In times of Crisis: These Faithful Catholics hear the Saints again.
source: A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics
Saint Vincent of Lerins on unworthy shepherds
Many of us wonder: how could it be that God could allow the Church to slip into such crisis? How could the Church be afflicted with so many unworthy shepherds? How could so many souls be allowed to fall into error as a result? Unfortunately, fallen human nature being what it is, the Church has often been afflicted with heresy, error, and men in positions of great power and influence in the Church that embrace both. While today’s crisis might be the greatest the Church has ever endured due to its enormous depth and breadth from top to bottom, from region to region, it is certainly not the first. St. Vincent of Lerins, via FideCogitActio, knew such men. He also knew why God allowed the Church to be afflicted with such unfaithful and inconstant shepherds:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “How is it … that certain excellent persons, and of position in the Church, are often permitted by God to preach novel doctrines to Catholics? … The reason is clearer than day why Divine Providence sometimes permits certain doctors of the Churches to preach new doctrines— ‘That the Lord your God may try you;’ he says. And assuredly it is a great trial when one whom you believe to be a prophet, a disciple of prophets, a doctor and defender of the truth, whom you have folded to your breast with the utmost veneration and love, … secretly and furtively brings in noxious errors, which you can neither quickly detect, being held by the prestige of former authority, nor lightly think it right to condemn, being prevented by affection for your old master. … [Or even your current “master,” or ecclesiastical superior] “Therefore, as soon as the corruption of each mischievous error begins to break forth, and to defend itself by filching certain passages of Scripture, and expounding them fraudulently and deceitfully, immediately, the opinions of the ancients in the interpretation of the Canon are to be collected, whereby the novelty, and consequently the profaneness, whatever it may be, that arises, may both without any doubt be exposed, and without any tergiversation be condemned. … But whatsoever a teacher holds, other than all, or contrary to all, be he holy and learned, be he a bishop, be he a Confessor, be he a martyr, let that be regarded as a private fancy of his own, and be separated from the authority of common, public, general persuasion, lest, after the sacrilegious custom of heretics and schismatics, rejecting the ancient truth of the universal Creed, we follow, at the utmost peril of our eternal salvation, the newly devised error of one man.” [Or even hundreds or thousands of men] Great, great advice. We are certainly being tried. And I know many if not all of you are doing your very best to remain faithful and practice this Faith of ours to your utmost during these most difficult times. Pray that God may keep us faithful and that we may not fall into error.
I certainly pray that for all of you. As St. Vincent of Lerins says, sometimes errors can be very subtle (and very attractive), and sometimes people we love or have a natural affection towards (or their office) can tempt us to be led astray. Cling fast to the Faith!It is not easy today, because this crisis has been going on so long we are about two full generations into it. That means the vast majority of us probably weren’t real well formed in the Faith (at some point) and may have absorbed – willingly or no – some bad ideas that have the potential to ruin us. Please find the best confessor you can and really scour your life,
