Newsletter of San José Monastery May 2017

«The religion that comes from heaven is charity, and consequently, full of tolerance towards people.» Card Pie

Dear friends and benefactors:

On this anniversary of the centenary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, it is convenient to remember again what is what makes one to be called in spirit and in truth children of the Blessed Virgin Mary: The charity of Christ. This is a hot topic especially in «traditional» circles where charity has grown cold significantly.

Let us once again listen to Cardinal Pie:
«It is proper to the Catholic Church, my brothers, to be firm and unshakable about principles and to be sweet and indulgent in their application. What is amazing about it? Is she not the bride of Jesus Christ and, like Him, not possessing both the fearless courage of the lion and the peaceful meekness of the lamb? And does not she represent on earth the supreme Wisdom, which tends to its end while applies everything smoothly? Ah! It is also by this sign, it is above all by this sign, that the religion descended from heaven must be recognized: by the indulgences of charity, by the inspirations of its love. »

Again Cardinal Pie gives us the guideline by which reminds Catholics what is the mark or spirit by which Catholics have to be distinguished
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The quiet majesty with which the Catholic Church affirms what is certain, and on the other the moderation and discretion with which she leaves to the free opinions everything that is not defined.

«No, this is not how men teach the doctrines of which they are the inventors. That is not how they express the thoughts which are the fruits of their genious». Those who are not true Catholics, or are false «Resistants» or fighters against the enemies of Jesus Christ, are not expressed. Here it is recognized whether anyone is fighting for Christ or in favor of their ideas or systems.
When a man has created a system, he maintains it with absolute tenacity, it does not yield on any point. When he has taken hold of a doctrine born of his brain, he seeks to make it prevail authoritatively: do not object to one of his ideas. This is how those who have the false Catholic spirit, to defend «their» ideas, focus on themselves, their treasure is their ideology and end up defending it against wind and tide. In this category are those who have defended Monsignor Fellay and Monsignor Williamson despite their mistakes. The violence of this defense, and the absence of charity towards those who contradict it, is the sign that they do not defend Christ but themselves. For in order for one to receive help from them one must be silent about the «defects» of their leader and be part of their group.

Cardinal Pie continues:
With which she leaves to the free opinions everything that is not defined.
«No, this is not how men teach the doctrines of which they are the inventors, that is not how they express the thoughts which are the fruits of their ingenuity.» Those who are not true Catholics, or the false «Resistants» or fighters against the enemies of Jesus Christ, are not expressed. Here it is recognized whether anyone is fighting for Christ or in favor of their ideas or systems.
When a man has created a system, he maintains it with absolute tenacity, it does not yield on any point. When he has taken hold of a doctrine born of his brain, he seeks to make it prevail authoritatively: do not object to one of his ideas. This is how those who have the false Catholic spirit, to defend «their» ideas, focus on themselves, their treasure is their ideology and end up defending it against wind and tide. In this category are those who have defended Monsignor Fellay and Monsignor Williamson despite their mistakes. The violence of this defense, and the absence of charity towards those who contradict it, is the sign that they do not defend Christ but themselves. For in order for one to receive help from them one must be silent about the «defects» of their leader and be part of their group.

Cardinal Pie continues:
«When I contemplate on the forehead of the Church that serene conviction and benign indulgence, I throw myself into her arms and say: You are my mother. This is how a mother teaches, without passion, without exaggeration, with a calm authority and a wise moderation. And that character of the teaching of the Church will find it among her most eminent doctors, whose writings she adopts and authorizes little more or less than without restrictions. »

One does not identify his Mother, the Catholic Church, in the «Shepherds» lacking in charity.

St. Augustine said:
«Send me, Lord, send to my heart the sweetness, the moderation of your spirit, so that, led by love of truth, I may not lose the truth of love.»
And he who does not have the truth of love, does not have the love of truth!
San Francisco de Sales teaches:
«The truth that is not charitable ceases to be truth, for in God, who is the supreme source of truth, charity is inseparable from truth.»

Charity is what will keep us in the doctrine. Legion are people who lost charity also lost the truth.
Our zeal must never resemble hatred, treating the adversary as an enemy. And this happens to us when our impetuous words do not have the fervor of charity or the accent of love.
The true children of God never endure evil doctrines, but they are tolerant without measure towards people; Never confuse error with those who teach it, nor sin with those who commit it.
The Cardinal continues: «The Church condemns error, but continues to love man; To sin he denigrates him, but the sinner pursues him with his tenderness, striving to make him better, to reconcile him with God, to bring peace and virtue into his heart. »
We only have to reject false principles. Do not be like the enemies of Christ; They reject people.
«The same mouths that reproach us for intolerance reproach us for our excessively credulous and excessively simple goodness, and our inexhaustible patience for people is almost as much a struggle as our inflexibility to doctrines.» Cardinal Pie
However, let us never lose sight of the fundamental principle that DOGMA UNITY, and not UNITY OF PEOPLE, is the only link of peace on earth.

With deep gratitude for your prayers and persevering help.
Father Rafael OSB