Qui autem facit veritatem,
venit ad lucem,
ut manifestentur opera ejus,
quia in Deo sunt facta. (John 3:21)
An Editorial by Br. Alexis Bugnolo
I am old enough to remember being taught the Catechism by nuns wearing a habit. In those days you also learned that Catholics had to keep the five “Precepts of the Church”. Indeed, every Catholic knew that all the laws of the Church were obligatory. You were a bad Catholic if you did not think so. — These 5 precepts as cited in the Catechism of Saint Pius X are the same 5 Precepts found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church published by Pope John Paul II.
However, we are alive at a time in the history of the Church when 99% of Catholics have apostatized from the observance of ecclesiastical law. And believe, rather, that they can do as they like. Popularly, these “Catholics” are called in recent decades “Cafeteria Catholics”. And many Catholics who call themselves “traditionalists” — even though at Vatican I “traditionalism” was condemned as an error against the Catholic Faith — often write articles lambasting these “cafeteria Catholics”.
But the hard truth is, that this category of bad Catholics includes a lot more than just nominal Catholics, who were baptized but do not live according to the faith, hope and charity which was entrusted to them in that sacred sacramental ritual.
It also includes, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Religious, consecrated persons, Hermits, Virgins and laypeople, married and unmarried.
But if there is one event in history by which the worst of these is known, it most certainly is found when there is an unlawful, invalid or juridically null election of a man as the pope, who thus as anti-pope claims to be the Roman Pontiff without a just legal claim. Because for the cafeteria Catholic, such a pope is no problem at all, especially since he was elected by cafeteria Cardinals like himself.
Cardinal Prevost, therefore, is not really the example of a moral anomaly in the Catholic Church right now. Rather, he is the manifestation of the epidemic of “pick-and-choose” “Catholicism”, which leads always to damnation and moral self-destruction.
And to make it clear that the cafeteria Catholic is not just a phenomenon found among Catholics who “follow” Vatican II, I can just cite a few examples:
- Sedevacantists, who insist there have not been popes since 1958, and who claim to accept the Code of Canon Law of 1917, but have never organized a lawful election of a true Pope, because for them it is sufficient to claim you are a Catholic, you not need actually observe the 5th Precept of the Church, which is to support the Church and Her clergy in times of need.
- Traditionalist Bishops, who insist that only the code of canon law of 1917 is enforce, since Pope John Paul II was a heretic or infected by Vatican II at least from the time he published the 1983 Code, but recognize that papal elections according to the 1996 law he published can still be valid. — These Traditionalist Bishops name Leo XIV in the Canon, but hold that he is a heretic.
- Vatican II clergy, who insist that Vatican II is a norm for Church renewal, which therefore must be implemented, accepted and obeyed, but totally ignore Canon 332 or Universi Dominic Gregis nn. 4 and 33.
If a lay Catholic decides to skip going to Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation, he is readily recognized by fellow Catholics to not be doing even the bare minimum. But why, I ask you, do we ever consider the above persons just enumerated in nn. 1-3, paragons of the Faith, touchstones of righteousness, rather than the profligate frauds, charlatans, grifters and criminals that they are?
For all these “Pope Leo XIV” is a sign of affirmation, because working as they do the works of mendacity, they do not want to come into the light, lest their works be manifested, because their works are not done in God.
But for all those Catholics who recognize that Prevost is not the pope because his election runs against two papal laws, one from 1996 and one from 1559: if they keep the 5 Precepts of the Church in addition, why does nearly no one on Catholic social media praise them for being “good Catholics”?
And if you are of this latter group, then what kind of Catholic is running the “Catholic” website you visit for news and information, if he is not praising this group for being good Catholics?
This is a sincere question, and you have the right to ask it.
On the other hand, he who works in the truth,
comes into the light,
so that his works might be made manifest,
because they were done in God
(John 3:32, in the Vulgate)
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