May 26, 2016
Part 3
Society has been imbued with naturalism for many decades and the end result is that far too many of the non-thinking masses consider this spiritually dangerous way of life to be perfectly acceptable. Once the “religious” leaders of the various sects and denominations denied Original Sin and promoted the error that men are born basically good and do not need supernatural grace in order to overcome sinful temptations, man’s fall took on a precipitous fall.
This attitude directly opposes the traditional and doctrinal position of Holy Mother Church, which over the centuries has clearly taught not only the Dogma of Original Sin and its consequences, but has warned the faithful of the need to be cautious and not be misled in our daily life.
It is here that I would like to quote again Fr. Denis Fahey, C. S. Sp. who has in great detail and length described the horrendous effects of the naturalistic outlook within society. As the reader proceeds through his explanation one is asked to understand that this was written in 1934, and, yet, it is as though it was written in the last few years. Society has been so overwhelmed with error they known little of how it ought to be, and, therefore, the dangers of these errors.
“… But the Naturalists go further still, for having rashly taken a completely erroneous course in regard to the most important questions, they are carried headlong to the ultimate consequences of their principles, either on account of the weakness of human nature or because God thus upon them the just punishment of their pride. Hence it comes about that even those truths that are attainable by the natural light of human reason (such as most assuredly are, the existence of God, the immateriality or spirituality of the human soul, and its immortality) are no longer held by them to be certain and unquestionable.”
“Steering a similar erroneous course, the Freemasons have the same rocks. Although as a rule, they admit the existence of God, they themselves openly admit that they do not all firmly assent to this truth and hold it with unwavering conviction. For they do not attempt to hide the fact that this question of God is the chief source and cause of discord amongst them: nay, it is well known that recently it has been the subject of a serious disagreement in their ranks. As a matter of fact, however, they allow their members the greatest licence on the point, so that they are at liberty to hold that God exists or that God does not exist, and those who obstinately affirm that there is no God are admitted just as readily as those who, while indeed asserting that there is a God, nevertheless, have wrong ideas about Him, like the Pantheists. This is purely and simply the suppression of the truth about God, while holding on to an absurd caricature of the Divine Nature.”
“When once this most fundamental truth of all has been overthrown or weakened, the human mind inevitably begins to lose hold on other principles that can be known by the light of human reason, namely, that all things have been brought into existence by a free and sovereign act on the part of the Creator, that the world is governed by Divine Providence, that human souls are immortal, and that, after this life here on earth, human beings will live another life that will last for ever. The loss of these truths, which are the foundation of the natural order and which are so vital for the rational guidance of life and the practical conduct of men, will have a serious repercussion on public and private morality. We need not dwell upon the effect of this collapse upon the supernatural virtues which no one can either exercise or acquire without a special gift and grace from God. Of these virtues it is of course impossible to find any trace in those who contemptuously reject as unknown, the redemption of the human race, Divine Grace, the sacraments and the happiness to be attained in Heaven. We speak only of those duties which follow from the principles of natural morality.”
“Now, that God is the Creator of the World and its provident Ruler, that there is an eternal law which ordains respect for the natural order and forbids its being disturbed, that the final end of man is to be found in a sphere far removed from human things and beyond this earthly sojourn: these are the sources and the principles of all justice and morality. If these are done away with, as the Naturalists and the Freemasons desire, it will be straightway impossible to distinguish accurately between justice and injustice or discern what is the foundation of that distinction. And in fact the moral formation which alone finds favour with the Freemasons and which, they hold, should be given to youth, is that which they call civil and emancipated and independent. From this formation all religion is excluded. But how insufficient this training is, how lacking in firmness and how easily blown about by every gust of passion, can be easily seen from the regrettable results which have already begun to make their appearance. For, wherever this training has ousted Christian moral formation and begun to enjoy more or less undisturbed sway, there uprightness and moral integrity have quickly begun to decay, the most monstrous opinions have sprung up and waxed strong, and the effrontery of evil-doers has grown apace. These evils are today the subject of widespread complaints and regrets, and these complaints are frequently corroborated by those of many men who are compelled to acknowledge the evidence of the truth, though it is the last thing they would wish to do, in regard to the matter in question.”
“Besides, since human nature is stained by original sin and is therefore more inclined to vice than to virtue, in order to lead a virtuous life, it is indispensable to restrain the disorderly movements of the soul and bring the passions into subjection to reason. In this struggle, what appeals to nature must very often be despised, and the greatest labours and sufferings must be endured that reason may always remain in triumphant control. Now, the Naturalists and the Masons, not accepting by faith those truths which have been made known to us by God’s revelation, deny that the first Adam fell. Consequently, they hold that free will is in no way ‘weakened and inclined to evil.’ On the contrary, exaggerating the virtue and goodness of our nature and considering it to be the only source and rule of justice, it does not occur to them that continual effort and unremitting attention are necessary to bridle rebellious passions and keep them under steady control. This the reason why we see human beings beset with so many temptations to indulge in the pleasures of the senses. This is the explanation of the publication of journals and pamphlets that are both unrestrained and indecent, as well as the shocking licentiousness of the stage and the scandalous treatment of artistic subjects according to the shameless laws of so-called realism. This is, too, the pretext under which are excused or justified the systematic pandering to effeminacy and luxury, and the continual pursuit of every form of pleasure by which virtue may be weakened and lulled to sleep. In all this those who take away from men all hope of the joys of heaven, and lower the whole ideal of happiness to the level of fleeting pleasure, and make it of the earth earthy, are certainly gravely guilty, but they are quite consistent.”
“What We have said can be confirmed by a fact that is astounding not so much in itself, as in its open admission. Since, in general, no one obeys cunning and crafty schemers so readily as those whose courage and self-control have been sapped and broken by subjection to the yoke of their passions, there have been found in Freemasonry men who have claimed their determination to strive skillfully and cunningly to saturate the masses with every form of vice. They hope that the masses thus debased will be like putty in their hands to carry out their future projects, no matter what may be their nature.”
“With regard to family life, the teaching of the Naturalists may be summed up as follows: marriage belongs to the class of commercial contracts and can therefore be rightly revoked at will by those who have contracted it. The enactments of the State have power over the marriage bond. In the education of the youth, nothing that concerns religion is to be taught systematically or prescribed methodically. When each one has attained to man’s estate, he must be left free to follow whatever religion he may prefer. All these points are fully assented to by the Freemasons, and not only do they accept them, but they have long been endeavouring to introduce them into manners and customs. Already in many countries, even in those that pass for Catholic, it has been enacted that no marriages other than civil marriages will be considered lawful; in others, the law allows divorce; while in others, every effort is being made to introduce legislation for the purpose as soon as possible. Thus the time is rapidly approaching when the nature of the matrimonial contract will have been completely perverted. It will come to be considered an unstable union entered into under the passing influence of passion and liable to be dissolved when that influence has grown weak.”
“In their efforts to secure control of the education of youth, the Freemasons show the greatest unity and cohesion. They expect that they can easily form those soft and malleable minds according to their own ideas and mould them to their purposes. They are well aware that nothing can be more efficacious than the training of youth to prepare for the State a race of citizens of the type they long for. Accordingly, they will not allow Catholic priests to have any share either in the actual teaching in or in the management and control of schools for the education and instruction of children. In many places they have already succeeded in placing the training of youth exclusively in the hands of laymen, and they excluded from moral formation any mention of those all-important and most sacred duties of man towards God.”
“Next comes their political doctrine. In the sphere of politics, the Naturalists lay down that all men have the same rights and that all are equal and alike in every respect; that everyone is by nature free and independent; that no one has the right to exercise authority over another; that it is an act of violence to demand of men obedience to any authority not emanating from themselves. All power is, therefore, in the free people. Those who exercise authority do so either by the mandate or the permission of the people, so that, when the popular will changes, rulers of States may lawfully be deposed even against their will. The source of all rights and civic duties is held to reside in either in the multitude or in the ruling power in the State, provided it has been constituted according to the new principles. They hold also that the State should not acknowledge God and that, out of the various forms of religion, there is no reason why one should be preferred to another. According to them, all should be on the same level.”
“Now that these views are held by the Freemasons also, and that they want to set up States constituted according to this ideal, is too well known to be in need of proof. For a long time they have been openly striving with all their strength and with all the resources at their command to bring this about. They thus prepare the way for those numerous and reckless spirits who, in their mad desire to arrive at equality and common ownership of goods, are ready to hurl society into an even worse condition, by the destruction of rank and property.”
Commentary on Fr. Fahey’s astute quotes will be the topic of next month’s article.
To be Continued
Fr. Joseph Noonan, OFM