“We believed that after the [Second Vatican] Council would come a day of sunshine in the history of the Church. But instead there has come a day of clouds and storms, and of darkness … “And how did this come about? We will confide to you the thought that maybe we ourselves admit in free discussion, that may be unfounded, and that is that there has been a power, an adversary power. Let us call him by his name: the Devil. … It is as if from some mysterious crack, no, it is not mysterious, from some crack the smoke of Satan has entered the Temple of God.”Pope Paul VI, 29 June 1972
Catholic media has been on fire lately, all-but unified in its condemnation of a show straight out of Masonic Clown World. That show was the MET GALA, endorsed and supported by Cardinal Archbishop Dolan and Jesuit-LGBTQWERTY priest Father James Martin, featuring all manner of scandalous Hollywood elite bedecked in finery that mocked the Catholic faith. The purpose, we’re told, was to highlight the ‘Catholic imagination’ that we see in the art, liturgy, and external signs of faith. Yet what we saw was clearly a lampooning of the faith.
Many lay-faithful were rightly outraged. Most concerning though was comments I saw in an online Catholic group where several laypersons asked the timeless questions of “how do we expect to get the respect of the world if we don’t lighten up? When did Catholics become such sticks in the mud?” I suppose it’s easy to be confused about why people are so mad about Our Lady being mocked by Hollywood celebrities dressed in incredibly immodest dresses, or Rihanna wearing a costume designed to mock bishops. But last I checked we weren’t supposed to seek out the respect of the world. Instead, we were called to be salt and light, to be a sign of hope. It’s hard to be a sign of hope when you blend in to the crowd.
Pope Paul VI spoke in 1972 about a ‘diabolic disorientation’ that had entered the Church in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. Many commentators have spoken at length about what that means, and in due time I’ll contribute to that discourse. For now, all I will add is that this ‘diabolic disorientation’ must include the seeming inability of the vast majority of lay faithful to recognize evil when we see it, especially when our ancestors in the faith would have easily recognized great evil when they saw it. The smoke fills our senses, making finding the truth hard.
This blog will at least partially document my search for the truth about the state of the Church. Keep me in your prayers and I’ll keep you in mine.
Viva Cristo Rey
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