THE CATHOLIC TRADITION NEWSLETTER

A weekly presentation of News, Information, Readings and Commentary for traditional Roman Catholics and Catholic Families remaining faithful to the teaching Magisterium as held by all faithful Catholics through the centuries.

Vol 17 Issue 16                                               Editor: Rev. Fr. Courtney Edward Krier

 April 20, 2024,                                                Our Lady on Saturday

WHAT IS MATRIMONY

Post Trent

The Church, from its inception, has always struggled against the spirit of the world and its governments. The period between Constantine granting freedom to the Church until the Avignon Papacy the Church had grown in power to resist the persecution of governments. The Avignon Papacy (1309-77) and the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) together struck a blow to the papal power that once more allowed governments to refuse recognition to the Church of her role in the moral and spiritual life of its peoples. Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s (Matt. 22:21) became, Render all to Caesar, even what is God’s. The Church may not have suffered martyrdom; but whatever she did was opposed by the Civil Governments. As the state was able to grant or deprive material benefits to its citizens, the citizens easily submitted to the state and ignored the Church, who could only impose spiritual benefits and deprivations. The times the State used the Church to obtain dominion over its citizens brought only harm to the Church. The result was a greater and greater rift between the Church and the populace. The first sign of the rift was felt with John Wycliffe and Jan Hus in the beginning of the fifteenth century. The rift became visible with the Innovators opposing the Church and receiving support from the state—before the Innovators turned on the state. The state was able to crush the Innovators because the state had standing armies which the Church did not have and was at the mercy of both. As the wave of opposition grew and the states saw their power in the scales, the Thirty-Year War ended the role of the Church in a truce of 1648. Since that time the Church would be the voice of one crying in the wilderness (cf. John 1:23) that hopefully the faithful would hear and follow. This can be seen in the pleas of the Popes—no longer addressed to State Rulers who claimed to be Catholic—addressed to the clergy and faithful. But, as was said above, the state had control over material rewards and punishments, whereas the Church had only spiritual power. Tragically her members refused to listen, and this is sensed in the documents of Popes trying to keep the children of the Church in the faith. Marriage was her last hold in the public life of her children; and now one sees the struggle for the souls of those contemplating forming a union that would bring the future into existence. As Benedict XIV before, so now Clement XIII (1758-69) addressed the issue of making sure Catholics married Catholics in order to form Catholic families—the last bulwark of the Church against state hegemony and her existence.

Traditional Catholic Single Men and Women club. (Southern, CA. for now)

Collin Hubbard is forming a get together, entrusted. to Catholic principles 

and friend ships with the hope of obtaining a Marriage.

Men’s group being called, “Men entrusted to the Scared Heart.”

Ladies group is called “Women of the Immaculate Heart.”

The groups will meet at central Park locations that will be centralized.

to a convenient location for most. Most likely on Saturday or Sunday.

Pax tecum Collin R. P. Hubbard, member of “Our Lady Help of Christians

in Garden Grove, CA.  collin.hubbard@gmail.com

Of late many articles in the news media expressing this fear of a return of “Christian Nationalism.” It’s inconceivable how we have forgotten where our grass roots came from.

To begin with, it was our Christian forefathers who made this country GREAT, All of Our first thirteen colonies had clearly and unmistakably Christian fundamental laws in their colonial charters.

In thinking back in the 40’s most retail stores were closed on Sundays, with the exemption of Drug stores, restaurants and in bars you had to sit at a table.

I can understand World War II playing a role in our lifestyle because of the need of women workers in areas where only men were working before. Still, teachers in grammar school read chapters in the Old Testament before class, we saluted the flag, had Christmas plays and Easter vacation. 

Today, if anything, it’s the lack of God in our society which is destroying it. Right now, ALL of our mental institutions are filled up and others have no place to go but live on the streets or in jail, so, it’s now the general public who are adding to the problem because of our ignorant beliefs of the history of this nation. I pray we will return to our master, who gave us life in the first place.

Joseph B. Saraceno

FYI: The Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. The universality of the Church is made manifest in its unity. Not united, one is separated from the Universal Church. This can be by disunity or intentional disjunction. Christ, at the Last Supper prayed for unity: that they may be one, as we also are. (John 17:11) In an effort to bring unity among faithful Catholics upholding the Council of Trent and the Tridentine Mass, that is, the Catholic Faith rejected by Vatican II, I bring to your attention an appeal to plead with the clergy (traditional Roman Catholic bishops and priests) to meet together and resolve the disunity the members of the Church find in wanting to know they are members of the Roman Catholic Church and not members of a sect. Remember, the Church is not a cause, it is not an opinion, it is the means of salvation which each member must be assured they will obtain. The appeal, in various languages, may be found at this website: http://www.einsicht-aktuell.de/index.php?svar=2&ausgabe_id=397&artikel_id=4654

Many have responded to this plea for unity and I am grateful. Please continue to pray it will be heeded by the clergy so that on Sunday the words, I believe in the Church that is one, holy, catholic and apostolic, is not just meaningless words said at Holy Mass (or Mass prayers) but rings true for each one of us Catholics.