Dear TIA,

I am reading a book called Christ Was Not a Jew by Jacob Elon Conner A.B., Ph.D. first published in 1936. Have you ever heard of this book? Very interesting read.

In the end he publishes excerpts from Pontius Pilate's report to Tiberius Caesar - Emperor of Rome at the time. The official documents of Historical Records are archived in the Congressional Library in Washington DC.

Have you ever heard of these documents? The letter from Pilate to Tiberius was inspiring. He claimed that Jesus did not look, think or act like a Jew.

Do you have any insight into these claims? Thank you if you can respond.

     B.R.



TIA responds:

Dear B.R.,

We don't need to read this book. A priori we don't agree with the thesis of the author you mention. The reason is that there is a de fide truth - a truth that all Catholics should believe and to which they should give their assent - that affirms Our Lord was born of Our Lady. We profess this in the Creed. It is also revealed that Our Lady came from the Jewish Tribe of Judah, as is indisputably established in the first chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. Therefore, if you want to remain Catholic, throw away this literature that opposes the Catholic Faith.

We consider the tendency to read and know about things that are written against our Faith a bad curiosity. In the past, perusal of questionable works was a task the Church reserved to very learned men, and not the common laity. Unfortunately this custom has been lost today, like so many other militant traditions of the Church. This is not a reason, however, for persons to think they are wise enough to enter this arena.

If you do so, you run the serious risk of being poisoned and losing your faith. It is characteristic of Protestant 'free examination' pride to pretend to be learned enough to make judgments on every sacred and revealed thing.

We hope and pray that while there is still time, you will move away from this road to which you seem to be attracted.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Dear Dr. Horvat,

You wrote an excellent article on Kathryn Hepburn in the wake (no pun intended) of public accolades following her death.

I hope you will do the same after the death of gutter-mouth George Carlin.

May God continue to bless Tradition in Action,

     J.B.

TIA,

If I am not mistaken, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church before Vatican II all Catholics were absolutely forbidden to attend services of all heretics, schismatics and heathens.

SSPX and SSPV are schismatics in spite of their Catholic faith because they are not officially recognized by the Pope as institutions of the Catholic Church. So, if I am not mistaken about it, you should urgently correct your very grave error which causes horrible scandal to the faithful and endangers your eternal salvation.

If I am mistaken, I humbly apologize to you and beg you for forgiveness.

     Best wishes,

     B.B.



TIA responds:

B.B.,

You are right. It was absolutely forbidden to pray with schismatics and heretics and attend their ceremonies before Vatican II. To do so was called communicatio in sacris [to communicate in prayers or ceremonies]. It was formally forbidden and characterized suspicion of heresy (cfr. Code of Canon Law of 1917, canons 1258, 2259, 2261, 2315, 2316, 2338).

Now then, in these last 40 years after the Council we have seen Popes and Prelates doing exactly this everywhere. Should we conclude that those Popes and Hierarchs are correct and the previous bi-millennial teaching of the Church was wrong? Some persons ask whether these Prelates fell into schism, since they broke with the entire past of the Church's discipline, liturgy and faith. Others go further and ask whether they fell into heresy, since they deny some points of the Catholic Faith.

These two questions complicate your simple presupposition: Schism is that which is not approved by the official religious authority. Now, when this authority enters into schism or heresy, where does this leave your presuppostion? Is a schism from the schism still wrong? Or is it fidelity? The same could be asked regarding heresy: Are those who don't accept it in schism? Or is it those who do?

More concretely, we would have a schism (SSPX and SSPV) that disobeys the schismatic or heretic official Church in order to conserve the holy things that the latter rejected. Which schism do we avoid going into - the first 'official' schism or the second 'non-official' one?

Thus, there is no simple rule that applies in the straightforward way that you - and we - would like. The situation is very complicated. It is difficult to resolve the problem.

We still think that the Masses said in both organizations - SSPX and SSPV - are valid and legitimate, and can be attended by a Catholic in need of the Sacraments as long as he doesn't enter into compromise with Vatican II (as SSPX seems to be inducing people to do) or doesn't become sede-vacantist (as SSPV preaches we should).

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Dear Marian,

I have just finished reading Our Lady of Good Success. Very ennobling! I loved Mother Mariana!

Thank you for translating it: a great effort.

I was wondering if the Conceptionist Convent is still going in Quito?

Would love to read something about your quest, did you write anything about your experience?

     In Jesus and Mary

     J.D.



Dr. Horvat responds:

Dear J.D.,

Thank you for your kind words and consideration.

The Convent of the Conceptionist Nuns continues to exist in Quito. Our Lady gave her promise to Mother Mariana that it would last until the end of time.

Right now, I am not planning to write about my experiences with Our Lady of Good Success. However, I do speak about my first impressions in a tape I made on how the prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success confirm and complete the Fatima message.

     Cordially,

     Marian T. Horvat

TIA,

The concept of Limbo was never a dogma. Controversy has existed in the Church for many centuries. The Assumption was dealt with in 1950 to put that question to rest.

My opinion is that one has only to read Jesus' statements from or through Sister Faustina to see the reason why babies can go to Heaven. Don't discount God's mercy. Jesus said at the hour of mercy, which is 3 o'clock, "Mercy triumphed over Justice".

I rest my case.

     May God's peace and truth be yours,

     M.S.

TIA,

Please don't go this far on your website! This is the kind of thing that gives traditionalists a bad name! For all we know Mother Teresa couldn't stand being there!

You don't know what it's like to live among totally convicted Modernist Catholics while being completely ignorant of the Modernist heresy. I was two years in the Redemptorist postulancy in the US, without having ever read anything about Modernism in my life. I almost lost the Faith in that experience SIMPLY BECAUSE I WAS IGNORANT OF THE IDEAS BEING FED TO ME. I thought it was just "liberal Catholicism" and "conservative Catholicism."

When I finally left because my family told me I was becoming an apostate, I discovered the word Modernism for the first time in my life. I realized to my horror how ignorant I had been of Church history, liturgy and tradition. Do you think Mother Teresa ever did an in depth study of MODERNISM?!

Most Catholics, including priests and religious, SINCERELY think they are doing what is right by "appreciating" other religions. They don't realize how dangerous that can be! I know. I was there once.

     J.G.



TIA responds:

J.G.,

There is an old saying: 'Hell is paved with persons who had good intentions.' Perhaps if you would read the Letter from Beyond you would understand God's justice a little better. I suppose you would consider the woman in it a kind person and good wife. However, she went straight to Hell because of her sentimental egoism.

Error is an objective reality. Whoever refuses the grace to see it and adheres to it is guilty. All of us have sufficient grace to know that Modernism and Progressivism are wrong. If we adhere to them, we are wrong.

So was Mother Teresa. In that photo she was objectively and publicly worshipping Buddha, no matter what her intention might have been. Please read the answer we gave to a similar objection here.

We hope you will step away from this sentimental approach to Religion, which is the ideal mentality to install and maintain Progressivism in the Church. If you permit us a counsel, here it is: Esto vir! Be a man.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

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