Revolution is in the air

Revolution seems to be “in the air” and this has been true during much of 2020.  There were riots, burning, destruction, and looting across the U.S. (and in other places in the world) especially in the Summer 2020. 

Here is one account of the leftist demonstrations in Seattle on January 20, 2021, the day Joe Biden was sworn in as U.S. president:

The demonstrators, mostly clad in black, spray-painted anarchy symbols on buildings, broke windows and marched under a banner that read, “We are ungovernable.”

“We don’t want Biden – we want revenge for police murders, imperialist wars, and fascist massacres,” read another banner that the group marched under.  …  The crowd called for the abolition of ICE[1] and, outside the federal immigration court, several people set fire to an American flag ….[2]

There was not only burning and looting during the leftist riots in 2020 but anarchists even established a long-term violent occupation of part of Seattle, Washington, excluding police from the area, and re-naming the captured territory “the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone” (a/k/a “CHAZ”).

Further, six men reportedly planned to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, the leftist governor of Michigan who was infamous for her abusive lockdowns of her state.[3]

Also, the mainstream media, the Democrats, and some others blame then-President Trump for inciting a supposed “coup attempt” on January 6, 2021.[4]  They blame Trump, despite him telling his followers that day to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard”[5] about the election fraud.  

On January 6, 2021, while Trump was speaking to his supporters at a different location, some hooligans already began some lawless activity at the U.S. capitol building.[6]  It appears that leftist activists[7] led the violence and successfully got a tiny percentage of Trump supporters to follow their lead, e.g., following those leftists into the Capitol building through a smashed window.  One of the Black Lives Matter founders had previously put out a call on her Twitter feed telling her followers that they should disguise themselves as Trump supporters at post-election events.[8]

All these events raise the general question:

Is it ever permissible for Catholics to be revolutionaries?

Let us examine the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church on this question.


We must distinguish between resisting and revolting. 

When someone in authority commands something evil, we must never “obey” that evil command.[9]   But it is one thing to resist that evil command (as we must) and it is a further step to use that evil command as a basis for rejecting the ruler’s lawful authority as such.  This further step is to revolt.

For example, the American revolutionaries considered it evil that King George III imposed taxes on them without their consent, and that he did many other things to which they objected.  But the American revolutionaries not only resisted such commands of King George but also used the commands as a (purported) “justification” for their revolution. 

In their Declaration of Independence, the revolutionaries objected to many things such as their king “quartering large bodies of armed troops among us”; “imposing taxes on us without our consent”; and “depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury”.

After listing their grievances, the American revolutionaries then did what all revolutionaries do: they said that their ruler was to blame for their own revolution because his conduct caused him to lose his status as their king.  The American revolutionaries declared that King George III, “whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”[10]

The American revolutionaries did what revolutionaries always do: they declared that their ruler had lost all authority over them.  Here are their words:

[T]hese United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved.[11]

Finally, the American revolutionaries then did something else which revolutionaries always do: they declared that it was their right and duty to revolt:

[W]hen a long train of abuses and usurpations … evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is [the colonies’] right, it is their duty, to throw off such government.[12]

This is what it is to be a revolutionary: to reject and resist not just particular (perhaps evil) commands but to also reject the very authority of his ruler.

The American revolutionaries followed the same pattern as countless other revolutionaries, e.g., in France, Russia, and Latin America.[13]  In all human history there is not even one revolution[14] which the Catholic Church recognizes to have been praiseworthy and not sinful.[15]

In summary, revolutionaries follow a common pattern:

1.    they assert that their ruler committed wrongs (whether actual wrongs or merely imagined); and then

2.    they use such wrongs as a basis to declare that their ruler’s own conduct has resulted in his losing his authority to rule them.


The Cristeros were Not Revolutionaries

On a superficial level, a person might have the false impression that the Mexican Cristeros were revolutionaries because they took up arms against the anti-Catholic Mexican government in the 1920s.  But the Cristeros’ goal was to defend their priests, their churches, and the Catholicism of their families.  The Cristeros resisted the many wrongs committed by their anti-Catholic, Masonic government.  By successfully taking up arms, the Cristeros prevented the anti-Catholic government from further harming them unjustly (arresting them, killing them, etc.). But unlike persons who are revolutionaries, the Cristeros never used their government’s wrongs as a basis to declare that their government had lost all authority over them.[16]  Instead, by taking up arms, the Cristeros merely prevented their lawful but anti-Catholic government from doing the harm it intended.

The American Revolutionaries could have – but did not – take the same approach as the Cristeros.  That is, the American Revolutionaries could have resisted even by force of arms any wrongs that were severe enough while still acknowledging King George of England as their rightful king.


Revolution is Always Wrong

It is un-Catholic to be a revolutionary.  All authority comes from God, regardless of the method by which a ruler is chosen to wield civil or religious power.  Here is how St. Paul teaches this truth:

[T]here is no power but from God:  and those [powers] that are, are ordained of God.  Therefore, he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.  And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation.  …  For [the ruler] is God’s minister.  …  Wherefore, be subject of necessity, not only for [the ruler’s] wrath, but also for conscience’s sake

Romans, ch.13, vv. 1-2 & 4-5 (emphasis added).[17]

Pope Pius IX faithfully echoed St. Paul:

[A]ll authority comes from God. Whoever resists authority resists the ordering made by God Himself, consequently achieving his own condemnation; disobeying authority is always sinful except when an order is given which is opposed to the laws of God and the Church.

Qui Pluribus, November 9, 1846, §22.

Pope Pius IX taught this same doctrine in his infallible condemnation of the following proposition:

It is permissible to refuse obedience to legitimate rulers, and even to revolt against them.

Quanta Cura, proposition #63 (emphasis added).[18]

Pope Leo XIII taught the same doctrine as St. Paul and Pope Pius IX:

If, however, it should ever happen that public power is exercised by rulers rashly and beyond measure, the doctrine of the Catholic Church does not permit rising up against them on one’s own terms, lest quiet and order be more and more disturbed, or lest society receive greater harm therefrom.[19]

Because it is sinful to even willfully desire to sin, Pope Leo XIII taught that even the “desire for revolution” is a “vice”.  Auspicato Concessu, §24. 

Although revolution is forbidden, Pope Leo XIII gave us the remedies of patience, prayer, and resistance to the particular evil commands of a bad ruler.  Here are his words:

Whenever matters have come to such a pass that no other hope of a solution is evident, [the doctrine of the Catholic Church] teaches that a remedy is to be hastened through the merits of Christian patience, and by urgent prayers to God. 

But if the decisions of legislators and rulers should sanction or order something that is contrary to divine and natural law, the dignity and duty of the Christian name and the opinion of the apostles urge that “we ought to obey God, rather than men” (Acts 5:29).[20]

 

St. Thomas Aquinas, greatest Doctor of the Church, offers the same remedy to persons who suffer the evil of a bad ruler:

[S]ometimes God permits evil rulers to afflict good men.  This affliction is for the good of such good men, as St. Paul says above [ch.8, v.28]: “All things work for the good, for those who love God.”[21] 


The Example of the Saints shows Revolution is Wrong

Look at the example of Catholics, including great saints like St. Sebastian, who served bravely and faithfully even in the army of the pagan emperors of Rome.  They did not revolt, even when their emperor openly sought to kill all Catholics (although, of course, those soldier-saints did not aid in the persecution of Catholics). 

Here is Pope Gregory XVI’s praise for those Roman soldier-saints, who were faithful to God first, but also to their emperor (whenever the emperor’s commands were not themselves evil):

[T]he early Christians … deserved well of the emperors and of the safety of the state even while persecution raged.  This they proved splendidly by their fidelity in performing perfectly and promptly whatever they were commanded which was not opposed to their religion, and even more by their constancy and the shedding of their blood in battle. “Christian soldiers”, says St. Augustine, “served an infidel emperor.  When the issue of Christ was raised, they acknowledged no one but the One who is in heaven.  They distinguished the eternal Lord from the temporal lord, but were also subject to the temporal lord for the sake of the eternal Lord.” 

St. Mauritius, the unconquered martyr and leader of the Theban legion had this in mind when, as St. Eucharius reports, he answered the emperor in these words: “We are your soldiers, Emperor, but also servants of God, and this we confess freely . . . and now this final necessity of life has not driven us into rebellion.”  … 

Indeed, the faith of the early Christians shines more brightly, if we consider with Tertullian, that since the Christians were not lacking in numbers and in troops, they could have acted as foreign enemies.  “We are but of yesterday”, he says, “yet we have filled all your cities, islands, fortresses, municipalities, assembly places, the camps themselves, the tribes, the divisions, the palace, the senate, the forum.  …  For what war should we not have been fit and ready even if unequal in forces – we who are so glad to be cut to pieces – were it not, of course, that in our doctrine we would have been permitted more to be killed rather than to kill?  …  [Y]ou have fewer enemies because of the multitude of Christians.”

These beautiful examples of the unchanging subjection to the rulers necessarily proceeded from the most holy precepts of the Christian religion.[22]


Summary of this article so far

As shown above, it is Catholic dogma that revolution is always wrong but that resisting the particular evil commands of our ruler is permitted and is sometimes necessary.  When resisting is just, such resistance might include taking up arms and fighting the government soldiers who seek to enforce the ruler’s evil orders.  The Cristeros did this in Mexico.

If the evil is great enough, the resisters may even place themselves beyond the reach of the harm which the ruler seeks to unjustly inflict on them.  The Cristeros did this, succeeding in defending three-quarters of Mexico from the anti-Catholic harm attempted by Mexico’s Masonic government.[23]

However, even when strong resistance is justified by the greatness of the evil attempted by the ruler, those persons resisting the evil are not permitted to revolt, i.e., to declare that the ruler has ceased to be their ruler.  The ruler does not lose his authority in principle, even when the resisters prevent him by force of arms from accomplishing in practice the evil he wishes to do.  This is the meaning of Quanta Cura’s infallible condemnation of the assertion that “It is permissibleto revolt”.  (See above.)

Regarding the early soldier-saints fighting in the Roman army (see above) even while the emperor martyred Catholics: those Catholic soldier-saints served their emperor faithfully in honorable activities but never aided the Roman persecution of Catholics.  In those quotations above, St. Augustine, Pope Gregory XVI, and the other authorities praise those soldier-saints for not revolting but do not address the option of armed resistance since those soldier-saints of Rome did not choose to do what the Cristeros did, viz., defend themselves by force of arms, (although without revolting). 

A note about a different but related issue: determining whether a ruler is the legitimate ruler

Above, we see that Catholics must never revolt against their legitimate ruler (although they must resist his evil commands).  However, a person can ask: “how do we know when a ruler is legitimate?”

This article does not lay out principles from which we can know in all cases if a ruler is legitimate (and thus has authority over us).  There are many ways a ruler might not be the legitimate ruler.  Here is an easy case of a ruler being illegitimate:

When the head of a foreign, attacking army first lands on a country’s soil and immediately declares himself the legitimate ruler of the country simply because he is there and is strong, it is easy to see that he is a usurper and not a rightful, legitimate ruler of the country he is attacking.  The people of that country can justly deny his authority over them and fight against him to try to expel him from their country.


Is Biden our legitimate president (with authority over us)?

The legitimacy of a ruler is currently a very pertinent question because there is much evidence from which to conclude that Joe Biden and the leftists stole the 2020 presidential election from President Trump.[24]  So then is Joe Biden the legitimate U.S. president wielding the executive authority of the presidency?

That is a difficult question, involving many facts of which we have incomplete knowledge.  However, it seems that he is the U.S. president, wielding the authority of a president because:

  A person becomes president by being sworn in as provided by the U.S. Constitution.  Joe Biden has been sworn in as president.

  Even with the apparent election fraud, it seems more accurate to say that Biden has become president through fraudulently stealing the election, rather than that he is an imposter who falsely poses as president.

  If Biden weren’t the president, then who would be president?  Trump does not claim to be president and does not claim that Biden is not president.  Rather, Trump claims (apparently correctly) that Biden stole the presidency (i.e., he became president) through fraud. 

Further, whatever Biden does while acting as president would be enforced and implemented by other, lower government officials who do have lawful authority over us.  We would have to recognize their lawful authority (when they are not commanding something sinful, of course).


Conclusion

Faithful and informed Catholics are not revolutionaries.  We must obey those in authority over us when they command something which is not sinful.

Any abuse we cannot avoid from our legitimate authorities we should face with prayer, patience, and our best efforts to vote, stay informed, instruct our children and fellow citizens, as well as work in other ways to improve the quality of our leaders.

However, our obedience extends only to those who legitimately have authority over us.  We do not have to obey those who falsely claim to have authority.

Even though Biden (apparently) stole the 2020 presidential election, he is apparently still the legitimate U.S. president, wielding the authority of the U.S. presidency.

May God help us!



[1]           “ICE” in an acronym standing for the U.S. agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
 

[9]           For a careful examination of true and false obedience, read this article: https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/the-false-obedience-of-cowardly-and-confused-catholics.html

 

[10]         Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

[11]         Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

[12]         Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

[13]         To read how Masonic revolution swept throughout Latin America, read the sketches of the political histories of the individual countries, in this book: Latin America: A Sketch of its Glorious Catholic Roots and a Snapshot of its Present, by the Editors of Quanta Cura Press, ©2016.

[14]         Generally, political revolt is called by the name “sedition”, whereas revolt against the Catholic Church is called “schism”.  But at the root of all such revolts, there is the same “non serviam! which echoes that of Satan, the father of all revolutionaries.

 

[15]         If there could ever have been a place and circumstances where revolution could have appeared justified, it would have been a civil revolution by Catholics in newly-apostate England, where the English government inflicted horrors and injustices of every type upon the Catholics.  The torture, imprisonment, extreme suffering, and martyrdom inflicted on Catholics and the outrageous confiscation of Catholic property seemed to many as something impossible to bear.  See, e.g., Chapters 1-3 of Narrative of the Gunpowder Plot, by Fr. John Gerard, S.J., Quanta Cura Press.  This book is a fascinating contemporaneous account of the Anglican and Puritan persecutions of Catholics during the reign of King James I, which is the context of the Gunpowder Plot.

 

Because of the Anglicans’ and Puritans’ shocking treatment of Catholics, Guy Fawkes and a few other Catholics devised the Gunpowder Plot to blow-up the Parliament Building when King James I was there with the rest of England’s political leaders.  However, the two consecutive popes of the time, as well as all of the Jesuit superiors and priests in England all strongly forbade Catholics to take part in such plots or otherwise to revolt against their rightful (but bad) king, James I. 

 

In his contemporaneous account of the Gunpowder Plot and the savage persecutions leading up to this plot, Fr. John Gerard explains:

 

All Catholics received strict commandment from the See Apostolic, that in no case they should stir or attempt anything against His Majesty [viz., King James I of England] or the State [viz., England], and this both from Pope Clement VIII, of pious memory, and from Paulus Vtus [viz., Pope Paul V] that now sitteth in the Chair, who both before and since his assumption to that supreme dignity of governing the Church of Christ, hath showed [sic] himself most earnest to procure the quiet, safety, and security of our Sovereign [viz., King James I], … [and by ordering] that no Catholic people should go about to interrupt or trouble the same [viz., King James I of England] by their impatient proceedings ….

 

Id., page 120 (bracketed words added for clarity; note: In this quotation, Fr. Gerard uses “Vtus” which is the Roman numeral “V” (five) plus the last three letters of the Latin word “Quintus”, meaning “fifth”).                                                             

[16]         To read more on the Cristeros resistance to their anti-Catholic government’s oppression, read Latin America: A Sketch of its Glorious Catholic Roots and a Snapshot of its Present, by the Editors of Quanta Cura Press, pp. 40-42, ©2016.

[17]         God also declares: “By Me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things; by Me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.”  Proverbs, 8:15-16.

 

[18]         Pope Pius IX used his ex cathedra (infallible) authority to condemn this error as part of a list of errors contained in the syllabus of Quanta Cura.  Regarding these condemnations, the pope said:
 

We, truly mindful of Our Apostolic duty, and especially solicitous about our most holy religion, about sound doctrine and the salvation of souls divinely entrusted to Us, and about the good of human society itself, have decided to lift our voice again.  And so all and each evil opinion and doctrine individually mentioned in this letter, by Our Apostolic authority We reject, proscribe and condemn; and We wish and command that they be considered as absolutely rejected, proscribed and condemned by all the sons of the Catholic Church.

Thus, Pope Pius IX’s condemnation fulfills the conditions for infallibility set out in Vatican I’s document, Pastor Aeternus, because the pope was: 1) carrying out his duty as pastor and teacher of all Christians; 2) in accordance with his supreme apostolic authority; 3) on a matter of faith or morals; 4) to be held by the universal Church.


[19]         Encyclical, Quod Apostolici muneris, December 28, 1878, §7
(emphasis added).

 

[20]         Quod Apostolici muneris, December 28, 1878, §7 (bracketed words added to show context).

[21]         St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans, ch.13, lect.1.

 

[22]         Encyclical Mirari Vos, August 15, 1832, §§ 18-19 (emphasis added), quoting and relying on the teaching of St. Augustine (Doctor and Father of the Church), as well as St. Mauritius, and Tertullian (a Father of the Church).

[23]         To read more on the Cristeros resistance to their anti-Catholic government’s oppression, read Latin America: A Sketch of its Glorious Catholic Roots and a Snapshot of its Present, by the Editors of Quanta Cura Press, pp. 41, ©2016.

If You Can Say the Our Father without Distraction, I Will Give You My Horse

“Our Father Who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name … The saddle and the bridle also?”

I’m certain that most of you have heard that story told of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and his offer to a man who boasted he was never distracted in prayer.  The story relates how that man was distracted during his prayer by the scope of St. Bernard’s offer. 

I remind you about this to point out that distraction in prayer is the work of Satan, and a big problem for all of us.  How can we correct the problem and give greater significance and meaning to our prayers?  After praying on the problem, I had an idea that could help.

Now if distraction during prayer is not a problem for you, you are one in a million and you can stop reading now.  But if you do have a problem, read on.  I believe praying with energy and “hand action” demonstrates where your heart and thoughts are.  Much the same as when we make the Sign of the Cross.  Our hands go from head to heart to shoulders, demonstrating our thoughts and devotion to the Crucifixion of Our Lord.  Why not use the same energy and attention-provoking action when praying … say, the Rosary?

At Fatima Our Lady stated there will come a time when you will have only the Rosary and her Immaculate Heart.  She could be referring to now as we suffer through the great crisis in the Church.

The action I am suggesting should be “hidden”.  You wouldn’t want to distract others praying with you.  If you can, schedule your prayer at a time when no outside noise and activity will distract you.

Let’s start with the Rosary.  Pray all prayers except the Hail Marys with your hands open, facing up, about one foot apart, forming a “holy channel” to heaven, much as the priest does saying some parts of the Mass.  The Rosary is in one hand, keeping track of your progress.  At the Hail Marys, your hands are back to the usual position, but at the words "Fruit of thy womb, Jesus" you bow your head and your free hand touches your chest when you say “Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death,” demonstrating you are a sinner and that the Blessed Mother’s prayers now and at the hour of our death are most necessary.

Praying with this thought-provoking extra effort and energy, and with your attention for sure on the significance of each Mystery, should reduce your thoughts drifting to the distracting events in your life.   

Keep in mind that you are talking to your Creator, and that distraction calls for an additional effort to keep your mind focused.  While visiting Fatima and a friend who moved there with his family, I recall him saying, “when the Blessed Mother asked us to pray the Rosary, she meant all 15 Mysteries each time”, or so he believed.

When you pray the rosary and other prayers, I recommend that you try this method to help you pray more earnestly and with more recollection.  You will see your efforts have borne fruit when your prayers are a more intimate conversation with Our Lord and His Mother.

Words to Live by – from Catholic Tradition

 

Here is how St. Thomas Aquinas, greatest Doctor of the Catholic Church, depicts the fight between good and evil at the end of the world, quoting the Father of the Church, Theophylactus:

 

In the persecution by the Anti-Christ, let no one seek to protect his own life, for he will lose it.  But he who exposes himself to danger and death will save his soul, never submitting himself to the tyrant, out of love for his life.

 

Catena Aurea on St. Luke’s Gospel, Ch.17, §9.

 

Let us face the tyranny of our times with this same firm resolution!

CC in brief — January 2021

Catholic Candle note: Catholic Candle normally examines particular issues thoroughly, at length, using the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and the other Doctors of the Church.  By contrast, our feature CC in brief, gives an extremely short answer to a reader’s question.  We invite readers to submit their own questions.

 

 

CC in brief

 

Q.  Why does the SSPX now lean liberal with its followers?

 

A.  If traditional Catholic individuals or groups don’t fight against liberalism every day, gradualism will take over and they will become liberal over time.  The “new” SSPX no longer fights against liberalism daily as Archbishop Lefebvre did.  They might merely mention the problem of liberalism, but they do not fight against it. 

 

 

Catholic Candle note: Here are some articles cataloging some of the liberalism of the “new” SSPX:

 

  https://catholiccandle.org/category/resources-for-priests/society-of-st-pius-x/

 

  https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/#gsc.tab=0  (from this page on our old website, click on the folder labeled “Society of St. Pius X”).

 

Reject the COVID vaccines!

Catholic Candle note:  This article is about the particular COVID-19 vaccines which have been researched, produced, or tested in some way by using human cells obtained from an abortion.

As Catholic Candle showed in a previous article, the corona “pandemic” is overblown and is in the “same ballpark” as a bad annual flu.[1]  Therefore, a COVID vaccine, if a moral and safe one were available, would only be a good idea for those for whom a flu vaccine would be a good idea, e.g., someone with multiple co-morbidities.

We must not accept the COVID vaccines which are being offered to us.  Below, we present five aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine issue:

1.    The first part of this article concerns the sinfulness of all abortion-connected vaccines as a general principle;

2.    The second part examines the current COVID-19 vaccines in particular and shows that the current COVID-19 vaccines are all abortion-connected and so they are sinful;

3.    The third part surveys the approval given by the Vatican and several conferences of Catholic (supposed) “bishops” and also contrasts the N-SSPX’s new position concerning abortion-connected vaccines and how the N-SSPX’s new position contradicts its old position;

 

4.    The fourth part examines the grave health risks presented to the recipients of the current COVID-19 vaccines and so, in addition to those vaccines being sinful because they are abortion-connected, those vaccines would also seem to be a sin against prudence because they are too risky to our own health; and

5.    The fifth part examines the lack of lasting immunity obtained from these vaccines.

In the remainder of this article, we examine each of these aspects.

 

Part 1: The Evil of using Vaccines made through the Murders of Babies

We live in a godless society and there are countless evils around us.  For example, in some places, for some diseases (like chickenpox), a person can only obtain vaccines whose manufacturers used cell lines from murdered babies, to develop the vaccines or as disease cultures for manufacturing them.[2]

The conciliar church is lax and liberal and approves receiving vaccines which come from the cell lines of murdered babies, unless there is an alternative vaccine which does not use murder.  But there are three reasons it is wrong to accept these vaccines developed or manufactured using the cell lines of murdered babies:

1.    Using those vaccines promotes future murders.

2.    Using those vaccines rewards persons connected with the murders.

3.    We incur guilt for those murders, by our consenting to use those vaccines.

Below, we discuss each of these reasons.

1.   Using abortion-connected vaccines promotes future murders.

Using the cell lines from murdered babies encourages future murders whenever pharmaceutical companies deem it to be convenient and profitable to commit more murders for use in vaccine research or production. 

Because people did not refuse vaccines coming from the 1960s-era cell lines taken from murdered babies, drug companies, labs, and researchers felt “free” to commit more murders to create new cell lines.  For example, a new cell line from a new murdered baby, was announced in 2015.[3] 

Accepting those vaccines manufactured through murdered babies, promotes future murders (and every murder of an innocent human is a murder too many)!  Thus, when you use a vaccine produced through murder, the drug companies are encouraged to commit additional murders to keep vaccine production high.

2.   Using those vaccines rewards persons connected with the murders.

It is wrong to use vaccines produced from murdered babies because using these vaccines enables manufacturers to profit through the murders.  We should not help drug companies make wickedness profitable!

3.   We incur guilt for the babies’ murders by our consenting to use those vaccines.

We become culpable for someone else’s sin by consenting to it.[4]  When St. Paul teaches us this truth about sharing someone else’s sin by consent, he mentions murder in particular.  Here are his words:

Being filled with … murder, …  they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.

Romans, 1:29-32 (emphasis added).[5]

St. Paul shows that consenting to murder is a grave sin and shows this by teaching that such consent makes us “worthy of death”.

A person is guilty of a murder by his consent when he acquiesces[6], even passively[7], or accedes, even reluctantly,[8] to the murder.  When we use vaccines which come from murder, we are (at least) passively accepting – i.e., giving in[9] to – the murders that make those vaccines available. 

A person can incur guilt by consenting even after the murder.

Some ways of sharing in someone else’s sin can only occur before the sin is committed, e.g., commanding or advising that the sin should be committed.  See, the above list (from The Penny Catechism) of ways to share someone else’s sin. 

However, consent to the sin is different.  A person can consent to (i.e., acquiesce in) a murder either before or after it is committed, and so can incur guilt either way.

St. Thomas Aquinas, greatest Doctor of the Catholic Church, teaches that a person can incur guilt by consenting to a murder which has already been committed.  He applies this principle (of guilt through post-murder consent) to a person who joins the Jewish religion after Christ’s murder.  Here are St. Thomas’ words:

When a person becomes a Jew, he becomes a participant in the killing of Christ. 

St. Thomas Aquinas, Lectures on St. Matthew’s Gospel, ch.23, §1861 (emphasis added).

By using those vaccines manufactured through the murders of babies, a person thus incurs guilt by consenting to (i.e., acquiescing in) the murders of those babies even though those murders were already committed.


The passage of time does not make it no longer sinful to consent to those murders.

A superficial objection could be raised that the vaccines were made from murdered babies more than five decades ago and surely that is “so long ago” that we should disregard the murders because they are too distant in time.

That is wrong.  God does not cease to treat a murder as murder merely because of the passage of time.[10]  Those who commit murder and those that consent to it, remain culpable.  The mere passage of time does not remove the inherent guilt.  The punishments of hell are forever because the damned do not repent and the simple passage of time does not erase guilt (even a billion years in hell).

Just as God does not overlook culpability for murder simply because of the passage of time, man does not do so either.  In the civil society, there is typically no statute of limitations for murder.[11]  In other words, no murder is ever so remote in time that it is no longer culpable and punishable.

The murdering of the babies which was committed in order to “harvest” their cell lines, was premeditated and is first degree murder.  The passage of time does not change the guilt of those murders and does not eliminate the guilt of a person who consents to them.

No matter how much time passes, faithful and informed Catholics will never accept a vaccine developed through the murder of a baby!


The end does not justify the means

Another superficial objection could be raised that vaccines do much good and that they save so many lives that this “outweighs” the murders through which the vaccines are produced.  However, faithful and informed Catholics must never be complicit in evil because of “good” that can come from it.  The end does not justify the means!


Discerning God’s Will through standing up for principle.

A similar, superficial objection is that without receiving these sinful vaccines, I will

lose some opportunity, for example, the chance to enter (or send my dependents to) a particular school.  Again, the end does not justify the means!

If, despite your best efforts, you cannot receive a “conscience waiver” or “religious exemption” to attend (or send your dependents to) the school without receiving a sinful vaccine, that merely shows you that God does not want you to attend that particular school, etc


We are not justified in consenting to even the smallest of sins, much less, consenting to murder.

The evil at issue here is murder.  That is a very grave evil.  But even if a person were to suppose that receiving vaccines derived from the cell lines of murdered babies were “only” a venial sin, even the very smallest sin is an infinite evil in three ways.[12]  We should be ready to die rather than commit any sin. 

Here is how St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Doctor of the Church, warns against committing even the smallest sin:

A single venial sin is more displeasing to God than [i.e., outweighs] all the good works we can perform.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Uniformity with God’s Will, §6 (bracketed word added for clarity).

Here is how St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, warns us that the road to hell begins with small sins:

Our Lord said in the Gospel: “He that is unfaithful in little will be unfaithful also in much.”  For he that avoids the small sin will not fall into the great sin; but great evil is inherent in the small sin, since it has already penetrated within the fence and wall of the heart; and as the proverb says: Once begun, half done.

Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book III, ch.20, section 1.

Here is how John Henry Cardinal Newman declares that the smallest sin is worse than all the physical suffering in the world:

The Catholic Church holds it better for the sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions on it to die of starvation in extremest agony, as far as temporal affliction goes, than that one soul, I will not say, should be lost, but should commit one single venial sin, should tell one willful untruth, or should steal one poor farthing without excuse.

 Apologia Vita Sua, by John Henry Cardinal Newman, Image Books, Doubleday, Garden City, New York, © 1956, p.324.


Conclusion of this section

In summary, some vaccines are produced through cell lines obtained from murdered babies.[13]  There are three reasons getting these vaccines is a sin:

1.    Using these vaccines promotes future murders.

2.    Using these vaccines rewards those connected with the murders.

 

3.    We become culpable for the murders, by our consent.

We should stand up for Christ and reject these sinful vaccines.  We should also urge others to stand against these vaccines which break God’s Law (including the Natural Law).  At our Judgment we would want to have done so!

Part 2: The Currently Available COVID-19 Vaccines are all Abortion-Connected and are all sinful to receive.

  The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is tested using the HEK293 cell line.[14]  The abbreviation “HEK293” refers to “Human Embryonic Kidney 293, identifying the organ of the particular murdered baby, who in this case was a baby girl aborted in the Netherlands in the 1970s.[15]  Although each “cell line” is from a particular murdered baby, the cell line production process requires many babies dissected alive without anesthetic to successfully obtain a single such human “cell line”.[16]

  The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine used the parts grown from the same kidney from the same murdered baby girl.[17]

  The Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine used the parts of the same kidney from the same murdered baby girl.[18]

 

  The coming Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine which is being developed, uses the PER.C6 cell line.  This is the body of a different murdered baby.  This vaccine uses the retinal tissue of an 18-week baby boy who was murdered in the Netherlands in 1985.[19]

  The coming COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Sanofi/Translate Bio uses the parts of the kidney from the murdered baby girl identified as HEK293.[20]

Catholics would commit a serious sin by accepting any of these COVID-19 vaccines because they were developed using abortion.


Part 3: The Vatican and several conferences of Catholic (so-called) “bishops” approve of the abortion-connected vaccines and the N-SSPX contradicts its prior rejection of abortion-connected vaccines.

The Vatican[21]  and the national conferences of Catholic (so-called) “bishops”[22] for the U.S. [23], Canada,[24] and the UK[25] all approve receiving the COVID-19 vaccine based on the false reasoning that a few decades passage of time makes it acceptable to cooperate and consent to these murders by accepting these abortion-connected vaccines.  Those conciliar leaders also assert the evil argument that the end justifies the means, i.e., we need to accept the abortion-connected vaccines because our health is so important.  These false arguments were answered above. 

Pope Francis even went so far as to assert that Catholics have a moral duty to receive one of the abortion-connected vaccines.  Here are his words, as quoted in a news report:

“I believe that, ethically, everyone should take the vaccine,” he said, according to a transcript released in advance of the airing of the interview.[26]

Although the vast majority of the conciliar hierarchy accepts the abortion-connected COVID-19 vaccines, a few members of the hierarchy do stand for the truth and oppose the COVID-19 vaccines.  Among these are three cardinals (Mueller, Zen, & Pujats)[27] and five (so-called) “bishops”.[28]  One of them declared (correctly) that we must accept martyrdom rather than accept any of the current COVID-19 vaccines.[29]  He added that:

The crime of abortion is so monstrous that any kind of concatenation[30] with this crime, even a very remote one, is immoral and cannot be accepted under any circumstances by a Catholic once he has become fully aware of it.[31]

These cardinals and (so-called) “bishops” are conciliar, not traditional.[32]  They are in “good standing” in the conciliar church and all of them accept various conciliar errors, e.g., religious liberty for false religions.  However, even they clearly see the sinfulness of these abortion-connected vaccines, in contrast to the liberal N-SSPX (as shown next).


The N-SSPX’s approval of the abortion-connected vaccines

In its recent statement which approves using the abortion-connected COVID-19 vaccines, the N-SSPX merely parroted the conclusory “justifications” of the Vatican, and the conciliar “bishops” conferences of the U.S., Canada and the UK.

The N-SSPX starts out by disparaging its own prior position (viz., that all abortion-connected vaccines are sinful) as supported by “rumor”.  Here are the N-SSPX’s words:

[M]any rumors circulate about those vaccines that suggest a moral impossibility to use them [viz., using the COVID-19 vaccines now available].[33]

Because no one wants to act based on “rumors”, the N-SSPX tries in this way to undermine its readers’ resistance to accepting the current COVID-19 vaccines.

Concerning all of these abortion-connected COVID-19 vaccines, the N-SSPX then concludes that “it is possible … to use such a vaccine.”[34]

One of the flaws in this liberal N-SSPX article, is that it focuses only on the sinfulness of actually taking part (in one way or another) in the actual abortion itself.  The N-SSPX article does not explicitly consider the sin committed by consenting to this sinful act (murder) already committed.  See above, the nine ways a person can share in someone else’s sin. 

Another flaw in the article is that the N-SSPX simply declares the conclusion that the abortion used in the development of the vaccine was too long ago (“remote”) to be sinful, but fails to make any comparison between:

·         the length of time since these abortions only a few decades ago;

and

·         other murders – even hundreds of years ago – where passage of time has still not removed the sinfulness of cooperation with those ancient murders.[35] 

A third flaw in the N-SSPX’s current position is that the N-SSPX fails to address the continued compensation of all of those persons (e.g., the pharmaceutical companies) who are continually profiting from these murders.

A fourth flaw in the N-SSPX’s current article is that it does not address the fact that the profitability of using the bodies of murdered babies gives researchers the incentive to murder more babies.

Twenty years ago, the SSPX used to teach the Catholic truth about abortion-connected vaccines.  In a June 2000 Angelus Magazine article, the SSPX stated: “Consequently, it would be immoral to use a vaccine that one knew was developed in fetal cells, no matter how great the advantage to be procured.”[36]  In other words, the SSPX’s older article correctly warns that the end does not justify the means.

This earlier SSPX article condemns using all abortion-connected vaccines, but specifically warns about the evil of accepting the abortion-connected rubella vaccine.  Now, however, the N-SSPX’s new article specifically justifies accepting this same abortion-connected rubella vaccine (a bad means) because of a good end (avoiding birth defects caused by rubella).  Here are the N-SSPX’s words in 2020 advocating the end justifying the means:

A young woman who is to get married can thus receive the rubella vaccine, although such a vaccine is almost always prepared on fetal cells obtained by abortion.  The reason is the danger for the child: if a woman contracts rubella during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, the risk of birth defects – eye, hearing or heart – are [sic] significant.  These malformations are permanent.[37]


Part 4: The grave health risks of the current COVID-19 vaccines would seem to make receiving this vaccine a sin against prudence because those vaccines are too risky to our own health.

In addition to the COVID-19 vaccines being mortally sinful because recipients of the vaccines consent to their development through use of murdered babies, these vaccines would seem to also be a sin against prudence because they are a grave risk to the health of those receiving the vaccines.

The U.S.’s chief scientific adviser for the American COVID-19 vaccine rollout admitted that the number of adverse reactions is higher than he expected it would be.[38]  So far, severe adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines occur at a rate about 8.5 times higher than for flu vaccines.[39] 

One of the severe reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine is anaphylactic shock, suffered even by people who never previously had an allergic reaction to anything.[40]  This anaphylactic shock can occur as a reaction to other vaccines, but it occurs 22 times more frequently in the COVID-19 vaccine.[41]  Because of the unexpectedly high rate of dangerous reactions, the British medicines regulator (the MHRA) recommends that locations administering these vaccines have emergency resuscitation facilities on site.[42]  One news report includes video footage of a nurse collapsing after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, as she stepped up to the podium to tell people how great it was to receive the vaccine.[43]

In addition to anaphylactic shock, the U.S. FDA’s warning of severe adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine, includes, but is not limited to:

  strokes[44];

 

  convulsions and seizures[45];

  heart attacks[46];

  “Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis,” which is a “rare inflammatory condition that affects the brain and spinal cord”[47];

  “Transverse myelitis” which is a neurological disorder which inflames the spinal cord, causing “pain, muscle weakness, paralysis, sensory problems, or bladder and bowel dysfunction.”[48]

  auto-immune disease[49]; (One such disease is “Guillain-Barré syndrome,” described as “a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves.”  The syndrome has “no known cure,” and its mortality rate is “4% to 7%.”)[50]

  birth defects[51];

  harm to nursing babies[52];

  infertility of an indefinite duration[53];

  Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children[54];

  facial paralysis, (Bell’s Palsy) [55]; and

  Kawasaki disease.[56]  

There are also other severe risks as well as common, less severe side effects from receiving the COVID-19 vaccines.[57]

Here is one catalog of less severe side effects, together with their likelihood of occurring with any single injection of the COVID-19 vaccine:

In clinical studies, the adverse reactions in participants 18 years of age and older were pain at the injection site (92.0%), fatigue (70.0%), headache (64.7%), myalgia (61.5%), arthralgia (46.4%), chills (45.4%), nausea/vomiting (23.0%), axillary swelling/tenderness (19.8%), fever (15.5%), swelling at the injection site (14.7%), and erythema at the injection site (10.0%).[58]

As of December 18, 2020, hundreds of people have been admitted to the emergency rooms shortly following their receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine[59] and thousands of people have suffered adverse reactions.[60]  There has also been unexplained deaths of people believed to be healthy before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.[61]


The novelty and lack of testing of this vaccine presents possibly-grave additional risks.

The current COVID-19 vaccines have been rushed out without the usual vaccine testing and trial periods.  The vaccines have been approved only for “emergency use”.[62]  The vaccine makers are immune from legal liability no matter how much harm is done by their poorly tested vaccines.[63]

The current COVID-19 vaccines are a completely new type of vaccine never tried before.  All previous vaccines introduced a weakened or neutralized part of the disease-causing substance into the body and the body of the recipient then “learned” to fight this substance so that it would be prepared to fight a virulent form of this same disease.[64] 

The new COVID-19 vaccines are much different.  They use “messenger RNA” to change the “commands” or “instructions” given to our bodies’ own cells to cause those cells to produce spike proteins that they would never naturally produce, so that our own bodies would then fight these spike proteins produced by our bodies.[65]  Moderna, one of the COVID-19 vaccine makers, likens this overriding of our bodies’ cellular processes to introducing a new software program into a computer.[66]

This is a revolutionary and invasive procedure and has had only months of testing, skipping much of the normal, much-longer testing process usually used to help assure the vaccine is safe.[67]  What are the long-term effects?  We don’t know.  No one knows.  Among many other grave potential harms, is the harm of a fatal, exaggerated immune reaction when encountering the “wild” virus itself.[68] 

Yet the world is injecting this vaccine into hundreds of millions (or even billions) of people.  Should we trust the pharmaceutical companies to be honest with us?  Hardly.  Those companies are:

  earning trillions of dollars selling whatever COVID-19 vaccine they can come up with;

  using a brand-new technology;

  after an extremely short and inadequate testing process; and

  shielded from legal liability no matter how much harm they cause to us by these vaccines.

The imprudence of trusting the pharmaceutical companies entirely leaves aside the past history of pharmaceutical companies violating health and safety laws, and/or committing massive fraud.[69]

The mainstream media declares that COVID-19 is an extreme emergency and so the media tells people how “alarming” it is that so many “frontline” workers refuse to accept the vaccine.  For example:

  About 60% of Ohio nursing home workers refuse this vaccine.[70]

  About 50% of frontline workers in Riverside County, California, refuse it.[71]

  Over 50% of New York firefighters reject the vaccine.[72]

For all of the above reasons in this section, the COVID-19 vaccines are too risky even if it were not a mortal sin to receive them because they were developed using murdered babies. 


Part 5: The Immunity obtained from the COVID-19 Vaccine is likely of short duration.

All viruses constantly change.[73]  The viruses’ continual mutations is one reason why there is no permanent vaccine for the flu (or colds) and why vaccines even for the current version of the flu are only partially successful – because the flu vaccine is being developed months ahead of time and, before the flu season even begins, the flu virus is already changing away from the current version of the flu at which the current vaccine was targeted.[74]

Another reason a single injection of the flu vaccine does not give lasting, multi-year immunity, is because our bodies’ immunity does not last even against the same strain of the flu.[75]  That is why coronavirus immunity from either contracting COVID-19 or from a vaccine is called “transient immunity”, because the immunity does not last.[76]

Therefore, whatever coronaviruses are presently spreading will continually change and whatever immunity we have through having contracted this (generally mild) disease or through a vaccine, will probably not last long.[77]


Conclusion

It is a mortal sin to accept any vaccine developed using murdered babies.  The current COVID-19 vaccines are of this type and are gravely wrong to receive, consent to, or to cooperate with.  Further, these vaccines gravely endanger many people because of their many grave and less-grave side effects.  Those vaccines are revolutionary and are invasive in a way never before tried because they change the instructions used by our own cells.  These vaccines have unknown long-term side effects and provide an immunity which probably does not last long.




[2]           Here is a list of vaccines connected with murder and a list of ethical alternatives, if they exist: https://cogforlife.org/wp-content/uploads/vaccineListOrigFormat.pdf

 

[4]              Here is summary of this basic truth from a common catechism:

 

328. When are we answerable for the sins of others? 

We are answerable for the sins of others whenever we either cause them, or share in them, through our own fault. 

329. In how many ways may we either cause or share the guilt of another’s sin? 

We may either cause or share the guilt of another’s sin in nine ways:

 

1.    By counsel.

 

2.    By command.

3.    By consent.

4.    By provocation.

5.    By praise or flattery.

6.    By concealment.

7.    By being a partner in the sin.

8.    By silence.

9.    By defending the ill done.

 

Quoted from The Penny Catechism, Nihil Obstat, Joannes M.T. Barton, S.T.D., L.S.S., Censor deputatus, Imprimatur, Georgius L. Craven, Epus Sebastopolis, Vicarius Generalis, Westmonasterii, die 20a Junii, 1958, p.57 (emphasis added).

 

[5]           Here is the longer quote from St. Paul:

 

Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness, full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity, whisperers, detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, foolish, dissolute, without affection, without fidelity, without mercy.  Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.

 

Romans, 1:29-32

 

[6]           One of the definitions of consent is: “acquiescence to or acceptance of something done or planned by another”.  https://www.thefreedictionary.com/consent

[7]           One of the definitions of acquiescence is: “passive assent or agreement without protest”.  https://www.thefreedictionary.com/acquiescence

 

[8]           Two of the definitions of accede are: “to consent” and “to give in”.  https://www.thefreedictionary.com/accede

[9]           Two of the definitions of accede are: “to consent” and “to give in”.  https://www.thefreedictionary.com/accede

[10]         St. Thomas Aquinas teaches the principle that a person is culpable for consenting to a murder even when that murder had been committed many centuries earlier.  St. Thomas applies this principle to a person who joins the Jewish religion long after Christ’s murder.  Here are St. Thomas’ words:

 

When a person becomes a Jew, he becomes a participant in the killing of Christ. 

 

St. Thomas Aquinas, Lectures on St. Matthew, ch.23, §1861.

 

Thus, St. Thomas teaches that even the passage of a long, long time (1200 years, in St. Thomas’ time) after the murder, does not remove the culpability for consenting to it.  In other words, there is no “end date” for culpability by consenting to murder after it was committed. 

 

Note also regarding St. Thomas’ own example, that he places culpability upon consent to the murder of Christ (through conversion to Judaism), not upon ethnic lineage of a person.  Thus, this culpability does not touch the Apostles or any other ethnically Jewish persons who did not (do not) consent to the murder of Christ.

 

[11]            Here is how one legal commentary summarized the state of the law:

 

               Some crimes have no statutes of limitations.  As an example, murder typically has

               none.

 

https://resources.lawinfo.com/criminal-defense/criminal-statute-limitations-time-limits.html

 

Here is how the New York courts explain that murder does not become a non-prosecutable crime because of the passage of time:

 

Statutes of limitations are laws which say how long, after certain events, a case may be started based on those events.  If the statute of limitations has run out, a case should not be started in court. If a case is started after the statute of limitations has run out, it is called time barred.  A defendant or respondent can ask the court to dismiss the case if it is time barred by the statute of limitations.

 

Statute of limitations laws are based on fairness. Over time, memories fade, evidence is lost, and witnesses disappear.  People get on with their lives and don’t expect court cases from events in the past – unless a really horrible crime has been committed.

 

The amount of time by when a person or agency can start a case is different depending on the claim. For example, cases about real property have a long time period, while slander and libel have short time periods.  Some crimes, like murder, are so terrible that they often have no limitations period.

 

Except for when a government agency is sued, there is almost always at least one year from the date of an event to start a case no matter what type of claim it is. You should have no statute of limitations worries if you file your case within this one-year period.

 

https://nycourts.gov/CourtHelp/GoingToCourt/statuteLimitations.shtml

[12]         For a full explanation of this truth that all sin is an infinite evil in three ways and mortal sin is an infinite evil in a fourth way too, read this article: https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/the-infinite-evil-of-sin.html

 

[13]         Here is a list of vaccines connected with murder and a list of ethical alternatives, if they exist: https://cogforlife.org/wp-content/uploads/vaccineListOrigFormat.pdf

 

[22]         For an explanation why the validity is doubtful using the conciliar rite of consecration of a bishop (now called “ordination of a bishop”), read Catholic Candle’s comparison of the new rite and the Traditional Episcopal rite.  This comparison is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B49oPuI54eEGZVF5cmFvMGdZM0U/view

[30]         Definition of concatenation: “a group of things linked together or occurring together in a way that produces a particular result or effect”.  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concatenation

[32]         Here, e.g., is an analysis of some of so-called “bishop” Athanasius Schneider’s liberalism: https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/priests/sspx-schneider-beloved-revolutionary.html

 

As another example, here is a news report of so-called “archbishop” Vigano’s prayer at an ecumenical prayer event: https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/abp-vigano-speech-to-jericho-march at which a rabbi gave his “prayer” at the same event: https://app.videosquirrel.app/watch/1784

[33]         https://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/it-morally-permissible-use-covid-19-vaccine-62290 (initial letter capitalized).

 

Here is the longer quote:

 

As several manufacturers announce the imminent development of a vaccine against Covid-19, many rumors circulate about those vaccines that suggest a moral impossibility to use them.

 

[34]         https://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/it-morally-permissible-use-covid-19-vaccine-62290  The only pretense at “conservativism” in the position of the N-SSPX, is to say that we should choose a non-abortion-connected vaccine if one were available (although none is available).  The Vatican says this too.

[35]         See the analysis above, especially related to Our Lord’s murder 2,000 years ago concerning which a person is still not exonerated who consents to His being murdered, by joining Judaism.


[36]           June 2000 Angelus Magazine, p.40 (emphasis added).

 

[49]         James Lyons-Weiler, Pathogenic Priming Likely Contributes to Serious and Critical Illness and Mortality in COVID-19 via Autoimmunity, Journal of Translational Autoimmunity, 2020, 100051, ISSN 2589-9090, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtauto.2020.100051 &  (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589909020300186)

“In Order To Remain Catholic, It Is Necessary to Become Protestant.”

The above statement summarizes the results of the Second Vatican Council in a uniquely profound, and meaningful way.  In one statement, it brings to mind just how anti-Catholic the Council was and is.  In order to remain “Catholic” as far as Rome and the Council are concerned, one has to accept, think, and follow Protestant-type religious formulas.

 

What are those anti-Catholic religious formulas and beliefs – which are promoted by Satan, the Protestants, and the Conciliar church of the Second Vatican Council?  Here are some of them:

 

1.    “Eliminate” the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and replace it with a non-Catholic service designed with the help of six Protestant ministers and a Mason.

 

2.    “Eliminate” the Holy Sacrament of Penance and replace it with “reconciliation” with your fellow man.  God is not involved.

 

3.    “Eliminate” the truth that there is No-Salvation-Outside-the-Catholic Church and promote Religious Liberty.

 

4.    Disregard any facts and information against all false religions, and praise Martin Luther on the 500th anniversary of his heretical sect (i.e., promoting Religious Liberty).

 

5.    “Eliminate” the need for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction by promoting Universal Salvation, (i.e., everyone goes to heaven).

 

6.    “Revise” the Sacrament of Holy Orders, causing real doubt of a valid ordination.

 

7.    “Eliminate” the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

8.    Insist that we can live how we want and do not need to perform good works (i.e., Universal Salvation).

 

9.    “Eliminate” the primacy of the pope in favor of a democracy of bishops and

cardinals.

10. Reject the Christ-established one, united Church; (Christ never referred to His Churches, but to His Church.)  There are 200 different Protestant churches in the United States alone.[2]

 

11. “Eliminate” belief in Divine Tradition, with the false belief that the Bible holds all the truth.

 

12. Accept divorce as proper and necessary, (i.e., easy annulments).

 

13. Accept that it was necessary to kill Catholics in 1560 England to establish the Protestant faith.

 

14. Accept all faiths as the road to salvation (i.e., Religious Liberty).

 

15. When Pope Francis states, “Who am I to judge?” on the evils of unnatural lifestyles, he is suggesting that he agrees with the Protestants that private judgment is a rule of faith.

 

The above is a partial list of what it means to become Protestant in order to remain Catholic per the Second Vatican Council.  An additional result of the Council was the self-destruction of once-vital Catholic religious organizations.  There were great reductions in the number of vocations, priests, sisters, monks, churches, Catholic schools, convents, seminaries, and monasteries. 

 

What more could the leaders in Rome and the Conciliar church do to fulfill the requests of Satan?  Not much, if anything, with the complete destruction of the human element in the Catholic Church.

 

I believe that uncompromising traditional Catholics are experiencing a bloodless type of martyrdom – with a martyrdom of blood to follow in the future, as in 16th century England.  Satan is not going to change course now, after all his many current successes. Sixty years ago, who would have believed that it would be possible that the Catholic Church’s human element would be on “life support” by the year 2021?

 

Fear not; we are not alone.  Our Lord gave you all the graces needed to stand firm as an uncompromising Catholic fighting for Christ the King up until now.  You will get all the necessary graces to withstand what is coming. 

 



[1]              I Accuse the Council, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, 1982, p. 79.

 

[2]              My Catholic Faith, Bishop Louis Morrow, ©1949, p. 102.

 

Having an Eternal Perspective

Objective truth series — Reflection #18

Here is a brief recap of the last four reflections:

·         Reflection 14 – The pursuit of truth and the love of truth as the basis for standing up for the truth, in order to fight false human respect.

 

·         Reflection 15 – The precious blessing it is to possess the faith in these times of apostasy when so few have the faith, and having the use of reason is also something to be extremely grateful for.

 

·         Reflection 16 – Finding delight in God bringing us a higher view of truths.

 

·         Reflection 17 – God uses us, poor instruments that we are, to pass on the truth by standing up for the truth, and to teach the truth to others.

All of the reflections in this Objective Truth Series, especially the last four reflections, can be boiled down to what was quoted in Reflection 15, namely, the Principal and Foundation from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God, Our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.  All other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him fulfill the end for which he is created.  From this it follows that man is to use these things to the extent that they will help him to attain his end.  Likewise, he must rid himself of them in so far as they prevent him from attaining it [viz., his end].  

As was said in the very first reflection, St. Thomas Aquinas says – First, God chooses a soul, then He loves that soul, and then He makes the soul worthy of His Love by giving grace to the soul.  Thus, the saints are truly called the Elect of God and the life’s journey of the saint’s soul is God’s work.  The Principal and Foundation quoted above, is the Blessed Mother’s instruction, giving souls what can be called the cornerstone of the way of salvation.  In this manner the soul learns from the Principal and Foundation to have an eternal perspective of life. 

What do we mean by an eternal perspective?  This means that one takes the Principal and Foundation into consideration when making all his decisions. For example, he would ask himself, “Will this use of a creature, this activity etc. be something that will help me save my soul or not?”  Of course, not all the saints in heaven went on an Ignatian retreat; nevertheless, they made their decisions always with the salvation of their immortal soul in mind.  Hence, they had this eternal perspective in which they made their salvation the most important work of their lives.  They certainly worked out their salvation “with fear and trembling,” as St. Paul admonished the Philippians to do.

For instance, St. Teresa of Avila told her nuns, “We have only one soul and one eternity.” Although she is an example of a saint who did have the influence of the good Jesuits, and her little saying shows that she made her decisions with her eternal salvation in mind, her perspective is not unlike all the other saints in heaven.

Of course, we know from our Catechism that we are supposed “to know, love, and serve God to be happy with Him in heaven.”  However, we do not just automatically act upon this truth from the age of reason. 

This is where God’s school of sanctity must be considered.  What does He do to the soul?  He spends years drawing souls to Himself and helping them sort out/discover that life is a journey, an exile, and that the soul’s true goal is heaven.  Yes, one can study these things in Catechism, but unfortunately these truths do not really sink in, until the Lord causes these truths to penetrate deeply into one’s soul.  The soul seems to discover for the first time that the intimate friendship with the Divine Spouse Jesus Christ is the only true goal of life.

This is a time of true conversion of heart, when Our Lord gives the soul an eternal perspective.  When the soul has finally latched onto the eternal perspective, the soul is much more focused on working for God.   In this conversion the soul now finally understands that nothing else is important but the salvation of the soul.  The world’s “fog” now seems to lift and the soul now sees the real purpose for existence in the most serious light in which it should be taken.

But God does not stop there, for now the serious part, so to speak, of the soul’s journey, has begun.   God patiently works on the soul and the soul continues to sort the distractions of this life from the supernatural realities for which man was created.  With a clearer perspective, the soul now understands better how God intends that man wears himself out in the service of God.  The soul, too, learns more and more how crucial it is to be detached from things of the world.  This process of learning to care more and more about God continues and God draws the soul closer to Him.  All of God’s adopted children are supposed to become spiritually married to Christ, the Bridegroom of the soul.  Therefore, it is perfectly normal in the spiritual life that the soul would become less attached to the world and more intimately attached to God.

Once a soul has an eternal perspective, the soul looks at everything in a whole different way.   The soul can see that the things of this world are so empty and shallow.  The cares of the world are dealt with in a more objective way.  Yes, one certainly has to deal with the concerns of his duty of state; however, these concerns are handled with one’s eternal salvation always in mind.  The soul does not want to displease God in any way—seeing that we are either on the side of Christ or on the side of Satan.  As Christ said, “He that is not with Me, is against Me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.” St. Matt. 12:30.  And further, “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” St. Matt. 12:36-37.

With just these words of Our Lord in mind, it is easy to see that Our Lord wants us to have an eternal perspective.  Clearly, we have to discern carefully what is involved in our decisions and consider well how we must do all things to please God. Our thoughts, words, and deeds must be weighed on the scale of eternity!  Nothing in life is truly neutral and all things must work toward God and His Glory.  As Catholics we cannot become callous and think that our actions do not have eternal consequences.  Keeping an eternal perspective makes all choices simpler and therefore easier.

Another wonderful consequence of an eternal perspective is that placing all things in God’s Hands becomes more habitual.  How good God is to teach and train a soul to have an eternal perspective!  One stands only in awe at such Paternal care for our poor souls and perhaps something like the following would flow forth:

To praise, to revere, and to serve Him,
Oh, this sounds so scary and grim,
Our souls were created for this,
‘Tis the only view, that brings bliss.

Why an eternal perspective?
And must we be so selective?
The Lord wants us never forget,
That we belong to Him and yet,

He knows we’re so fragile and weak
And that worldly things we do seek
He ‘minds us to think of our end,
And not to make the world our friend.

‘Tis so easy to lose our course,
And to forget that, God’s our source,
Of life, of being, our one true goal,
The only way to save one’s soul.

For every choice one must make,
We must work only for His sake.
To act for Him, ne’er Him oppose,
If we want, eternal repose.

At times a choice, seems so small,
But made badly, could costs it all,
Best to weigh things, on this wise scale,
Than forever the choice bewail,

We pray Mary, our special guide,
That with her Son, we may abide,
And live not like fools, for this world,
And not into hell’s depths be hurled.

Having perspective eternal,
Keeps the soul, from the infernal,
Wonderful outlook, for one’s life,
The soul becomes the Bridegroom’s wife.

For such an outlook, we must pray,
To stick to our goal on life’s way,
And when this view does sink in deep,
With tears of thanks we shall e’re weep.

Words to Live by – from Catholic Tradition

Let us Trust in God and not yield to Anxiety

The Disciple:

Lord, I willingly commit all things to You, for my anxiety can profit me little.  But I would that I were not so concerned about the future, and instead offered myself without hesitation to Your good pleasure.

The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, Book III, Chapter 39.

CC in brief — December 2020

Catholic Candle note: Catholic Candle normally examines particular issues thoroughly, at length, using the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and the other Doctors of the Church.  By contrast, our feature CC in brief, gives an extremely short answer to a reader’s question.  We invite readers to submit their own questions.

CC in brief

Q:        A Catholic friend (who considers herself conservative) told me that “we should not do penance during Advent because it is a time for rejoicing”.  Is she correct? 

A:        There is a grain of truth in what your friend says, but she is “more wrong than right”.  Advent is a time of anticipation (and preparation) for the joyful time of Christmas.  We see this in the Church’s hymns: Advent is the time of Oh Come, oh Come Emmanuel, not the time of Joy to the World.

So, there is an element of spiritual longing and a spiritual joy prominent on Gaudete Sunday.  However, Advent is a time of penance to prepare for the coming of Our Infant King.  Purple, the color of penance, is the liturgical color.   In Her liturgy, the Church emphasizes St. John the Baptist, with his calls for penance and preparing our hearts.

Like the secular world, the conciliar church seeks feasting with no fasting.  All of us, Traditional Catholics included, do much less penance than we should.  So, although Lent is a more penitential time than Advent, we should generously embrace Advent’s penitential spirit.

Lastly, we note that it is unfitting to have our Christmas parties during Advent instead of Christmastide, or to put our Christmas decorations up well before the Christ Child comes.

 

It is Amazing How God Uses Us as His Instruments

Objective truth series – Reflection #17

In our last reflection we discussed how delightful it is to see the simplification of the truth when one sees profound connections and acquires a more objective view.  This delightful experience of the soul fills us with wonder at God’s Goodness.  This is God’s marvelous way of working in a soul. “The ways of God are unsearchable”.  Ecclesiastes, 8:1.

Likewise, God in His Goodness often lets us get a view of ourselves in hindsight.  This hindsight view includes things in the spiritual life that He has been teaching us, and habits we have formed which we didn’t notice before, and He has us come to notice.  Thus, He sometimes gives us a glimpse of what He has done in our souls.  We then see how God has a wonderful way of working quietly behind the scenes.  We see His Patience with us and we find ourselves then counting our blessings anew and appreciating God’s mercy to us all the more.

Another amazing thing God does is to use us poor creatures as His instruments in helping other souls.  For example, sometimes, when we are trying to help someone come to understand a Catholic teaching, we find ourselves saying things that we didn’t plan to say.  If we reflect back on the conversation where we were planting the seeds of the Faith, we can sense truly that God was working in us.  Because we can see that we didn’t plan what we were going to say, we are amazed how just the right concepts, facts, and wording came to our minds and in the smooth way our words came out.  We can then say that truly the Holy Ghost inspired it all.  This makes it is easier to be detached from any credit that one could be tempted to take for the work.  We ponder at God’s Goodness again and praise Him for what He is doing through us unworthy creatures.

St. Thomas Aquinas explains that it is a mark of a higher being to work through lower beings.  Some examples of this are God using His angels to control the forces of nature and using the guardian angels to protect us.   Likewise, He uses us to spread the truth and plant seeds in souls.   He strictly doesn’t need us, yet God gives us the dignity to be His instruments though we are so unworthy.

However, Our Lord does not want us to be worried about what we will say when we are confronted by the unreasonable people in the world.   Our Lord has assured us, “And when they shall bring you into the synagogues, and to magistrates and powers, be not solicitous how or what you shall answer, or what you shall say.   For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you must say.”  St. Luke 12:11-12.  And, again, Our Lord says, “But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.”  St. John 14:26.

So, with astonishment we find that we can help souls in these apostate times of confusion.  We are called to be apostles of Christ.  Indeed, the spiritual works of mercy—to instruct the ignorant, council the doubtful, and even admonish the sinner are crucial in our days.  In these times of so much hatred against Jesus Christ, His Church, and Catholic Morality, we can truly be soldiers of Christ defending Catholic Faith and Morality.  How great God is to let us be His helpers especially when uncompromising priests cannot be found in most places!  He will supply the help we need to accomplish what He wills for sous.

So, with all our hearts for love of God and our neighbor for His sake, let us try with all our might to sow the seeds of our Holy Catholic Faith in our neighbor.  We cannot thank God enough for the precious pearl of the Faith, yet working for Him is one way to show Him gratitude for all He has done, is doing, and will do for us.

And we will most likely find more gratitude growing in our hearts when we realize that, though we are most unworthy, God is using us to pass on the truth.  We could find ourselves saying with heartfelt words something like the following:

I, unworthy, how can it be?
The Holy Faith, to others spread?
 Be I, a tool, for God’s Glory?
 How through me, can poor sheep be fed?

Gardening the soil of souls?
Or be a fisher of men?
To instruct of eternal goals?
Things beyond, the modern mind’s ken?

In these times, where all’s up-side-down,
 Each day a new battle to fight,
And lies are spreading all aroun’,
People confused, on left and right.

God’s wants to use us, as His tools,
To teach, by examples, and words,
Even though, most may, think us fools,
‘Cause we are not part, of their herds.

 Of those poor folks, trained not to think,
But simply go on the “easy" path
Causing their hearts, to further sink,
Deserving more of, Divine Wrath.

Just as a sign, of higher one,
Through lower beings, does his works,
So it is the Lord, gets jobs done,
With us, insignificant clerks.

Grateful are we, instruments poor,
That He blesses, the deeds we do.
He provides the souls, at our door,
Though He need not, by us work through.

Amazing movement, doth He then,
That He helps souls, through words of ours,
Like lush spring rain, in the soul’s glen,
He draws forth, precious soul-flowers.

Only God with, power Supreme,
Could bring such worth, from us poor men,
As flowing forth, from wisdom’s stream,
Yet from a, lowly creature’s pen.

We thank the Goodness, of Our Guide,
Who sets us, sowers in His field,
E’er inspiring us, at our side,
Yet, He, brings forth, the fruitful yield.

How Ready Are You For Your Daily Test?

Oh yes, we are all tested daily to determine if we are part of the current church crisis, or fighting against it.  We all, in turn, are graded daily, with our final grade a big part of our personal judgment after death.

What are we tested on?

1.    Are you fighting hard against the liberalism and modernism of the Second Vatican Council?

 

2.    Do you stand silent about liberalism in the New SSPX?  Or do you speak up against it?

3.    Are you doing your best to fight for Christ the King every chance you get?

4.    Are you ready to speak up against the heresy coming from Rome?

5.    Do you speak up against immodest dress and the evil use of God’s name in vain?

6.    Do you go to Mass and the Sacraments often (when available for uncompromising Catholics)?

7.    Do you challenge a priest or bishop who, in a sermon or retreat, leans liberal?

8.    Do you go along to get along with others when you’re away from home, rather than speak up against the many evils so common in society today?

9.    Are you also willing to stand alone against the majority when they accept the idea that the parish priest always knows best, and one has to follow him regardless of where he leads?

10. Are you unwilling to accept a compromising bishop or priest and their Sacraments or sacramentals?

11. Do you always speak up against liberal gradualism, which is the downfall of many?

Above is a partial list of the “test questions” asked daily of everyone for the salvation of his soul.  In most cases, one would feel alone because so few are in the fight as uncompromising traditional Catholics.  But for sure you should never feel alone, for your “Champion” is Christ Himself, Who tells us simply:

Follow Me.  I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Without the Way, there is no going.  Without the Truth, there is no knowing.  Without the Life, there is no living.  I am the Way which you must follow, the Truth which you must believe, the Life for which you must hope.  I am the inviolable Way, the infallible Truth, the unending Life.[1]

With Christ to lean on, how can you feel alone?  From experience, I can assure you that is so.

You might ask what you can do to improve your test score?  You can study the Catholic Faith and inform your conscience, along with strengthening your prayer life.

Be advised that most people, rather than fight, go along with the crowd; it is easier that way.  But this leads down the treacherous path of believing that whatever the majority believes is always right.  Not true, not true!

Speaking up and speaking out for Christ the King has additional benefits other than just your salvation.  It is certain to help timid Catholics gather strength to join the fight.

I believe the downfall for most Catholics just after Vatican Council II in the ‘60s and ‘70s was accepting a little liberalism from their parish priest and local bishop.  As the floodgates of liberalism opened, because people had little knowledge of the Catholic Faith and studied their Faith little, most of them lost the Faith and joined the conciliar church.

If you are confronted with a questionable situation, then just seek light from our Lord.  What would He say to your informed conscience?

God is very much aware of your efforts to stand up for Him.  He can read your heart.  He is always ready to help and console, according to His Will.  So be confident that you will prevail in the end because He helps those who suffer abuse in His defense.

Take courage, brethren, let us go forward together and Jesus will be with us.  For Jesus’ sake we have taken this cross.  For Jesus’ sake let us persevere with it.  He will be our help as He is also our Leader and Guide.  Behold, our King goes before us and will fight for us.  Let us follow like men.[2]                                                                                                           



[1]           The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, Book III, Chapter 56.

[2]           The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, Book III, Chapter 57.

Problems with Face Masks

This present note (immediately below) was previously published in the

October and November 2020 issues of Catholic Candle

We usually focus directly on Faith and morals.  However, sometimes issues in society have a severe indirect impact on Faith and morals and should be addressed.  Below, we examine one of those issues which has a severe indirect impact on Faith and morals, viz., the overblown corona-scare.  We put COVID-19 in perspective, to help readers face this challenge in which Providence has lovingly placed us, for the glory of God and for our good.

In our current corona-crazy world, people are acting strangely because they are frightened by (supposed) imminent death from COVID-19, or they are intimidated by abusive governmental lockdown and mask-wearing orders.  People have been bludgeoned into letting go of their humanity and are fearfully acting as if their fellow man was a threatening virus-culture rather than a fellow child of God and fellow soldier in the Church Militant.

Lastly, another reason to examine the abusive mask mandates is because they are a prominent example showing (for anyone who needs further proof) that the mainstream media and the liberal “deep state” establishment (which is entrenched in the government), are unreliable as sources of the truth concerning what is going on in the world.  It is Catholic Candle’s hope that this present article is a helpful reminder to our readers that they should distrust the mainstream media and entrenched liberals in government because they lie and “spin” the truth.

This article was up to date when it was written in October and November, 2020.  The article mostly uses evidence from the U.S. because there is so much of it available.  However, the evidence we have from other countries supports the theses of this article.  Such support makes sense because human nature is the same in all countries, COVID-19 is (apparently) the same everywhere, and the effects of mask-wearing are the same.

Face masks present grave health risks & are to control people, not a virus

We previously saw the COVID-19 scare is overblown.
[1]  We also saw that lockdowns don’t work, and that their real purpose is to control the population, not the virus.[2]

In this present article, we will see that:

1.    masking everybody is not effective to protect people from COVID-19;

2.    it is a health hazard for healthy people to wear masks; and

3.    the real purpose of imposing masks is to dehumanize and control the population.

Below, we examine each of these points.

1.   Masking everybody is not effective to protect people from COVID-19.

Before we examine medical studies and medical authorities, let’s start by using common sense.

  If masking everybody in a pandemic is such a good idea, why has it never been done before, in the history of the world?  Masks are not new and are “low tech”.  They have been available for thousands of years.

  If masking everybody is such a good idea, why is it promoted and required by those who are most hostile to God and to the worship of God (viz., liberals)?  In other words, if God’s enemies promote it, why would we suppose it is good?

  If it is such a good idea, why is it that those who promote masking everybody “even if it only saves one life” (as they say), are the same people who promote murdering innocent babies (abortion and infanticide) and killing the elderly (euthanasia)?

 

  If everybody should wear a mask because simply breathing near someone can infect him with a virus, why do the (supposedly more reliable) COVID-19 tests require sticking a long rod/swab up your nose, into your skull (popularly called a “brain-poke”) in order to get a good test sample?  Why couldn’t the test be done by breathing into a bottle or onto a swab or at most supplying a drop of saliva?

  If masking everybody is such a good idea, why is it promoted through emotion but not reason?  For example, when Georgia opened back up (after a briefer and less-abusive lockdown than in many other states) the liberals attacked the state and called it “Georgia’s Experiment in Human Sacrifice”.[3]

  The liberals and mainstream media continually talk about following “science” but their position is not supported by science and they don’t cite any supporting science.

Masking everybody is not supported by any science.

There are no studies showing that masking everybody works to prevent viral infection.  The closest thing we could find is a hamster study.  This study is a non-peer-reviewed study of hamsters in Asia, in which a fan blew air from COVID-infected hamsters into a cage of healthy hamsters.  The study concluded that there was a reduction in infection of healthy hamsters when there was a cloth barrier erected between the cages, preventing the continual blowing of the air – day and night, for weeks – from the infected hamsters, into the cage of healthy hamsters.  The researchers concluded that this study “implied” that masking everybody would help humans.[4]

The fact, of course, is that the hamsters were not wearing masks and the study does not show what the mainstream media says it does.  The study merely indicates what we already know: erecting a barrier/wall to separate sick animals from healthy ones is a good thing and that it is a bad idea to blow the air from sick animals – for weeks at a time, day and night – into the living space of healthy animals.  That study’s result is neither surprising nor particularly helpful.  The liberals and mainstream media tout this study because they have no relevant science to support their policy of masking everybody.  Id.


Before masking everybody became a liberal political cause, all medical authorities declared that masks are ineffective to prevent a viral infection.

Before we see what real medical studies say, let’s look at what all medical authorities recommended all of the way up to last spring, on the issue of whether the healthy public should wear masks to prevent infections.

In March 2020, the CDC was still following the infectious disease protocols in place through earlier this year – before the liberals began to use masks as a political tool.  The CDC stated it “does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19”.[5]

The CDC’s own journal, Emerging infectious Diseases, published a May 2020 meta-analysis of masking in “non-healthcare settings”.  This analysis of prior randomized controlled trials (undertaken between 1946 and 2017) concluded:

Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.[6]

The CDC’s infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, stated:

No, right now, people should not be wearing – there’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.[7]

Fauci is a liberal.  It is not that he was conservative in March 2020 and then became a liberal.  Liberals (and everyone else) agreed last March that masking everybody is not effective against a virus.  Fauci changed his position when the liberals began using masks as a political tool.

On February 29, 2020, before masking everyone became a political tool, the U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, MD, did his best to discourage the public from wearing masks.  He stated:

Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS!  They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus.[8]

In a May, 2020 study entitled: Universal Masking in Hospitals in the Covid-19 Era, The New England Journal of Medicine stated:

We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection.[9]

California’s OSHA regulations state:

Cloth face covers are not protective equipment and do not protect the person wearing a cloth face cover from COVID-19.[10]

In March 2020, Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the United Nation’s WHO (World Health Organization) health emergencies program, stated:

There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit.[11]

Before the liberals began using masks as a political tool, the World Health Organization advised against everyone wearing masks.  Here is what the WHO stated:

[T]here is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting, including universal community masking, can prevent them from infection with respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. …  [T]he wide use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not supported by current evidence and carries uncertainties and critical risks.[12]

Dr. Eli Perencevich, MD, is an infection prevention specialist and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Iowa’s College of Medicine.  Here is how he recommended against healthy people wearing masks:

The average healthy person does not need to have a mask, and they [sic] shouldn’t be wearing masks.  …  There’s no evidence that wearing masks on healthy people will protect them.  They wear them incorrectly, and they can increase the risk of infection because they’re touching their face more often.[13]

Before the liberals began using masks as a political tool, everyone agreed that masks were not effective to prevent the public from catching a virus.  One of the reasons for this universal agreement is because the studies concluded this.

For example, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy published a 2020 study entitled: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy.  Here are conclusions from that study:

We do not recommend requiring the general public who do not have symptoms of COVID-19-like illness to routinely wear cloth or surgical masks because there is no scientific evidence they are effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.  … 

Our review of relevant studies indicates that cloth masks will be ineffective at preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, whether worn as source control [i.e., by a sick person] or as PPE [i.e., by a healthy person].  …

[G]iven the paucity [i.e., scarcity] of information about their performance as source control in real-world settings, along with the extremely low efficiency of cloth masks as filters and their poor fit, there is no evidence to support their use by the public or healthcare workers to control the emission of particles from the wearer.  …

We were able to identify only two household studies in which surgical masks were worn by the index patient [i.e., sick person] only, as source control.  Neither of these found a significant impact on secondary disease transmission [i.e., infecting others], although both studies had important limitations.

Clinical trials in the surgery theater have found no difference in wound infection rates with and without surgical masks.  Despite these findings, it has been difficult for surgeons to give up a long-standing practice. …[14]

In a meta-study of 17 earlier studies concerning wearing a mask to protect against the flu, the study concluded:

None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection.[15]

A 2009 study found that mask-wearers had more headaches and no benefit avoiding contraction of cold viruses.[16]

A 2010 review of studies on mask wearing outside a hospital setting, showed that masks did no good preventing the flu.  Here[17] is a summary chart with the findings:

A 2017 study conducted a meta-analysis of mask effectiveness among healthcare workers.  Here[18] are key findings of the study:

  The meta-analysis suggested mask wearing provides a protective, but non-statistically significant, effect against laboratory-confirmed viral infections.

  There is no evidence cloth masks provide protection and they might facilitate transmission of pathogens when used repeatedly without adequate sterilization; and

  There is no protective effect against SARS for disposable, cotton, or paper masks.

On November 18, 2020, a new randomized controlled study was published.  It is the first study in the world to test whether face masks were effective in preventing wearers from contracting the coronavirus.  The study found there was no statistically significant difference in COVID-19 cases between mask-wearers and non-mask-wearers.[19]

It is impossible for masks to be effective because viruses are far too small.

Masking everyone is not effective to prevent respiratory influenza-like illnesses, or respiratory viral illnesses believed to be transmitted by droplets and aerosol particles.  This is because the principal transmission path is long-residence-time aerosol particles which are between 10 – 80 nm[20] in size.[21] 

Trying to stop tiny virus particles with a mask is like trying to stop mosquitos with chicken wire (poultry netting).  It is not effective.  Virus particles are far too small to be trapped by even the oppressively uncomfortable N95 masks.  Here is how one review of the research explains this fact:

[T]he filtration material itself of N95 (average pore size ~0.3−0.5 μm) does not block virion [i.e., individual particles of virus] penetration, not to mention surgical masks.[22]

This means, e.g., that with a virion of 10 nm and a mask pore of 0.3 μm, 30 of those virions could fit through the same mask pore at the same time.  Hence, it is roughly like 30 mosquitos going through the same hexagonal hole in the chicken wire at the same time.  It is unreasonable to stop mosquitos with chicken wire and is unreasonable to stop viruses with a face mask.  They are not effective and all medical authorities agreed about this before the liberals made the corona-scare political.


Summary

The conclusion is plain: masking everyone is not effective against the coronavirus. 

2.   It is a health hazard for everyone to be wearing masks

In part one (above), we saw that masks are ineffective against a virus and no one recommended masks for healthy people in the general population until the liberals made the issue political in the Spring of 2020.

Masks are not only ineffective they also pose significant risk of harm.  This is why – before the liberals made the issue political – the U.N.’s World Health Organization warned:

[T]he wide use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not supported by current evidence and carries uncertainties and critical risks.[23]

Among the known critical risks to a healthy general population, are that mask-wearing:

1.    Reduces a person’s oxygen supply;

2.    Increases the risk of carbon dioxide toxicity;

 

3.    Reduces a person’s immune protection against diseases;

 

4.    Disposes a person to “brain fog” and can reduce the clarity of his thinking;

 

5.    Causes headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath (dyspnea);

 

6.    Causes a person to re-breathe contaminant particles trapped in his mask;

 

7.    Forces a person to breathe through a moist, warm material perfect for growing whatever pathogens are present in his surroundings; and

 

8.    Typically causes a person to touch his face more frequently.

Below, we discuss each of these critical risks caused by mask-wearing.

1.   Mask-wearing reduces a person’s oxygen supply.

Mask-wearing decreases the oxygen level in a person’s blood.  A mask increases the risk of hypoxemia (which is a critically-low level of oxygen in the blood).[24]

In this study, researchers examined the blood oxygen levels in 53 surgeons using an oximeter, measuring blood oxygenation before and after surgeries (during which they wore masks).  Id.  The researchers found that the masks reduced the surgeon’s blood oxygen levels significantly.  Id.  The longer the duration of wearing a mask, the greater the fall in the blood oxygen level.  Id.

2.   Mask-wearing creates the risk of carbon dioxide toxicity.

Mask-wearing increases the carbon dioxide in a person’s blood and increases the risk of hypercapnia (which is a harmful elevation in the blood’s carbon dioxide level).

In a study conducted in a medical setting using a capnometer (used to test CO2 blood levels) mask-wearing anesthetists were tested before wearing their masks and then after wearing a mask for twenty minutes.  All anesthetists showed elevated CO2 blood levels after this twenty-minute period.[25]

The results of these studies are common sense and are predictable since masks trap some of the CO2-rich breath in the mouth/mask inter-space.  Thus, a part of the carbon dioxide previously exhaled is inhaled again during each respiratory cycle.

Not only are the resulting oxygen deprivation and elevated CO2 blood levels common sense and predictable, but the consequences are also.  For example:

  A New Jersey man passed out when driving while wearing a mask and crashed.[26] 

  Two healthy Chinese teenagers dropped dead while wearing masks during a run.[27]


3.   Mask-wearing reduces a person’s immune protection against diseases.

Habitual wearing of masks decreases a person’s natural immune response which fights off diseases.  This is because a drop in oxygen levels (hypoxia) is associated with an impairment in immunity.  Such impaired immunity places a person at greater risk of contracting any infection, including COVID-19 and also makes the consequences of any infection graver.  In other words, mask-wearing can place a person at an increased risk of infections and likelihood of a worse outcome.  Here are four studies which show this:

1.    Shehade H. et al. study entitled: Cutting edge: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 negatively regulates Th1 function published in: J Immunol 2015;195:1372-1376; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275019757_Cutting_Edge_Hypoxia-Inducible_Factor_1_Negatively_Regulates_Th1_Function

2.    Westendorf AM et al. study entitled: Hypoxia enhances immunosuppression by inhibiting CD4+ effector T cell function and promoting Treg activity, published in: Cell Physiol Biochem 2017;41:1271-84; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314487473_Hypoxia_Enhances_Immunosuppression_by_Inhibiting_CD4_Effector_T_Cell_Function_and_Promoting_Treg_Activity

3.    McMahon, et al., Hypoxia-enhanced Expression of the Proprotein Convertase Furin Is Mediated by Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1: 10.1074/jbc.M413248200, 2004, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and available here: https://www.jbc.org/content/280/8/6561.full.pdf+html

 

4.    Sceneay J et al., study entitled: Hypoxia-driven immunosuppression contributes to the pre-metastatic niche, published in: Oncoimmunology 2013;2:1 e22355, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/onci.22355

COVID-19 is more technically named “SARS CoV-2”.  This is significant because one medical study showed that mask-wearing increased the risk of contracting Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in particular.[28] 

This weakening of the immune system is apparently why Surgeon General Jerome Adams told the public in March 2020 that wearing a mask “can increase your risk of getting it [viz. COVID-19]”.[29]

However, low oxygen blood levels don’t make a person more susceptible to only respiratory viruses, but also to a whole host of other diseases.  For example:

  Cancer invades, grows and spreads more readily in a low-oxygen environment.[30]

  Atherosclerosis, cardiovascular (heart attacks), and cerebrovascular (strokes) disease risks are enhanced by a low-oxygen environment.[31]

 

4.   Mask-wearing disposes a person to “brain fog” and can reduce the clarity of his thinking.

In a 2008 study, mask-wearing was shown to cause anxiety, brain fog, and difficulty concentrating.[32] 

In another 2008 study, mask-wearing was shown to cause reduced work efficiency and the decreased ability to make correct decisions.[33]

Two of the Catholic Candle Team saw a striking instance of “brain fog” during the oxygen deprivation suffered by a woman they knew in a nursing home.  She was not wearing a mask but as she got closer to death, her lungs were less effective, so her blood oxygen level decreased.  She suffered an oxygen-deprivation incident which is instructive concerning what can happen when a person’s blood-oxygen level goes down a few points.  (The oximeter registered that her oxygen blood level was down 5%). 

One of the incidents which caused her nursing home to place her on supplemental oxygen, was her insisting that one of the two of us had visited her earlier on that particular day.  In fact, this did not happen.  That day, she also showed her confusion by saying various incoherent things.  When she was given supplemental oxygen, she (with her mind and memory) returned to normal and she was kept on oxygen for the remaining weeks of her life. 

5.   Mask-wearing often causes headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath (dyspnea).

A 2020 study involved 159 healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years.  It found that 81% of the workers developed headaches from wearing a face mask.  The research study concluded:

Most healthcare workers develop de novo PPEassociated headaches or exacerbation of their preexisting headache disorders.[34]

In a 2014 study of headaches caused by mask-wearing, researchers surveyed 212 healthcare workers (47 males and 165 females) and asked them about presence of headaches with N95 mask use, the duration of the headaches, the type of headaches, and if the person had preexisting headaches.  The researchers found that about a third of the workers developed headaches when they wore a mask; most of these workers had preexisting headaches that were worsened by mask-wearing, and 60% required pain medications for relief.[35] 

In a 2008 study, mask-wearing was shown to cause headaches, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and other adverse symptoms.[36]

In another 2008 study, mask-wearing was shown to cause headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath.[37]

6.   Mask-wearing causes a person to re-breathe particles trapped in his mask.

Mask-wearing not only increases the amount of CO2 a person re-breathes (as explained above) but also causes a person to re-breathe particles that his lungs have exhaled, whether those particles are pollen, dust, or various infectious particles which are trapped in the mask.  On the very next inhalation the person breathes them back in, increasing infectious particles in the airways and lungs.[38]  In this way, medical masks cause self-inoculation, an increase in particle load, and an increase in disease severity.

7.   Mask-wearing forces a person to breathe through a moist, warm material perfect for growing pathogens present in his surroundings.

Bacteria, protozoa, fungi and other pathogens are all around us in our environment.  This is normal.  Those pathogens do not cause disease unless they infect a person in sufficiently large numbers. 

For many of those pathogens to increase in number, they need a moist, warm environment.  This environment is supplied by a mask through which a person exhales his moist, warm breath.  Those masks become saturated and pathogens from the environment around us then can opportunistically multiply there.[39]

8.   Mask-wearing often causes a person to touch his face more frequently.

Every day, we see mask-wearers constantly fiddling with their masks.  Although COVID-19 is in the “same ballpark” as the annual flu and not dangerous to most people, nevertheless, if a person is supposedly trying to protect himself from colds, flu, COVID-19, or any other infectious disease, it can’t be helpful for him to be continually touching his face.

Eli Perencevich, MD, is an infection prevention specialist and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Iowa’s College of Medicine.  Here is how he warned how increased touching of one’s face increases a risk of infection anytime there is a pathogen present:

The average healthy person … shouldn’t be wearing masks.  …  [People] can increase the risk of infection because they’re touching their face more often.[40]

Further, continually fiddling with a mask is a sign of the discomfort of wearing a mask and how it also distracts a person from thought and from his focus on other parts of life.

The above problems are made worse by the almost universal practice (in the mask-wearing general public) of wearing the same mask repeatedly and for long periods, rather than continually replacing masks every hour or so.

In the medical setting, masks are continually replaced by new masks.  Here is how one surgeon explained this practice:

Medical masks are single use devices designed to be worn for a relatively short period of time.  Once the mask becomes saturated with moisture from breath, which, if properly fit, takes about an hour, they should be replaced.  The more moisture-saturated the mask becomes, the more it blocks oxygen, increases re-breathing of carbon dioxide, re-breathing of viral particles, and becomes a breeding ground for other pathogens.[41]

As we see in daily life, almost every mask-wearer uses the same mask, day after day.  He stores it in an unsanitary location, e.g., at the grungy bottom of his backpack, where it accumulates other foreign grime which is then available for his inhalation on the next occasion when he wears it.  This is a further inevitable problem with the harmful idea of having the healthy general population wear masks.


Conclusion
: As everyone agreed before the liberals made mask-wearing a political tool:

  Mask-wearing “carries uncertainties and critical risks” for the general public (WHO); and

  Mask-wearing “can increase your risk of getting it [viz. COVID-19]” (U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams).


3.   The real purpose of imposing masks is to dehumanize and control the population

As is true of the corona-lockdowns, the mask-mandates are for controlling the people, not a virus.

Let’s start by summarizing the background of these mask-wearing mandates.

As we showed above, until the Spring 2020, every medical authority and medical study agreed that masks are ineffective against a virus and that masks themselves present a serious health risk to the general population.  Then the liberals completely reversed their position – although they did not support their new position with any serious studies or reasoning. 

Starting with the liberals’ reversal of position, masks instantly “became” the safe and prudent garb that everyone was told to wear.  Those who didn’t reverse their own position and their own practice in order to follow the liberals and mainstream media, were mocked and attacked as being rash, stubborn, unfeeling, “science deniers” who endanger the lives of other people.  People felt peer-pressure to conform.  By wearing a mask, people engage in “virtue signaling” to show that they are not backward, unfeeling, or “science deniers”.

The liberals and mainstream media leave no room for calm, rational discussion of the many reasons and studies against mask-wearing.  For example, social media sites immediately remove any rational discussion, calling it “disinformation”.  The liberals and mainstream media declared that it is completely unacceptable to continue to follow what everyone – even Fauci, the CDC, the WHO, and the rest of the liberal medical “authorities” – had continually said for years until they contradicted themselves in the Spring of 2020.  People are given no other choice: either conform or be mocked and vilified.

Mandatory mask-wearing began in the summer of 2020, as the evidence then showed increasingly plainly that the COVID-19 death scare was overblown.

Early in 2020, the liberals and mainstream media terrorized the people by predicting a catastrophic corona-death toll.  For example, in March 2020, the widely-cited Imperial College COVID-19 death model predicted that COVID-19 could cause as many as 2.2 million people to die in the U.S.[42]

But as the weeks passed, it became increasingly clear that this scare was false and that COVID-19 was not nearly as fatal as the scaremongers claimed.  People became less afraid and were demanding that society be opened up and that the lockdowns end. The “spell” of corona-terror was dissipating.  At that point, many governments ordered mandatory mask-wearing. 

Masks cause people to be disoriented, frightened, and anxious (both emotionally and physically).  This effect of masks is not only common sense – and we observe every day in our current, bizarre times – but it is shown by all of the medical studies on the subject.  For example, a 2008 study showed that mask-wearing caused anxiety, brain fog, and difficulty concentrating.[43]

For the liberals to accomplish their totalitarian goals, it is crucial that the people be anxious and disoriented.  This was admitted, for example, by billionaire, far-left promoter of socialism and revolution, George Soros, who remarked how the people’s fear and disorientation were crucial for accomplishing his goals.  Here are his words:

I would describe it as a revolutionary moment when the range of possibilities is much greater than in normal times ….  What is inconceivable in normal times becomes not only possible but actually happens.  People are disoriented and scared.[44]

The leftists and New World Order promoters are using mask-wearing mandates to prevent people from going back to normal life and to keep them in a state of corona-disorientation.


No medically-effective mask is demanded but only outward conformity.

Because mask-wearing is about controlling the people, and not controlling a virus, there are no minimum medical standards for the masks.  A face-covering is demanded, but any face-covering is acceptable.  It doesn’t matter what the face-covering is, as long as it conceals a person’s face.  Any kind of bandana or strip of cloth is fine – no matter what it is made of and no matter how ill-fitting it is.

Mask-wearing destroys human interaction.

All that tyrants need in order to succeed in enslaving the people is to prevent the people from joining together.  As Benjamin Franklin famously said while he and other American colonial leaders were opposing King George III of England: “If we don’t all hang together, we will all hang separately.” 

Mask-wearing is all about dividing and isolating people from each other because masks disrupt social connections and impede social interactions.  This is because masks hide the most distinct, unique, human aspect of people – their faces.  The two main means of human communication are our mouths and our eyes.  Masks obscure our expressions and impede normal human, social interaction, dialogue and therefore, friendships and community.

Masks de-humanize persons and weaken the human connection of persons who are talking together.  They cannot see each other’s expressions, so they are less sure they know what the other person is thinking, whether he understands correctly, etc.  For example, when a person tells a joke, it is harder to know if the other person knows he is joking and whether the other person understands the joke being told.

When people have their mouths and noses covered, they cannot readily speak.  This is why placing something over the mouth is a universal symbol of suppression of speech.  It is a common sight to see two masked persons come together and pull down their masks so they can speak to each other.

Not only can’t people readily talk, they also cannot readily understand the muffled words which other people are trying to communicate.  The psychological impact of these impediments to communication, is huge.

Government mask-mandates push people to watch their neighbors and report on them.

One hallmark of communist countries is pushing people to report their neighbors if those neighbors do not conform to government regulations.  The U.S. has had comparatively little of such a report-your-neighbor, tattletale mentality in its history.  But the government is encouraging this mentality now.  Some governments have set up hotlines on which a person can report his neighbor for not wearing a mask.  Here are three examples:

  In Ohio:  https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/ohio-county-launches-hotline-to-report-people-spotted-without-masks

  In New York: https://nypost.com/2020/04/21/de-blasios-social-distancing-tip-line-flooded-with-obscenities/

  In Los Angeles: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/la-mayor-says-snitches-get-rewards-if-they-report-neighbors-covid-violations

Vermont schools interrogate their students whether the students’ families had Thanksgiving dinner with anyone outside their family circle.[45]

Some people are officious meddlers and so they will gladly report their neighbor for not wearing a mask.  Others are jealous of non-mask-wearers: “if I have to wear this, why don’t they?”  This jealous friction harms the cohesiveness of a free people.

Mask orders are helping to turn the U.S. – which has been one of the freest countries on Earth – into a regimented, conformist society, under perpetual surveillance, in which a subservient people scurries about under the severe eyes of authority.

Mask-wearing is a further part of the liberals’ vision of a “nanny state”.

A mature and free person takes personal responsibility for his own actions.  For example, he decides whether to buy flood insurance for his home – for his use in the event that his home suffers a catastrophic flood.  If he decides not to buy this insurance, then he suffers the consequences of his own decision if his house floods.  He “made his bed and now must lie in it”.

This is a conservative mentality.  This is the position of freedom, maturity and virtue.  This is the Catholic position.  So, although there are hurricanes and floods every year, the government does not command a person to buy flood insurance.  This was more the position of our nation in the past (compared to the present). 

Likewise, there is flu and there are other sicknesses every year.  In the past, no one ordered healthy people to lockdown, wear a mask, and take other such measures.  An adult was expected to take personal responsibility for his own health and for his family.

By contrast, the liberals seek (and have long sought) to make the U.S. into a “nanny state”, in which adult citizens are not free but must conform to everything the government tells them to do for their (supposed) “own good”.  For example, the Obamacare statute has a health insurance mandate to compel people to buy health insurance “for their own good” and which includes the specific minimum coverage which the government decides those people must buy.  This is like the government demanding that all people eat a certain minimum quantity of broccoli “for their own good”. 

This is the same mentality as in communist countries, where the government manages everyone’s life and, e.g., tells factories what (and how much) to produce and tells farmers what (and how much) to grow.  Pope Pius XI warned about this communist control of the people, in these words:

Communism, moreover, strips man of his liberty, robs human personality of all its dignity ….[46]

Part of that dignity which Pope Pius XI speaks of, is the dignity of a person taking personal responsibility and being provident for himself and his family. 

Mask-wearing is all about the government controlling the people through power and fear.  Face masks turn people into voiceless submissivesIn mask-wearing, we see an example of government abuse and a furtherance of the “nanny state”.  The “nanny state” mandates (such as mask mandates) are very visible ways in which Russia is spreading her errors to the Western World, as Our Lady of Fatima predicted would occur.[47]

The liberals and mainstream media make a pretense of tolerance but are completely intolerant when they are in control and when people don’t make the same “safety decisions” those liberals demand, because liberals assume that people will not do what is reasonable unless the government compels them to do so.

Mask-wearing promotes evil conduct.

Revolutionary change can only occur in a destabilized society, as George Soros recognizes in the quote above.  Mask-wearing destabilizes society because it emboldens people to commit evil they would not otherwise commit.  That is why the (anti-Catholic, anti-black, bigoted) Klu Klux Klan members wear masks to embolden them in the evil they commit.  Similarly, criminals wear masks because it makes them anonymous. 

That is why many states make it a felony to wear a mask or conceal one’s face in public (with a few exceptions for which masks are permitted).  Here, for example, is the relevant part of Virginia’s criminal mask-wearing statute:

It shall be unlawful for any person over 16 years of age to, with the intent to conceal his identity, wear any mask, hood or other device whereby a substantial portion of the face is hidden or covered so as to conceal the identity of the wearer, to be or appear in any public place ….  The violation of any provisions of this section is a Class 6 felony.[48]

The anonymity of actions committed while wearing a mask is like the anonymity of conduct committed in darkness.  That is why Our Lord declares that evildoers love the darkness:

[M]en loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil.  For everyone that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.[49]

Similarly, broad public mask-wearing de-stabilizes society by encouraging the protestors and rioters to commit crimes they would not otherwise commit.  This mask-wearing obstructs the relationships between people and makes people’s interactions more anonymous.

Face-covering promotes aggressive (and unfriendly) conduct against another person whose face is covered.

Not only does wearing a mask encourage a person to act evilly or irresponsibly, but also, when the person acted upon has his face covered, this further encourages aggressive or unfriendly conduct because it dehumanizes the recipient of that conduct.  This is why from time immemorial, executioners covered the faces of the criminals who were being executed (whether by firing squad, lethal injection, electric chair, hanging, etc.).  Covering the criminal’s face de-humanizes the man whom the executioners are about to kill.

The incentive offered to the people for this conformity, is receiving back a part of the normal life that the government stole from the people.

As long as people conform to the mask requirement and wear something that covered their faces, they are not harassed.  They are given the “privilege” of shopping at those stores which are, in turn, granted the “privilege” of being allowed to be open.  (The permissible stores are mostly the big-box stores, to the destruction of the nation’s “mom and pop” businesses.  These big-box corporations almost uniformly promote and support liberal causes.)

Thus, people learned that if they conformed to the mask-wearing order, they could receive the “privilege” of having part (but only part) of their normal life restored to them again.  This is like in communist countries, the government allows the people the “privilege” of working and living with less government harassment if they conform and don’t dissent.  People in communist countries learn that by conforming, they can have at least some aspects of a normal life (at the cost of their soul and their character).  In other words, people are taught that if they want to live a life which is at least partly normal, they have to accept abnormality.

The character of mask mandates as executive orders, does further harm.

The harm to our country is not only caused by ordering everyone to wear masks but also because this is done by “emergency” executive order.  The justification of those orders, in principle, is that they are necessary when an emergency is so urgent that action must occur immediately and there is no time to wait for the legislature to act.  However, the months tick by, one by one, and there is no legislative action, as there would be if this were a true emergency.

This is an important and evil precedent which twists our established form of government.  The abusive executive orders continue without checks or balances, month after month, long after the legislatures could have enacted a law but chose not to.  In fact, some legislatures, e.g., Wisconsin’s, both did not enact any law and also challenged their governor’s lockdown as unconstitutional.[50]

Those who voluntarily promote this societal upheaval and revolution also share the guilt for it.

A person is culpable for the sin of another person when he: 1) consents to that sin; 2) remains silent when he should speak up; or 3) is a partner in that sin.[51] 

All of us, in our own circumstances, must make sure that we do not consent to or voluntarily cooperate with this evil now committed through this corona-scare which is ushering in what the globalists call “rebuilding the infrastructures of human existence”[52] and the “Great Reset” of the world’s “economic and social system” in the wake of the “global health crisis”, requiring a “new social contract” focusing on “social justice”.[53]

Some people have more options than others do to effectively resist the jack boot of the New World Order, firmly pressing on society’s neck.  Plainly, as much as possible, we should avoid scandalizing other people by giving them the impression that we support the liberal agenda. 

Whereas the liberals follow their leaders such as former vice president Joe Biden, in “religiously” wearing masks, conservatives tend to be mask sceptics, like President Trump.  As even the liberal media notes, there is an element of political allegiance displayed in wearing a mask in public.[54]

Further, Our Lord is the Truth.  St. John’s Gospel, 14:6.  We all have a duty to be devoted to the truth and reflect the truth by our outward actions.  If a person is persuaded that the present universal mask-wearing is not a health necessity but rather is a leftist political ruse, then he would avoid voluntarily wearing a mask so that his outward actions would reflect these truths that he knows.  Each such instance of not being cowed by human respect and pressure can help timid Catholics gain strength to join the fight for Christ the King.

We are first and foremost Catholics!  We are subjects of Christ the King!  Everything else we are, is secondary!



[4]           Here is where to find the report promoting this study as important “proof” that masks work as disease control: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/19/coronavirus-wearing-a-mask-can-reduce-transmission-by-75percent-new-study-claims.html

 

[6]           This report can be found here: https://t.co/6EpifQ80cb

 

[7]           CBS’s 60 Minutes on March 8, 2020, quoted from here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/preventing-coronavirus-facemask-60-minutes-2020-03-08/

 

[8]           https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/1233725785283932160 (emphasis in the original).

 

[9]           https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2006372 (emphasis added).

[10]         This California’s Occupation Safety and Health Administration regulation can be found here: https://dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/COVID-19-Infection-Prevention-in-Logistics.pdf (accessed October 28, 2020).

 

[12]         Advice on the Use of Masks in the Context of COVID-19 – Guidance, World Health Organization (April 6, 2020), found here: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331693/WHO-2019-nCov-IPC_Masks-2020.3-eng.pdf

 

[14]         2020 study by the University of Minnesota, entitled: Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy, found at this link: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data (bracketed words added for clarity).

[15]         Quoted from: bin-Reza F et al. study entitled The use of mask and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: A systematic review of the scientific evidence.  Published in: Resp Viruses 2012;6(4):257-67; available at this link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1750-2659.2011.00307.x


[16]           Study:
Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: A randomized controlled trial, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 37, Issue 5, 417 – 419, available at this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19216002


[17]         This chart came from the Cambridge University study entitled:
Face masks to prevent transmission of influenza virus: A systematic review, published here: Epidemiology and Infection, 138(4), 449-456.  doi:10.1017/S0950268809991658, and available at this link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/face-masks-to-prevent-transmission-of-influenza-virus-a-systematic-review/64D368496EBDE0AFCC6639CCC9D8BC05/core-reader

 

[18]         Offeddu, V. et al. (2017), in a study entitled: Effectiveness of Masks and Respirators Against Respiratory Infections in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 65, Issue 11, 1 December 2017, Pages 1934–1942, found at this link: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix681

 

[19]         Henning Bundgaard, et al., in a study entitled: Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers, Annals of Internal Medicine, https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-6817 also available at this link: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-6817

 

[20]         “Nm” is the abbreviation for a nanometer, i.e., a billionth of a meter.  Contrast a nanometer to a “μm”, which is a micrometer, i.e., a millionth of a meter.  This means that a μm is one thousand times greater than an nm.

[21]         Balazy, et al., in a study entitled: Do N95 respirators provide 95% protection level against airborne viruses, and how adequate are surgical masks?, published in

Am J Infect Control, 2006 Mar;34(2):51-7, doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2005.08.018, found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16490606/

 

[22]         Masks Don’t Work: A review of science relevant to COVID-19 social policy by D. G. Rancourt, PhD, 25 June, 2020,  https://masksickness.ca/articles/2020/06/25/masks-dont-work-review-science-relevant-covid-19-social-policy (bracketed words added for clarity). 


[23]         Advice on the Use of Masks in the Context of COVID-19 – Guidance, World Health Organization (April 6, 2020), found here: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331693/WHO-2019-nCov-IPC_Masks-2020.3-eng.pdf (emphasis added).

 

[24]         Bader A. et al., Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery, published in: Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/

 

[25]         S. J. Fletcher, et al., Carbon dioxide rebreathing with close fitting face respirator masks, 2006, published in Anaesthesia, and available here: https://associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2006.04767.x


[26]        
Article entitled: Driver in crash may have passed out from wearing N95 mask too long: Police, report published here: https://abcnews.go.com/US/driver-crash-passed-wearing-n95-mask-long-police/story?id=70346532


[27]        
Article entitled: Two boys drop dead in China while wearing masks during gym class,  NY Post (May 6, 2020), published here: https://nypost.com/2020/05/06/two-boys-drop-dead-in-china-while-wearing-masks-during-gym-class/

[28]         National Taiwan University Hospital, The Physiological Impact of N95 Masks on Medical Staff, 2005, published here: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00173017

[29]         Here is the report from left-leaning news outlet, Politico:

 

“You can increase your risk of getting it by wearing a mask if you are not a health care provider,” Surgeon General Jerome Adams said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” earlier this month.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/30/coronavirus-masks-trump-administration-156327

 

[30]         Blaylock RL, Immunoexcitatory mechanisms in glioma proliferation, invasion and occasional metastasis, published in: Surg Neurol Inter 2013;4:15; https://surgicalneurologyint.com/surgicalint-articles/immunoexcitatory-mechanisms-in-glioma-proliferation-invasion-and-occasional-metastasis/


[31]        
Savransky V et al., Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces atherosclerosis, published in: Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2007;175:1290-1297, https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1164/rccm.200612-1771OC


[32]         Bader A. et al., Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery, published in: Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/

 

[33]         National Taiwan University Hospital, The Physiological Impact of N95 Masks on Medical Staff, 2005, published here: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00173017

 

[34]         Ong JJY et al. study entitled: Headaches associated with personal protective equipment- A cross-sectional study among frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19, published in: Headache 2020;60(5):864-877,  https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/head.13811

 

[35]         Zhu JH et al. in a study titled: Effects of long-duration wearing of N95 respirator and surgical facemask: a pilot study. Published in J Lung Pulm Resp Res 2014:4:97-100, https://medcraveonline.com/JLPRR/effects-of-long-duration-wearing-of-n95-respirator-and-surgical-facemask-a-pilot-study.html

 

[36]         Bader A et al., Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery, published in: Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/

[37]         National Taiwan University Hospital, The Physiological Impact of N95 Masks on Medical Staff, 2005, published here: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00173017

[38]         This is explained further by Dr. Kelly Victory, MD, at this link: https://www.brighteon.com/7cad71ce-40ab-4def-b0b7-cc5ff7a18925

 


[43]         Bader A et al., Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery, published in: Neurocirugia 2008;19:12-126, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/

[46]         Divini RedemptorisOn Atheistic Communism, Pope Pius XI, 1937, §10.

 

[47]         Our Lady of Fatima warned in 1917 that, when she came in the future (viz., in 1929) to ask for the consecration, if the pope delayed this consecration, his delay would cause great harm throughout the world.  Here are Our Lady’s words:

 

I shall come [viz., in 1929] to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, by the Holy Father and all the bishops of the world.  If my request is heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace.  If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecution against the Church.

 

This is a portion of Our Lady’s message during the Third Apparition of Fatima, July 13, 1917 (emphasis added; bracketed words added to clarify the timeline), quoted from The Whole Truth About Fatima, Frére Michel de la Sainte Trinité, translator John Collorafi, vol. II, Immaculate Heart Publications, Buffalo, NY, © 1989 for English translation, pp.281-282.

[49]         St. John’s Gospel, 3:19-20.

 


[51]            Here is summary of this basic truth about the various ways we can be responsible for another’s sin:

 

328. When are we answerable for the sins of others? 

We are answerable for the sins of others whenever we either cause them, or share in them, through our own fault. 

329. In how many ways may we either cause or share the guilt of another’s sin? 

We may either cause or share the guilt of another’s sin in nine ways:

 

1.    By counsel.

 

2.    By command.

3.    By consent.

4.    By provocation.

5.    By praise or flattery.

6.    By concealment.

7.    By being a partner in the sin.

8.    By silence.

9.    By defending the ill done.

 

Quoted from The Penny Catechism, Nihil Obstat, Joannes M.T. Barton, S.T.D., L.S.S., Censor deputatus, Imprimatur, Georgius L. Craven, Epus Sebastopolis, Vicarius Generalis, Westmonasterii, die 20a Junii, 1958, p.57 (emphasis added).