The Story Thus Far

An interesting play-by-play at St. Louis Catholic on what has been going on in the Catholic Church in the last few months that is quite instructive. Being somewhat involved in all this, it becomes a bit difficult to maintain a clear-eyed perspective. I've noticed that things have been unusually heated lately, but have not given it much more credit than other kerfuffles over the last ten years since I've been paying close attention. When I hear people talking about it, I usually point to other crises over the last two thousand years and more or less shrug.

But, putting aside the historical perspective, I have to say that the people who are noting (among whom are not a few of my own colleagues) that things seem to be "closing in" lately, particularly since the election of the new US president, might have something to say.

It could just be that the media is looking for someone to bash who makes an easy target, in order to take our minds off all our financial woes. It could even be that there really have been an unusual string of "blunders" from the Holy See lately that are deserving of criticism. It could simply be the normal spite and hatred of truth, goodness and the moral law that has become the normal cant.

But upon examining St. Louis C's list, one thing becomes perfectly clear. A lot of what is fueling this crisis, if crisis it truly is, is most certainly of the Church's (and by that I mean the "Vatican's") own manufacture. It is the fruit of forty years of neglect and inaction in the face of open heresy and defiance, appeasement of our enemies, a dedication to the mumbling of polite nothings in the face of what we have always known is the world's violent loathing of the Truth.

The following is a comment from St. L. C's blog but could be repeated by nearly everyone who has cared about the Faith over the last four decades:

Last Sunday the priest at my local Novus Ordo parish brazenly and unapologetically preached the Lutheran heresy on salvation based on faith alone.

I was tempted to question him about this, and then, perhaps write a letter to the bishop.

But I'm giving up on that. My letters to Abp. Rigali, Abp Burke and Bishop Hermann all accomplished nothing.

The Church, that is, the popes and bishops, have done nothing but make soothing noises to the world that is now ranged around it with daggers drawn chanting for blood. We wanted to make nicey-nice with the world, the flesh and, ultimately, the devil himself. And now we are getting only what we have sown ourselves.

Time to stand up.