I thought that I would follow-up my previous post about the problems in the SSPX by presenting you with several videos on the Latin Mass by a priest who is in communion with Rome. Fr. Calvin Goodwin is a member the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter was founded in July of 1988 by members of SSPX who did not want to follow the rest of the Society in to the schism the resulted from Lefebvre’s ordination of four bishops.
Enjoy these two videos and please share.
Last October, I wrote an article stating that there were three distinctive splinter groups within SSPX. It appears that I was wrong about that. Instead, there appears to be one main, umbrella group working to create an alternative, ultra-right wing version of SSPX. I’m basing this on a couple of articles that I came across recently.
Fr Joseph Pfeiffer, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X of Strict Observance and possible future bishop of a new SSPX/traditionalist splinter group
First, some background. As most people know (or should know), in the last couple of years the SSPX (Society of St. Pius X) has undergone quite a bit of internal conflict. The leaders of the SSPX (especially Bishop Fellay, the superior general) have become more friendly and willing to at least talk with the Vatican as time goes on. However, other elements within the organization are dead set against even talking with Rome. This latter group is the one I will be discussing.
I recently came across a short blog post dated January 2013. This post stated that there was a rumor that secret meeting was going to take place in Virginia consisting of Bishop Williamson (who was kicked out of SSPX in October 2012) and a number of priests who were kicked out of the Society because their opposition to the SSPX-Vatican talks. According to the rumor, the purpose of this meeting was to create an organization that conformed to their (narrow-minded) interpretation of Archbishop Lefebvre’s vision for the society. Further, the rumor stated that they may pick a new bishop (who would probably be consecrated by Williamson) and that the candidate may be Fr. Pfeiffer, the head of the Society of St. Pius X of Strict Observance (which was created in August of 2012).
Not quite what most seminarians expect.
The second document I found was a letter send out by a group calling itself the “resistance”. This letter was dated December 22, 2012 and tells of a five-day retreat preached by Bishop Williamson. It appears that there were only 10 priests in attendance (including Williamson) and the focus was on the problems in the “conciliar church” and “neo-SSPX”. These two phrase show just how far out these people are and I will cover these terms later. The end result was the creation of a “federation” of several “Traditional” catholic groups who are not connected with Rome under the spiritual and moral authority of Williamson. (Nothing like having a Holocaust denier on your side to make you look legit.) The letter concludes by telling of plans to create their own seminary in a small farms house (since SSPX seminaries are now corrupted) and with a list of upcoming events to help the “resistance” grow around the world.
Bishop Williamson
Finally, Bishop Williamson published an open letter to all SSPX priests on Holy Thursday of this year. Now, Williamson publishes a newsletter every week, but this was a special edition directed at SSPX priests. This letter was nothing but a call to arms against both the Catholic Church and the SSPX. He accuses the leadership of SSPX of going with the flow and forgetting Lefebvre’s vision by even considering the Doctrinal Declaration the Vatican sent to SSPX last April. One of the points that irritates me the most is that he says:
Fidelity promised to the “Catholic Church” and to the “Roman Pontiff” can easily be misdirected today towards the Conciliar Church as such, and to the Conciliar Pontiffs. Distinctions are needed to avoid confusion.
What is he talking about? The Catholic Church is in Rome and the Roman Pontiff is its head. Further, he goes on to call the Vatican “the apostates of Rome”.
Conclusion
This “resistance” within SSPX has been coming for a long time. Early last year and even earlier, there were reports that Williamson and his cronies were working to get control of SSPX property if Fellay did sign an agreement to return to Rome.
All of these efforts find their root in a hatred from Rome (and by extension the Roman Catholic Church) and a love of power. These people are seeking to rebel against their superiors and the Church’s spiritual authority. They pretend that they are safeguarding the Faith, but the truth of the matter is that they are embracing the Protestant mentality. They are embracing the Protestant mentality that if you do not agree with the current Church structure or Church leaders, you can create a new organization that you like and agree with and, more importantly, one that you control. Many of these men have no one order them and operate at their own discretion and they like it. See, they are ignoring the Pope’s right to rule the Church because they do not want any authority but their own. In fact, Williamson does not want to give fidelity to the “Roman Pontiff” and he calls Pope Benedict XVI’s “Hermeneutic of continuity” madness. When a man who claims to be a prince of the Church attacks the ideas of the infallible ruler of that Church, how can he be taken seriously? Especially, when he has already set himself up as the head of a religious organization with the sole power to ordain and confirm. It is obvious that he, like others of his ilk, want to be pope in all but name.
The fact that both the letter from the “resistance” and Williamson use the phrase”conciliar church” to describe the Roman Catholic Church is further evidence that they intend to stay separated from Rome. By using this phrase they make it sound like the Catholic Church is no longer the one true Church founded by Christ to save souls. But it still is. The Church at this time may be very flawed and broken, but that is because it is made up of men who are sinners in a world tainted with sin. The sole purpose of this phrase is create a wedge between well intentioned people and the Church by replacing Catholic or universal with a word that loathesome to them.
In the end, all we can do is pray. We must pray that these resistance and rebel groups within SSPX will not lead good and well-intentioned people away from the Roman Catholic Church. We must also pray that those involved in this rebellion will see God’s light and return to the Catholic Church to help us in our fight to guard tradition.
Happy Easter to everyone. I know it may be a bit late, but it still counts as Easter.
Today, when I was reading the comics (the only good part of the newspaper) I came across this comic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Here are three videos about Cardinal Burke and his suitability for the papacy.
This first video was made by Michael Voris of Real Catholic TV in April of 2012. Even back then people were talking about Burke being a great choice for pope.
The second video was make a couple of days ago, again by Michael Voris. This video lists Cardinal Burke’s accomplishments which would make him a wonderful pope.
This final video is a talk that Cardinal Burke gave a year ago at a Call to Martyrdom conference in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Just imagine if we heard that speech from the pope’s balcony in St. Peter’s Square.
As the conclave nears, it is time to increase our prayers and storm heaven that Cardinal Burke is elected our next pope.
Now that Pope Benedict has abdicated and the conclave has been set to start March 11th, everyone is going to be trying to guess who will be the next pope. In fact, Business Insider has an interesting list, with pros and cons for each candidate that it could only have been written by a Catholic. You can find it here.
Here are my top picks for the next pope. These candidates are based on orthodoxy, not popularity. There might be other candidates just as orthodox, but these are the four that I have read the most about or know the most about.
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke
Burke is the foremost defender of Catholic orthodoxy and tradition in the Church. While he was Bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Archbishop of St. Louis and finally as a cardinal in the Vatican, Burke has always been a strong supporter of the Latin Mass. Even though he is the head of the Apostolic Signatura, the Church’s supreme court, he still travels around the world saying Pontifical High Masses and performing ordinations for traditional priests that are united with Rome.
Burke is a strong defender of the Holy Eucharist. Whenever there was an election, he would publicly state that he would refuse to give Holy Communion to any pro-abortion Catholic politician. Recently, Ireland’s politicians have decided that it was time that that Catholic country should allow abortion. Cardinal Burke told the Irish priests that they should refuse Holy Communion to the Catholic politicians who support those laws. He has also stated that bad Masses lead to a loss of Faith.
Cardinal Burke has said repeatedly that the disobedience of the clergy in terms of canon law has led to many of the problems in the Church. He has stated repeatedly that Catholics must be will to witness for the Faith, even to the point of martyrdom. He sees that that may start very soon in America. When he was asked about the renegade nuns in the US last year, Burke said that is they could not be reformed, they should be disbanded.
There also a parallel between the relationship of Pope Benedict and Cardinal Burke and that of Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger. While Blessed John Paul II was pope, he acted as the kind fatherly figure, while Ratzinger was the hammer that went after heresy and dissent. When Ratzinger became pope, he needed someone who could be his hammer. He found Cardinal Burke in America. At the time, Burke was ostracized by other American prelates because of his conservatism. Pope Benedict took him to Rome and made him the second most powerful man in the Church’s Canon Law court (second most powerful after the Holy Father, that is.). He is also very popular among the Italians. I’m sure that most of the American prelates where glad to see him go, but they did not realize that his reach was growing. Hopefully, he will shortly step into the Shoes of the Fisherman.
For more excellent reasons why Cardinal Burke should be our next pope, read Dr. Taylor Marshall’s excellent post on the topic here.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet
Cardinal Marc Ouellet
Cardinal Ouellet was the primate of Canada for many years before he was picked by Pope Benedict to head the Congregation for Bishops. Essentially, he helps the pope pick who will be made a bishop. He is another cardinal who has found popularity outside his own country. When he left, many where glad to see him go because of his strong opposition to abortion, no matter the conditions. One article I read said that he was made Archbishop of Quebec because the archdiocese needed to be reformed. One of thing he did while in Quebec was to reopen the minor seminary located there. He is a support of Gregorian Chant. He has also spent 11 years in Colombia, so he is popular in South America.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith
Many people are hoping for a pope from Asia or Africa. If that is the case, I hope Cardinal Ranjith is the one, since he is from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Cardinal Ranjith is another strong supporter of the Latin Mass. He used to be a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship, so he knows first hand of the liturgical abuses that are plaguing the Church. In his diocese, Cardinal Ranjith has replaced the altar railing in all churches. Holy Communion is only received on the tongue and on the knees in his diocese. He also forbade the laity from preaching in church and bar the clergy from pollution the Mass by bringing in elements from other religions.
Cardinal George Pell
Cardinal George Pell
Cardinal Pell is the primate of Australia. A friend of mine in Australia told me that his diocese was the one in Australia that offered the Latin Mass. He also worked hard to help the victims of the abuse crisis. He is trying to restore orthodoxy in Australia, but the bishops under him will not listen. He is fighting an uphill battle. Interestingly, Cardinal Pell debated the infamous atheist Richard Dawkins on TV. That takes courage and that is a virtue we need in a new pope.
In Closing
If it looks like I’m tilting the scales in favor of Cardinal Burke, there are two reasons for that. First, I really, really, really want him to become pope. Second, I’ve read the most and know the most about him.
In the end, the decision of who will become the next Holy Father rests in the hands of God. Still we need to pray hard that God sends us a holy pope in the model of Pope Benedict XVI. God Bless Your Church and keep it safe.
The Vatican offers SSPX another change to cross the Tiber and come home to Rome.
Today it was discovered that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have issued an ultimatum to the Society of St. Pius X. This ultimatum gives the hierarchy of SSPX until February 22nd to restart doctrinal talks with the Vatican. If they fail to do so, the Vatican will giving individual SSPX priests the opportunity to return home to Rome.
This is a very smart move because the main impediment to the SSPX’s reunion with Rome is the hierarchy. Fellay pretends to be interested in reuniting with Rome, but he spends most of his time dragging his feet. The other bishops are outright hostile to the idea. In fact, Fellay recently said that there would be no reunion under the current pope (Pope Benedict XVI). This new move gets around this roadblock and reaches out directly to the priests who love tradition, but also want to return to the Roman Catholic Church.
From the comments I have read, some people think that Pope Benedict would never take a move like this. They seem to think that this is the work of a cardinal working on their own authority. I am of the opposite opinion. Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, Pope Benedict’s older brother, said one of the things that hurt his brother the most during his time as pope was the lack of cooperation from the SSPX in his many efforts to bring them back to the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Benedict was involved with relations between Rome and the SSPX from the beginning and he did a lot to try to resolve the break. He seems to be trying to make one final try before he abdicates on February 28th. Let’s pray that it works and Pope Benedict’s successor brings SSPX into the True Fold, with or without their stubborn hierarchy.
This Monday we head the news that Pope Benedict XVI is abdicating the Chair of St. Peter. I head this sad news shortly after I woke up at 6 am. My first thought was that it was a horrible and tasteless hoax. But as the day went on, it became clear that it was true. This news has filled me with sadness and dread. I am sad that we are losing a great and holy pope. I am filled with dread because in the last two conclaves, at least, there have been efforts by certain evil elements to get their man elected. We dodged the bullet before, but how long will we be so lucky? We must pray that the cardinals will be led by the Holy Ghost and by the concern of the welfare of the Church and not political gain.
Many people are asking why Pope Benedict would abdicate when the lost pope to do so lived over 600 years ago. I have become convinced that he did so, because the Holy Father sees a battle coming on the horizon. It will be a battle for the very soul of the Church. It will be a battle that will shake the Church to its very core. Because he can sense that this battle is near and he has realized that he does not have the physical capabilities to be the Church’s champion, that is why he is abdicating the Throne of Peter.
You might think that I am being an alarmist, but I’m afraid I’m not. All over the world, the Church is taking a beating. Church attendance is down. The sacraments are being abused and neglected. Catholics who are not worthy of the name are supporting policies and ways of life that are in direct contradiction to the will of God. There are many bishops who do not instruct their flock or even correct them. They only seek popularity. Pope Benedict has fought this battle for the life of the Church as long as he can, but can do so no longer. He is seeking to pass the torch to a younger, stronger man, who can fight the battle that is coming without a doubt. God help us when it comes.
Another blogger pointed out some interesting facts about the timing of this announcement. First, the announcement was made on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Second, the conclave will take place in the middle of Lent. This will encourage the cardinals to finish voting before they have to return home for Holy Week. It will also be in the middle of the Church’s annual time for prayer and penance.
The whole idea of the pope resigning is part of canon law, but it only takes up one simple line: “If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone.” Because of this, no one is really sure right now what to do. How will Pope Benedict be addressed in March? What authority will he have? What kind of ceremony should mark the end of his reign? What is known is that he will live in a monastery within the Vatican that is currently undergoing repairs.
In case anyone is wondering, I am referring to this as an abdication not a resignation because is what it is. Pope Benedict is not a CEO, he is an absolute monarch. The correct terminology to describe the retirement of a monarch is abdicate.
In closing, when Pope Benedict XVI bids us farewell, I will undoubted cry bitter tears of sorrow. From now until the conclave finishes, I will pray constantly that the Cardinals will vote with the eyes fixed on the things of heaven and not on the things of earth. I will also pray from Pope Benedict’s continued health and well being. (He will always be Pope Benedict XVI to me.) God Bless Pope Benedict XVI and God Bless his successor. May He guide, protect and strengthen us for the battle that lies ahead.
I don’t usually post articles from other blogs on this site, but after reading this particular one I had to. You can find the original post here. This is a story that should be read to all young people to persuade them avoid sin.
We are all familiar with Charles Dickens’ character, Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish, greedy, merciless man saved from eternal fire by three spirits who led him on a journey to the past, the present and the future, and, ultimately, Hell.
Dickens wrote his famed story in 1838. Interestingly enough, exactly thirty years after the novelist penned A Christmas Carol in England, in faraway Piedmont, Italy, a spirit indeed tapped a man’s shoulder and bid him follow.
The man was St. John Bosco, the endearing friend of the youth, the antithesis of Scrooge.
Don Bosco, as he was known, dedicated his priestly life to the welfare of wayward boys. A visionary and mystic, he was given a series of “dreams,” rather mystical visions, for the spiritual welfare of the boys of his “Oratory.”
One such vision was that of Hell. Stark, terrifying, it ultimately represented to Don Bosco’s boys the same outreach of Mercy that the Scrooge of fiction received–with the difference that what Don Bosco penned was no fiction, but Scriptural, dogmatic truth enhanced by experience.
After each “dream” Don Bosco gathered his boys and told them what he had been shown. He also left us a lengthy, detailed account. We publish a summary of his vision of Hell.
The Snares, the Demon, and the Weapons
After several nights awoken by an angelic visitor, Don Bosco was exhausted.
“Lest I should fall asleep and start dreaming, I set my pillow upright…and practically sat up, but soon, exhausted, I fell asleep. Immediately the same person of the night before appeared at my beside.”
“Get up and follow me!” he said.
Reluctantly, the saint followed and found himself in a desolate, desert-like place. As guide and guided trudged through the dismal valley, a delightful, green, flowery road opened before them. Don Bosco eagerly took to the path, but as he walked, realized it gently sloped downward.
He then saw that his boys and others were passing him left and right. Suddenly, one of them fell violently backwards, legs in the air, and as if pulled by an invisible snag, disappeared over a distant cliff. Several of the boys met with the same fate.
On closer inspection, Don Bosco realized that there were lassos on the ground made of such filmy fiber they were hardly detectable. They have spread cords for a net; by the wayside they have laid snares for me – Psalms 139:6.
“Do you know what this is?” the priest asked his guide.
“A mere nothing,” he answered. “Just plain human respect.”
At the guide’s bidding, Don Bosco picked up a snare, and began to pull.
“…I immediately felt resistance. I pulled harder only to feel …that I was being pulled down myself…and soon was at the mouth of a frightful cave…I kept tugging, and after a long while a huge, hideous monster emerged, clutching a rope to which all…the snares were tied.”
Letting go, Don Bosco turned to the guide who said,
“Now you know who he is.”
“I surely do, the devil himself!”
Now Don Bosco began to inspect the snares. Each bore an inscription: Pride, Disobedience, Envy, Impurity, Theft, Gluttony, Sloth, Anger and so on. He realized that the sins that trapped most boys were those of impurity, disobedience, and pride, though others caught them as well. Those of “human respect” pulled them down swiftly.
As he looked even closer, he spotted knives among the snares placed there by a helping hand. These had inscriptions on them as well: meditation, attentive spiritual reading. There were also swords that read: devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, frequent Holy Communion, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Louis Gonzaga, and other saints. There were also hammers symbolizing Confession. The boys that made use of these weapons were able to cut themselves free.
The Place of No Return
As guide and priest continued, the road became ever steeper and increasingly devoid of vegetation and flowers. At a certain point it was so vertical Don Bosco could hardly stay upright.
“…at the bottom of this precipice, at the entrance of a dark valley, an enormous building loomed into sight, its towering portal tightly locked facing our road. When I finally arrived at the bottom, I felt smothered by a suffocating heat, while a greasy-greenish smoke, and flashes of scarlet flames rose behind those enormous walls that loomed higher than mountains.”
As Don Bosco looked up, he read a sign over the massive gates: The Place of No Return–and he knew they were at the gates of Hell.
Suddenly, the guide pointed to the distance, and Don Bosco saw a boy racing down the path at an uncontrollable speed. As he approached, the horrified priest recognized one of his boys. The boy’s hair stood on end, his eyes bulged, and his arms flayed like those of one drowning.
“Let’s help him! Let’s stop him,” I shouted.”
“Leave him alone,” the guide replied.
“Why?!”
“Do you think you can restrain one who is fleeing from God’s just wrath?”
As the boy crashed into the portal, it sprang open with a roar, and instantly a thousand inner portals opened with a deafening clamor as if struck by a body propelled by an irresistible gale.
Other boys now came hurtling down the path, screaming in terror, arms outstretched. Some came down alone, others arm in arm, one boy being pushed by another. Each had his particular sin written on his forehead. Don Bosco recognized them as they crashed into the portal to be sucked into the endless corridor amid a long-drawn, fading, infernal echo. He called to them in anguish, but they did not hear him. As the gates stood momentarily open, Don Bosco caught a glimpse of something like furnace jaws spouting fiery balls.
“Bad friends, bad books and bad habits,” spoke the guide, “are mainly responsible for so many eternally lost.”
“If so many of our boys end up this way, we are working in vain. How can we prevent such tragedies?”, asked Don Bosco.
“This is their present state,” answered the guide, “and that is where they would go were they to die now.”
Into the Gates
Another group of boys came hurtling down, and the portals momentarily opened.
“Let’s go in,” the guide said, as Don Bosco pulled back in horror.
“Come. You’ll learn much.”
“We entered that narrow, horrible corridor and whizzed through it with lightning speed. Threatening inscriptions shone eerily over all the inner gateways. The last one opened into a vast, grim courtyard with a large, forbidding entrance at the far end.”
“From here on,” said the guide, “no one may have a helpful companion, a comforting friend, a loving heart, a compassionate glance, or a benevolent word; all that is gone forever. Do you just want to see or would you rather experience these things yourself?”
“I only want to see!” answered Don Bosco readily.
Stepping through the forbidding gate, the guide took Don Bosco down a corridor to an observation platform behind a great glass wall. Gripped by an indescribable terror, Don Bosco beheld an immense cave sunk into the bowels of the mountains.
“The cave was ablaze, but not with an earthly fire with leaping tongues of flames. The entire cave, walls, ceiling, floor, iron, stones, wood, and coal…glowed white at temperatures of thousands of degrees…”
As he watched, with shrilling screams a few boys were plunged into the white heat as into a cauldron of liquid bronze. Instantly they too became incandescent and perfectly motionless.
A Terrible Choice
More frightened than ever Don Bosco asked,
“When these boys come dashing into this cave, don’t they know where they are going?”
“They surely do,” explained the guide, “They have been warned a thousand times, but they still choose to rush into the fire because they do not detest sin and are loath to forsake it. Furthermore, they despise and reject God’s incessant, merciful invitations to do penance. “
The guide then bid the priest look closer and he saw those poor wretches savagely striking at each other like mad dogs. Others clawed their own faces and hands, tearing their own flesh and spitefully throwing it about. Just then the entire ceiling of the cave became transparent as crystal and revealed a patch of heaven and their radiant companions safe for all eternity.
The poor wretches fumed with envy and burned with rage because they had once ridiculed the good. The wicked shall see and shall be angry. He shall gnash his teeth and pine away–Psalms 111:10
“Pressing my ear to the crystal window, I heard screams and sobs, blasphemies and imprecations against the saints.”
The guide then led Don Bosco into a lower cavern above which was written, Their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched – Isaiah 66:24.
In this lower cave Don Bosco again beheld boys from the Oratory.
“…I drew closer…and noticed that they were covered with worms and vermin which gnawed at their vitals, hearts, eyes, hands, legs, and entire bodies so ferociously as to defy description. Helpless and motionless, they were prey to every kind of torment…”
Don Bosco again tried to talk to them but no one even looked at him or spoke to him. The guide then explained that the damned are totally deprived of freedom. Each must endure his punishment with no possible reprieve.
As he watched these wretched boys, again Don Bosco turned to his guide.
“How can these boys be damned? Last night they were still alive at the Oratory!”
“The boys you see here,” retorted the guide, “are all dead to God’s grace. Were they to die now or persist in their evil ways, they would indeed be damned.”
Don Bosco was also shown the atrocious remorse of those who had been pupils in his schools. What a torment to remember the innumerable favors, blessings, warnings and graces they had received at the Oratory, especially graces from the Blessed Virgin Mary. What torture to think that they could have been saved so easily if they only had kept their good resolutions. Indeed, Hell is paved with good intentions!
Sexual Sins
Lastly, Don Bosco was shown the damage that the sin of impurity causes, which is the sin that abuses the sacred gift of our sexuality which God meant to be legitimately used to unite a man and a woman and to procreate children.
Our Lord teaches that such sins are already sinful in accepted thoughts, in deliberate looks and, of course, in actions that are the result of impure thoughts and looks.
Don Bosco saw an entrance above which was written, The Sixth Commandment. The guide exclaimed,
“Transgressions of this commandment caused the eternal ruin of many boys.”
“Didn’t they go to Confession?” asked Don Bosco.
“They did, but they either omitted or insufficiently confessed the sins against the beautiful virtue of purity. Other boys may have fallen into that sin but once in their childhood, and, through shame, never confessed it or did so insufficiently. Others were not truly sorry or sincere in their resolve to avoid it in the future. There were some who, rather than examine their conscience, spent their time trying to figure out how best to deceive their confessor. Anyone dying in this frame of mind chooses to be among the damned, and so he is doomed for all eternity. Only those who die truly repentant shall be eternally happy.
Now, do you want to see why our merciful God brought you here? “
And the guide showed Don Bosco a group of boys whom he knew well who were in Hell because of this sin. Among them were some whose conduct seemed good. Don Bosco begged to be allowed to jot down their names so as to warn them. But the guide said it was not necessary.
“Always preach against immodesty. Bear in mind that even if you did admonish them individually, they would promise, but not always in earnest. For a firm resolution to avoid the sin of impurity one needs God’s grace, which will not be denied to your boys if they pray. God’s power is specially manifested through mercy and forgiveness. On your part, pray and offer sacrifices. As for the boys, let them listen to your admonitions and consult their consciences. They will know what to do.”
And the guide continued,
“Keep telling them that by obeying God, the church, their parents, and their superiors, even in little things, they will be saved. Warn them against idleness. Tell them to keep busy at all times, because the devil will not then have a chance to tempt them.”
On the Way Out
Now it was finally time to leave that place of dread. Don Bosco could hardly stand up, so the guide held him up gently and in no time at all they had retraced their steps through the terrible corridor. But as soon as they had stepped across the last portal, the guide said,
“Now that you have seen what others suffer, you too must experience a touch of hell.”
“No, no!” Don Bosco cried in terror.
“Look at this wall,” said the guide. “There are a thousand walls between this and the real fire of hell.”
When he said this, Don Bosco instinctively pulled back, but seizing his hand the guide touched it to the last wall of Hell.
“The sensation was so utterly excruciating that I leaped back with a scream and found myself sitting up in bed. My hand was stinging and I kept rubbing it to ease the pain. Next morning I noticed that it was swollen. Later the skin of my palm peeled off.”
Conclusion
As free human beings, we have the capacity to choose; otherwise, we would be mere robots. Free Will and Choice generate Responsibility, which, in turn places us necessarily at a stark crossroads between God, Who is Supreme Good, and the antithesis of God, which is total evil. If we choose God, we choose all that He is: Good, Beauty, Love, Bliss. If we choose against God, we have all that He is not: evil, hideousness, hate, misery. He has set water and fire before you: stretch forth your hand to which you will. Eccl.15:17
Pope Benedict XVI continues to amaze me. I read the other day that he is now the fourth oldest pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. He just recently passed Blessed Pope Pius IX. Next year he will overtake Pope Clement X. However, it will be awhile before he reaches Pope Leo XIII’s number one slot. (Pope Leo XIII died at 93.)
This is amazing because the then Cardinal Ratzinger was planning to retire in the early 2000s, but Pope John Paul II refused to accept his resignation several times. God obviously has other plans. Keep Pope Benedict XVI in your prayers as he continues to lead God’s people.
Here is a Christmas story that I wrote a couple a years ago. I hope you enjoy and have a very merry Christmas.
Silent Night, Holy Night
By John Paul Wohlscheid
Prologue
“What good is Christmas??? Why must we have it? It seems like an unbearable holiday. The main reason for having Christmas seems to be so that you must spend much of your savings on presents for your friends and relatives. The value of the presents I received never even remotely reaches to the amount I spend on presents. What good is it?
“Christmas is the time of year when we must invite over the relatives we dislike the most so that they can gorge themselves on the expensive meal prepared by a person’s family. Christmas is such a waste of both time and money.”
So read the diary entry of Adrian Norton for December 23.
Chapter 1 – The Ride
Adrian Norton was like any other boy his age, so full of questions. The question that this new teenager wanted answered was “What good is Christmas?” Everyone answered that it was the season of giving, the season of joy. But joy for what and for whom?
It was this question that Adrian posed to his dad at the dinner table on the eve of December 22.
His father sat thinking for several minutes before answering. However, before he could answer, Adrian’s little brother, Sherman piped up, “Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Stupid.”
“Oh, thanks a lot, Ugly,” said Adrian angrily. He wanted to hear his father’s answer, not his know-it-all baby brother’s answer. His little rat-fink of a brother stuck his tongue out.
“All right, you two,” commanded their father. Then he turned his attention back to Adrian. “Son,” he began, “the reason we celebrate Christmas is to remember the birth of our Savior. We celebrate the fact that He came down to earth to free us from sin.”
“Where does Santa Claus come in,” demanded Adrian. He was not one to get sentimental about anything. He thought of himself as a tough guy who had a dry eye when everyone else cried during a sad movie
“Santa Claus brings gifts to all good boys and girls to celebrate Christmas,” replied Adrian’s mother. “You see, even Santa Claus celebrates Christmas. He prepares all year for it.”
Adrian gave his mother a smile that said he did not believe a word she had said. He knew full well that his parents, not Santa Claus had given him most of his presents.
That night as Adrian lay on the bottom bed of the bunk beds he and his brother shared, his mind turned to the dinner conversation. To tell the truth he was not entirely sure that there wasn’t a Santa Claus. Sure, some the presents supposedly from Santa Claus had his parents handwriting on the tag, but a few always had a strange handwriting. His father mixed both printing and cursive when he wrote and his mother used rather square letters, but some of the tags were written with long, bold cursive. Was it possible that there was a Santa Claus?
Adrian lay for several minutes trying to determine the best method to see if there was a Santa Claus. Then, the answer came to him in a flash. “I’ll hide in the living room tomorrow night when everyone is asleep.” He smiled, if there was a Santa he would be the one to tell Adrian about Christmas.
The next day passed with a whiz as Adrian went to school, did his homework, and wrapped the few presents he had dutifully bought. The dinner conversation concerned the preparations for the Christmas Day dinner. Adrian’s parents seemed to think that their explanations to Adrian had been sufficient. All during the rest of the evening, Adrian was in a state of anxious excitement. His parent’s attributed it to the fact that is was Christmas Eve.
That night Adrian lay in his bed asleep, an alarm clock under his pillow. Promptly at 11:30, the alarm started to ring. Immediately Adrian’s hand went under the pillow to silence it. He knew that even if the alarm rang from now until doomsday his brother would never hear it.
Adrian lay there quietly for several minutes. He wanted to make sure no one else was up. The only sound that he could hear was the soft breathing from the bunk overhead and loud snoring coming from his parents’ room. Confident that no one else was awake; Adrian climbed out of bed and put on his clothes. He did not think it would be proper for Santa Claus to see him in his pajamas.
Within minutes Adrian was dressed and standing in the living room. He inspected the tags of the presents that surrounded the bright Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the living room. There were several presents from Santa Claus with his parents’ handwriting, but none with the strange handwriting.
The family’s fireplace sat in the west wall of the living room, facing the decorated spruce. Adrian took up position in a corner between his father’s recliner and the family couch. Here he sat waiting for Santa to appear.
For a while it seemed as though nothing would happen. Adrian was beginning to wonder if Santa was coming. The silence was deafening.
Suddenly, there was a noise. It started out softly and far away. Then, then it came closer and swelled in volume. Adrian strained his ears and searched his memory to see if he could recognize the sound. He could; it was the sound of sleigh bells.
Minutes later the bells reached their peak volume and then stopped. Adrian was overcome with the fear that Santa had passed his house by. Then, there was a noise at the chimney and before Adrian could blink there stood a jolly, fat man with white hair and a red suit. Santa Claus!
Chapter 2 – The Adventure
In front of the Norton’s fireplace there stood Santa Claus with a large, brown, canvas sack at his feet, overflowing with brightly wrapped packages. Santa stood stretching for several minutes and then hurriedly, as if to make up for lost time, took packages out of his bag and added them to the pile already under the tree. While he was working, Adrian had made his way, as quiet as a mouse, until he was standing next to Santa.
When Santa Claus paused to rest and wipe his brow, Adrian tapped on his shoulder. Santa whirled around with a start, but not as pronounced as Adrian had expected. He realized he probably was not the first child to catch Santa in the act.
Santa was everything Adrian had expected, and more. Santa was dressed in a red suit trimmed with white fir. A red cap of the same material and design was seated upon his snowy white head. A black belt encircled his waist, black boots covered his feet, and red mittens kept his hands warm. A bright smile was framed by his white beard.
“Hi there,” said Santa softly. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Adrian was too stunned to answer right away. Finally, he blurted out, “I want you to tell me the meaning of Christmas.”
Santa put his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. Then he said, “I have an idea. What if I took you to my North Pole workshop? You see I need to drop off presents to quite a few more children before they wake up.”
Now it was Adrian’s turn to think it over. “Will I be home before my family misses me?” he asked.
“They won’t even know you were gone,” Santa assured him with a grandfatherly smile and a twinkle in his eye.
“Okay,” said Adrian, “let’s go.”
The time passed quickly for Adrian as he flew through the night with Santa. The sleigh was large, painted red, and was pulled through the night sky by a team of eight reindeer, the leader having a red nose. Before they had taken off, Santa had wrapped Adrian in a sealskin coat to keep him from freezing. There was a large, brown canvas sack in the back of the sleigh that yielded what seemed like an unlimited amount of toys.
Finally after Santa had made his deliveries to different parts of the world, he turned the sleigh north. In less time than it takes to tell, the sleigh had reached the North Pole. Adrian was puzzled as he looked over the barren landscape. There was absolutely no place for the sleigh and reindeer to land. He had seen paintings of what Santa’s workshop was supposed to look like. There was nothing on the North Pole except mountains of snow, ice and rock. The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was a large pole that extended from the ground.
Adrian turned to Santa and raised his open palms as if to ask, “Where?” Santa chuckled and pointed ahead. Adrian took a look and noticed that the sleigh was angling towards the ice below. He looked back to Santa with astonishment. Santa just smiled and pointed again. Adrian took another look and saw something he hadn’t seen the first time. A large chunk of ice was sliding back and lights were blinking around the edges.
Down they went, sleigh, reindeer, and all into the hole. Adrian closed his eyes and tensed as they neared, fearing a crash. There was a whoosh as they passed through the hole in the ice. Adrian reopened his eyes and was amazed to be flying through a tunnel of colorful lights. As they neared the end of the tunnel, the sleigh had slowed down quite a bit and was gliding along the ice floor.
As they came out of the end of the tunnel, the reindeer stopped as they had many times before. Adrian looked around and found himself in a large brightly lit room with many colorful lights. Santa spread his arms wide and said, “Welcome to my underground workshop.”
Chapter 3 – Explanations
As Santa helped Adrian out of the sleigh a large crowd of children surrounded them. Santa introduced the children to Adrian as his “helpers”. He also told the children that Adrian was just visiting.
As Santa led the way towards a door framed by Christmas lights, Adrian turned to see a group of adults join the children as they unhooked the reindeer. Santa turned and followed Adrian’s line of sight. Then he chuckled.
When Adrian turned back to Santa with questions in his eyes, Santa explained, “Those are all people who have come to help me in my work.”
“I thought that you had little elves?” questioned Adrian.
“Not really,” replied Santa Claus. “You see, most of the people came here as children or young people. Some were picked for this job, while others visited and had no reason to return. They have families here and the children help whenever they can.” Santa turned a corner and stepped into an open elevator. As the doors closed, Santa pressed the button marked “HQ”. Up shot the elevator.
When the elevator opened, Adrian found himself staring with wonderment. The room he stepped into was full of computer screens and people manning them.
“This is the command center,” said Santa as he walked up to the computer that sat in the middle of the room. It was staffed by a short young man with black curly hair, who turned in his swivel chair as Santa approached.
“Hi, there, Big Red,” he greeted. “I see that this year you were only five minutes behind last year’s record.” Then he seemed to notice Adrian. “Hi, kid,” he said.
Adrian wrinkled his nose at this. He was thirteen now, a teenager, not a kid.
“Ben, this is Adrian Norton,” Santa introduced.
“Norton, Adrian,” repeated Ben as he turned back to his computer screen. His fingers flew over the keyboard as typed in Adrian’s name. Seconds later, his entire history appeared on the screen.
“Let’s see,” said Ben as he started to read. “Age: 13 ½ years old, grade: 8th. He has a history of fighting with his brother, which is not uncommon for someone his age. Good grades…”
“Where did you get all that information about me?” Adrian interrupted.
“From your guardian angel,” replied Ben without looking up from the screen. Adrian looked at Santa’s face to see if he was joking. Santa’s face was a solemn as a judge’s.
“It’s true,” he replied. “Each person has a guardian angel who gives us regular updates. For every deed points are given or taken away, depending on what sort of deed it is. The total by Christmas determines whether that person is ‘naughty’ or ‘nice’.”
Adrian opened his mouth to say something, but before he could one of the other computer operators cried, “I’ve got an overhead radar scan coming this way.”
“Get the radio pole in,” Ben shouted back as he focused on a window on his screen that showed the sweeps of a ground search radar. Several of the technicians started flipping switches immediately. There was a loud groan and a creaking sound.
“What’s that?” cried Adrian in alarm.
“Oh, that’s just our radio antenna that the guardian angels from all over the world use to report in,” replied Santa. “Isn’t that right, Ben?” But Ben was too busy reading Adrian’s file.
“Ah, Santa, you might want to read this,” said Ben quietly as he pointed to the screen. Adrian leaned over and started to read as well. It was his diary entry from the night before. He immediately felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Santa read for several minutes, then said, “Adrian, let me show you something.” Santa quietly led the way out of the control room and down another hallway. Stopping in front of a door marked “Private”, Santa turned the knob and stepped in.
The room that Adrian followed him into was Santa’s private office. On one side of the room there was a fireplace and several chairs. On the right, there was an oaken business desk. But, in the middle of the room there stood a Christmas tree with a large Nativity scene underneath it. It was in front of this Christmas scene that Santa knelt and removed his cap. Adrian quickly followed suit.
Santa looked lovingly at the scene and said softly, “See that Child in the manger?” Adrian nodded. “Well, that Child is the reason for the season. It was that Son of God, who was born; became Man; and died for our sins. He died so that you and I maybe free. It was quite something for God to humble Himself to become a man. But he loved us so much, that He was willing to do anything to save us.” They were silent for several minutes. Then, Adrian looked at Santa’s face. To his great surprise, he saw a tear roll down Santa’s cheek as he gazed at the Nativity scene.
Then Santa bowed his head and rose to his feet. He turned to Adrian and smiled through his tears. “Would you like some cocoa?”
Adrian sat across from Santa in front of Santa’s fireplace with a steaming cup of hot cocoa in his hand. But he was more interested in some explanations than in the steaming liquid. Santa knew that look he had seen it many times before.
He smiled as he took a sip of his cocoa and set it on the small table next to him. “Adrian, you’re probably wondering about me. Well, I’m Santa number 259. You see thousands of years ago, Saint Nicholas was the first Santa Claus. But when God took him to Heaven, He picked another man to be Santa. God always picked men who were generous givers and he blessed them with good, jolly temperaments. I’ve been Santa for about twenty years,” said Santa as he looked down at his hands for several minutes.
He continued, “Our job as Santa is to bring joy to all people, no matter what race, religion, or color. It is the season during which we can help those less fortunate than ourselves. The reason that your folks invite people that you don’t like is so that they can share in your joy at Our Lord’s birth. Do you have any questions?”
Now it was Adrian’s turn to study his hands. He never realized before that Christmas meant so much to so many people. He was saddened when he remembered what he had written in his diary.
“I think I understand everything now, Santa,” he replied slowly. A smile warmed Santa’s features.
“I hope you’ll forgive me for what I might have thought or said. I hope He forgives me,” Adrian said as he turned to look at the Nativity scene.
“I’m sure He already has,” said Santa softly. There was silence, and then the clock on the mantelpiece started to chime, softly. Santa looked up and said, “We’d better get you home.
Chapter 4 – The Reminder
The flight back to Adrian’s house was faster than the trip from it. Santa made sure that Adrian was safely in bed before he left. It seemed that as soon as he had closed his eyes, Adrian’s brother was jumping on him.
“Get up, Adrian. It’s Christmas morning.” Adrian unwillingly sat up and put on his robe. When he entered the living room he found it the same as he had left it. His brother was tearing open his presents as fast as he could. Adrian walked over to the tree wondering if everything he remembered had just been a dream.
Adrian’s mother picked up a large package wrapped in red and white paper. The tag said “From: Santa, To: Adrian.” She showed it to her husband, the both shrugged their shoulders. Neither remembered wrapping this present.
“Here’s one for you, Adrian,” smiled his mother as she handed the package to him. “Merry Christmas.” Adrian managed a weak smile in return.
He took the package and unwrapped it. He opened the box and looked inside. Then, tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. His parents came over in alarm as Adrian set out the contents of the box. It was a good sized Nativity scene with four men kneeling 
before the Child Jesus. Two were shepherds, one was a prince, and the fourth was a Santa Claus with his head bowed and uncovered.
Adrian’s parents were definitely sure that this was not from either one of them. But where had it come from?
To Adrian it meant that he had not dreamt his visit with Santa.
Merry Christmas.
Real Roman Catholic 