Calming the Storm: Navigating the Crises Facing the Catholic Church and Society

Powerful denunciations of myriad evils that have long haunted the pews of too many Catholic Churches of the postmodern West.For one who has recently become aware of just how far we have sunk today, reading this book would be a great way to embark upon the challenging and arduous journey of shaking off the shackles of diabolical Modernism. I haven’t yet read the entire thing, but I’ve greatly appreciated what I’ve read so far. Highly recommended!–Daniel O’ConnorAuthor of Thy Will Be Done: The Greatest Prayer, the Christian’s Mission, and the World’s Penultimate Destiny https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MC3F1TG*****Some of my favorite quotes from Fr. Murray’s book:“This is the gender-ideology fascism that we’re going through today, where if you travel to a certain region and you’re instructed that Miss Jones is now Mr. Jones, if you ever call her “she,” you’re going to be fired, fined, or perhaps arrested. That’s a coercive use of power in order to enforce an imaginary worldview which is, of course, false.”“As regards the origin of the crisis in theology, one of my professors in the seminary, Msgr. William B. Smith, said that, at root, all theological problems are philosophical problems. By that I think he meant that speaking correctly about God presupposes that you have a correct understanding of God’s creation and man’s part in it. So, if you fail to understand the nature of reality and man’s ability to understand, interpret, or explain reality, then you really can’t speak intelligently about the meaning of revelation or natural law. So, it is very much a philosophical crisis.”"We have a tremendous self-confidence about the ability of scientists to make life better and more convenient...And this is revealing the hole in men’s hearts when they don’t have God. Because what do they have then? Only themselves. And what is self-worship but completely frustrating, because we know that we’re not worthy of worship even if we pretend that we are. Contrast that with many of the peoples in Africa, who may be very poor but who often radiate joy and seem to understand what is truly important in life. And joy comes from a certain knowledge about the way creation exists, where I fit in, what’s going to happen to me when I die, what I have to do now in order to die well, and those things are immediately evident to people who hear the Gospel and believe it is true."“Nowadays, if you embrace Catholicism as a package-deal, meaning, “I believe it all and practice it enthusiastically,” you’re considered to be a conservative, right-wing extremist because you’re not willing to make compromises. And that’s false. To live out our Faith as it is written down and taught is to live it in its essence, and that’s one of the great things that is evident in the efforts of those derisively called “Catholic Cultural Warriors.” It should just be called “Catholic Normalcy,” but the normal becomes the extreme in the view of those who want to tear it down.”“On the matter of civil unions for so-called “same-sex couples,” Pope John Paul II taught very clearly, through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that Catholics cannot support these civil unions in any way because they are a pseudo-marriage. Furthermore, supporting this legal institution would scandalize people by falsely indicating that the Catholic Church approved of immoral behavior and was encouraging homosexual couples to enter into sinful relationships which would enjoy legal approval. So, when Pope Francis expressed support for these civil unions—and he clearly said it because it was recorded and broadcast—I wrote a column criticizing him for doing this. I don’t believe this was a failure on my part in respect or charity to the Pope, because the highest charity we owe to someone is to remind him of what is true. The Pope himself has said that he welcomes criticism and has said it on a number of occasions. One memorable occasion was at the 2014 Extraordinary Synod on the Family. In his greetings to the Synod Fathers, Pope Francis said, “One general and basic condition is this: speaking honestly. Let no one say, ‘I cannot say this, they will think this or this of me.’ … It is necessary to say with parrhesia [i.e., to speak candidly] all that one feels.” The Pope continued: “After the last consistory (February 2014), in which the family was discussed, a cardinal wrote to me, saying: what a shame that several cardinals did not have the courage to say certain things out of respect for the Pope, perhaps believing that the Pope might think something else. This is not good, this is not synodality, because it is necessary to say all that, in the Lord, one feels the need to say: without polite deference, without hesitation.” Taking the Pope at his word is, I think, an important sign of respect, and he himself has said that he welcomes criticism. On one occasion, he said it helps him to evaluate what he’s said.”“As you mention, the Vatican gave a definitive “no” to same-sex union blessings in March 2021, and yet many of the bishops in Germany, including the president of the episcopal conference, appear willing to defy such a clear ruling. How can we make sense of this? Can we make sense of it? The blessing of same-sex “unions” proposed by some German bishops is completely wrong. What are they blessing? They are blessing a relationship based on the promise to sodomize each other, which is horrible. There is no same-sex marriage; it’s a myth. It may be a legal institution in civil society, but it has no grounding in reality.”“Without wishing to draw too much negativity around this pontificate, there have been occasions when Pope Francis has drawn the world’s attention in positive ways. One thinks of the early images of the Pope embracing the Italian man with a deformity, his Friday acts of mercy, or inviting the homeless to Santa Marta for his birthday. Pope Francis deserves our thanks for showing Christlike charity to those who suffer greatly in this life for various reasons. We must not take our blessings for granted and forget the needs of our fellow man. Pope Francis always concludes his speeches and talks with the request that we pray for him. This reminder that we depend upon God’s grace is very timely in an age in which God is too often forgotten or ignored.”

Very happy with purchase, love love love Fr. Gerald Murray, wish he would write more, book was worth waiting for, very happy with purchase.

Read this along with Taylor Marshall's "Infiltration," Julia Meloni's "The Saint Gallen Mafia," Bishop Athanasius Schneider's "Christus Vincit: Christ’s Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age" and "The Catholic Mass: Steps to Restore the Centrality of God in the Liturgy," Marcantonio Colonna's "The Dictator Pope: The Inside Story of the Francis Papacy" and if you are lucky enough to find a copy, Simon F. Galloway's "No Crisis in the Church?"The crisis is real. At least courageous men like Fr. Gerald E. Murray are looking for answers.