An impetus for starting this community was yesterday's memorial of St. Thomas Becket, martyr: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14676a.htm. St. Thomas was a close friend of King Henry II, and his chancellor. When the position of Archbishop of Canterbury became open due to the death of his successor, St. Thomas was appointed to that position by Henry II. St. Thomas took this role seriously, which led to conflict with the king in matters of ecclesial vs. civil governance. Eventually St. Thomas was martyred within Canterbury Cathedral by knights who were loyal to Henry II, and may have been egged on by the king ("Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" ). The classic British movie Becket is a great dramatic portrayal of his life: https://www.amazon.com/Becket-Blu-ray-Peter-OToole/dp/B001D5F2LI/
St. Thomas was willing to face persecution from the king, including exile from England, in order to stand up for the Church and Her teachings. The question is: are we? Are we willing to stand fast in front of the winds of an immoral and decadent culture? Are we clergy boldly proclaiming the Truth, especially when so much is fighting against us, calling us "homophobes", "transphobes", "misogynists", and worse?
Right now, it seems that the answer to those questions is "no". Bishops and priests are at best being silent, at worst advocating for immoral practices like gay so-called "marriage", transgenderism and abortion. Lay members of the Church are falling away from the practice of the faith at an increasingly rapid pace, and look and act no different than the vast majority of secular people on the street. The culture of the United States and other countries of western civilization is jettisoning the Judeo-Christian values that formed those civilizations, and so are filling with division and hate that erodes those cultures and civilizations further.
To save these cultures -- and most importantly save the people in them -- we must be willing to stand up and proclaim the teachings of Christ and His Church is boldness. To truly "be not afraid", as St. John Paul II reminded us throughout his entire papacy. Priests and bishops must be willing to defend the Truth, no matter how inconvenient or painful, and avoid causing scandal by publicly rejecting Church teachings. Lay members must educate themselves and live a life of discipleship. All of us must be seen to first believe in the Truth, and secondly live it.
St. Thomas Becket, pray for us that we may follow your example, and stand up against the kings of our world!
