LoyalOnlytotheAdversary

One of the supreme ironies of the Diabolical Disorientation facing the Church in human elements today is that so few supposedly traditional Catholics understand--or are willing to accept--the immutable doctrine of the Social Reign of Christ the King, thus uniting them with conciliarism's own manifest rejection of this doctrine. The scope of the blindness in this regard is astounding. There is almost no comprehension in traditional circles, especially among the laity in the United States, of the fact that Catholicism is meant to permeate every aspect of social life without any exceptions at any time or in any place. This lack of comprehension is to be found in the diocesan indult parishes, in the Ecclesia Dei parishes, in the chapels administered by the Society of Saint Pius X, in chapels administered by independent priests, and is a particularly rabid phenomenon in many sedevacantist circles, where the influences, both residual and current, of certain Americanist organizations are quite strong.

There is no need to be devoted to the Immemorial Mass of Tradition and to oppose the errors of conciliarism if one embraces the Modernist belief that the civil State must not confess the true religion, Catholicism, and that is thus possible to realize personal happiness and social order absent a subordination of both personal and social life to the Social Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We might as well pack up our bags and move ourselves into the Novus Ordo Missae and become apologists for Dignitatis Humanae and a "healthy secularity" if we are content to believe that the modern State, including that created by the Constitution of the United States of America, is not founded in an abject rejection of the right of Our Lord's Social Kingship as it must be exercised by the Catholic Church. After all, the Novus Ordo Missae and conciliarism enshrine the very errors of the Americanist ethos, which has been praised repeatedly by Pope Benedict XVI throughout the course of his priesthood, especially, however, in the several years prior to his election to succeed Pope John Paul II on April 19, 2005.

Pope Benedict XVI has not only denied the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ by his embrace of the non-confessional State, something that not even the pagans of yore dared to do. No, he has said that it is only "democracy" that can provide "justice" for a society, thereby denying the entire patrimony of the Catholic Church, which has taught consistently from time immemorial that there is no one particular form of government by which men must be governed. Although the Church has shown a preference traditionally for the monarchical forms of government, she has also respected the right of men to organize the institutions of civil governance as they see fit, insisting only that the State recognize the Catholic Faith as the one and only true Faith and that the State subordinate itself to the Catholic Church in all that pertains to the good of souls.

Pope Leo XIII, reiterating the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church, wrote about these points directly in Immortale Dei, November 1, 1885:

As a consequence, the State, constituted as it is, is clearly bound to act up to the manifold and weighty duties linking it to God, by the public profession of religion. Nature and reason, which command every individual devoutly to worship God in holiness, because we belong to Him and must return to Him, since from Him we came, bind also the civil community by a like law. For, men living together in society are under the power of God no less than individuals are, and society, no less than individuals, owes gratitude to God who gave it being and maintains it and whose everbounteous goodness enriches it with countless blessings. Since, then, no one is allowed to be remiss in the service due to God, and since the chief duty of all men is to cling to religion in both its teaching and practice-not such religion as they may have a preference for, but the religion which God enjoins, and which certain and most clear marks show to be the only one true religion -- it is a public crime to act as though there were no God. So, too, is it a sin for the State not to have care for religion as a something beyond its scope, or as of no practical benefit; or out of many forms of religion to adopt that one which chimes in with the fancy; for we are bound absolutely to worship God in that way which He has shown to be His will. All who rule, therefore, would hold in honor the holy name of God, and one of their chief duties must be to favor religion, to protect it, to shield it under the credit and sanction of the laws, and neither to organize nor enact any measure that may compromise its safety. This is the bounden duty of rulers to the people over whom they rule. For one and all are we destined by our birth and adoption to enjoy, when this frail and fleeting life is ended, a supreme and final good in heaven, and to the attainment of this every endeavor should be directed. Since, then, upon this depends the full and perfect happiness of mankind, the securing of this end should be of all imaginable interests the most urgent. Hence, civil society, established for the common welfare, should not only safeguard the wellbeing of the community, but have also at heart the interests of its individual members, in such mode as not in any way to hinder, but in every manner to render as easy as may be, the possession of that highest and unchangeable good for which all should seek. Wherefore, for this purpose, care must especially be taken to preserve unharmed and unimpeded the religion whereof the practice is the link connecting man with God.

Now, it cannot be difficult to find out which is the true religion, if only it be sought with an earnest and unbiased mind; for proofs are abundant and striking. We have, for example, the fulfillment of prophecies, miracles in great numbers, the rapid spread of the faith in the midst of enemies and in face of overwhelming obstacles, the witness of the martyrs, and the like. From all these it is evident that the only true religion is the one established by Jesus Christ Himself, and which He committed to His Church to protect and to propagate.

For the only-begotten Son of God established on earth a society which is called the Church, and to it He handed over the exalted and divine office which He had received from His Father, to be continued through the ages to come. "As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you." "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." Consequently, as Jesus Christ came into the world that men "might have life and have it more abundantly," so also has the Church for its aim and end the eternal salvation of souls, and hence it is so constituted as to open wide its arms to all mankind, unhampered by any limit of either time or place. "Preach ye the Gospel to every creature". . . .

From these pronouncements of the Popes it is evident that the origin of public power is to be sought for in God Himself. and not in the multitude, and that it is repugnant to reason to allow free scope for sedition. Again, that it is not lawful for the State, any more than for the individual, either to disregard all religious duties or to hold in equal favor different kinds of religion; that the unrestrained freedom of thinking and of openly making known one's thoughts is not inherent in the rights of citizens, and is by no means to be reckoned worthy of favor and support. In like manner it is to be understood that the Church no less than the State itself is a society perfect in its own nature and its own right, and that those who exercise sovereignty ought not so to act as to compel the Church to become subservient or subject to them, or to hamper her liberty in the management of her own affairs, or to despoil her in any way of the other privileges conferred upon her by Jesus Christ. In matters, however, of mixed jurisdiction, it is in the highest degree consonant to nature, as also to the designs of God, that so far from one of the powers separating itself from the other, or still less coming into conflict with it, complete harmony, such as is suited to the end for which each power exists, should be preserved between them.

This, then, is the teaching of the Catholic Church concerning the constitution and government of the State. By the words and decrees just cited, if judged dispassionately, no one of the several forms of government is in itself condemned, inasmuch as none of them contains anything contrary to Catholic doctrine, and all of them are capable, if wisely and justly managed, to insure the welfare of the State. Neither is it blameworthy in itself, in any manner, for the people to have a share greater or less, in the government: for at certain times, and under certain laws, such participation may not only be of benefit to the citizens, but may even be of obligation. Nor is there any reason why any one should accuse the Church of being wanting in gentleness of action or largeness of view, or of being opposed to real and lawful liberty. The Church, indeed, deems it unlawful to place the various forms of divine worship on the same footing as the true religion, but does not, on that account, condemn those rulers who, for the sake of securing some great good or of hindering some great evil, allow patiently custom or usage to be a kind of sanction for each kind of religion having its place in the State. And, in fact, the Church is wont to take earnest heed that no one shall be forced to embrace the Catholic faith against his will, for, as St. Augustine wisely reminds us, "Man cannot believe otherwise than of his own will."

That is, the private practice of false religions cannot in all instances be forbidden by the State. This does not mean that those false religions have the right to proselytize others or that its adherents have the right to propagate their errors as the basis of public policy and/or popular culture. No one can be coerced to convert. True enough. This does not mean, however, that the State must treat false religions as equal to the true religion, Catholicism, which it must confessionally recognize as the only foundation of personal and social order.

Pope Leo reiterated this theme throughout his twenty-five year pontificate, doing so in A Review of His Pontificate, 1902:

So society in its foolhardy effort to escape from God has rejected the Divine order and Revelation; and it is thus withdrawn from the salutary efficacy of Christianity which is manifestly the most solid guarantee of order, the strongest bond of fraternity, and the inexhaustible source of all public and private virtue. This sacrilegious divorce has resulted in bringing about the trouble which now disturbs the world. Hence it is the pale of the Church which this lost society must re-enter, if it wishes to recover its well-being, its repose, and its salvation.

Just as Christianity cannot penetrate into the soul without making it better, so it cannot enter into public life without establishing order. With the idea of a God Who governs all, Who is infinitely wise, good, and just, the idea of duty seizes upon the consciences of men. It assuages sorrow, it calms hatred, it engenders heroes. If it has transformed pagan society--and that transformation was a veritable resurrection--for barbarism disappeared in proportion as Christianity extended its sway, so, after the terrible shocks which unbelief has given to the world in our days, it will be able to put that world again on the true road, and bring back to order the States and peoples of modern times. But the return of Christianity will not be efficacious and complete if it does not restore the world to a sincere love of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. In the Catholic Church Christianity is Incarnate. It identifies itself with that perfect, spiritual, and, in its own order, sovereign society, which is the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ and which has for Its visible head the Roman Pontiff, successor of the Prince of the Apostles. It is the continuation of the mission of the Savior, the daughter and the heiress of His Redemption. It has preached the Gospel, and has defended it at the price of Its blood, and strong in the Divine Assistance and of that immortality which has been promised It, It makes no terms with error but remains faithful to the commands which It has received, to carry the doctrine of Jesus Christ to the uttermost limits of the world and to the end of time, and to protect It in Its inviolable integrity. Legitimate dispenser of the Teachings of the Gospel It does not reveal Itself only as the consoler and Redeemer of souls, but It is still more the internal source of Justice and Charity, and the Propagator as well as the Guardian of True Liberty, and of that equality which alone is possible here below. In applying the doctrine of its Divine Founder, It maintains a wise equilibrium and marks the True Limits between the rights and privileges of society. The equality which it proclaims does not destroy the distinction between the different social classes It keeps them intact, as nature itself demands, in order to oppose the anarchy of reason emancipated from Faith, and abandoned to its own devices. The liberty which it gives in no wise conflicts with the rights of Truth, because those rights are superior to the demands of liberty. Not does it infringe upon the rights of Justice, because those rights are superior to the claims of mere numbers or power. Nor does it assail the rights of God because they are superior to the rights of humanity.

A devotion to Tradition is pointless if we do not embrace the totality of the Catholic Faith. The Social Kingship of Jesus Christ is a doctrine protected by the Ordinary Infallibility of the Catholic Church. No one may dissent from this doctrine and consider himself a faithful Catholic. Any traditional Catholic, no matter what "warring camp" into which he places himself, might as well go up and say to Papa Benedetto, "Yes, I agree with your 'healthy secularity' if he thinks that any State, including the United States of America, can refuse rightly to recognize the true Faith as the foundation of personal and social order. Such a person falls into a category of Modernism condemned vigorously by Pope Pius XI in Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio, December 23, 1922:

Many believe in or claim that they believe in and hold fast to Catholic doctrine on such questions as social authority, the right of owning private property, on the relations between capital and labor, on the rights of the laboring man, on the relations between Church and State, religion and country, on the relations between the different social classes, on international relations, on the rights of the Holy See and the prerogatives of the Roman Pontiff and the Episcopate, on the social rights of Jesus Christ, Who is the Creator, Redeemer, and Lord not only of individuals but of nations. In spite of these protestations, they speak, write, and, what is more, act as if it were not necessary any longer to follow, or that they did not remain still in full force, the teachings and solemn pronouncements which may be found in so many documents of the Holy See, and particularly in those written by Leo XIII, Pius X, and Benedict XV.

There is a species of moral, legal, and social modernism which We condemn, no less decidedly than We condemn theological modernism.

Americanists who call themselves traditional Catholics cannot hide behind Pope Leo XIII's Longiqua Oceani to exempt themselves from this stirring condemnation. Oh, no. For after praising what he could, diplomatically, of the American experience, Pope Leo XIII categorically rejected the very basis of Church-State relations in the United States of America that has been praised consistently by the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger:

For the Church amongst you, unopposed by the Constitution and government of your nation, fettered by no hostile legislation, protected against violence by the common laws and the impartiality of the tribunals, is free to live and act without hindrance. Yet, though all this is true, it would be very erroneous to draw the conclusion that in America is to be sought the type of the most desirable status of the Church, or that it would be universally lawful or expedient for State and Church to be, as in America, dissevered and divorced. The fact that Catholicity with you is in good condition, nay, is even enjoying a prosperous growth, is by all means to be attributed to the fecundity with which God has endowed His Church, in virtue of which unless men or circumstances interfere, she spontaneously expands and propagates herself; but she would bring forth more abundant fruits if, in addition to liberty, she enjoyed the favor of the laws and the patronage of the public authority.

Pope Leo had, after all, pointed out in Immortale Dei, the following hard truth that one has to accept as part of the Received Teaching of the Divine Redeemer lest he stand condemned as a moral, legal, and social Modernist as per the prescription of Pope Pius XI above:

To exclude the Church, founded by God Himself, from life, from laws, from the education of youth, from domestic society is a grave and fatal error.

Americanism, which is a species of Modernism, has a diabolical a grip on the minds of so many well-meaning traditional Catholics. This grip leads wonderful people, who have taken refuge in the Mass of Tradition to escape rightly from the Novus Ordo Missae, to want to return only to the false security provided by the era of the 1950s, believing that "all we need is the Mass" while they support the Zionist policies of a pro-life presidential fraud and by seeking the "counsel" provided by mindless conservatives on television and radio while ignoring the consistent teaching of the Church about the necessity of the confessionally Catholic State. All of the "trees," that is, the particular social problems (abortion, the promotion of the sodomite agenda, the violation of the integrity of our nation's borders, the breakdown of the family, the arrogation unto the State of the role of education, excessive taxation and bureaucratization) that are part of the larger fabric of the overthrow of the Social Reign of Christ the King wrought by the Protestant Revolt and the rise of Judeo-Masonry, that occupy the time and attention of these good Catholics will never be chopped down until there is a return to the totality of Tradition in the Church and thus Christendom in the world.

Thus, those traditional Catholics who understood that Mrs. Theresa Marie Schindler-Schiavo was starved to death at the orders of a judge, George Greer, with a pro-euthanasia agenda and as a result of the machinations of a faithless husband who squandered a legal settlement to seek to carry out this starvation are aghast that said judge has been hired by a Catholic law school, Loyola Marymount School of Law in Los Angeles, California, to teach in a three day seminar to instruct journalists on how to cover the courts. Obviously, this is an atrocious thing. I agree. However, just as the false claims about the alleged "burden" to Mrs. Schiavo and to her faithless husband in "keeping her alive" by feeding and hydrating her became the focus of so many heated arguments over a matter that was inarguable (no one may take any action that has as its only possible direct end the death of a living human being), so is the outrage over Judge Greer's hiring, while understandable, misplaced.

What else can we expect when the the Church in her human elements has made her accommodation with the false spirit of democracy and religious liberty? Even when shepherds want to oppose certain evils (as some did rather openly oppose Mrs. Schiavo's execution while her own bishop, Robert Lynch, hoped that the disputing family members could "agree" on a solution and thus be at "peace" and wrote that the removal of food and water in cases such as Mrs. Schiavo's was justifiable) they find themselves powerless to do anything. After all, the Church has no authority, as she would in a Catholic State, to nullify, as a last resort following the exhaustion of her Indirect Power of Teaching and Preaching and Exhortation, judicial and legislative acts that are contrary to the good of souls. The Church has thus become "one voice out of many," which is exactly what Pope Benedict XVI believes is all that the Church can and must do in a situation of "healthy secularity." Civil potentates are thus free to act as they want, exercising legal positivism with abandon. Even the Catholics who serve in positions of civil authority are emboldened to act contrary to God's laws, knowing that few, if any, sanctions will be imposed upon them for their embrace of evils as the foundation of public policy and popular culture.

Pope Leo XIII noted this in Sapientiae Christianae, 1890, and Tametsi Futura Prospicientibus, 1900:

To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubt as to the truth of what he professes to believe. In both cases such mode of behaving is base and is insulting to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on the part of Christians is so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom little would be needed on their part to bring to naught false charges and refute erroneous opinions, and by always exerting themselves more strenuously they might reckon upon being successful. After all, no one can be prevented from putting forth that strength of soul which is the characteristic of true Christians, and very frequently by such display of courage our enemies lose heart and their designs are thwarted. Christians are, moreover, born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured, God aiding, the triumph: "Have confidence; I have overcome the world." Nor is there any ground for alleging that Jesus Christ, the Guardian and Champion of the Church, needs not in any manner the help of men. Power certainly is not wanting to Him, but in His loving kindness He would assign to us a share in obtaining and applying the fruits of salvation procured through His grace. (Sapientiae Christianae)

A system of morality based exclusively on human reason robs man of his highest dignity and lowers him from the supernatural to the merely natural life. Not but that man is able by the right use of reason to know and to obey certain principles of the natural law. But though he should know them all and keep them inviolate through life-and even this is impossible without the aid of the grace of our Redeemer-still it is vain for anyone without faith to promise himself eternal salvation. "If anyone abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire, and he burneth" john xv., 6). "He that believeth not shall be condemned" (Mark xvi., 16). We have but too much evidence of the value and result of a morality divorced from divine faith. How is it that, in spite of all the zeal for the welfare of the masses, nations are in such straits and even distress, and that the evil is daily on the increase? We are told that society is quite able to help itself; that it can flourish without the assistance of Christianity, and attain its end by its own unaided efforts. Public administrators prefer a purely secular system of government. All traces of the religion of our forefathers are daily disappearing from political life and administration. What blindness! Once the idea of the authority of God as the Judge of right and wrong is forgotten, law must necessarily lose its primary authority and justice must perish: and these are the two most powerful and most necessary bonds of society. Similarly, once the hope and expectation of eternal happiness is taken away, temporal goods will be greedily sought after. Every man will strive to secure the largest share for himself. Hence arise envy, jealousy, hatred. The consequences are conspiracy, anarchy, nihilism. There is neither peace abroad nor security at home. Public life is stained with crime. (Tametsi Futura Prospicientibus)

The fact that a Catholic institution can invite those whose hands are stained with crime to speak and teach is just the consequence of the abandonment of the doctrine of the Social Reign of Christ the King as the rotten fruit of conciliarism's embrace of Modernity's world of cultural pluralism and religious indifferentism. Apart from a few isolated pockets of Catholicism here and there with this or that professor, most of the so-called Catholic institutions of education are completely bankrupt, devoid of the Catholic Faith, corrupted by all of the errors of Modernity and Modernism, steeped in the worship of demons, serving as agents to promote abject evils, especially those relating to sins against the Sixth and Ninth Commandments. These institutions are loyal only to the adversary, whom they serve with glee. Rome has done nothing to stop a deluge it helped to cause. Rome will do nothing to stop the deluge as souls continue to be devastated. Rome, you see, has been inundated by the the waters that flow into the Tiber from the Rhine and from the Potomac, the Judeo-Masonic tributary system. (See The Potomac Flows into the Tiber)

As I have been noting recently, some future pope will have to declare negatively on the events of the recent past that have devastated souls, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike. I wrote the following in response to a request from the editor of The Four Marks for a "statement" about my "position" concerning the See of Peter:

"In response to your request for a statement concerning my position about the See of Peter: My conscience cannot permit me to make any 'declaration' concerning a vacancy in the See of Peter. I am willing to concede, however, that those who have come to the conclusion that the conciliar popes have professed heresy and thus were disqualified from the See of Peter may very well be correct and that some future pope or council will have to declare negatively about the legitimacy of their reigns, which is why I have been raising questions about the theology of the former Joseph Ratzinger in a series of articles. Those who have come to such a conclusion about a vacancy in the See of Peter are not the problem facing the Church in her human elements today. The Modernism of conciliarism is the problem facing the Church in her human elements today.

"Thus, I am calling for all traditional Catholics to comport themselves with Charity for their fellow Catholics, recognizing that we live in the most troubling of times in the history of the Church in her human elements. Each person must conduct himself as his conscience, informed by nothing other than Catholic Truth, dictates.

"My own work, dating back to my indult days, has been dedicated to the Restoration of Christendom in the world (and a firm opposition to all of the errors of Modernity and Modernism, including Americanism) as the fruit of the Restoration of Tradition in the Church. The heresies and errors of conciliarism have undermined the Faith, devastating souls and thus worsening all social problems, both domestically and internationally. I want nothing other than the restoration of Catholicism as the foundation of every aspect of personal and social life, bar none, with the novelties and heresies and errors of the past half-century, including the Bugnini-inspired liturgical changes of the 1950s, consigned to the Orwellian memory hole. I pray for the day when the only phrase that we need to use to describe ourselves is this: Roman Catholic. For that is all I, despite my sins, have ever wanted to be. All I want to do is to die as a Roman Catholic in a state of sanctifying grace.

"With a firm reliance upon Our Lady and her chaste spouse, Saint Joseph, who appeared with their Divine Child on October 13, 1917, I pray for the day when we will have a pope who will fulfill Our Lady's Fatima Message and thus provide us with a certain period of peace as the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart. She will not fail us.

It is not up to me to say anything more definitively. The salvation of my soul does not depend upon it. Perhaps the voice of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who used such phrases as "the Rome of the Antichrist" and "Modernist Rome," will be recaptured by a traditional bishop so as rally us dumb sheep into not falling prey to the inevitable consequence of conciliarism, the One World Religion, although it will not be labeled as this. We have had enough talk of Rome's relations with traditional Catholics considered to be "outside" of "full communion." Archbishop Lefebvre put it this way following his unjust suspension by Pope Paul VI in 1976:

What could be clearer. We are suspended a divinis by the conciliar church, for the conciliar church to which we have no wish to belong.

The conciliar church is a schismatic church because it breaks with the Catholic Church that has always been. It has its new dogmas, its new priesthood, its new institutions, its new worship; all already condemned by the church in many a document – official and definitive.

This is why the founders of the conciliar church insist so much on obedience to today’s church, prescinding from yesterday’s church as though it no longer existed.

This conciliar church is schismatic because it has taken as a basis for its updating, principals opposed to those of the Catholic Church. This conciliar church is therefore not Catholic!

To whatever extent pope, bishops, priests, or faithful adhere to this new church, they separate themselves from the Catholic Church.

Today’s Church is the true Church only to whatever extent it is a continuation of and one body with the Church of yesterday and of always. The norm of Catholic faith is tradition. The demand of His Eminence Msgr Benelli is then illuminating: submission to the conciliar church, to the Vatican II church, to the schismatic church!

For our part we persevere in the Catholic church by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary."

We need a bishop to speak with the force of Archbishop Lefebvre so as to help give leadership to us sheep, who are scattered because the shepherds who are supposed to govern us have been struck. All we, the dumb sheep, can do in the meantime is act according to the lights of our consciences and to be aware of the dangers we face, trusting totally in the intercessory power of the Mother of God as we keep her Divine Son company in His Real Presence. And we must, as I have been noting in the last few weeks, bear with others charitably, not seeing conspiracies and bad motives among people with whom we may disagree on matters open to discussion and debate.

Believe me, there is nothing that feeds the stereotype of the ugly traditionalist more than the know-it-alls who think they can read the souls of everyone else, dismissing the efforts and sacrifices of these people, whom they conjure up as bogeymen, in behalf of Tradition solely because they consider their own positions to be received from the hand of God and beyond debate. The people we meet around the nation in various traditional venues are just trying to do the best that they can to save their souls. Period. As I have said so frequently recently, let us proceed as our own consciences dictate and concentrate on pointing out the real apostasies emanating from Rome (from the pope to the papal preacher to curial cardinals and on down to diocesan bishops and to parish priests) that continue to deny Christ's absolute right to reign as the King over all men and over all nations. And let us pray that all traditional Catholics, regardless of where they stand in the spectrum of personal judgments, will come to realize that it is pointless to be devoted to the Mass of Tradition unless we are also absolutely committed to the restoration of the Social Reign of Christ the King and all that this entails for our country, our natural love of which must impel us to seek her Catholicization in every aspect of her political and social life.

Starting today, May 26, we must pray the Novena to the Holy Ghost with fervor, especially for the Restoration of Tradition in Holy Mother Church, which was born on Pentecost Sunday as the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and our dear Blessed Mother. I am once again appending the Novena to the Holy Ghost below so that the scattered readers of this site (seems like lots of people are really, really even more upset with me than usual these days) may have a handy reference for completing this powerful prayer. The Catholic Church, not the United States, as Ronald Reagan was wont to say, and not the United Nations, as Pope Paul VI said in 1965, is the only hope for mankind. As sons and daughter of Holy Mother Church, let us pray the Novena to the Holy Ghost as we never have before, doing so faithfully for the next nine consecutive days. Each of us wants only the good of the Catholic Church, right? Why can't we pray this Novena to the Holy Ghost and make a special effort to say extra Rosaries (and the Litany to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus starting on Thursday, June 1) during the next nine days?

Prayer, prayer, prayer, and more prayer. That is the prescription we need now as we endeavor to save our souls in the catacombs and flee from everything to do with the rot of conciliarism--and from the rot of popular culture--that has so devastated souls and reaffirmed Catholics who are loyal to the adversary. Let us continue to try cooperate with the graces won for us by the shedding of Our Lord's Most Precious Blood on the wood of the Holy Cross to convert our own souls on on a daily basis so that we can be some small instrument of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart in trying to bring out the conversion of our own little corners of the world to Christ the King and to her, our loving Queen.

The Longer Version of the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII, 1888

O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.

Verse: Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as suppliants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of our souls.

TO THE HOLY GHOST: On my knees / before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses / I offer myself, soul and body / to Thee O Eternal Spirit of God. / I adore the brightness of Thy purity / the unerring keeness of Thy justice / and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength / and Light of my soul. / In Thee I live and move and am. / I desire never to grieve Thee / Mercifully guard my every thought / and grant that I may always watch for Thy light / and listen to Thy voice / and follow Thy gracious inspirations. / I cling to Thee / and give myself to Thee / and ask Thee / by Thy compassion / to watch over me in my weakness. / Holding the pierced feet of Jesus / and looking at His five Wounds / and trusting in His Precious Blood / and adoring His opened side and stricken Heart / I implore Thee / Adorable Spirit / Helper of my infirmity, / so to keep me in Thy grace / that I may never sin against Thee. / Give me grace / O Holy Ghost, / Spirit of the Father and of the Son / to say to Thee always and everywhere / "Speak, Lord / for Thy servant heareth."

OF THE HOLY GHOST: O Lord Jesus Christ / Who, before ascending into heaven / did promise to send the Holy Ghost / to finish Thy work / in the souls of Thine Apostles and Disciples / deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me / that He may perfect in my soul / the work of Thy grace and Thy love. / Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom / that I may despise the perishable things of this world / and aspire only after the things / that are eternal, / the Spirit of Counsel / that I may ever choose / the surest way of pleasing God / and gaining heaven, / the Spirit of Fortitude / that I may bear my cross with Thee / and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, / the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself / and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, / the Spirit of Piety / that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, / the Spirit of Fear of the Lord / that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God, and may dread in any way to displease Him. / Mark me, dear Lord, / with the sign of Thy true disciples / and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. / Amen.

Holy Spirit! Lord of light!
From Thy clear celestial height,
Thy pure beaming radiance give!

The Holy Ghost: Only one thing is important ~ eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared ~ sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us."

Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit; the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

Come Thou, Father of the poor!
Come, treasure which endure!
Come Thou, Light of all that live!

The Gift of Holy Fear: The gift of Fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread nothing so much as to offend Him by sin. It is a fear that arises, not from the thought of hell, but from sentiments of reverence and filial submission to our heavenly Father. It is the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from worldly pleasures that could in any way separate us from God. "They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls."

Prayer: Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set Thee, my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun all things that can offend Thee, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Thy Divine Majesty in heaven where Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Blessed Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.

Thou, of all consolers, best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

The Gift of Piety: The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake, persons and things consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority: His Blessed Mother and the Saints, The Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country and its rulers. He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his religion, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there is love, there is no labor.

Prayer: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake, lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.

Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

The Gift of Piety: By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will, an impulse and energy which move it to undertake without hesitancy, the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot, human respect, and to endure without complaint, the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. "He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved."

Prayer: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome, and separated from Thee, my God and greatest good. Amen.

Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill!

The Gift of Knowledge: The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth ~ in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretence of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. "Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it."

Prayer: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.

If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay,
All his good is turned to ill.

The Gift of Understanding: Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Ghost, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths, and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to "walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Prayer: Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory, to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Heal our wounds ~ our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew!
Wash the stains of guilt away!

The Gift of Counsel The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly, what must be done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding, to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. "Above all these things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct thy way in truth."

Prayer Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray!

The Gift of Wisdom: Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of Wisdom it is written, "all good things come to me with her, and innumerable riches, through her hands." It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: "Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light."

Prayer: Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power, and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them forever. Amen.

Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess, and Thee adore,
In Thy sevenfold gifts, descend:

Give them comfort when they die;
Give them life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end. Amen.

The Fruits of the Holy Ghost: The gifts of the Holy Ghost perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Ghost, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue, more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation, and are known as Fruits of the Holy Ghost. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive, and become a powerful incentive for still greater effort in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.

Prayer: Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits: charity, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, benignity goodness, faith, mildness, and modesty, continency and chastity, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration, may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

Loyal Only to the Adversary

by Thomas A. Droleskey


© Copyright 2006, Thomas A. Droleskey. All rights reserved.