+ Old Roman Catholic Church + See of Cær-Glow +
ADVENT PASTORAL LETTER, 2009
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
Our world is at a crossroads, and nowhere is that more pronounced than in America. The dividing line is, as it has always been, the battle between good and evil. In bygone eras, Satan was content to lurk behind the souls he enticed to carry out his evil deeds. Today we see his image almost glowing on the faces of those who are his minions. That image appears in all three branches of the United States government.
The new order in our country is driven in three areas, almost to an obsession. It has been argued – I hesitate to say “deliberated” – for more than three months now! There is of course abortion. This country has, since January 22, 1973, aborted more infants – more than 55 million – than the total population of nearly every European country and all of the states in the United States. Thank God, the voice of the Catholic hierarchy is no longer silent; for even as I write these words, they are speaking out, seemingly in unison, in defense of the unborn. This is several decades late, to be sure, but at least they are now beginning to teach as Catholic prelates! May they continue to listen to God the Holy Ghost in these matters.
A second area of grave concern, especially in the many proposals for a health bill in this country, is the fear that freedom of conscience will be ignored – even forbidden – to Catholics and others in the medical profession who have strong beliefs in this matter. Their very livelihoods are in peril. How, in the face of such evil, does one live with his conscience and creed? Who will pay his bills if he defies the mandates of an evil health bill?
There is also something relatively new among those so bent to give us a national health bill. It is the almost casual approach among so many in the executive and legislative branches of government with regard to end-of-life decisions among the elderly, the terminally ill, the deformed, those whose “defects” have left them totally defenseless against the predators who make extremely strong overtures about terminating their lives.
Never before has our Congress set about to create such evil decisions for the American people; and frighteningly enough too many of our citizens are going along with these ghastly proposals. Of course it is not the majority; it is definitely a minority. But that silent majority always waits, expecting something of a Deus ex machina to save us. One day it will be too late. It will be too late because too many of us just “wait and see.”
Every decent person in this country needs to get involved, needs to speak out. It is time that we take back our country from the wrongdoers who have been running this nation! We must stop being silent! We must not be afraid. We who respect human life are finished with those who feel they have a right to eliminate the unborn with the stroke of their pens. We who respect the medical profession believe there is still a need for a commitment to the Hippocratic Oath, which maintains that those who practice medicine are compelled to sustain life, not to snuff it out! Every one of us is well on the way to approaching old age! We could very well fall into that third category. Do we really believe, collectively, that old age, deformities and infirmities should allow our government to “assist us” to terminate our lives because the expenses involved in keeping us alive are too great a burden for our country?
Too many of us are worried only about the present state of our economy. To be sure, that is dire. But the economy will eventually be straightened out by the American people – they always have; they always will. On the other hand, once laws are enacted that deal with our bodies and our life’s end, there is no way – short of a revolution – to rid our land of these evils. We must inundate our senators and representatives with letters, e-mails and telephone calls, reminding them that this is OUR country; that we are completely fed up with the outrageous performance of so many in Congress who are violating everything good and decent in the this once great nation. The insanity must be stopped now. YOU must join with every other decent person in this country and demand that it be stopped.
We must begin with prayer – fervent prayer, every day. We must also commit ourselves to action against these evils in our land. Do it, not only because you are a good Catholic but because you are a good American. “If you are a good Catholic, you cannot help by be a good American” (Words of Cmdr. John J. Shea to his infant son, WWII)
With every good wish and prayerful blessing to you and yours, I am faithfully yours in Christ,
+ John J. Humphreys
The Most Reverend John J. Humphreys, Titular Archbishop of Caer-Glow
