The heresy of Modernism infiltrated the Church from before the turn of the 19th century. In an effort to stem its growth, Pope St. Pius Xth wrote an encyclical, (“Pascendi Dominici Gregis”) “Against Modernism” in 1907. In 1910 he required all Catholic priests, deacons, theologians, and catechists to sign an “Oath Against Modernism”. Unfortunately, these measures only drove the movement underground and following Vatican II, the requirement to sign the oath was dropped. Henceforth, the Modernist heresy has grown exponentially and the Modernists are determined to destroy the authentic Catholic Faith.
We may look at our own diocese of Antigonish to see the effects of Modernism which Pope St. Pius Xth called the synthesis of all heresies. The mess we are in began when the bishop and priests betrayed Pope Paul VI over Humanae Vitae. That breaking of trust has led to almost total ignorance of the moral teachings of the Church and is responsible for widespread Catholic participation in contraception, fornication, adultery, homosexual acts, including the sexual abuse of children, divorce, and abortions. During that watch we have lost a diocesan wide Catholic school system, several Catholic hospitals, and a Catholic university. We had 200 priests and 80% of Catholics attended Sunday Mass. Today we have less than 50 priests and less than 20% of the laity attend Sunday Mass. Correspondingly, a large number of our churches have been closed or sold. Not surprisingly, they have also failed abysmally in attracting candidates to the priesthood and religious life. We suffered a sexual abuse scandal where priests abused our children. Afterward, the laity became victims again as our disgraced former bishop, Raymond Lahey arranged for us to pay the legal bills and penalties
As a parting gift Lahey invited known heretic, former priest and supposedly Catholic theologian, Dr. Paul Lakeland, to address the priests and laity of the diocese. Although warned about Lakeland the new Bishop, Brian Dunn joined with Fr. Bedford Doucette and other heretical priests to spearhead a program to “Fix the Church”. This resulted in the promotion of Lakeland and the launching of a “Diocesan Congress” structured on an outline described in Lakeland’s books. The Congress, organized by Fr. Doucette, opened with presentations by four Protestant ministers and was facilitated by known Modernist, Ann Walsh. The same people whom I have personally witnessed running the Church into the ground for fifty years proposed to be our saviours. They want to fix the Church in Antigonish by progressing from general disobedience to full mutiny.
To address the aftermath of the sexual abuse scandal, Bishop Dunn promoted another heretical book, “Healing the Church” by Sr. Nuala Kenny, MD. The forward was written by Archbishop Mancini of Halifax. This book is more about promoting the heresy of Modernism rather than any useful measures for healing abuse victims. The Congress also produced a five year plan for the diocese and thankfully, we haven’t heard anything about it for five years. Since the Congress, Fr. Doucette has been in charge of the formation of Permanent Deacons and in 2020 Bishop Dunn was promoted as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Halifax. Less than a month after his installation, our new bishop, Bishop Wayne Joseph Kirkpatrick, was confronted with church lockdowns imposed by the provincial government. He has taken on this very difficult role and he will need our constant prayers.
It has always been a mystery to me how heretical priests who obviously don’t believe in so many essential doctrines of the Church can carry on living double lives. If they believe that the Church was wrong in its teaching on artificial birth control and that women cannot receive ordination, it follows that they don’t believe in Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit to guide the Church in all truth. If the Church is wrong about these things why would they believe in the doctrine of the Real Presence? I have to conclude that many don’t. When they recite the creed and profess a unity with the pope and bishop at Mass they are acting out a deliberate fraud, and deceiving the ‘People of God’. If they don’t believe in apostolic succession, papal infallibility or that the Catholic Church is the one true Church, it follows that they can’t believe that ‘Jesus Christ is who He says He is’. When they are confronted with their disloyalty to the Church, they answer that they are following their consciences and that they are loyal to Jesus. But how can this be? How can one claim to be loyal to Christ and at the same time have contempt for the persons to whom Jesus said, “He who hears you hears Me.”? What kind of conscience can reconcile making a solemn oath to God to teach what the Church teaches and do just the opposite? Are they suffering from some mental disorder? Do they think that their own ideas are so brilliant that it justifies using evil means to accomplish their goals? Is it possible to rebuild “the People of God, The Church” on lies and deceit?
To persecute the Church is to persecute Jesus. When St. Paul was persecuting the early Church and Jesus knocked him to the ground, He did not charge him with just attacking the Church but rather identified Himself as being one with His Church, saying, “I am Jesus and you are persecuting me.” Jesus is the head of the Church and the heretics in the Church are persecuting Him.
It is interesting how these people will accept the titles liberal and dissident as if it was something honourable, but they don’t seem to like the word “heretic”. Yet, I have not met a liberal or dissident who didn’t subscribe to some heresy. Someone said to me that “Judas is the patron of heretics” and certainly a parallel can be made. In John’s Gospel when Jesus gave his discourse on the Real Presence in the Eucharist, Judas was among those who did not believe. Instead of leaving the Church he became a hypocrite and a thief, helping himself to the common fund and finally betraying Jesus to death on the cross. Like Judas, heretical priests don’t believe in the authority which Jesus gave to His Church and consequently they don’t believe in the Real Presence. Again, like Judas, they don’t leave the Church but rather become frauds and thieves, helping themselves to the common fund. They betray Jesus by leading members of His Mystical Body to a spiritual death. Judas betrayed Jesus at the celebration of the first Eucharist and we are reminded of this in three of the four Eucharistic prayers that it was, “At the time He was betrayed, He took bread…” Judas, the first heretic, was a priest. Most of the major heresies in the history of the Church were started by priests. Paul Lakeland shares the same credentials as Martin Luther being a priest who abandoned his vows, a college professor, and a theologian. Pope Benedict in a recent address made the comment that it would have been better for Judas to have left the Church and that in the Church today it would be better for some to leave. They cannot say that they are acting in conscience and are faithful to Jesus when they are traitors who, like Judas, refuse to leave His Church.
People are hungry to hear the Truth and in this diocese they are starving to the point of spiritual death. Catholics need to hear truth from ‘faithful shepherds’ who demonstrate loyalty to the Church. They want to be able to trust their priests to be faithful to their vows of obedience and to know that what they are being taught is what the Church teaches.
Modernists are Protestant heretics who refuse to leave the Church. The danger they pose to the Church is expressed by Pope St. Pius Xth “Nor will God err in accounting them the most pernicious of all the adversaries of the Church…they put their designs for her ruin into operation not from without but from within; hence the danger is present almost in the very veins and heart of the Church. (“Pascendi Dominici Gregis”)
There have always been heretics in the Church and Jesus warned them of their fate if they did not repent. He says to the hypocritical Pharisees, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” And, He says to traitors, “…woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Considering this possible fate, we must pray ardently for Modernists that they will repent, experience true conversion of life and attain salvation.
PRAYER FOR BISHOP WAYNE JOSEPH KIRKPATRICK
God, our loving Father
We beg you
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Cornerstone of the Church,
Please watch over our Bishop, Wayne Joseph Kirkpatrick.
Whom you have sent to be an Apostle for Your Church in Antigonish
Guide him with the light of the Holy Spirit
To act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly in your presence.
May he shepherd us in the Way
That leads to the salvation of our souls.
Through the powerful intersession of
Mary our Mother
And St. Joseph, Patron of the Church in Canada
Amen