July 4-6, 2004
Sunday-Tuesday
vol 15, no. 156

Giving the GATE to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger!

    The smudges of anathema are everywhere. How do you rationalize your errors, your Eminence?

Editor's Note: The smudges are everywhere. There are so many fingerprints that have tampered with the Truths of Catholic Doctrine, that the title for this feature was right there at our fingertips - "Fingerprints of Anathema?" Just as FOX News' slogan is "we report, you decide," so also we have left the question mark for you to decide if the person proclaiming what was said is anathema or just another wayward Modernist avoiding necessities, being politically correct, and altering the Sacred Deposit of the Faith to placate man and to avoid accountability to their appointment as successors of the Apostles. Wait. That would be anathema according to the Apostle Paul's infallible statement in Galatians 1: 7-10 wherein he states:

    "I wonder that you are so soon removed, from him who called you to the grace of Christ, to another gospel: which is not another, only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach a gospel to you beside that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. As we said before, so I say now again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I did yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

    And so today, on behalf of Authentic Roman Catholics everywhere, we present a letter produced by Sandro Magister of www.chiesa.com from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It is followed by poignant comments by Gary L. Morella calling his Eminence to task for his anathema in stating the following.


Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion. General Principles
by Joseph Ratzinger

    1. Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgement regarding one’s worthiness to do so, according to the Church’s objective criteria, asking such questions as: “Am I in full communion with the Catholic Church? Am I guilty of grave sin? Have I incurred a penalty (e.g. excommunication, interdict) that forbids me to receive Holy Communion? Have I prepared myself by fasting for at least an hour?” The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected (cf. Instruction “Redemptionis Sacramentum,” nos. 81, 83).

    2. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial decisions or civil laws that authorise or promote abortion or euthanasia, states that there is a “grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. [...] In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to ‘take part in a propoganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it’” (no. 73). Christians have a “grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. [...] This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it” (no. 74).

    3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.

    4. Apart from an individuals’s judgement about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin (cf. can. 915).

    5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

    6. When “these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible,” and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it” (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration “Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics” [2002], nos. 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

    [N.B. A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favour of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons.]

    We now ask His Eminence to step forward and undergo the Galatians Anathermometer Theological Exam (GATE). It is by your statements that all discover if you are truly a servant of Christ. If not, what steps will you take to right yourself for your sake and the sake of your flocks, your Eminence? One wonders why the bishops have bullied or ignored modern Rome? Your comments carry no teeth. Prepare for the GATE. Now place your fingers on the anathematic defibrillator and we shall commence.

    We now pass the floor to the very capable hands of Gary Morella, who writes:

    Catholic moral theology has always clearly taught that you can NEVER do an evil for a greater good. What could be a greater evil than voting for someone who officially promotes the killing of innocents in the womb regardless of whatever other positions are held by this individual? Without life there are NO OTHER ISSUES, PERIOD, because natural life is the only means to ETERNAL life for man in obedience to the Law of God, which is why Cardinal Ratzinger blew it BIG TIME with his last statement in his letter above. If the other candidates are worse than this, i.e., holding to positions that are pro-abortion plus others contrary to the moral teachings of Holy Mother Church, that does not give Catholics an option to vote for someone who is ONLY a pro-aborter, which is de facto, what Ratzinger is saying in the last part of his letter.

    It is sad that such an inclusion was deemed necessary because it is NOT Catholic! The Catholic Church does NOT permit voting for those who are pro-baby killing under ANY circumstances. How could it and call itself Catholic in the aforementioned realization that man is procreating to populate Heaven in accord with the intent of the Creator? For that matter, when you get down to the nitty gritty, the Catholic Church does NOT permit supporting those who are counter to the teaching Magisterium on faith and morals to include especially pro-sexual promiscuity via contraception, abortion, pro-sodomy, and euthanasia.

    How could it when eternity hangs in the balance? The Catholic position is to educate the faithful so that those running for office will see the truths of the faith in a natural law context as a participation in the eternal law leading ultimately to a final salvific end intended by the Sacrifice of our Savior for man's redemption. In particular, this means that Catholic politicians do NOT check their faith at the door and remain Catholic, unlike the lie of John Kennedy forced upon him to gain power at the risk of his immortal soul.

    The "lesser of two evils" argument has never been Catholic. What is Catholic is to educate the world that "evil deserves no vote." And that can only happen when Catholics are taught that they are to uncompromisingly witness to the world for the sake of its conversion to the faith, which is what Jesus taught in the Gospel of Matthew, the last part of which was crystal clear on this issue unlike Ratzinger's letter above.

    The "lesser of two evils" is still evil. Catholics are not called to promote evil via any proportional situational ethics argument, regardless of who is making them. Certainly, Jesus Christ, the Founder of the Church upon the Rock that is Peter did NOT. Gary L. Morella

    And so we ask His Eminence if he will right the ship as head of the Curial Office for upholding Doctrine? If not, what kind of message does that send to all Catholics? When will Rome realize that the only answer to curbing abuse, mistrust, and clearing the confusion is to return to the unalterable truths and evangelic constituted traditions which sustained Holy Mother Church for well over 1900 years. To veer from that is exactly what those apparatchiks from the Protestant Reformation did and why they are so splintered today for they have broken from the True Vine, no longer connected to it. Is that what your Eminence wants since you were also party to the periti at Vatican II? Recall Our Lord's words in Matthew 18: 6, "Wo to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but, nevertheless wo to that man by whom the scandal cometh." Do you not think, your Eminence, that by not enforcing the God-given and necessary disciplines from censure to excommunication which your Office possesses, but has not used - even to the fact that it was formerly the Holy Office of the Inquisition - that you are not causing great scandal among not only the Catholic world, not to mention the secular sector? No wonder so many are so confused. Here is an office charged to uphold and enforce the disciplines of Faith and Morals and your office has gone out of its way to be the antithesis of what it used to be. Why have you been so soft on the other curial offices? Why have you allowed the bishops to run roughshod over Catholic Truth. Is the price so great that you would compromise Catholic doctrine for the sake of collegiality? That is what it would seem and, until proof is provided to the opposite, we would have to proclaim that you have indeed failed miserably the GATE. We pray thee, get thee to a thorough study of the Council of Trent and do not be afraid to share your findings with your cohorts, most notably the man who placed you in your exalted position. In closing, we ask you to consider our dear Lord's words in Luke 12: 46-49:

    "The lord of that servant will come in a day that he expecteth not, and at an hour that he knoweth not and shall separate him, and shall appoint him his portion with unbelievers. And that servant who knew the will of his lord, and hath not prepared, and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more. I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled? And I have a baptism, wherewith I am to be baptized: and how am I straitened until it be acoomplished? Think ye that I am come to give peace on earth: I tell you no, but separation. For there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three shall be divided: the father against the son, and the son against his father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." And He said also to the multitudes: "When you see a cloud rising out of the west, presently you say: A shower is coming: and so it happeneth: And when ye see the south wind blow, you say: There will be heat: and it cometh to pass. You hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the Heavens, and of the earth; but how is it that you do not discern this time? And why even of yourselves do you not judge that which is just? And when thou goest with thy adversary to the ruler, whilst thou art in the way, endeavor to be delivered from him: lest, perhaps, he draw thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the exactor, and the exactor cast thee into prison. I say to thee: thou shalt not go out thence, until thou pay the very last mite."

    We rest our case, your Eminence, for our Lord and Savior has spoken in warning us against hypocrisy, the fear of the world, and covetousness. We have been admonished to be vigilant and to love one another. Is it love you express to the American Bishops and Catholics by compromising and not calling them to task? No, your Eminence, it is cowardice and betrayal. Two men betrayed Christ during His time on earth. One repented, the other did not. Which do you follow?

Michael Cain, editor, The Daily Catholic


    Note to Authentic Catholics everywhere: If you know of other error-filled statements made by other prelates, please let us know and we will gladly give them the GATE as well in future installments.


Fingerprints of Anathema?
July 4-6, 2004
Volume 15, no. 156