The Role Of Women

 

The muddle-headed R&R Bishop Richard Williamson (1940-2025) was one of the four priests Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated as a bishop on June 30, 1988. I met Williamson when he was a priest in 1985. I found him to be a pompous boor whose high opinion of himself was eclipsed only by his strange and sophomoric views. Each Saturday for years after his expulsion from the SSPX, the baffled bishop would send out his "Eleison Comments" to his followers via e-mail, ostensibly to convince everyone that only his organization has the post-Vatican II situation properly figured out, and to warn people to stay away from sedevacantism. He began almost every issue of his "Comments" with some kindergarten-like rhyme. Here is a small sample:

• The sacrificial Mass once thrown away, How could poor Catholics not go astray?

• Truth which is true excludes all contradiction. "Truth" which admits of error, is truth-fiction.

• While Menzingen is by Rome’s sirens charmed, To keep the Faith, let forewarned be forearmed

He was something of an Ecclesiastical Eminem minus the large record sales. The evil rapper with an eighth grade education could be excused for illogical rants, but not Williamson, who was educated and a cleric. To give one example, Bp. Williamson gave rise to what the late Fr. Cekada called "mentevacantism"--"the mind is vacant."

Williamson came up with a novel idea to escape the iron clad logic of the sedevacantist position: the Conciliar "popes" are not guilty of heresy because of "mind rot" which prevents them from realizing they're heretics. As illogical and goofy as his ideas were, his worst opinions were about women.

According to Fr. John Rizzo, a student of Williamson back in 1983, when the SSPX seminary was in Ridgefield, Connecticut, then-Fr. Williamson made the following remark:

 "He was always insisting that women should not wear pants, because that would be an occasion of sin, that women when married should be subjected to their husbands to such a degree — I'll never forget this — that if the wife misbehaves the husband should be willing to beat her," he said. 

(See npr.org/2009/02/25/101139679/former-student-bishop-often-attacked-judaism#:~:text=%22He%20was%20always%20insisting%20that,tendencies%2C'%20%22%20he%20said; Emphasis mine). 

I absolutely believe Fr. Rizzo to be telling the truth. Williamson made denigrating remarks about women all the time. A few examples:

• He strongly opposed women pursuing higher education, such as attending college or university

• He thought women were benighted and once stated that a female can "do a good imitation of handling ideas, but then she will not be thinking properly as a woman"

• He stated that women can't be professionals because they're vain and that's what they are ostensibly good at doing---"Did this lawyeress check her hairdo before coming into court? If she did, she is a distracted lawyer. If she did not, she is one distorted woman."

(See theguardian.com/world/2009/feb/25/catholic-bishop-richard-williamson#:~:text=Last%20year%20he%20described%20as,she%20is%20one%20distorted%20woman.%22)

Why am I bringing up the ideas of a R&R bishop who went to Judgment last year? In the last few years, and getting more vocal all the time, there are some Traditionalist men (and women) who think Williamson's warped view on women is the teaching of the Church. It is not. The purpose of this post is to demonstrate the role of women in society. No Traditionalist can deny that women are excluded by Divine Positive Law from the clergy. There can never be a valid female deacon, priest, bishop, cardinal, or pope. This post will focus exclusively on a woman's role in the home and in society today.

The solitary dispositive question to be answered has two parts: (a) Can a woman work outside the home? If yes, (b) Are any jobs off limits to a woman, especially those jobs where she exercises authority over men? Below, I attempt to answer the question. In a time without a pope, I submit my opinion to the Judgement of Holy Mother Church, should a true pope reign once more, and will abide by the Magisterial decision as a true Catholic. 

Women and the Natural Law

Here is a simple and straightforward definition from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia:

According to St. Thomas, the natural law is "nothing else than the rational creature's participation in the eternal law" (I-II.91.2). The eternal law is God's wisdom, inasmuch as it is the directive norm of all movement and action. When God willed to give existence to creatures, He willed to ordain and direct them to an end. In the case of inanimate things, this Divine direction is provided for in the nature which God has given to each; in them determinism reigns. Like all the rest of creation, man [herein "man" means "human beings of either sex"] is destined by God to an end, and receives from Him a direction towards this end. This ordination is of a character in harmony with his free intelligent nature. In virtue of his intelligence and free will, man is master of his conduct. Unlike the things of the mere material world he can vary his action, act, or abstain from action, as he pleases. Yet he is not a lawless being in an ordered universe. In the very constitution of his nature, he too has a law laid down for him, reflecting that ordination and direction of all things, which is the eternal law. The rule, then, which God has prescribed for our conduct, is found in our nature itself. Those actions which conform with its tendencies, lead to our destined end, and are thereby constituted right and morally good; those at variance with our nature are wrong and immoral.

There are Traditionalists who argue women working outside the home and/or in positions of authority are contrary to the Natural Law. They claim that women can only work outside the home when absolutely necessary to survive, and they must never have an occupation wherein they would have male subordinates. Some not only say it's wrong for women to be in elected office, but that they should not be allowed to vote. As the "clincher" they cite papal utterances where the pontiff expressed disapproval of women voting. 

The best means of determining if women working outside the home (outside of the need for survival) and being in positions of power is against the Natural Law would be to see what was taught by the last true pope, His Holiness Pope Pius XII (r. 1939-1958). 

 The Use of Allocutions by Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII, the last true pope of the Catholic Church before the Great Apostasy, used allocutions the most, as different mediums of communication were coming out. During his reign, he made (excluding canonizations) two ex cathedra pronouncements, one of which was Munificentissimus Deus, defining the dogma of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul, into Heaven. Most theologians consider Sacramentum Ordinis of 1947 to have been infallible, as it settled what constituted the exact matter and form for all three grades of Holy Orders, and had the definitive language of binding Catholics forever on the subject. 

What is the doctrinal value of non-infallible decrees, when the Ordinary Magisterium makes a pronouncement? Here is an important citation from the encyclical Humani Generis (1950):

Nor must it be thought that what is expounded in Encyclical Letters does not of itself demand consent, since in writing such Letters the Popes do not exercise the supreme power of their Teaching Authority. For these matters are taught with the ordinary teaching authority, of which it is true to say: "He who heareth you, heareth me;" and generally what is expounded and inculcated in Encyclical Letters already for other reasons appertains to Catholic doctrine. But if the Supreme Pontiffs in their official documents purposely pass judgment on a matter up to that time under dispute, it is obvious that that matter, according to the mind and will of the Pontiffs, cannot be any longer considered a question open to discussion among theologians. (para. #20; Emphasis mine). 

In his treatise "Authentic Teaching of the Magisterium," theologian Cotter teaches:

The Pope [Pius XII] has no doubt that those Catholic theologians whom he has in mind throughout the encyclical [Humani Generis] are willing to abide by the definitive decisions of the Magisterium, those handed down, solemni iudicio. They are neither heretics nor schismatics. But he complains that they ignore papal pronouncements that come to them with less authority, such as encyclicals. If reputable theologians have disagreed in the past, that assumes that nothing less than a solemn definition can settle the matter; and as long as none such is forthcoming, everyone is presumed free to construe papal documents according to his own interpretation of Tradition.

In reply, the Pope reminds them that encyclicals, besides often containing matters of dogma, may intend to settle points hitherto disputed, and that such decisions demand of themselves a positive assent on the part of the faithful, theologians included. In issuing them the popes exercise what is technically known as the Ordinary or Authentic Magisterium, of which it is true to say: "He that heareth you, heareth Me."

(As cited in Contemporary Moral Theology, [1962], 1:24-26). 

Theologian Cotter notes, though the papal statement refers primarily to encyclicals, it is not restricted to these. Rather, it covers the whole range of what is called the "Ordinary Magisterium" of the Holy Father. Everything that has been said, therefore, could apply to the papal radio messages and allocutions; yet, since these have played such a prominent part in papal teaching (especially under Pope Pius XII), they merit special attention. Pope Pius XII himself, made it strikingly clear that his discourses, even when given to small groups, can contain authoritative teaching for the whole Church. 

In his radio message on the education of the Christian conscience, Pope Pius XII said:

Mindful, however, of the right and duty of the Apostolic See to intervene authoritatively, when the need arises, in moral questions, in the address of 29th October last we set out to enlighten men's consciences on the problems of married life. With the self-same authority we declare today to educators and to young people also that the divine commandment of purity of soul and body still holds without any lesser obligation for the youth of today. 

According to theologian Hurth (consultor to the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office and a staunch anti-Modernist) papal radio addresses and allocutions have the same doctrinal value as encyclicals: they are an integral part of the ordinary teaching of the pope; and, as such, though not infallible, they require both internal and external acceptance. (Ibid, pg. 26). 

The Teaching of Pope Pius XII

Two allocutions show forth the teaching of the Church on the role of women in society: An Address of His Holiness Pope Pius XII to the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations, April 24, 1952, and An Address To Members of Various Catholic Women's Associations, October 21, 1945.

Here are the pertinent points of Pope Pius XII's teachings:

In his 1945 Address, the pontiff made it clear that his intent was to teach about the duties of women in social and political life. (All emphasis in the text of the Addresses is mine---Introibo)

Your presence in such great numbers before Us, beloved daughters, derives a particular significance from the conditions existing today. For besides the joy which it always gives Us to welcome you, to bless you, and to give you Our fatherly counsel, there is also today the need which We feel, in answer to your own urgent requests, to address you on a subject which is of the very first relevance and importance to our times: We mean the duties of women in social and political life. We had Ourself been looking forward to such an opportunity as this, because the feverish unrest of a troubled present and still more the anxieties about an uncertain future have given woman's position a central interest for the friends, no less than for the enemies, of Christ and His Church.

Men and women are of equal dignity and have different yet complimentary qualities.

As children of God, man and woman have a dignity in which they are absolutely equal; and they are equal, too, in regard to the supreme end of human life, which is everlasting union with God in the happiness of Heaven...But man and woman cannot maintain or perfect this equal dignity of theirs unless they respect and make use of the distinctive qualities which nature has bestowed on each sex: physical and spiritual qualities which are indestructible, and so co-ordinated that their mutual relation cannot be upset without nature itself intervening to re-establish it.

The pope praises woman in the religious life and also women who remain in the single state:

And yet, for nearly twenty centuries, we have seen thousands upon thousands of men and women, and among the best of them, freely renouncing a family of their own and foregoing the holy duties and sacred rights of married life in order to follow the counsel of Christ. And is the common welfare of nations and the good of the Church jeopardized in consequence? On the contrary-----These generous souls recognize the association of the sexes in wedlock as a great good. If they step aside from the ordinary path, if they leave the beaten track, it is not to desert the service of humanity but rather to devote themselves to it with complete detachment and self-denial, and an activity which is incomparably more extended, indeed, all-embracing and universal...

But there is also the Catholic girl who remains unmarried in spite of herself; and she too, if she believes firmly in the Providence of her Heavenly Father, recognizes the voice of the Master in the life that has fallen to her lot. 'The Master is here and calleth for thee.' [John 11: 28] And she answers the call; she abandons the fair dream of her adolescence and young womanhood, surrenders her hope of having a faithful companion to share her life, of making a home and family of her own. In the impossibility of marriage she discerns her own vocation and, sad at heart though resigned, she too devotes herself entirely to the highest and most varied forms of beneficence.

A woman's natural function is to be a mother either physically or spiritually/morally.

Be she married or single, woman's function is seen clearly defined in the lineaments of her sex, in its propensities and special powers. She works side by side with man, but she works in her own way and according to her natural bent. Now a woman's function, a woman's way, a woman's natural bent, is motherhood. Every woman is called to be a mother, mother in the physical sense, or mother m a sense more spiritual and more exalted, yet real none the less.

The pope deplores conditions unfavorable to the family and the dignity of woman. Both Communism and capitalism have had detrimental effects on the woman such that she cannot raise her children properly,

That public life has now for some time been developing in a manner unfavorable to the true welfare of the family and the true welfare of woman, is beyond dispute...Restore woman as soon as possible to her place of honor in the home as housewife and mother! This is the universal cry today. It is as though the world had suddenly awakened in alarm and horror to see the results of a material and technical progress of which it had hitherto been so proud.

The pope condemns the results of a life of a woman who has left her duties as wife and mother for employment. The woman's daughter will be ill suited for the life of a wife and mother.

And this is not all. Her [the daughter of the working woman] mother with the passing of the years has become old before her time; she is worn out and broken by sorrows, anxieties, and work that has overtaxed her strength. When she sees her daughter return home very late at night, far from finding in her a prop and a support, she must herself arise and discharge all the duties of a domestic servant for one who is unaccustomed and unequal to the work of a woman and housewife. The father will be no better off when advancing years, illness, infirmity, unemployment have forced him to depend for his meager support on the good or ill will of his children. How is the august and sacred authority of father and mother dethroned from the seat of its majesty!

Yet, given the current circumstances [1945], women must work to survive in many cases. This is the modern situation. Should women eschew working to improve society? No! They have a positive duty to engage with modern society and make it better with the distinctive characteristics of the female sex.

Are we therefore to conclude, Catholic women and Catholic girls, that you must resist the current which, whether you like it or not, is drawing you into the stream of social and political life? Certainly not...The fact is that woman is kept away from the home, not only by her declared emancipation, but often also by vital necessity, by the need to earn her daily bread. It is therefore useless to preach her return to the home so long as conditions continue which in many cases force her to remain absent from it. And here is the first aspect of the mission in social and political life which now presents itself to you. Into this public life you have entered all of a sudden, forced into it by the social changes we have witnessed. No matter-----you are called upon to take part in it. Would you leave to other women, to those who are actively engineering the ruin of the home or at least conniving at it, the monopoly of organizing the social structure, in which the family forms the principal element of its economic, juridical, spiritual, and moral unity? The fortunes of the family, the fortunes of human society, are at stake; and they are in your hands: 'Tua res agitur!'

   Therefore every woman without exception is under an obligation-----a strict obligation of conscience, mind you!-----not to remain aloof; every woman must go into action, each in her own way, and join in stemming the tides which threaten to engulf the home, in fighting the doctrines which undermine its foundations, in preparing, organizing, and completing its restoration.

Women are called upon to work alongside men for the betterment of society.

This is one motive, calling the Catholic woman to enter on the new path now opening to her activity. But there is another: her dignity as a woman. It is for her to work with man for the welfare of the civitas in which she enjoys a dignity equal with his, and here each sex has its part to play according to its nature, its distinctive qualities, its physical. intellectual. and moral capabilities. Both sexes have the right and the duty to work together for the good of society, for the good of the nation. But it is clear that while man is by temperament more suited to deal with external affairs and public business, generally speaking the woman has a deeper insight for understanding the delicate problems of domestic and family life, and a surer touch in solving them-----which, of course, is not to deny that some women can show great ability in every sphere of public life.

   It is not so much that each sex is called to a different task; the difference is rather in their manner of judging and arriving at concrete and practical applications. Take the case of civil rights, for example; at the present time they are equal for both sexes. But just think how much more intelligently and effectively these rights will be used if men and women pool their resources in using them. The sensibility and delicacy which are characteristic of the woman may perhaps bias her judgment in the direction of her impressions, and so tend to the prejudice of wide and clear vision, cool decision, or far-sighted prudence; but on the other hand they are most valuable aids in discerning the needs, aspirations, and dangers proper to the sphere of domestic life, public assistance, and religion.

A wide field of action is open to women in the public. Here the pope alludes to single women. It can also apply to women who must work, or who have grown children.

 It has been seen that a woman's work is concerned primarily with those tasks and occupations of domestic life which contribute so powerfully, and more powerfully than is generally appreciated, to the true interests of the social community. But the furtherance of those interests calls for a great number of women who will have more leisure at their disposal, and so be able to devote themselves to the task more directly and more completely.

  And where should we find these women if not especially [We do not, of course, say exclusively] among those to whom We have been alluding: those upon whom the force of circumstances has imposed a mysterious vocation; those whom events have destined to a life of solitude which was not in their thoughts or aspirations, and which threatened to be nothing more than a selfishly useless and purposeless existence? And now, behold, their mission at the present day is revealed: a mission many-sided, militant, and calling for all their energies; a mission such as they can more readily undertake than many of their sisters, occupied as they are with family cares and the education of their children, or else subject to the yoke of a religious rule.

  Of these women some have hitherto devoted themselves with a zeal often quite admirable, to parochial activities; others, gifted with wider vision still, have been engaged in more extended work of moral and social improvement. The war, with its calamitous results, has led to a great increase in the number of such women. Many brave men have lost their lives in this terrible conflict, others have come back disabled or sick; many a young woman will therefore await in vain the return of a husband. will vainly hope for the coming of new young lives to cheer a solitary home. And just at this moment new needs, created by the entry of women into civil and political life, have arisen to claim their assistance. Is this nothing more than a strange coincidence? Or are we to see in it a disposition of Divine Providence?

Thus a wide field is opened to woman's activity, an activity primarily intellectual or primarily practical. according to the capabilities and qualities of each individual. To study and explain the place and function of woman in society, her rights and obligations; to be the guide and teacher of her sisters; to correct ideas, dispel prejudices, clear up confusions; to expound and spread the teaching of the Church, as the surest means of defeating error, illusion, and falsehood, and as the most effective method of countering the tactics employed by the enemies of Catholic faith and morals-----here is an immense and urgently important task, without which the active apostolate, however zealous, will give only precarious results.

 But direct action is also necessary, otherwise sound doctrine and solid convictions will remain barren, or at best yield little fruit. This direct action, this effective co-operation in social and political life, in no way alters the distinctive character of woman's activity. Associated with the work of man in the sphere of civil institutions, she will apply herself especially to matters calling for tact, delicacy, the maternal instinct, rather than administrative rigidity. In such questions as those of woman's dignity, a girl's honor and integrity, the protection and education of the child, who better than a woman can understand what is needed? ...  In your actual participation in social and political life much depends upon State legislation and municipal administration. Consequently the vote is for the Catholic woman an important means of fulfilling her strict obligations of conscience, especially at the present time.

The other Address of 1952, Pope Pius XII reiterates that women are in society, not just the home, and can bring peace to the world.

 There is also an external activity because if in other ages the influence of women was restricted to their home and the surrounding s of the home, in our days it extends (whether we like it or not) to even wider fields: to public and social life, to parliaments, to tribunals, to journalism, to the professions and to the trades. May women carry their work of peace into each of these spheres. If indeed all women were to pass from that innate feeling which makes them abhor war, to concrete action to impede war, it would be impossible that the total of such imposing efforts, which bring into play those forces best calculated to move the will, that is piety and love, it would be impossible, We say, that it should fail to attain its end.

Basic Principles Taught by Pope Pius XII:

• Men and women are of equal dignity and worth
• Men and women have complimentary talents
• These talents must be used for the betterment of society
• Women have a maternal calling, physical or spiritual
• Given current circumstances women must work
• Women have a positive duty to work alongside men in making the world Catholic
• Women have a wide field of opportunities for work
• The ideal of wife and mother must be upheld and never denigrated
• Women can and should vote

To those who object that the Addresses are not infallible, and need not be believed OR WORSE, that Pope Pius XII taught something that is immoral, evil, and contrary to Natural Law, you have insurmountable problems.

Christ said to the Apostles: “He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me.” (St. Luke 10:16). This means that every Catholic can, and must, listen to the Church teaching as the teaching of Christ Himself. What if a pope is not teaching infallibly? Such teachings are nevertheless protected by the Holy Ghost from teaching any pernicious doctrine. This means the Church cannot teach anything which is contrary to Catholic doctrine or morals, and which would be a sin to embrace. The Church also cannot impose evil disciplines, and thereby prescribe something evil to the faithful, making it sinful to observe; nor can the Church give anything which would constitute an incentive to impiety. 

This completely rules out any possibility of the pope teaching heresy, for the protection of the Holy Ghost precludes it. Theologian Fenton teaches:

To the Holy Father’s responsibility of caring for the sheep of Christ’s fold, there corresponds, on the part of the Church’s membership, the basic obligation of following his directions, in doctrinal as well as disciplinary matters. In this field, God has given the Holy Father a kind of infallibility distinct from the charism of doctrinal infallibility in the strict sense. He has so constructed and ordered the Church that those who follow the directives given to the entire kingdom of God on earth will never be brought into the position of ruining themselves spiritually through this obedience. Our Lord dwells within His Church in such a way that those who obey disciplinary and doctrinal directives of this society can never find themselves displeasing God through their adherence to the teachings and the commands given to the universal Church militant. Hence there can be no valid reason to discountenance even the non-infallible teaching authority of Christ’s vicar on earth.

(See "The American Ecclesiastical Review;" [August 1949], “The Doctrinal Authority of Papal Encyclicals, Part I”, pgs. 144-145). 

Hence, the protection of the Holy Ghost precludes the pope from teaching heresy to the Church. Only in his capacity as a private theologian could he teach heresy. If the false claim is made that these Addresses are not truly the pope teaching but just him speaking as a private person, and he taught something contrary to Natural Law or the Faith, be prepared to become a vacancy-pusher. 

Eugene Pacelli would not be the pope.  As St. Alphonsus Liguori teaches: "If ever a pope, as a private person, should fall into heresy, he would at once fall from the pontificate.”(See Oeuvres Completes. 9:232; Emphasis mine). 

Conclusion: While women should ideally be mothers at home or nuns, nothing precludes them from working outside the home when necessary, or when it would not constitute a detriment to her family. Moreover, single women have a wide range of fields open to them when working. All Catholic women are called to be engaged in society with men to make the world better and more Catholic. Women can and should vote. 

Can women hold positions of authority over men? That will be discussed in the next section of this post.

Women in Authority

Note that in his Addresses Pope Pius XII did not state that women could not hold positions of authority over men. However, the absence of a condemnation is not the same as giving approval. From the history of the Church, we see women have held authoritative positions over men as is witnessed by Catholic queens, and the example of St. Joan of Arc, among others. 

Catholic Queens

1. Queen Blanche of France RULED the Kingdom as Queen Regent in the name of her saintly son (King St. Louis IX) from 1226-1235, and is considered one of the most cunning and intelligent rulers by historians. Her shrewd diplomacy gave her son a stronger kingdom than ever when he took the throne at age 21. While she was doing “the job of a man” she raised her son to be a canonized saint (King St. Louis IX specifically credits his mother as the reason he was so devout in his practice of the Faith) and her daughter became Blessed Isabella of France. She had a total of 12 children.

2. Queen Margaret of France RULED the Kingdom when King St. Louis was fighting in the Crusades. She is also seen as an excellent ruler in addition to being the mother of 11 children. Her saintly husband’s motto was “All for God, all for France, all for Margaret”—putting his wife above all but God and country.

3. St. Helena was Roman Empress who utilized her influence to spread Christianity and build churches. She was also the mother of Constantine the Great

I could multiply these examples, but it suffices to show that women having authority is permitted by the Church and cannot therefore be against the Natural Law or sinful. 

Catholic Women Who Led Men in Battle

1. Saint Joan of Arc (1412–1431): Known as the "Maid of Orleans," she claimed divine guidance from Heaven and heard voices telling her to lead the French troops against the English. She was a military commander. She did more than merely advise. Here are three historians who have written on St. Joan's role as an actual military commander, and who led men into battle:

(a) Dr. Kelly Robert DeVries (b. 1956) received his doctorate from the University of Toronto and is an expert in warfare of the Middle Ages. See his 1999 book entitled Joan of Arc: A Military Leader.

(b) Dr. Regine Pernoud (1909-1998) received her doctorate from the Sorbonne in 1935. Read her book Joan of Arc: Her Story published in 1986.

(c) Jonathan Sumption (b. 1948) Was a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1971 to 1975, teaching and writing, before becoming a barrister. Historian Credentials: Despite lacking a PhD in history (doctorate in law) he is a renowned, award-winning historian (Wolfson History Prize winner) known for his five-volume history of the Hundred Years' War. He covers her extensively in The Hundred Years War, Volume 5: Triumph and Illusion published in (2023).

God chose a woman to lead the army. He could have chosen a man, but didn't. Women leading men is therefore not contrary to Natural Law or sinful. If it were, God would not have allowed it, indeed, could not have allowed it even once. 

2. Matilda of Tuscany, Imperial Vicar and Vice-Queen of Italy, (1046-1115). A powerful medieval noblewoman and key supporter of the papacy, Matilda frequently commanded her armies in person to defend Church interests, earning a reputation as a warrior countess.

3. Joanna of Flanders (1295–1374): Countess of Montfort, she led forces during the War of the Breton Succession. She is famously depicted wearing armor and riding at the head of 300 men to attack an enemy camp, acting as a direct combat leader.

4. Queen Isabella of Castile was Queen of Castile and Leon from 1474 until her death in 1504. Known as "Isabella the Catholic," she was heavily involved in commanding military operations during the Reconquista in Spain, often directing troop strategy and visiting the battlefront to inspire her men.

Conclusion

Therefore, women can be in positions of authority over men. If a woman can be a Head of State or lead an army, she can certainly lead in less important roles. 

Why it is Good for Women to be Educated and Career-Ready

Holy Mother Church, ever solicitous for the well-being of Her children, will allow them to adopt to the world in a non-sinful manner when the circumstances dictate such. As Pope Pius XII taught in his 1952 Address:

There is also an external activity because if in other ages the influence of women was restricted to their home and the surrounding s of the home, in our days it extends (whether we like it or not) to even wider fields: to public and social life, to parliaments, to tribunals, to journalism, to the professions and to the trades.

Since the fall of Catholic countries after Vatican II, it has become exceedingly difficult for a man to raise a family on a single income. Moreover, the divorce rate is through the roof. Divorce and separation are not unknown, even among Traditionalists.

Here are the possibilities:

The Religious Life. There are not many Traditionalist orders. However, it is possible to join one and have a vocation as a nun. What a wonderful life! Fr. DePauw's eldest sister was a medical missionary nun in what was then called The Belgian Congo. She dedicated 50 years of her life making converts in Africa. She was put through school and was a medical doctor. She was able to help people soul and body! Imagine a Traditionalist college where educated nuns could form the development of young women.

Married Life. It is very difficult to find a suitable spouse. Traditionalists are a small group. Most Traditionalist who marry will have to have a spouse of the Vatican II sect, Protestant sect, etc. who is willing to sign the promises under Canon Law and have a mixed marriage. This is tolerated by the Church, and more necessary now than ever imagined pre-Vatican II when Catholics were plentiful.

Also making marriage more difficult is the number of divorced people, as well as Vatican II sect members with phony "annulments." According to several sources the divorce rate in the U.S. for first time marriages is 40-42%. That statistic is something Pope Pius XII could not even have imagined the year he died (1958). (See, e.g., pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/16/8-facts-about-divorce-in-the-united-states). 

College educated people are less likely to get divorced--especially where both spouses are educated. There are still good colleges with good people, like St. Mary's College in Kansas run by the SSPX. Both my wife and I are highly educated and we were not corrupted by the institutions we attended. Having a strong faith is the key. Women can also meet a good man in her career, and then stay home after marriage and children. When the children are grown, she can return to her career and help the world as stated by Pope Pius XII. 

Moreover, what if the woman is abandoned by her spouse? She marries right out of college at 22, has four children by 29, and he leaves her. He could also be a deadbeat dad. Now what? How can this women support her family? Not everyone has wealthy parents. If she has a degree she can get a decent job so as not to wind up in section 8 housing and living on public assistance (a true nightmare, esp. for the children). 

The Single Life. There are some women who do not have a religious vocation and never find a decent man to marry. These women especially can use their unique talents to make the world better and more Catholic, having the most time to give.

This is not "feminism," this is reality. If a man makes a large salary and can afford a stay-at-home wife/mother with several children, God bless them abundantly. This is not the case for most. 

Finally, let me say that there are women who are a disgrace to their gender. The money chasing career women who scorn God, hate children, like abortion, and are convinced misandrists, unfortunately exist. I know many of them; I work and live surrounded by them. Yet, there are those like my wife, Ivy League educated, professional, Christian above all else, and making a difference in the world. 

Objections Considered and Answered

Objection: Do you want women in battle? Who will be the future mothers? 

Answer: No, I'm not advocating for female soldiers. Women should not fight unless necessary, but it is not beyond them to be such. The point is women can lead in battle, not that it is prudent that they should or must do so. God did not have to call St. Joan of Arc to do battle, but He did. He could have selected a man. So even leadership positions of the most difficult kind can be handled by women.

Objection: Biology dictates that women cannot do the same things that men can do.

Answer: I agree. Jobs like construction work, being an oil rig worker, etc. require bodily strength that women will never have like men. These jobs should be handled by men unless an absolute necessity requires a woman to do so. In sports, women have no place competing with men in football, boxing, etc. They would be seriously injured or killed. (However, a woman could compete, in my opinion, in sports like bowling, billiards, and other non-contact sports).

Objection: According to theologians McHugh and Callan “Women should not be compelled to take up an occupation unsuited to their sex.”

Answer: Yes, women should not be compelled to do anything. Occupations requiring physical strength should be left to men.

Objection: Queens ruling over men is an historical exception.

Answer: An exception that proves the rule that women can lead. If it were contrary to Natural Law or Divine Positive Law, popes would have condemned such. Instead, Catholic Queens were esteemed by the Church.

Objection: Pope St. Pius X said in 1906, to an Austrian feminist, “Women electors, women deputies? Oh, no!…Women in Parliaments! That is all we need! The men have already caused enough confusion there! Imagine what would happen if there were women there!” (Hause & Kenny, The Development of the Catholic Women’s Suffrage Movement, pgs. 11-30). Also, In 1909, Pope St. Pius X told French Politicians, “Women can never be man’s equal,” said the Pope [St. Pius X], “and cannot therefore enjoy equal rights. Few women would ever desire to legislate, and those who did would only be classed as eccentrics.” (NYT April 22, 1909). 

How can Pope St. Pius X and Pope Pius XII both be right? 

Answer: Context is the key. In 1909, Pope St. Pius X was trying to preserve traditional gender roles and many Catholic countries existed. In 1945, Pope Pius XII was facing the reality of a world that had become more secularized, and in which women were drawn into the workforce after World War I and especially after World War II.  Both popes believed in gender differentiation, but Pius XII extended that difference to mean women were necessary in public life to protect the social fabric--and they were, both then, and even more so now. Pope Pius XII could be called prescient in retrospect. Just 17 years after his 1947 Address, the Vatican II sect would be born and undo all things Catholic. 

Objection: The man is the head of the family, and St. Paul tells us women cannot even speak in Church. How can a woman rule over men? What if she were the boss of her husband at a company where they both worked? It is disordered.

Answer: I distinguish, that the man is the head of the family, conceded; that he cannot be subject to his wife outside the home in a directive applicable to the job only, denied. I don't think husband and wife working together is ideal--one can work away from the other. Men and women have complementary roles. A woman gives birth and nurtures humans in the physical order. Men give spiritual life and comfort souls as priests in the Church. Men have dominion in Church and, if married, in the home. It doesn't extend in an absolute manner outside the home and in the secular state. 

Conclusion

Men and women have complementary differences. They must use their talents and work side by side to make the world more Catholic. While the woman is subject to the husband, it does not mean he can bully his wife and give her a "Williamson-approved beating." What Williamson said is both illegal in the United States and grossly immoral everywhere. Women can never be clergy, but they are not precluded from many other occupations. 

Let us pray as Saint Therese of Lisieux, “Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what You want me to be – and becoming that person.”

"Fr." Richard Rohr: An Occult Heretic

 

In Traditional Catholic theology, an "occult heretic" is one who denies one or more dogmas of the Faith but does not reveal it publicly. So if a cleric denied, e.g., the Immaculate Conception, but never let it be known to anyone such that only he and God are aware, that cleric is a secret ("occult") heretic. In the Vatican II sect, "occult heretic" takes on a whole new meaning.

"Fr." Richard Rohr (b. 1943) was invalidly ordained a Franciscan priest in 1970. He is a prolific writer on spirituality, and in 2011 was called by one source "one of the most popular spirituality authors and speakers in the world" (See pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2011/11/11/november-11-2011-richard-rohr/9902/).

Rohr's book, The Universal Christ made the New York Times Bestseller List in 2019. 

Rohr is an "occult heretic;" he denies multiple dogmas of the faith (he's an apostate actually) and he is heavily involved in the occult. However, the Vatican II sect denies these accusations. In an interview, Rohr stated that a group of "conservative" Vatican II sect laity had recorded his "homilies" and gave them to Joseph Bernardin (then Abp. of Cincinnati prior to becoming "Cardinal Abp." of Chicago) asking for Rohr to be excommunicated. Bernardin declared Rohr's teachings "within the bounds of the Church’s teachings," yet the sect's Archdiocese of Cincinnati claims to have no knowledge of the incident. (See newyorker.com/news/on-religion/richard-rohr-reorders-the-universe).

Nevertheless, it is undisputed that Rohr was endorsed by Bergoglio himself. He met with the Argentinian apostate on July 1, 2022. Rohr reports that:

I brought him a copy of Universal Christ, my end-of-life book, but he said he had already read it!

He shared three times very directly, “I want you to keep doing what you’re doing, keep teaching what you’re teaching.” For this Catholic boy from Kansas, that is a wonderful, hard-to-believe affirmation coming from the Pope himself, for the whole Christian contemplative movement. 

(See cac.org/news/statement-from-fr-richard-rohr-ofm-after-meeting-pope-francis; Emphasis mine). 

Rohr has an incredible following among millennials and even Gen Z. His "Center for Action and Contemplation" website is extremely popular, and he has published 32 books in addition to having given numerous retreats. His appeal is not limited to the Vatican II sect, but extends to Protestants, Eastern pagan religions, and those who are "spiritual but not religious." 

So, who's correct? Is Rohr an occultist and apostate, or are his teachings "within the bounds of the Church's teachings" as the Vatican II sect declares? He is a "priest" in good standing. Should he "keep doing" what he's doing and "keep teaching" what he's teaching, as "Pope" Francis stated? 

I'll set forth the facts about Rohr in this post; you can decide who's right. 

Rohr: A Universalist Who Proclaims a "Universal Christ"

In 2019, Rohr wrote a book, The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe. This book will reveal the heretical and occult teachings of "Fr." Richard Rohr:

• Rohr is a panentheist, believing  God and the world to be inter-related with the world being in God and God being in the world. He makes a distinction between Jesus and Christ. Rohr writes: “Christ . . . was clearly not just Jesus of Nazareth, but something much more immense”(pg. 3). Since for Rohr, everything in the universe is a manifestation of God, to call Jesus a manifestation of God is to merely say that Jesus is part of the universe. Hence, the title of the book: "The Universal Christ."

• God is a subjective term that denotes a way people look at the world. “Anything that drives you out of yourself in a positive way . . . is operating as God for you” (pg. 52).

• Revelation is not a distinct, self-disclosure of God, occurring in history. “This book . . . [seeks] to reground Christianity as a natural religion and not one simply based on a special revelation, available only to a few.” (pg. 7).

• Christ is more a process than a Divine Person.  “The Christ Mystery is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process throughout time—as constant as the light that fills the universe," and so not “limiting the Creator’s presence to just one human manifestation, Jesus” (pgs. 14, 16). He goes so far as to dedicate the book to his deceased dog Venus "whom...without fear of heresy, I can appropriately say that Venus was also Christ for me."

• The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ did not save anyone. The sacrificial death of Christ was “not some bloody transaction ‘required’ by God’s offended justice in order to rectify the problem of human sin.”(pg. 140). Sin is a failure to put away our "false self." Original Sin does not exist. 

• Christ did not rise from the dead but was transformed into "beams of light." “If a video camera had been placed in front of the tomb of Jesus, it wouldn’t have filmed a lone man emerging from a grave . . . [but] something like beams of light extending in all directions” (pg. 177). 

Rohr: Spiritual Guru for Bono

In his above cited interview with The New Yorker magazine, it is noted: He is also revered by Melinda Gates and is close to Bono. “He’ll just drop me a little love note,” Rohr said. “He’s a very loving person.” (See newyorker.com/news/on-religion/richard-rohr-reorders-the-universe; Emphasis mine). 

Paul Hewson aka "Bono" (b. 1960) is the lead singer of the wicked rock group U2. Paul Hewson received his world-famous moniker "Bono" from his friend Gavin Friday who called him "Bono Vox" an alteration of the Latin "Bonavox" roughly translated as "Good Voice." Hewson liked it and dropped the "vox," hence being known as "Bono" ever since. Bono was raised by a Catholic father and Protestant mother. His father was a nominal Catholic and (sinfully) agreed with his wife that their first child would be raised Anglican, and their second Catholic. Even though Bono was the second child he was taken to both Catholic Churches and Anglican services growing up. 

Bono professes to be "Catholic" but the facts speak differently. 

• He founded the ONE Campaign, aimed at fighting extreme poverty and incurable diseases especially in Africa. How does Bono envision helping in this cause? Contraception and abortion! U2 performed concerts for the Contraception Action Campaign and the Irish Family Planning Association. Christ said, "For the poor you have always with you..." (St. Matthew 26:11) and "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God..." (St. Matthew 6:33). 

• In the Communist rag, Mother Jones Magazine of May 1, 1989, Bono was asked, "How do you feel, for instance, about abortion?" He responded, "I just have my own ideas. I believe that it’s a woman’s right to choose. Absolutely."

• He urged Ireland to legalize sodomite "marriage" and celebrated when they did make it legal, during a concert back in 2015. He said, "It’s a moment for us to thank the people who brought peace to our country, who had the courage to compromise in Ireland..."We have peace in Ireland today, and — in fact, on this very day — we have true equality in Ireland," he added. "Millions turned up to vote yesterday to say love is the highest law in the land. ...If God loves us, whoever we love, wherever we come from, then why can’t the state?" He also changed the lyrics to their smash 1984 hit Pride (In the Name of Love)--about Dr. Martin Luther King's murder--to say "They could not take away your gay pride" in place of "they could not take your pride." (See https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/26/u2-ireland-gay-marriage-_n_7442984.html). 

• Liberal Protestant sects and their colleges/seminaries are openly considering making U2's lyrics and Bono's ideas part of the curriculum! In the book Get Up Off Your Knees, several contributing authors, including Eugene Peterson, author of The Message Bible translation, praise Bono and U2 as a "prophetic voice." In fact, Calvin College offered a class which analyzed U2′s influence on Christians. (See "Calvin College on U2," Christianity Today, February 23, 2005). 

• While wearing the cross, he will sing the song I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Not exactly the message you'd expect to hear from one who allegedly follows Our Lord! In that same Mother Jones interview, Bono said, "...we don't have any answers...I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. How much more clear can you make it?"

This is the man who sends "love notes" to Rohr and sees him as his "spiritual guide." 

Rohr: Praising Sins Against Nature

The website Soulforce describes itself thus:

Soulforce works to end the religious and political oppression of LGBTQI people by breaking open the ideologies of Christian Supremacy and healing our communities’ spirits from Spiritual Violence.

Soulforce was co-founded by two men, Mel White and Gary Nixon, who also happen to be “Christian” sodomite lovers. (See soulforce.org/about/who-we-are).

In 2000, Rohr wrote the following endorsement:

October 8, 2000

Brothers and Sisters of the Church:

What is more important than to follow Jesus? Is that not our final and fundamental authority for everything that we do, either as leadership or membership in the church?

Apart from understandable disagreements on specifics, details, how, when, and where, we all the know the WHAT. Jesus came to draw us all into union with God, whom he called his Father. How sad if the public image of our church continues to be a group of people that judge first, exclude easily, and use theological arguments to cover basic "political" stances of power, image, and management of constituency. These seem to be things that Jesus cared about very little, in fact, he flaunted them. This is clear in the Gospels which we all proclaim with joy.

At last we have a group of dedicated Christians who are willing to use disciplined and Christian means of nonviolent protest against its church’s failure to live the Gospel. Christians outside the mainstream did this in the abolitionist movement against slavery, in the civil rights movement against racism, and in the antiwar movement. Eventually, in each case, the church, like Peter running late to the tomb, acknowledged that these were indeed Gospel positions.

SOULFORCE must take the role of John the Beloved, who runs swiftly to the tomb, because that is what love always does. But both of us will find there the Risen Christ who always reigns and transforms human history, but never without our "let it be." Our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered brothers and sisters have been left outside of his realm of grace for far too long. We can do so much better, and we will. I thank SOULFORCE for its courage, dedication, and proclamation of Christian nonviolence in the pursuit of justice and truth.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. 

(See web.archive.org/web/20160303213325/http://www.archives.soulforce.org/2000/10/08/fr-richard-rohrs-letter-of-endorsement; Emphasis mine).

From Rohr's "Daily Meditation" of 11/9/17, he writes:

Binary genders (male and female) are more an imposition of our dualistic minds than the nature of reality.” He went on to say, “When Christians label LGBTQIA individuals as “other,” sinful, or “disordered,” we hurt these precious people and the larger community, and we actually limit ourselves. Fear of difference creates a very constricted, exclusive, and small religion and life, the very opposite of what God invites us into (See cac.org/daily-meditations/identity-and-desire-2017-11-09; Emphasis mine). 

Rohr: His Occult Practices and Teachings

The Enneagram

Rohr wrote a best seller with Andreas Ebert entitled The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective (1990) claiming it was an "ancient Christian tool" used by the "Desert Fathers." The most popular book on how to use the enneagram, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery, by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile (2016) is based off of Rohr's teachings. On pg. 24, we are told:

The Enneagram teaches that there are nine different personality styles in the world, one of which we naturally gravitate toward and adopt in childhood to cope and feel safe. Each type or number has a distinct way of seeing the world and an underlying motivation that powerfully influences how that type thinks, feels and behaves.

Once you take the test to identify your personality type, you will come to realize:

The true purpose of the Enneagram is to reveal to you your shadow side and offer spiritual counsel on how to open it to the transformative light of grace. (pg. 31; Emphasis mine).

Then you work to rid yourself of your "old self" and become your "True Self" and the person God wants you to be. Rohr and his heretical, occult disciples are spreading this throughout the Vatican II sect through retreats and parish "spirituality courses" or "workshops." Many Vatican II sect clergy give "homilies" on it. 

The enneagram is not an ancient Christian tool that has been around for ages but was invented in the 1970s by Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo from automatic writing. What is automatic writing? Automatic writing is a form of spirit contact where you allow a spirit to write through you. You become, in effect, a medium. As I've written before, mediums are condemned by both the Bible and Church teaching. "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you." (See Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Emphasis mine.) According to theologian Jone, "Spiritism claims to be able to communicate with the spirit world and endeavors to establish such commerce with it. Although spiritism is for the most part fraud, still the intention alone to enter into communication with spirits is gravely sinful. Therefore, it is mortally sinful to conduct a spiritistic seance or to act as a medium." (See Moral Theology, pg. 100; Emphasis mine). Imagine if you were told to use a Ouija Board to "understand yourself better" and "grow closer to God." That is as blasphemous as the use of the enneagram for "spiritual growth in God." The enneagram is inspired by the forces of Hell.

To state that something which originated with the automatic writing of two occultists was really something used by early Christians, was a fable told to Rohr by a New Ager. Rohr now happily perpetuates this false narrative. Moreover, you cannot make something "Christian" which has no scientific validity, and is inimical to genuine Catholic spirituality. There can be no "Catholic Tarot Cards." Yet Rohr will continue to make the ludicrous claim that the enneagram is now "Christianized" since its alleged use by "Desert Fathers" for which he has no credible sources.  

Rohr also claims we are not all born sinners, as he denies Original Sin in particular and redefines personal sin. We need to put off our “false selves” and discover the divine ("True Self") within ourselves. Rohr promotes the enneagram as a great tool to do that. He has gained a huge following, especially among millennials, but his teachings are heretical and must be rejected. 

Retreats in the Nude with "Healing Touch" Rituals

According to researcher Stephanie Block, Rohr fills his five-day men's retreats with rituals. "Usually on the last night of the old retreats — the Quest retreats, and the Hero retreats — I would have about an hour talk on sexuality and touch and embodiment. Then we would have a healing ceremony — several of you in this room have done that. Of all the things that happen, it reveals to me the power of ritual, or the power of touch over the power of just concepts . . . when I can let go of those and hand it over to ritual, that's when the real transformation seems to happen."  

"I give [the men] a talk on the body and I tell them to go alone and do a compassionate meditation on their body from head to foot. I give them all a foot and a half of red tape and wherever their body is holding a memory, a shame, a fear, a guilt, an anger — whatever — to wrap a little piece of that on their body. And then they come back and they sit in a big circle and I always say they look like a field of wounded soldiers. They're always very quiet when they come back. You can feel, like a self-massage almost. The pain came out when they touched each of those spots, I guess.

"And then beginning with the elders I lead them through an extended meditation. . . . I invite them to lie down in what is, for the male, the most vulnerable position — on his back. Then the other men surround them and cradle their bodies and especially touch and lay hands on and pray over those places where the man holds wounds...."

Given the high percentage of homosexuals at his retreats, it is conceivable that a good number of the participants' "wounds" are of a sexual nature. The listener is intrigued to consider the ramifications of this ritual. "[It] sounds like a rather simple, innocuous ritual — well, it blows them out of the water. It usually goes on the whole night. They don't want to stop. The man becomes their father that they never had; their father that they could never touch; their grandfather who died when they were a boy; their brother that they wanted to be friends with.

"Then when the older men are doing it to the younger men, it all, of course, reverses. But the tears just astound me. This readiness to cry and the readiness and the tears seem not be evoked by my words but by the touch itself, by the laying on of hands, by the communion, the connection that seems to happen there. And again, without any unnecessary encouragement from me, many of the men will invariably take off their shirts to expose the red tape, maybe on their chests." (As originally reported in The Wanderer of May 22, 1997; Emphasis mine). 

This is pure pagan/occult/demonic ritual. See, e.g., nakedhealingtouch.com/naked-healing/

Conclusion

There is no need to tape record Rohr's "homilies" to know he's non-Catholic and demonic. He's not "occult" in the sense of being "secret." I have set forth the facts on Richard Rohr. Do you believe he's within the teaching of the Church? Do you think he should keep on doing what he does and teaching what he teaches? If your answer is "no," then you must consider the question, "How can 'Pope" Francis and all the other members of the hierarchy, who see nothing wrong with Rohr, and encourage him to continue his teaching and actions be Catholic?" Answer that question honestly and it's "Welcome to Sedevacantism." 

Cracking The Emotion Code

New York City is a metropolis of which many things can be said. One thing is certain; it never gets boring. A routine salutation can turn into a learning experience, as was the case with me earlier this year. The door to my office was open, and I was working late, as per usual. I had lots of paperwork to get done for one of my clients, and I was sorely lacking in both sleep and patience. A young associate was passing by in the hallway, stopped, and said, "How's it going?" I uncharacteristically snapped and said, "I'm having the time of my life!" "Someone has anger issues, " she replied. I apologized and told her the work was getting to me that day.

"You know, trapped emotions can make you sick. You need to free yourself," she said. I forced a smile and said, "I'll be fine when the trial is over and I get some extra sleep." She smiled back and left. I thought her somewhat enigmatic statement was a hint to go to see a therapist. In NYC, you're different if you don't have a therapist. The next day, she came to my office and handed me a copy of the book The Emotion Code by Dr. Bradley Nelson. "This book changed my life," she said. "I'm sure it will do the same for you. I keep a couple of extra copies to give to people who I think could really benefit from it. Everyone can benefit, but I'm not a book supplier! Keep it and let me know what you think when you're done." I thanked her and went about my usual business.

What I discovered was a book written by a retired chiropractor pushing an occult methodology to emotionally (and even physically) "heal yourself." This post will set forth my findings and hopefully serve as a warning to others not to fall for this occult trap. 

(The content of this post is derived from the many sources I researched, both in print and online. I take no credit for any of it. All I did was condense the information I obtained into a terse and readable post---Introibo).

Bradley Nelson: A Polytheistic Occultist

Nelson's life is not well-detailed, but what is known about him shows a man who is deeply involved in the occult. He was born and raised as a member of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," i.e., a Mormon. The Mormons are modern day polytheistic pagans, masquerading as "Christians." Their doctrines are wacky and convoluted in the extreme. The Mormon sect founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., was raised in a home teeming with the occult, and became a Freemason early in his young adulthood. He incorporated Masonic doctrines with his own lies. He beguiled many into following him and making him powerful. Like Satan, he was a liar and a murderer, preaching violence and revenge to any that stood in his way.

Bradley Nelson was born in the early 1960s (approximately 63 years old as of this writing), and recounts that when he was 13, his parents took him to an "old timer holistic physician" which allegedly cured him and made him want to be a "holistic doctor" as well. 

When I was 13 years old, I developed a kidney disease for which there was no medical cure. My parents, being open to alternatives, took me to see some old timer holistic physician, who practiced out on the edge of town in a trailer house. Their clinic might not have been much to look at, but I remember seeing chartered buses full of people from other states that would pool their funds and come to see them for their healing abilities. Within a few short weeks of starting treatment with them the severe pains that I was experiencing had faded away. My parents took me back to the medical clinic where all the tests were rerun, and I was pronounced healed. It was at that time that I decided I wanted to be a doctor, but not a medical doctor, rather, I wanted to be a holistic doctor that helps people to get well in totally natural ways, using the incredible intelligence that exists within the body.

(See medium.com/authority-magazine/dr-bradley-nelson-5-things-anyone-can-do-to-optimize-their-mental-wellness-435643af34e1; Emphasis mine). 

An "intelligence that exists within the body"? It will soon be shown he's not talking about either the brain or the natural ability of the body to try and heal (sometimes given the misnomer of "intelligence").  As a chiropractor, he developed the idea of "the emotion code." 

Nelson explains his occult principle behind the "emotion code:"

It’s been an amazing thing for me to understand how much of a person’s current mental state is a result of their “emotional baggage.” What I’m referring to here is the trapped emotional energy that people have from those experiences in their life that they would rather not have gone through. Those energies, which we referred to as trapped emotions, live in the body as little clouds of pure emotional energy. At least, that is how we look at it when we are using The Emotion Code. Getting rid of that emotional energy is the most important step you can take to living on a higher level, without that emotional baggage dragging you down to the lower emotional ranges.

For example, a man came in to see me who was suffering from severe lower back pain. Using The Emotion Code, I found that he had a trapped emotion of anger from about 20 years before. He immediately remembered what had happened. It was a work situation, and he recalled being very upset, indeed. Using the simple technique that we outlined in The Emotion Code, I was able to release his trapped emotion of anger. Instantly, his low back pain was gone. It was miraculous to him, but to me it was not unusual. 

Our emotional baggage causes much of our physical pain. The interesting thing about this man, though, was that he returned to my office couple of days later with more information. He said to me, “Dr. Nelson, my low back pain is still gone, and hasn’t come back. That was really amazing. However, when I first came in here I had another problem that I did not share with you. For as long as I can remember, I’ve basically been what you might call a rage-a-holic. I’m always yelling at my wife and my kids. I have to really be careful about road rage. I’ve been in anger management several times, and it has really helped me. But since you released that trapped emotion of anger from me, I feel totally different. I feel peaceful and relaxed. Things aren’t setting me off like they used to.”(Ibid).

Relationships are a pain in the neck (literally)

When you feel like your heart is going to break, when you are feeling deeply hurt or grief, the subconscious mind will build a wall around the heart, a wall that is literally made of the emotional energy that a person has trapped.

Miranda is a perfect example of how a Heart-Wall can interfere with your love life. She was an attractive thirty-eight-year-old nurse who came to me suffering from neck pain. During the course of her examination, she mentioned that she had not dated anyone in years and had no interest in having any kind of a relationship with men anymore. When I tested her, I was not surprised to find that she had a Heart-Wall.

Eight years before, Miranda’s heart had been broken by a man she had deeply loved. In an effort to protect her heart from experiencing that kind of pain and injury again, her subconscious mind had created a Heart-Wall.

In Miranda’s case, three lingering emotions had been trapped in her body for all those years, blocking her from creating another relationship. She had no idea that these Heart-Wall emotions were the major underlying cause of her neck pain as well. The pain in her neck had been going on for some time and was considered chronic and even a bit mysterious by the other doctors she had consulted, because nothing seemed to relieve it.

One by one, I released these trapped emotions that were making up the layers of her Heart-Wall. When I released the last emotion, her neck pain suddenly disappeared completely, and muscle testing revealed that her Heart-Wall was indeed gone. (Ibid: Emphasis mine). 

So, how does does someone know about "trapped emotions," and how does Nelson release them? That will be discussed below.

Nelson has "miraculous ancestors"

Nelson's paternal grandfather, John Alexander Nelson, Jr., was a Mormon "missionary" who allegedly received from God the "gift of speaking the Tongan language" where he preached. On Bradley's website, you can download a book he wrote about his ancestors. You will learn in  Heritage and Histories that :

• My great-grandfather is harassed by entities while lost in the woods (pg 14)
• ...my great-grandmother (a midwife) knew when she was needed in days of no phones (pg 29)
• A young missionary is physically attacked by an entity that wants to silence him (pg 72)
• A deceased sister returns as an angel with a message (pg 361)
• My grandfather sees a man walk on water (pg 66)

(See drbradleynelson.com/beliefs; Emphasis mine---there are more bullets in the list, I just chose five).

These alleged happenings are either (a) lies or (b) demonic manifestations. 

"Releasing Trapped Emotions"

If you're wondering how an intangible, immaterial emotion can be "trapped in your body" and "released," wonder no more. Nelson claims “trapped emotions” in the subconscious mind are the cause of at least 90% of pain and discomfort. The subconscious mind is “tuned into Universal Intelligence." He further states he is  a “specialist in energy healing” stating “everything is energy.” Humans are "beings of pure energy." Hence, like pagan, occult reiki, the emotion code is pagan energy healing repackaged.

As one source states:

The Emotion Code was created by Dr. Bradley Nelson, a chiropractic physician and holistic healer. Dr. Nelson began developing this technique in the early 1990s while working with patients in his clinic. He discovered that many physical ailments and emotional issues were linked to unresolved emotional energies trapped in the body. Through years of research and clinical experience, Dr. Nelson refined the Emotion Code process, which combines elements of ancient healing practices, such as acupuncture and energy healing, with modern techniques like muscle testing. Since its inception, the Emotion Code has gained popularity worldwide as a simple yet powerful method for promoting healing and well-being.

The Emotion Code is a holistic healing technique that aims to identify and release trapped emotions, which are believed to be the source of physical and emotional issues. Practitioners use muscle testing to locate these trapped emotions, asking a series of questions to determine the specific emotion, when it occurred, and where it is lodged in the body. Once identified, the emotion is released using a magnet passed over the governing meridian. This process is repeated until all trapped emotions are cleared, promoting physical and emotional well-being. (See wellmeright.com/glossary/emotion-code#:~:text=The%20Emotion%20Code%20is%20a%20holistic%20healing%20technique%20that%20aims,physical%20and%20emotional%20well%2Dbeing; Emphasis mine). 

Energy healing is occult/pagan and believes in the "life force" or "ki" or "chi" as it's called. The chi/ki belief makes Nelson's form of energy healing like Reiki. Here is the pagan mumbo-jumbo regarding chi/ki: "The source or cause of health comes from the Ki that flows through and around the individual rather than from the functional condition of the physical organs and tissues. It is Ki that animates the physical organs and tissues as it flows through them and therefore is responsible for creating a healthy condition. If the flow of Ki is disrupted, the physical organs and tissues will be adversely affected. Therefore, it is a disruption in the flow of Ki that is the main cause of illness.

An important attribute of Ki is that it responds to ones thoughts and feelings. Ki will flow more strongly or be weakened in its action depending on the quality of ones thoughts and feelings. It is our negative thoughts and feelings that are the main cause of restriction in the flow of Ki. All negative or dis-harmonious thoughts or feelings will cause a disruption in the flow of Ki. Even Western medicine recognizes the role played by the mind in creating illness and some Western doctors state that as much as 98% of illness is caused directly or indirectly by the mind.

It must be understood that the mind exists not only in the brain, but also through-out the body. The nervous system extends to every organ and tissue in the body and so the mind exists here also. It is also known that the mind even extends outside the body in a subtle energy field 2 to 3 feet thick called the aura. Because of this, it is more appropriate to call our mind a mind/body as the mind and body are so closely linked."  (See Reiki.org; Emphasis mine). This nonsense has ZERO scientific/medicinal confirmation aside from anecdotal claims. 

It involves a pantheistic worldview (i.e., the heretical belief that "god" and the world are one) and everything is united by energy to the "Universal Intelligence" as Nelson calls "God." However, aren't Mormons polytheistic and not pantheistic? Yes, but Nelson sees everything as part of the divine, his own derivation of "polytheism." The founder of Mormonism was himself into the occult, and Joseph Smith would have no problem putting an occult spin on his teachings.

Applied Kinesiology and Witchcraft

Unlike reiki, Nelson's brand of energy healing involves applied kinesiology. This should not be confused with kinesiology which is the scientific study of human movement, and completely scientific.

Applied kinesiology is totally occult. Who uses it? Nelson's practitioners, occultists, pagans, and in particular---Wiccans (witches). 

 

Notice what was stated above: Practitioners (of the emotion code--yes, you can get a certificate and make money! See discoverhealing.com/certification) ask a series of questions to determine the specific emotion, when it occurred, and where it is lodged in the body. Once identified, the emotion is released using a magnet passed over the governing meridian.

Let's break it down. 1. Asking a series of questions (yes or no questions) to determine where an "emotion is trapped in the body." 

How does it work? [applied kinesiology]

You can test different muscles, but commonly the shoulder is used, especially for beginners.

Holding one arm straight out to the side from your shoulder, it sort of locks in place. Having someone standing in front (or behind) your arm -- not your body -- they test by saying "yes," and then pushing lightly down on your wrist with two fingers. The arm will remain strong and in position. (If it does not, it indicates that clearing or recalibration are needed. Then try again.) Then the person tests by saying "no," and again pressing down on your wrist. The arm will fall away from the pressure. (If not, ditto.)...

The muscles remain strong in the presence of a "yes" answer, and collapse without strength in the presence of a "no" answer. The same is true in the presence of something healthful and something not good for the body. You can use this to as a divination tool to test for yes-or-no answers, just as you would use a pendulum. (See Wiccan Spirituality at  wicca-spirituality.com/applied-kinesiology.html; Emphasis mine). 

2. The emotion code practitioner passes a magnet over the "meridian." Why? The following source explains what I read in The Emotion Code very well:

Your body naturally has magnetic and electric fields. All your molecules have a small amount of magnetic energy in them. The thought behind magnetic field therapy is that certain problems happen because your magnetic fields are out of balance. If you put a magnetic field near your body, it's believed things will go back to normal.

Ions like calcium and potassium help your cells send signals. In tests, scientists have seen magnets change how these ions act. However, so far, there isn’t evidence that magnets have the same effect on cells when they’re in your body.

Magnets emit pure energy and are powerful tools we can use to fix imbalances that are in your energy field, and therefore cannot see. Virtually any magnet can be used when doing The Emotion Code. Using magnets in therapy can have profound effects on people's bodies. 

You are a being of pure energy. (pg.94) Your existence stretches further than you can see, because of your energy field. Each of us has an electromagnetic field. The EMF field of your heart is proven to stretch 8-12ft from your body in all directions...

In acupuncture, there are lines through your body known as meridians. These can be thought of as small rivers of energy that flow just beneath the skin. They follow very precise tracks that do not vary from person to person, just like each person has the same muscles in the same spots. Along meridians there are acupoints that can be treated for specific purposes. These acupoints often match up to where trigger points are in the body as well. 

The governing meridian is a meridian that serves as a reservoir of energy, which connects with and supplies all other acupuncture meridians. This is perhaps the most important meridian in the body. Because of its connection to all of the other meridians, it serves as the ideal pathway for our intention when releasing trapped emotions. A trapped emotion is energy, and to get rid of a trapped emotion, we need to overcome it with another form of energy. The governing meridian is the perfect window into the body for this purpose. 

As soon as you find a trapped emotion, you can release it. While holding the intention to release the found trapped emotion in your mind, simply pass a magnet over the governing meridian. 

(See encompasstm.com/blog/stuck-emotions-pain; Emphasis mine). 

It is evident that The Emotion Code is a mix of "good old fashioned witchcraft" through applied kinesiology and pagan/occult energy healing similar to reiki. (To be fair, other occultists and pagans use applied kinesiology, not just witches). As if this were not bad enough, it gets worse. 

Bradley Nelson: Practicing Spiritism

The video below is disturbing. It depicts Nelson doing his occult-based "emotion releasing" on a middle-aged woman in 2012. It begins with him asking the woman if her mother is alive or deceased. She says she is alive. He then asks about those relatives prior to her mother. They are all dead. Nelson does Muscle Testing, asking if the woman’s dead ancestors are present in the room, effectively an action that summons spirits, because he wants them to be there. According to Nelson they are present because "what else do they have to do" he asks as the room erupts into laughter. He apparently believes one can have emotions from ancestors in their body that need to be released. (Interestingly, he "cures" the woman using---wait for it---a refrigerator magnet).

He tells the story of how his daughter was using the emotion code on him, and she found a trapped emotion that originated with an ancestor 22 generations prior. She then felt the presence of the ancestor standing next to her. (These references to "spirits" are really about demons). 

Spiritism is contact with spirits through methods such as summoning, channeling, evoking or invoking, using a spirit guide, or various rituals. Nelson is clearly engaging in spiritism. Some spiritists may channel a spirit; that is, they give their bodies over to a spirit to speak through them or write though them (the latter is called automatic writing). This occult practice of giving yourself over to  spirit (i.e., a demon) is called channeling.

Here is the video: youtube.com/watch?v=1G5-0hwHeFA

Church Teaching on Occult Practices

The clear teaching of the Church can't be stated enough.

 "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you." (See Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Emphasis mine.) 

According to theologian Jone, "Spiritism claims to be able to communicate with the spirit world and endeavors to establish such commerce with it. Although spiritism is for the most part fraud, still the intention alone to enter into communication with spirits is gravely sinful. Therefore, it is mortally sinful to conduct a spiritistic seance or to act as a medium." (See Moral Theology,[1961] pg. 100; Emphasis mine). 

While "spiritism is for the most part fraud," it sometimes is not. When Fr. Jone's theology manual was published in 1961, the Great Apostasy had not yet occurred. Most of spiritism at that time consisted of old ladies reading palms and pretending to contact spirits (or souls of the dead) for extra money; it was a fraud. Since Vatican II there has been an occult and pagan explosion world-wide, such that Fr. Jone couldn't comprehend at the time of his writing. While some spiritism is still fraudulent, I dare to say much--if not most---is real today. The direct and deliberate calling upon "spirits" (i.e., demons) to enter your life will rarely go unheeded.

Conclusion

The Emotion Code  is pure occult claptrap written by a Mormon spiritist. He has written several other similar books, and offers "certification" to become a "practitioner" of the occult "code." The book is endorsed by Tony Robbins, a  man who is also involved in the occult and making money off of it (he might be the subject of a future post). I emailed my colleague to warn her of the occult nature of the book. She never responded. Our work relationship remains cordial, but she is not as friendly towards me. Our job as Traditionalists is to warn others, even if they don't heed the warning or become upset with us.

Nelson's "code" is yet another example of the occult all around us. This should not surprise us. An Occult Invasion during a time of Great Apostasy makes perfect sense. Be on guard and pray.