A message to today's Traditional Catholics from Saint Athanasius

It was when I was working with the Fatima Priest, Father Nicholar Gruner+, that I learned about Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. St. Athanasius was beloved of Father Gruner for having dared to stand up for the True Faith in opposition to the Arian Heresy embraced in the 4th century A.D. by secular rulers and the majority of churchmen, up to and including Pope Liberius.

St. Athanasius "whose very gift it was, above all other Fathers, to possess a clear and accurate knowledge of the Catholic doctrine," was born in Alexandria, Egypt, near the end of the 3rd century A.D. Christianity was well-rooted in Alexandria at that time, yet it was also the centre of a growing theological error regarding the fundamental Christian doctrine of the Trinity. This error would be fervently promoted by the Alexandrian priest, Arius, from whom it derives its name of "Arianism". 

The defense of the orthodox Faith in opposition to Arianism would largely define the life of St. Athanasius. The serious nature of this heresy and the dispute it occasioned led to the calling by the Emperor Constantine of the first Ecumenical Council of the Church -- the Council of Nicaea -- in A.D. 325.

Assisting the bishop of Alexandria at this council was the young deacon, Athanasius. There, the orthodox formulation of the Nicene Creed declared that the Son of God was truly God, begotten, not made, and of the same substance as the Father. 

Despite the dogmatic definition of Nicaea, the Arian Heresy persisted. With undaunted courage, Athanasius continued the struggle against this denial of the Divinity of Christ, which brought him up against powerful churchmen and even Emperors. Despite being exiled on five separate occasions and even excommunicated by Pope Liberius in 357 A.D., Athanasius persisted in his defence of the orthodox doctrine. 

The purported excommunication of this champion of the true Faith was controversial at the time and for centuries aftrerward. As Athanasius pointed out in charity when he refused to accept the validity of the excommunication, Pope Liberius had been imprisoned and issued this condemnation under pressure from his captors. No doubt that mitigated somewhat his responsibility. Nevertheless, Liberius was the first pope never recognized as a saint. 

Historian Cornelius Clifford says in his account: "Athanasius was the greatest champion of Catholic belief on the subject of the Incarnation that the Church has ever known and in his lifetime earned the characteristic title of 'Father of Orthodoxy', by which he has been distinguished ever since." 

St. John Henry Newman describes St. Athanasius as a "principal instrument, after the Apostles, by which the sacred truths of Christianity have been conveyed and secured to the world."

Here is one of the saints writings which resonates loudly today, as Traditional Catholics are denounced and bullied by the Vatican, and called "excommunicate", "schismatic" and even "a Protestant sect", by churchmen who, by all objective measures, have embraced heresy and apostasy.

Let us pray. "O Lord Jesus Christ, we recall to mind how St. Athanasius defended Thee and the true teachings of Thy Holy Church even at the risk of his career and life, relying always for strength and comfort on his faith in Thee and his love for Thy Blessed Mother, Mary. Even when his foes stripped him of his priestly offices and worldly goods, this holy saint remained steadfast and true always, revealing the lies and treachery of Thine enemies and earning the love of Thy people.

"O Blessed Lord, through the intercession of this great saint, we beseech Thee to raise up pastors filled with faith, charity, truth, and apostolic zeal, capable of guiding souls in fidelity to the Church and to Catholic Tradition. We ask Thee also to strengthen our faith and love and apportion to us the zeal of St. Athanasius so that we too may totally serve Thee without reserve, hesitation of fear. Amen."

Alexandria church removes Washington AND Lee memorials to create "safe space" for everyone, no exceptions

Walt never darkens the doors of Episcopal churches for religious reasons, but occasionally visited some of the fine old churches dotted around the USA to admire the architecture or take a trip back in time to bathe in the warm waters of history. [Please don't try to be poetical. Ed.] One church well worth a visit for either reason is Christ Church, just off North Washington Street, in Alexandria, Virginia. It's just a couple of blocks west of historical Gadsby's Tavern, where both George Washington and I ate (although not at the same table or time).

George Washington worshipped at Christ Church. A small nameplate still adorns the family pew. Robert E. Lee was confirmed there, and his place is similarly marked. Larger plaques on either side of the sanctuary memorialized both men.

"Why the past tense?", I hear you ask. Why not "memorialize"? Because, dear reader, both plaquest were removed this weekend by order of the vestry, the committee which administers the church. According to a letter circulated to members of the parish this week, the plaques were taken down in order to make Christ Church more "welcoming", and to prevent people from feeling "unsafe" in the sanctuary. Seriously? Well, this is what the vestry said.

"Hebrews 13:2 says, 'Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.' Christ Church lives into this call, feeding the hungry with our Lazarus ministry, welcoming the stranger in our refugee ministry, and inviting all to worship with us. The plaques in our sanctuary make some in our presence feel unsafe or unwelcome. Some visitors and guests who worship with us choose not to return because they receive an unintended message from the prominent presence of the plaques."

The letter, signed by all 13 members of the governing council, goes on to insist that the eras in which the two famed men lived are "much different than our own." It continues:

"We understand that both Washington and Lee lived in times much different than our own and that each man, in addition to his public persona, was a complicated human being, and like all of us, a child of God. Today, the legacy of slavery and of the Confederacy is understood differently than it was in 1870. For some, Lee symbolizes the attempt to overthrow the Union and to preserve slavery. Today our country is trying once again to come to grips with the history of slavery and the subsequent disenfranchisement of people of color.

"Many in our congregation feel a strong need for the church to stand clearly on the side of 'All are welcome — no exceptions.' Because the sanctuary is a worship space, not a museum, there is no appropriate way to inform visitors about the history of the plaques or to provide additional context except for the in-person tours provided by our docents."

The original focus of this exercise in virtue-signalling was the plaque honouring Robert E. Lee. Unfortunately for the SJWs and do-good weenies, some churl pointed out that George Washington, too, had been a slave-owner. So both memorials had to go, although church officials covered themselves with the figleaf that both plaques are being removed because the two occupy opposite areas of the sanctuary and the aesthetic look of the church would have been "unbalanced" if only the Robert E. Lee plaque were to be removed.