Most Catholic schoolboys study Christian heresies with philosophical rigor, carefully parsing their genesis and implications. However, it may take decades and even centuries to observe the pernicious consequences of violations of Catholic orthodoxy.
Most of us are aware of the relativism of Modernist heresies. In addition, we are living the consequences of the confluence of the old-style Protestant heresies and the inferiority complex Catholic Americanist heresy. As a result, Americans—including most American Catholics—rarely invoke the supremacy of God’s law in the public arena.
In the Midwest, there is a Catholic seminary on beautiful acreage. Its glorious Romanesque architecture testifies to its proud allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church. In adjacent acreage stands a very large metal warehouse building that serves as a house of worship for a Protestant denomination. That building is painted red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag.
The symbolism is unambiguous. The Catholic structure represents surrender to a foreign sovereignty. Protestants, in contrast, are loyal Americans.
In some respects, the Protestants have a valid point. In 390 AD, Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, confronted Theodosius I after the emperor ordered a brutal retaliation for a city riot. Thousands of civilians were killed in what became known as the Massacre of Thessalonica. Ambrose condemned the massacre as a grave sin and refused to admit Theodosius to Communion until he publicly repented.
The emperor eventually repented in sackcloth and ashes. God’s law is supreme.
The Spanish Inquisition’s reputation was amplified by the anti-Spanish Black Legend propagated by England and other Protestant powers. The Inquisition targeted conversos, Protestants, and heretics, whom Spanish authorities regarded as threats to the religious and political unity of the kingdom (much like those who perjure themselves when swearing to uphold the U.S. Constitution). But the roughly 3,000 to 5,000 executions over three centuries, although one is too many, pales in comparison to modern forms of population extermination.
Perhaps in response, American history is replete with anti-Catholicism. Catholic attempts at religious freedom in the American colonies often failed. Maryland’s 1649 Edict of Toleration, permitting Catholic worship, was soon overturned by Protestants. Anti-Catholic legal restrictions and sentiment were widespread. When the colonists sent Catholic priest John Carroll, along with Benjamin Franklin, to enlist French Catholic Canadians in the American Revolution, the Canadians rejected the overture. In part, they didn’t trust the Americans to match the English toleration of the Catholic Faith.
In the Nineteenth Century, the Know-Nothings, a nativist movement, persecuted Catholics, fearing that a foreign entity—the Pope—would rule the country. The Philadelphia Anti-Catholic Riots erupted in 1844. Archbishop “Dagger John” Hughes threatened to respond with violence if Protestants harmed the New York—and largely Irish—Catholic population.
The great Baltimore Archbishop Cardinal James Gibbons confronted widespread Protestant anti-Catholic sentiment. On the eve of the Great War, he said: “The primary duty of a citizen is loyalty to country.” Wait—is this Catholic teaching? Catholics served—and died—in large numbers during World War I. A decade later, Protestant anti-Catholicism undermined Catholic New York Governor Al Smith’s presidential bid in 1928. In God’s providence, a Catholic president could not be blamed for the Great Depression!
Many conservative Protestant leaders and activists opposed John Kennedy’s presidential bid. In response, JFK’s famous speech in Houston confronted malignant Protestant objections and said: “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute….” He added, “I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party’s candidate for President who happens also to be a Catholic…” He added: ‘I do not speak for my church on public matters—and the church does not speak for me.”
But his comments lacked theological precision. The First Amendment of the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” The moral precepts of every faith inform—or should inform—every secular law in every democratic republic from the ground up, through the people and their leaders. Indeed, the Church’s natural law tradition is reflected in the original United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, to whose intellectual foundations the Catholic French philosopher Jacques Maritain made an important contribution.
Nevertheless, in our time, Catholic embarrassment over the Church’s natural law moral precepts has become increasingly evident. Some Catholic politicians say they are “personally opposed to abortion” but will not “impose their morality” on others. (But doesn’t every traffic law or law against theft “impose” morality?) Priests are often reluctant to preach God’s moral law. And when they do, they often hear everyday Catholics complain their priest is “preaching politics from the pulpit.”
Should we be ashamed of preaching the love of God and neighbor of the Decalogue? How do these precepts violate human dignity: worship according to the dictates of conscience, obedience to parents, patriotism, hatred of murder in all its forms, rejection of adultery, theft, lies, and defamation of character?
But our casual neglect of the Ten Commandments from the pulpit and in the public arena has allowed another Protestant heresy to fester as a strong undercurrent in American foreign policy: premillennial dispensationalism. Protestant dispensationalists, at high levels of government, hold that we are in the final chapter of the history of mankind. Christ will return to “rapture” out “true belivers,” ushering in seven years of tribulation, before ruling for a thousand years with the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The heresy is compounded by “once saved, always saved” theology, which tends to reject mortal sin. Many born-again Christians hold that salvation, once genuinely received, cannot be lost through subsequent sin. Under some versions of this theology, even grave post-conversion sin (such as the indiscriminate killing of non-combatants) cannot forfeit salvation once genuinely received.
Know-Nothing American Protestants worried that Catholic immigrants would bring papal rule to America. Ironically, the heretical dispensationalist heirs of the anti-Catholic Know-Nothing Protestants have no scruple in allowing modern-day Israel to influence American foreign policy, assisted by some unwitting conservative Catholic collaborators.
God’s law critiques and judges every individual and every nation. Heresies kill. Jesus puts it succinctly: “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” We need not be embarrassed Catholics.
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Authority in the Catholic Church comes from the top. We have been unfortunate in our last couple of popes that they seem to buy into secularism. If the POPE doesnt support Church rules and authority how can you expect the people to do so? Answer: you can’t. What you will see is the slow erosion of faith as people are subjected to secular thought 7 days a week, far more than the one hour a week that SOME Catholics devote to the church. The preaching takes even less a portion of that hour. And much less of THAT is devoted to transmitting Catholic thought on faith and morals.
Priests are fearful of complaints to their superiors. A very negative commentary on the pew sitters who are warming the benches, not really seeking God. A negative commentary too, on priests who are playing it safe.
“although one is too many”
Just like surgery. Even once cutting a person with a scalpel is too often, or at least, it is always grave and undesirable.
But does grave + undesirable = always wrong?
If so, God was wrong to COMMAND executions for certain crimes.
And don’t say this is like Moses permitting divorce. Moses did not COMMAND divorce. But take a look at Deuteronomy 13:6-9.
“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him; but you shall kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.”
YOU SHALL NOT YIELD TO HIM OR LISTEN TO HIM, NOR SHALL YOUR EYE PITY HIM, NOR SHALL YOU SPARE HIM, NOR SHALL YOU CONCEAL HIM. That’s not permission. That’s not an option. That’s a command.
Was God wrong? Has He that sweareth to His own hurt, and changeth not, changed with the Zeitgeist?
Or does grave + undesirable really mean just grave + undesirable?
Moses is the speaker, not God.
Israel did have local courts or elders who helped adjudicate charges brought against a person or group. The ‘command’ of Moses was more to charge a person rather than command an individual to kill (i.e., a brother). Such a command from Moses would contradict one of the Ten Commandments given by God.
The grave sin is that one has failed to worship the one true God. Worshiping false gods is a grave sin against the First and most important commandment as it is a sin against Justice Himself.
Outis: Don’t we need to interpret the Old Covenant hythrough the lens of the new? The words of Jesus in the Gospels along with the Book of Hebrews and many references in the various letters deal with the Church’s relationship with the previous covenant with the Jews. This was the major struggle of the Church of the first century as it was taken over by gentiles. While I don’t pretend to know exactly what you believe, I do get the impression from the above comment that you are looking at Old Testament teaching apart from New Testament interpretation. Many Protestants are quilty of this and we must be careful not to fall into the trap. May God bless you my brother.
Drats! The Downed Server Block apparently gobbled my second comment of yesterday.
This Deuteronomy verse warns against following false gods. The First Commandment forbids that. Moses’ command is not for one family member to outrightly kill another family member; doing that would break the Sixth Commandment. There is a hierarchy among the commandments. The First takes priority over the Sixth. We are to render justice to the Justice of God.
Moses’ language is “Your hand shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.” The command is not to outrightly kill but to “be the first against him.”
IOW, do not hesitate to correct a brother. Do not hesitate to bring before the people and the judge any gravely serious sin even if the offender is a blood relative. The Church would later excommunicate; secular states would sometimes execute. More often today we remove offenders from society by putting them in prison.
Exodus 18 describes the beginning of a judiciary among the ancient Jewish people. Deuteronomy commands that a brother should not hesitate to be the first to allege serious wrong by a brother, especially when the wrong offends the First and most important Commandment.
There’s always got to be some tension, even in a majority Catholic country. The Church and civil society are two societies that ought to work together, but remain distinct nonetheless. Christians have a “patriotism” of their own. Civil societies can support that patriotism or foolishly oppose it.
A brilliant article by Fr. Pokorsky. If I’m reading it rightly, the irony is that only Catholic doctrine that the Church is the mystery of Israel can save America from false prophets who undermine America with adherence to pre-millennial dispensationalism?
Israel is our ally , Father. We receive more valuable benefits from Israel than they do from us. Military intelligence, technology, advances in medicine and agriculture, etc, etc.
Israel is approximately the size of Delaware and Jews make up perhaps 2% of the US population. They don’t have super powers. Christians who follow sacred scripture and take God’s promises seriously aren’t committing heresy.
There’s no modern day Israel versus biblical day Israel. Israel today occupies a portion of the land promised to God’s Chosen People and is inhabited by their descendants who survived centuries of bigotry, pogroms, and genocide. May God continue to bless and protect them.
Mrscracker:Don’t know what you mean by “ super power” , but they have for many years had Super leverage through their phenomenal “buying power”.The American Jewish presence has bankrolled the mighty Zionist movement for almost one hundred years. After World II , when the United Nations was debating a free Jewish state in Israel, tremendous pressure was put on President Harry Truman and our Congress. Many were trying to buy the legislature into approving a Jewish state. This being said, please don’t misunderstand me. I love the Jewish people and am trying to find Jewish blood in my ancestors. I subscribe to the “Hebrew Catholic “ . But I do not condone what modern Israel is doing to their neighbors, and I do not approve of the current US foreign policy toward Israel, although I’m not sure that we have much in the way of a predictable formulated policy as such; but it seems we must judge rather by actions. I believe we should defend Israel if attacked but should condemn any aggression or expansionist measures on their part. I think we have got way off track from Fathers Jerry’s excellent article which we seem to do all to often. But I do think it’s a good thing we can discuss things and disagree with Charity. May God bless you , my sister in Christ.
God bless you also Mr.Connor.I tried earlier to reply but cyberspace swallowed it up it seems.
Jews have been harmed by conspiracy narratives for hundreds of years. The narrative I was referring to is the myth that Jews have an inordinate power and control over government, institutions, banking, etc.
Another myth is that the majority of people who support Israel and its continued existence do so in order to bring about the Second Coming.
“Israel is our ally , Father. Israel is our ally , Father. ”
Sure thing, Hannity.
We don’t have “allies”. Not Israel, not the U.K., not Germany or France.
We have parasites.
I didn’t realize Israel gives more to us, unless you are referring to the $730 million foreign propaganda budget for influence campaigns in 2026 per the JPost. Where was that valuable intelligence to stop 9/11? Did they give US nuclear technology? How many billions have they given us every year to keep our government afloat? How many weapons systems, jets and missiles have they supplied us for wars? I can’t think of much they’ve recently given us other than loss of our First Amendment rights to protest their policies and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, including Christian villages. Ruining the reputation of America throughout the world is not a gift.
Father Pokorsky I agree that we need not be ashamed of addressing moral law from the pulpit. Although, I would add we must be fearlessly willing to be met with deleterious opposition when we do.
Conversely, today it’s frequently the case when priests are determinatively up front on rarely addressed moral issues the response from Laity can be extremely positive.
What? There’s only moral issue you priests should be addressing:
The newly revised Catechism 2241
2241 The more prosperous nations are obliged, no matter what their capacity or condition, without restriction or limit to welcome the foreigner in search of anything which he cannot find in his country of origin.
Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places an entrant under the care, protection and support of the country he enters.
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may NOT make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to ANY conditions, NOR IMPOSE duties on Immigrants.
Citizens are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country of the people that entry and to support them without limit or question.
Just leave it to the updated and doctrinally developed new paradigm of the Catechism according to Rebel!
The Catholic Catechism was last significantly revised 2018 under Pope Francis with changes and additions. It’s clear 2241 is seeking to deify illegal migrants, written in such a way that they have a sacred right to invade and seize.
A Catholic Catechism isn’t in its entirety a canonical binding document. There are genuine Church doctrines contained, but especially since Pope Francis also error akin to heresy. Our Catholic Catechism must be restored to its former integrity.
It’s amazing how much we impoverish ourselves by this lingering Catholic triumphalism and a continued lack of a genuine ecumenical spirit.
I’m Catholic for a reason Mr James but I’ve lived most of my life in the US Bible Belt and I love and appreciate my Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ. When we focus on what our differences are we can fail to learn from each other.
Stereotypes, misinformation, and myths can exist on both sides.
First Father Pokorsky, I appreciate your knowledge of the dynamics, the heresies that affect Christian messaging. Also, the difficulty posed by “everyday Catholics [who frequently] complain their priest is preaching politics from the pulpit”. Additionally, an associate may be impeded by a pastor with doctrinal differences. And more intimidating a bishop. There are apparent instances when a priest might be sent for psychological evaluation making him susceptible to restrictions. Priests in these situations remain indebted to Christ and with tact are obliged to address today’s’hot button’ issues.
This is related to what I initially commented. Although in my instance I belong to a missionary diocese in our Southwest in which priests are most often alone covering vast areas. Freeing them to preach more freely. Of course that works both ways since there are many progressive or doctrinally non committed. The matter reduces to the doctrinal integrity of our priests . The willingness to face trials.
I didn’t realize Israel gives more to us, unless you are referring to the $730 million foreign propaganda budget for influence campaigns in 2026 per the JPost. Where was that valuable intelligence to stop 9/11? Did they give the US nuclear technology, or is there more to how they got that technology? How many billions have they given us every year to keep our government afloat? How many weapons systems, jets and missiles have they supplied us for wars? I can’t think of much they’ve recently given us other than loss of our First Amendment rights to protest their policies and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, including Christian villages. Ruining the reputation of America throughout the world is not a gift. Can you tell this Christian audience again who God’s chosen people are, the ones currently not in a broken covenant?
The comment was in reply to mrscracker
There is no ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. That’s a leftist talking point and not appropriate here.
Thank you Athanasius.
It’s become a talking point for some on the Right also.
I believe that if you were to talk to some of the Catholic workers on the ground in Palestine , you would get a different story.
Sadly, you’re not going to survive long as a worker on the ground in Gaza unless you follow the party line. Hamas doesn’t tolerate that.
No, I would be getting leftist propaganda. I’m surprised that you fail to see that. Palestinians are not victims.
The United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty international disagree. But don’t let facts interrupt your narrative, am I right?
Those are all leftist organizations preaching a leftist message, so no, you are not correct.
Respectfully, facts haven’t held much sway with the United Nations, Human Rights Watch or Amnesty international.
Sorry for the copying & pasting, Mr Vespucci but here’s just a few examples of how we’ve benefitted from Israel. There’s a great deal more in tech, agriculture, intelligence, & cybersecurity. Billions & billions of dollars worth:
“Israeli medical technology saves American lives every day. The PillCam[2], developed by Given Imaging in Yokneam, allows doctors to diagnose intestinal disorders without invasive procedures. Patients swallow a capsule containing a tiny camera that transmits thousands of images as it passes through the digestive system. American gastroenterologists perform over 500,000 PillCam procedures annually, according to Medtronic, which acquired the technology in 2014.
https://www.watchman.com/en-us/home.html%5B3%5D
Stroke prevention affects millions of Americans with atrial fibrillation. The Watchman device[4], created by Israeli engineers, prevents blood clots from forming in the heart. Boston Scientific purchased the technology and now implants the device in over 80,000 American patients each year. Clinical trials showed the Watchman reduces stroke risk by 84% compared to blood thinners alone, giving patients safer treatment options.
https://www.nanox.vision/%5B5%5D
Cancer detection improved dramatically with technology from Haifa-based Zebra Medical Vision[5], now part of Nanox. The company’s artificial intelligence analyzes medical scans to identify tumors, bone fractures, and cardiovascular disease. Over 1,000 American hospitals use Israeli AI to help radiologists review scans faster and catch diseases earlier. Early detection directly improves survival rates across multiple cancer types.
https://golifeward.com/%5B6%5D
ReWalk Robotics[7] developed exoskeletons that help paralyzed patients walk again. The FDA-approved system is used in American rehabilitation centers from Boston to San Diego. Veterans with spinal cord injuries regain mobility through the technology, which provides physical therapy benefits and psychological improvements. The Department of Veterans Affairs has funded ReWalk systems at multiple facilities nationwide.”
In my Biblical Hebrew class we’re translating the Decalogue this week. I’ve never meditated on them before, never appreciated their beautiful clarity and simplicity and how much can be unpacked from them. And my heart is so heavy at their complete absence from Catholic pulpits throughout my entire adult life. Completely absent. Their absence is grieving me to tears.
historically, whenever Jews are threatened with extermination, somehow they are always rescued. It would be reasonable as believers to believe that God is behind this no matter how it is accomplished.
You think?
🙂
FIRST, regarding St. Ambrose and Theodosius I, the backstory to the riot (in 390 AD) is that a popular charioteer was arrested by Roman authorities, and that this sparked the riot in which the local governor, Butheric, was killed. In retaliation, Theodosius ordered his Gothic troops to punish the city, resulting in an estimating 7,000 people killed.
I’ve read, somewhere, that the charioteer had sexually violated the governor’s daughter. Butheric then had attempted to prevent the crowd-pleasing charioteer from performing (think O.J. Simpson in his Ford Bronco chariot!). And, that right after giving the vengeful order, Theodosius regretted his decision, but the later runner was unable to catch up with the troops on the move.
No cell phones!
SECOND, about once-saved-always-saved, in “Veritatis Splendor,” St. John Paul II reminds us: “…the ‘fundamental orientation can be radically changed by particular acts.’ [italics!]. Clearly, situations can occur which are very complex and obscure from a psychological viewpoint, but from a consideration of the psychological viewpoint, and which influence the sinner’s subjective imputability. But from a consideration of the psychological sphere one cannot [!] proceed to create a theological category [!], which is precisely what the ‘fundamental option’ is, understanding it in such a way that it objectively changes or casts doubt upon the traditional concept of mortal sin” (Veritatis Splendor, 1993, n. 70).
Contradicting this second point, der Synodal Weg’s Cardinal Marx now is set on splitting the Church over the formal blessing of an exempt “category” (homosexual “couples”)—with his sweeping pronouncement that “the subjective is the objective truth…”
Parroted by lapdog Synodal Study Grope #9.