Is Mother Teresa a true or a false mystic ?

A symbol that characterises our times came at the moment of the beatification of Mother Teresa: for the first time since the Catholic reconquest in 1492 that put an end to eight hundred years of Muslim domination in the Iberian peninsula, Grenada once again has a grand mosque. Constructed in the traditional Moorish style of white bricks, covered with a red roof, it is placed side by side with a convent of Catholic nuns and Saint Nicholas’ church, a former mosque that had been transformed into a church.

Thus, all is ready for the « mutual evangelisation » advocated at Calcutta by Fr. Dupuy, S.J., a disciple of John Paul II and Mother Teresa, a so-called evangelisation that is as far as possible from that of St. Francis Xavier, who wrote to St. Ignatius from India: « Very often I feel like going to European universities, especially the University of Paris, and crying out in a loud voice like a man who has lost his senses to those who have more science than the desire to make good use of it. I would say to them: “How many souls fall short of the glory of God and fall into Hell due to your negligence ! ”»

Let us note that the Blessed Virgin came to say the same thing at Valinhos on August 19, 1917: « Many souls go to Hell because they have no one to make sacrifices and to pray for them. » This is, indeed, because the souls to be saved no longer have missionaries, since Paul VI, and following in his wake, John Paul II, substituted “interfaith dialogue” for evangelisation, by virtue of the principle according to which « the Holy Spirit is at work in the traditions of other religions ».

Since that day, not only do souls fall into Hell « as though into a whirlpool », as Sister Lucy says, but we no longer have peace on earth.

THE EIGHTEEN RELIGIONS OF MOTHER TERESA

October 7, 1975, the anniversary of the victory at Lepanto obtained by St. Pius V’s prayer in 1571, through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, also marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Missionaries of Charity by Mother Teresa of Calcutta. On that day she was present for the prayers of Muslims; then she went to the Buddhist temple (photo supra and infra), where the “head bonze”, after giving thanks before the statue of Buddha, offered to Mother Teresa « two electric candles that will burn forever ». The day ended with High Mass at Our Lady of Fatima church.

These ceremonies brought to an end a busy week during which the adepts of the eighteen religions practiced at Calcutta, even the secretive Jains and the Parsis, invited Mother Teresa to ceremonies celebrated in honour of this Jubilee.

An account of it was written by a nun but was only intended for her sisters, the Missionaries of Charity throughout the world. The review Missi, nevertheless, published excerpts illustrated by photos that suffice to give an idea of the pomp of this week that was « absolutely unique in the spiritual history of humanity by the participation of the eighteen religions present in Calcutta: Buddhists, several Jains, “clothed in white” or “clothed in space” [that is, totally naked], Sikhs, Parsis, Muslims, Jews, several Christian confessions, a carousel of ceremonies, as many as five in the same day, which forced Mother Teresa and her brigade of young nuns in their white and blue saris to run to the four corners of the immense city of the terrible goddess Kali. The city is named after her: Kalicatta (Calcutta). » (“Mère Teresa aux dimensions du monde” Missi, March 1976)

It all got off to a start on the morning of September 28 in the Armenian church. Then after a visit to the Protestants of Calcutta, the Methodist, « Mother hurried off to the Jain Digambara Temple with a group of nuns. When they entered, seven drums, two cymbals and three pairs of “Jerry Jerries” welcomed them. It was in a large square room; rugs were spread out on the floor. We were then led to the four digambaras (Jain monks). These monks belong to the strictest sect of Jains and are contemplatives who observe five vows: non-violence, respect of property, fidelity, celibacy, and poverty, including clothing, and are completely naked. They only eat one meal a day and while standing. The four of them were seated to the left of the altar, while to the right were the female Jain religious, dressed in white saris.

« Five young girls sang “Meri Bhaivana”, My contemplation, (cf. excerpt, below) and the assembly repeated it in chorus. Then there was the procession and the enthronement of the statue of Mahavira. Five worshipers, dressed in beautiful garments, bathed the statue by pouring water with silver cups, while the assembly cheered.

« After this, Mother spoke of “serving one’s neighbour”.

« The head digambara monk said a few words on the main teachings of Mahavira: “Live and let live”. »

In order to put into practice this absolute respect for life, the corollary of their belief in reincarnation, the Jains place a veil in front of their mouth so as to avoid swallowing even the smallest of gnats.

Their founder, Jina the Victorious, better known by the name Mahavira – the Great Man – almost the contemporary of Buddha, became like him an object of worship at the same time as Vishnu, the supreme god.

This first day ended in the evening at St. James’ church, which was brilliantly lit up and where we entered to the sound of the accordion.

On October 1, the ceremony took place among another group of Jains; on October 2 in “the church of God”, where Reverend Buntain, assisted by another pastor, celebrated the merits of Mother Teresa, while a crowd clapped hands and sang at the top of their voices “Alleluia”, “Amen”, “Praise God”, “Blessed be Mother Teresa !”

On October 3, they went to the Hindus, to attend the solemn prayer of Brahmo Samaj. On October 4, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the rendezvous was « at the Hindu temple of Shri Lakshmi Narayan. The richest people of Calcutta were gathered there to listen to Mother Teresa. Everyone touched Mother’s feet and led her into the shrine. All those present invoked the one hundred names of God with great devotion. Everything was in Sanskrit and most solemn.

« That same evening at 4:30 we were with the Parsis praising the Lord for His goodness. »

The Parsis are Persians who refused to convert to Islam and kept the Zoroastrian religion, according to which two principles govern the world: the god of good, symbolised by fire, and the god of evil.

St. Augustine was an adept of this “Manichaeism” before his conversion, which is named after Mani, a heretic who had been born Christian but reverted to the doctrine of the Persians.

On the morning of October 5, « the Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated in our cathedral as well as in all the parishes where the sisters work. Then Mother and the nuns went to another thanksgiving service organised by a third group of Jains. »

They then went to the Sikhs, « where all men must have their head’s covered. We saw Fr. Gorrée and the others cover their heads with their handkerchiefs ».

The Sikhs form a sort of military chivalry. Very influential in India, they form the personnel of the army and the administration. They can be recognised by their wearing a beard and turban that hides their lengthy uncut hair that is rolled into a bun. This compromise between Hinduism and Islam constitutes their religion.

« The last prayer service that morning was at the Mar Thoma Syrian church. It was short and very good.

« During the very well organised service at Saint Paul’s cathedral that same evening, a great number of distinguished persons were in attendance, contributing to the solemnity of this ceremony. At the sound of the organ, the procession of the clergy, of various origins, made its way towards the altar. A banner was carried at the procession’s head: “Church of Northern India – Unity – Witness – Service”.

« Then came the text that Archbishop Perier, S.J., the veritable father of our community, who made our existence possible twenty-five years ago, had chosen for us, and we recited it in chorus:

“In order to accomplish our mission of compassion and love towards the poorest among the poor, we seek in the cities and towns and villages, in the entire world, those who are abandoned, ill, crippled, the lepers, the dying, the desperate, those who are lost or rejected…”

« It was a marvellous experience as well to hear such a large assembly of people so different, reading and meditating the words of our constitution that Mother gave us. It has become in some manner a universal gift for everyone ! »

On October 6, the thanksgiving service was held at Maghen David synagogue, with this prayer composed for the occasion:

« We, the Jews of Calcutta, join in the thanksgiving and pray that the Father, in his mercy, will preserve Mother Teresa and her nuns, will watch over them and deliver them from all worry and all sorrow. May the day come when the children of men will understand that they have only one father, that only one God created them all. Then the light of universal justice will shine on the world and knowledge of God will cover the earth, as water covers the sea. Amen. »

Let us note that this peaceful co-existence of the eighteen religions of Calcutta around Mother Teresa took place ten years before the “summit” of all world religions at Assisi ! We can then understand the favour with which John Paul II always surrounded “his” Mother Teresa, as the front page of La Croix of October 20 brazenly says. But the question that may be asked is, to which of them did “the inspiration” for such polytheism, to call it by its true name, come first: to Karol Wojtyla or to Mother Teresa ?

« Their first meeting probably took place in February 1973. Still Archbishop of Cracow, Cardinal Wojtyla participated in the Eucharistic Congress of Melbourne. Three years later, he met her again in Philadelphia at another Eucharistic Congress whose theme was hunger. Mother Teresa spoke on “the hunger for bread”, Cardinal Wojtyla on “the hunger for liberty”. » So a « tender connivance » brings them together, to such an extent that Msgr. Francesco Follo, the Holy See’s representative to Unesco, the chaplain of the Italian Missionaries of Charity, and the author of a book on Mother Teresa’s spirituality, was able to speak of her as being « the feminine dimension of John Paul II » (La Croix, October 18-19, 2003).

THE MISSIONARY VOCATION

According to Msgr. Machado, an Indian prelate, the Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, the beatification of Mother Teresa does not add much to what the “other religions” had already understood, since « Mother Teresa was integrated into the Hindu pantheon long ago », he explained:

« By her commitment to the poor, beyond castes and religions, by her lifestyle, by her untiring work, she had touched millions and millions of persons who did not wait for Rome’s decisions to honour her as a saint. » They were able to do so all the more easily because Mother Teresa did not ask them to change religions…

But just what kind of holiness is it ?

Fr. Donald de Souza, Secretary General of India’s Bishops’ Conference, is more explicit: « Indians, who are very religious, instinctively felt that Mother Teresa was a saint. Not in the technical sense in which we understand it, but as a person full of God. »

« Full » of which God ? This is a question that one is entitled to ask. « Whether one be Hindu, Muslim or Christian, she used to say, it is the way one lives that decides whether one belongs to God. »

This is why she never sought to convert the unfortunate people whom she assisted. Such is the case of that “priest” of the goddess Kalighat, who had been left dying in the street and whom the Missionaries of Charity had taken in and cared for. Not only did Mother Teresa become a veritable “goddess” in his eyes, but that day, in the eyes of the other priests of the Hindu temple, she proved that she had not come to convert the population to Christianity. That is why, explains Fr. Dominic Emmanuel, an Indian priest of the Society of the Divine Word, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of New Delhi, « today, practically all Hindus have raised her on a pedestal, and often higher than their own saints ! »

However Mother Teresa did not always think and act in this manner, as can be seen in what Sister Nirmala, Superior General of the congregation, a convert from Hinduism said to La Croix:

« The inquiry that preceded the beatification revealed a little known aspect of the spiritual experience of Mother Teresa. Why are you unwilling to circulate these letters which show her hesitations, her doubts ?

– Some people do not understand. For us, it is important to know what the true inner experience of our Mother was, her experience of God. We are not opposed to the publication of these documents, but we believe that it must be done slowly, prudently. » (La Croix, October 18-19, 2003)

What is shocking in these early writings of Mother Teresa ? Her theory of what interfaith means ? Not at all ! And besides, no one objects to this, except us, who count for nothing ! All the more is there no objection, since the Pope is in favour of her; he was the one who, were it not for the Curia’s opposition, would have beatified and canonised Mother Teresa on the same day.

The answer that the mysterious documents suggest is that the beginnings of Mother Teresa were truly from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and therefore perfectly Catholic. Idolatry came later on, under the influence of the Council and of a certain doctrine that Msgr. Wojtyla helped gain force there.

Let us refer to an article published in the October 2003 issue of Ave Maria, a Spanish Marian monthly edited by the Claretian Fathers of Barcelona, entitled: “The Soul of Mother Teresa: the Hidden Aspects of her Inner Life (1910-1997).”

The life of Mother Teresa begins like an intense love story… She herself wrote: « From my childhood, Jesus was my first love. » She was favoured with a special grace at the time of her First Communion, at the age of five and a half: « Love for souls entered into me and since then has never ceased to grow. »

Her religious life began in the Irish congregation of the Sisters of Loretto: « For eighteen years, I tried to live according to His desires. I was burning to love Him as He had never been loved. » As an expression of this desire, at the age of thirty-six in 1942, with the permission of her spiritual director, she made the private vow « never to refuse God whatever He would ask of her ».

In 1946, she left for an eight-day retreat. On September 10, in the train, she heard for the first time the voice of Jesus. During the following months, Jesus asked her through several locutions and interior visions to found a religious community consecrated to serving the most poor, in order to « slake His thirst for love of souls ». We are far from « the hunger for liberty » !

Until her death, this circumstance under which the order was founded remained secret. But this is what led to the official establishment of the new institute on October 7, 1950. For she gave an account of it to her director, Fr. Céleste Van Exem, who permitted her to inform the Archbishop of Calcutta, Msgr. Perier. She therefore wrote to him from Saint Mary’s School at Calcutta where she was both principal and teacher. The letter was dated January 13, 1947. After having protested her obedience that made her ready to abandon « these strange thoughts, she said, that continually force themselves upon me », she continued:

« Very often, this year, I have had the desire of belonging totally to Jesus and to see to it that other souls, especially Indian souls, love Him with fervour. I wanted to identify myself with young Indian women and, in this manner, love Him as He has never been loved before. »

Having read the life of Mother Cabrini, she thought of imitating her: « She did not wait until souls came to her. She went to them, accompanied by truly zealous workers. Why could I not do the same thing here ? There are so many souls, pure, holy and who want to give themselves to God ! European Orders are too rich for them; they receive more than they give… »

She did not conceal her apprehensions about engaging in a new life, about « leaving what I have loved and exposing myself to new works, to new suffering, which will be great, to being the object of mockery for many, especially for religious for deliberately choosing the harshness of Indian life, solitude, ignominy and incertitude. And all that because Jesus wants it, because He calls me to leave everything and to bring together a few companions to do His work in India. All these thoughts caused much suffering but the voice continued to say to me: « “Will you refuse ?” One day, at the moment of Holy Communion, I heard the same voice say to me clearly:

« I want Indian nuns, victims of My love, who will be Marthas and Marys, who will be so united to me that they will radiate My Love to souls. I want nuns who are free, covered with the poverty of the Cross, covered with the obedience that I showed on the Cross. I want nuns full of Love, covered with the charity of the Cross. Will you refuse to do that for me ? »

Did Jesus say that ? And what about the indigenous congregation of the Daughters of Saint Ann, established in India in 1931 ?

« Another day: “You became My bride out of love, you came to India for Me. Thirst for souls has led you so far. Are you afraid of taking another step for your Spouse ? for Me and for souls ? Am I in second place for you ? Has your generosity cooled ? Have you not died for the sake of souls ? Therefore, do not worry about what will come about. Your heart has never been overcome by sorrow as the Heart of My Mother was. Both of Us, we gave everything for souls, and you ? Are you afraid of losing your vocation, of becoming a lay woman, of lacking perseverance ? No ! Your vocation is to love, to suffer, and to save souls and, by taking this step, you will fulfill the desire of My Heart. That is your vocation. You will put on the simple clothes of the Indians, or rather you will dress yourself as My Mother did, with simplicity and poverty. The Habit that you wear presently is holy, for it represents Me; your sari will be holy, for it will represent Me.” »

The Daughters of Saint Ann also wore the sari. Mother Teresa, therefore, did not innovate.

« I tried to convince Our Lord that I would try to be a very holy and fervent religious of Loretto, a true victim here, in my vocation, but once again the response made itself clearly heard:

« I want Indian Missionary Sisters of Charity who will be My fire of love among the most poor, the sick, the dying, the small street children. I want you to bring to Me the poor and sisters who will offer their lives as victims of My love, and who will bring souls to Me. I know that you are the most incapable, the weakest, the most sinful, but it is precisely for this reason that I wish to use you for My glory. Are you going to refuse ? »

« There words, or rather His voice frightened me. The thought of eating, sleeping, living like the Indians filled me with terror. I prayed for a long time. How I prayed ! I asked our Mother to ask Jesus to remove this from me, but the more I prayed, the more clearly this voice made itself heard in my heart and, therefore, I told Him to do with me whatever would please Him.

« Then He told me: Often you have said: do with me whatever shall please You. Now I want to act. Let Me do so, My little spouse, My smallest one. Fear nothing; I shall always be with you. You suffer now and you will suffer, but if you are My little spouse, the spouse of Jesus Crucified, you will have to experience these torments in your heart. Let Me act, do not reject Me. Place yourself in My hands lovingly, place yourself in My hands blindly.

“My small one, give Me souls, give Me the souls of the small street children. How I suffer – if only you realised – to see them sullied by sin. I desire the purity of their love. If only you replied to My call and you brought Me these souls ! Snatch them from the clutches of the Devil ! If only you knew how often these small ones fall into mortal sin each day ! Convents exist with numerous nuns to look after rich people who are well off, but for My own, for the most poor, there is absolutely no one. I desire them, I love them. Are you going to refuse ?” »

Jesus said that ? There is no one ? And the Sisters of Charity, establishing missions in India in 1940… ?

« “Ask His Excellency to grant this to Me in thanksgiving for the twenty-five years of grace that I have given him.” » Now, the bishop was celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of his episcopal ordination. Mother Teresa then set out the project that she desired to found, which was summed up in a terse formula:

« Franciscan poverty, Benedictine work.

« In the Order, young women of all nationalities may be accepted, but they must take on the Indian mentality, dress simply: an ample white habit, with long sleeves, a light blue sari and a white veil, sandals on bear feet, the crucifix, the cord and the Rosary. »

There followed directives for the spiritual life of the sisters and for their work: « They will go into the parishes in pairs, one for the sick and the dying, the other for the school. If numbers require it, they will go in greater numbers.

« The sisters will teach the children, they will help them to amuse themselves in a wholesome manner, far from the street and sin. The school should be situated in the poorest neighbourhoods of the parish in order to attract the street children; a sister will care for the sick and will assist the dying, as much as or more than can be done in the hospital. She will wash them and prepare them for Communion. »

This is how « the nuns of this Order will be Missionaries of Charity or Missionary Sisters of Charity.

« God calls me, an unworthy sinner though I am. I wish to give Him everything for souls. They will think I am crazy, after so many years, for starting something that can only bring me suffering, but He calls me to gather together a few companions and to start the work, struggling against the Devil in order to snatch from him the thousands of souls that he is destroying each day. »

The letter ends the same way it began, with a protestation of obedience: « And if you think that all this is a deception, I will accept it as well and will sacrifice myself totally. » Is there a better criterion for the discernment of spirits ? Moreover, what could be more Catholic than « snatching souls from the clutches of the Devil » ?

« DIABOLICAL DISORIENTATION »

What happened, then, between 1950 and 1975 ? A fact well known today: in this terrible struggle that Jesus asked Mother Teresa to wage against the Devil « in order to snatch from him the thousands of souls that he is destroying each day », the heavenly chastisement announced in the Third Secret of Fatima fell on a world that does not pray and does not do penance. The chastisement consists of a new “dogma” introduced like venom into the veins of the Church by the Second Vatican Council, causing a total extinction of the missionary zeal that has inflamed her Heart for twenty centuries.

This new dogma can be read at number 22 of the constitution Gaudium et spes, paragraph 2: « For by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man. It is not surprising to see this text resurfacing four times under the pen of John Paul II in his first encyclical Redemptor hominis, dated March 4, 1979, since it was Msgr. Wojtyla who inspired this at the Council.

The Pope is therefore quoting himself, while at the same time affirming that the Spirit of God spoke to the Council: « Can we not – despite all the weaknesses, all the shortcomings amassed over the past centuries – have confidence in Our Lord’s grace, such as it revealed itself by the word of the Holy Spirit which we heard during the Council ? »

This new Revelation deifies man all at once, making the Cross of Christ, the Church, faith, baptism and Christendom unnecessary. Every man finds himself « raised up to an unequalled dignity », in the Pope’s own words, by the sole fact of Jesus’ coming into this world. Even before offering His Sacrifice of expiation on the Cross, the Son of God, having become man, communicated to them all, in some fashion, His divinity; He already saved them by anticipation and merited for all of them the ability to obtain their salvation wherever they may be, with the means at their disposal, that is, their various religions.

Thus, the Second Vatican Council recommends, according to John Paul II, beyond « Christian ecumenism, set into motion by the unforgettable John XXIII, decided on by the Council, implemented by Paul VI », the union of all religions « through dialogue, contacts, prayer in common, the quest for the treasures of human spirituality [for filth, as St. Paul called it, Ph 3.8], for these, we are aware, are not lacking in the members of these religions ».

Such an affirmation opens the way for “a Christian theology of religious pluralism”, such as it is expounded by Fr. Dupuy, a Belgian Jesuit theologian, last January 25 in Saint Francis Xavier College at Calcutta. We shall quote the notes taken during this lecture by Fr. Pierre Salembier, S.J., published in St. Genevieve’s school’s alumni review. For reconstructing this lecture from his notes, Fr. Salembier referred to Fr. Dupuy’s book, “La rencontre du christianisme et des religions” (Cerf, 2002).

Fr. Dupuy does not fear to « speak of religions as being “paths of salvation”. He claims to be able to do so « without debasing the role of Christ as unique mediator of this salvation », while at the same time emphasising the radical opposition of such a doctrine with the one that prevailed « during the entire Middle Ages », according to which « outside the Church there is no salvation ».

To tell the truth, these « Middle Ages » began on the day of the Ascension of the Lord, in the year 30 of our era, and continued right through to the Second Vatican Council, on account of the order given by Our Lord to His Apostles: « Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. » (Mk 16. 15-16)

Fr. Dupuy acknowledges that « on the other hand, this conviction did fuel the zeal of numerous Catholic missionaries who conceived their preaching as wrenching the populations that they were evangelising from eternal damnation ». Giving as an example of this ancient mentality the letter of St. Francis Xavier addressed from India to St. Ignatius that we quoted at the beginning, he is very pleased with the change that came about since the Council: « Prepared by the reflection of a few pioneer theologians like Fr. Jean Daniélou and Fr. Henri de Lubac, the texts of Vatican II were a turning point in Catholic doctrine […]. At the same time, Paul VI, in his first encyclical, Ecclesiam suam, published in 1964, introduced the notion of “dialogue” as the key for the program of renewal of the Church desired by the Council. The Pope explains therein that “salvation history is a continual dialogue between God and mankind; the Church’s role is to prolong this dialogue. For the Church finds herself in a privileged situation for undertaking a dialogue with the entire world” »

The Jesuit then laments that Pope Paul VI regressed at the end of his pontificate: « Unfortunately, in his encyclical Evangelii nuntiandi, in 1975, Paul VI did not go as far as the affirmations of Vatican II. The image that he develops is that of non-Christians “their arms stretched out towards heaven” in comparison with that of God condescends to humanity in Jesus Christ in response to human aspirations. The distinction formulated remains therein that of “natural religious expressions most worthy of esteem” and the religion of Jesus which alone “effectively establishes with God an authentic and living relationship”. »

However, with John Paul II, « a new step was to be taken by a document published jointly by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples entitled: Dialogue and Proclamation: Reflection and Orientations on Interreligious Dialogue and the Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1991). This document states: “All who are saved share, though differently, in the same mystery of salvation in Jesus Christ through His Spirit.” By this affirmation, the Magisterium of the Catholic Church explicitly acknowledges an active presence of the mystery of Jesus Christ in the various non-Christian religious traditions.

« The last conference of Asian Bishops even dared to state that these religions are paths along which God comes to meet them, affirming as well that religions constitute gifts of God to humanity. »

Then seeking the « theological foundation » of such a novelty, Fr. Dupuy lists three of them.

« The primary foundation for undertaking interfaith dialogue is the argument for the unity of mankind. This dimension was clearly expressed by Vatican II’s declaration Nostra ætate on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions “One is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the face of the earth. One also is their final goal”. »

Thus God created mankind as a single family that He loves as a father, making no distinction between them, all loved by Him, all brothers, all called equally to salvation. That sets little value on the history of this humanity, a single family, indeed, but dispersed by original sin, divided at any rate, which must only and can only regain its unity and its fraternity in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Crucified: « Our faith erects the Cross of Jesus at the centre of the history of mankind. It is the Event upon which converge the hopes for eternal salvation harboured by men and from which flow all graces for everyone. » (Georges de Nantes, The Unique Salvation, CCR n^o 30, August 1972, p. 3)

« The second foundation is that of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believers of other religions. This idea was introduced by John Paul II in his first encyclical Redemptor hominis in 1978 and developed in his message to the inhabitants of Asia at Manila in 1981.

« In this text emerges the doctrine according to which “the Holy Spirit is present and active in the world, in the members of other religions and in these traditions themselves. Authentic prayer (even addressed to an unknown God), human values and virtues, treasures of hidden wisdom in religious traditions, true dialogue and authentic encounters between their members are so many fruits of the active presence of the Spirit.” This theme will be repeated in the encyclical Redemptoris missio (1990) which declares that the presence of the Spirit affects not only individual persons, but the religious traditions themselves. »

It is true that « some of the early Fathers regarded the ancient pagan religions as containing divine inspiration, and their founders as, in a certain sense, prophets of Christ who was to come. Even the pagan rituals could have been a preparation for the reign of grace. This is an optimistic view which seems to contain an element of truth… At the other extreme, some affirm with St. Paul that “the gods of the heathen are devils” (cf. 1 Co 10.20). A certain synthesis between these opposing views is however possible: the pagans did indeed find in their (false) religions an (imperfect) means of expressing a natural sense of worship of the true God, their Heavenly Father. But all of these religions propose images of the divinity or Idols, and intermediaries or detestable Saviours, the rivals of Christ, which are for this reason “antichrists”, and this is the peril and malice of these religions. This is why they must disappear once and for all. » (Georges de Nantes, ibid.)

« The third argument is the universality of the Kingdom of God. This makes us realise that the Beatitudes are not presented in the Gospel as the charter of Christianity but are addressed more widely to all men of “good will”.

« For this reason, we may think that all men of good will, of every religion are called to construct together the Kingdom of God which extends beyond the limits of the Church. »

This flattering and irenic presentation of « all religions » disregards the fact that they are invented by men, and « whatever they might contain of divine inspiration is null and void now that the Church, the Sign and Sacrament of Salvation has been established among the nations. To omit this essential truth that separates, divides, and opposes the true religion and the false ones, is a crime against the faith », wrote Fr. de Nantes. This is what Fr. Dupuy confirms, not hesitating to put the seal on this crime of apostasy: « Nevertheless, having said this, religious dialogue takes up a few challenges. First, in order to dialogue, it is necessary to have a clear sense of belonging, to be convinced of the truth of one’s own religion. Honesty supposes that one enters into dialogue without concealing what one considers as essential to one’s own faith.

« On the other hand, this supposes that one does not make an absolute out of something that is not absolute. Now there exists, in Christianity as in all religions, risks of idolatry, of Christolatry. »

Anathema sit !

It is obvious that Fr. Dupuy is no longer Catholic. But then, what can be said about Mother Teresa ? And about John Paul II ?

THE DECEPTION

Numerous letters that were addressed to various recipients and that have recently circulated for the exclusive use of the Missionaries of Charity, reveal « an unexpected face of Mother Teresa, that of a woman plunged into the deepest of spiritual nights… Like the great mystics such as St. John of the Cross or St. Thérèse of Lisieux whom she had, moreover, chosen as her patroness and whom she admired so much. » (La Croix, October 18-19, 2003)

Msgr. Francisco Follo warns: « Be careful not to misinterpret ! It is in no way a question of a period of doubt. Rather, it was a trial of purification of the faith. » Of what faith ? At any rate, not of the Catholic faith: « For Mother Teresa, explains Father Dominic Emmanuel, people were fundamentally good, whatever their religion. » How can this affirmation of the fundamental goodness of man, and the resulting religious indifferentism be reconciled with the Catholic faith ?

How can we not be surprised at the practical negation of the Devil, of original sin, of redemption, of the need for faith and grace to save the human race ?

All the same, one must not mistake the “night of the faith” with the pure and simple absence of it ! To those who criticised her for treating the effects of injustice and poverty without remedying their causes, Mother Teresa replied that she had to attend to the most urgent things first in order to assist the needy. As though the basic cause of the endemic misery of the populations of Calcutta were not their false religions and as though the only true religion, the source of all civilisation was not the remedy.

« AND WHAT IF JOHN PAUL II WAS MISTAKEN ? »

This is the title of a programme broadcast on France 2 network, Monday, October 27. From the outset, Benoit Duquesne asks:

« What if his performance, at the end of the twenty-five years of his pontificate was not as positive as it is said to be; what if the Church, having run out of faithful, vocations and money was not going all that well ? The question might seem provocative; it might even seem iconoclast when one sees the crowds that the name of John Paul II attracts. They are crowds who like the figure, this “athlete of the faith” as he has been called, crowds who respect the man, his courage, his convictions, his strength and now his suffering, but do they completely subscribe to his message ? And what if John Paul II was mistaken ? »

Benoit Duquesne criticises the Pope for his moral rigorism, notably in matters of sexuality… What an obsession ! And yet… there is some truth in it ! Yes, John Paul II was mistaken in imposing on people, as the Pharisees did in the times of Our Lord, a heavy burden that they are unable to carry because he has turned his back on the “Message”, which alone is able to make the yoke easy and the burden light, the Message of Our Lady of Fatima.

Through turning the devotion of peoples towards his own « person», through « attracting crowds by the appeal of his name », the result of his twenty-five year of pontificate is catastrophic: churches void of faithful, open one Sunday per month for a Mass for senior citizens because of a shortage of priests. And there is war at the four corners of the planet ready to inflame the world, in accordance with the “Third Secret”, due to the disobedience of the Pope to the desires of the Most Blessed Virgin:

« After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little higher up we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; it flashed and gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they were extinguished on contact with the brilliant light that Our Lady radiated against them with Her right hand; pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice:

“Penance, Penance, Penance !”

Let us but mention the white-hot furnaces that imperil peace in the world.

In the Holy Land, neither the Palestinians nor the Israeli government want peace. The objective of the Israelis is greater Israel and the Palestinians know this.

And the objective of the Jihad is the disappearance of the State of Israel. It is, therefore, a question of life or death for both camps. Peace is not possible. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon affirms Israel’s determination to strike its enemies « everywhere and using all means », despite the wave of protests caused by the raid on Syria. And he is assured of Bush’s total support.

Then, how much is the Church’s commitment to the “human rights” and “human dignity” that the Pope preaches worth ? The only thing that the Christians of Palestine still have are their eyes with which to weep before disappearing.

The same applies to Iraq. On the first day of Ramadan, piously announced by La Croix as « the beginning of this month when the Koran was revealed to the Prophet », the five attacks which rocked Baghdad also announced the disappearance of the small Christian community of Iraq. It was perfectly free to practice its religion under Saddam Hussein, and now it finds itself, under American occupation, given over to settling of scores, while the demoralised American soldiers shut themselves up in their fortresses, cut off from the population which has not forgotten the hundreds of thousands of children who died from the repercussions of the embargo, the tens of thousands of civilian victims of the “pre-emptive” bombings, not to mention the string of cancers resulting from using depleted uranium “weapons of mass destruction”. The Iraqis owe this entire mess not to Saddam Hussein, but well and truly to the Anglo-Americans.

And finally, in Afghanistan, one must admit that war is spreading. If the Americans, with their Afghan allies, were welcomed as liberators to chase out the Taliban, we are forced to recognise that they are now rejected by the population. The Afghan soldiers, barely trained and at great expense, are deserting in order to go join the rebel “war lords”.

In any case, we know that it is not the United States which will be the peace mediator in the world, but Russia: « In the end My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted and a certain period of peace will be given to the world. »

Brother Bruno of Jesus
He is risen ! n^o 15, November 2003