September 4, 2012
Last week Cardinal Martini, formerly Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, passed away. Most Catholics in America probably don’t know who he is or what he stood for unless they were involved in the prolonged movement post Vatican II to restore sacred Tradition. For those, Martini was a severe thorn in the side.
Reuters carried a story headlined: In final interview, Cardinal says Church “200 years out of date”. Reuters also uses terms such as “progressive” and “liberal” to describe Martini because Reuters is religiously challenged and doesn’t understand that those terms are political and not expressive at all of the essence of the Church.
In the article, taken from Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Martini is quoted as saying: “Our culture has aged, our churches are big and empty and the church bureaucracy rises up, our rituals and our cassocks are pompous.” [Gee, with friends like this, who needs enemies? Why are the churches empty? Because the faithful have not heard the truths of the Faith proclaimed unequivocally by our bishops and priests, the ones charged with teaching. We have not been challenged to live the hard life of the Christian with its trials and inherent joys. We have not been taught how to confront the errors of the world. We have, instead, seen our bishops accommodate the world and water down the message to such an extent many people have asked themselves, why be Catholic at all?]
“Our rituals and our cassocks are pompous.” [Oh boy. Our rituals contain everything to celebrate the King of Kings. Pomp didn't used to be a bad word when it applied to the ceremonies of state. What state is greater than the courts of the Lord? And part of the ceremonies are traditional vestments. Would Martini have scorned Queen Elizabeth II for wearing her crown and following the British state rules for ceremonies?]
Before this rant gets any worse, I’ll omit other quotes that indicate a huge disconnect between Martini’s views and the purpose of the Church, Mother to all who seek her. The Church is never out of date. She is always fresh and stable because she teaches only the immutable truth given her by Christ. It is perfectly acceptable for Catholics to have different points of view except on what is or is not doctrine and the teaching of the Magisterium. Doctrine cannot change with the age or there would be no such thing as truth. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “He who marries the spirit of the times must soon become a widower.”
I am sincerely very sad that Cardinal Martini was still attached to his Modernist views just two weeks before his death. Perhaps he really did have a sincere concern for the Church, but somehow his words seem focused on accommodating the world and not on accommodating God and His Word. He seems to have had the attitude that “If people are going to do bad things, then we might as well figure out a way for it not to be a sin.” I think the great Doctor of the Church, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan who received the repentant St. Augustine, probably spun in his grave more than once over statements his successor made.
May God’s mercy be upon him and may he rest in peace. Please do pray for the repose of his soul. He met the immutable Truth when he died. I wonder if he wishes he could return and correct his record.
I also wonder about Reuters. Who will they run to now to hear criticism of the Church? The Call to Action crowd, the Martinis of this world, the Nuns on the Bus are all slowly falling asleep.
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R. Now and forever!
(Click on the link above to read why I end my posts this way.)
