Vatican Protests Russia’s Hostility toward Religion

by Christopher A. Ferrara

        The "conversion of Russia" touted by the neo-Catholic, Fatima revisionist establishment becomes more ludicrous by the day. Zenit.org reports that on December 6, 2002 "The Vatican condemned the violation of religious liberty in Russia and other countries, before a council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe." In one of those great ironies that abound in the post-conciliar chaos, the meeting was held in Portugal.

        According to Zenit, "Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican secretary for relations with states, today told the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs that this year, in some OSCE countries, ‘leaders of communities of believers, among whom is a Catholic bishop, have been expelled from the country where they carried out their apostolate or have been impeded from being with their faithful.’"

        Tauran was, of course, referring to the expulsion of Bishop Jerzy Mazur from Siberia, along with five other Catholic priests from other Russian regions. The expulsions are being carried out according to a list of "undesirables" prepared by the KGB - oh, excuse me, the FSB. I had forgotten that the "miraculous changes" in Russia since 1984 include new acronyms for the old organs of oppression.

        Zenit further reports that "The measures are especially grave since they violate agreements Russia endorsed as an OSCE member, Archbishop Tauran pointed out." You mean to say that Russia violated an agreement? No!!!! While he was at it, Tauran also mentioned developments noted in Belarus, "which adopted one of the most restrictive laws on religion in the world." We have been following that development closely here at Fatima.org.

        But here is the kicker, dear reader. Zenit quotes Tauran as declaring that: "These attitudes, often adopted arbitrarily, manifest mistrust toward the religious reality, ignoring the role of religions in civil society…."

        So, in "converted" Russia, which has undergone "miraculous changes" since 1984, we now see - according to the Vatican’s own spokesman - a mistrust of religion and ignorance of religion’s role in society. Yet at the same time other Vatican spokesmen (Cardinal Sodano, Cardinal Ratzinger, Msgr. Bertone) tell us that the Message of Fatima "belongs to the past" in terms of its prophetic content, and that all that remains of the Message is a call for individuals to pray and do penance.

        It is no wonder that neo-Catholic organs of post-conciliar correctness such as Crisis magazine have gone on the attack against "radical traditionalists," whose "radical traditionalism" consists of remarking the obvious - for example, that Our Lady’s promise that Russia will be converted cannot possibly be fulfilled in a nation which has "mistrust toward the religious reality" 18 years after the "consecration" of 1984. The continuing "radical traditionalist" polemic in the Church is a standing rebuke to the willful blindness of the neo-Catholic establishment.

        And mark my words: these folks are going to get a lot nastier as their fatuous contentions are seen for what they are by more and more Catholics and as the danger to the world increases because of their stubborn refusal simply to do exactly what the Mother of God requested at Fatima.