March
2005
1984 Revisited
THE EDITOR
First UK LifeLeague and Christian Order exposed the naked emperor. Now the feisty Catholic Action Group has entered the fray with it's escalating and thoroughly democratic boycott of the dissident Catholic Agency for Overseas Development [CAFOD].
The mere thought of '20 million worth of annual contributions being eroded by a free and faithful act of Catholic conscience, exercised en masse by laity apprised of the clear and present danger posed to our holy Faith by CAFOD-condomania, is clearly too much for the smug overlords of the English dissolution.
Constitutionally incapable of uttering the "s" word and apologising for rank betrayal of Catholic teaching on the natural moral law, the bishops have instead issued a letter to every parish priest in the land, under signature of Bishop John Rawsthorne, diverting their attention to "details of a negative campaign against CAFOD by a linked group of individuals and organisations." CO, UKLL and CAG are the identified reprobates in this conspiratorial cabal.
Together with His Lordship's alert and an additional rev up from the Cardinal, a four page CAFOD attachment entitled "Attack on CAFOD - Background Briefing for Priests" variously accuses us of "gross inaccuracies" in our critiques of CAFOD (what, precisely?); of "intimidation", "bullying" and "threat" (talk about the tyrannical Modernist pot calling the kettle black!!); and of potentially "damaging" their "reputation and good name" (already in tatters after the CAFODGATE sacrilege!) and their "sources of funding" (i.e. by presenting Catholics with a clear choice between Church teaching and CAFOD dissent).
Our alleged 'negativity', however, is the big sin. Like moronic automatons we are expected to positively embrace CAFOD's 'considered' condomaniacal position - "developed from our 20 years involvement of working with people with HIV and AIDS, the fruit of experience, discussion and considered theological reflection."
Well, thanks but no thanks. We'll stick with the Church's 2000 years of 'considered theological reflection'! Against which the January CO contrasted and comprehensively demolished CAFOD's specious pseudo-theology - which finds no place for such elemental Catholic concepts as 'we may not do evil that good may come', and blithely ignores the physical and moral evil facilitated by their 'toleration of lesser evil' posturing. Not just bad 'theology', this is mad 'philosophy'.
In one surreal 'couldn't make it up' passage, CAFOD even projects its own scandalous persona onto its critics, declaring "concern" that we are "divisive" and "causing scandal within the Church"!!
This Orwellian inversion is telling. Trapped in a bubble of liberal group-think where it's always the 60s, the idea that 21st Century Catholics may be odd enough to think their own unequivocally orthodox thoughts, and then rude enough to publish and promote them, is a cause to our Modernist bishops and their minions of unease and genuine incomprehension. And where funds might be imperilled, reason to panic and invert Catholic reality: turning defenders of Truth into dissidents, and dissidents into defenders.
Ultimately, they take refuge in 'truth by numbers', secure in the knowledge that "Christian Order frequently attack [sic] the Bishops and other prominent Catholics on a range of issues, so CAFOD is not alone." (How dissident misery loves company!)
Interestingly, there was a split in episcopal ranks prior to launching their weighty damage limitation package - some bishops objecting to CAFOD's condomanic stance. We thank them for at least that much and hope our exposé pricked their conscience and gave them heart. Yet their revamped condom policy - corrosive liberal fudge paraded as orthodoxy - resolves nothing.
Three paragraphs would have sufficed: to say "sorry" (starting with CAFODGATE); to affirm that condoms may never be used to fight HIV under any circumstances; to declare that CAFOD will henceforth uphold Catholic natural law teaching without a hint of compromise - on every moral issue of the day - and apply it pastorally to the hilt.
Instead, we got a six page Orwellian masterclass, in which, for daring to publish irrefutable Catholic critiques and pleas for public correction of manifest errors, we are labelled 'disturbers of the peace' - divisive scandalmongers - by the peddlers of the very errors and scandals we condemn, who in turn are lauded by their episcopal paymasters. Voilà! Endgame dissent in the English Church today: black is now, officially, white. 1984 revisited.