Following a week of lamentable meetings by the bishops of the USCCB, it is tempting to lose one’s hope that this Church crisis will ever end. The bishops, many of whom are spiritual offspring of Theodore McCarrick (though not all), discussed a plethora of secularist liberal issues such as gun control and diocesan taxes, all the while mingling behind the security-laden walls of the four-star Marriott Waterfront hotel in Baltimore - not exactly a Carthusian monastery. The most accurate description of the meetings perhaps came the week prior, as a Crux headline read: US Bishops have their plates full during next week’s USCCB meeting. No doubt their wine glasses as well. In the meantime, trust in the American bishops to act as defenders of the Catholic faith has long since dissipated, though it seems many bishops are tone-deaf to this reality.

Now would be an appropriate time to suggest that faithful Catholics are not entirely orphans, that there is a glimmer of hope. I speak of the recently released book, Christus Vincit: Christ’s Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age – Bishop Athanasius Schneider in conversation with journalist Diane Montagna.

I had initial hesitation reading Christus Vincit. Personally, I dislike books that are formatted as interviews; such is Christus Vincit. However, this hesitation soon evaporated. Montagna and Bishop Schneider collaborate to offer an exemplary book – smooth, eloquent, and in-depth. Indeed, it is unlikely I will ever meet Bishop Schneider, and improbable I will speak at length with him. This book gives the impression of the improbable becoming a reality. It is approachable, smooth, and profound. Montagna is to be commended for her successful work.

To the actual book, Christus Vincit begins with a section on Schneider’s life and background. I found this helpful. As Schneider continues to gain prominence, or infamy, as a key player in the Catholic counter-revolution, it is valuable to learn more about the actual man.

Many stirring must-read stories were shared of Schneider’s early years in Kazakhstan. He comes from a very devout family, and was baptized three times (not really!). Due to Communist persecution, he would sometimes go over one year without attending Mass. As he got older, his family would travel a full day to attend Sunday Mass. I personally found these stories compelling, for I often complain about having to spend an entire Sunday to take my family to a reverent Mass. It seems that things turned out favorably for the Schneiders, and perhaps there is hope for my family as well.

As his personal biography is laid forth for readers, it is striking to see Schneider’s abandonment to God’s plan for his life. For instance, his religious name, Athanasius, was quite providentially chosen for him. As was his area of academic specialization: Patristics. When Schneider was chosen to become an auxiliary bishop he was deeply saddened, but didn’t decline the selection when he found out that Pope Benedict XVI personally chose him to the ecclesial office.

Following the introduction on the life of Bishop Schneider, an expansive array of subjects are then broached, such as the death penalty, contraception, China, charismatics, reverence, McCarrick, angels, Amoris Laetitia, Fatima, and more. The book at times teaches like a catechism, yet a perennial catechism that does not change with the whims of a pope. Each and every issue discussed is explained clearly, and is of great interest.

The gloves come off early, so to speak, when the book turns to the topic of Islam and Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. The juxtaposition of Montagna presenting Pope Francis’ writings on diverse religions, and Schneider’s clear presentation of the Catholic faith, is salient. As Schneider explains the importance of Catholicism as the one true religion, and passionately dissects the arguments of those who champion false ecumenism, it is easy to see why Schneider refuses to let Pope Francis get away with the Abu Dhabi document’s claim that God wills a diversity of religions. Schneider is fierce when it comes to defending Catholicism.

As the book moves forward, Bishop Schneider’s thoughts on Vatican II are especially noteworthy, and I found balanced (though it can be argued that being “balanced” is not always the correct position). Schneider explains the problems with the Council, even going so far as to say that the current pontificate “is a logical consequence of the so-called ‘spirit of the Council’ and of the ambiguous elements in some of the Council texts” (p. 141). Schneider, while reminding readers that Vatican II is pastoral and not dogmatic, states that there are troubles with certain texts that need explanation, “or even amendments and corrections” (p. 123). Some might disagree with Schneider on this point, and say it is best to simply abrogate the entire Council. Still, it is refreshing to have a bishop examine the Council candidly and authentically.

On another point, Montagna asks Schneider if the Society of St. Pius X will ever come into full communion with Rome. He responds, “‘Full communion’ is not the correct expression in my view. They are already in communion with the Church, since they recognize the pope, mention him in the Canon, pray for him publicly, and pray for the local diocesan bishop. […] Regularized, that is better” (p. 149). A stimulating discussion ensues from this, including Schneider’s thoughts on Archbishop Lefebvre.

Regarding Fatima, a timely topic for today, Bishop Schneider presents a spiritual explanation of the third secret, such as the “big city half in ruins” being a symbol of the Church (he admits the third secret may be missing a written explanation from Our Lady). I leave it to Fatima experts to weigh in on his description of the secret, but I found it very enlightening nonetheless.

Perhaps the one critique of the book I have involves Schneider’s thoughts on the Novus Ordo Mass. He suggests, with an air of regret, that it seems improbable that the Novus Ordo Mass could ever be removed. Therefore, he argues for a step-by-step change in the Novus Ordo Mass so that it closer resembles the traditional Latin Mass. For instance, he argues the Novus Ordo Mass should eventually adopt the old calendar, readings, and so on. As I personally note the tremendous growth in the traditional Latin Mass, I see this issue differently. I have hope that the traditional Latin Mass be the Mass that Catholics increasingly turn towards, rather than simply working towards fixing the Novus Ordo Mass - a fix that perhaps would not adequately address the entire Novus Ordo paradigm. Ultimately only time will tell.

A general point evident throughout the book is that Bishop Schneider is not a punching bag for liberals to beat upon. At one point Montagna asks him about the strife he receives from various bishops. For instance, once Schneider was prohibited from saying a Pontifical Mass in a German diocese. The Vicar General wrote to the priest in charge and stated, “No, the diocese cannot give permission to Bishop Schneider to celebrate a Pontifical Mass because his presence causes division and tension. […] Dear Fr. Rector, in the future please invite to the shrine only bishops who are strong in faith.” Schneider replies ardently to this claim: “Strong in which faith? Perhaps the Protestant faith of this Vicar General? Surely not in the Catholic faith” (p. 45).

Also apparent in the book, and a fitting point to examine, is how Bishop Schneider, as a true shepherd, identifies with his Catholic flock. For instance, in regards to bishop meetings (such as the recent USCCB meetings), he explains, “To be honest, I am bored with episcopal meetings and synods. […] They are often sterile and give the impression of an enormous show of clerical vanity” (p. 113). For him, such meetings are a sign of a loss of supernatural faith, a faith all Catholic bishops expected to emanate. To illustrate, Schneider explains that once, following a beautiful Pontifical Mass, there was a picture-taking session. In one picture he was standing with a sharp looking altar boy of nine or so. Schneider relates, “Everyone took photos. Then from the crowd several parishioners shouted to the boy, ‘You will become a bishop!’ And he [the boy] was so serious and said, ‘I want to become a saint!’ […] One could have the impression that he contrasted being a saint with being a bishop!” (p. 114). Indeed, Bishop Schneider sees how the office of bishop does not guarantee staying faithful to Christ. The position is not something to boast in, but rather is burdensome.

There are so many more words that could be spoken regarding Christus Vincit. I will simply end by saying that, though it is difficult for lay people to know which current books to invest time in, Christus Vincit is a must read. It is a book for the laity who sit by with despondent anger and watch dreary USCCB meetings. It is for families in need of assurance that true Catholicism is still possible. It is for men, and boys parading as men, who need to be challenged to take on the yolk of Christ. It is for academics unfamiliar with pre-Conciliar Church teachings, once called the Catholic Faith. It is for priests, especially the ones ministering in a spirit of fear caused by their bishops. And this book is for bishops, all bishops, be they seemingly lost, obsessed with power and prestige, timidly silent, uneducated, worldly, or even, deep down, intimidated by a lowly auxiliary bishop from Kazakhstan. For this book can be summed up in two words: daring clarity.

May this book be so for the Church, and all Her faithful.

The Pan-Amazonian Synod Proves that Truth is Stranger than Fiction

Many Catholics are just now awaking from what seemed like a surreal dream, or rather hellish nightmare. The Pan-Amazonian Synod mercifully stumbled past the finish line at the end of October, and now the revolutionary attack on the Church will continue in earnest, sans grating daily press conferences and Pachamama denials.

First, a caveat. If perchance a Vatican official read this and assume I am a well-funded right-wing Catholic elitist, I am not. Though I confess, the title does have a certain appeal to me. I am just a lowly but faithful (rigid) Catholic. So spare yourself a search for my Wikipedia page.

So what exactly happened in Rome last month?

October 4^th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, was a fitting commencement. It was a personal day of fasting for the Synod, which was prophetic because had I eaten, the food might have upchucked onto my computer screen. I speak, of course, about the notorious Vatican garden video, where an amalgam of woke spiritualists, evidently not professional dancers, prostrated themselves before those carved images of naked pregnant women. Like a plague of locusts, or enlightened liturgists, the Pachamamas had arrived.

“Isn’t that against one of the Commandments?” I pondered as I watched the ceremony with revulsion. “Possibly against the First Commandment?” I further reasoned. I surprise myself with my brilliance sometimes.

The First Commandment is simple: I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any other gods besides me. It is not just an Old Testament sentiment. Ask any true exorcist how violating this Commandment can lead to demonic infestations, obsessions, and even possessions. So how could the Pachamama proceedings be so blatant?

It doesn’t matter what we might think, for we were told what to think. First, these carved images were, in fact, simply hideously naked statues of Our Lady and St. Elizabeth – which would, as a clear insult against what is spotless and holy to God, violate the First Commandment. Next, we were told these naked statues were just harmless representations of Mother Earth (but not Pachamama, which translates into English as Mother Earth). They were then placed prominently in a Catholic church - a scandalous depredation contrary to the First Commandment. Finally, we came full circle when Pope Francis clarified that the carved images were indeed Pachamama idols – that being a grave offense against the First Commandment.

Thus describes the muddled and confused human comedy of the Pan-Amazonian Synod, which will surely be remembered as one of the most embarrassing misfortunes in Church history.

Examples abound. One evening my wife and I were sitting in the living room. She was nursing our new baby, Jude. I was reading a report from the fearless reporter George Neumayr. Jude evidently was nursing as if he had been fasting all day in reparation, and needed to make up for lost time.

“Jude nurses like a pig, wouldn’t you say?” I commented to my wife.

Before she could reply, I showed her an image from the Church of Santa Maria of Traspontina in Rome, the one of a woman nursing an animal.

“Is this woman nursing a pig?” I wondered. “Or maybe a weasel?”

Apparently it was the wrong picture to show a sacrificial mother dutifully nursing her child. Mothers, especially those existing on negligible sleep, get irritated when their role of motherhood is derided. It’s all interconnected, you know.

Further Synodal incredulity came in the form of Austrian-born Bishop Erwin Krautler, one of the main spokesmen at the Synod. Krautler, when pressed by reporter Ed Pentin, admitted that a goal of the Synod was to work towards permitting female Catholic priestesses. Krautler is the same man who has bragged that, as a bishop in the Amazonian region, he never baptized a single person. Women priestesses apparently are needed in the Amazon, but to do what, we cannot say. Is it a pseudo-Amoris Laetitia situation, where woman priestess will distribute Holy Communion to the non-baptized? Or perhaps worse, are they needed in the Amazon to give Holy Communion to weasels?

Thankfully, not everything was ridiculous. The biggest splash at the Synod came from another Austrian man, Alexander Tschugguel, who helped swipe five Pachamama statues from Catholic churches and send them plummeting down into the Tiber River. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Traditional Catholics commended Tschugguel’s actions. The office of the Secretary of State at the Vatican, perhaps in spite, attacked one such Catholic by making unflattering changes to his (Dr. Taylor Marshall’s) Wikipedia webpage. Had a ten year reacted like this, he would deserve chiding. Such puerility coming from within the Vatican is beyond comprehension.

Predictably, the Synod ended on another sour note. Pope Francis triumphantly proclaimed that the Pachamamas had been recovered, and they would make an appearance at the final Mass for the Synod (which they never did). As visions of a massive Blues Brothers Pachamama search operation involving police helicopters, SWAT team members, firefighters, and army personnel flooded my mind, I looked at my wife with a smirk.

“No,” she admonished me, “don’t say what you’re thinking!”

“Well, do you want to bet that someone finds the real Pachamamas in a few weeks?”

What a tragedy we’ve come to, that one’s first reaction to words from the pope is to believe they are untrue.

It didn’t take a few weeks. All it took was a quick walk to the original sight of the Pachamama tossing to notice that one of the carved images never in fact made it into the Tiber River, nor to the Italian police office, but was still resting on the rocks. The Italian Carabinieri are not exactly the legendary Royal Canadian Mounted Police when it comes to finding their man, or Pachamama.

These are but a few of the surreal impressions we are left with following the 2019 Pan-Amazonian Synod. If Mark Twain popularized the aphorism that truth is stranger than fiction, the Synod proved it. If nothing else, the Synod was entertaining. You could even say that it was one big joke.

But a word of hope to conclude, as we are left to continue praying and fasting for the Church. Perhaps of equal importance, by the act of the tossing the Pachamamas into the Tiber River, we have been inspired to act in defense of the Church. We have our Faith, and now good works must follow.

To reinterpret Pope Francis’ words: This is good news. Thank you, Jesus.

Originally posted at www.bravestthing.com

Demonology, Exorcisms, and Hope

One of the more interesting interviews I’ve heard in a long time was done last week on the Patrick Coffin Show. You can find it HERE, or look for it as a Podcast.

The interview was with Adam Blai, a man who has spent his life working in psychology and demonology. He helps train exorcists, and currently does work with the diocese of Pittsburgh. Blai presents a solid view of the Catholic understanding of obsessions, possessions, and exorcisms. The interview is not intimidating or chilling, but rather quite hopeful. He demonstrates time and time again that Christ works best through His Church.

By all means check out the interview. If you don’t have time, here are a few notes…

Possessions are caused by some violation of the first commandment, such as seeking some power other than God. Hmmm... Pachamama rituals anyone?

To truly exorcise a possessed person is a lengthy process. On average Blai says it takes 6-24 months, and sometimes can go on for 20 years. It takes time to unravel all the layers of possession. Possession is very legalistic. If a person does an activity to invite a demon into their soul, the demon will not come out unless the activity is undone (through exorcism).

Movies such as The Exorcist sensationalize things. A real exorcism is much tamer, especially if the people in the room are experienced - the demons won’t waste their time with their usual tricks.

It is never just one demon. Often there can be between 10-100 lesser demons (Blai implied these demons were simply foot soldiers who weren’t that bright). Then there are one or two middle demons controlling the entire possession. If necessary, a high ranking demon will come onto the scene… even Satan, if called down by the priest. Note, that even Satan is under the command of the priest.

Which brings me to the role of the Catholic Church. Blai related that once a priest tried to get a possessed person to sit down, fold his arms, and be quiet. The demons mocked the priest. The priest then went and called his bishop. He asked the bishop, over the phone, for permission to do the exorcism. The bishop consented. The priest then went back into the room and commanded the possessed person to sit down, fold his arms, and be quiet. Immediately the command was obeyed. Demons are powerless in the face of apostolic authority. An exorcism is not some martial arts battle between good and evil forces. Rather, it is like a bug getting crushed by a baseball bat. Christ, working through His Church, will always win.

Which brings up an interesting point on the sacrament of Confession. Anyone involved in an exorcism must go to Confession before beginning. What is confessed is bound by the seal of the sacrament, and even demons cannot use any of this information within an exorcism. The power of Confession is binding.

Blai spoke about yoga and reiki. Both are dangerous, but Blai especially warned about reiki because of how explicitly it calls on spirits to enter a person.

Perhaps one of the more shocking things Blai said involved adultery and fornication. Having relations with someone who is not your spouse, besides being a mortal sin, can bring about possession. Because the act is so unitive, if one of the persons has demons, they can be passed on to the other person. I immediately thought of the mess of ex-Cardinal McCarrick. I can only imagine him passing on demons to his seminarians. Disgusting.

Patrick Coffin asked Blai about his thoughts on the “dare we hope all men be saved” theory. This is a debate I’ve been publicly involved with to some degree. Briefly, von Balthasar, and even Bishop Robert Barron, believe it is possible that Hell be empty of humans. Blai replied to this by saying his experience with exorcisms greatly contradicts this claim. But the main reason Blai believes this theory is wrong is simple: Jesus directly warns that many people choose Hell.

All in all, it was a noteworthy interview, yet one that left a great deal of hope. The keys of the kingdom are clearly in the hands of the Church. The Devil and his demons are powerless. How great it is to be Catholic.

Originally posted at www.BravestThing.com