Truth

Historical Truth – III

Historical Truth – III on September 30, 2017

The dreadful punishment of persistence in lying is that one loses all sense of reality. This punishment is closing in on our Western “civilisation.” People can no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood, between fantasy and reality. Alas, fantasy may be sweeter, but reality always re-asserts itself in the end, and the more obstinately one has clung to fantasy, the more violently reality is liable to return. The two World Wars of the last century were violent returns of reality. We are heading straight for a third, because the preference of fantasy is being raised to an ideology. The following clear example of the turning of lies into an ideology comes from a website striving to uphold truth:—

In 2009 a Polish-born American, Herman Rosenblat, wrote a touching Holocaust memoir for which, even before it could be published as a book, the film rights were sold for $25,000. Angel at the fence tells how Rosenblat, imprisoned during World War II in Buchenwald concentration camp, met through the camp’s outer fence a nine-year old girl who tossed to him apples and bread over the fence. By war’s end they had lost touch with one another, and he emigrated to the United States. Years later in New York he resorted to a matrimonial agency to find a bride, and who should turn up on the blind date but the same girl? She was now an adult, but he recognised her immediately and proposed to her, was accepted, and they have lived happily ever after.

The story is most touching. Rosenblat gave everyone to understand that it had all happened in reality, and it seems that everybody believed him. However, researchers into the story proved from wartime facts, for instance from the impossibility for Buchenwald inmates to approach the camp’s outer fence, that the story was a pure figment of Rosenblat’s imagination. It was one more “fake Holocaust story.” But a regular visitor to the website mentioned above, Seymour Zak, protested vehemently that there is no such thing as a “fake Holocaust story.” What is frightening is his reasoning –

 . . . . What anti-Semites keep insisting are “fake Holocaust stories” need to be seen in a more positive light as “the truth of imagination,” to quote the famous phrase of the poet John Keats. If something is perceived as true by the mind, though strictly speaking it may not have happened, and if that event is subsequently seen as a living truth in the minds of millions of other good people who have been exposed to that same heightened version of reality, then it must on no account be dismissed as a “lie” ( . . . ) All such stories are true in a higher metaphysical sense, and to deny them is a sacrilege ( . . . ) We have a sacred obligation to the six million who died under the tyranny of the evil Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler to remember the dead and dismiss with contempt all attempts to deny the Holocaust by referring to “fake Holocaust stories.” I repeat: there is no such thing as a fake Holocaust story. Every Holocaust story is true, 100 per cent true, whether it happened or not. ( . . . ) In the sublime words of Elie Wiesel: “In literature, certain things are true though they didn’t happen, while others are not true, even if they did happen.”

On Seymour Zak’s reasoning, it is of no importance whether the six million mentioned here really died “under the tyranny, etc.” or not. What matters is whether the Six Million constitute a “heightened version of reality . . . . seen as a living truth in the minds of millions of good people, etc.” and if they do, then to state that they died when in reality they did not die is no longer a lie, but a higher truth! Reality is no longer the measure of truth, especially if that higher truth is quasi-religious, namely a “sacred obligation” which it is “sacrilege” to deny, namely Holocaustianity. In other words, there is historical reality and non-historical reality, and only the second deserves the name of “reality”!

This is utter madness, but it is in society all around us, more and more so, and we human beings are social animals, necessarily influenced by the society around us. Catholics – and non-Catholics – if you want to keep your head above the rising flood of madness, pray 15 Mysteries a day of the Holy Rosary. Our Lady can protect your sanity. These “Comments” have no other remedy to suggest.

Kyrie eleison.

Historical Truth – II

Historical Truth – II on September 23, 2017

As last week’s “Comments” reminded readers, it is Scripture itself that tells us that the Antichrist will come, because men lacked love of the truth (II Thessalonians II, 10). God is truth (Jn. XIV, 6), and so when men turn away from God they open themselves to lies. But Satan is the father of lies (Jn. VIII, 44), and so to welcome lies is to welcome Satan and ultimately his Antichrist, the worst of all enemies of Christ. Therefore to think that the modern political scene being full of lies is not a religious problem because politics and religion have little to do with one another, is to have a very defective view of religion. The love of truth matters in all areas of life. “The truth will set you free,” says Our Lord (Jn. VIII, 32). Sure enough – a mass of people today are enslaved by the lies of the vile media, and the media are vile precisely because they lie, gravely and systematically.

Last week’s example of a monstrous untruth widely accepted came from France, although that untruth holds sway all over the world. This week’s monstrous untruth comes from the United States. No doubt many of the readers of these “Comments” know that the real story of 9/11 is not at all what it has been made to appear, but still far too many minds are bent right out of shape because they have not wanted to know the truth. As a result, their whole perception of the course of events in the 21st century remains twisted out of true by what has been made to appear a “terrorist” attack in 2001 on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. As with last week’s monstrous untruth, just a few hours on the Internet would give them all the evidence they need to know the truth, but “none so blind as he who will not see,” says the proverb.

A great American lover of truth, Paul Craig Roberts, tells in his June 8 article “The American Catastrophe,” how frustrating it is to urge upon his fellow-countrymen the true narrative of events, only to be answered, “If it was a conspiracy, somebody would have talked.” Yes, of course, he replies, but it has no effect whatsoever if they do talk. He quotes Israel’s 1967 attack on the American Navy ship, Liberty, totally exposed since then by senior American officers and officials, yet still officially covered up. He quotes the political assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy in the 1960’s, both still officially covered up despite the clear evidence, and then he comes to 9/11:—

As for 9/11, more than one hundred first responders (fireman and police) and World Trade Centre maintenance personnel who were in the Twin Towers have testified that they heard and experienced multiple explosions inside the towers before barely escaping with their lives. Maintenance personnel have testified that the first explosions were in the sub-basement before the plane hit the tower. Demolition experts have testified that the buildings were without any doubt brought down by controlled demolition. Three thousand architects and engineers have said that the official story is impossible. Independent scientists have published their findings that the residue of the towers contains reacted and unreacted nano-thermite. But all of this talk has had no effect on the official cover-up. The experts are dismissed as “conspiracy theorists,” a term that the CIA introduced into political discourse to discredit those who exposed the cover-up of President Kennedy’s assassination.

This “American catastrophe” of a people largely disinterested in evidence or truth is right now leading directly to World War III, because the American public is accepting to believe that Russia interfered in the American election last year, that Russia wants to attack its neighbours, that Putin is another Hitler – all lies. Paul Craig Roberts is in virtual despair at this lack of love of truth. We will all of us pay the penalty.

Kyrie eleison.

Historical Truth – I

Historical Truth – I on September 16, 2017

Scripture says (II Thess. II, 9–10) that the coming of the Antichrist “is according to the work of Satan [ . . . ] and in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish; because they receive not the love of truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying: that they may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have consented to iniquity.” Each word needs to be weighed.

Towards the end of the world, which one can safely say must include the 21st century, the wicked Antichrist will deceive souls that are headed for Hell, and they are headed for Hell because they do not accept the love of truth as they would accept it if they were headed for Heaven. Because they have not loved the truth, God will punish them with the operation of error, with the result that they will believe in a pack of lies. In this way all those will bring judgement upon themselves who instead of loving, seeking, finding and believing the truth, have consented to take part in the wicked world of lies fabricated by the Antichrist and his agents (who can be called “antichrists” with a small “a”). They will populate Hell.

Notice how the widespread damnation of the last times begins not with the refusal of truth but with the refusal of the love of truth. In the world of lies fabricated by today’s politicians and media, an “operation of error” if ever there was one, it may feel as though there is no truth to refuse, but if I refuse to despair and if with an upright heart I set up a hunt for that truth which I know is not around me, God will make sure that I find it (Mt. VII, 7–8). On the other hand if I know an important truth and disregard it, God will not be with me. Here is an example that could come from anywhere today in the Western world.

Just recently a French lawyer died, Bernard Jouanneau, who for years served LICRA to prosecute in the French courts Professor Robert Faurisson for denying the historical truth of the World War II gas-chambers in which Six Million Jews are widely held to have died (LICRA is the League against Racism and Anti-Semitism which prosecuted Archbishop Lefebvre for daring in the late 1980’s to suggest that Muslims should return to their own countries). In an interview with the French Catholic journal “La Croix” of 23 September, 1987, Jouanneau said, “If the gas-chambers existed, then the barbarity of the Nazis was unequalled. If they did not exist, then the Jews have lied and anti-semitism would be justified. That is what is at stake in the gas-chambers debate.”

Jouanneau’s assessment is entirely correct, except that even more than just politics is at stake, because “Holocaustianity” is the closest thing to a religion that many souls have today. Auschwitz replaces Calvary, the gas-chambers serve as Cross, and the Six Million Jews take the place of the Redeemer, in other words, are God. And this “Holocaustianity” is the closest thing to a State religion of many a modern Western State. Therefore one would expect modern States and individuals alike to be seriously interested in the truth of the gas-chambers which are at the heart of “Holocaustianity.” But what does one find? A large number of these States have passed laws to forbid questioning of the official version of the gas-chambers. But since when do laws make or unmake truth? Such laws bring the law itself into discredit!

Here is a tremendous lack of love of truth and a corresponding lack of truth. And sure enough, it is an “operation of error” which closes in, thanks to the vile media. Yet anybody who loves truth need spend only a few hours on the Internet for even the most emotional faith in the gas-chambers to be shaken. No wonder the Licrans and their like are doing all they can to censor the Internet, but with all its perils it remains an asset to be vigorously defended, at least until and if the Licrans manage to control it.

Kyrie eleison.

Fourth Bishop

Fourth Bishop on March 11, 2017

Ever since the summer of 2012 when the Society of St Pius X decided officially to change course and abandon the doctrine-first stand taken 40 years previously by Archbishop Lefebvre, it has been interesting to watch Providence in action to ensure the Church’s defence. One might have expected a widespread uprising in defence of God’s Truth. Resistance from inside the Society? Existent, but at least up till now, largely silent. And from outside? Existent, but only a scattering of layfolk and a handful of priests, riven by divisions for lack of a recognised authority. Catholics need authority. And that need is so great that even while Truth is draining out of the man-centred Newchurch and the Rome-centred Newsociety, still souls cling to each because of the remains of Papal authority in the former, and of Catholic authority bequeathed to the latter by the Archbishop.

But Truth remains the purpose of Authority and Authority is not the purpose of Truth. Given fallen human nature, Authority is the indispensable defender and guarantee of Truth, but it comes after Truth and not before. Take for example one of Our Lord’s last instructions to Peter before He will leave Peter behind to govern the Church (Lk.XXII, 31–32): “Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you (plural), that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee (singular) that thy faith fail not (Truth); and thou, being once converted (Truth), confirm thy brethren (Authority).” And when on Palm Sunday a few days beforehand the Pharisees had attempted to rebuke Our Lord for the joyful noise being made by His disciples, so necessary is the adoration of God in Truth that Our Lord replied (Lk.XIX, 40): “I say to you that if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.”

In today’s Newchurch, Authority is mixing Conciliar error with Catholic Truth in the engine of the Church, which is like mixing water with gasoline (petrol) in the engine of a motor car – the car is crippled, the Church is crippled. And whereas Archbishop Lefebvre defied that crippling, not least of all but rather above all, by his consecrating of four bishops to maintain a Catholic authority that would protect God’s Truth, his successors at the head of what was once his Society are doing their utmost to submit his protection of Truth to the crippled and crippling Authority of Rome! If these successors seriously think that once they are “inside the official Church” they will be in a position to convert the neo-modernists, they are excessively naive. Already they are holding their fire on Vatican II. Just when do they imagine they will be able to open fire again?

In these quite exceptional circumstances, there must be disciples of Our Lord who tell the Truth – so as to spare the stones the effort! These disciples may not be united as they would be beneath true Authority (always allowing for human weakness). They may be “straitened and cast down,” they may suffer “tribulation and persecution” (cf. II Cor. IV, 8–9), but they must be there for as long as Truth is held in captivity. Will that be a long time? God knows. Many of us expected Him to intervene long ago, but God has a very long fuse. However, intervene He will, if anything at all is still to be saved. Patience.

Meanwhile these disciples need a handful of bishops to ensure a minimal continuation in Truth of episcopal teaching and of the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Orders. In 1988 the Archbishop consecrated four of them for the same reason, two for Europe, and one each for North and South America. As of now the “Resistance” has two in Europe and one in South America. There remains a gap in North America. God willing, this coming May 11 Fr. Gerardo Zendejas will be consecrated bishop in the Traditional parish of Fr Ronald Ringrose in Vienna, Virginia, USA. Please pray for the blessing of Almighty God upon the ceremony – and for good weather!

Kyrie eleison.

Bishops’ Declaration – II

Bishops’ Declaration – II on April 30, 2016

Here is the second and last part of the bishops’ Declaration at Bishop Thomas Aquinas’ consecration in Brazil on March 19, six weeks ago:—

Yet the gravest of all in our 21st century is perhaps the mass of Catholics, both clergy and laity, who are still docilely following the destroyers. As to the churchmen, how can the destroyers amongst them not be aware of what they are doing? It must be by that “diabolical disorientation” mentioned even before the Council by Sister Lucy of Fatima. And as for the laity, how can so many still not see that Catholic Authority only exists to establish Catholic Truth, and once it betrays that Truth it loses its right to be obeyed? It must be by the same “disorientation.” So in what exactly does this disorientation consist? In the loss of Truth, in the progressive loss of all sense of the very existence of objective truth, because men have wanted to break free from the reality of God and his creatures and to replace that reality with their own fantasy, so as to be able to do as they like. It is always false freedom at work.

But God does not abandon his Church, and so in the 1970’s he raised up Archbishop Lefebvre to come to its help. The Archbishop recognized that the Pope and his kindred spirits at the Council were for the sake of being modern leaving behind the Church’s Tradition, and that by so doing they would destroy the Church. By a sort of miracle he managed to set up within the Church a solid resistance to the on-going destruction, in the form of a Priestly Fraternity which he dedicated to St Pius X, a Pope who saw right through the corruption of modern times. But the Roman authorities would not put up with anyone refusing their supposed “renewal” of Vatican II, so they did everything within their power to make the Archbishop’s resistance disappear.

However he stood up to them, and in order to guarantee that his work of immense importance for the defence of Catholic Tradition would survive, in 1988 he proceeded to consecrate four bishops, against the express will of the mistaken Roman authorities, but in line with the implicit will of all Popes since the beginning of the Church, with the exception of the last four, all won over to the Council.

This heroic decision by by Archbishop Lefebvre was amply justified by events, notably the uninterrupted downfall of the Church authorities whose only wish was to bring the Church in line with today’s corrupt world. Of these four bishops, the Spanish-speaker was appointed to settle in South America to look after Catholics wishing to keep the Faith of all time in a whole continent, formerly so Catholic, but where there were now no more bishops that could be relied on to lead souls to Heaven.

Alas, the downfall has gone on ever since, only now it is the Archbishop’s Society of St Pius X that is in turn falling victim to the universal corruption by its General Chapter of 2012, where the Society’s leaders under their Superior General made the Society lurch towards the Council. Instead of insisting on the primacy of the Church’s unchanging doctrine, on Tradition, they opened the door to an agreement with official Rome, given over to the Council. And so since 2012, the same disorientation has been making its way within the Society, whose bishops can at least for the moment no longer be relied on. That is most sad, but altogether normal in the present state of Church and world. Hence once more, a reliable bishop needs to be consecrated to make sure that the unchanging Faith survives, especially where a whole continent of souls needs a true shepherd to save their souls for eternity.

May God be with him! Let us pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she keep him faithful under her mantle, faithful unto death.

Bishop Jean-Michel Faure.
Bishop Richard Williamson.

Tradition

Tradition on July 19, 2014

The word “Magisterium,” coming from the Latin for “master” (“magister”), means in the Church either the Church’s authoritative teaching or its authorised teachers. Now as teacher is superior to taught, so the Magisterium teaching is superior to the Catholic people being taught. But the Catholic Masters have free-will, and God leaves them free to err. Then if they err gravely, may the people stand up to them and tell them, however respectfully, that they are wrong? The question is answered by truth. It is only when most people have lost the truth, as today, that the question can become confused.

On the one hand it is certain that Our Lord endowed his Church with a teaching authority, to teach us fallible human beings that Truth which alone can get us to Heaven – “Peter, confirm they brethren.” On the other hand Peter was only to confirm them in that faith which Our Lord had taught him – “I have prayed that thy faith fail not, and thou being converted, confirm thy brethren” (Lk. XXII, 32). In other words that faith governs Peter which it is his function only to guard and expound faithfully, such as it was deposited with him, the Deposit of Faith, to be handed down for ever as Tradition. Tradition teaches Peter, who teaches the people.

Vatican I (1870) says the same thing. Catholics must believe “all truths contained in the word of God or handed down by Tradition” and which the Church puts forward as divinely revealed, by its Extraordinary or Ordinary Universal Magisterium (one recalls that without Tradition in its broadest sense, there would have been no “word of God,” or Bible). Vatican I says moreover that this Magisterium is gifted with the Church’s infallibility, but this infallibility excludes any novelty being taught. Then Tradition in its broadest sense governs what the Magisterium can say it is, and while the Magisterium has authority to teach inside Tradition, it has no authority to teach the people anything outside of Tradition.

Yet souls do need a living Magisterium to teach them the truths of salvation inside Catholic Tradition. These truths do not change any more than God or his Church change, but the circumstances of the world in which the Church has to operate are changing all the time, and so according to the variety of these circumstances the Church needs living Masters to vary all the time the presentation and explanation of the unvarying truths. Therefore no Catholic in his right mind disputes the need for the Church’s living Masters.

But what if these Masters claim that something is inside Tradition which is not there? On the one hand they are learned men, authorised by the Church to teach the people, and the people are relatively ignorant. On the other hand there is for instance the famous case of the Council of Ephesus (428), where the people rose up in Constantinople to defend the divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary against the heretical Patriarch Nestor.

The answer is that objective truth is above Masters and people alike, so that if the people have the truth on their side, they are superior to their Masters if the Masters do not have the truth. On the other hand if the people do not have the truth, thay have no right to rise up against the Masters. In brief, if they are right, they have the right. If they are not right, they have no right. And what tells if they are right or not? Neither Masters (necessarily), nor people (still less necessarily), but reality, even if Masters or people, or both, conspire to smother it.

Kyrie eleison.