Editors Note: This column appeared in The Wanderer on January 16, 1969. Bishop Adrian wrote a weekly column for The Wanderer at the time. Born: April 16, 1883: Died February 13, 1972. He was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee from 1936 to 1969. Yes, the circumstances are different today, almost as though the tables are turned. Modernism again seems to be the root of the problem both in the past and in the current crisis within the church.
This article appeared in The Wanderer January 16, 1969.
One question that is persistently being asked by faithful Catholics and some non-Catholics is this: “Is there going to be another revolution in the Church like the One of the early sixteenth century?” Even Pope Paul last month warned us of this danger, stating, that if the critics and _ dissenters within the Church had their way, it would lead to the destruction of the Church. Before considering the answer to the question, it will be well to keep in mind the words which St. Catherine of Siena spoke to Pope Gregory IX in the latter part of the 14th century when the Church was in a precarious condition because of corruption within the Church: “Do not let yourselves fall into confusion of mind, but sail over the tempestuous sea in the bark of Divine Mercy. — 1 will not say that the Spouse of Christ (the Church) will not be persecuted. but I believe she will remain in flower. It is necessary for her complete reformation that she be pulled down even to the foundation.” And St Thomas Aquinas reminds us “Nothing happens in the world by chance, but all things are subject to Divine Providence”
BE NOT SCANDALIZED
I cite the words of the illustrious saints that you be fortified in your faith, and not be scandalized by the corruption that has at times crept into the Church. The Holy Spirit will never fail to protect and guide the Church from the wiles and snares of the Devil and his agents. as Christ promised
And so Pope Paul views the present crisis in the Church. Although he suffers much because of all the criticism and corruption and disobedience of those within the Church, he says that he is calm and serene in the knowledge that in defending and proclaiming the immutable truths of the Churches’, magisterium, he is doing his duty as the Supreme Shepherd. — and that is what is all-important.
The danger of a revolution within the Church becomes more menacing when one compares the present condition of affairs in the Church, with those conditions that preceded the great Protestant Revolution of the 16th century —led by Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk. In Northern Europe. and by King Henry VIII in England. Both claimed they sought to reform the Church, but in fact they destroyed the Church as far as lay within their power.
In the history of the Church. the century preceding the great Revolution was largely one of revolt. It was not a period of disobedience on a large scale, but a denial of an authority’s right to be obeyed.
Much of the discontent of the laity in the 15th century was caused by the fact that the clergy were trafficking in temporary affairs, — that monasteries and bishops possessed large estates, supported armies levied exorbitant taxes, with the resultant evils of nepotism. simony, the craze for more power and wealth These factors seldom, or not at all, influence the discontented today. But at that time there was also a dangerous, scandalous decline In the spiritual and moral life of the clergy. — including some bishops and a few Popes. — probably the result of their dabbling in worldly affairs As Luther once wrote to a friend “I seldom have time for reciting the Divine Office and celebrating Mass.” The excuse he gave was that he was “too busy” with temporal affairs, to care for the needs of his soul. — the incipient cause of the spiritual ruin of many a priest.
LUTHER WAS NOT A REFORMER
So when Luther appeared on the scene, there was a grave need of reform in the Church, especially among the clergy. But Luther did not attempt to reform the spiritual and moral life of the clergy Just the opposite. — by word and example he urged the priests and religious to ignore their vows and get married, even as he had done He attacked the Pope in the most foul language, he denied the Pope’s claim to the title of being the Supreme Head of all Christendom. — denied the jurisdiction of the Pope and hierarchy. not only in temporal matters, but also In the spiritual, that, according to Sacred Scripture, they had no authority for existing at all. and should be done away with, — as also the Sacraments except Baptism which the laity could administer The Church is wholly spiritual, has no external existence, no rights, no authority. The State, the king or ruler, is the only legitimate authority the world knows on what authonty did he make these assertions? The answer: Luther’s, authority” He quoted Sacred Scripture when it suited his doctrine• when it did not, he either wrongly interpreted it or declared it ‘out of date.” Most of the above Luther preached after he was excommunicated by the Church. What led up to this?
Evidently Luther was greatly influenced by the errors that were being taught in most seminaries and monasteries, particularly by the “new religion” proclaimed by the monk Ockham and Wylcliff two centuries before and now revived. These heretics had taught that the Bible is the only source of faith, — that Christ was the sole head of the Church to the exclusion of the Papacy, —that the priests and laity were all equal. — all of which theories Luther later adopted.
But always back of Luther’s search was a way to overcome his fear of damnation After much study he formulated these propositions: (1) Man, because of original sin, is wholly and forever corrupted, therefore, he is incapable ever to do any meritorious work; hence penances are useless: prayers and the whole sacramental system must be discarded: there is no longer any need of the Church or the priest (2) Man is justified by faith alone. By faith he is clad in the robes of Christ’s merits and accepted by God as justified. Hence his famous words. “Sin all you like, only believe, and you will be saved “ These were the errors that the Church condemned in 1521, and Luther became a resolutionist
FRICTION BETWEEN THE PAPACY AND HIERARCHY
In this twentieth century it has been evident that for sixty years there has been friction between the Hierarchy and the Pope in the sense that Bishops have set a pattern of noncooperation with suggested Papal directives But never until recently did any group of Bishops or theologians openly contest the authority of the Papal magisterium. But during the sessions of Vatican II, and since, a “progressive” group has been attempting to cause a revolution in the Church even to the extent of destroying certain dogmas of faith and of unalterable morals upheld by the Church from its very foundation.
The general public, including some Bishops, many priests and Religious, have been subjected to brainwashing by the Hans Kung, the Schillebeeckxs, the Currans and their associates, who, after six years, “have proven themselves to be better versed in sexology than in theology, and better trained in secularism than in spirituality,” as Fr Charles Coughlin puts it.
Aided by a captive Catholic press and forum these “progressives” assumed that the Council Fathers’ main objective had been to -update the Church; so they proceed “to modernize the Church in matters liturgical; to streamline the Mass; to eliminate superstitious novenas and practices; to rid Church buildings of statues. to take Christ down from the Cross; to curtail devotion to the Mother of God; to consign the Rosary to limbo; to teach the people to regard the Mass as a -social meal”: to democratize the structure of the Church, giving the people the right to make decisions, to rationalize the Scriptures which are filled with fables, etc (Coughlin)
COMPROMISES OF CATHLIC DOCTRINE
But more grave is the fact that they are compromising Catholic doctrine to please non-Catholics; they are reviving the Pelagian heresy with the denial of original sin (Teilhardism); they are destroying the basis of all morality by teaching Situation Ethics. which theory makes everyone his own judge of what is moral, irrespective of what the Church teaches or God commands; they are trying to scuttle the Catholic age-old theology regarding birth prevention: and so on and on. But the most dangerous sign of revolution in the Church is the ever increasing trend of questioning the right of the Pope and Bishops to be obeyed. This was largely the cause of the Protestant Revolution both in Europe and in England but the threat of a Revolution within the Church is not great at this time. While cause does exist for the Church to take a firm hand in dealing with her rebels and the promoters of erroneous doctrine, it is not likely that the Church will officially expel these from her communion then, too, these dissidents have no leader who commands the respect of the faithful Catholics. Those who follow these false guides, are indeed small in number, mostly worldlyminded souls. The vast majority of the faithful are becoming more determined to follow the guidance of the One True Church, and to defend it against enemies. Very encouraging, too, is the fact that an increasing number of Bishops and pastors are asserting their loyalty to the Holy Father. With such leadership as Pope Paul has shown he possesses. we have confidence that the Church will triumph. — but only if we pray and prove ourselves militant Catholics
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