Nineteen Brave Men

The Open Letter accusing Pope Francis of pertinacious heresy was released with only nineteen signatories.

Stop a moment to reflect that these brave men chose to publish the letter well knowing that the wrath of the Vatican would be focused on their little number, and that Francis would have a fit of vulgar rage including both several crude swear words and the demand that they are hit whenever the Vatican can, in every way it can.

In particular, but without in any way diminishing the courage of the others, think of Aidan Nichols. Nichols is likely the most prestigious theologian alive in the United Kingdom. He is a member of the Dominican Order. Francis will try to go after him with the wrath of one thousand very stupid suns.

Pray for the Nineteen Brave Men; that any measure taken against them may spectacularly fail and, if it is God’s will that they get to suffer for their testimony, their suffering may greatly increase their glory in Heaven.

 

 

Open Letter: What Is Not Going To Happen

The Open Letter is, thankfully, making waves. Secular media like Reuters reported on it (remember, reader: it does not matter much how much the message is distorted: every time the news is reported there are a lot of people who start to reflect that a Pope accused of being a heretic can’t be a good Pope), and Catholi ccommenters of every colour and stripe (even those who aren’t, actually, even Catholic in the proper sense) are going into the fray with all they have.

It is striking that almost no one (the only exception might be Father Fessio) seems to think that the next step might be what, in former times, would have been the most obvious one to expect: a total and complete reaffirmation of the faith, in unmistakable terms, on all points concerned, coming straight from the Pope, and putting an end to every talk of heresy. 

The fact is, everyone knows this Pope is a pertinacious heretic. Everybody is so persuaded by it that the discussion is not about whether heresy has occurred, but whether the Pope os authorise to propagate is because he is the Pope, of because “chariteeee”, or the like.

Therefore, faced with a public accusation of pertinacious heresy, no one thinks that the Pope himself will react saying: “You are mistaken. I will now dispel any doubt and reaffirm, in the strongest terms, the Catholic Truths you have mentioned in order to dispel all doubt”.

It really is as bad as that.

This discussion is not about whether the Pope is a heretic. This discussion is between those who state an elementary truth and those who think that the new heresies are “Christ-like” in some perverted way, a way only they (having a perverted mind) can imagine.

The heretics’ is, in the long term, a self-defeating strategy. Every heresy claims to be a better interpretation of the truth, a position nearer to Christ. But this makes it just that: a heresy just for stating the claim! The game is up the moment the New Scribes and Pharisees stop defending the Pope by defending the Truth!

They have already lost. We have already won. They can enjoy their circus tool as much as they like. Everybody who cares for his salvation knows where the truth lies.