Today I celebrated the morning Mass in memory of these two great Martyrs of the Church. In my homily I pointed out that they were victims of the heretical upheaval that started in Germany with Martin Luther. He was an Augustinian priest who led a revolt against the Pope in the early part of the sixteenth century. Our two Saints were Englishmen who lived under the reign of King Henry VIII. John Fisher was the Bishop of Rochester and Thomas More was the Kings Chancellor. Henry wanted to divorce his wife so he could marry Anne Boleyn. His petition to Rome was denied. Henry decided to revolt like Martin Luther. He took over the Church in England and made himself its head and thereby broke from the Holy See in Rome and from the Pope. He told the Bishops that they would now be taking orders from him. They all fell into line except for Bishop John Fisher who refused to renounce his loyalty to Christ and to the Holy Catholic Church. He was arrested and exiled to the Tower of London.
Thomas More was the Chancellor and a very clever lawyer. He remained silent about his position for he believed that his safety lay in silence. Thomas was put into the Tower of London, cut off from his family and deprived even of his books. The King was growing tired of his defiance and Thomas was finally brought to Westminster Hall to answer trumped up charges. Thomas refused like John Fisher to denounce the Pope and the Catholic Faith and to renounce Jesus Christ. He knew he was finished and so he was. Bishop John Fisher was starved and finally taken away to be beheaded. He gave a short speech and prayed for the King and the British people and submitted to the axe. His body was thrown into a hole and his head was thrown into the river. Eight days later Thomas was taken out and beheaded after praying and reciting the Te Deum. His body was buried in a grave in a churchyard and his head stuck on a pole on London Bridge where the birds could peck at it and it could be seen by people coming into London.
Both martyrs were Beatified in 1886 and subsequently Canonized in 1935, four hundred years after their deaths. It is important to note that in September of this year, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI will visit Britain to preside at the Beatification of John Henry Cardinal Newman who died in 1890 at the age of eighty nine having become a Catholic after serving as an Anglican clergyman and midway through life and much searching discovering that the truth he had looked for was in The Catholic Church, founded by Christ who was the way, the truth and the life. The Holy Father will then proceed to London where he will speak in Westminster Hall at exactly the spot where Saint Thomas received his death sentence because he was faithful to Christ and The Church.
Following this mornings Mass I was approached by a woman who thanked me for my homily and said, "I hope I'm never in that position". I reminded her that today many many Catholics are doing that exact thing by Dissenting from the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church. Those people are acting just like the body of bishops who bowed to the dictates of King Henry because they were afraid and didn't want to give up their positions and their benefits. They didn't have the courage to die for Christ. So it is in our day. The people are without a shepherd.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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2 comments:
There is little respect for marriage, particularly abandoned spouses, in the Catholic Church.
Took me twelve years to defend our valid marriage against the Catholic pastoral/canonical annulment complex.
Still watching the Church welcome the adulterers with open arms as they persecute our sacrament, so I am gone from the Church.
The Church enables adultery and all sorts of crimes against the innocent because it can't figure out how to "teach and maintain the class", so it lets the hoodlums ruin the education.
When I was in forth grade, I was tossed from class at my Catholic school because I was "disruptive" but did not know it. I overheard the nun tell my Mom why she needed to do what she had done. I then understood WHY and she is my favorite teacher for my life.
She had no business allowing me to
continue with my insolence, even though I really was not aware of the problem I was instigating. Once I was separated from my domain AND was able to listen to her(probably unbeknownst to her) to hear what I was doing, from the eyes of someone in authority, it was clear she was correct. My behavior changed.
The Church seriously errs by welcoming the unrepentant into is ranks. It is rare that they change.
Were that method to bear fruit, I would agree with it. I have seen otherwise. There does need to be room for sinners, indeed. But repentance must be required and demonstrated or the stubborn should be shown the door until they repent and are determined to repair, as possible, what they have wrought.
The Catholic Church is materially cooperating in the destruction of families and faith. It is a disgrace. Benedict is far too intelligent and experienced not to know this, yet he only talks.
I wish he would resign. He remains a crushing disappointment. His predecessor was worse, though. Being of both Polish and German ancestry, I am shamed by both of these men, when they both have had so much potential to do good but have squandered their opportunities.
I do not think that Thomas More or John Fisher would be quite silent in the face of canonical murder of marriages by the tens of thousands and more.
There is not one single responsible Catholic Bishop, with a functional See in America, who is worth the time of day, at least regarding marriage. If there was, that man would be screaming for Papal action here, even if it cost him his job or his active priesthood.
I do not believe there are many good priests either or they would be forcing their bishops' hands. I see none.
There is no requirement to obey a superior who is destroying marriages and refusing to help those who beg him for help, as he welcomes their persecutors.
May these Bishops be judged the way they are judging us, our children and our marriages and may the Popes be held to extreme account for abandoning us. We are treated like scum, as we struggle to continue our faithfulness against both Church and State.
Why does this Pope turn his back on us?
Dear Anonymous: Thank you for your comments. I agree with you about the laxness in the anulment process. I am 88 and have been ordained 20 years, I was married for twenty three years and had six children. My wife wanted a divorce which she got but I obtained an annulment. I empathize with you but leaving the Church is not the answer. I joined the priesthood and have been fighting the inner abuse ever since. I need the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. I would encourage you to think about reversing your decision. Please think about it and write me again. God bless you Fr. Corcoran
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