Apropos
From the December AD 1998
Our Lady of the Rosary
Parish Bulletin
Selections from the
Scripture, the Fathers,
Doctors, Popes, and other great spiritual writers appropriate to the Church in
our time.
More than ninety years ago, our Holy Father, Pope Saint Pius X, described the infiltration of the Church and the means by which its enemies would attempt to subvert Its heavenly mission with the poison known as Modernism. The Pope's predictions help us to understand the "Autodemolition of the Church"* we have witnessed during the past thirty-five years or so. This month Saint Pius explains how Modernists speak out of both sides of their mouths in order to appear orthodox to the faithful.
(*Words of Pope Paul VI.)
More excerpts from
PASCENDI DOMINICI GREGIS -- ON THE
DOCTRINE OF THE MODERNISTS,
Pope Saint Pius X, September 8, A.D.1907
4. It is one of the cleverest devices of the Modernists (as they are commonly and rightly called) to present their doctrines without order and systematic arrangement, in a scattered and disjointed manner, [emphasis supplied] so as to make it appear as if their minds were in doubt or hesitation, whereas in reality they are quite fixed and steadfast. For this reason it will be of advantage, Venerable Brethren, to bring their teachings together here into one group, and to point out their interconnection, and thus to pass to an examination of the sources of the errors, and to prescribe remedies for averting the evil results.
18. This will appear more clearly to anybody who studies
the conduct of Modernists, which is in perfect harmony with their teachings. In
their writings and addresses they seem not unfrequently to advocate doctrines
which are contrary one to the other, so that one would be disposed to regard
their attitude as double and doubtful. But this is done deliberately and
advisedly, and the reason of it is to be found in their opinion as to the mutual
separation of science and faith. Thus in their books one finds some things
which might well be approved by a Catholic, but on turning over the page one is
confronted by other things which might well have been dictated by a rationalist.
[emphasis supplied] When they write history they make no mention of the divinity
of Christ, but when they are in the pulpit they profess it clearly; again, when
they are dealing with history they take no account of the Fathers and the
Councils, but when they catechize the people, they cite them respectfully. In
the same way they draw their distinctions between exegesis which is theological
and pastoral and exegesis which is scientific and historical. So, too, when they
treat of philosophy, history, and criticism, acting on the principle that
science in no way depends upon faith, they feel no especial horror in treading
in the footsteps of Luther and are wont to display a manifold contempt for
Catholic doctrines, for the Holy Fathers, for the Ecumenical Councils, for the
ecclesiastical magisterium; and should they be taken to task for this, they
complain that they are being deprived of their liberty. Lastly, maintaining the
theory that faith must be subject to science, they continuously and openly
rebuke the Church on the ground that she resolutely refuses to submit and
accommodate her dogmas to the opinions of philosophy; while they, on their side,
having for this purpose blotted out the old theology, endeavor to introduce a
new theology which shall support the aberrations of philosophers.
