A friend alerted me to this great article from LifeSite!
I ask bloggers, please, to consider posting this on your own sites.
My emphases and comments.
Left Wing of the Catholic Church Destroying the Faith Says Orthodox Rabbi
By Hilary White, Rome correspondent
Wednesday February 11, 2009ROME, February 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The dissident, leftist movement in the Catholic Church over the last forty years has severely undermined the teaching of the Catholic Church on the moral teachings on life and family, [fantastic!] a prominent US Orthodox rabbi told LifeSiteNews.com. Rabbi Yehuda Levin, the head of a group of 800 Orthodox rabbis in the US and Canada, also dismissed the accusations that the Holy See had not sufficiently distanced itself from the comments made by Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) on the Holocaust.
"I support this move" to reconcile the traditionalist faction in the Church, he said, "because I understand the big picture, which is that the Catholic Church has a problem. There is a strong left wing of the Church that is doing immeasurable harm to the faith." [Peter was Jewish. Can Rabbi Levin be Pope after Pope Benedict? Maybe 20 years from now?]
Rabbi Levin said that he understands "perfectly" why the reconciliation is vital to the fight against abortion and the homosexualist movement. [The man-centered view of the left detaches morals from reality.]
"I understand that it is very important to fill the pews of the Catholic Church not with cultural Catholics and left-wingers who are helping to destroy the Catholic Church and corrupt the values of the Catholic Church." This corruption, he said, "has a trickle-down effect to every single religious community in the world." [What an admission!]
"What’s the Pope doing? He’s trying to bring the traditionalists back in because they have a lot of very important things to contribute the commonweal of Catholicism. [YES YES YES!]
"Now, if in the process, he inadvertently includes someone who is prominent in the traditionalist movement who happens to say very strange things about the Holocaust, is that a reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater and start to condemn Pope Benedict? Absolutely not."
During a visit to Rome at the end of January, Rabbi Levin told LifeSiteNews.com that he believes the media furore over the lifting of the excommunications of the four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X is a red herring. He called "ridiculous" the accusations that in doing so Pope Benedict VXI or the Catholic Church are anti-Semitic and described as "very strong" the statements distancing the Holy See and the Pope from Williamson’s comments.
Rabbi Levin was in Rome holding meetings with high level Vatican officials to propose what he called a "new stream of thinking" for the Church’s inter-religious dialogue, one based on commonly held moral teachings, particularly on the right to life and the sanctity of natural marriage.
"The most important issue," he said, is the work the Church is doing "to save babies from abortion, and save children’s minds, and young people’s minds, helping them to know right and wrong on the life and family issues."
"That’s where ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue has to go."
Although numbers are difficult to determine, it is estimated that the Society of St. Pius X has over a million followers worldwide. The traditionalist movement in the Catholic Church is noted for doctrinal orthodoxy and enthusiasm not only for old-fashioned devotional practices, but for the Church’s moral teachings and opposition to post-modern secularist sexual mores. [And this is why progressivists will fight their reintegration in the mainstream Church.] Liberals in the Church, particularly in Europe, have bitterly opposed all overtures to the SSPX and other traditionalists, particularly the Pope’s recent permission to revive the traditional Latin Mass. [The TLM is the monster under their bed.]
The Vatican announced in early January that, as part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the breakaway group, the 1988 decree of excommunication against the Society had been rescinded. Later that month, a Swedish television station aired an interview, recorded in November 2008, in which Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the four leaders of the Society, said that he did not believe that six million Jews were killed in the Nazi death camps during World War II.
At that time, the media erupted with protests and accusations that the Catholic Church, and especially Pope Benedict XVI, are anti-Semitic.
Rabbi Levin particularly defended Pope Benedict, saying he is the genius behind the moves of the late Pope John Paul II to reconcile the Church with the Jewish community. [HO HO! The libs aren’t going to like that suggestion! They will attack the Rabbi especially on this point, suggesting that it was all JP II and had nothing to do with Card. Ratzinger… who is German, btw.]
"Anyone who understands and follows Vatican history knows that in the last three decades, one of the moral and intellectual underpinnings of the papacy of Pope John Paul II, was Cardinal Ratzinger.
"And therefore, a lot of the things that Pope John Paul did vis-à-vis the Holocaust, he [Benedict] might have done himself, whether it was visiting Auschwitz or visiting and speaking in the synagogues or asking forgiveness. A lot of this had direct input from Cardinal Ratzinger. Whoever doesn’t understand this doesn’t realise that this man, Pope Benedict XVI, has a decades-long track record of anti-Nazism and sympathy for the Jews."
Oh, what a great article.
Share this one around, folks! E-mail it. Bloggers! Highlight it!
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Egads! What an incredible article!
The most important issue,” he said, is the work the Church is doing “to save babies from abortion, and save children’s minds, and young people’s minds, helping them to know right and wrong on the life and family issues.”
Talking about cutting to the heart of the matter…thanks for posting this Father!
“[Peter was Jewish. Can Rabbi Levin be Pope after Pope Benedict? Maybe 20 years from now?]”
I prefer your “choice” of Pope (Rabbi Levin) to Hans Kung’s (Barack Obama), Fr. Z!
Wow. Just wow. God bless Rabbi Levin!
Thank you!
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
I know we’re approaching Sexagesima Sunday, and even the good Rabbi might not appreciate it, but:
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
And how can our fellow naysing Catholics, using this situation to attack the Pope, possibly attack a Rabbi?
ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! God be praised, bless his Holy Name!
thank you SO much, Father. That made my day.
Yes, I put this up yesterday; and I could not help thinking that one day when evangelicals come to realise the truth in the Eucharist and our “ORTHODOX” Jewish brothers and sister come to realise that Yeshua really is their Messiah, our churches will be overflowing.
Rabbi Yehuda Levin; May the LORD bless you!
It is interesting that a Jewish Rabbi can see and articulate so well what too many Roman Catholic Bishops cannot. Bless you Rabbi.
A wonderful article. May I also recommend to WDTPRS-ers this excellent essay on Williamson and the Holocaust (etc) by the Jewish scholar Paul Gottfried . Note what he has to say about leftist double-standards inside and outside of the Church.
Excerpt:
Stunning….absolutely stunning…Why can’t so many of our own have tis kind of reasoning?
It’s because (I’ll say it again) Liberalism is a mental disorder.
Semper Fi, Rabbi!
more Rabbi Levin giving interreligious dialogue an unexpectedly attractive flavor:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/feb/09021007.html
Rabbi Speaks on Pope Benedict Controversy: Leftist Catholics Using Jews to Attack the Pope, says “church hierarchy should take strong action in dealing with this type of insurrection”
“It has now become very clear, for all to see, the extreme danger that having some who hold high positions in the church seeking to destroy their own church and attack their own pope.” He added: “The silver lining is that its now that the battle lines have been drawn.”
“The remedy, I believe,” said the Rabbi, “is that church hierarchy should take strong action in dealing with this type of insurrection.” He added: “This should be a significant signal to the Pope, that it is absolutely essential that the right people be appointed in every place all over the world. And church faithful need to have unambiguous leadership that’s totally in line with traditional church teaching.”
cardinale subito! (we’ll work on details later… :-)) )
Dear Fr. Z.,
Thank you SO much for posting this! I indeed will include it on my blog. It warms my heart to hear all the wonderful work our beloved Pope is doing to bring the Church back together! Of course the “modernistic” folks want it easy…it’s hard doing the right thing. Of course they’ll pitch a fit & raise a ruckus, anything to divert the public eye from the truth!
God bless you for all you do!
Fr. Zuhlsdorf: Can Rabbi Levin be Pope after Pope Benedict? Maybe 20 years from now?
No people understand Tradition like the Jews. Why could he not be Pope?. After all, Israel Eugenio Zolli converted. And Cardinal Lustiger was mentioned as papabile.
Though I hope you’re right about the 20 years. May he live a Patriarch’s lifetime.
Who was it that said «Salvation is from the Jews»?
I notice that when outsiders say things we like, we welcome their comments. When outsiders say things we don’t like, we admonish them for lecturing US about how OUR church should be run.
Ironic.
PS – I agree with the Rabbi, of course. He’s substantially correct, though “destroying” is probably overstating it a bit.
Bravo! What a refreshing article from someone with reason. God bless Rabbi Levin!
Good stuff! And right on the mark… Thank you for posting this Father!
Truly wonderful that a Rabbi can see through the muck and mire, to the clear truth of what’s going on, especially in the American church!
I love this Rabbi. Already posted this to my blog, and thank you, Fr. Z, for the article! Just the other day I had posted something Rabbi Levin said on my pro-life blog.
Fr. Z, that was a great article. I sent you an email yesterday about this same Rabbi (Fabrizio posted a comment above about it). Rabbi Levin said some very insightful things about the Church and her enemy’s.
How true are these words…Wow…..The left wingers are wrecking the faith for sure. Even people outside the Catholic religion and our Churches can see it…People towards the middle or right can see it..Youtube sees it….The Pope sees it….lay people see it…..But the Bishops who continue to allow the left to rule the land (for pastoral reasons of course) can not and will not see it…Shame on many of them..
I notice that when outsiders say things we like, we welcome their comments. When outsiders say things we don’t like, we admonish them for lecturing US about how OUR church should be run.
Jeff,
the good Rabbi was not lecturing, only stating the truth and speaking as a respectful friend, and it takes a truckload of courage for a Jewish Rabbi to say what he said about the Church, especially on her problems reverberating on all religions (do we realize the magnitude of this candid admission from a Rabbi?? [Exactly.] because you can be sure he voiced a an awareness many have but would never confess publicly)
It\’s not that we welcome things we like and reject those we dislike. We welcome thing that are TRUE and said by people with courage and intellectual honesty and reject what is said by nasty weasels incapable of saying/doing anything remotely close to truth or plausibility when it comes to the Bride of Christ.
Is it false or true that neomodernists are trying to destroy the Church as we know it? Is it false or true that Williamson\’s imprudent ramblings are just the red herring to hit Benedict XVI? Inasmuch as such things are true, we can praise and thank a friend of the Church saying them like not many Catholic bishops seem to have the guts of saying these days.
“I notice that when outsiders say things we like, we welcome their comments. When outsiders say things we don’t like, we admonish them for lecturing US about how OUR church should be run.”
Jeff you must be new to this blog. It has to do with Truth, not whether we like it or not. When outsiders speak the Truth we acknowledge it and when they speak falsely we admonish.
“I notice that when outsiders say things we like, we welcome their comments. When outsiders say things we don’t like, we admonish them for lecturing US about how OUR church should be run.
Ironic.”
That’s not irony at all. If a stranger walks up to you and compliments your hate, you smile and say “thank you!”. If the same stranger walks up and says “Good Lord, that’s the ugliest hat I’ve ever seen! Take it off, right now!”, your reaction will be quite different.
Jeff Stevens: of course you have a point, but another difference is that this rabbi obviously knows a fair bit about what the Church teaches and why, how it’s administered, what our situation is and what are the true threats we face. The folks who screamed about lifting the excommunications didn’t have the first clue, but they spouted off anyway. The rabbi’s opinion is much more valuable, not only because he agrees with us and is therefore correct :), but because he’s clearly MUCH better informed.
“He’s trying to bring the traditionalists back in because they have a lot of very important things to contribute the commonweal of Catholicism.”
Have we really lost the traditionalists? Do they have to be brought back in?
After all the screaming of the media et al, now the good stuff is slowly coming out from all corners…
He hit the nail right on the head.
What an excellent point of view, and excellent comments by the rabbi…This reminds me of the poll from a few days ago here on WDTPRS, and amply expresses why I voted for Fr. Peter Kennedy and folks of his ilk as doing more damage to the Church than Abp. Lefebvre…We have a wise and holy pope…
Be sure to pray for Rabbi Levin – sounds like the “hound of heaven” may be after him!
“[Peter was Jewish. Can Rabbi Levin be Pope after Pope Benedict? Maybe 20 years from now?]”
ahhh Peter the Roman!! (jk, kinda)
Does anyone know how we can contact Rabbi Levin with kudos?
Almost off topic:
It seems that the FSSPX in Germany is ready to start the “theological debate”. And I think this may prove to be a real moment in the fight for the hermeneutic of continuity:
http://cathcon.blogspot.com/2009/02/sspx-seeks-dialogue-but-do-german.html
I’d be happy if the next pope named himself Pope Francis, with the mission of rebuilding Christ’s Church.
Rabbi Levin is a good guy, we should pray for his conversion. I think he’d make a good priest, he’s got a good backbone.
“Share this one around, folks! E-mail it. Bloggers! Highlight it!”
Your wish is my command: http://romishgraffiti.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/is-rabbi-levin-papabile/
Oh dear. What a man! Poor libs cannot challenge the man because that would be anti-semitic. LOL! Here’s another “man after God’s heart”. He’s brought it down Joshua style, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” A Jew who stands by the Audacity of Pope. Heh. Candid. Fresh. Bold. Daring. Inter-religious indeed!
Fantastic! Rabbi Levin shows fortitude in the midst of battle and would be welcome at our table. It took enormous courage for him to take this stand especially in light of what others like Abe Foxman were saying. God bless him.
will be posted as you command,
http://germanegyptian.blogspot.com/
Now *this* is ecumenism in the truest sense of the word!
Thanks, Fr. Z….will post this to the ‘Pillars’
Hugs!
Andrew, Rabbi Levin can be contacted at his web site jews4morality.com He has several web sites.
These statements of his are nothing new, he is also the head of an organization called something like Jews Against anti-Christian Defamation. An interesting man, a good brother.
I applaud the Rabbi’s statements.
I have one question: if the problem is only “progressivists,” how do you explain the “conservative” Catholics who have been apathetic at best, sneering and apopletic at worst, who have identified all of the SSPX with Williamson, and have pointed to the SSPX as a resurgence of “cultural Catholicism”?
I quote the great film Chariots of Fire:
“Perhaps they ARE God’s chosen people.”
God bless Rabbi Levin!
Just a comment on truth vs like/dislike:
Then we should be careful, when outsiders say things about our Church that are not true, not to criticize them because they’re outsiders, but rather to focus on what they say being untrue.
I made the comment I did because I have seen many comments from Catholics about outsiders lecturing us on our church. That is not relevant. What is relevant, as was mentioned, is truth and not truth.
The last Chief Rabbi in England and the present one have always been very much defenders of traditional Jewish/Christian morality. At times they said things which no bishop seemed able to say. As far as morality is concerned Orthodox Judaism is the ally of Catholic Christianity, and we all worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
GREAT article! And at the risk of offending the good Rabbi, his views actually sound more Catholic than Orthodox Jewish, specifically on the issue of abortion, which Orthodox Judaism allows up to the first trimester. The good Rabbi is indeed ahead of the curve on this one.
Judaism definitely has its own personal struggle with the leftists taking over their religion. This began in the end of the 19th cebntury with the mass immigrations from Europe to the US, and the foundation of the “Reformed” Judaism (so called). This radically changed not only the look of Judaism (men were not obligated to wear yarmulkem, nor women cover their heads, even in synagogue) but also in the very foundations of Judaic teaching (i.e. that the Torah is a “guide” to life, and not for all Jews in all locations in all ages). So the good rabbi knows from whence he speaks. And although I have had more negative experiences with Orthodox Jews than with the conservatives or reformed, something tells me we would see eye to eye on many issues here.
Sal: In some respects the SSPX and its allies have been their own worst enemy. Not everyone in the organization is a revisionist or attached to fascist/totalitarian politics, but unfortunately those things have tended to characterize the organization in large part due to the French political environment in which it was founded, as reflected in Archbishop Lefebvre’s own expressed positions. That is what conservatives are typically responding to. Unfortunately it is fashionable in certain circles to automatically attribute all criticism of the SSPX to a secret hatred of the Tridentine Mass [although it is _sometimes_ true], which invariably pushes conservatives further away.
And — to be clear — the reconciliation of the SSPX, and the full restoration of the Mass in both its ordinary and extraordinary forms, is something we most definitely ought to desire and pray for. But if we are going to pray effectively for reconciliation, then we need to be honest about any potential obstacles to reconciliation, and we truly love the TLM, then we should be concerned about the potential for its wrongful association with such things. Not because they are unpopular, but because they are really problematic.
May God richly bless Rabbi Levin! Thank you so much, Rabbi, for standing up for your little brothers in faith!
Yes, God bless Rabbi Levin! Thank you!
Rabbi nailed it!
Then we should be careful, when outsiders say things about our Church that are not true, not to criticize them because they’re outsiders, but rather to focus on what they say being untrue.
A good point, Jeff. We should make sure to address the issue of truth, and not take the shortcut of “oh, they’re not a part of the Church, they don’t really understand.” While it may be true that they don’t understand, they are most likely capable of understanding.
The distinction that could be made, however, is outsiders who show an understanding of the Church and internal Church matters, and outsiders who show a clear lack of such understanding. Rabbi Levin gets praise for being outspoken, accurate, and showing his clear understanding of what really was involved. That’s much different from Angela Merkel (to pick one of many) showing how much she doesn’t understand.
Sal said: “how do you explain the “conservative” Catholics who have been apathetic at best, sneering and apopletic at worst, who have identified all of the SSPX with Williamson, and have pointed to the SSPX as a resurgence of “cultural Catholicism”?”
Ah, the neo-cons. Good question. Indeed, most of the neo-cons have been quite hostile to the older Mass and the SSPX.
Now, the Rabbi probably couldn’t guess that dynamic in the Church, especially because he would see the neo-cons from the point of view of their morality which is often conservative in the issues of a pro-life nature.
However, the neo-cons are positivists and rupturists. They follow only what is newly put out from the Magisterium without connecting it with the continuity of traditions of the past. This rupturist mentality they have in common with the progressivists.
cont’d from my last comment…
The neo-cons are still stuck in the JP II mode which was around for many years where the liturgy and tradition was put in the dustbin..they still have to catch up with Pope Benedict now that he’s singing what to them seems like a new tune.
+JMJ+
Oh, Praise God !!!
We needed to hear some good news for a change. Thank you Fr. John for posting this wonderful information. Thank God, that the Holy Spirit never stops working. “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy Love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”
And yes, we are praying for our bishops.
Rose Michael
There are problems on _all sides_ having to do with disobedience and rupturism. (Including in the SSPX — they just come down on the opposite side of the supposed rupture.)
The questions *everyone* should be asking themselves are:
1. Am I being obedient to Church teaching and authority?
2. Am I receiving newer teaching in continuity with older?
Of course, in some instances there are open questions about how to do each of these.
Credo – interesting points. My take on it is that the Neo-Cons are actually “closet Protestants” themselves in many ways. I realize I will probably get some boos and hisses from the front row on this one, but as an “outsider” that’s how I see it. I think as you point out it can trace its roots back to the 80’s and the “new conservativism” under Reagan, who buddied up to JP II as they both had the same goals regarding the defeat of Communism. But just who was pulling the strings in the conservative movement of the 80’s? The “moral majority” coalition of the Evangelicals/fundies. This group was seen as the epitome of new conservatism. And it was the likes of Father Neuhaus who sought to bring Catholicism closer and more “palatable” to the Fundies. And this is exactly what happened all across America. You can take a Neo-Con and a Lefty-Progressive, put them both in a Novus Ordo, and they will both be completely at home liturgically, singingh those guitar-strumming ditties and receiving the body of Christ in their hands. It’s only on social issues where they will diverge. And yes, we can absolutely associate (fault?) JP II with this trend.
Another notable point is the Anti-semititic aspect as you point out. Neo-Cons swallow anything the Republican party feeds them. So, when they say Israel = good, they believe this wholeheartedly no questions asked. And this stance of course comes directly from Fundie playbook which suggests Jews are still the chosen people, God gave them back Israel, and to have any view to the contrary is to disobey God. So, a neo-con shies away from anything that even remotely smacks of anti-semitism or has any unjustified connotation. And by this of course we are talking about the Tridentine mass.
I guess I’m kind of jaded here, since I have had so many heated discussions with neo-cons and felt that I might as well be speaking to a Fundie, since all their rhetoric, propaganda and catch-phrases came straight from the fundie playbook. I remember on one ocassion, one said he was a Traditional Catholic, to which I said, “what is more Traditional than the Tridentine mass which has been around for over 1,000 years? To which he responded, “Every Sunday our priest speaks out against abortion and fags getting married. THAT’S traditional for me!” Really hard to argue theologically with those types.
Bravo Rabbi!!
I’m all for supporting traditionally-minded Catholics. On the other hand the Nefarious Neo-Con Catholics (NNCCs) who are obsessed with “liberals” are every bit as destructive to the Church as those they continually attack.
The NNCCs are also a great deal more like “ultra-liberals” then they would care to admit. Dissent is dissent.
Matthew – my point exactly. To my above point, Liturgically and theologically, the American Neo-cons and “Progressives” are two peas in a pod.
AMDG
Thank you Father Z for this post.
Thank you Rabbi Levin for your clear thinking.
Couldn’t his clear thinking be because he studies the law? And couldn’t his attitude be a fruit of Nostra Aetate?
I like Bishop Grampa’s passage from St. Luke about attitude:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=93648
Fr. Z, It’s in the Mass. Yes. And according to Nostra Aetate and Bishop Grampa attitude as well.
And according to Francis Cardinal George there are those in the middle with Rome, and some to the left and some to the right.
May we pray for the Mass, clear thinking, a Catholic attitude,and that we are in union with Rome as one, for peace.
I can applaud any one who believes in the truth, be he jew or christian. But it isn’t the person who should be praised but the truth he preaches. So, let’s not lose our heads and closet the talk of a Jewish pope. Blasphemy!
David Vandemore said: So, let’s not lose our heads and closet the talk of a Jewish pope. Blasphemy!
Er, the first pope was Jewish. So were a number of later ones.
Corleone — Sadly a material number of Nefarious Neo-Con Catholics (NNCCs) believe themselves to be traditionally-minded Catholics and they advertise themselves as such. In the process they give all Catholics a bad name.
They’re easy to spot too. What for those who try to present “Traditional Catholic” as if were some separate rite within the Church. Watch for those who slur the OF Mass as being “invalid” or those who place more faith in TAB’s reprint of the “Ottaviani” Intervention than the writings of our Popes — past and present.
These NNCC’s seem to think they are polar opposites of the ultra-liberals yet their place on the “political” ring is right next to their despised brethren and their impact to the Church just as grave.
Dear Colleagues:
Many years ago, I was on the staff of a pro-morality organization. I had the opportunity to meet Rabbi Levin. This was in the middle of John Paul II’s reign, well before Pope Benedict.
I can attest from personal experience that Rabbi Levin is a Mensch Who Gets It.
Had a similar incident happened at that time, I have no doubt in the world that Rabbi Levin would have defended the Catholic Church in similar words, and for the same reasons.
Beautiful article. Thank you Rabbi.
As you requested,Fr Z. Thanks be to God for Rabbi Yehuda.
http://immaculatae.blogspot.com/2009/02/life-site-news-rabbi-yehuda-levin.html
It is good to know that we have allies. This relationship deserves to be cultivated, for the greater glory of G-d.
In this, and in some other articles, a theme is sometimes repeated to the effect that the current Pope was the “moral” and “intellectual” underpinning, or the “genius behind”, the previous Pope. In my opinion, this line of thinking does disservice to both men.
Long before he became Pope, one of the characteristics of Karol Wojtyla was that he saw value in establishing lines of friendship and communication, even when common opinion didn’t see any need, or was even opposed, to them. For example, in 1965, Karol Wojtyla was strongly criticized for a reconciliation proclamation issued by the Polish Episcopate to the German Episcopate, in which the phrase “and we too ask for forgiveness” was used. It was understood that he was one of the two main “underpinnings” behind this proclamation.
Facts show that this tendency of his has often resulted in friendships and collaborations which later had far reaching effects – with Father Joseph Ratzinger, for example.
I also see a similar characteristic in our present Pope as well. For example, isn’t he, by reaching out to SSPX, also taking the heat from those who didn’t see any need for it?
I think that the subtlety of the relationship between these two great man cannot be described with well meaning, but crude, concepts. Let’s leave such comparisons to future historians.
The neighborhood in which I grew up was primarily Catholic, but we also had a number of observant Jewish families. My Father told me that Jews will often seek to live in or near large Catholic communities because they felt safe both morally and physically.
Years later I remember my Father commenting that all his Jewish friends had either died, or were moving away, and no new Jewish families were moving in. He was very concerned he said because if an observant Jew cannot live in your neighborhood, then you have a morals problem. Sure enough within the decade our neighborhood had the largest concentration of practicing homosexuals outside of San Francisco…
I have met Rabbi Levin many times after the annual March for Life, and he is quite a Mensch! I have always found him sensible and kind, though his rhetoric for the Left is delightfully, um, flavorful. I believe that he called the abortion rights politicians, “Pharoah” on several occasions.
Excellent article, Father! Thanks so much for posting. The good Rabbi made many excellent comments. May God continue to bless him!!
Matthew These NNCC’s seem to think they are polar opposites of the ultra-liberals yet their place on the “political” ring is right next to their despised brethren and their impact to the Church just as grave.
I dunno. It seem to me politically they are indeed polar opposites. the Neo-cons usually tend to vote Republican while the ultra-liberals will either vote Democrat or Green. It has been my experience that BOTH groups tend to put politics and their political parties above the church when it comes to election time. But yes, I agree with you that the negative impact to the church from both groups is very grave. One side would turn the Catholic church into “The First Church of Anysect” to conform to their Fundie “bretheren”, while the other side would turn the Catholic church into some unrecognizable concoction of new-age “wisdom”, spiritual awareness and feminist empowerment.
On an annecdotal note, I have noticed that a few Neo-Cons have been thawing a bit since Pope Benedict (may God grant him 100 years) put out the Motu Proprio. One acquaintance of mine told me on several occasions that the church should have forbade the Tridentine liturgy forever, as there should only be 1 rite in the Roman Catholic church. He would not listen to the logic that there are already several other rites in the Roman Catholic church. And he would repeat the same leftist jargain over and over, saying, “The Tridentine mass is only 400 years old. It “updated” the liturgy that preceded it. So, now WE have an updated liturgy, and we should stick to it!” Once again, when I would ask him to give me examples of the “updates” to the Tridentine liturgy from the “older” one that preceded it, he couldn’t. But for about 3 years now, I have heard him apologise for his previous statements, saying the Tridentine liturgy is “just as valid” but “not for him”. etc.
O Tempora! O Mores!
Three cheers for Rabbi Yehuda Levin. Not only the left wing are guilty but also the liberals who have provided the socialists with the necessary ambiguous philosophies behind which they could implement such devastation and confusion.
There are many hidden lessons to be gleaned from the recent exchanges from the SSPX with the Holy Father.
How many liberal and socialist bishops since the 1970s have offered the Holy Father bouquets of Rosaries?
How many have apologised to him for “imprudent words”?
How many have dealt with controversial issues with such personal dignity and respect for the pope’s holy person?
How many of them would have the courage of Bishop Fellay & the confraternity to stand up for The Roman Catholic Faith, its doctrines & its moral teachings in their entirety without equivocation?
The Rabbi is not alone among his own confraternity to express such opinions. He can see why The Church needs not only SSPX but Tradition back where it belongs. It is a force upon which Pope Benedict XVI can rely and in his wisdom he knows this.
I would love to have the Rabbi as our occasional Monday-night lecturer instead of the goofy, Vatican-II Means-What-I-Want-It-To-Mean woman with the doctorate in religious education and the emotions of a 16-year-old schoolgirl that the diocese inflicts on us.
I believe the way to end the flap over Bishop Williamson’s statemants about the Holocaust is to call for a hostage exchange. The Society should hand over Bishop Williamson to the proper authorities in exchange for a cease fire on the blessed memory of Pope Pius XII!
Alberta LOL! Yes, and the “exchange” should happen in the forest in Israel that Golda Meir had planted to commemorate the help that Pius XII did in saving the Jews during the Holocaust.
Corleone — You’re right. “Political” was the wrong word to use. In absolute values the Nefarious Neo-Con Catholics (NNCCs) are every bit as far away from perfect Catholic orthodoxy as the ultra-liberal Catholics they attack…
The defense of Catholic Doctrine from Rabbi Levin was a breath of fresh air displacing some of the the stale air we’ve been forced to breathe since the sixties.
I’m praying for the “full circle” including puting my ailing 79 year old knees to the test by kneeling at the altar railing as in years past to receive the Body and Blood of our Savior.
Father Zee,
What exactly IS a neo-con? I’m a traditionalist – at least, I think I am. I only attend the traditional Mass. I can’t abide the novus ordo. (uncharitable of me?). Am I therefore, unknown to everyone – including myself – a covert ‘con’, ‘neo-‘ or otherwise, or something entirely different?
Well, I LIKES it! Except for the attack against “cultural Catholics”. I hope you were referring to the Culture of Death, and not ethnic culture. The culture of death directly opposes every culture under the sun, because it is the culture of Satan. And that’s why the Church is called Catholic. Because it is universal! I love the latin mass, but the masses in regular languages need to be there too. They just need to be a LOT more reverent.
Overall, I agree with you. Liberalism is Freemasonry. we need to tighten things up. We need to show the public just how racist, sexist, perverted, atheist and intolerant modern society really is. And It’s all the fault of ATHEISM! Read Darwin’s books, they got racism all over them. Margret Sanger wa atheist, and that led to Ethnic Cleansing.
As St. Pio reminds us: “Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry” So I shall keep the Church in prayer, her priests in prayer, and the hope that God will guide her always.
Wow, what a conservative lovefest! I guess I’m one of the liberals you lot seem
to despise so much. As a child of Vatican II, I pray for the day when Christ’s
bride progresses once again from the setbacks of the last two papacies.
Jerry Seinfeld? Is that you?
Comedy gold!
You got me… now can I be Pope?