The Role Of The Laity

 Anyone unfortunate enough to attend the Novus Bogus "Mass" of the Vatican II sect will immediately notice the following:

• people standing around and talking as if they were at a social function

• men and women dressed as slobs and prostitutes (especially during the summer) because that's how they "feel comfortable"

• when "the liturgy" or "celebration of the Eucharist (sic)" begins, everyone is expected to sing songs (usually profane nonsense) and sway back and forth to strumming guitars

• there is no sanctuary, just a table for anyone to approach and "sacred vessels" (usually made of pottery) that anybody can touch

• men and women "proclaiming the readings" while the so-called "priest" ("Fr" Bob or just plain old "Bob") sits in a chair and takes a nap

• endless bantering back and forth between Bob and the people

• laypeople taking several monetary collections in case they need to post bail for Bob

• men and women distributing "communion" in the hand, and giving the wine to anyone who wants a gulp ("Fr" Bob still napping)

 One of the main reasons the "mass" was changed like this by Vatican II (so we are told) is to permit "full, active, and conscious participation" as ordered by the Council document Sacrosanctum Concillium. "Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people (1 Peter 2:9; cf. 2:4–5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism." (See para. # 14; Emphasis mine). 

 The laity does have a role in the life of the Church, but there is a correct understanding and a distinctly heretical one that has its origin principally in the Protestant so-called Reformation. This heretical understanding was adopted and implemented by the Modernists at Vatican II when the Counterfeit "Church" was created. I will set forth the heretical notion of the role of the laity, the true teaching of the Church, and give some further suggestions for this time of the Great Apostasy in which we live. 

Heretical Notion: The "Priesthood of All Believers"

 Heresiarch Martin Luther completely destroyed the true meaning of justification. According to Luther, Original Sin did not merely wound human nature, it corrupted it so that everything a person does is sinful. Justification is not intrinsic but an extrinsic covering of the sinful nature by the merits of Christ. This is accomplished by faith alone, a fiduciary faith that Christ will cover our sins ("like snow that covers dung."). Sacraments are only to increase and nourish faith. Furthermore,  a sacrament consists of two parts, a divine institution and promise of forgiveness. Only Baptism and the "Lord's Supper" qualify as sacraments, and neither is necessary for salvation. The Lord's Supper is in no way sacrificial. Luther himself admitted that he arranged things so that "...faith is divorced from morals, grace from works, religion from government." (See Commentarium in Epistolam Sancti Pauli ad Galatas, pg. 19)

 The notion of a "common priesthood of all believers" arose from this heretical notion which reduces Christianity to something that is internal and personal rather than social and sacramental. The Protestants wanted a special and personal seal of salvation more certain than Church membership and use of Her sacraments. Their heretical view of the Church makes it a congregation of the saved rather than an instrument of salvation, and twists sacraments into manifestations of grace already possessed rather than channels of grace to be received. 

 Since they fancy themselves as "the Elect," because salvation is assured by faith alone, they have a common dignity which finds its expression in a universal egalitarian "priesthood." Each person is their own representative before God. There is no Magisterium necessary to interpret the Bible. The idea of sacrifice, completely eradicated, made the priesthood an empty metaphor devoid of any real significance. Anyone can really do anything at their services. Someone is designated a "minister" based on schooling for biblical knowledge and oratorical skill in preaching. Everyone is equal, and needs to manifest their belief in a "faith community." The Modernists have taken the basic principles to the furthest extension. 

 Now, it should be obvious why "full, active and conscious participation" means everyone at the Novus Bogus "mass" must do something. You must give responses, "bring up the gifts," read from the "Lectionary," hand out "communion," sing songs, sway back and forth, shake hands and kiss, etc. If you're following along in your hand Missal, meditating on the meaning of the Mass, involved in mental prayer, praying the Roasry, etc., you're are not being "active," or a "fully conscious participant." 

There is, however, a correct notion of how the laity does participate in the Church, which will be explored next. 

Authentic Church Teaching On The Laity

 The Catholic Church's teaching on the common priesthood is primarily sacramental and social. In Holy Scripture, the Fathers of the Church saw a common priesthood that belonged to all Christian society and made them superior to the priests of the Old Testament. 

 St. Thomas Aquinas discovered in the sacramental characters of Baptism and Confirmation the precise means by which people are configured to Christ in His priesthood and are admitted to the common priesthood of His Mystical Body. These characters (i.e., indelible marks on the soul) allow the person to worship God according to the Rite of the Church and are passive potencies for the reception of the other sacraments. The Catholic, who participates in the common priesthood by these sacramental characters, worships God in the capacity of an active recipient of sacramental grace.  Therefore, meditating on the Rosary during Mass is full, active and conscious participation, not singing Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin while doing a "liturgical dance."

In the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, each member offers himself in sacrifice to God through an interior offering of the will and given expression in the sacramental Body and Blood of Christ which all offer to God together subordinate to and in union with an ordained priest. The ordained priest offers both in the Person of Christ (in persona Christi) which makes it a valid Mass, and in the Person of the Church (in persona Ecclesia) which makes it licit and pleasing to God. The layman only offers in his own person as a recipient of grace and not a minister and intermediary of grace from God to humanity. 

(Some of the above in this post was taken and condensed from theologian Rea, The Common Priesthood of the Members of the Mystical Body , Catholic University Press, [1947]). 

Conclusion

 It's been said that, "Before an institution collapses the more ridiculous it becomes." One look at what passes for "mass" at the local Vatican II sect parish proves that aphoristic saying true. As their numbers dwindle, those who remain are interested in entertainment and fun in the guise of "full, active and conscious participation" of God. However, God has nothing to do with it. They are paving the way for a One -World Ecumenical religion where anything goes except the truth. I urge my readers to do all they can to convert others while there is still time. Invite people to come to Church with you, give them good Traditionalist literature to read, much of which can be downloaded for free. If you can, contribute to Novus Ordo Watch.org and Daily Catholic.org. You might not agree with every opinion, but they do not subscribe to any error or heresy and do more than anyone to make people aware of the Truth in this time of the Great Apostasy. Pray for them if you cannot donate.

Remember, the laity must do all it can to spread the faith. Our priests and religious cannot do it alone. Do not get discouraged if your labors to convert do not (apparently) bear fruit. God asks only that we try. As for Frankie and his false clergy, they may seem to have the upper hand as they sway and dance in corybantic fashion, showing their contempt of the True Mass and worship of God. Keep in mind the words of Sacred Scripture, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap." (Galatians 6: 7-8).  

Judging The Book By The Cover

 When Karol Wojtyla ("Pope" John Paul II), one of the most evil men who worked for the destruction of the Church, died, people were chanting "Santo subito," which roughly translates as "sainthood now." He is revered as "Saint" John Paul "the Great" in the Vatican II sect. When I call him "John Paul the Great Apostate" people look at me with horror: "How dare you say such a thing! Can't you see what a holy pope he was for so many years?"  How is it even possible that such diametrically opposed views can exist about this man? I believe the answer lies in two reasons; (1) the general ignorance prevalent about the Faith, and (2) concern with externals. It's a deadly combination that blinds one from seeing the truth.

 What Faith Is--and What It Is Not

According to theologian Tanquerey, Faith is "the supernatural assent by which the intellect, under the command of the will and the influence of grace, firmly accepts revealed truths because of the authority of God Who is revealing." (See Dogmatic Theology 1: 193). John Paul II sees Faith as "an experiential state." Speaking to a group of clerics, Wojtyla said, "To enter into dialogue with God means to allow oneself to be won over and conquered by the luminous figure of the Revealed Jesus, and by the love of the Father Who sent Him. It is in precisely this that the faith consists.In faith, man interiorly enlightened and attracted by God, goes beyond the limits of purely natural knowledge, and experiences God in a manner that would otherwise be impossible." As you can see, Wojtyla is a good Modernist who reduces "faith" from an act of the intellect to feelings and experiences. This is reflected in the Novus Bogus "mass" where human entertainment, feeling good about yourself, and the elimination of anything deemed "negative theology" (like sin and Hell) reign supreme. 

 Wojtyla was a close friend of arch-Modernist Fr. Karl Rahner, whose teaching on the "anonymous Christian" was tantamount to universal salvation. Rahner was censured by Pope Pius XII, rehabilitated by Montini (Paul VI), and had a friend in Wojtyla who was greatly influenced by him. The heretical Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes (The Constitution of the Church in the Modern World) had Wojtyla, Cardinal Montini ( the future Paul VI), Cardinal Suenens, and Cardinal Lecaro as the chief architects. All were Modernists to the core. Gaudium et Spes along with Lumen Gentium (Constitution on the Church), set the foundation for the new religion--the Vatican II sect.

Lumen Gentium set up a false dichotomy between "the Church of Christ" and the Roman Catholic Church. In reality, they are identical, but this document of Vatican II falsely teaches that they are distinct. According to this Modernist document, the Church of Christ "subsists" in its fullness in the Catholic Church, but also subsists elsewhere in false sects according to how many "elements' they have. To have all the elements is best, but to have just some is equally good and leads to salvation. Gaudium et Spes teaches one of the trademark heresies of the Vatican II sect; the idea that by His Incarnation, Christ united himself with each man.  Vatican II speaks of a union between Christ and each man that results from the incarnation itself.  Wojtyla has taken this heresy and run with it full speed ahead to its logical consequence - universal salvation in a "church" that subsists everywhere. 

Gaudium et Spes # 22:

"For by His incarnation the Son of God united Himself in some way with every human being.  He labored with human hands, thought with a human mind, acted with a human will, and loved with a human heart." (Emphasis mine).

John Paul II in his first "encyclical" Redemptor Hominis #13; "We are dealing with each man, for each one is included in the mystery of the Redemption and with each one Christ has united Himself forever through this mystery." (Emphasis mine).

This means that no one can ever be separated from God in hell. He bases this heresy on the teaching of Vatican II in Gaudium et Spes #22, that Christ has united himself with each man in the Incarnation. The whole point of the Catholic Church is to unite mankind to Jesus Christ through the Faith and Sacraments. If the union between all of mankind and Jesus Christ occurred at the Incarnation, then the Church has no value and is, in fact, pointless. This is the "faith" of Vatican II and Wojtyla; the heresy of Modernism.

Hiding Heresy Well

 Wojtyla was an actor, and what a great act he put on for those who didn't understand the Faith, yet desperately wanted to believe "the essentials" hadn't changed after Vatican II. Here's how he did it.

1. Make "the culture of death" your theme. JPII would constantly reiterate traditional Church teaching on abortion and euthanasia to the applause of "conservative" Vatican II sect members. Granted they are huge evils. Unfortunately, no one stopped to realize that they reached catastrophic proportions precisely because Wojtyla simultaneously helped push for the removal of Catholicism as the State religion. Countries that never had legal abortion or euthanasia (Belgium, Ireland, Spain, etc) fell as part of the "culture of death" once the influence of Catholicism was gone. After all, the "Church of Christ" subsists in all sects!

2. "Mass" is only important if you feel good going to it. The Novus Bogus must be "relevant," focus on the material needs of the poor in "homilies," and--most importantly--be fun, fun, fun! If you don't find it amusing, simply stop going. Hell is never mentioned, nor Christ's sacrifice. Retain some of the key words (He died for us, etc), but do something different (have a Happy Meal).

3. Invert the primary and secondary purposes of the sacraments. Baptism is about "initiation into the People of God." Gone is the primary effect; the remission of Original Sin (a negative concept). Also removed is that orthodox term "Mystical Body of Christ." Penance is "reconciliation" because doing penance for sin is negative, and we're all saved anyway. The Eucharist is about "breaking bread with your neighbor." Confirmation is not being a soldier for Christ, it is "the completion of Baptism." (As if Baptism is somehow "deficient.") Marriage is all about conjugal love, not procreation. "Anointing of the Sick" (formerly Extreme Unction) is about bodily and mental health, not preparing the soul to meet its Maker. Holy Orders is being the "president of the assembly" not an alter Christus to offer Sacrifice to God and forgive sins.

4.  McCanonizations. Make "saints" by the dozen everywhere you go to show "holiness" in everyone from everywhere, even if they died relatively recently and have suspicious backgrounds. Wojtyla made more "saints" from 1978-2005, than were made from 33-1978. (including the phony "canonizations" 1959-1978).

5. Travel everywhere. The more people see you, the more you seem "in touch with the people." You become a superstar, like the blasphemous hippy Jesus Christ Superstar.

6. Talk tough, but do nothing. Slap heretics like Hans Kung on the wrist, but don't excommunicate anyone. Actually, you can't since everyone is united to Christ by virtue of the Incarnation. 

7. Sound profound, even when you're not. Talk about the "Theology of the Body," and come up with bold new concepts like, "the body of a man and a woman were made to complement one another." (Wow! Who woulda thunk it?)

8. Retain "traditional doctrine and discipline" while systematically undermining them. Be against women "priests" while allowing both men and women to do sacerdotal functions; i.e., distribute "communion,"  recite the "readings," bring up the "gifts," etc. Be against married "priests" while giving most duties to married "deacons," and make more and more exceptions for married clerics from Protestant sects to keep their wives should they want to be Vatican II sect "priests."  

Conclusion

 The majority of Catholics never knew the Faith well in the decades just prior to Vatican II. They were robbed of the truth and had it replaced with a counterfeit sect; a pallid imitation. Those who see without the eyes of faith perceive Wojtyla as a "saint." For those of us with the True Faith, we don't judge by worldly standards and appearances. "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly." (St. John 7:24).  

If Your Eye Causes You To Sin

 Pornography is at an all-time high in consumption. The reason, which is fairly obvious, has been the advent of the Internet. No longer relegated to filthy magazines, which no decent person wants to get caught buying or reading, the Internet brings porn right to you with ease. I've read some estimates that say as much as 34% of all websites are pornographic. Many people try to turn this into a strictly religious issue, with some even claiming that porn has societal benefits (e.g., men will be less likely to commit rape, there will be less adultery, etc.).

As time goes on, more and more secular evidence is being brought forth which shows that there are benefits to obeying God's Laws, as well as even secular dangers to those who choose to disobey. Recently, a study by Simone Kuhn and Jurgen Gallinat, "Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated with Pornography Consumption: The Brain on Porn," JAMA Psychiatry 71, no.7 (July 2014) came up with incredible findings concerning porn's effects on the brain. Other studies show porn's effects on emotional health, sexual violence, and marriage (there were other factors, but I will focus on these findings). For the full article on the brain, See http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1874574 The other studies may be found in Appendix 1 of The Porn Myth, by Matt Fradd, Ignatius Press, [2017], pgs. 191-212.

1. Porn and the Brain

•  When researchers compared the brain scans of porn users to non-users, those who used porn had a dulled reward center.

• When the reward center is dulled, the person doesn't feel dopamine's effects like they used to do. This means that in order to get the same excitement as before, porn users must resort to more hard-core material.

• Since porn addiction goes hand in glove with Internet addiction, such people have less gray matter in several important areas of the brain, such as the frontal lobes, the striatum, and the insula. These areas help people with self-control, prioritizing, and feeling empathy; when gray matter lessens, so do these important functions.

2. Porn and Emotional Health

There is a correlation between the frequency of porn viewing and:

•  depression, anxiety, stress and various social problems.

•  the motivation to pursue goals.

•  changed sexual preferences.

• poor overall health.

• hurting oneself.

• problems with intimacy.

3. Porn and Sexual Violence

• Porn use increases the risk of developing sexually deviant tendencies such as beastiality by 31%

• The risk of committing a sexual offense increases 22% in those who use porn frequently. 

• There is a correlation between frequent porn use in men and the likelihood of rape. Rather than lessen the likelihood of rape, porn actually increases it.

• States that had higher sales of porn magazines had higher rates of rape.

• In one study, in 193 cases of rape, 24% of the rapists mentioned the use of pornography without any solicitation for such information.

4. Porn and Marriage

• Porn heightens belief that marriage is "sexually confining," that promiscuity is normal, and that raising a family is unappealing.

• Women who discover a husband's porn use may experience depression, fatigue, and suicidal tendencies.

• Porn use correlates to higher incidence of adultery.

• Porn correlates with sadistic marital rape. 

Conclusion

 There is no doubt that God's Laws are in place for our good both here (wellness) and hereafter (to get to Heaven). Don't be fooled into thinking that pornography is "harmless," "normal," or "prevents greater evils." Secular studies prove this is not the case. More importantly, porn is a mortal sin, making one worthy of Hell. Of course, there will be those who will try to minimize the deadly effects of porn on the soul and on society. Men will object, "I watched porn and never raped anyone." In the words of one researcher, "Many people share Strossen's opinion that men who consume porn but who have never raped a woman disprove the theory that porn can cause rape. This is comparable to arguing that because some cigarette smokers don't die of lung disease, there cannot be a causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer." (Russell,1995)

 Say no to porn, and parents, please check what sites your children and teens visit. As Our Lord said, "And if thy eye scandalize thee[causes you to sin], pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire." (St. Matthew 18: 9). 

The Chameleon

 It was February 2, 1983, and I did something I had never done before in my life; I skipped school. I was a model student, seventeen years old at the time, and just a few months away from both my high school graduation and turning eighteen. Unlike most kids, however, I was not out causing trouble that day, nor committing sin in the name of "fun." I had become a Traditionalist on November 1st of 1981, and the priest who converted me, Fr. Gommar A. DePauw, was going to be live on the radio, WOR-AM, New York! That past Sunday, Father announced from the pulpit that he had been invited to appear on the Sherry Henry Show at 10AM on February 2nd. Ms. Henry would interview interesting people from all walks of life concerning topics of current interest.  She invited Fr. DePauw to be her guest to discuss the so-called "New Code of Canon Law" that would take effect in November of that year under Wojtyla (John Paul II).

 Fr. DePauw was the perfect man for the interview since he was a canon lawyer, a peritus (i.e., theological expert) at Vatican II, and in 1964 was the founder of the Catholic Traditionalist Movement. Ms. Henry was no Traditionalist, but a flaming Modernist and Socialist. She claimed to want a balanced view on the topic, so she invited Fr. DePauw and told him that she had also invited someone who would strongly support the New Code and debate with him; Malachi Martin. Father DePauw replied that he knew of the former Jesuit and current best-selling author from Vatican II, but they had never met and he would have no problem defending the truth against him. 

In days before computers and the Internet, I begged my parents to let me stay home and use my little rusted tape recorder to tape the show off the hand-held radio I had. To my great surprise and joy, they agreed to let me be "sick" that day!  I waited with baited breath in my room at 9:55, all set to record the show. At 10 AM, Ms. Henry introduced Fr. DePauw. She asked Father why he thought the New Code would be bad, and he wasted no time launching into the evil canons and the devastating effects they would carry--all while Sherry Henry kept interrupting Father. Ms. Henry blindsided Fr. DePauw by having as a phone-in guest an apostate nun who was lauded as some ersatz "expert" and was Modernist to the core. Modernists, never ones to fight fairly and honestly, wanted to make this a "two against one" attack on the True Faith and Father DePauw.  

Then, she introduced Malachi Martin, and asked him about why he thought the New Code was good. To the shock of Ms. Henry, Fr. DePauw, and the listening audience (who heard Martin billed as a proponent of the New Code), Martin stated he was in agreement with Fr. DePauw!

 The rest of the show (which included taking calls from listeners) had Fr. DePauw and Malachi Martin bashing the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Ms. Henry was beside herself.  Ms. Henry said she was not properly informed about the views of Martin and wished she had on "Bishop" Mugavero. ("Bishop" Mugavero was the invalidly consecrated Vatican II sect "bishop" of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and a notorious Modernist. He was one of the very first priests to be invalidly consecrated in 1968, after the death of Abp. Bryan McEntegart.). 

During the broadcast, Fr. DePauw said he was told he would meet an intelligent priest in Malachi Martin who would disagree with him, and instead he turned out to be an intelligent priest who "reached the same intelligent conclusions as me." 

The show ended abruptly, with Henry giving a Modernist final word. Father would not tell me what happened the following Sunday, but he was not happy. He and Malachi Martin would discuss things after the show, and it really changed how he initially viewed him that day. Although he never told me exactly what transpired, he was not fooled as to Malachi Martin. Martin was a  theological chameleon, changing views to accommodate whatever cleric he was with at the time. He was not a friend of the Church.  

Martin's Background

Malachi Brendan Martin was born July 23, 1921 in County Kerry, Ireland. He was one of ten children, five boys and five girls. Four of the five Martin boys became priests. In 1939 he became a novice of the Jesuit Order and was ordained to the priesthood on the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption in 1954. Fr. Martin was an academic, having gone to the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, where he took a doctorate in archaeology, oriental history and semitic languages.

Martin worked as personal secretary to the closet Modernist Cardinal Bea, and was close personal friends with arch-Modernist (and fellow Jesuit) Fr. John Courtney Murray, who was the guiding force behind the heretical Vatican II document Dignitatis Humanae, on so-called "religious liberty," which had been many times condemned by the True Church. Some theologians at the Council claim that Martin helped to fashion the heretical document Nostra Aetate which discusses the "relationship" of the Church to non-Christian religions. It also "absolves" the Jews of being the Deicide race, and it has been alleged that Martin had Jewish relatives, although there is no substantial proof of the claim. 

In February of 1965, for reasons not altogether clear, Martin asked for what is known in canon law as qualified exclaustration, which authorizes a priest to live for a limited time as a layman without exercising priestly faculties and free from all clerical obligations other than celibacy. This favor is granted only when there is reasonable hope that the cleric will recover his priestly vocation, which makes it more of an enigma since Martin claims he never stopped being a priest. This dispensation was granted by Montini (Paul VI).

 He came to the United States, working odd jobs until finally making it big as an author. His first best-seller was the novel Hostage to the Devil, published in 1975 and tells the story of five alleged demonic possessions. He was able to build on the sensation generated by William Peter Blatty's book and blockbuster movie The Exorcist (1973).  According to Martin's book (which purports to relate facts), the former Jesuit participated in several exorcisms, yet in a 1996 radio interview he claimed to have assisted in several hundred exorcisms. He wrote four other best-sellers, and died in his NYC apartment four days after his 78th birthday in 1999, having suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage in the wake of falling in his apartment. 

Was Martin Really Celibate?

 The book Clerical Error? by Robert Blair Kaiser raises some serious questions about Martin. The author, Mr. Kaiser, was a former Jesuit who left the order to marry and claims that when he was a reporter at Vatican II, Malachi Martin had an affair with his wife Susan. Defenders of Martin will be quick to point out that Kaiser was a Modernist himself, and had a psychiatric disorder which made him paranoid. There are, however, two really damaging pieces of information that are not easily dismissed. Mr.John Grasmeier put together documentation of Martin's affair.

One piece of evidence is a letter to Robert B. Kaiser from heretic Fr. John Courtney Murray (a friend to both Martin and Kaiser) written July 10, 1964. According to Grasmeier, "The letter touches on a few items relevant to the Malachi Martin saga. One being that although Father John Murray stands fast in his (non-qualified) assessment of Kaiser’s pyscological state, he apologizes to Kaiser and admits that it has been made clear to him that Martin and Mrs. Kaiser were indeed having an affair. He talks about the now infamous love letters from Martin to Kaiser’s wife, 'Martin’s apostasy from the Society' and the fact that he doesn’t know where Martin and Kaiser’s wife are."

The second piece of evidence is a six-page letter from Fr. William Van Etten Casey dated November 1, 1965 to Archbishop H. E. Cardinale, the Vatican Apostolic Delegate to the United Kingdom. Its purpose was to advocate for an annulment of the Kaisers' marriage. To read both letters, See http://angelqueen.org/malachi-martin-files/documentation-of-the-affair-between-martin-and-the-wife-of-robert-kaiser/.

Was Martin Really a Bishop?

Martin became friends with Dr. Rama Coomaraswamy (hereinafter "Dr. C") sometime in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Dr. C was a thoracic surgeon and psychiatrist who rejected the Vatican II sect from the beginning. He was a professor of Church History at the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) seminary located (at that time) in Connecticut which was where Dr. C and his wife lived. Sedevacantism was an idea advocated by Dr. C, and he influenced many of the seminarians. When the sedevacantist Society of St Pius V (SSPV), broke away from the SSPX in 1984, Dr. C joined them. In 1989, he left the SSPV over the issue of the validity of the Thuc consecrations (Dr. C believed --correctly--they were valid).

 Dr. C wrote several excellent Traditionalist books and articles. In the late 1990s he wanted to become a priest himself. There was one problem; he was married. The SSPV and SSPX would not even consider him a candidate on that basis alone. However, he found a Thuc bishop, Bp. Jose Gaston-Lopez, willing to ordain him if he and his wife took public vows of celibacy. Dr. C's ordination was attacked by Fr. Anthony Cekada. Dr (Fr) C responded with an online article entitled, "In Defense of My Ordination." Apparently there was a dispute over whether of not Bp. Lopez imposed his hands on Dr C's head at the essential part of the rite. There are two pictures posted in the article by Dr/Fr C that clearly show Bp. Gaston-Lopez being assisted by Malachi Martin. The article makes the following disturbing statement, "One problem arose. One of the people present thought Bishop Lopez-Gaston didn’t actually touch my head during the critical part of the rite. I of course cannot bear witness to this as I was too much too involved in the process of ordination to check on such a detail. I however recently looked at the photographs which were taken and offer two as evidence to the contrary.However, my close friend and mentor, Bishop Malachi Martin, stated that he wished there to be absolutely no doubt about my ordination. He therefore proceeded to conditionally re-ordain me. Hence it is that I received the graces of Ordination from a double source." (Emphasis mine). 

 It seems that Martin claimed (with no known proof) that Pope Pius XII had consecrated him a bishop in pectore (i.e., secretly) to do work behind the Iron Curtain. As Martin was ordained a priest in 1954 (the year when the pope's health took a serious turn for the worse) it is even more dubious that he would be chosen, let alone consecrated by the ailing Pontiff. Not impossible, but dubious, given the circumstances and lack of any substantial evidence apart from Martin's ipse dixit. (See http://www.the-pope.com/validity.html)

This brings us to the next important question:

Was Martin a Sedevacantist?

 As noted above, Martin was friends with one of the most famous Traditionalists, Dr/Fr C, and even participated in at least one sedevacantist conferral of a sacrament. There is no way Martin can claim ignorance as to the theological positions of either Dr/Fr C or Bp.Gaston-Lopez. However, there are other facts that show Martin clearly recognizing the so-called post-V2 "popes."

• Martin clearly accepted Wojtyla (JPII) as pope on the radio show with Fr. DePauw.

• Was a huge supporter of "Fr" Nicholas Gruner, the invalidly ordained publisher of the "Fatima Crusader." Martin also claimed to know the Third Secret of Fatima. In an article published in the US News and World Report, Martin claimed he agreed with "Fr" Gruner that the Consecration of Russia had not been performed correctly by the "pope" (JPII)

• Just two years before his death (1997) said that the Thuc consecrations were valid but illicit. This would only hold true if he accepted  JPII as "pope" or was a "Home Aloner."

• On more than one occasion, claimed Cardinal Siri had been elected pope in 1958 and resigned under pressure, yet did not denounce Roncalli and Montini (John XXIII and Paul VI) as false popes--the logical corollary.

Malachi Martin: Liar or Lunatic?

 Martin appeared more than once on the Art Bell radio show. Mr. Bell's show, Coast to Coast,is the on-air version of the National Enquirer. It focuses on the occult and the bizarre. In April of 1997, he appeared on the Art Bell Show and made a number of truly alarming statements--claims so strange you can (literally) doubt if he ever had the faith--or possibly even his sanity. No person with an ounce of integrity would want to go on Art Bell's show. It immediately destroys one's credibility. Fr. DePauw, or Abp. Lefebvre would never even have considered it. Here's just some of what Martin had to say from the transcript of the show:

On Separation of Church and State and Abortion (Bell is a libertarian):

"I also share this view[libertarianism]. I do not believe that human governments have anything to say to the inner decisions of a man or woman. Those decisions must be made in the light of their religious education and their religious tradition. But the last thing in the world that I want to interfere with, that is government. They should have nothing to do with it. For instance, one of the difficulties of the abortion discussion today in America is that its become politized (sic). Its become a political football."(Emphasis mine)

On Shamans (Pagan witch doctors): "I'll tell you Art what I think, now that you've asked a personal opinion of a very difficult subject, but my experience is the following and I'm not merely taking about Native Americans...I have seen such miracles of cure and restitution and de-possession worked by these people, including Native Americans--really shamans--you know, the old type. Because of my beliefs I must conclude that my Lord Jesus Christ in whom I believe and who is the source of all power, has used them in their innocence and their faith, to cure people outside the reach of a Catholic priest like me. I cannot deny that...There are people who have nothing to do with Catholicism or with some of them, Christianity. But it has worked and I've had that experience and I can't deny it." (Emphasis mine)

On his ability to see Satan and demons: "I was standing on a stool in my apartment, reaching for a book and I saw him. He was crouched on the floor looking at me. His body was like a muscular pit bull terrier, but the face was recognizably human. It was the Devil's face. I recognised the eyes. They were eyes of the coldest, deadliest hatred. When the Devil sprang at me, I fell from my stool and broke my shoulder, but I felt fortunate. I had seen Satan and I had lived." (This quote came from a another source--the next quote is directly from Art Bell's show) "Yes, I do that. I, I do that. I've got second vision. When the demon is there, when the demon is in possession, yes I do"

From the July 11, 1997 Art Bell show, he claims to believe in lycanthropy, i.e. werewolves (!):

Lance Foxx: "This is Lance, a fifth time caller from Park Hills, Missouri." 

Art Bell: "All right." Father Malachi Martin: "Um-hum." 

Lance Foxx: "I'd like to ask your quest- your guest a question." 

Father Malachi Martin: "Sure." 

Lance Foxx: "Is it possible for a person to be a lycanthrope and not be evil?" (long pause) 

Father Malachi Martin: "Um..." (an even longer pause) 

Father Malachi Martin: "Yes. It is possible. Within the framework of your question, I must say, yes. It is possible. It is possible." 

Lance Foxx: "In other words, can lycanthropy be kind of a gift?" 

Father Malachi Martin: "Yes. It can be. Like everything else, it can have a good purpose or an evil purpose." 

Conclusion

 Malachi Martin was the ultimate chameleon; a man who changes his beliefs to fit his audience and tell them what they want to hear. Does he even have any beliefs of his own? I can't believe the number of people who follow him and quote his novels like Scripture. Yes, he had many insights as to what went on in the Vatican, and I personally believe that a "Black Mass" took place before the start of Vatican II, led by some Cardinals. However, without other corroborating evidence, can you really believe anything he said? 

 At the time of his death, Martin was buried with Mrs  Kakia Livanos, a Greek Orthodox widow of a millionaire. Some claim she was merely his housekeeper and landlady, but one can't help but wonder why he would be buried with her, and why wouldn't she be buried with her late husband? Even if he were buried in Greece, she had the money for burial there. Martin claimed that his fall, which precipitated his death was caused by "an invisible hand" that pushed him. (See http://www.unitypublishing.com/Newsletter/Malachi%20Martin.htm)

 He called on Fr. Paul Wickens (whom I knew personally) to give him the Last Rites. Fr. Wickens was ordained in 1955 for the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. He left the Vatican II sect, and set up his own chapel. For awhile, Fr. Wickens was a Feeneyite, but thankfully, saw the error and abjured it. He worked closely with the SSPX and was not sedevacantist. Martin was buried out of Fr. Wickens' St Anthony of Padua Chapel in New Jersey. If he believed Wojtyla was pope why not ask a FSSP priest for the Last Rites? If he doubted the validity of the new "sacraments" why did he accept "priests" in the new rite as valid, such as "Fr" Gruner?  If he were sedevacantist, why not call a priest of the SSPV nearby? 

 There are more questions than answers to this man's life. I hope he made a sincere and humble confession to Fr. Wickens, and was saved. Nevertheless, I will never be quoting Martin as a reliable, stand-alone source on anything.