His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke is yet again warning Catholics about the third secret of Fatima and its connection to the growing attacks on family life being perpetrated by politicians who consider themselves followers of Christ.
During a forceful sermon given at the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima earlier this month, Burke remarked that there is a “practical apostasy” taking place in the Church. He also said that it’s a “scandal” for Catholic politicians who attack Church teachings to present themselves for Holy Communion.
“The Bishops rightly seek to safeguard the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist” in order to “prevent the faithful from committing sacrilege by the unworthy reception of the Holy Eucharist,” he said.
They want to “stop the scandal caused by Catholic politicians” who “obstinately persist in promoting legislation in violation of the most fundamental truths of the moral law.”
“These politicians, while grievously violating divine law, make themselves the law.”
The National Blue Army Shrine was built in Washington, New Jersey, in the mid-20th century. It’s operated by the World Apostolate of Fatima USA, a Church-approved organization originally founded in 1947 in opposition to the “Red Army” of Communist Russia. Its goal is to promote the message of Fatima.
Burke further said that the practical apostasy taking place today is witnessed by a general “going away from Christ by many in the Church.”
“While they may not directly espouse heretical teachings, in practice they reject the truth and love which flows unceasingly and immeasurably from the glorious pierced Heart of Jesus,” he said.
“They condone and promote the daily and widespread attack on innocent and defenseless human life,” he continued, without naming names. But “at the same time, they espouse the ever more virulent gender ideology which propagates total confusion about our identity as male and female.”
Following the release of Pope Francis’ motu proprio Traditionis Custodes last week, Burke issued a stinging denunciation of the restrictions that the pontiff placed on the traditional Latin Mass.
“It is inconceivable that [the Latin liturgy] could now be characterized as something detrimental to the unity of the Church and to its very life,” he said.
Other Catholics, including layman Michael Matt, editor of the Minnesota-based Remnant Newspaper, also spoke about its unifying nature.
“The Latin Mass united Catholics from every country in the world for a couple of thousand years like no government ever could,” he said in a blog post earlier this month. “And it was in the process of doing so again.”
Burke concluded his sermon by urging Catholics to seek refuge in Mary, and to trust in the Lord and be willing to be martyrs for Christ.
“As is clear from Our Lady’s message, only the faith, which places man in the relationship of unity of heart with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the mediation of her Immaculate Heart, can save man from the spiritual chastisements which rebellion against God necessarily brings upon its perpetrators and upon the whole of society,” Burke said.
“Living the faith in a totally secularized culture means readiness to accept ridicule, misunderstanding, persecution, exile and even death, in order to remain one with Christ in the Church under the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
To read Cardinal Burke’s full sermon, click here.
Stephen Kokx
Stephen Kokx, M.A., is a journalist for LifeSiteNews. He previously worked for the Archdiocese of Chicago under the late Francis Cardinal George. A former community college instructor, Stephen has written and spoken extensively about Catholic social teaching and politics. His essays have appeared in such outlets as Catholic Family News and CatholicVote.org.
