From the national coordinator of the Catholic Action Group SIR – Unlike others we welcome Mr Stead’s perfectly democratic but misguided letter (May 6) attacking the Catholic Action Group (CAG). We do this because his letter fully highlights the liberal views, now thankfully on retreat, which in our view have wrongly been allowed to dilute our faith and co-exist unhindered for over 40 patient years by many so-called faithful Catholics, ourselves included.
As we have a new orthodox Pope at the helm, we pray that we may again see the faith more properly taught and policed. Thankfully we may also witness more dissenters in places of authority being promptly disciplined to hinder continuing error. If this occurs, apostolates such as CAG could all devote their time and efforts to prayer, worship and the corporal acts of mercy.
The situation of the faith is currently so bad that much space would be needed for what CAG and similar apostolates have to say in their sometimes rearguard defence of the living magisterium, which we know to be the voice of Christ in the modern world. Consequentially, if CAG or another mainstream apostolate highlights a serious sin, such as condoning condom use or the promotion of abortion, the Catholic reader should reflect on the following passage from scripture: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Attempting to place a man-made Jesus separate from his own living magisterium is indicative of the relativism in religion some have deluded themselves into. Love and truth are two sides of the same coin; you cannot have one without the other.
It is also wrong to believe that it takes a huge effort to learn Catholic truth, as a simple reading of the Penny Catechism can demonstrate. After all, what is the time provided on the Sabbath for if not to get to know God better? The Catholic faith has never primarily been about feeling good and remaining ignorant of truth. It is rather about being good obedient servants of Christ and his Church. Part of this obedience is, to the best of one’s ability, to love, know, live and teach truth, while hindering error.
Even as Christ forgave the woman caught in adultery, it was with the command to her not to sin again. Christ forgave some, but not all, and only those who showed signs of repentance, such as Dismas on the Cross. What about the other criminal? Yes, there is mercy for those who repent but sadly hellfire awaits for those that do not.
Yours faithfully, JOHN GUNN Waltham Abbey, Essex