on the effectiveness of penal sanctions and systems of detention. Nevertheless I accept what the revised Catechism says today!

The Church now teaches this on the subject:

Legitimate defense.
.
.
2267: Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.

Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.

Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that "the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person", (Pope Francis, Address to Participants in the Meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, 11 October 2017: Romano, 13 October 2017, 5.) and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide. [Pope Francis, Oct. 11, 2017]

The main point I was bringing up to Heather is that one life, the fetus, is innocent life, and the other life, if anything, is guilty. So the two situations are very different.

In reference to the rest of your e-mail, it did sadden me. It sounds like we are forgetting Jesus' Promise in Matthew 16:13-19, that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church. The Holy Father has said that the Catechism which he approved is a sure norm for the Catholic Faith. If you are disagreeing with statements in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, then you are not disagreeing with me, you are disagreeing with Our Blessed Lord.

  • Do you believe the Catechism of the Catholic Church has errors in it?
    <There is only one Catholic answer to this question: No!>

Question:

It means that on issues of Faith and Morals the Church in her official teachings cannot err!

The Pope may not always teach truthful matters in the best way for the Church, but he will not err. It is a negative safeguard. Yes, there may be confusion at times within the Church; but that may due to second or third hand information you have received from unreliable sources, like the main stream media: T. V., radio, internet sites, or even some Catholic religious orders where religious are weak in the faith.

You said:
As John XXIII was dying, he was recorded begging the cardinals: "Stop the Council! Stop the Council!"

This is irrelevant. A Catholic in good standing is one that believes in the letter, not spirit, of all the Councils and Official Teachings from the First Council of Nicea up to, and including, Vatican II!

You said:
I do believe the smoke of Satan has entered the Church and it is only a matter of time before the Catholic Church becomes so corrupt that people will have no one to turn to, except, as some people would put it, "schismatic" branches of the Church, such as the Society of St. Pius X which I proudly belong to.

You  are confusing infallibility with impeccability.

  • infallibility is the inability to err on issues of truth
  • impeccability is the inability to sin. e.g. issues of bad behavior.

The pope is infallible.

  • he
  • the cardinals
  • bishops
  • priests
  • deacons and
  • the lay faithful

    are not impeccable; meaning we are prone to sin and bad behavior.

If you and your family are going to a schismatic church:

  • you have broken faith with Rome
  • you have broken faith with Jesus, and
  • are no different than Protestants who broke from the Church in the 1600's.

From Rome Reports:

The bishops [who had their excommunication lifted] belong to a fraternity officially known as the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X. This is a traditionalist Catholic institution that rejected some of the findings of Vatican II, such as the abandonment of the Mass in Latin and ecumenism.

It sounds like you have been persuaded by other schismatic people and/or priests who have broken with Rome. In a Joe Biden way, you are rationalizing:

I'm taking a non-Catholic stance but, I'm still a Catholic!

Duplicitous people like these (e.g. Mr. Biden and Ms. Pelosi) are the smoke of Satan!

Unlike the "pro-choice" people who have excommunicated themselves on the left, you have willingly broken from the Teachings of Jesus on the right. People in similar faith circles tend to think they know more than the Pope.

You and your family should reconsider.

What I would recommend:

Attend a Mass celebrated by the Fraternity of St. Peter that has been allowed by the bishop, then you will be in union with Peter and Jesus.

If he will not allow one, the Novus Ordo Mass is, and has always been, valid, if said correctly.

The Church liturgically breathes with two sets of lungs:

  1. one, the Tridentine, authorized by the local bishop,
  2. the other, the Novus Ordo, said at most local Catholic parishes in America.

The Novus Ordo Mass was not a change from the Tridentine Mass as schematics will say. It was a New Mass, and since Pope (Paul VI) was Pope, he had every right to do it! On issues of faith and morals, we must not dissent, but believe!

The Church will bounce back, but you and the Rhea family have to decide whether you want to be builders and fighters, or destroyers and false, phony "catholics". Some of those who were part of the Society of St. Pius X have reconciled with Rome, but others have not!

Please show this to your father and mother.

Thanks again and let's pray for each other.

Mike

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