Drexel’s Bishops
Having reminded ourselves last week (EC of July 18, 2020) of how well the Messages from the 1970’s of Fr. Drexel’s Faith is greater than Obedience still fit the situation of Catholics in the 2020’s, let us see what view these Messages took of the Church’s pivot between Pope and priests, namely the bishops. These Messages are very severe for the clergy that virtually abandoned their flocks in the wake of Vatican II, especially for the bishops who had handed over their God-given responsibilities to man-made Bishops’ Conferences (see July 5, 1974 below. Two years later Archbishop Lefebvre was “hated and ridiculed”) . . .
December 3, 71 But the greatest pain to My Heart was given by those who should be shepherding the faithful – and these are the bishops, who have become silent, indifferent and cowardly. Not only a few, but many of them, are afraid of men and are far from the fear of God. This is the reason why the wolves were able to break into the flock, bringing such confusion and devastation and destruction upon the Church. Indeed, they try to wreck and smash the rock of My Church, but millions of souls, of immortal souls, are being lost. For these souls, those apostate shepherds and tepid bishops must render an account before My eternal Judgment! Once I wept over Jerusalem and over the people of this city and over their priests and high-priests; and still their sin was not as great as the sin of those who, in the Church of today, instead of being leaders become seducers, instead of shepherds become mercenaries, instead of counsellors become traitors. But there are certainly also true shepherds of souls and vigilant bishops, who stand with firmness and charity alongside the successor of Peter.
August 4, 72 While My son Paul ( . . . ) receives with great sorrow the news about priests who abandon their flocks, their vocation, and their office, and he entreats these fugitives and faint-hearted ones, nevertheless his grief is greater over the many shepherds (bishops) who, by virtue of their office and vocation, are obliged to assist with clearness and firmness the head, leader, and father of all the faithful, and to respect his instructions. But instead they lead a comfortable life, and because of laziness and cowardice, they omit being vigilant in their parishes and omit taking care of the faith with great, rigorous attention for the maintenance of discipline and the preservation of the faith.
December 1, 72 So many of the faithful hunger for a good shepherd. Yes, the bishops have been called and appointed as shepherds. But they become mercenaries and wolves, because they have abandoned the road to loyalty. The souls entrusted to them will one day testify against them at the Judgment.
July 5, 74 The distress of souls cries to Heaven; in the meantime , unasked persons take power in the Church and in meetings, and all this is happening because of the bishops, who do not stop them, and who do not set up boundaries.
November 1, 74 Consider: A great confusion has pierced My one and true Church. Books filled with false statements and heresies are accepted by bishops, who are supposed to be shepherds, while writings that tell the truth are rejected by the Church’s representatives, so great has become the confusion!
February 7, 75 Some of the shepherds and guardians who have been anointed ( . . . ) have abandoned the faith and give freedom to heresies. ( . . . ) Oh, would that all of those shepherds might understand what responsibility they carry and how much this responsibility is increasing upon them, because those who still believe and pray do not find protection any more.
July 2, 76 Why are there not guards, who protect the faith any more, and consequently the faithful people, the youth and the children, from having their souls murdered? But those who stand up against the damaging of the faith are persecuted, and their serious and heavy sorrows are exposed to hate and ridicule.
Kyrie eleison.
