Plenary Indulgence - What's a Radical Right Wing Catholic to Do?

Many right wing conservative catholics have rejected Pope Francis as either a heretic, an anti-pope or both.  They condemn his every word and action.  There is nothing he can do or say that they will support.

These same right wing catholics are pretty excited today because they can gain a plenary indulgence for All Souls Day.  From one of the premier anti-Francis sites, onepeterfive.com:

Grant #29.1.1For the Souls in Purgatory 

Plenary Indulgence
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted each and every day from Nov 1 to Nov 8, who devoutly visit a cemetery and there pray, if only mentally, for the departed.

This article then gives us the requirements for a plenary indulgence:

Requirements for obtaining a plenary indulgence:

• Do the work while in a state of grace,

• Receive Sacramental confession within 20 days of the work (several plenary indulgences may be earned per reception),

• Receive Eucharistic communion (one plenary indulgence may be earned per reception),

• Pray for the pope’s intentions (Our Father and Hail Mary, or other appropriate prayer, is sufficient),

• Have no attachment to sin (even venial) – i.e., it is sufficient that the Christian makes an act of the will to love God and despise sin.

Oh, dear, we have a real problem here.  One of the requirements for a plenary indulgence is to pray for the Pope's intentions.  But that means praying for the intentions of the evil heretic, Pope Francis!  What's a "faithful catholic" to do?

Well, it really doesn't matter because another requirement for a plenary indulgence is to be a state of grace, and the "faithful catholics' " rejection of and refusal to submit to the authority of Pope Francis has removed all grace from their souls. Refusal to submit to the authority of the pope is the definition of schism, which is an automatic excommunication.

Of course, they could always repent.

Trads/Conservatives Become The Ultimate Cafeteria Catholics

Just as I wrote a couple of days ago, the Catholic(?) Internet and blogosphere has lit up with indignation and outrage at Pope Francis for changing Church teaching to say that capital punishment is always inadmissible.  All of this self righteous indignation really blows my mind.  These are people who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ - the Creator who came to earth to save each and every human being, no matter how sinful, from eternal damnation and who did so by paying the highest price possible in the entirety of the universe, which price was His Precious Blood.  These so-called followers of Jesus Christ are overcome with outrage against Pope Francis because he doesn't want to kill people, but instead wants to give them every chance at repentance and salvation.

I honestly don't understand how a person can call him or herself a Christian and at the same time, want to kill people. Ah, you say, we are talking about wicked violent people who pose a threat to society. They are a threat to each and every one of us and don't deserve to live! And yet, these would be the very people that Our Lord would most want to reach. As Our Lord told us, He did not come to save the righteous but sinners. Undeterred by this clear statement from Jesus Christ, the trad/conservative blogosphere wants the right to put people to death.

How Catholic Bloggers and Their Followers Put Themselves in Eternal Peril

Source

I, for the most part, no longer read "catholic" blogs and websites.  Far too many "catholic" blogs are filled with self-righteous hatred, anger, vitriol and condemnation of anyone who does not agree with them.  The main target of these blogs is the hierarchy of the Catholic Church - the Church they claim to love and support.  The biggest target of all is the earthly head of the Catholic Church - Pope Francis.  I have written many times on this blog about the horrific attacks and hate directed at Pope Francis by self-identifying "catholic" bloggers.  

You of little faith, why are you so afraid?

Source

The Catholic blogosphere and internet have been awash with weeping and and wailing and gnashing of teeth over the Synod on the Family. As far as many in the Catholic blogosphere are concerned, there has never been a worse assault on the Catholic Church than the Synod on the Family which has just come to a conclusion in Rome as I write this.

We have heard charges that Pope Francis is deliberately trying to tear the Church apart. We have heard bishops and cardinals attacking one another. Someone even started an online petition urging the bishops to walk out.  As Hilary White of the far-right radical traditionalist Remnant Newspaper entitled her report, "Blasphemy, Heresy, Schism and the 'Collapse' of the Church (but, hey, at least the bishops will get to vote)."  That pretty much sums up the consensus of the Catholic blogosphere.

The Catholic Blogosphere/Internet Is Spiritual Pornography

Source

The destructive effects of pornography have been well documented. It is easy to find studies by a simple search on the Internet. Pornography is condemned by the Catholic Church because it is a complete perversion of sex. The God-given purpose of sex is two fold: first, to be open to life and procreation, and secondly, to build a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bond with your spouse. The sexual act must always contain there two elements. If it does not, it is sinful, and it will destroy those who engage in such acts.

Pornography has only one purpose: self gratification. Porn makes all other people into mere objects which are used to gratify the self. This is why porn will destroy a marital relationship. The person using porn lives in a fantasy world inhabited by perfect people who are there only to satisfy his (or her) needs and desires, no matter how perverted. No one in the real world can live up to the fantasy standards of pornography, and as a result, often the user of porn will no longer be able to relate to his or her spouse. This is also why porn so often leads to rape, child abuse, etc. Porn destroys the idea of a relationship. To the porn addict, other people are just a drug to be used however you wish to get your fix.

Pornography not only destroys the ability to form true, loving relationships with other people. It also robs the porn addict of the ability to elevate his or her thinking to a higher spiritual level and enter into a relationship with God. The main concern in life is for sexual, physical gratification, and anything that does not lead to that is pretty much rejected.

Source

I have come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the Catholic Internet/blogosphere is spiritual pornography. Many Catholics who post to the Internet are completely convinced that they have a 100% grasp of the truth and that their view of the world is completely in line with God. Those who follow and read these blogs/Internet sites are just as convinced of their own infallibility.

Father John Zuhlsdorf Bans Me From His Blog

A few weeks ago I wrote about a cyber encounter with Father John Zuhlsdorf, which you can read HERE. As you will see from the post, Father Zuhlsdorf wrote a post in which he stated his disagreement with official Catholic church teaching that the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass are two forms of the same rite.  Father Z says that while he accepts that juridically the two Masses may be one rite, he says that "liturgically and theologically" they are two separate rites.

Pope Benedict XVI declared that the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms are one rite in his Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum dated July 7, 2007, and he restated this teaching again in his letter to the bishops accompanying Summorum Pontificum. This same teaching is stated once again in the further instructions released by the Vatican in 2011.

I commented on Father Z's blog post that he was in disagreement with Pope Benedict XVI and put screen shots of my comments to Father Z in my post. It can be plainly seen that I was very respectful. However, Father Zuhlsdorf had what he would call a "spittle flecked nutty" and called me nasty. Father Z then blocked my home IP address and from that time on, whenever I would try to view his blog from my home IP address, I would get only a blank screen. I have had no further encounters with Father Zuhlsdorf in any way since that time.

Today when I tried to view Father Zuhlsdorf's website, I received a screen with the word "BANNED!", as shown above. It seems pretty obvious that somewhere along the way, Father Zuhlsdorf has read my blog posts, and he has had another spittle flecked nutty, to use his words, and this time it was on steroids. I am sure that Father Z will eventually see this post as well, so I am directing the rest of my post directly to him.

Father Zuhlsdorf, you are showing that you have a massive ego problem. Nothing I wrote either on your blog or on my own blog was in any way disrespectful or "nasty" as you claim. I did not even give my own opinion. I used the words of Pope Benedict XVI, whom you claim to honor and respect. You became upset because I showed that you were wrong, and your ego went into overdrive. May I remind you, Father Zuhlsdorf, that as a Catholic priest, your mission is to serve God's people. As Christ, the Good Shepherd, laid down his life for His sheep, so you are to do. And part of laying down your life for the sheep means getting rid of your ego. I can only say that you have failed miserably in your reaction to me, and by literally banning me from your site, you have only escalated your failure.

One of the basic characteristics of a shepherd must be to love the people entrusted to him, even as he loves Christ whom he serves. “Feed my sheep”, says Christ to Peter, and now, at this moment, he says it to me as well. Feeding means loving, and loving also means being ready to suffer. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good, the nourishment of God’s truth, of God’s word, the nourishment of his presence, which he gives us in the Blessed Sacrament.

Pope Benedict XVI

Are You Judge and Juror of Your Parish?

Only evil minded people profit from confusion in the hearts and minds of Catholics. They're able to sneak in their wicked agendas weakening the faith and self understanding of the faithful.

Michael Voris

Okay, okay, I know.  This is my third post in a row on Michael Voris and the "lies and falsehoods" that he promotes.  But he keeps putting out videos that are truly harmful and, if accepted, will most definitely "weaken the faith and self understanding of the faithful."  So I keep writing posts that counter him and give a different point of view, hopefully one that is true to the faith.

I have written in the past about all of the many times Voris has attacked and condemned lawfully ordained priests, bishops and cardinals of the Catholic Church and demanded that they resign or be fired.  Voris has also urged Catholics to withdraw their financial support from the Church.  One of my posts in particular got a lot of attention because Pewsitter linked to it for a few days.  You can read that post HERE.  As Voris said in that video,

Since money seems to be the only thing that motivates the Establishment Church – it is more than time for the faithful to begin withholding contributions. Why give money to a diocese that is gonna use that money to keep the status quo going – to abuse faithful Catholics while supporting fake Catholics – parishes and individuals.

First of all, as I showed in that post, it is a mortal sin to willfully withhold financial support from the Church. And further, what happens if people stop financially supporting their dioceses and parishes? Church closings, which means loss of access to the sacraments, and if allowed to take its natural course (which won't happen because the Holy Spirit will not allow it to happen), the destruction of the Catholic Church.

Voris is not only aware of the destruction that would result from Catholics withholding financial support, he celebrates it:

The whole thing is gonna blow up anyway – the sooner the better. What will emerge from the rubble is a purified Church, doctrinally, liturgically, morally, devotionally and clerically. Too bad Catholics didn’t know this about 50 years ago.

I would like to know where, in 2000 years of Church history, Catholics have ever been urged to destroy the Church in order to save her.  We have always been urged to pray and sacrifice for the Church and her leaders, but to actively participate in her destruction?  Sorry, Mike, but you're all alone on that one.

       

Now Voris has made a video in which he is urging Catholics to leave their Catholic parishes, which you can see HERE. Why would a person who claims to love the Catholic Church tell other Catholics to leave their parishes? This is the description of the video from the Churchmilitant.tv website:

Almost nothing that happens in your parish each Sunday has a thing to do with the Catholic Faith.

Michael Voris Calls For The Destruction Of The Catholic Church

UPDATE: Thanks to PewSitter linking to me, I am getting tons of Voris supporters commenting here. Could at least one of you please respond to the actual points I make? Do you still believe the Catholic hierarchy, no matter how you may feel about them personally, are duly ordained priests and bishops? Or do you agree with Voris that they are evil, that we as laity have the right to judge their souls, and decide that they must be destroyed? And what gives you the right to condemn our bishops and priests and even the Holy Father?

Every time I think that Michael Voris can't get any more radical than he is, he surprises me. Now he has actually called for Catholics to stop financially supporting their churches and dioceses.

In a recent Vortex episode, which you can watch HERE if you really want to subject yourself to it, Voris again discussed the situation at Holy Innocents Church in New York City, once again accusing Church hierarchy, and specifically Cardinal Dolan, of hating and trying to stamp out Catholic Traditionalists.  I have already been through this on previous blog posts and don't wish to rehash it at this point.

Suffice it to say that Voris is using the circumstances here in New York to push his point that the "establishment" Catholic Church is dying,

Do you see what’s going on here? The Church in America is on her last legs. And the battle royale is on – the fight for the soul of what’s left. On the one side the small but growing population of Catholics .. in fact, the only place where there is growth, the tradition minded. Unfortunately, they have no power.

As Voris would have us believe, "tradition minded" Catholics are the only Catholics who still have the faith.  Everyone else is a CINO - Catholic In Name Only.  But why don't the "real Catholics" have any power in the Church?

That’s because the Protestant minded, homosexual friendly, man-centered crowd that took over the chanceries parishes seminaries hospitals and universities in the 1970’s has never been dislodged.

You see, the real enemies of true Catholics is the Church hierarchy - those who are responsible for our souls.  We must do everything possible to take them out because all they really want to do is destroy the Church.  And Voris assures us that this evil hierarchy "will get theirs":

But they are falling victim to their own success. Desiring to re-make the Church they have largely succeeded and they are now reaping their rewards.

But the sorry truth is, they are going to try and ride into their sorry sunset with their crushing debt and faithless parishes on the backs of the only truly completely faithful Catholics left.

And, as Voris tells us, this is not something that should be mourned. These evil men in the Church hierarchy - the bishops and priests - deserve exactly what they have coming to them. Just look at all the horrible things they have done. It truly is a miracle that any part of the Church is still standing:

They have stood silent and sometimes preached affirmatively on contraception, abortion, active homosexuality. They have abandoned the Gospel truth to accommodate the heresies of Protestantism and Modernism.

They have done all in their power to eradicate ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that points to the Church’s tradition – from liturgy, to education, to proper moral instruction, to breaking canon law and just about any other area of Church life you point to.

And now they are going broke. SHOCKING! Well, the few remaining Catholics who have suffered at the hands of these prelates, professors, priests, liberal chancery personnel, feminized men – all of whom will roll out the red carpet for any wacked out theology that presents itself – all under the cover of charity – are not gonna take this any more.

How does Voris propose that the "few remaining Catholics" (all of whom, of course, think just like Michael Voris, who is the personification of "loyal Catholic") react to the "dying Church of America"? Should we fast and pray? Should we offer up our suffering on behalf of the Church?

No, nothing as mundane as all of that.  We have to hit the evil establishment Church where it hurts the most - in the pocketbook:

Since money seems to be the only thing that motivates the Establishment Church – it is more than time for the faithful to begin withholding contributions. Why give money to a diocese that is gonna use that money to keep the status quo going – to abuse faithful Catholics while supporting fake Catholics – parishes and individuals.

And just in case you're not sure:  "faithful Catholics" means everyone who thinks like and agrees with Michael Voris.  "Fake Catholics" are all of those who do not think like and actually are evil enough to disagree with Michael Voris.  

So here is good, faithful Catholic Michael Voris exhorting other good and faithful Catholics to willfully withhold financial support from the church in order that the "establishment" church dies, which is all for a good cause - to get rid of the evil hierarchy.

And all of you good and faithful Catholics who are fighting against the ordained hierarchy of the Catholic Church - don't feel that you are really doing anything wrong. You are just hastening along the inevitable and actually making way for a "purified" Church:

The whole thing is gonna blow up anyway – the sooner the better. What will emerge from the rubble is a purified Church, doctrinally, liturgically, morally, devotionally and clerically. Too bad Catholics didn’t know this about 50 years ago.

What happened 50 years ago?  Oh yes - the Second Vatican Council.  If only Michael Voris had been around 50 years ago to give this great advice to withhold financial support from the Church.  Maybe Vatican II would have never happened and we wouldn't be in this colossal mess!

Ah, but no use crying over spilled milk.  Let's just do what we can now to make things right in the Church:

But that was then, this is now. Simply stop giving your money to the Establishment Church. Forget the diocesan pledge drives, forget the so-called social justice initiatives, like CRS and CCHD. Let them get their money from the government, whose interests they serve over and above the Church’s anyway.

You see, we are really helping those in charge by withholding financial support.  In fact, to give financial support to the "establishment" church is actually just enabling their wickedness.  By withholding financial support, we are practicing tough love, just like we would use with anyone with a destructive addiction.  This is what will help the evil hierarchy to wake up:

Maybe then, those in charge of this massive meltdown will finally wake up. Giving the Establishment Church and any group that supports it is like enabling an alcoholic.

Normally, we don't believe in euthanasia, but in this case it is a good thing:

Like the old adage goes – feed a cold, starve a fever. The Establishment Church has a death bed fever. Time to starve it. Maybe then the homosexualists in power throughout the Church will think twice before trying to go after the few faithful Catholics left.

You silly Catholics who actually thought prayer was the way to go. How could you be so naive? We've got to financially starve the Church to death. That is the only way to save her.

In all seriousness, I just don't remember seeing anywhere in scripture or Church teaching that it is the responsibility of the laity to "take out" church hierarchy whom they deem unfit by withholding financial support.  If followed, this action would lead to the total collapse of the Church:  no parishes, no priests, no Masses, no sacraments.  And that, of course, would lead to NO SALVATION.  We can rest assured that Our Lord will never allow this to happen, but if taken to its logical conclusion and without divine intervention, this would be the result of the action proposed by Voris.

Further, it is actually sinful for a Catholic to willfully withhold financial support from the Church.  

From "The Commandments of the Church" from dailycatholic.org:

The chief commandments, or laws, of the Church are these six:
1. To assist at Holy Mass on all Sundays and holydays of obligation.
2. To fast and to abstain on the days appointed.
3. To confess our sins at least once a year.
4. To receive Holy Communion during the Easter time.
5. To contribute to the support of the Church.
6. To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.

To use a favorite Voris phrase, it boggles the mind that anyone could call himself a "loyal Catholic" and at the same time urge other Catholics to stop supporting the Catholic Church. Voris has many times called for priests and bishops to leave and/or be fired. Does anyone see anything wrong with this? Catholics have always been exhorted to pray for those in leadership positions, not wish them in the cornfield.

Voris defends this apparently heretical position by stating that the institutional Church that we see is a fake. He does not tell us by what authority he makes this judgment and condemnation. Yes, there are problems in the Church. But when hasn't that been true? What about England at the time of Henry VIII when all but one bishop denounced Rome? What about the Arian heresy which basically took over the Church? In 2000 years of history, does anyone really believe this is the first time there has been a crisis of belief in the Church?

Our Lord gave us fallible human beings to run the Church. We have seen their weaknesses since the founding of the Church in the first century. Our first pope was a coward who literally denied our Lord. I wonder if Voris has ever heard this scripture: "My strength is made perfect in weakness." (II Cor. 12:9). These were the words of Jesus Christ to St. Paul when St. Paul begged Our Lord to remove an unidentified but heavy cross he was carrying. Our glory should always be in the Lord, never in ourselves. He is our strength, He is our salvation. Often when things look the worst is the time when Our Lord shows Himself most powerfully.

We are in a time of testing. There is no doubt of that. We are in the boat in the middle of the lake during a fierce storm, just as the apostles were with the sleeping Christ. The apostles were sure they were going to drown. They could not understand how Jesus could just sleep and not care what was happening to them.

Is that how we feel? Do we think Jesus has gone to sleep and is letting the Church just go to hell in a handbasket? Remember the words of Jesus Christ, "Oh ye of little faith. Why are you so afraid?" (Matthew 8:26). Why are we so afraid? Why would we even listen to the heretical words of someone like Michael Voris who says we must disobey the Church in order to "save" her? Remember, the Church was saved 2000 years ago when Christ died on the cross and then rose from the dead. As Our Lord said in His last dying words, "It is finished."  (Just to clarify:  although the Church is saved, we as individuals are still working on our salvation and will be until our last moment on earth.)

Please stop listening to the likes of Michael Voris. He is a danger to souls. He says to stop supporting the Church hierarchy financially because they are destroying the Church. For any of you who are sending him money, you might want to think about who is really hurting the Church and who really does or does not deserve your money.

The Church is the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Those are not just words. It is not a symbol or a nice image. It is the truth. When St. Paul, as Saul, was persecuting the Church, Jesus said to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4).  To persecute the Church is to persecute Christ.  We are His Body, a part of Him. He will always take care of us.

Is Jesus Christ saying to Michael Voris, "Michael, Michael, why are you persecuting me?"

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Save The Liturgy, Save The World? Not Quite

Father John Zuhlsdorf of the famous Father Z blog coined a phrase which many Catholics, particularly Traditional Catholics, have taken to heart and very firmly believe:  "Save The Liturgy, Save The World."  This phrase has become a money maker for Father Z as he now sells items - coffee cups, bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc. - with this quote, as can be seen in the above picture.  But what does "Save The Liturgy, Save The World" mean?  Way back on January 29, 2007, Father Z posted the following, which you can read in its entirety HERE:

The Eucharist, its celebration and itself as the extraordinary Sacrament, is the “source and summit of Christian life”.

If we really believe that, then we must also hold that what we do in church, what we believe happens in a church, makes an enormous difference. 

Mass is not merely a “teaching moment” or a “celebration of unity” or a “tedious obligation”. Our choice of music, architecture, ceremonies and language affect more than one small congregation in one building. We are interconnected in both our common human nature and in baptism. When we sin we hurt the whole Body of Christ the Church.

If that is true for sin, it must also be true for our liturgical choices. They must also have personal and corporate impact. Any Mass can be offered for the intentions of the living or the dead.

Not even death is an obstacle to the efficacy of Holy Mass.

Celebrate Mass well, participate properly – affect the whole world. Celebrate poorly – affect the whole world.

.  .  . 

So I repeat:

In a much more recent post from August 22, 2013, which you can read HERE, Father Z wrote this:

I will repeat what I have assert [sic] many times here.

No true and lasting renewal of the Church can take place until we revitalize our sacred liturgical worship of God.  The virtue of religion requires this first and foremost.  No other initiative we take in any sphere of the Church’s life will undergo a sound and lasting renewal without also a revitalization of our worship of God.  [Emphasis mine]

Reason #4 for Summorum Pontificum.  

So Father Z asserts that if the Church can just get the celebration of Mass down correctly, everything else will fall into place.   Is that true?

As Father Z said in the first post, "The Eucharist, its celebration and itself as the extraordinary Sacrament, is the 'source and summit of Christian life'."  Absolutely no question about that. The Mass is where we re-present the saving Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to the Father. Without the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are all doomed to hell.  Quoting Saint Padre Pio: "Every holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we, ourselves, do not know. It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the holy Sacrifice of the Mass."

The Mass is of vital importance in the life of every Catholic, and it is absolutely vital to both the physical and spiritual salvation of the world.  But is a proper and reverent celebration of the Mass THE KEY to a "true and lasting renewal of the Church" as Father Z says?

Many sedevacantist groups have sprung up during the post-conciliar era. Almost without exception, they are "Traditional" Catholics who completely reject everything in the Church that is "post Vatican II", the first and foremost post-conciliar practice being the "Novus Ordo Mass" as they refer to the Ordinary Form of the Mass. When these groups celebrate Mass, it is a wondrous thing to behold, with all of the beauty that the Traditional Latin Mass has to offer. An example of one of these sedevacantist groups is the Society of St. Pius V (not to be confused with the Society of St. Pius X). Here is what the Society of St. Pius V posts on their website:

Welcome to the Society of St. Pius V Home Page

The Society of St. Pius V is an organization of traditional Catholic priests dedicated to the preservation of the Traditional Latin Mass. The priests of the Society do not offer the Novus Ordo Missæ. The priests offer the Traditional Latin Mass exclusively. Likewise, the priests administer the traditional sacraments according to the prescribed rites prior to any of the changes brought about by the Vatican II Council.

Why the Traditional Latin Mass

Priests in the Society do not offer the traditional Latin Mass out of a sense of nostalgia or love of Latin. Nor do they do so for aesthetic considerations, stubbornness, or out of disobedience. They do so because of the content and purpose of the Catholic Mass and because it is the Catholic thing to do. They believe that the new Mass and sacraments compromise the true Catholic Religion and do not convey and profess the Catholic Faith as defined by Our Lord Jesus Christ and passed down to us from the Apostles.

Below is a picture from a Mass offered by the Society of St. Pius V with  "Bishop" Clarence Kelly:

Seems to me that you can't get much more reverent than that. Ah, but looks can be deceiving. This group is in total rebellion against the Catholic Church, completely rejecting all post-conciliar Popes, starting with Pope John XXIII. They may look Catholic, but they are 100% Protestant. As Wikipedia tells us:

The priests of SSPV broke away from the Society of St. Pius X over liturgical issues, and hold that many in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church no longer adhere to the Catholic faith but instead profess a new, modernist, Conciliar religion. SSPV priests regard the questions of the legitimacy of the present hierarchy and the possibility that the Holy See is unoccupied (sedevacantism) to be unresolved.[1] The SSPV is led by its founder, Bishop Clarence Kelly.

The Society is not in ecclesiastical communion with the Holy See and is independent of the worldwide Catholic Church.

But how can this be? They certainly have the Mass down. There are no "clown" Masses, no liturgical dancing, not even communion in the hand. Everything they do is completely according to Catholic Tradition. Why hasn't the proper celebration of the Mass saved them?

Society of St. Pius X

And what about the Society of St. Pius X, from which the Society of St. Pius V originated? The SSPX is not in formal schism with the Church because they still (nominally) recognize the authority of the Holy Father, but the Society is not canonically recognized because they refuse to accept the authority of the Vatican II council.  (However, with Bishop Fellay recently accusing Pope Francis of being a "modernist", the SSPX may very well be on the edge of schism with the Catholic Church.)  Their priests are not authorized to administer the sacraments, e.g. hear confessions, perform marriages or confirmations.  But certainly no one does the Mass more beautifully than the SSPX. They have it down better than anyone. Why hasn't the Mass saved them? 

Then, of course, there are thousands, maybe millions, of Traditional Catholics who still attend the Catholic Church, but seem to have no hesitation whatsoever in denouncing the Church hierarchy, i.e., the Bishops and the Holy Father, as modernists whose goal is to destroy the Catholic Church.  I had an interesting "conversation" with one such person, John Vennari, on Facebook this week.  This was from a Facebook page advertising a dinner in New York City at which Mr. Vennari spoke on December 6.  I had just posted on my blog about Mr. Vennari in which I exposed an article he wrote completely misrepresenting Pope Francis.  We went back and forth on the Facebook page, which you can read HERE, but Mr. Vennari never addressed my initial question, which was:

Mary Griffin Mr. Vennari, maybe you could explain in NYC why you completely misrepresented what Pope Francis wrote in Evangelii Gaudium.
December 1 at 4:11pm via mobile · Like ·

Vennari totally dodged my questions.  He talked about the Pope celebrating Hanukkah in 2012, he talked about the Pope "receiving a blessing" from a Protestant minister, and called these acts scandalous while at the same time telling me that he is not condemning Pope Francis.  Vennari then recommended a book published by the SSPX on the terrible state of the post Vatican II Church.   But he never addressed the misrepresentations in his article.  

Then Vennari made a statement which, coming from someone who represents himself as a loyal Catholic, I find absolutely chilling:

John Vennari And as for the Pope, it is possible for the Pope to head in the wrong direction. Juan Cardinal de Torquemada (1388-1468) the revered medieval theologian responsible for the formulation of the doctrines that were formulated at the Council of Florence.
Cardinal Torquemada, explaining that it is possible for even a Pope to err [???????], teaches: “Were the Pope to command anything against Holy Scriptures, or the articles of faith, or the truth of the sacraments, or the commands of the natural or divine law, he ought not to be obeyed, but in such commands he is to be disregarded. Citing the doctrine of Pope Innocent III, Cardinal Torquemada further teaches: “Thus it is that Pope Innocent III states (De Consuetudine) that it is necessary to obey the Pope in all things as long as he, himself, does not go against the universal customs of the Church, but should he go against the universal customs of the Church, “he need not be followed” on these points.
December 2 at 10:26pm · Like · 1

This quote by Cardinal Torquemada is constantly made by those who rebel against the hierarchy of the Church. Yet, we have an ironclad promise from Jesus Christ that His Vicar will never lead us astray. In Matthew 16:18, it is recorded that Jesus Christ said that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church. We, as Catholics, can always rest assured that the Holy Father, no matter who he is and no matter how great a sinner he might be, will never mislead the Church in faith and morals. To rebel against the Holy Father is to rebel against the Church and against Jesus Christ.

Vennari is a great proponent of the Traditional Latin Mass.  But being a proponent of the Traditional Mass has not kept him from constant criticism and condemnation of the Holy Father and the bishops.  In fact, it seems to have fueled his actions, just as it has with the sedevacantist groups.   As shown, Vennari even goes so far as to say it is possible for the Pope to mislead us, thus justifying outright rebellion against the Vicar of Christ.   There was another person posting on the Facebook conversation I had with Vennari who accused me of pope "worship" because I defend Pope Francis.  Martin Luther would applaud this long and loudly.  Again, this was a person who strongly defends the Traditional Latin Mass and condemns the "Novus Ordo" Mass.  In fact, his name for me was a "Novus Ordo Catholic", which in the minds of Traditionalists, is a step below child molestor.

It would seem, therefore, that Father Z's assertion that "Save The Liturgy, Save The World" doesn't play out. Far too many who "save the liturgy" end up in complete rebellion against the Catholic Church and not only do not save the world, but may be in danger of losing their own soul. That is not a reflection on the Mass, which sustained the Church through almost her entire history (and which Mass I personally love). But it does say that the Mass of and by itself does not necessarily bring us into union with Christ and His Church.

So what is the answer? What is a fail-safe way of walking in step with Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church?  The answer can be found in I Samuel 15:22:  

Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

This statement was made by the Prophet Samuel to King Saul. Saul had just captured and destroyed the Amalekites, the enemy of Israel. God had given Saul the victory and through Samuel had told him to kill all the Amalekites and destroy everything that belonged to them, including their animals. However, Saul disobeyed. From I Samuel 15:7-9:

7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur,near the eastern border of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

Saul thought he knew better than God. Why should all these perfectly good animals be destroyed for no apparent reason? Saul also spared the life of King Agag, which was in complete disobedience. When Samuel confronted Saul and demanded to know why he disobeyed the command of God, Saul answered:

“The soldiers brought them [the sheep] from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

What could be wrong with wanting to give sacrifice to God? Isn't that what forgave sin? Isn't that a good thing? Samuel's answer to Saul was that obedience is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. King Saul thought he knew better than God, and even though he was liturgically correct in offering sacrifices, this was done in complete rebellion and not only did it not forgive sins, it actually caused Saul and his descendants to be cast from the throne of Israel.

Satan, our enemy, does not care how he gets us. If he can get us through immorality, he will do it. And if he can use our religious beliefs, he will, and often does, do that as well.  As can be seen in the above examples, Satan can even use the Holy Mass to destroy people.  All heresy has come from those who think they know better than the Church.  Pride is much more destructive than sins of the flesh. We have a prime example of this in the case of the Pharisees at the time of Christ. I guarantee you that they were completely 100% correct in their liturgical functions. They did everything by the book, never missing a point.  Their liturgies were no doubt a beautiful thing to behold.  But what good did it do them?

Christ's story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple exemplifies the destructive nature of pride, especially spiritual pride.  The Pharisee  pointed to himself as being in exact conformity with the law (Luke 18:11-12):

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

Jesus contrasts the tax collector:

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

In the next verse, Jesus tells us:

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Pope, the Vicar of Christ, is Christ's earthly authority. We may not like everything he says, and we don't have to accept anything he says that is not in regard to faith and morals. But when he sets standards in the Church and says "this is the law of the Church," we cannot question that. To do so puts us in league with King Saul and the Pharisees of Christ's time, and all heretics down through the ages. Just hanging on to the Mass will not save us. In fact, it could spiritually drown us. Yes, the Traditional Latin Mass is a beautiful thing, and it is very holy and can produce great holiness. But if we use it as a weapon against those with whom we disagree, most especially the hierarchy of the Church, Satan will use that self same Mass to destroy us.

Father Z said that "Not even death is an obstacle to the efficacy of Holy Mass." Physical death is not an obstacle to the efficacy of the Mass, but spiritual death is the greatest obstacle. And when we are not in conformity and obedience to the Magesterium of the Church, then even the beautiful Traditional Latin Mass of the Ages can be our spiritual undoing, as we have seen in far, far too many cases in the past 50 years. Many of those who comment on Father Z's blog prove the point. He has to constantly police the comments left, especially those with regard to the Pope, because they are so condemnatory of the Holy Father and the Church. These comments are left by people who love the Traditional Mass. It doesn't seem to be saving their souls.

Father Z doesn't have it quite right. Saving the Liturgy, of and by itself, will not save the world. The only thing that will save the world is obedience to Jesus Christ and His Vicar. "Save The Liturgy, Save The World"? No. "Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice." There is no other way.