By 
BETRAYERS AND HERETICS / SAINTS AND MARTYRS
“Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith! We will be true to thee till death.” This hymn, written in honor of Catholics martyred during the time of Henry VIII in England, reminds us that we must continue to stand strong on the firm foundation of our Catholic faith, regardless of the evil that has infiltrated the Church.
This time in which we are living is indeed a time of unparalleled evil. And to see the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, so infiltrated by evil can make us feel that the very ground under our feet has become shaky. This is all the more reason that it is so important in these times to realize that we are not on shaky ground at all – instead we are standing on a firm foundation within His Church – because our cornerstone is Jesus Christ!
No matter what evil comes against the Church, and no matter how overwhelming it seems to be, the Catholic Church will not fall. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The Church is both the means and the goal of God’s plan: prefigured in creation, prepared for in the Old Covenant, founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming cross and his Resurrection…” (CCC #778). Therefore, even the gates of hell cannot prevail against her. She is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
She is One because Christ instituted One Church as His means of bringing salvation to all people through all time. She is Holy because she is not merely some man-made institution or charitable organization; she was divinely instituted by God Himself to be our sure refuge and vessel to Heaven. She is Catholic because she is universal – meant for every person, everywhere, and for all time. And she is Apostolic because she was instituted by Christ and then handed on to the apostles (and later to the bishops, the successors of the apostles) as a visible sign of His continuing presence with us always (cf. Matthew 28:20).
Speaking more of the apostles, these men were touchstones who were called to know the faith, to teach the faith, and to stay firmly anchored to Jesus Christ. They were witnesses of all Our Lord said and did, and they were witnesses to His resurrection after His death. However, we know that one of His twelve apostles was ultimately a betrayer. This situation – the reality of weeds among the wheat – has been with the Church through twenty centuries. In every century, in fact, there have been those within the Church who have betrayed Christ. Therefore, even while realizing how firm a foundation we stand upon within His Church, we also cannot ignore when evil has infiltrated into her halls, for how can we call ourselves worthy of this great treasure that Jesus Christ has given us in His Church – and most exquisitely and most wonderfully, in His agreeing to be truly present among us in the Holy Eucharist – if we do not cry out when the Church, the Bride of Christ, is betrayed, or when heresy enters into her doors?
As a bishop in Our Lord’s Church, and as a successor of the apostles, I am mindful always of my role as a shepherd. I am called to teach truth to the sheep, always with the salvation of souls foremost in my mind. Therefore, how can I turn a blind eye to those in the hierarchy of the Church who have departed from truth and, in fact, teach error? How can I turn a blind eye to those who betray the Bride of Christ, and therefore betray our Lord, when I have been called to be His apostle?
My brothers and sisters, you also have a solemn obligation as members of His Church to cling to the Deposit of Faith and not to be led astray by “another gospel,” regardless of who in the Church may teach it. As St. Paul said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.” (Galatians 1:8-9 DRB).
In my last letter I emphasized that betrayal is still rampant in the Church, and sadly we can see this betrayal in so many ways. The fact that the Vatican and others have recently decided to allow the artwork of Marko Rupnik, a betrayer and a credibly-accused serial abuser, to stay on the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at Lourdes, France, as well as numerous other shrines and holy places throughout the world is one indicator of how those even at the highest echelons of the Church are like pigs in a mud puddle; they seem to enjoy wallowing in the filth and then spreading the mud everywhere.
We can also look back at the fact that disgraced former Cardinal McCarrick was defrocked but then moved out of the reach of civil law, living a protected and secure life after the charges against him came to light, and rightly wonder if anything has changed. However, as more and more allegations of predators and abuse among the clergy come to light, along with stories of bishops and even cardinals who in some instances protected them, it is very evident that things have not substantially changed, and that demons and evildoers continue to protect their own inside the Church who follow the path of evil. And it becomes increasingly clear that many of “their own” dwell within the protection of the Vatican and, in fact, very close to the Papal Chair. If anything at all has changed, perhaps it is just that the pigs in the mud are a little less vocal and strive more to avoid the daylight.
We cannot, and we must not, sweep these betrayals of Our Lord under the rug. They must be brought out into the open and exposed to the disinfectant of the light. When the sheep of Our Lord’s flock are fed a diet of lies and betrayal for so long, they become conditioned to accept any heresy that is being fed to them and to believe that it is something good to eat – even when the food is poison to the flock and the stench is overpowering. In these cases, laity and most especially clergy must cry out and proclaim that the fruit of betrayers and heretics is rotten!
In the midst of this filth, however, let us not fail to recognize that we have saints and martyrs who have created a bridge for us upon which we can stand and keep our feet clean. Their lives serve as a lifeline, connecting us to our sure and certain hope in Jesus Christ. With the saints we can say, “Should the world fall to dust, we shall prevail, because we are anchored to Christ.”
This is especially important to remember in our time when, in so many ways, we find ourselves in a time not unlike that of Jesus and the apostles. As it was then, the betrayers in our time now are not just members of the community – they are apostolic betrayers like Judas, the very ones commissioned to guard the Deposit of Faith, but who instead seek to change or diminish it. Judas’s downfall was that, although he walked with Christ, his heart was distant from Him. This tragic reality is manifest in our time as many who were ordained to serve Christ have grown distant from Him and seek to change the truth which He has revealed to us. They have grown cold, and there is a serious weakening or even a complete loss of supernatural faith.
It is critical that in this time we support each other in the hope and joy that our shared faith in Christ Jesus brings, and that we weather our present storm as did the saints of old. Yes, we must acknowledge the corruption that has infiltrated the Church, but we must also be firm in knowing that we are anchored securely to the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ. Betrayers and heretics may abound, but the Foundation remains rock solid in the Truth. Also, let us not forget there are many good and holy priests who have not betrayed our Lord. We must increase our prayers for these holy and faithful men who are so pressed by the evil in the Church today. Pray that they might stand firm in these tumultuous and difficult times.
In summary, as we go forward, let us encourage each other to stand on the bridge that lifts us above the filth. Are you having trouble seeing the bridge in the midst of the current climate of evil? Come to know the saints and martyrs! Read about their lives and ask for their intercession. Their lives offer countless stories of firmly founded faith in the midst of great corruption and evil attacks. “And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us.” (Hebrews 12:1 DRB).
As you come to know them, you will begin to see the bridge, for it is built upon the saints and martyrs of our faith, and you will find that it will connect you to these pillars of faith that will in turn help to anchor you to Christ the Cornerstone. If you need help accessing this bridge, simply reach for Our Blessed Mother’s hand, who is always ready to help her children reach her Son. Seek her intercession often.
“Faith of our Fathers! Living still in spite of dungeon, fire and sword: Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy. Whene’er we hear that glorious word.
Our Fathers, chained in prisons dark, Were still in heart and conscience free: How sweet would be their children’s fate, If they, like them, could die for thee!
Faith of Our Fathers! Holy Faith! We will be true to thee till death.”
May Almighty God continue to bless you, may Our Holy and Blessed Mother guide you, and may the holy saints and martyrs of the Church Triumphant intercede for you as we continue on the path of salvation won for us by Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop Emeritus
Joseph Strickland
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland was named the fourth bishop of Tyler in September of 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. Prior to being named bishop, he served a number of roles in the diocese, including vicar general, judicial vicar, and pastor of the Cathedral parish. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1985. 