The scandal of being Roman Catholic.
Remaining faithful.
Years ago, while considering the astonishing persecution of English Catholics, wherein a great many died as martyrs, I almost laughed to myself when I realized the simple reason for their brutal deaths was because they remained faithful to the Pope.
I came to this realization in the early 1970’s, after Catholics - priests and laity alike - dissented from Humanae Vitae. I turned to the English martyrs after I was repeatedly told adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was old fashioned, and that certain behaviors were no longer considered sinful. You know, that whole liberal spiel. I laughed because the very things being said to me were similar to those things that had been said to faithful Catholics in England and Wales after Henry VIII broke with Rome.
They could have said one thing and done another.
These people died simply because they were faithful to Rome, obedient to Christ’s Vicar, the Pope. They were arrested, detained, tortured, and barbarously executed all because they would not recognize an unlawful marriage, or take the oath of supremacy, thus refusing to renounce their Roman Catholic faith.
For many, simply being a Roman Catholic became a crime of treason against the State.
June 21st, 2008 at 8:10 am
I have been reading about Lasalette .Mary said that in the end the Antichrist would reign from Rome.Are we to remain loyal to a Pope who maybe the Antichrist? Is lasalette like Bayside, and the three days of darkness stuff questionable?? Remember what Cardinal Biffi said two Lents ago?
June 21st, 2008 at 8:51 am
Hi Belinda - be careful of messages from LaSalette - some have been added to. Essentially Our lady asked for prayer and penance and an end to blasphemy and working on Sunday. The other “secrets” may not be credible. And no, one does not have to worry that the Pope is or will be the ant-Christ. The 3 days darkness thing is also very questionable - even though some saints have written about it - the Church has never taught such a thing. I’m glad you know Bayside is false.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:47 pm
The next persecution will be over two things: abortion and homosexual “rights”. It’s already begun.
June 21st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
refusal to recognize an invalid and illicit marriage and the resultant claim to leadership of the English Church cost St. Thomas More his head. The particulars are not vastly different from what catholics who remain faithful to the magisterium will face as more Adam and Steve marriages get pushed through the “System”. refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of homosexual unions will cost many their jobs and their livelihood. At least we don’t live in places like France where public objections could get one tried for “hate speech” like Brigitte Bardot when she spoke out against the slaughter of animals for the Muslim feast Eid Al Adha.
I don’t think martyrdom will be quick or easy these days. There may be a lot of groans and tears and self-doubt when one is persecuted for resisting in vitro fertilization as a legitimate way for lesbians to start families. No quick axe for our generation.
June 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I was able to visit Tyburn a couple of years ago. There is a monastery there near where the martyrs died for the faith. You could almost feel their presence. I kept thinking of Edmund Campion and others who so bravely gave their lives for the faith. Very inspiring!
June 21st, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Thanks Terry, Your answer was clear, but I have to say that finding the truth about ANYTHING Catholic is difficult, There are too many varied opinions .It’s hard for two or more Priests to agree , and then when I look up facts on the internet I could easily be misled. I feel like bait, and Satan is on the other end of the line.A Priest once told 40 or more of us at a parish meeting that birth control was ok for modern times .This deceitful behavior is VERY confusing on many levels for a convert. Sadly I used to think that the sun rose and sat on Catholics. I adored them all.I still love them ,but I liked them better with the blinders on.
June 22nd, 2008 at 6:04 am
Now this sort of thing is pure paranoia. The English martyrs died because the government mandated Protestantism.
The government isn’t telling anyone they have to become Protestants.
You people need to stop listening to every fuss and fluster on the internet and start listening to the legitimate authorities, both of Church and State. It’s for them to work out, and they will. They don’t need a horde of paranoid scare-mongers muddying the waters.