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worth noting . . .
modernism is still with us . . . The
pernicious heresy of modernism did not die under the sword of Pope St. Pius X; it simply
went underground and re-appeared stronger than ever after the close of the Second Vatican
Council. In this issue I am happy to offer you a refresher article on modernism by Mr.
John Young of Australia who is well versed in scholastic philosophy and theology. He
reminds us that the heart of modernism is to see religion as a feeling that comes from
within a person; it is not something objective revealed by God. So modernists want to
accommodate Catholic doctrine and morals to modern science and the changing fads of the
day. With this article in hand it is not difficult to detect modernist ideas in the Church
today (p. 7).
john paul ii on faith and reason . . . Last September the Pope published an Encyclical Letter on the relationship between theology and philosophy. The letter is entitled Fides et Ratio (“Faith and Reason”) and it is a strong defense of the ability of the human mind to know the truth, to know objective reality and to affirm things about it with certitude. In this issue I offer you a few reflections of mine on this important letter. Over the years I have taught courses in both philosophy and theology and have been interested in the connection between the two. The Pope defends reason because reason is essentially involved in the act of faith in God which is necessary for salvation (p. 14).
institutionalized dissent . . . Dissent against the Magisterium of the Church has been a cottage industry since the rebellion against Humanae Vitae in 1968. Dissent moved rapidly from opposition to the Church position on contraception to basic articles of Catholic belief. In this issue Mr. Kenneth D. Whitehead argues that dissent in America has become “institutionalized,” that is, teachers, priests and others in high places in the Church openly dissent and nothing is done by authority to correct them. He traces this back to the bishops’ letter of 1968 called “Human Life in Our Day” and shows why dissent has been and is so widespread (p. 20).
praying for the dead . . . It is good to remind ourselves often of the Church’s teaching about purgatory. This doctrine is often denied by the dissenters mentioned in the previous article. A priest I know was banned from preaching in a diocese—banned by the Bishop himself, because he preached a sermon on purgatory. This month Fr. Basil Cole, O.P., reminds us of the basic truths concerning the state of those who die and are not yet totally purified so that they can enter heaven. They go to purgatory for cleansing, but they are full of joy because they know they are saved. We should pray for them often (p. 29).—K.B.
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