Wednesday, March 08, 2006

How to Be a Loyal Catholic Today?

Fr John Hardon answered this question for us before his deah. He told us:
...much has happened in the last thirty or so years. Nowadays there are so many people who call themselves Catholic but really are not. There are books published and periodicals; there are conferences given, and symposiums held; there are religious programs and celebrations sponsored, and all professedly Catholic. But so many of these are Catholic only in name and not in reality.

In plain English, a revolution has taken place. The revolution is a revolution in doctrine and morality. But the heart of the revolution is a widespread rejection of the papacy.

The errors prevalent in the modern world undermine every single truth on which sane doctrine and sound morality are based. What are the roots of these erroneous ideas? The first root is to detach human freedom from its essential and necessary relationship to Truth. The second root is the denial that there is any visible authority on earth that is divinely authorized to teach the truth. We Catholics believe that this visible authority is the Bishop of Rome.

We return to our title for this conference, “How to be a Loyal Catholic Today?” The answer is obvious. “By being loyal to the Bishop of Rome.” To be a loyal Catholic we must know the truth taught by the Holy Father, live this truth, and suffer for this truth. The truth, of course, is the teaching of Jesus Christ.
Some may not need this reminder, yet there are so many others who could benefit from this, if only it were shared with them with prayers and true charity. As an act of Christian charity, a loving concern for another's eternal salvation, pray for those who have succumbed to the culture and thinking of this world so that their thoughts might be directed to God and the world yet to come.

Fr Hardon's complete article is here. Why not share it with another child of God?

No comments: