Author: Odon De Castro

It is said that in the last war, England lost all the battles but won the war. The same may be said with the war against abortion. With the way things are going, we are likely to lose all battles; but in the end we will see that we were the winners.

“Behold a Great Sign appeared in heaven: a Woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet….and being with child….And behold a great red dragon…And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven… he stood before the woman.”

A child growing up with his parents to maturity will always know his parents. But if he hasn’t lived with his parents for many years, he will hardly recognize them. He who is not in the Church will not recognize her in her different regimes.

The Catholic Church has been prepared for the coming of Christ. She received the fullness of Christ during his lifetime; and the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, receiving the power to extend that fullness of Christ throughout the world. Today, the Church looks quite different.

The problem of Evangelization, (already noted by Pope Benedict XVI, first in his circular ” The New Evangelization,” and in his address to the Brazilian Bishops, and repeated in his address to the Curia, and then completed by a memo of the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith on Evangelization), is clear. But many are still unable to point to the true Church. Many parishes, dioceses, and even religious orders are unable to prove their Catholicity.

The Fathers of the Church never hesitated to describe the Woman of the Apocalypse as the Blessed Virgin Mary. But it wasn’t a popular idea. The Woman was always described as the Church, which she was. But Mary wanted to point out in Guadalupe that She was the woman of the Apocalyse, as if saying: “That’s really me and don’t ever doubt that.” In 1531 we have entered into the era of the Apocalypse, “novissimis.”

The steps toward Christian perfection are : repentance, faith, hope then charity. The story of Fatima showed the inability of Christians to repent. Without repentance souls cannot have faith and enter the Church. No repentance, no faith, no Catholics. Both Vatican I and II were working on ecclesiology: what is the Church and how does one enter the Church? Both questions were anwered by “Lumen Gentium” and Chapter 12 of the Apocalypse. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe where she appeared as “Signum Magnum” is important because it teaches us that in the final regime of the Church on earth, she will have the added characteristic of being Marian. St. Robert Bellarmine mentioned so even before Vatican II. But we need faith to see it. The Church of the Apocalypse is a sight only for true Catholics.

G. K. Chesterton once said something to the effect that if everybody would just sit down, be quiet and think, the whole world would become Catholic. But the world won’t sit down, won’t be quiet and won’t think. No wonder the world is in a mess; it has not turned Catholic; and the Catholics are, instead, becoming worldly.

Pope Benedict has repeatedly echoed the same thing, especially at Regensburg. Even Pope John Paul II’s “Fides et Ratio” said the same thing.

God created man with a mind, an intellect. And He filled this intellect with ideas (an entity separate from the intellect) containing His truths. God wanted to make sure that we get the right idea about God and His truths. But our intellect has to read these truths, by an act of thinking, in order to know them. In fact the first act of thought is for the intellect to acknowledge these truths. These God-given innate ideas, accessible to the intellect by thinking, are the margins within which the natural truths of the Catholic Religion are enclosed. Therefore it should be natural for all to be Catholic.

Think of these innate God- given ideas as in the form of a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid are the preambles of faith. The base could be the whole summa theologica of St. Thomas. It is a matter of reflecting on the preambles to know the Summa. After all, where else could St. Thomas have gotten his Summa if not by reflection on the preambles of faith. God gives the preambles; but we have to extract the entire Summa from them through reflection.

The Catholic faith is founded on the natural. Faith begins with the assent of the natural mind on natural truths before it rises to the supernatural theological virtue of Faith, making man a Catholic. All men are born with the natural truths of the Catholic Church (called natural theology); so why did they fail to reflect on them?

Man is a rational animal. He is part spiritual and part animal. The pagans knew this. So they portrayed men as centaurs and women as mermaids. He thinks and wills. Call this the faculties of the soul. His animal side is the seat of his instincts or concupiscence. This latter is what prevents man from thinking!

We cannot serve two master, since we will love one and hate the other. If we hate our selfish selves (concupiscence) we would love to think and love what we are thinking. If we love ourselves (our concupiscence) we would hate to think, thus preventing us from becoming naturally Catholics.

When man acknowledges the God-given innate ideas in him, he knows the truth. When his free will accepts the truth, he knows he loves the truth. God is both truth and good. So man, by nature, even from his conception, possesses what it takes to be a Catholic who knows and loves God, thus becoming a saint, as Chesteron has observed: “If all man would just sit down, be quiet and think, they would all become Catholics” and we may add “become saints.”

This is the goal of Fides et Ratio and all the declarations of the Church on the importance of reason for the act of faith. It is what Pope Benedict XVI was hoping to accomplish in his Regensburg address and which he reminded the Diplomatic corps in his “State of the World” address of 2006. THINK, and we will solve all the problems of the world (without saying why….”because we will all become Catholic.”)

If you plan to enter a religious order or a seminary, first find out if it has the four visible signs of the Church. Otherwise, you could turn out to be a bad priest or religious. The fact that they have the word “Catholic” at their front door or letterhead, or they are approved by the Diocese, or they have a nice religious garb, is no guarantee. The four visible signs we recite in the Apostle’s Creed are the credible signs. One must be “in contact” with the Church with those four signs if he wishes to be within the Mystical Body of Christ. He must be within the Church before he enters the seminary or religious order; if not, then he should use his priesthood, or his being a Religious, to enter and truly be within the Mystical Body.

Christ heals, first, by contact (as with the blind man); He also heals by long distance (as with the servant of the Centurion). And so the Church, too, saves by contact and by long distance.

The four visible signs of the Church are described briefly in the Compendium of the Catechism of Pope Benedict XVI. It should be easy to apply these four visible signs and the intrinsic mechanism of the Church (known only by those inside the Church) on a religious house or seminary before one joins it.

Salvation by Contact.

The ordinary way by which the Catholic Church brings souls into the Mystical Body is “by contact,” using her two powers, commonly referred to as the power of Jurisdiction and power of Orders. This is based on the Apostolic Commission given by Christ to the Apostles: to baptize (power of Orders) and to teach all nations ALL My commandments and HOW to observe them (power of Jurisdiction).

These powers come from God and given by Christ to the Apostles and handed down within the Mystical Body ordinarily through the Hierarchy.

Let us see how three different souls can be saved by the Church today in our century. Let’s call the first Timothy. The second, John Newman and the third Akbar. All of them are not members of the Mystical Body. Timothy will be saved through “contact;” John Newman by long distance and “contact;” and Akbar by long distance.

Timothy is one living in a place where the Catholic Church is like, let’s say, Cappadoccia. John Newman is in a place where the Catholic Church is geographically far, as Anglican Ellesworth in England is far from Rome. And Akbar is in a place where the Catholic Church is non-existent or very distant like Erehwon. Let’s see how God will save these souls through the Catholic Church.

In the case of Timothy, the Bishop of the place where he lives, first, by his power of Jurisdiction, will teach him all the commandments of Christ and how to observe them. The bishop will not miss any command. Secondly, the Bishop, by his power of Orders, will make available the Sacraments to him. As mentioned, the power of Jurisdiction will dispose Timothy to receive worthily both the Sacramental character and Sacramental graces that come from the Sacraments. The power of Orders will channel the graces to his soul. The powers of Jurisdiction and Orders are the vehicles through which Timothy will receive all the countless graces God gives for the salvation of man. If Timothy learns the commands of Christ and obeys them, he will worthily receive the graces that come from the Sacraments. He will be assimilated into the Mystical Body of Christ. He is a true Catholic.

Let’s see how the above works in detail. Initial graces will “attract” Timothy to the Catholic Church. Then, the power of jurisdiction will teach him, first, to repent. In turn, repentance will bring him to the doorsteps of the Church. The power of Orders will give him the grace of repentance that will lead him to Faith. With Faith, Timothy is within the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Now, he will just have to grow in Hope and Charity to fully mature in his spiritual life (i.e. to be more united with Christ and enable him to offer the Mass with Christ.

Now let’s see how John Newman will be led to enter the Church. In John’s case there is no possibility for him to benefit from the powers of jurisdiction and orders because he is shielded by his Anglican beliefs. But God’s mercy is such that graces are poured out to many outside the Church without the instrumentality of the two powers of the Church. Keep in mind it is grace that saves. The two powers of the Church are the ordinary means by which graces are distributed, but God can make exemptions as He often does, as in the case of John Newman, with those who have no “contact” with the Catholic Church.

So John receives the grace of conversion (by long distance) without the instrumentality of the powers of the Church. This grace, not the hierarchy nor the sacraments, moves him to approach the Catholic Church. It further moves John to study the Fathers of the Church. Then it enlightens him, and he sees that it is not the Anglican church but the Catholic Church that is the Church of Christ. By studying the Fathers, he also sees the necessity of repentance, and receives the grace of Repentance. Consequently, he receives other graces that accompany the virtue of Penance. He then gets in “contact” with the Catholic Church, disposing. him to receive the Theological virtue of Faith. He is now inside the Catholic Church. Note that here, John was first attracted to the Church by “long distance” and eventually “by contact” as in the case of Timothy.

Now, let’s take a look at Akbar. Unlike Timothy, Akbar has no contact and will have no contact with the Catholic Church. Unlike John Newman, he has no contact with the Fathers of the Church. But God in his mercy, as in the case of John Newman, grants him graces without following the ordinary route (namely through the powers of Jurisdiction and Orders). Without realizing it, Akbar is drawn to the inner workings of the Catholic Church (i.e. the practice of the virtues); he does not know this, but humbly responds to this grace. His humble response disposes him to receive more graces. Akbar may never find the Catholic Church. He might die in that state. But because he has received the grace (which prompts him to practise the virtues) he is a member of the Church. No one may ever know this, but only God knows. Akbar may not be fully (or legally) Catholic, but he is ‘catholic’ enough to be saved (“Other sheeps I have that do not belong to My flock…”) This is how non-Catholics are saved. They are, in fact, the unknown members of the Church, but they are saved. It is upon this same doctrine that Pope Benedict corrected our concept, and finally declared the ‘closure,’ of Limbo.

Now let’s say we believe we are Catholics living in a Catholic Parish within a Catholic Diocese. First question we must ask and answer is: Did the hierarchy, by the power of Jurisdiction, teach us all the commands of Christ and how to obey them? If yes, well and good. We are Catholics if we know and have obeyed all the commands of Christ and have received the Sacraments worthily.

If, however, we do not know all the commands and how to obey them, even if we have received most of the Sacraments there is something wrong. Either we were not listening when the hierarchy was teaching us or the hierarchy did not teach us. In the former, the Church was trying to convert us but we were not listening; in the latter, the hierarchy proved itself to be not the Church because it was remiss in its first and foremost obligation to teach.

The Church will always exist. She will always bring in the Timothies and attract the John Newmans. She will also try, by long distance, to bring in the Akbars all the way home. Pope Benedict XVI with “Deus Caritas Est” and the “Compedium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church”, is using his power of Jurisdiction to bring in the Timothies. He is using his power of Orders in his liturgical reforms and “Motu Propio.” He prays that the John Newmans, the Christian sects, would eventually get in “contact” with the Church. And he prays that the Akbars, (described in Ecclesiology as “other faithful who belong unconciously, secretly, and invisibly”) hopefully reach home also, though he knows most would not.

When we go to Mass and recite the Apostles Creed and come to that part, “I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church,” have we ever wondered if we were indeed inside her? The priest saying Mass at the Altar and we, the congregation surrounding the priest, are we the Catholic Church? Those four signs mentioned are visible signs, the Catechism says, so we should know the answer.

The visible signs are outward manifestations of the internal mechanism of the Church. Let us go into her interior mechanism and see what is it in her that produces the so-called four visible signs. This interior mechanism is a more reliable way of knowing if we are the Catholic Church, as “Lumen Gentium” confirms.

God the Father created the angels and man to share with Him His happiness in Heaven, but some angels fell and man also fell.

God foreknew that man would fall. So He devised a plan for his salvation. The scenario in Paradise was one which showed that that plan was in place: God created a man and a woman. The woman was the type of the Church, and the man would be the type of Jesus Christ. There we see how the Church will be: like a woman united to her husband.

The Preparation. God set a race aside, completely apart from all other races – – the Chosen people. First, He would teach them His commands so that they can worthily offer a sacrifice pleasing to God. But this was not yet the Church. She was still undergoing preparation for birth.

Building the Church. At the fullness of time, Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. Christ, Himself, was a type of the Church in that He had a human nature (a type of the Church) united hypostatically to His Divine Nature (the Son of God). The union between the two natures is so intense it cannot be duplicated but merely imitated. The Blessed Virgin Mary would come close to it. So she becomes a type of the Church : a human being, in a manner hypostatically united to her Son. Her union with Christ would be an exemplar for other humans. But since this was only possible because she was full of grace, other humans, too, must have grace. Mary becomes the perfect type of the Church.

Herein we begin to see the two elements intertwined describing the internal mechanism of the Church. First, it is evident that GRACE is the most important element in the interior mechanism and secondly, the INSTRUCTIONS which the Chosen people had in the desert from Moses (which in Mary’s case was infused).

Now that we have the models, namely Adam and Eve, the Chosen People, Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are ready to see the Church (the Mystical Body of Christ) established.

We begin with the setting aside of a people similar to what Joshua did when he asked for volunteers to fight in a battle, and from them chose a few based on a test he had given them by the river. (Then we understand the words of Christ “Many are called but few are chosen.” ) We see also in the Israelites that many were called by John the Baptist, and Christ sets aside a few from among many who were to be his first disciples. These had to undergo training for three years, by instruction (like Moses teaching the Israelites); and by infused knowledge. Sacramental graces and character were then given to them as they progressed. These then are the two elements of the interior mechanism of the Church: the power of jurisdiction, which is referred to during the time of instruction; and the power of orders, from which will come the graces. These are called “powers” because by them the Church is empowered to call souls into the Mystical Body.

After the Resurrection and before the Ascension the instructions would be complete and by Pentecost the graces would be complete. The Church then exists, made up of that small community in Jerusalem with Mary in their midst. Endowed with the two powers, they are ready to bring other souls into the Mystical Body of Christ.

The Church now exists. But its members eventually die. So how does the Church continue to exist? Christ, before the Ascension, instructed His apostles to do to others exactly what He did to them. This is found in the Apostolic Commission (Matt. 28:19) The same instruction must be carried out by all the successors of the apostles. Here we see again the two elements of the internal mechanism of the Church: the instruction; and the succession of orders to be vested in the Hierarchy.

Picture the Vatican. There is the Basilica in front with two arms (Pillars of Bernini) extending like an embrace towards the world. Imagine St. Peter’s Basilica as the Mystical Body of Christ (the Church), and the two embracing arms of Bernini’s pillars: one, as the power of jurisdiction; and the other as the power of orders. That is how the Church invites and embraces souls and brings them into the Mystical Body of Christ.

The apostolic commission reads “Go therefore and teach all nations …” how to enter the Catholic Church. First (by the power of jurisdiction) teach them “all My commands” and teach them “how to observe these commands”. And secondly, “baptize them” so they can receive the Sacramental grace that will unite them to Me; and the Sacramental character that will unite them to My priesthood enabling them to offer the Mass with Me.

The apostles, with these two powers, went to all nations and invited those who would continue the Church through the centuries. They used their power of jurisdiction by going about teaching all the commands of Christ and how to observe them (this is the same as saying to teach Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church). They used their power of orders by administering the Sacraments with emphasis on Baptism, Confirmation and Holy orders because of the Sacramental character.

So more souls entered the Church. After the Apostles, their successors were to do exactly what Christ did to His apostles and what the apostles did to their successors. They would go on, this time not around the world, but to their more limited jurisdiction. Clothed with this dual powers they can teach all of Christ’s commands and how to observe them (the power of jurisdiction) and administer the sacraments (the power of order).

Ecclesiology has been the concern of both Vatican I and II. Vatican I and Vatican II Council Fathers were asking two questions. First, how does the Church look interiorly and exteriorly? Secondly, where is she? The Church being two thousand years old and replete with Saints, the answer should have been easy. But almost all the documents of both Vat. I and II were trying to find answers. Documents are still coming out for clarification. Today each Catholic layman, each Parish and Diocese should ask these same two questions. Are both the interior and exterior workings of the Church present in our parish or diocese. If not, where is the Church?

The Saints, especially some Fathers and Doctors of the Church, (like St. Cyprian, St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Thomas of Aquinas and St. Robert Bellarmine) have written a lot on both the interior and exterior workings of the Church. Being members of the Mystical Body of Christ, they should know. But the Council Fathers, too. were supposedly members of the Mystical Body. So how come the workings of that Body were not familiar to some? Was this perhaps the problem Pope John XXIII saw already existing then that made him hastily, but wisely, call for Vatican Council II?

Outside the Church there is no salvation.
But who is inside the Church? Who is outside? Are all baptized Catholics inside the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ?

When the Saints, like Francis, Ignatius, Vincent de Paul established their orders they were aiming at holiness with their first few companions. Knowing that the Church was supposed to be holy –aside from being one, catholic, and apostolic, they knew the Catholic Church existed, but somehow, they could not pinpoint where she was. One thing they knew — they could not find it in their surroundings. So they were moved by God to establish it where they were. They did not mean to establish orders or congregations within the Church. They were, in fact, building the Church in their locality.

Most founders did not know the exact theological description of their efforts. They were concerned with establishing a group whose members were of one heart and one mind in becoming holy….which is the description of the Church. They did not say: “There is no Catholic Church here; therefore we shall build the Church here,” yet that was exactly what they were doing.

If we analyze the environs of Francis, Ignatius and Louis de Montfort, they were surrounded by “catholics” who were not part of the Mystical Body of Christ, dead branches attached to the Vine. The Church was hardly visible. And so they had to do something under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to build the Church in Assisi, Manresa and France. This is also what St. Boniface did in Germany and Augustine in England. Their efforts can be described,using the text of “Lumen Gentium,” or any treatise on Ecclesiology (like the one of Pope Benedict XVI.), as building up the Catholic Church in places where she does not exist. And they knew that the Church, existing somewhere would, with Her prayer, aid them.

If these founders of orders and congregations knew where the Church was by Her visible signs of being One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, they would have simply entered the Church, finding no need to separate themselves from the rest of society in order to seek holiness on their own. And since they could not find those visible signs, so God taught them the dynamics on how Christ builds His Mystical Body on earth, thus building their respective congregations. Their Holy Rules would show how a soul can ” connect” with the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church. St. Boniface built up the Church in Germany at that time. Germany was then pagan. But why did St. Francis and St. Ignatius do the same when Italy and Spain were already Catholic? Is it because the Catholic Church in their respective countries have ceased to show the signs of being Catholic? There seems to be no other reason.

To found a religious community is to found the Church. When God raises Saints to establish communities, it is His way of directly intervening in the ordinary way of the church (hierarchy) in order to add faithful members to His Mystical Body. The church hierarchy is empowered to do this, but their seeming failure to do so makes God intervene directly by raising up saints who would found communities after His heart, according to the one and the same spirituality — the Evangelical Spirituality. (Isn’t it quite strange when spiritual writers talk of Carmelite spirituality or Rosminian spirituality when they really have the same Evangelical spirituality?)

This is why promises made during religious professions are made to the Church, so that by profession, a person of any congregation is added to the Mystical Body of Christ, not so much to the Order that he or she has chosen to enter.

Today, there are many emerging communities. But many of them do not correspond to the dynamics on how the Church is built according to St. Augustine, Thomas of Aquinas, Bellarmine and “Lumen Gentium.” But worthy of note is the community of Antonio Rosmini who was recently declared venerable by Pope Benedict XVI and scheduled for Beatification this year. His writings show the right way of building the Church. Buffeted by the period of “enlightenment” members of other congregations watered down the Holy Rules of their founders which is equivalent to watering down the teachings on the Catholic Church, thus preventing them from entering the Mystical Body of Christ through faith, hope and charity.

All Orders founded by their Holy Founders were built following the dynamics of building the Church. But somewhere along the way many of their followers fell short. They could have continued building the Church if they were faithful to their Holy Rules. But many were not, so they ceased becoming members of the Church or the Mystical Body of Christ.

It is indeed necessary to find out how God through Christ built the Church; how it was meant to function in the salvation of souls, and how we are moved to enter the Church.

While all the Gregorian Chant, versicles and responses by the congregation are in Latin, the Collect and the three readings are in English. The Gospel is followed by a homily based on the writings of the Fathers of the Church.

Whereas before, the Canon was recited in English, now with the Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict, the congregation participate in singing all those parts that His Holiness wants recited or sung, in Latin.

During the Communion of the faithful, the Sacred Host is received kneeling down on the Communion rail, and on the tongue, while the monastic choir sings sacred Renaissance songs of Palestrina, Vittoria, Gabrielli, DiLassus, Tallis, Dufay, etc.

The Post Communion prayer is in English, but the rest, up to the Dismissal, is sung in Latin with the congregation responding. After Mass, the prayer to St. Michael is recited, followed by a seasonal hymn to the Blessed Virgin sung by all as the exit hymn. Then the Thanksgiving Prayer after Mass is entoned and joined in by the congregation, followed by the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, all recited in Latin so to enable the congregation to memorize them as the Holy Father has encouraged the faithful to do so from the first year of His Pontificate.

There are several degrees of greed, from the harmless to the most serious. The first degree is when we want to be united with God, but find the need to seek food, shelter and clothing in order to pursue our quest. The desire for food, shelter and clothing may be described as a harmless form of greed, and may be no greed at all.

Pope Pius XII was once upon a time overwhelmed by the problems besetting the Church that he became withdrawn, which led him to live an heremitical life. He then promulgated “Provida Mater Ecclesia,” encouraging lay secular institutes or third orders. This was how the Catholic Church begun: small groups, living the fulness of the Gospel in their homes, and eventually in the desert. They were all laymen. His enthusiasm blazed a trail that carried up to the time of the late Pope John Paul II and the present Pope Benedict.