Third in a Series
Dr. Rudolf Graber, Bishop of Regensburg, Germany and one of the “Council Fathers” of Vatican II, sent shockwaves around the world when on May 2, 1973, the 1600th anniversary of the death of St. Athanasius, he issued a short book entitled, Athanasius and the Church of Our Time. In this brief work, Dr. Graber revealed the true roots of the Council and the “diabolical plot” of the enemies of the Catholic Church to infiltrate her ranks and attempt to destroy her from within. The book has been largely ignored, but fortunately an English translation was published.
In
the Chapter “Secret Societies,” Dr. Graber, focusing only on the Freemasons and
Illuminati, reveals their goal of establishing “syncretism” – that of
creating an anti-church or a “new” church by undermining and changing the
function of the old Church. He then gives startling quotations from the apostate Canon
Roca (1830-1893), including these: “The new church, which might not be able to retain
anything of Scholastic doctrine and the original form of the former Church, will
nevertheless receive consecration and canon jurisdiction from Rome;”
Dr. Graber continues:
We are struck by the fact that at that time there was already mention
of a council. The Rosicrucian, Dr. Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Anthropomorphic Society,
declared in 1910: “We need a council and a Pope to proclaim it.” Was the
enthusiastic welcome with which Vatican II was acclaimed perhaps nourished from this
source, too? Roca’s dominating idea is the word “new.” He proclaims a
“new religion,” a “new dogma,” a “new ritual,” a “new
priesthood.” He calls the new priests “progressists,” he speaks of the
“suppression” of the cassock and of priestly celibacy…
An incidental remark is necessary at this point. It would be false to imagine that these ideas are merely those of a lone wolf like Roca; that is not the case – all these thoughts are expressed by a whole series of kindred spirits in a host of works which at that time at least were available to the public throughout the world. And hence one asks : why has the Church taken no notice of these things? To be sure, Pope St. Pius X did so. But that was all. The whole program according to which the “task” is being carried out today is developed in a book by Abbé Melinge (better known under his pseudonym of “Dr. Alta”) entitled The Gospel of the Holy Spirit, John, Translation and Commentary (1907):
1. The appeal to esotericism;
2. The revolt against the structures of the Church;
3. The replacement of the Roman Papacy by a “pluri-confessional” pontificate able to adapt to a polyvalent ecumenism such as we are seeing established today in the interfaith services between priests and Protestant ministers;
4. The glorification of Christ by a new humanity;
5. The inversion of all the truths taught by Christ.
It can hardly be put more clearly. Moreover Dr. Alta remained in the Church as a priest; Virion said of him: “Instead of fleeing from the Church like Luther, he remained in order to carry out his reforms in the lap of the Church.”
But back to Roca. From all the quotations, which could be expanded into books, it is not difficult to discover already the tactics being employed: to deprive the Church of its supernatural character, to amalgamate it with the world, to interweave the denominations ecumenically, and thus to pave the way for a standard world religion in the centralized world state. The Church’s predicate of the “Only True” has disappeared from the dialogue; as a Gnostic speaker put it: “We are offering the Church another chance – let it fall into line with the other religions.” This naturally demands a “de-priesting” of the Church in favor of a lay-church; and as a transitional form – again according to Roca – celibate and married priests side by side. Well, the de-priesting of the Church has already begun to an alarming extent. It is superfluous to list all the priests who have followed in the tracks of Roca (and Loisy).
Another modern idea which was advocated on all sides in these occultist circles was a kind of democracy mystique. A Social-Christ was already being preached in those days and Roca writes: “I believe that this social redemption of the people in the new society was achieved by democracy’s accession to the throne.” And even more pointedly on 26th of July, 1891: “Pure Christianity is Socialism.” Hence he expects of the “convert in the Vatican” a canonical Urbi et Orbi declaration “that contemporary civilization is the legitimate daughter of the holy gospel of social redemption.”
This whole thing is given its final touch in the important work by the Freemason Yves Marsaudon, Ecumenism as Seen by a Traditional Freemason, which contains an effusive dedication to John XXIII and was intended as a contribution towards the bridge between the Church and Freemasonry which has already been mentioned. The point to be noted here above all is the change of strategy which can be dated to about the year 1908:
“The goal is no longer the destruction of the Church, but rather to make use of it by infiltrating it.” A start is believed to have been made with John XXIII: “With all our hearts we wish for the successful outcome of John XXIII’s revolution.” “One day the dogmatic Church must disappear or adapt itself, and, in order to adapt, return to its sources.” This can already be seen in the priesthood today: “The priest is today no longer that special being… on the contrary he strives to mingle into modern society.” Freemasonry plays the leading role in this process of amalgamation: “We traditional Freemasons venture to elucidate and transpose the words of a famous statesman by adapting them to the circumstances: Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Free-thinker and believing thinker are for us fore-names. Our surname is Freemasonry.”We must examine another phenomenon of our times – sexual aberration and degeneration. In a secret instruction dating from as early as 1819, which breathes a truly diabolic spirit, the following directions are to be found: “Flatter all passions, the worst just as much as the most high-minded…” In a letter dated August 9th, 1839, these words are to be read: “We must not individualize vice; in order for it to grow to the proportions of patriotism and hatred of the Church, we must generalize it. Catholicism is no more afraid of a sharp dagger than the monarchy is, but these two foundations of the social order are likely to collapse through corruption; we at all events never allow ourselves to be corrupted. Let us not, then, make martyrs but let us popularize vice among the masses. Whatever their five senses strive after shall be satisfied… Create hearts full of vice and you will no longer have any Catholics. That is the corruption, on a large scale, which we have undertaken – the corruption of the people by the clergy and that of the clergy by us, the corruption which leads the way to our digging the Church’s grave.”
During the period in question an idea was expressed which has not been realized until today. In order to achieve all the goals which have been mentioned a “new generation (must) be created, one worthy of the realm we are dreaming of. Leave the old and more mature generations aside; go to the youth and if possible to the children. Once your reputation has become established in the colleges and grammar-schools, in the universities and seminaries, once you have won the confidence of the teachers and the students, then make sure that those who commit themselves primarily to the service of the Church enjoy attending your meetings. This good reputation will gain you access to the doctrines both in the lap of the young clergy and within the walls of the monasteries. Within a few years this same young clergy will, thanks to the force of events, take over all the functions… Thus you will be proclaiming a revolution against the tiara and by the cope… a revolution which needs only a little spurring on to light the blaze in the four corners of the world.”
(To be continued in future issues.)