Quanta Cura – Anti-Liberal literature by Pope Pius IX.
A few months ago, I saw an interesting looking book on the shelf in a Catholic bookstore. It was called Amazing Church by Fr. Gregory Baum. I knew that Fr. Baum was a theological advisor at the Second Vatican Council so I decided to pick it up. The book sat on my shelf for a couple of months then last week I decided to crack it open. It was just what I expected.
Fr. Baum keeps talking about how the official teaching of the Church has been changed. First of all, that is simply incorrect. The official Church teaching can never change. As much as Fr. Baum detests it, the councils of Florence, Trent, and Vatican I are still as valid as the day they were promulgated. That can never change. It may appear to change through the non-infallible pastoral council of Vatican II but at the most it is an appearance.
A larger point needs to be made here. Although Fr. Baum and I both claim to be Catholic, we have almost nothing in common. Fr. Baum’s religion is liberalism, not Catholicism. This is true of liberals for any religion.
A liberal Catholic believes in liberalism.
A traditional Catholic believes in Catholicism.
A liberal Protestant believes in liberalism.
A traditional Protestant believes in Protestantism.
A liberal Jew believes in liberalism.
A traditional Jew believes in Judaism.
A liberal Muslim believes in liberalism.
A traditional Muslim believes in Islam.
Liberalism is a religion, plain and simple. You can dress it up with Catholic or Jewish garb but in the end its liberalism. Indifferentism runs through them as they believe that any of these religions is as good as the other. They’re nothing but religious social clubs….without the religion that is.
I have more in common with the Jew who wears a black coat and has a long beard than I do with Fr. Greg Baum. This is simply because this traditional Jew and I believe in objective truth and that this truth has consequences.
Does the Jew with a black coat with a big beard have anything in common with the Reform or Reconstructionist Jew? Almost nothing.
I have honestly never understood religious liberals. When you read the book of Ezekiel or Numbers 15 where a man is stoned for breaking the Sabbath, its plain as day that God is not a liberal. If God is not a liberal, why should his followers be? The adherent to liberalism disgraces the faith they pretend to hold and love.
Liberalism and Catholicism are as different as day and night. When Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre was alive, do you think that he saw eye to eye with Fr. Gregory Baum? There is no doubt he didn’t. It’s safe to say that Fr. Baum and the Archbishop were members of different religions.
My message is the same to all liberals: Go big or go home. Start treating your religion like a religion and take it seriously. If you don’t, please renounce it and take up the atheist or agnostic label.
Don’t get me wrong, I want to see all liberal Catholics become traditional Catholics. However, if that doesn’t happen they should renounce the faith. Many have done this already and I respect them for it. I just wish many more would follow suit.
This article should be called, “Why I read garbage, so you don’t have to” 😉
Already wrote one like that.
Do you think Pope Francis is a liberal?
Yes he is. So were Benedict XVI and John Paul II. Now you see why I’m such as fan of Pius IX. You can read all his writings and all about him at http://www.piustheninth.com. Best Pope ever.