In these troubled times, a number of questions and issues have appeared in the Catholic and secular literature concerning the state of the Church. It would seem that these matters are of paramount importance in determining the direction that our Church is heading. Could you kindly respond to these concerns, which I have summarized below.
Is it true that sexual education is promoted in many Catholic schools, that this sexual education is graphic, destroys innocence, and goes lightly on fornication and sodomy? Is it true that the use of contraceptive devices is being encouraged in many Catholic institutions? Is it true that in many Catholic seminaries and convents there is overwhelming sodomy and fornication, and that anyone who questions these occurrences is swiftly and deftly punished?
Is it true that annulments are now granted for "lack of love", in line with the Protestant view of divorce? Is it true that priestly sermonizing about sin and Hell can result in severe reprimand or expulsion from the Priesthood?
Is it true that openly orthodox priests are often considered to be troublemakers and are frequently sent away for many years to special Catholic psychosocial centers located throughout the United States? Is it true that these centers are a type of gulag in which the dignity of the priests is slowly crushed and they are made to undergo humiliations such as the review of pornographic venues and the viewing of dancing nuns in leotards? Is it true that if priests escape reassignment to a gulag, they are either demoted, retired, or banished to a remote location?
Is it true that many glorious old Catholic churches across the land are being bulldozed to the ground, and that those that remain are being gutted and refined so that the interiors are blank, whitewashed walls devoid of altars, statues of Saints, crucifixes, or any sense of the sacred? Is it true that the old-time priest's vestments, the sacred vessels, the Missals, the statues of the Saints, and the other sacred things used for the Holy Masses of old have been summarily discarded in many parishes? Is it true that many books which have razed or gutted the history and tradition of the Church have been given the imprimatur?
Is it true that priests are no longer forbidden to concelebrate with Protestants and nuns, nor forbidden to teach the error that all religions are more or less equal in the sight of God? Is it true that laymen are no longer strictly forbidden to preach the homily? Is it true that earthenware and glass have replaced sacred vessels of gold and silver in many Masses, and that attempts to consecrate invalid matter such as plain bread, crackers, cookies, or pizza and jellybeans is occurring at various modern "Masses"? Is it true that kneeling during Holy Mass is being discouraged in many parishes by removing kneelers, to avoid offending Protestants and to discourage belief in the Real Presence, which is often considered old-fashioned and fuddy duddy by modern Catholic "scripture scholars"? Is there a movement to canonize Martin Luther, one of the greatest heretics of all time?
Is it true that the Church has initiated a campaign of providing apologies to certain politically correct groups or individuals regarding events and persons of long ago, as part of the new ecumenism? If so, is this in any way undermining to Church history and tradition? Likewise, are much larger numbers of people being canonized than ever before in the Church's history? If so, does this undermine the special position of the Saints of ancient times by reducing the significance of canonization?
It is highly understandable that in these troubled times the job of a Bishop is very difficult. Hence it would seem helpful if many Catholics who love the Faith should gather at the Bishops meetings and pray for the Bishops and their work, in order to participate in some small way in safeguarding the Deposit of Faith, in keeping with the Spirit of Vatican 11 concerning the broadening role of the laity. Therefore, I urge your Excellencies to encourage mass gatherings of the Faithful in prayer outside the places of the Bishop's meetings. How wonderful it would be if many thousands of rosaries were being said nearby as the Bishops go about their business! The title of this campaign could be: "Let us go and help the Bishops!". Thank you for your help, your Excellencies!
Sincerely,
Edward J. Ciaccio, PhD