The Two Standards
Dear Friends and Benefactors,
There is a logic of Christianization and one of de-Christianization. The recent unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of Canada to ban public prayer in official places in the name of the neutrality of the State is perfectly logical with its own ‘principal and foundation’: God may exist, but religion is definitely a private affair, and must not influence state or public issues. Man has therefore two moral codes – one for his private life and one for his public life.The result of this split-personality expresses very well the very definition of liberalism by Fr. Roussel, in his book Liberalism and Catholicism (1926): a liberal is an incoherent man, a fanatic of independence. The liberal’s passion of independence renders him impatient towards any limit, any yoke and discipline, law and authority.
He has no fear of the Lord, and, as a result, he will lose the very beginning of wisdom. Wisdom sees all from the highest point of view, which is God himself, thus sees order and the reasons of order everywhere. The liberal cannot bear to serve anything or anyone. “Non serviam - I will not serve” is his motto.
Unfortunately, it is this same virus of liberalism which had been diligently and repeatedly fought tooth and nails by the Magisterium for over 200 years until the death of Pope Pius XII and entered the Church soon afterwards, especially with Vatican II. How can we be shocked with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, when we have seen, since Vatican II, the authorities of the Vatican asking Catholic States (such as Spain and Columbia) to remove from their constitutions the profession of the Catholic Faith, or forbidding, as recently as in 2000, a new State - East Timor, which is 94% Catholic - to include it in its new constitution, while there was an overwhelming demand on the part of the people?
Archbishop Lefebvre clearly summarized the fruits of liberalism in the very title of one of his books which our readers should all be familiar with, “They have uncrowned Him”. It says it all: they do not want Our Lord Jesus Christ to reign over them. This was shouted on the first Good Friday just as it was passed here unanimously by the nine judges of the highest court in Canada last April 15. This implies that the bearers of authority in the land at the various level of civil hierarchy are exempt from observing the Ten Commandments, on the ground of neutrality.
Archbishop Lefebvre, on his part, lived to his last moment to manifest the logic of true philosophy and of Revelation: God alone is by-Himself, everything else that exists – visible and invisible – has been created, comes from God, therefore depends on God. That includes all authority at all levels, in the spiritual and temporal orders. No one can claim to be independent of the Reign of Christ the King. “All power, said He, is given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Mt 28:18) By saying “all power”, He means authority over all beings, all creatures. No one, no place, no court, no time in history, nothing at all that exists, visible or invisible can claim ‘neutrality’ after the Sacrifice of Calvary, through which Our Lord redeemed the whole world with his Precious Blood.
As a result, there is also a logic of Christianization.
When a missionary settles somewhere, he usually starts building a chapel for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, even if he is alone, since he must offer the Holy Mass daily. Then, by the grace of God, souls are catechized, baptized, families are blessed and converted, schools open and the village, the city, the region, the whole country gradually become Christian. Sometimes, it comes from the top: the missionary succeeds in converting the king, the chief, and the whole nation or tribe follows. This was the technique of St Francis Xavier for more than 10 years in Asia.
It could be the way the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph: by the conversion of some key political leaders –that is, after the pope consecrates Russia with all the bishops of the world. They in turn will bring their people to the true faith and the one true Roman Catholic Church. In 1531, in Mexico, Our Lady did show that when she steps in, things can go very fast.
Let us pray for our leaders as we recently did in the Good Friday Solemn Prayers:
“Let us pray too for all engaged in affairs of state and for all their ministries and powers: that our God and Lord may guide according to His will their minds and hearts to our lasting peace.
“Almighty and everlasting God in whose hands dwell all might and the rights of every people: look favorably on those who wield power over us, and let Thy right hand protect us; that all the world through, both religious integrity and our country’s security may be firmly based and abide. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”
Yours truly in the service of Jesus and Mary Immaculate.
Fr. Daniel Couture
District Superior
