All through history all pacifism has managed to do was to enslave people. As I work on my 2027 liturgical calendar, the theme being great Catholic battles and warriors, I have been getting an insight of Islam and the Muslims. Most of these battles were fought against the Muslims mainly to liberate their own people from Muslin enslavement. We see this in the Reconquista, the crusades, LaPanto, and the battle for Vienna that essentially not only saved Christianity but also drove out the Muslim hordes who enslaved Europeans, especially European women in the areas they conquered. These battles made Europe a truly free and Catholic continent.
Now we head to present times and see all the work and sacrifice of these brave Crusaders and Catholic warriors being thrown under the bus by Pope “open boarders” Leo. Now Europe is being invaded by the modern day Muslim hordes, Leo’s so called poor immigrants, who he urges us to accept even while he lives in the safety of the walled city of the Vatican. Today in Europe People are being murdered, women raped and beaten by these immigrants while the church urges even more of these sick individuals to enter their boarders. The Catholic church is dieing and Leo is dancing on the grave. In the U.S. more of Leo’s bishops chatter on about open boarders. In their case its all about cash hoping 2028 brings another Biden like socialist into power who will once again subsidize the Catholic church to house the illegal immigrants the future Democrat voters. Remember Leo tells us we can learn a lot from the Muslims. Personally I do not want a crash course in murder and rape, thank you very much.
However this is more about our liturgical struggles as Catholics within the church as opposed to Leo and his outside politics. I have written before how I have left the Institute of Christ the king sovereign priest and now happily reside in a small SSPX chapel. I thank the porn writer Cardinal Fernandez and the institute itself for that. I was supportive of the SSPX consecrations and the newly consecrated bishop Goldade drove something important home to me. “Modernism is like an acid, it destroys all it touches”. I actually see that is what was happening in the Institute and I am sure the FSSP as well as any of the other alphabet soup of religious orders. The canon I had bad mouthed the society for two consecutive Sundays after the episcopal consecrations threatening us with sin if we support the societies efforts. I am a crabby old man and do not take well to threats so it was at that point I was off to the SSPX the following Sunday.
Over the last year I have seen the institute make concession after concession to the modernist church in Rome. I used to attend in Rockford and the most notable concession to modernism was the second Sunday after Easter which traditionally is called Low Sunday. At the ICKSP oratory it carried a new title, Low Sunday/Divine Mercy Sunday complete with a chaplet of divine Mercy recited aloud after the high mass. I later found out that in order to get local bishops to allow them use of the churches they would allow a Novus ordo mass to be read on Saturday although none of the canons read the mass, it was a Novus ordo priest. They do that in Ohio and from what I understand Milwaukee as well. This is the creeping crude we call modernism.
About 3 or 4 years ago I had high hopes for the Institute, but it just fizzled. The institute had just restored the interior of an old Chicago parish church, St Galacious and renamed it Christ the King church. A huge fire destroyed the building just before the reopening. Then the kindly Cardinal Cupich pocketed the insurance money and told the institute if you want to rebuild you have to raise the funds yourself, I am keeping the insurance money, but here is a deed for the burned out hulk. Anyone know where Cupich was the night of the fire? Oh never mind I am sure he was hearing confessions over at Holy Name Cathedral. I should explain that although the church itself was in ruins they managed to read the mass in an adjacent building.
Shortly after that Cupich caught wind that the Institute was using the pre 1950 holy week missal. He then told the Chicago institute if they wanted to continue reading the tridentine mass in his diocese they must sign a paper declaring the mass of Paul VI the only recognized liturgy of the Catholic faith. To their credit however the canons refuse to sign. I thought for sure this would of riled them enough to actually stand on their hind legs and fight for a change. That never happened, maybe they are still playing the Mike Matt “Long game”. Proof Pacifism wins nothing.
Meanwhile in Rockford the institute spent almost 2 million dollars remodeling the sanctuary. Its beautiful but again they do not own this, essentially they only rent. Which is another reason I left. I faithfully contributed to the institute for over 20 years when I could of been over at the SSPX contributing to something that would not give way to modernism, defend the faith, and continue into the future. Most of the ICKSP churches the bishop can throw them out at a moments notice and I am sure they would all comply and quietly leave.
A Fr. Fliss in Wisconsin bluntly said the Mass the ICKSP has in Sheboygan is an accommodation for those of us not “mature enough” to grow in the faith. If thats not writing on the wall saying “we don’t want you here” I don’t know how much plainer they can make it. Already Cardinal Roche has said Leo has no intention of cancelling traditiones Custodas or expanding Surmonium Pontificum. More writing on the wall spelling your days are numbered.
The institute is Leo’s controlled resistance. It offers a traditional venue but only to draw people away from the SSPX. “Hey don’t get excommunicated. Just come here for the mass”. Its probably how Cardinal Burke got back on the Vaticans good side. He is thick with the institute so will make sure they do the bidding of Leo. Make no mistake, their days are numbered. I give them 2 years until Leo gets done toying with them and gives the death blow.
The institutes claim to fame is to not only preserve the ancient liturgy but restore the venerable old churches as well, like the remarkable transformation in Rockford. However its not restoring the CHURCH is it? Its relegating something to history for posterity. Similar to a tour I took one year at the old Cuneo mansion in Libertyville Illinois. The mansion was originally built by Samual Insull owner of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad. When Insull went bankrupt during the depression it went to the hands of John Cuneo of Cuneo press. He was a devout Catholic and had a home chapel. I remember seeing in the chapel all the priests traditional vestments on display almost like a hunter having his skins out to dry. As a Catholic I felt insulted. This looks to me the role the institute wants to play in all this, museum curator who will allow and tolerate modernism if they can keep their exhibits.
In joining the SSPX I do not see preservation, I see continuance. Continuance of 2000 plus years. An unbreakable link of our traditions and our faith. No one really knows what this thing Leo is pushing really is but one thing is for sure, it is certainly not Catholic. The society treats the church as a living entity which it truly is. The institute, probably the other ecclesia dei groups as well, look at it as a History book. The SSPX are fighters for the faith and will do what they can to preserve it. They are loyal Catholics and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. In their masses they pray for the pope and the local bishops as well so by no means schismatic. I am so happy to have found a society chapel and look foreword to many years of spiritual enrichment. I only pray the institute comes to their senses before its too late. So many good priests would be wasted otherwise.