Pope warns of growing aversion to Christianity

"In a world marked by religious indifference and even by a growing aversion toward the Christian faith, a new, intense activity of evangelization is necessary." - Pope Benedict XVI


"Patently, the rebellion against truth is primarily a rebellion against philosophical truth, against truth in the field of ethics, of metaphysics, and of epistemology. It is the hatred of absolute truth, culminating in the hatred of supernatural truth." (Dr. Dietrich von Hildebrand, The New Tower of Babel, p. 14).

Some Catholics (preferring to adopt a pollyanna view of the world) refuse to acknowledge that various forces are combining in an attempt to overthrow the Church. But this belief cannot be reconciled with the concern shown by the Pontiffs. It was Pope Leo XIII, in his Encyclical Letter Humanum Genus, Nos 2-3, who said, "At this period...the partisans of evil seem to be combining together, and to be struggling with united vehemence, led on or assisted by that strongly organized and widespread association called the Freemasons. No longer making any secret of their purposes, they are now boldly rising up against God Himself. They are planning the destruction of holy Church publicly and openly, and this with the set purpose of utterly despoiling the nations of Christendom, if it were possible, of the blessings obtained for us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Lamenting these evils, We are constrained by the charity which urges Our heart to cry out often to God: "For lo, Thy enemies have made a noise; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken a malicious counsel against Thy people, and they have consulted against Thy saints. They have said, 'come, and let us destroy them, so that they be not a nation.'

At so urgent a crisis, when so fierce and so pressing an onslaught is made upon the Christian name, it is Our office to point out the danger, to mark who are the adversaries, and to the best of Our power to make head against their plans and devices, that those may not perish whose salvation is committed to Us, and that the kingdom of Jesus Christ entrusted to Our charge may not stand and remain whole, but may be enlarged by an ever-increasing growth throughout the world."

I've received several comments at this Blog accusing me of promoting a "conspiracy theory" because I believe there are forces which seek to overthrow the Catholic Church as preparation for the Reign of Antichrist. Was Pope Leo XIII also engaging in wild "conspiracy theories"? How about Monsignor Schooyans (see here)?

Related reading here.