The Novus Ordo, The Abomination of Desolation, And The Prophet Daniel --Part II

 

To My Readers: This week, my monthly guest poster, Mr. Dominic Caggeso, continues presenting his analysis of the Vatican II sect in light of the Old Testament. My gratitude to Dominic, Bellarminus, and John Gregory for giving me three weeks off from researching and writing! It was my longest continuous break in twelve years!! 

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

The Novus Ordo, The Abomination of Desolation, And The Prophet Daniel--Part II

By Dominic Caggeso

“I am come to shew it to thee, because thou art a man of desires.” In Daniel 9:23, this is what the angel Gabriel told the prophet Daniel as he wept for his people. That which the angel Gabriel showed to Daniel is the same that Our Lord referred to in the Gospel of St. Matthew 24:15 when He said: “When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand”. 

In this chapter of the book of Daniel that we are given the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks, a mysterious timetable of events leading up to the dreaded abomination of desolation and the destruction of “the city” and “the sanctuary”. At the beginning of chapter 9, before Daniel was given this prophecy, he was contemplating the length of the Jews’ exile in Babylon.  He was confessing his sins and the sins of his people, weeping for their punishment and begging for God’s mercy. For this, the angel Gabriel called Daniel a “man of desires” and went on to mystically explain to Daniel the length of exile, the coming of Christ, and the end times abomination of desolation, all at the same time through this enigmatic prophecy.

It stands to reason, therefore, that if we are looking to the prophet Daniel for understanding about the abomination of desolation, as Our Lord indicated for us to do, then we must be, like Daniel, a “man of desires”. As Daniel lamented the sad state of his people, do we also lament the state of Catholics? The Second Vatican Council has destroyed the Faith of countless unfortunate souls. Those of us who have retained the Faith are scattered, having no pope to unify us. This long and grinding sedevacante crisis wears down our zeal. With each passing year, we must dig deeper to renew our fervor, lest we grow lukewarm. Our Lord warned us that “the charity of many shall grow cold” because of an abundance of inequity. Do we yearn for the Church’s vindication as Daniel pleaded for an end to his people’s exile? If we are moved by such longings in our hearts and stirrings in our souls, then perhaps we are a “man of desires”.

I believe a certain kind of detachment is necessary to pursue these prophecies. There can be a stigma associated with those who seek to understand the book of Daniel. Despite some rolling eyes and light chuckles, I am spurred forward along this path by Christ’s words “as spoken by the prophet Daniel”. Furthermore, after coming to terms with sedevacantism and invalid NO rites, one becomes less influenced by the opinions and esteem of “the many." The Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks will be fulfilled, or Our Lord would not have mentioned it. The question remains, “Who will be given the grace to see”? 

This path, through the prophecies in the book of Daniel, has been attempted many times before. Protestants have been searching for end-times answers by means of this prophecy, coming up with outlandish conclusions. This prophecy, as we will shortly see, features “the sacrifice” as a central concept. Because Protestants have rejected the Holy Mass, they have no idea what this “sacrifice” could be and thus, are obstructed from seeing this prophecy’s fulfillment. Like a treasure map, the starting place is vital. Get that wrong and the rest of the map is useless. The Protestants are looking in all the wrong places. Further, as you will see, those in the Novus Ordo are also obstructed from seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy. The prophecy goes on to mention that “the victim and the sacrifice shall fail”. If the “sacrifice” is the Holy Mass, then only Traditional Catholics are positioned to understand this. Those in the Novus Ordo are unaware that their “sacrifice” is invalid. They are unaware that the Holy Mass was almost completely suspended and absent from the face of the earth for a couple of years starting in 1969-1971.

By the grace of God, Traditional Catholics are uniquely equipped to see the fulfillment of this prophecy. We must only connect the abomination of desolation with the Novus Ordo rite to establish a starting place for our treasure map. This association has already been made in my last blog post dated March 11, 2024 (http://introiboadaltaredei2.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-novus-ordo-abomination-of.html). If you have not yet read that blog post, then you might be unaware of just how solid and likely the assertion that the Novus Ordo rite is the abomination of desolation for which we have been awaiting. Therefore, I would highly recommend that you read that blog post first since the conclusions of this article are based, in part, on the assertions in that one. 

Because this prophecy from the book of Daniel is mysterious, and because it deals with such a significant subject, please allow me to construct a little more framework from which I will explain my thoughts before we get into the actual prophecy itself. I would like to:

1. Briefly summarize last month’s article dated March 11, 2024, just to refresh the memories of those who have read it.

2. Briefly summarize the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks and then invite you to read the actual prophecy.

1. Summary of Last Month’s Article

The books of the Maccabees seem very much to be a foreshadowing of the Second Vatican Council. The Hellenizing Jews at the beginning of the book are like the Modernists present in the Church before the Council. The Temple was stripped of its ornaments and beauty just as Catholic Churches across the world were likewise stripped. The Jews suffered under usurper Hellenizing high priests just as Catholics suffered under usurper modernist anti-popes. Women thrust themselves into the holy places in the Temple just as they did inside our churches after the Council. A second altar was erected in the Temple just like the second “altar” that was placed in every Catholic church worldwide.

It is powerfully persuasive to see so many chronological parallels, much more than just one or two isolated connections. Therefore, when we see that the abomination of desolation in the books of the Machabees was placed on the second altar in the Temple, the significance of the Novus Ordo appearing on second “altars” in churches across the world is magnified. Thus we can conclude, based on a combination of these parallels and also our lived experience as Traditional Catholics, that the Novus Ordo rite is the pre-eminent fulfillment of Our Lord’s warning of the abomination of desolation “standing in the holy place”. (I say “pre-eminent fulfillment” because I believe there are many other minor fulfillments. I will explain this at the end of this article.)

2. Summary of the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks

The prophecy starts with a decree to rebuild “Jerusalem”. From that point, the seventy-week countdown starts. There is no specific mention as to what exactly constitutes a “week”. We can logically deduce that a “week” consists of seven units of equal time. It is commonly assumed that each “week” is seven actual years.  This is the “Weeks of Years” method in which each day of the week is one year, thus each “week” is seven years.  By a simple calculation, the seventy weeks is equivalent to 490 years.  Indeed, this is the method employed in the footnotes of the Douay Rheims Bible, as noted below. Using this method and starting with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem by King Artaxerxes (per the Douay Rheims footnotes), we arrive at the baptism of Christ.

The seventy weeks are broken up into three separate periods. There is a seven-week period, a sixty-two-week period, and a one-week period: totaling seventy weeks. The one-week period is also known as the “final week”. 

• After the sixty-two weeks, Jerusalem will be built up again in the “straitness of times"

• After sixty-two weeks, “Christ shall be slain”

• In the mid-point of this “final week” the abomination of desolation appears

• At the start of this “final week”, “he” will “confirm the covenant with many” 

Here is the actual prophecy and corresponding footnotes:

“Seventy weeks are shortened upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, that transgression may be finished, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be abolished; and everlasting justice may be brought; and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled; and the saint of saints may be anointed. Know thou therefore, and take notice: that from the going forth of the word, to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ the prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: and the street shall be built again, and the walls in straitness of times. And after sixty-two weeks Christ shall be slain: and the people that shall deny him shall not be his. And a people with their leader that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be waste, and after the end of the war the appointed desolation.  And he shall confirm the covenant with many, in one week: and in the half of the week the victim and the sacrifice shall fail: and there shall be in the temple the abomination of desolation: and the desolation shall continue even to the consummation, and to the end. 

- Daniel 9: 24-27

[24] "Seventy weeks": Viz., of years, (or seventy times seven, that is, 490 years,) are shortened; that is, fixed and determined, so that the time shall be no longer. 

[25] "From the going forth of the word": That is, from the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, when by his commandment Nehemias rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, 2 Esd. 2. From which time, according to the best chronology, there were just sixty-nine weeks of years, that is, 483 years to the baptism of Christ, when he first began to preach and execute the office of Messias.-- Ibid. 

[25] "In straitness of times": angustia temporum: which may allude both to the difficulties and opposition they met with in building: and to the shortness of the time in which they finished the wall, viz., fifty-two days. 

[26] "A people with their leader": The Romans under Titus. 

[27] "In the half of the week": or, in the middle of the week, etc. Because Christ preached three years and a half: and then by his sacrifice upon the cross abolished all the sacrifices of the law.-- Ibid. 

[27] "The abomination of desolation": Some understand this of the profanation of the temple by the crimes of the Jews, and by the bloody faction of the zealots. Others of the bringing in thither the ensigns and standard of the pagan Romans. Others, in fine, distinguish three different times of desolation: viz., that under Antiochus; that when the temple was destroyed by the Romans; and the last near the end of the world under Antichrist. To all which, as they suppose, this prophecy may have a relation. 

Now that we have been prepped, we are ready to start our journey. I intend to lay out the prophecy fulfillment by working backward. The identification of the Novus Ordo rite as the abomination of desolation is the keystone on which this interpretation will rest. Once we determine the actual date on which the Novus Ordo was implemented, then we can assume that date to be at the mid-point of the “final week”. Once we identify the “final week”, we should theoretically be able to work backward again to see the previous sixty-nine weeks, arriving at the beginning of the prophecy: the decree to rebuild “Jerusalem”. 

Ascertaining a Concrete Date for the Novus Ordo

If the Novus Ordo is the pre-eminent fulfillment of the abomination of desolation, and because the Novus Ordo rite is a historical occurrence with concrete dates associated with it, then we can gain a handle on which to grab ahold of this prophecy. The two major dates associated with the Novus Ordo are April 3, 1969 (the day it was first officially introduced) and Nov 28, 1971 (the date after which no diocese had the option to still say the Tridentine Mass). This date of Nov 28, 1971, is given by Fr. Cekada in this article, page 8.   https://www.traditionalmass.org/images/articles/P6Illegally.pdf

Given the universal character of the Novus Ordo implementation deadline of Nov 28, 1971, it is the best candidate. On April 3, 1969, the Novus Ordo was just being introduced and would not have been yet experienced by all Catholics. But by Nov 28, 1971, virtually every Mass-attending Catholic, in their parish church, saw the abominable rite of the Novus Ordo on a second altar.

Identifying the Final Week

Assuming that the date of Nov 28, 1971 is a logical choice for when the Novus Ordo appeared in the “holy place”, then we would have to assume, per the prophecy, that this date is in the middle of the “final week”. The next step is to find a unit of time, divisible by seven, that has its midpoint in 1971. Going simultaneously backward and forward from this date, in equal time increments, we should eventually arrive at some kind of significant “week”, which to be convincing, should be marked with distinct and relevant beginning and endpoints. I’ll spare you the long process that I employed and cut to the chase.

If we go backward forty-two years, and then also forward forty-two years, we come to the two dates of Feb. 11, 1929 and Feb 11, 2013. This first date is very important in modern Catholic history. On Feb 11, 1929 the Lateran Treaty was signed between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy, creating the modern-day city-state of Vatican City. This was extremely significant because, in 1870, the Italian freemasons stole the Papal States, interrupting the First Vatican Council. From that point onward, the popes would not leave the Vatican in protest, referring to themselves as “prisoners in the Vatican”. The Church was persecuted by the new freemasonic kingdom of Italy. The 1929 Lateran Treaty changed this, not only by granting a small portion of the Holy See’s land back (Vatican City) but also by establishing Catholicism as the state religion in Italy. Canon law regulated Italian marriage law. Catechism was taught in primary and secondary public schools. The Italian state adopted the Church’s holy days as official state holidays, and much more. In doing all this, the Lateran Treaty “confirmed the covenant with many”, just as the prophecy says would happen. So far so good!

The date that punctuates the end of the “final week” is Feb 11, 2013. On this exact date, Benedict XVI resigned, and lightning struck St. Peter’s Basilica twice, in some kind of ominous sign. One month later, Francis would emerge on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Benedict XVI was the seventh priest-king of Vatican City, a concept I’ll get to in a moment.

When the Lateran Treaty was signed on Feb 11, 1929, it created a new political entity and a new, monarchical form of government over this new city-state. Upon the ratification of the treaty, Pope Pius XI became the very first priest-king of the newly formed entity of Vatican City.  Prior to the Lateran Treaty, the Popes had no land (it was stolen from them) and thus, the popes could not be considered temporal kings. That changed when Pope Pius XI ratified the Lateran Treaty. There were a total of seven priest-kings of Vatican City, with Benedict XVI being the last one, then he resigned and lightning struck St. Peter’s Basilica. Please note that I am not claiming John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, or Benedict XVI were real popes.  I am only claiming they were temporal kings of Vatican City and that they were validly ordained priests.  Likewise, I am not claiming that Pope Pius XI or Pope Pius XII were antipopes.  I am only noting that all seven were both kings and priests. Francis is not a priest-king because he is not a valid priest.  He was “ordained” in the new rite. 

The period between Feb 11, 1929 and Feb 11, 2013 is exactly 84 years, and 1971 (the year that the NO was universally mandated) lies in the middle of these two dates. Half of 84 is 42. If we add 42 and 1971, we arrive at 2013. If we subtract 42 from 1971, we arrive at 1929. Additionally, the period of 84 years constitutes a “week” because 84 is divisible by 7. By dividing 84 years by 7 years we arrive at 12 years. Thus the “final week” is comprised of 7 “days”, with each “day” constituted by 12 actual years. And to add extra significance, that same period from Feb 11, 1929 (when Pope Pius XI became the first priest-king) and Feb 11, 2013 (when Benedict XVI resigned) corresponds exactly to the reign of seven priest-kings. As many are aware, the period of the “seven kings” is significant.

Working backward

It seems likely that we have a “final week” since the Novus Ordo appears at the mid-point. Moreover, this week started with a major treaty that “confirmed the covenant with many”. Now, can we work backward from there to find a decree to “rebuild Jerusalem”? By following the time frame given in the prophecy, we have to go back sixty-nine weeks from 1929 to find this decree. However, where are we to look? Jerusalem seems out of place because, so far, this fulfillment of the prophecy has dealt with events specific to the Catholic Church and Rome. To illustrate, the abomination of desolation in the Old Testament took place in the Temple but in Church history, it took place in our churches. So, instead of looking for a decree to rebuild Jerusalem, perhaps we should look for a decree to rebuild Rome.

To continue with the prophecy, we must go backward a period of sixty-nine weeks from 1929. Sixty-nine “weeks” multiplied by seven (assuming each week is seven years) equals 483 years.  Now we take the date of 1929 and subtract 483 years, arriving at the year 1446. In 1446, Rome was in a state of disrepair. The Avignon papacy and the Papal Schism caused Rome to be neglected. Churches were old and falling down and walls were crumbling.  The First St. Peter’s Basilica, built by Constantine in the 300s, was leaning and slowly collapsing. In 1447, Pope Nicholas V was elected (one year after 1446).  He announced the construction of a new St. Peter’s Basilica and even laid up significant stones to start its construction. He also built up the infrastructure of Rome such as roads, bridges, and walls. In essence, Pope Nicholas V gave the word to build up Rome again. 

Astonishingly, the prophecy seems fulfilled! There is not a greater icon of the Catholic Church in Rome than St. Peter’s Basilica, and the initial announcement of its construction is about as great of a decree to rebuild as we could possibly find. Thus, how can we not say that this prophecy has been fulfilled? It seems that all the major elements are present. Additionally, some of the other aspects of this prophecy also seem to be fulfilled. For example:

1. “After sixty-two weeks, Christ shall be slain” – Because the Holy Mass is the sacrifice of Calvary, then the decree of Paul VI to eliminate the Holy Mass constitutes its “crucifixion” or “death” in metaphor. Recall that this prophecy was told to us to be fulfilled the first time with the coming of Christ and His Baptism and Crucifixion. Thus, it is fitting and poetic that its fulfillment in Church history would include the “death of Christ in the Mass”. The Bible is a Catholic book, and its prophecies point to the Truths of the Catholic Faith. 

2. The prophecy states “there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: and the street shall be built again, and the walls in straitness of times.” This seems to indicate that after the initial sixty-nine weeks, Rome should be being built up again, but this time in difficult times. That would mean around 1929, we should see this happening. Amazingly, in 1929 and in subsequent years, Benito Mussolini was in the process of remaking Rome into the capital of his new fascist empire.  He was widening the streets and constructing new buildings.  It was the “straitness of times” because Mussolini’s rule was not particularly easy for the Catholic Church and World War II was about to start. 

Conclusion

It seems clear to me that the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks is pre-eminently fulfilled in our times, with the Novus Ordo rite being the unholy climax. There is more to this prophecy for which I don’t have a clear answer.  But for me, there are too many correlations, lying outside the realm of statistical probability. And even more important and amazing is that this conclusion is synchronous and confirmatory to our present ecclesial situation. 

Going back to my use of the word “pre-eminent”, I would like to say that I believe there are other fulfillments of this prophecy as well.  For instance, the Anglican schism of Henry VIII is a microcosm of the Second Vatican Council as it shares so many of the same elements.  In both instances, most of the bishops went along with the apostasy. In both instances, it was instigated by an overweight king (Henry VIII and John XXIII). In both instances, the Catholic churches were commandeered for the new, apostate religion. The Cranmer “service” is eerily similar to the Novus Ordo rite. 

Cranmer's new rite, which was an “abomination” that appeared in the “holy places” throughout England, was instituted in the mid-1500s. Amazingly, if you go backward about 483 years (69 weeks multiplied by 7 years), we arrive close to the date of 1070.  It just so happens that the flagship Cathedral of England, the Canterbury Cathedral, was decreed to be rebuilt in 1070. The original structure was built in 597 and was old and falling down. It was time to build a new one.

The Early Church And Modern Problems

 

To My Readers: This week's post comes from a young man who just became a Traditionalist three years ago and attends the Society of St. Pius V (SSPV). I think it is encouraging that a young person in his 20s is highly knowledgeable and committed to the True Faith. He will be guest posting once every other month like Mr. John Gregory. This writer chooses to remain anonymous and will be known as Bellarminus. Please comment and let him know what you think of his post; also feel free to ask questions. If anyone has a specific comment or question for me, I will answer as always, but it will take me a bit longer to respond this week.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

The Early Church and Modern Problems

By Bellarminus

During these present times, the traditional Catholic world tends to focus on the Church in its present situation, along with all the problems in the world that are daily afflicting the Church and Our Lord’s Most Sacred Heart. Although it is good and proper to be aware of and appropriately discuss these issues, we should, at least from time to time, reflect on the history of the Church and the world not only to engender a more profound understanding and regard for the Church but also to apply the lessons, examples, and truths of the past to the present. This post will therefore briefly discuss the early Church.

The early Church has long been a focal point in theological controversy, especially since the Protestant Revolution, when Luther and other odious revolutionaries attempted to cite the early Church as a predecessor of their novel theological inventions. St. Robert Bellarmine’s De Romano Pontifice treats this topic extensively and very effectively and demonstrates how the revolutionaries’ claims were absolute hogwash, taking the Church Fathers out of context and applying their own faulty mindsets to early Church history.

The theological debate on the Novus Ordo “Mass” has reinvigorated the study of the early Church– the inventors of the Novus Ordo make the same exact claims as the Protestants, employing an antiquarianism condemned by the Church, including Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei. Father Cekada’s Work of Human Hands examines this topic and details the fallacies and errors in the Novus Ordo related to this issue (and many others) wonderfully– I highly recommend this book.

It’s clear that even thousands of years later, the early Church is still incredibly important to our present understanding of the Catholic Church.

Persecution

The persecutions against Christians were cruel— everyone can and must agree on that. Although Christian persecution was not necessarily always constant and/or universal, when they were ordered, they were carried out with usual Roman exactness and mercilessness. But what exactly was the reason for these persecutions, besides demonic instigation?

Roman society had a very rigid sociopolitical construct. To the Romans, all features of the public sphere (which especially included political activity and religion) were inherently intertwined and constituted a singular, uniform society. Any deviation in any of the particular features, whether it be a contrary political opinion or religious belief, was a deviation from the res publica (literally = “the public thing”), the societal commonwealth, as a whole. If one were to reject or abstain from participating in the official, universal religion of the Roman Empire, he would be deemed to have rejected and separated himself from the Roman polity. Pagan religious activities “were bound up with every aspect of the social order,” making it impossible for a “heretic” to be a part of society (Pagans and Christians, Robin Lane Fox, 89).

The Roman mindset required people to participate in pagan religion and other public events and institutions associated with paganism. However, as we know, to do this would be idolatrous and mortally sinful. Christians, therefore, simply could not participate in Roman society to the extent expected of them. Tertullian in his De Spectaculis demonstrates how attendance at the public games, which included gladiatorial fights, was idolatrous because the ceremonies attached to the games were imbued with paganism. This was unacceptable to the Romans. One of the causes of Galerius’ persecution of the Christians, for example, was that his mother’s Christian servants refused to participate in a pagan feast. 

The early Church was practically a parallel society, which is what would result in so many persecutions throughout Her first few hundred years. This is the same exact situation we find ourselves in today. The world today is an oppressive one, requiring people to adhere to a rigid social construct that undermines Catholic morals and family values. But we, as Traditionalist Catholics, cannot give in: it would mean eternal death if we do. We are effectively a parallel society. And what do we do? We can look to the early Church as a model: keep the Faith, do not give in, and be willing to suffer in the Holy Name of Jesus.

Some Points of Doctrine

One fallacy commonly touted by enemies of the Catholic Church is that, in the early Church, the Papacy did not exist. This is baseless blasphemy. All the Church Fathers, both Latin and Greek, are unanimous in their recognition of the Bishop of Rome as the head of the Church, whom we would now call a Pope. For example, St. Irenaeus, writes the following in the second century:

“The Church of Rome, of the greatest antiquity and recognized by all, founded and constituted by the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul, that which has tradition from the Apostles and heralding the faith to all through successions of bishops attaining even to us…It is necessary for every Church to agree with this Church [of Rome] on account of a mightier principality…” (Adversus Haereses)

St. Ambrose of Milan in the fourth century wrote during the pontificate of Pope Damasus I that “When the whole world should be of God, nevertheless His house is called the Church, whose Ruler today is Damasus” (I Letter to Timothy). The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, was also recognized as having supreme judicial authority in the Church. St. John Chrysostom, in the fourth century, wrote an appeal to Pope Innocent I asking him to pass a juridical decision over a happening in the East. There are numerous other examples, but I would again recommend my readers to St. Robert Bellarmine’s de Romano Pontifice for an exhaustive list, from which I gathered these quotes.

Another point of doctrine that is commonly argued against by Protestants is the intercession of the Church Triumphant. While Protestants make the claim that prayer can only go straight to God with no human intermediary, the early Church Fathers disagree (this claim is also refuted by Sacred Scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament). For example, St. Augustine, in his Sermons on St. John’s Gospel, writes: “At the Lord’s table we do not commemorate martyrs in the same way that we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for them, but rather that they may pray for us that we may follow in their footsteps.”

The last point of doctrine I will discuss here is the Sacrament of Penance. Many lesser-informed individuals are of the belief that the Sacrament was “created” in the Middle Ages. However, once again, a quick look into the early Church dispels such a notion. St. Basil, in the fourth century, writes: “...it seems necessary to confess sins to the priests, for to them is committed the dispensation of the mysteries. Thus, too, in olden times we find that penitents confessed their sins to the saints. In the Gospel we read that the people confessed their sins to John the Baptist, and in the Acts of the Apostles that those who were baptized confessed to the Apostles” (On the Institution of Monks).

This quote also serves to show not only the sanctity of the priesthood, which is a distinct spiritual order separated from the laity, but also the power of Sacred Tradition, passing from the Apostles to their successor bishops, which will be the topic of the next section. St. John Fisher’s Defense of the Catholic Priesthood Against Martin Luther is a wonderful treatise on the priesthood that refers constantly to the early Church, having been written as a rebuttal to Protestant arguments. 

Apostolic Succession

“In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth” (St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses).

One of the marks of the Church is that it is apostolic, meaning that “the Church always retains and teaches the very same doctrine which it received from the apostles” and that “the Church…is always ruled by pastors who are the apostles’ legitimate successors” (theologian Van Noort, Dogmatic Theology 2:151). 

In the context of theological controversy, apostolic succession is integral. Without it, no institution could claim to be faithful to Christ and His Church. The Catholic Church is the only Church with an unbroken line of apostolic succession, both in doctrine and in episcopal consecration. The fact that the early Church Fathers are a part of this lineage solidifies their authority over theological matters, whereby they explicitly, repeatedly, and universally uphold the truths that the Catholic Church has maintained for millennia. 

For example, St. Irenaeus was ordained by and was a student of St. Polycarp, who was himself instructed and consecrated by St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. St. Peter, the Apostle and first Pope, consecrated Sts. Linus, Anacletus, and Clement, all of whom would succeed him in the Papal office. Every bishop in the early Church, furthermore, had to account for strict regulations regarding the recognition of episcopal consecration. The bishop had to have been consecrated by a recognized validly consecrated bishop, and consecrations were usually done with co-consecrators. Although our lack or loss of historical documentation makes the tracing of exact lineages impossible, it is clear that a bishop could not simply claim the episcopacy and had to produce evidence in the external forum of his validity and apostolicity.

Conclusion

While the early Church may seem to be so long ago in an entirely different world, it quite probably is more instructive to the Catholic Church now more than ever before. While we traverse through this world so gripped by evil, we must look back to the Catholic Church through the centuries as an example. By doing so, we can not only strengthen our faith in the Church and Our Lord by having a better knowledge of the intricacies of the early Church, but we can also find the inspiration needed to brave the oppressive storm of sin and temptation so that we may become the prophesied Saints of the latter times whose splendor will outshine even the Saints of the early Church.

On Sloth

 

To My Readers: This post is from Mr. John Gregory, a fine writer and a long-time Traditionalist. John used to write for the Daily Catholic, when it was run by the late, great Mr. Michael Cain. John has generously volunteered to be a guest poster once every two months. Hence, he will write a post April, June, August, October, and December of this year. I am fortunate to have John join my monthly guest poster, Mr. Dominic Caggeso, who's next post will come out later in April. Please comment and let John know what you think of his writing. If you have any questions/comments specifically for me, I will answer as always, but it will take me longer to get back to you this week.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

On SLOTH

By John Gregory

This child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel (Luke 2: 34) That God became man is a doctrine of our faith and those who reject or doubt this doctrine are in the category of those who will fall into Hell.  But just accepting the truth is not enough.  A few verses later we read--Who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day (Luke 2: 37).  This is a warning against the vice of sloth which can also lead to Hell and an encouragement to be zealous for the faith and the conversion of others as I hope to prove in this post.

According to Aquinas sloth, in addition to being sorrow over a Divine good e.g. the duty to go to Mass on Sunday, is a sin when sorrow over evil is so oppressive that it draws a man entirely away from good deeds. (See SUMMA THEOLOGIAE: Sloth (Secunda Secundae Partis, Q. 35) (newadvent.org) Consider how evil abortion is and how rampant it is.  If one were so overwhelmed with grief over the issue that one gave up religion entirely because he can’t deal with that reality, he obviously would be guilty of a mortal sin and lose his soul.  But also consider one who frequently, despite his good intentions and best efforts, keeps committing the same sin again, finally gives up even trying to overcome it.  If it was a mortal sin he was trying to overcome the sin of sloth here would also be mortal.  But obviously we never want to give up our fight against committing deliberate venial sins as well.  If we give up our fight against venial sin, in addition to adding to our future punishments we would be increasing our likelihood of eventually falling into mortal sin.  When we become lax and unconcerned about venial sins, oftentimes mortal sin is not too far behind. 

Sloth is the seeking of undue rest from Divine good such a prayer; needlessly putting it off.  This can result in praying with negligence, hurriedly and without devotion which is also a result of sloth.  This can be true with going to Confession or a convert putting off Baptism.  All fallen men can be tempted to sin, “ah, I don’t feel like going to Mass today” then immediately put it out of their mind and jump out of bed to get ready for Mass.  The danger is consenting to that thought when it enters the mind.  The more you consider how nice it would be to skip Mass this week, the more likely it will be that you will entertain excuses why it could be legitimate to skip Mass this one time and actually miss it.  It can be likened to the danger of passing by the tree with forbidden fruit without thinking about it in comparison to stopping and taking a look at the fruit, just to see of course.  We saw where that got Eve and the rest of the human race.

Let us consider the Humility and Poverty of Christ. What can be more useful, what better calculated to subdue the pride and haughtiness of the human heart, than to reflect frequently that God humbles Himself in such a manner as to assume our frailty and weakness, in order to communicate to us His glory; that God becomes man, and that He at whose nod, to use the words of Scripture, the pillars of heaven tremble and are affrighted, (Job 26: 2) bows His supreme and infinite majesty to minister to man; that He whom the Angels adore in heaven is born on earth!  When such is the goodness of God towards us, what, I ask, should we not do to testify our obedience to His will?  With what willingness and alacrity (prompt, willing cheerfulness) should we not love, embrace, and perform all the duties of humility?

Let us now consider the antidote to sloth which is zeal. Our zeal in communicating Christian knowledge should not be relaxed because it has sometimes to be exercised in expounding matters apparently humble and unimportant, and whose exposition is usually irksome, especially to minds accustomed to the contemplation of the more sublime truths of religion.  If the Wisdom of the eternal Father descended upon the earth in the meanness of our flesh to teach us the maxims of a heavenly life, who is there whom the love of Christ does not constrain (2 Cor 5: 14) to become little in the midst of his brethren, and, as a nurse fostering her children, so anxiously to wish for the salvation of his neighbors as to be ready, as the Apostle says of himself, to give them not only the gospel of God, but even his own life. (1 Tim 4: 13).

We should be so warmly interested in promoting the worship and honor of God as to be said rather to be jealous of Him than to love Him, in imitation of Him who says of Himself: With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts, (3 Kings 19: 14) or rather of Christ Himself, who says: The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. (Ps 68: 10; John 2: 17)

Never shirk your duty to witness to the truth to anyone who asks about our faith or who has a question pertaining to religion.  We are strictly obliged to do so.  When it comes to sharing with people who do not ask, we need to have prudence.  For it is much easier, especially for those without much knowledge themselves, to do more harm than good when trying to convert souls.  This is why we should frequently study the faith and live it so that we will better be able to help others should the opportunity arise.  

It is better to help the people answer their own questions than to hammer them with the truth.  Telling someone over and over again that they will go to Hell if they do not convert has less of chance, generally speaking, of converting one that asking them if they believe Jesus founded one religion or many which contradict each other.  You just need to get them to think and search themselves, the answers are to be found by those of good will, willing to change their lives completely when convinced they must do so in order to be saved.

“SIX DAYS SHALT THOU LABOUR AND DO ALL THY WORK”

And as the observance of the precept is very strongly assisted by these words: Six days shalt thou labour, but on the seventh day is the sabbath of God, From these words it can be gathered that the faithful are to be exhorted not to spend their lives in indolence and sloth, but that each one, mindful of the words of the Apostle, should do his own business, and work with his own hands, as he had commanded them. (1 Thess 4: 2).

WAYS OF GIVING ALMS

It is important to understand regarding this necessary duty, that whoever is unable to give may at least lend to the poor what they need to sustain life, according to the command of Christ our Lord: Lend, hoping for nothing thereby. (Luke 6: 35) The happiness of doing this is thus expressed by holy David: Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth. (Ps. 111: 5).

But if we are not able to give to those who must depend on the charity of others for their sustenance, it is an act of Christian piety, as well as a means of avoiding idleness, to procure by our labor and industry what is necessary for the relief of the poor.  To this the Apostle exhorts all by his own example. For yourselves, he says to the Thessalonians, know how you ought to imitate us; (2 Thess 3: 7) and again, writing to the same people: Use your endeavour to be quiet, and that you do your own business, and work with your own hands, as we commanded you; (1 Thess 4: 2) and to the Ephesians: He that stole, let him steal no more; but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him that sufferteh need. (Eph 4: 28).

If you are unable to give money, then give some of your time.  Pray devotedly for their temporal and spiritual needs.  Give them a green scapular.  

WE MUST PRAY WITH FERVOR, UNITING PETITION TO THANKSGIVING

Let us imitate the fervor of the Saints in prayer; and to petition let us unite thanksgiving, imitating the example of the Apostles, who, as may be seen in the Epistles of Saint Paul, always observed this salutary practice.

FASTING AND ALMSDEEDS SHOULD BE JOINED TO PRAYER

To prayer let us unite fasting and almsdeeds.  Fasting is most intimately connected with prayer.  For the mind of one who is filled with food and drink is so borne down as not to be able to raise itself to the contemplation of God, or even to understand what prayer means.

Alms-deeds have also an intimate connection with prayer.  For what claim has he to the virtue of charity, who, possessing the means of affording relief to those who depend on the assistance of others, refuses help to his neighbor and brother?  How can he, whose heart is devoid of charity, demand assistance from God, unless, while imploring the pardon of his sins, he at the same time humbly beg of God to grant him the virtue of charity?

This triple remedy was, therefore, appointed by God to aid man in the attainment of salvation.  For by sin we offend God, wrong our neighbor, or injure ourselves.  The wrath of God we appease by pious prayer; our offences against man we redeem by alms-deeds; the stains of our own lives we wash away by fasting.  Each of these remedies, it is true, is applicable to every sort of sin; they are, however, peculiarly adapted to those three which we have specially mentioned.

WE MUST LABOR TO OBTAIN GOD’S KINGDOM

We should also be careful to consider what is to be done, what avoided, in order to arrive at the kingdom of heaven.  For we are not called by God to lead lives of ease and indolence. On the contrary, He declares that the kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away; (Matt 11: 12) and, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matt 19: 17) It is not enough, therefore, that we pray for the kingdom of God; we must also use our best exertions.  It is a duty incumbent on us to cooperate with the grace of God to use it in pursuing the path that leads to heaven.  God never abandons us; He has promised to be with us at all times.  We have therefore only this to see to, that we forsake not God, or abandon ourselves.

Again we see that just believing or accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour is not enough.  First of all, protestants accept an imaginary Jesus that did not found His Church on the rock or Saint Peter, taught the necessity of baptism for salvation to be possible and that believers can be damned for neglecting good works.  But this holds true for Catholics as well.  The violent bearing the kingdom of heaven away means that we must be hard-headed in a certain sense.  

That is, we must use violent effort by mortification and penance, and resisting our perverse inclinations.  There is no point during our lives that we have it made in the shade.  Where we can rest on our laurels and just coast into heaven.  Take a man floating on a raft in the ocean needing to get to shore.  If he just lays on the raft he will drift away and ultimately die.  Resist the temptation to the pride that says you have made it lest you drift away from sanctifying grace and ultimately die the eternal death.

Again, we see that just believing or accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior is not enough.  First of all, Protestants accept an imaginary Jesus that did not found His Church on the rock or Saint Peter, taught the necessity of baptism for salvation to be possible and that believers can be damned for neglecting good works.  But this holds true for Catholics as well.  

The violent bearing the kingdom of heaven away means that we must be hard-headed in a certain sense.  That is, we must use violent effort by mortification and penance, and resisting our perverse inclinations.  There is no point during our lives that we have it made in the shade. Where we can rest on our laurels and just coast into Heaven. Take a man floating on a raft in the ocean needing to get to shore.  If he just lays on the raft he will drift away and ultimately die.  Resist the temptation to the pride that says you have made it lest you drift away from sanctifying grace and ultimately die the eternal death.

TO SUPPLY HIS BODILY WANTS MAN MUST LABOR

Adam’s posterity are not only deprived of the fruit of the tree of life, but also condemned to this dreadful sentence: Cursed is the earth in thy work; with labor and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life: thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herbs of the earth.  In the sweat of they face shalt thou eat bread, til thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken; for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return. (Gen 3: 17-19).

WITHOUT GOD’S HELP MAN’S LABOR IS VAIN

Our condition, therefor, is entirely different from what his and that of his posterity would have been, had Adam listened to the voice of God. All things have been thrown into disorder and have changed sadly for the worse.  Of the resultant evils, this is not the least, that the heaviest cost, and labor, and toil, are frequently expended in vain; either because the crops are unproductive, or because the fruits of the earth are smothered by noxious weeds that spring up about them, or perish when stricken and prostrated by heavy rains, storms, hail, blight or blast.  Thus is the entire labor of the year quickly reduced to nothing by some calamity of air or soil, inflicted in punishment of our crimes, which provoke the wrath of God and prevent Him from blessing our efforts. The dreadful sentence pronounced against us in the beginning remains. (Gen 3: 17).

We must understand therefore, that we fall into these perplexities and miseries through our own fault; while we must sweat and toil to procure the necessaries of life, unless God bless our labors, our hope must prove fallacious, and all our exertions unavailing.  For neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth, but God who giveth the increase; (1 Cor 3: 7) unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. (Ps 126: 1).

As it is in the physical realm, so it is in the spiritual realm.  We must work out our salvation in fear and trembling, not presume upon it.  All our good works will avail us not, if we die in the state of mortal sin.  We can work hard towards our salvation for our entire lives and lose it at the moment of death.  All seems well when things go right, and we are in the state of sanctifying grace but when something unexpected happens many of us easily fall and become a child of the devil and destined for eternal damnation once again.  That is why Jesus is recorded as saying twice that he who perseveres until the end will be saved.  Not he who accepted him in an emotional ceremony is already saved.  Not he who mechanically goes to confession once a month without truly amending his life will be saved. 

Keep in mind that the Almighty God, perfectly happy and fulfilled in Himself to the utmost degree did not become a zygote in the womb of His Immaculate Mother, confining Himself to this bag of bones of ours for 33 years, to be mocked, rejected, spat upon, scourged almost to death, crowned with thorns and crucified just so we could have a free ride to Heaven if only we just believe.  We must fight against sloth with the virtue of zeal, being proud of our faith and willing to defend it at any time.  We must shrug off our sluggishness in doing our spiritual duties and fulfilling our state in life by praying for help when we are feeling lazy.  

Conclusion

Let us appease the wrath of God against our sins that offend Him and can led to Hell with pious prayer, frequent Confession and worthy reception of the Eucharist.  Let us redeem our sins against our neighbor with alms-deeds, whether by money or work and always by praying for their salvation.  Let us wash off those yucky stains from venial sin which will prolong our Purgatory by fasting.  And then let us praise God for all eternity in the company of His Most Holy Mother and all the Angels and Saints! N.B. The Catechism of Trent was used and quoted from extensively in support of this post.---John Gregory

Vatican II And Universalism

 

To My Readers: Please see the special Addendum at the very end of this post---Introibo

The word "Catholic" comes from a Greek word meaning "universal" because the One True Church of Jesus Christ is meant to encompass all people, male and female, of all ethnicities, races, and geographical locations from Her foundation in 33 AD until Christ returns at the end of the world. All people need the One True Church to be saved. Recently, on a late-night Italian talk show, the Argentinian apostate, Jorge Bergoglio ("Pope" Francis) had this to say:

(Host) Fabio Fazio: It is hard to imagine Hell, a Father that condemns eternally…. It is hard to imagine.

Francis: Yes, it is hard to imagine. This is not a dogma of Faith, what I am going to tell you, it is a personal thing of mine, which pleases me: it pleases me to think that Hell is empty. It is a pleasure. I hope it is a reality. But it pleases me. (See novusordowatch.org/2024/01/jorge-bergoglio-blasphemous-hope-empty-hell). 

This is a variation of the heresy of Universalism. This universalism is the opposite of "catholic"--it teaches that everyone (or almost everyone) can be saved, and belonging to the Church is unnecessary. This view of Bergoglio mirrors that of heretical Fr. Hans Urs Von Balthasar (d. 1988). Von Balthasar's 1987 book, Dare We Hope "That All Men Be Saved"? claimed there was no certainty that anyone is in Hell or ever will be in Hell. He stated that "the Church ... has never said anything about the damnation of any individual. Not even about that of Judas." Thus, he declared, every Christian has the "obligation" to hope that all men are saved, including Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Our Lord. 

This post will discuss Universalism in its various forms, and whether or not a Traditionalist Catholic can hope for an unpopulated Hell. I begin my discussion of the problem from the place where every evil in this age of Great Apostasy comes---Vatican II. 

Vatican II and Universalism

First, some definitions are in order. Today, one can distinguish six types of Universalism:

1. Apocatastasis. This teaching is defined by the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia as, A name given in the history of theology to the doctrine which teaches that a time will come when all free creatures will share in the grace of salvation; in a special way, the devils and lost souls. Hell is not eternal, but will end when all damned humans and fallen angels (Satan and his demons) are "purified" and enter into Heaven. A necessary corollary is that the Church is irrelevant. 

2. Mitigated Apocatastasis. Teaches the same as above, except that Hell is eternal, but only for Satan and his demons. All human souls return to God. Some modern Protestants hold this view. Once more the Church is irrelevant. 

3. Absolute Universalism. Universalism teaches that the atonement of Christ and belonging to His One True Church is not necessary. All humanity will go to Heaven after death regardless of beliefs and regardless of anything Christ did, which was not necessary. There is no belief in Hell, Satan and demons. When most people speak of Universalism, this is the view to which they usually refer. 

4. "Christian" Universalism. This view holds that the atonement of Jesus is necessary, as is belief in Him as Savior. However, the Catholic Church is not necessary. Just a general acceptance of Christ as your personal Lord and Savior suffices. Many liberal Protestant sects adopt this view. There may or may not be a Hell for non-Christians (their souls will be annihilated at death if no Hell) and Satan/demons may or may not exist. Usually, any "profession of Christ" whatsoever suffices for salvation. 

5. "Anonymous Christian" Universalism. This form of universalism is taken from the heretical teachings of Fr. Karl Rahner (d. 1984) who was a peritus ("theological expert") at Vatican II. False sects and their false books/teachings, merely have "gaps, insufficiencies, and errors," and yet contain "elements of goodness and grace" from the "mystery of Christ" which will "nourish and direct" the existence of their followers. According to the concept of Anonymous Christianity, the "Mystery of Christ" is contained in varying degrees in non-Catholic religions. Therefore, salvation is also available in those other (false) religions. Everyone is "Christian" whether they know it or not; even if they explicitly reject Christianity. 

6. The Empty Hell. Hell is real and Satan with his demons are there. It is possible that human souls may be there, but it is possible no souls are lost.  

Although Universalism has been around for centuries, it gained popular acceptance in society after Vatican II. The new ecclesiology, which is at the heart of the false sect, comes from the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. In para. #8 of that damnable document, it states:

 This Church [of Christ] constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic (sic) unity. (Emphasis and words in parenthesis mine).

The Church of Christ is not identical to the Roman Catholic Church. It "subsists" there in its fullness because it contains all the "elements" of the Church of Christ. However, the Church of Christ "subsists" in other sects according to how many "elements" they possess. To have all the elements is best, but just having some is just as good and "impels toward catholic (sic) unity." Maybe they would like to explain why the Eastern Schismatics and Protestants have not been "impelled" to become Catholic? The answer is easy enough: They don't need to convert because they are "in partial communion" with the Church of Christ and can be saved outside the Catholic Church. This is pure heresy. 

It brought forth a false and equally heretical ecumenism, explained in Vatican II's Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio:

It follows that the separated Churches and Communities [false sects] as such, though we believe them to be deficient in some respects, have been by no means deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Church. (para. #3; Emphasis mine). 

The ecumenism is manifest in every part of the sect. The Novus Bogus "Mass" is a good example of the false ecclesiology engendering ecumenism in action. To give but a few examples:

• It resembles the Protestant "Lord's Supper" with singing and hand-holding around a table
• The role of the "priest" is more or less that of a Protestant minister. "Homilies" and self-help talks is mostly all they do
• Belief in the Real Presence (which they no longer have anyway) is virtually obliterated by people standing for "communion" and putting it in their hand, while being dressed immodestly or like a slob
• The "priesthood of all believers" is seen by laymen and laywomen handing out "communion;" the laity reads the "lectionary;" and married "deacons" are doing almost everything the so-called priest does

The Vatican II sect is also ecumenical in what they omit in their teachings and "homilies." You will never hear:

• There is no salvation Outside the One True Church
• Islam is Satanic in origin
• Catholicism should be the State religion
• Error has no rights

 The Vatican II Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, in keeping with the false and heretical ecclesiology of Lumen Gentium, teaches the salvation of all humanity. One of the key tenets of this document, Universalism was beloved by Wojtyla ("Pope" "St" John Paul II) who incorporated it in his encyclicals and the heretical 1992 Catechism of the Catholic (sic) Church. 

In Gaudium et Spes, para. #22 we read, For by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man. By His Incarnation, Christ took on a human nature; True God and True Man. There is no Church teaching that somehow Christ "has united Himself in some fashion with each man." That is a theological novelty of Vatican II. This teaching is heretical as can be clearly seen from the "magisterial" explanation of Wojtyla:

Redemptor Hominis (1979), para. #13: Christ the Lord indicated this way especially, when, as the Council teaches, "by his Incarnation, he, the Son of God, in a certain way united himself with each man"(Emphasis in original). Continuing in the same encyclical, Wojtyla writes, Accordingly, what is in question here is man in all his truth, in his full magnitude. We are not dealing with the "abstract" man, but the real, "concrete", "historical" man. 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).

Query: If Christ has united Himself forever to each person simply by virtue of the Incarnation, how is it possible for someone to be damned? Answer: No one can ever be damned because Hell involves eternal separation from God, which is incompatible with the teaching of Gaudium et Spes and Wojtyla--- that all humans are united forever with Christ and thus all must be saved. It is Catholic truth that no one is saved unless they are within the One True Church of Christ and die in the state of sanctifying grace.

Proof:  Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, Cantate Domino, 1441, ex cathedra: The Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that all those who are outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans but also Jews or heretics and schismatics, cannot share in eternal life and will go into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless they are joined to the Church before the end of their lives...

Pope Pius IX, The Syllabus of Errors (1864), CONDEMNED Proposition #17:

Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ.

Was Judas Damned, and is Hell Really Empty?

For the most part, we do not know the fate of the departed. Other than canonized saints, we can't say for certain that any particular individual is in Heaven, without a special revelation from God. That's why we pray for the dead; if they are in Purgatory, we can help them with our prayers. Conversely, we know--from Scripture and Sacred Tradition---that there are souls in Hell. It is not empty, as Von Balthasar and Bergoglio would have it. We do not know for certain if any particular soul is damned (without a special revelation from God) --except for one, Judas Iscariot. 

Proof:

The fourfold condemnation of Judas in Sacred Scripture.

Our Lord Jesus Christ: "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." (St. Mark 14:6; Emphasis mine). 

Our Lord Jesus Christ:  "While I was with them, I kept them in thy name. Those whom thou gavest me have I kept; and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture may be fulfilled." (St. John 17:12; Emphasis mine). 

Psalm 108: 2-8: "O God, be not thou silent in my praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me. They have spoken against me with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause. Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.  And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love. Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand. When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin. May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take." (Emphasis mine). 

St. Augustine shows in Homilies on the Gospel of John, that St. John 17:12 together with Psalm 108 (109 in some Bibles) tells of the damnation of Judas Iscariot. 

7. The Son therefore goes on to say: “Those that Thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” The betrayer of Christ was called the son of perdition, as foreordained to perdition, according to the Scripture, where it is specially prophesied of him in the 109th Psalm. (See ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.cviii.html; Emphasis mine). 

St. Peter, the first pope in Acts 1:20: "For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take."(Emphasis mine). Here, St. Peter applies Psalm 108 to Judas in calling for the election of someone to take the traitor's place (St. Matthias). By applying Psalm 108:8 to Judas, St. Peter also pointed to Judas's damnation, because Psalm 108:6-7 says of the very same person mentioned there: "Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand. When he is judged, may he go out condemned and may his prayer be turned to sin." Verse 7, "May his prayer be turned to sin," foretells Judas's final impenitence causing eternal damnation. 

Therefore, the teaching of Sacred Scripture in St. Mark 14:6, St. John 17:12, Psalm 108, and Acts 1:20, make it clear that Judas is in Hell. 

Theologians teach Judas is in Hell

 St. Thomas Aquinas (Doctor of the Church) in De Veritate:

Now, in the case of Judas, the abuse of grace was the reason for his reprobation[damnation],since he was made reprobate because he died without grace.

St. Ambrose (Church Father) declared that Judas suffered eternal punishment because he died without being forgiven.  In Concerning Repentance he wrote: For I suppose that even Judas might through the exceeding mercy of God not have been shut out from forgiveness, if he had expressed his sorrow not before the Jews but before Christ.

St. Augustine (Church Father) in The City of God, Bk. I, ch. 17:

For Judas, when he killed himself, killed a wicked man, and passed from this life chargeable not only with the death of Christ, but also with his own: for though he killed himself on account of his crime, his killing himself was another crime. (Emphasis mine). 

The Sacred Liturgy teaches the damnation of Judas

The Collect for Maundy Thursday:

O God, from whom Judas received the punishment of his guilt, and the thief the reward of his confession: grant unto us the full fruit of Thy clemency; that even as in His Passion our Lord Jesus Christ gave to each retribution according to his merits, so having cleared away our former guilt, he may bestow on us the grace of His resurrection: Who with Thee liveth and reigneth (Emphasis mine).

The Church is infallible in Her universal disciplinary laws. According to theologian Van Noort, The Church's infallibility extends to the general discipline of the Church...By the term "general discipline of the Church" are meant those ecclesiastical laws passed for the direction of Christian worship and Christian living. (See Dogmatic Theology, 2: 114-115; Emphasis mine).

It is infallibly certain Judas is in Hell. 

The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches Judas is in Hell

It is such as these that our Savior describes as hirelings, who, in the words of Ezechiel, feed themselves and not the sheep, and whose baseness and dishonesty have not only brought great disgrace on the ecclesiastical state, so much so that hardly anything is now more vile and contemptible in the eyes of the faithful, but also end in this, that they derive no other fruit from their priesthood than was derived by Judas from the Apostleship, which only brought him everlasting destruction. (Emphasis mine). 

The idea of an "empty Hell" is thereby refuted. There is one person known to us who is there for eternity. The theory of Von Balthasar (and the "thing" that "pleases" Bergoglio) is not based on the teaching of Scripture, Sacred Tradition, the teachings of the approved theologians, the liturgy, or the pre-Vatican II catechisms. Some "Empty Hell" proponents might balk, "OK, but we can hope that Judas is the ONLY human soul in Hell." Is that proposition tenable? In a word: NO.

Universalism Stands Condemned

His Holiness Pope Pius II, in his decree Cum Sicut, of November 14, 1459 CONDEMNED the following proposition of Zanini de Solcia:

That all Christians are to be saved.

It is therefore true that some Christians will be damned, not merely Judas Iscariot. The objection will be heard that "God wills all to be saved." This is true, but it is not incompatible with souls going to Hell. God willed Judas to be saved as long as Judas cooperated with His grace by his own free will. 

God will not save anyone against their free will. All the pre-Vatican II theologians agree that God sincerely desires the salvation of all people and does not positively predestine anyone to Hell. Anyone who is damned stands condemned by the misuse of their free will. The decision of Christ at the Last Judgement manifestly supposes that the reprobate are to be condemned only because of their evil works, not because of the arbitrary Will of God or because of Original Sin. For thus will Christ address the damned, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire...for I was hungry and you gave me not to eat...(St. Matthew 25). God's salvific will is seen in 1 Timothy 2: 3-4, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 

Are More People Saved or Damned?

This is a question unresolved by the Church. Only God knows the number of the elect. Will more people be damned or saved? The more common teaching is that when the human race is taken as a whole, there will be more damned than saved. "Many are called but few are chosen." (St. Matthew 22: 14). However, there are theologians who reject this claim based on the salvific Will of God, and Christ's universal act of Redemption. They claim it is repugnant to think the Kingdom of Satan will be more populous, and thereby larger, than the Kingdom of God. 

 In the matter of True Catholics alone, the great theologian Suarez teaches (with the majority of theologians) that more will be saved than damned because of the sanctity of Holy Mother Church, the salvific Will of God, and the parable of the wedding banquet, at which only one person was found without a garment (i.e., sanctifying grace). 

As to True Catholics combined with schismatics and heretics, the majority of theologians declare more will be damned than saved because of the deprivation (in regards to the schismatics and heretics) of the efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice and the sacraments which are only efficacious unto salvation within the Church. However, a significant minority hold that more will be saved than damned in this scenario.     

What of infidels who never heard the Gospel? (By the term infidel it is to be understood all the unbaptized; principally Jews, Mohammedans, and pagans). In 1690, Pope Alexander VIII condemned the propositions that Christ died for the faithful only and pagans, Jews and heretics receive no grace from Him. If they cooperate with grace they can receive the great grace of Baptism of Desire (BOD) and be saved within the One True Church. However, this is a rare miracle of God. It would make the Great Commission a farce, if they need not convert because of miraculous intervention. 

(This section was condensed from theologians Tanquerey, Dogmatic Theology Vol. 1; Pohle, Dogmatic Theology, Vol. 7; Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma; and Parente, Dictionary of Dogmatic Theology---Introibo)

A Possible Solution

This section is a theory I hold. No one need believe it at all. I submit to the Judgement of Holy Mother Church if/when there is once more a true pope---Introibo

What are we to make of the billions who did not have the opportunity to believe through no fault of their own? A possible solution is God wants as many people as possible to be saved and he wants as few as possible to be lost. So what God has done is to create a world having an optimal balance between saved and lost. A world that involves the maximum number of saved for the minimum number of lost people. He gives sufficient grace for salvation to everyone whom He creates. Everyone can be saved if they want to be saved. 

Perhaps God has so ordered the world that those who never hear about Christ and the Church and are lost are only people who would not have believed in Him even if they had heard about it. In other words, anyone who would have believed and entered the Church to be saved if he heard it, is born at a time and place in history where he does hear it. 

 The logical objection would be, "So isn't it more merciful not to create such a person in the first place if God knows they freely choose damnation?" To this it can be replied that if you change one thing in this world, it will have repercussions on everything else. Who knows how the absence of those people would affect the salvation of others? Remember too, people are only lost through their own fault.

Conclusion

Universalism, in all its forms, is heretical. Satan wants you to think Hell isn't real, or that no one goes there, so you will have no need to "work out thy salvation in fear and trembling" (See Philippians 2:12-13).  Hell is well-populated, even if there should prove to be more saved than damned. (I will not include private revelations to prove or disprove the number of the saved/damned, as no one is required to believe private revelations--even those approved by the Church). 

We must remain ever vigilant to be saved during this time of Great Apostasy. No one can be certain of having the greatest grace; Final Perseverance. To die in the state of sanctifying grace is to achieve Heaven. We cannot earn it, but the theologians teach that God will not turn away someone who prays for it unceasingly. Even that, however, does not guarantee it; no one can be certain if they are among the saved except by special revelation from Almighty God. 

However, do not despair. There are signs that salvation is probable, and gives rise to great hope. As noted by theologian Tanquerey, most theologians teach there are eight (8) signs a soul is probably among the saved:

1. a conscience that fears danger
2. contempt for the things of the world
3. patience in adversity
4. zeal for the salvation of souls
5. constant practice of the Eight Beatitudes
6. devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
7. devotion to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary (and her Rosary)
8. frequent and fervent Holy Communion

(See Dogmatic Theology, [1959], 1:308).

Get busy doing these things always! 

If "Hell is empty," it must be in the Shakespearean sense that "all the devils are here" on Earth, and they are busy helping Bergoglio and his sect which does the dirty work of their infernal master. 

Special Addendum

My Dear Readers:

Mr. Dominic Caggeso, my monthly guest poster, has just finished a book three-years in the making. It is entitled DIVINE POETRY, with a foreword written by Traditionalist priest, Fr. Stephen McKenna. It is available for  purchase at Amazon.com, and at Dominic's own website:

https://www.maccabeanuprising.com/books. If you order from his website, you will get a free color timeline & summary brochure, not included on Amazon or elsewhere. 

Mr. Caggeso's book is based on the premise that "All the major events of Catholic Church history are prefigured by the major events of the Old Testament, including the Second Vatican Council. For example, in the books of the Machabees, the Temple was stripped of its ornaments, women “thrust” themselves into the sanctuary, a second altar was erected over the original altar, traditional Jewish practices were outlawed and modern Greek religious practices were mandated and so much more!" (The author's own words). 

I join Novus Ordo Watch (NOW) in endorsing the book Divine Poetry by Dominic Caggeso. Please be advised that I make this endorsement based on its merits. Dominic Caggeso has not made writing guest posts contingent upon advertising his work. Moreover,  I have not received any compensation for promoting/endorsing this book. I have never made a single cent from the use of my blog, and that has not changed. This blog is a work of charity for me. My endorsement is done of my own free will, without any remuneration of any kind, and with no benefits to myself. That having been said, buy the book and enjoy the striking similarities between the history of the Old Testament and the Catholic Church!

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo