CHARLEY REESE AND NEWCHURCH CONSERVATIVES: THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND
By Patricius Anthony
TRADITIO Traditional Roman Catholic Internet Site
E-mail: traditio@traditio.com, Web: http://www.traditio.com
Copyright 2008 P. Anthony. Reproduction prohibited without authorization.
"I was happy to see that the cardinals picked a conservative, Joseph Ratzinger, to be the new pope. As Pope Benedict XVI, he can be expected to hew to the line of keeping the Church as a witness to truth, regardless of what Modernists and relativists think." These words came from recently-retired journalist, Charley Reese, a supposed conservative, written at the time of Benedict-Ratzinger's election as pope and recently resurfacing on several Internet sites.
Reese also hailed Benedict-Ratzinger's "clownish" predecessor, JPII: "I believe that what attracted so many young people to the previous pope was his absolute beliefs. In an age of moral relativity, which is to say an age of immorality, someone with steadfast beliefs in ultimate truth and who lives those beliefs has great attraction for a lot of people. Not the self-indulgent types, but those people who are looking for meaning in their lives." Yeah, right, JPII, a great adherent to "absolute beliefs" like kissing the Koran, going to synagogues to pray for the coming of the Messias, and hosting oecumenical monstrosities like the 1986 World Day for Peace at Assisi, where a statue of Buddha was placed on the altar.
For a seasoned journalist who is supposed to be well versed in the subjects on which he writes, the praise of Benedict-Ratzinger, who, as most knowledgeable observers know, was JPII's "point man" for the sex crimes cover-up, is more than a bit troubling. Since he is not Catholic, some may give Reese a pass for not knowing Benedict-Ratzinger's Modernist past; however, as a journalist, he should be aware of Benedict-Ratzinger's and JPII's roles in the Great Sex & Embezzlement scandals. Where, then, is the outcry and indignation over Benedict-Ratzinger's cover up of his underlings' rape and abuse of children from the likes of Reese?
It would be interesting to see the reaction of Reese and others along the Right to a real honest-to-goodness pope who forthrightly spoke Catholic truth and condemned the many vices of this world. Suppose, for example, a traditional pope came out and condemned divorce as a blatant violation of the divine Savior's teachings. Or, what would Reese and neocon Newchurchers have to say if a traditional pope condemned Newchurch's scandalous practice of granting marriage "annulments" for any flimsy excuse or if he invalidated the ones that have been wrongly dispensed? It can be assumed that Reese and like-minded conservatives would quickly change their tune. Surely it would not take that much research to discover that Benedict-Ratzinger has been intimately involved in the cover-up of the sex scandals from the start. Yet Reese refuses to hold Benedict-Ratzinger and, for that matter, JPII accountable. Why?
While they may speak of individualism and hatred of the establishment, political conservatives like Reese and neocon Newchurchers are still "respecters of persons." Conservative Newchurchers know that if they attack Newpope, or the criminal gang who surround him, with the ferocity that they use on politicians, they will be called nasty names: "schismatic," "not in communion with Newrome," etc. They also know that those who slam the New Order will be denied journalistic access to Newchurch prelates who secure for them forums for their publications and activities. Reese and neocon Newchurchers view the Church not as the means to eternal salvation, but as a vehicle to advance or give credence to their own political points of view. In actuality, their approach is not much different from that of their liberal opposition. They both improperly interject religion into politics and politics into religion.
Reese and neocon Newchurchers are also attracted to the Conciliar Church due to its oecumenism. In the past, Catholics sought to convert their "separated brethren"; however, under the "new springtime" of the Vatican II era, evangelization, especially among one's kinsmen, is no longer seen as a virtue. Neocon Newchurchers have little concern about forming close associations with Protestant and other non-Christian groups. Granted, in this secularized world it is difficult to isolate oneself from interaction with non-Catholics, but neocon Newchurchers are often the biggest promoters of Protestants and even public sinners, especially in matters of morality. Nearly every pope before the Second Vatican Council condemned such actions.
It is too bad that Charley Reese did not see the wickedness of Benedict-Ratzinger and his predecessor before he retired. His vocation gave him a unique opportunity to expose the true nature of the New Order. Instead, he frittered that chance away as have many other conservative journalists like William Buckley and Patrick Buchanan. Not only have they refused to condemn the abominable crimes of the last two Conciliar popes, but they have even on occasion praised them! They have more than merely failed their fellow man in charity, but are now accomplices with the New Order and its Grand Master.