False obedience does real harm to the Church: here’s how

(LifeSiteNews) — The following is the second part of a series on obedience written by a parish priest. Read Part I here.

Part II: The harm done by false obedience and respect

Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember?  (Mark 8 17b-18)

The main distinction between false obedience and true obedience is that false obedience sacrifices the truth whereas true obedience sacrifices oneself for the sake of the truth. False obedience sacrifices the truth principally in two ways it seems. Incrementally (see Part I) and through allowing the obscuring of the truth by ambiguity. In the movie Nefarious the demon explains that they every so gradually, imperceptibly move their sinning human victims into deeper disobedience until they have possession of them. This possession is not physical but the more dangerous type of slavery to sin.

Why do we sacrifice the truth? This is done for various reasons. One reason could be to save one’s livelihood or a Vatican provided apartment, etc. Another could be due to being genuinely deceived or duped. Another could be that a priest, for instance, does whatever the bishop says, right or wrong, it does not matter. There is zero merit in that “obedience,” only carelessness. This is unprincipled behavior and that man is a theological weathervane. False obedience enables those who are trying to destroy our faith incrementally and conditioning us to accept a higher and higher temperature in the “frog boiling water pan” of apostasy and immorality. False obedience seems to reveal a lack of the queen of the moral virtues, prudence. It falsely seems to “believe” that if we obey or at least keep “respectfully” quiet and let the subversives continue to undermine the faith that God will be pleased with this false sacrifice and bless it with the grace of a Pauline like conversion of the wolves and the world. In fact, God does not bless imprudence or ugly complicity.

False obedience may also evidence a lack of love for our misled and de-evangelized brothers and sisters in Catholic Church. Our Mother at Fatima said “Many souls go to hell because no one prays for them.” How much more should we be concerned about the garbled anti-gospel coming from the pathetic hierarchy? Why are we tolerant of the massive disinformation and distortion campaign orchestrated by the demons behind the scenes?  Why not rely on the Holy Spirit like St. Stephen did when confronting the Sanhedrin? Recall that the Sanhedrin was the legitimate Old Testament authority in the Jewish religion.

We don’t make pious sounding excuses not to fight when we love something or someone. If someone were attacking your mother or wife and kids would you just pray and fast about it? Would you say “Oh, he is wearing episcopal garments so we must show respect?” The fact that an ecclesial office appears to have been usurped and stolen by fraud, deceit and invalidating intentions is not healed over time by general servile acceptance due to deception, ignorance, naïveté or indifference to the problem. Heretical or Satan worshiping prelates are not legitimized over time either. Similarly, the Soviet government never became legitimate simply because they murdered the entire royal Romanov family (legitimate heirs to the throne) and millions more. Slavery was never legitimized by passive acceptance or time. Abortion is not legitimized by the general acceptance by the immoral majority.

The Catholic Church is the instrument of the sanctification of the world and the light of the world. To let the infiltrators take it over and transform her (trans species-ism?) into an ape (a creature that mimics behavior) of the true Church is more than wrong. It is wrong that we now have zero tolerance for one sin but allow the evildoer prelates to molest the faith of children and the ignorant! Many rightly abhor the molestation of their bodies but seem unconcerned about the molestation of their souls. Jesus said, “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Cf. Mt. 18:6) Notice that the predator enabling and complicit “bishops” were eventually compelled to acknowledge the problem, not by compromised Rome, but by an anti-Catholic media exploiting the sins of bishops to discredit our suffering church. They have brought grave scandal and disgrace upon the Bride of Christ. They have suffocated the sanctifying power of the Church and resisted the Holy Spirit as St. Stephen charged them with in Acts. (cf. Acts 7) They thwart the mission of the Church to be a light to the world. I don’t think we can really appreciate the damage they have done to the evangelizing mission of the church. I don’t think we can appreciate the suppression they have wrought on priests fearing for their livelihood when they see evil actions taken against high profile good priests like Fr. Frank Pavone, Fr. Janvier Gbénou (pen name: Fr. Jesusmary), or long ago, Fr. Enrique Rueda. I don’t think we can fathom the extent of self-censoring by priests and others that has gone on and deprived the world of light. These infiltrators and their sycophant collaborators may very well have thwarted the “new springtime” Pope John Paul II spoke of and hoped for as a “witness of hope.”

Since the Church on earth is the source of grace for the world, as the Church darkens the world is deprived of grace. “Many souls go to hell because no one prays for them.” If we don’t wake up to the damage done by false respect and obedience among other things, like failure to comply with the Fatima Peace Plan, we will have to face more world wars. A holy, orthodox and vibrant Church is the divine and human instrument of peace for the world. There is no other! Our Mother at Fatima warned us that “War is a punishment for sin.” Think upon that if you are tempted to just put up with the latest distortion of doctrine from the pulpit and suppression of yet another faithful priest or bishop. 

We need more people to do as was done in Chile (without the riots of course!) when Bergolio smeared the people as calumniators for objecting to his appointment of pedophile-enabler and witness, Bishop Barros. The people would not stand for this behavior and did not take the attitude “Rome has spoken the matter is closed” or that only divine intervention can deal with the pope. Archbishop Viganò is perfectly correct in calling for these Sanhedrin wolves to be driven out of the Church. Is that advice unrealistic? The Archbishop may be saying what should be done since it appears that, at this time, not enough people care about the harm being done to cleanse the temple of the Lord. They have eyes but don’t want to see.

Of course we are all sinners to one degree or another but wolves are a dangerous intolerable category that must be driven out of positions of power. Pope Benedict XVI famously said “pray that I don’t flee from the wolves.” He was concerned that he would be driven out — not them!

Well, the wolves have taken over the citadel referenced in Malachi Martin’s masterful and prescient “Windswept House.” These types can only be driven out by prayer and fasting which empowers prudent, courageous, faithful action. The wolves are not shepherds, period. Those who say “we must respect the office if not the person” are deceived. The office does not exist except in the person holding it. So, you end up respecting the wolf in it. Concerning Cardinal Mahony’s heretical document on the Eucharist, Mother Angelica once said,“My obedience in that diocese would be zero.” I understand that she was told that according to Church law, that was an improper statement. If that is true, Church law needs to be revised to conform with reality and to anticipate “shepherds” filled with human respect and sin that won’t handle serious problems on their watch. The hireling sycophants of the wolves are the blind leading the blind — both falling into the pit of hell. They should be given the respect you would give same-sex attraction predator Theodore McCarrick if you encountered him. You would not let these types near your precious children if you have the sense that God gave a goose. By criticizing false respect, I am not endorsing foolish, self-righteous or contemptuous behavior towards the deceived and the wicked. They are our brothers and sisters who appear to be on the path to hell. Our Mother has caused statues to weep normal tears and tears of blood to show her sorrow for the loss of her children.

Do we weep for them?  Or do we just selfishly despise only the pain they cause us? For a model of charitable resistance may I suggest reading the learned letters of Fr. Jesusmary Missigbètò? Nevertheless, we can truthfully call them what they are, “a brood of vipers” and oppose them accordingly.

When this vale of tears is ended for each of us, in heaven we will rejoice exceedingly (cf.  Beatitude 8) since we chose the path of true virtue. We will rejoice in the measure that we chose to take persecution, a share in the Cross of Jesus Christ.

In reality are prayer and fasting all we can practically do?

Some think that since this problem of a heretical and complicit hierarchy is far beyond us, all we can do is pray and fast. We should not be anxious and upset with things beyond us. This anxiety stoked by the devil could lead to greater anxiety or worse, falling into lack of hope, bitterness, anger and sin.   

Psalm 131:2 says:

1. My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty, I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me. 2. Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.   

Isaiah 30:15 expresses a similar wisdom:

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. [emphasis added] But you refused.

There is so much truth to this. In the end, our battle is not with flesh and blood but with the demons inspiring, guiding and empowering them. In fact there is a sensus infidelium that guides the children of Satan^[1] just as the sensus fidelium guides those docile to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Whatever action taken is subject to futility without being based on and supported by prayer and fasting. St. Therese of Lisieux believed that her place was in the heart of the mystical body of the Church empowering the priests, missionaries, evangelists as well as the martyrs.^[2]

We want tangible results but often direct confrontation is not that effective. This is especially a consideration against powerful foes. Charge them if you want but how effective is that strategy? St. Thomas More kept quiet about his position on the invalid marriage of King Henry VIII. He did not “tell the truth” but instead kept silent. Neither would he attend Henry’s “wedding.” Only when he saw he was betrayed unto death did he publicly denounce the adultery of King Henry VIII.

The spiritual effects of prayer and fasting are often hidden like leaven in bread. To the weak in faith they can seem to be less effective but are they? The whole contemplative religious tradition of the church eloquently says otherwise. On the other hand, David ran towards Goliath. He did not merely pray about it. He trusted in action empowered by a history of prayer and faithfulness! Faith moves mountains! Think of the glorious Mexican Cristeros Movement or the First Crusades.

Is waiting patiently for a miracle the way? We wait when we are truly able to do nothing more. Would the Lord have multiplied the five loaves and the two fish if the boy had not handed them over? We have to be worthy of a miracle by prayer, fasting and prudent but courageous action. This discernment of appropriate action will result in different forms of action with different persons. For instance, renowned Catholic philosopher Professor Josef Siefert recently again called on the cardinals to do their job. Where are the other nine, (recalling Jesus’ question to the returning Samaritan healed of leprosy)? Where are the other nine academics and lay theologians that must also bear witness to the truth? Why do they let Professor Siefert and a few others stand alone? Each person needs to discern what God is asking them to do. Archbishop Viganò is starting a traditional seminary. Bishop Athanasius Schneider has written an updated catechism. Bishop Joseph Strickland is planning on teaching the faith on his YouTube channel. The false piety justifying inaction seems a deception or a subterfuge and an evasion of the cross of bearing witness to the truth. Some who make this mistake are genuinely deceived. Understandably, making sacrifices is hard, so hard at times. If a person is honestly unsure if he can do anything it is better to err on the side of prayer and fasting alone rather than imprudent action.

St. Ignatius may have given us a way out of this dilemma: “Pray and work.”

“Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you.” “Even when we have done our work, the food we receive is still a gift from our Father; it is good to ask him for it and to thank him, as Christian families do when saying grace at meals.” (CCC 2834)

St. Benedict also taught his followers to “Pray and Work.”