May 4, 2003

In this joyful Easter season, Our Lord’s words to Saint Thomas strongly ring out: “Be not faithless but believing” (John 20:27). The Risen Christ forbids us from preaching anything less than the whole truth of the Gospel.

As Christ rose from the dead in a tumultuous and dispirited time, so do we live in difficult days. The heroic sacrifices made by our amazingly disciplined soldiers to free the oppressed people of Iraq, confounding doomsayers, remind us of our obligation to offer ourselves, souls and bodies, in the spiritual combat which transcends all earthly battles.

The Church has gone through rough times in the past couple of years. All of the recent scandals are the direct result of having rejected the dogmatic and moral teachings of Christ proclaimed by the apostolic tradition. People of goodwill have tried to reform the situation. Sometimes people of unworthy motives, wanting to exploit this moment in history, have misguided them. The media, which enthusiastically endorse such attempts, have given friendly publicity especially to an organization called Voice of the Faithful which seeks to tear down the orthodox Faith in the name of “true reform.” Now this group is seeking to enlist people in our own archdiocese. The Archbishop of Newark, in a pastoral statement banning their activities in his archdiocese, has said: “…Voice of the Faithful offers itself as an umbrella group for numerous causes that are divisive within the Church and that encourage open disregard for our discipline and teaching. Married clergy, ordination of women, abolition of the tradition of celibacy, altering Church teaching on sexual morality, and defiance of the apostolic authority that has guided the Church since its founding 2,000 years ago by Our Lord Jesus Christ, have all found a place in the ranks of Voice of the Faithful.”

As a pastor responsible for protecting his flock from error, I adopt as my own the words of Archbishop Myers about an agenda that I “cannot permit [their agenda] to adulterate the faith and practice of the people.” Corruption easily settles into a parish that is lazy about the truths of faith and morals. Such a parish easily becomes prey to heresy and degeneracy. A pastor is obliged to root this out bourgeois solutions to serious problems, always with charity, and concern for difficulties caused by ignorance and confusion.

Although the Pope would do a much better job, I am able to debate these issues publicly with anyone who disagrees. So far, no one has offered to do so. Please contact me if you would like to.

Meanwhile, we have at hand the more important work of celebrating the Resurrection, honoring Our Lady in this month of May, and preaching the Catholic Faith that comes to us from the Apostles.

Fr. George W. Rutler