Secularism and clericalism

In these times of secularism, two types of people stand out: those who attack the Church from without, and those who attack her from within, making use of the Church herself. Those who attack her from outside, are called secularists. I do not know what to call those who attack her from within; let us call them “pietists”. The spirit of the Work is not to make use of the Church for ourselves, but rather to serve the Church.

Not ‘using’ the Church

To achieve this we must avoid involving the Church in earthly affairs. As children of the Church, and having received a specific call from God, we bring all earthly things to God, but we do not call our apostolic works “Catholic”. Everyone can see that this is what they actually are.

We do not give saints’ names to our apostolic works, for it is neither necessary nor fitting. If it were, there are others already doing it. May they leave us to serve the Holy Church at our own personal risk, without putting any responsibility on her. To do the opposite – making use of the Church, sheltering behind her for our own professional, social and political activities – seems to me to be a false love for the Spouse of Jesus Christ. Even just humanly speaking, it is an ugly and dirty way of acting.