A SERMON FOR THE 7TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
There’s an awful lot of awful
things going on in the world around us.
I’ve mentioned this before many times, and before you groan and think
I’m obsessed with the horrors of the world, I’d like to bring your attention
today to something positive that is happening amidst the gloom.
This congregation is well
informed about the latest news and events in the Church, and so I’m sure I’m
not going to create gasps of surprise when I mention the name of Archbishop
Carlo Maria Viganò.
Briefly, for those of you who haven’t heard of him, Archbishop Viganò was appointed by Benedict XVI to be the Papal Nuncio
to the United States in 2011, a position he held until 2016. During that time, he was responsible for
bringing to light the crimes of Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, at the same
time accusing Pope Francis of covering up McCarrick’s abuses and making him a “trusted
counselor.” He thus exposed both Cardinal
McCarrick and Bergoglio as two of the ravening wolves in sheep’s clothing
mentioned by our Lord in today’s Gospel.
More recently, Archbishop Viganò
has written a powerful letter to President Trump, warning him that the current
crises over the coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots are a part of a
spiritual struggle between the forces of good and the forces of light—whom he
refers to as the children of light and the children of darkness. In the past couple of weeks, Viganò has gone
so far as to condemn Vatican 2, saying that it has led to the creation of a
parallel and false church, and that it should be dropped from the history books
and forgotten altogether. Strong stuff
coming from one of the most influential and powerful men in the conciliar
Church!
Can we place hope in this man? Or
is he destined to become part of today’s so-called “cancel culture”, where the
careers and lives of those who speak out in defense of the truth are destroyed
by the frenzied mob of social media?
Only time will tell, but for now at least, we should at least listen to
what he has to say.
In condemning the Second Vatican
Council, Archbishop Viganò is simply repeating the
words of our Lord in today’s Gospel: “A corrupt tree bringeth forth evil
fruit. Every tree that bringeth not
forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Vatican 2 is a corrupt tree, and must be
consigned to the fire. We know it is
corrupt, because since Vatican 2 we have had nothing but chaos, lies, and
immorality being preached by the Church’s shepherds, “false prophets, which
come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.” We in this small chapel in the Midwest of
America have had the grace to recognize the tree of Vatican 2 by its fruits,
and we have done what we can to save our souls.
What should we do now, in light
of the current crisis in our society?
Simply continue. Not just by
saying “Lord, Lord,” as our Lord warns against, in other words, by mindlessly mouthing
the words of our infrequent prayers and doing the very minimum to stay out of
trouble. But by doing God’s will at all
times, wherever that may take us. It’s
an individual path to heaven that each of us have, and we must continue to walk
it as God wills. Pray to him for direction towards that path, guidance on
that path, and protection against the wolves who would lead us from that
path.
As simple priests and laymen, it
is not our task in life to worry about the validity of popes, the re-defining
of dogmas, or the high theological discussions that are the domain only of
those who have the credentials and authority to take part in them. As we say in Psalm 130 at Vespers, “O Lord, my
heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in
great matters or in things too high for me.
But I refrain my soul, and keep it low.”
Ours is a modest task, and I can do no better than describe it in the
words of Archbishop Viganò himself: “Let
us pick up the Catechism of Saint Pius X, return to the Missal of Saint Pius V,
remain before the Tabernacle, not desert the Confessional, and practice penance
and mortification with a spirit of reparation.
Above all, let us do so in such a way that our works give solid and
coherent witness to what we preach.”
By becoming servants to God in
this manner, St. Paul assures us in today’s Epistle that we have our “fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
