Our Lord permits the current Great Apostasy in which we are living.  It is for our good: “All things work together unto the good for those who love God.”   Romans, 8:28.

Further, we must remember that Our Lord can never be outdone in generosity.  He gives extra graces to Catholics in the catacombs, who stand firm against compromise.  He does not abandon them but merely changes His methods of blessing and sanctifying them.  Our Lady of Fatima informed us about God’s approaching change of method.

For example, we don’t have Mass and Holy Communion because there are no uncompromising priests (at least in most places in the world).  Instead, Our Lord gives much greater efficacy than ever before, to the Holy Rosary, so that it fills all needs.[1]  

Similarly, the lack of uncompromising priests also means we don’t have confession (at least in most places in the world).  But again, our generous Lord knows our needs and He does not abandon us.  He only uses alternate means to sanctify us.  He gives great power to alternatives which are within our power during these apostate times.  St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, tells us the important use we can make of good works to blot out sin during the current Great Apostasy:

There is no sin which almsgiving does not blot out.  It is the fitting remedy to heal every wound.  But almsgiving does not only mean giving money, but also refers to every other good work helping others, including a physician healing the sick or a wise man giving good counsel.[2]

There are some people who call themselves “Traditional Catholics” yet who accept compromise confessions under the appearance of good.[3]  They rationalize their compromise by excuses such as:

➢  Excuse #1: “We are sinners and so we can’t be without confession”.  This is a false humility and a lack of trust in God.

·         A Catholic with true humility would say: “God is in charge and I will do His Will.  When He permits me to be without the Sacraments out of love for Him and for the uncompromising Catholic Faith, I won’t presume I know what I need better than God does.”

·         A Catholic who trusts in God would say: “God will not abandon me, if I don’t abandon Him.  He will take care of me and give me the means for my salvation, if I don’t abandon (and offend) Him by compromising and going to compromise priests.”

➢  Excuse #2: “We need to go to the Sacraments to show our children how important the Sacraments are.”  This is a false piety.  True piety would reject compromise Sacraments because they offend Our Lord and thus are against true piety.  When parents compromise in this way, they are merely teaching their children the life-long lesson that the Faith is “negotiable” and can be compromised for the Sacraments.  Beginning in the 1960s, conciliar Catholics taught their children the same lesson when they stayed in their local parishes for the sake of the Sacraments.

Our Lord is offended and angered by such compromise confessions!  Let us remain faithful to Him and use the means of salvation which He sends us, rather than the means which we choose, thinking we know better than He does.