A False Martyr

 On October 14, 2018, Traditionalists the world over shook their heads in disbelief as Jorge Bergoglio ("Pope" Francis) "canonized" his equally false predecessor, Giovanni Montini ("Pope" Paul VI) a "saint." This act requires no commentary from me. Montini was a practicing sodomite, a Freemason, and the person who "promulgated" all the heretical documents of the Second Vatican (Robber) Council, which form the basis of the man-made Vatican II sect religion. As real canonizations are infallible acts, everyone is faced with the choice of either accepting Montini as a saint worthy of emulation by the faithful, or rejecting the papal pretender who dared to list his odious name among the great saints of the Church. Yet, the "recognize and resist" crowd, and others immune to logic and reason, will somehow try to justify this act or convince themselves canonizations are not really infallible. They "forget" the dogma of the Indefectibility of the Church, which means the Church cannot give that which is erroneous or evil--and giving Montini to the world as a "role model" is evil. Therefore, it could not have come from a true pope.

With most of the notoriety centered on Montini, less has been written about the second big name to be "canonized" the same day: "Archbishop" Oscar Romero of El Salvador. He was "martyred" on March 24, 1980. Romero was no martyr and no saint. As I will demonstrate in this post, Bergoglio has eviscerated the Catholic theology of martyrdom, and given the world a heretical notion in its place. To make an analogy, Romero is to martyr as Bergoglio is to pope.

Romero's Life in Brief

Oscar Romero was born on the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption in 1917. He had little formal schooling, but was very intelligent. At the age of 13, he wanted to become a priest, and was formally educated at the seminary in El Salvador, before completing his studies in Rome, graduating from the prestigious Gregorian University. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 4, 1942. Back in El Salvador, he worked as a parish priest and in several ministries. In January of 1966 he complained of exhaustion, and he was diagnosed by a psychiatrist as suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and the priests who counseled him said he suffered from scrupulosity. (See Oscar Romero: Love Must Win Out, Liturgical Press, [2014], pg. 45). 

Fr. Romero had no problems with the changes of Vatican II and embraced them. In 1970 he was invalidly "consecrated" as auxiliary "bishop" for the Archdiocese of San Salvador. In February of 1977, Romero was appointed "Archbishop" of that See by Montini. He held to nuanced version of the heretical Liberation Theology, (a form of Marxism) and denounced the government on the radio and from the pulpit every chance he had.  On March 24, 1980, while performing the Novus Bogus bread and wine service, a right wing death squad entered the church, and shot Romero in the heart, killing him at once. The perpetrators were never apprehended. In 1983, Wojtyla (John Paul II) prayed at Romero's tomb. The cause for his "sainthood" was opened in 1990. In 2000, Wojtyla declared Romero "that great witness of the Gospel." He was "beatified" in 2015, and "canonized" in 2018 by Bergoglio.

Liberation Theology

In the wake of Vatican II, Marxist ideals made inroads with the clergy and were openly embraced, particularly in South America. A Dominican priest, Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez (b. 1928, ordained 1959) wrote a book entitled A Theology of Liberation (Maryknoll Press, NY: Orbis, [1971]) which gave the movement both its name and impetus. As a young man, Gutierrez studied to become a doctor, only to change course and study for the priesthood. He was taught by the most Modernist theologians of the day, Frs. Henri de Lubac, Yves Congar, and Marie Dominique Chenu. De Lubac was removed from his teaching position in 1950 on suspicion of Modernism, Congar was prevented from teaching and publishing in 1954, and had one of his major works censured in 1952. Chenu had a book, Une école de théologie placed on the Vatican's Index of Forbidden Books in 1942 because of its heretical ideas about the role of historical studies in theology. He was subsequently removed from his teaching post. All three were rehabilitated by Roncalli (John XXIII) and Montini (Paul VI), becoming perti (theological experts) at Vatican II. De Lubac and Congar would be made "cardinals" and heroes of the Vatican II sect. Gutierrez credits heretic Chenu as his biggest influence. 

With this background, its not hard to see that "Liberation Theology" is heretical from its very inception. It is basically Communism dressed up in religious garb. Gutierrez rejects the idea that theology is a systematic collection of timeless and culture-transcending truths that remains unchanging for all generations. Rather, theology is in flux; it is a dynamic and ongoing exercise involving contemporary insights into knowledge, humanity, and history.Theology is about actions to help the poor and oppressed using Jesus Christ as the "model of liberation." Theologians are not to be mere theoreticians, but practitioners who participate in the ongoing struggle to liberate the oppressed. From what are they to be liberated? Not sin, but poverty and capitalism. Just like Modernists, they give traditional Catholic teachings new meanings while retaining the same verbiage. 

Sin. Using methodologies such as Gutierrez's, "liberation theologians" interpret sin not primarily from an individual, private perspective, but from a social and economic perspective. Gutierrez explains in his book that "sin is not considered as an individual, private, or merely interior reality. Sin is regarded as a social, historical fact, the absence of brotherhood and love in relationships among men." (pg. 72). Those who are oppressed can and do sin by acquiescing to their bondage. To go along passively with oppression rather than resisting and attempting to overthrow it (by violent means if necessary) is a sin. The use of violence has been one of the most controversial aspects of liberation theology. Such violence is not considered sinful if it is used for resisting oppression. Indeed, certain liberation theologians in some cases regard a particular action (e.g., killing) as the sin of murder only if it is committed by an "oppressor" (usually meaning any capitalist government), but not if it is committed by "the oppressed" in the struggle to remove inequities.

Salvation. Salvation is viewed not primarily in terms of life after death for the individual, but in terms of bringing about the kingdom of God: a new social order where there will be equality for all.

Jesus Christ. While liberation theologians do not outright deny Christ's Divinity, there is no unambiguous confession that Jesus Christ is God Incarnate. The "significance" of Jesus Christ lies in His example of struggling to help the poor and the outcast. The Incarnation is reinterpreted to represent God's total immersion into man's history of conflict and oppression. Christ, they tell us, was about liberating the poor. They conveniently ignore He said, "For the poor thou hast always with thee: but Me thou hast not always." (St. Matthew 26: 11).  

The Church. Gutierrez and other liberation theologians say the Church's mission is no longer one of a "quantitative" notion of saving numbers of souls. Instead, the Church's Great Commission is about improving the "quality of life" on Earth; thereby siding with the poor and the oppressed.

Despite all this heresy, Gutierrez was never excommunicated or censured by Wojtyla, the "anti-Communist" who condemned Liberation Theology, yet did nothing to stop it. It is claimed that Romero disavowed violence, and was not a "liberation theologian" but a "Transfiguration theologian" who rejected Marxism. What is "Transfiguration theology"? It is an ecumenical, watered down socialism. Romero did indeed denounce violence. However, he stated:
"Pope Paul VI who continually enlightens my thinking in these matters...also encouraged ecumenism as a spiritual and pastoral need. With joy I am able to tell you that we have spoken with our evangelical sisters and brothers and very soon we will meet to plan and work together in an authentic ecumenical sense." (See http://www.romerotrust.org.uk/homilies/126/126_pdf.pdf)

 Montini, the apostate sodomite and Freemason, was Romero's "enlightenment." His work is based on ecumenism from Vatican II, and has its roots in Liberation Theology properly so-called. Furthermore, "Cardinal" Gerhard Muller claimed to have read through "six volumes on Oscar Romero" and at the end of this exhaustive study found nothing that would prevent him from being recognized as a saint. This is not very reassuring considering that Muller, the former head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (sic), is himself a heretic who denies the dogma of Transubstantiation. (See the excellent analysis of Novus Ordo Watch at: https://novusordowatch.org/2017/08/heresies-cardinal-muller-transubstantiation/).

The next section will explain why Romero was so keen on ecumenism.

Romero and Opus Dei

According to opusdei.org, Opus Dei’s founder, Saint (sic) Josemaría Escriva, and Archbishop Romero had known each other since 1955. In 1974 Romero came to Rome and had several conversations with the future saint. Escriva was concerned that the Archbishop should have the opportunity to rest during his stay in Rome, because he realized the tense situation he faced back in El Salvador.

After Escriva's death, Romero was one of the first bishops to write a letter to the Holy See asking for his canonization. In this letter he said that he was grateful for having known Msgr Escriva personally "and for having received from him encouragement and strength to be faithful to the unchangeable doctrine of Christ and to serve the Holy Roman Church with apostolic zeal."

And he [Romero--Introibo] continued: "Personally, I owe deep gratitude to the priests involved with the Work [Opus Dei], to whom I have entrusted with much satisfaction the spiritual direction of my own life and that of other priests."

Cardinal Rosa Chavez, auxiliary bishop of San Salvador and a close friend of Romero, says that the martyr’s spirituality was nourished by the spirituality of Josemaría Escriva and that he often read his book The Way."
(See https://opusdei.org/en/article/saint-oscar-romero/amp/).

Opus Dei (Latin: "The Work of God") is organized like a religious order, comprised overall of priests and laity. Entering "the Opus" is considered to be a vocation and there are both rules and vows, although married members take different vows than clerics. It is a personal prelature, meaning that, there is a prelate, clergy and laity under the direction of the Congregation of Bishops. As opposed to a diocese, people are bound to the prelature by membership as opposed to geographical area.

Is Opus Dei, in any sense, Traditional Catholic?

 In a word: NO.

• It was the first institution to take in non-Catholics and even non-Christians

• For Escriva and his organization, freedom of conscience comes before Truth. Hence he said, "[Religious] Pluralism is not to be feared but loved as a legitimate consequence of personal freedom."

• Escriva had Protestant, schismatic, Jewish, Moslem and even pagan benefactors who were very good financial brokers for Opus Dei; it was already an active force for "political ecumenism." In Spain, the group refused to take a stand against abortion, not wanting to violate the "conscience" of the non-Catholics

• Montini (Paul VI) used the work of Escriva for his personal meditations

• The Opus Dei member ultimately learns not only to respect, but to love, religious pluralism

This was the garbage spirituality and theology of Romero. He used a version of liberation theology based on Vatican II ecumenism and made enemies based on this heretical theology as well as for denouncing the government.

Can Romero Be a True "Martyr"?

Bergoglio believes in an "ecumenism of blood;" that members of false sects can be "martyrs." He stated on Vatican Radio, February 16, 2015:
"The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard,” said the Pope.  "It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ."

This is so far removed from Catholic teaching, it can't be denounced strongly enough. Time for a reality check. The following points I condensed from Fr. Ronald Knox's wonderful treatise The Theology of Martyrdom (B. Herder Book Co., St. Louis, Missouri, (1929)).

1. The word "martyr" means "witness." It means you give witness to the True Faith by your death. Martyrdom implies, not simply losing your life, but giving up your life. Your life is prematurely cut short in the interests of something greater than yourself. Neither suffering by itself, nor suffering followed by death is martyrdom properly so called.

2. The Church does not bestow the title of martyr upon those heroic priests, nuns, and layman who have persistently attended to the suffering in times of pestilence. St. Aloysius, whose death was brought on by such a labor was not canonized a martyr. These deaths were not the result of the assertion of religious truth against the enemies of religious truth. They laid down their lives for Christ's sake, but not for Christ's quarrel. 

3. The faith one dies for can only be the unadulterated, Integral Catholic Faith; the One True Religion. To those who object that non-Catholics can receive Baptism of Desire, and it is therefore hypocritical to deny Protestants who, in good faith, die for a false belief the title of martyrs, it can be demonstrated their argument is without merit.  Baptism of Desire does not deny the objectivity of Truth, as this argument presupposes. The world tells us "Be good and you will go to Heaven, if such a place exists." A martyr is not someone who dies for what they believe, it is someone who dies for the Truth. Thomas Crammer died because he disbelieved in the papacy. St. Thomas More died because he believed in the papacy. Both cannot be true, so to make martyrs of both means either objective truth doesn't matter or doesn't exist.

4. As an adult, you must have the intention to die as a witness for the Truth. If a Traditionalist is killed in his sleep (unaware he was in any danger) by someone who is an enemy of the Faith, he does not qualify as a martyr. The Church means, by martyrdom, death undergone at the hands of those who hate the True Catholic Faith, for the sake of the True Catholic Faith; and undergone, in the case of adults, deliberately. Infants, killed for the sake of the True Faith, by those who hate the True Faith, die as martyrs without any intention necessary. They receive Baptism of Blood (if unbaptized) and their salvation is assured. (e.g. The Holy Innocents).

5. On the part of the enemies of Christ, a certain odium fidei ("hatred of the Faith") is necessary. A wholesale abandonment of the Faith, or hatred of all beliefs, is not necessary. To hate any article of True Faith/Morals because it is taught by the Church will suffice. Therefore, Henry VIII did not have to abandon every belief of the Church. Denying divorce and remarriage is adultery and hating that belief because the Church teaches it as true, was sufficient without more, to establish an odium fidei.

6. A soldier who takes up arms to fight a just war is not to be considered a martyr if he dies. Hence, the one who dies must not be guilty of provocation---that he died because he didn't kill the other man first. The exception is with captured soldiers who, now unarmed, are given the option of death or apostasy.

7. Notice how different this is from the Moslem conception of committing suicide while killing others (e.g. 9/11 attacks) as "martyrdom"!

Romero was killed because of a heretical theology and his political activity. Therefore, he did not die for the One True Church and--on that basis alone--cannot be a martyr. His murderer(s) did not truly have the "hatred of the faith"--only hatred for Romero's politics and false theology which supported his politics. Romero is neither a saint nor a martyr, unless you jettison all Catholic teaching on martyrdom by replacing it with an "ecumenism of blood" as professed by Bergoglio.

Conclusion

On October 14, 2018, Jorge Bergoglio held up as "saints" a false pope and a false martyr. Montini (Paul VI) did more to destroy the Faith and drive the Church underground than anyone else. Wojtyla, Ratzinger, and Bergoglio were just speeding up the process he began.  Oscar Romero was a revolutionary who offered an ecumenical form of socialism under the guise of Christianity. His theology and spirituality were formed by (and praised by) heretics of the worst kind. He does not meet even the minimum standards to be considered a martyr according to the teaching of the One True Church. 

Meanwhile, real pope-saints, such as Pope St. Pius V, and Pope St. Pius X are obscured (at best) or derided as irrelevant in "today's world" because they were not ecumenical. Now, we have real saints and martyrs, like St. Isaac Jogues, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Thomas More being replaced in the Vatican II sect by the likes of Oscar Romero, a socialist and heretic, who didn't die for the Faith. "Pope" Francis does not want held up for emulation someone who died to convert the Native Americans from paganism (they were "noble savages"), or who died for defending her virginal purity (not sensitive to promiscuous sodomites), or who died defending the true doctrine on the papacy (not sensitive to Siscoe, Salza, and the SSPX who want to join Francis). 

No, Bergoglio wants the world to emulate someone who embodies the "spirit of Vatican II" and spouts the Communist "Social(ist) Gospel." As the world crumbles around us with Faith and Morals disappearing more and more, the day may not be too far off when many of us who profess the Integral Catholic Faith may be targeted and become true martyrs. May God then give us strength.