It has been observed that communism is incredibly mysterious. However, the red sect’s enigmatic note seems normal to me. It summarizes wickedness and sin from the darkest depths of the mystery of iniquity.
The opposite of communism is anticommunism, so logic would demand that everything in the latter be clear, coherent, and understandable. It therefore confuses me to see also unfathomable contradictions and obscurities in anticommunism, or, more precisely, in a certain form of anticommunism.
Let’s examine a classic example.
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Fr. Joseph Comblin is a priest, and I am a lay Catholic. This is enough to say that I wish him all the good I can. Above all, I wish him the greatest good: conversion. Few things could bring me more joy than seeing Fr. Comblin touched by a sudden grace, like St. Paul on the road to Damascus, transforming him into an eager defender of authentic Catholic doctrine.
But, in the end, the love one should have for this priest (as, indeed, for any other) cannot extend so far as to wish him immunity when he is plotting to destroy the country that hosts him and Christian civilization. There is a hierarchy of values for everything, and according to this hierarchy, it is absurd to love a priest more than the Church, and a foreigner more than one’s homeland.
Today’s extremely busy man naturally has a fragile memory. So, let me quote a few topics from the famous “Comblin document,” which received a lot of publicity last year. This way, the reader will remember the dangerous goals pursued by the Belgian professor, to whom Dom Helder entrusted the training of tomorrow’s priests.
* Father Comblin says, “It is not enough to make laws. They must be imposed by force. For starters, power will be authoritarian and dictatorial. Consulting the majority cannot lead to achieving radical reforms; they prefer ‘shade and fresh water’ and avoiding problems.”
* Father Comblin continues: “Power must rely on force. What will that force be? Sometimes, it can depend on the armed forces; other times, it is necessary to dissolve them. Sometimes, weapons must be distributed to the people. Other times, a well-planned plebiscite will suffice. At other times, propaganda centers will do the job. In any case, a repressive system with new courts of exception against opponents of reforms must be established. Ordinary justice procedures are too slow. The legislative branch also cannot rely on deliberative assemblies.”
* Father Comblin again: “Power must neutralize the forces of resistance: neutralization of the armed forces if they are conservative; control of the press, TV, radio, and other media; censorship of destructive and reactionary criticism.”
* Father Comblin states that “it will be necessary to form alliances, make compromises, get our hands dirty with dirty alliances” for progressives to overthrow the government and seize power.
We recognize that this inflammatory priest could persuade some young followers. Soon, he might become like Camilo Torres, promoting and engaging in violence in cities or rural areas, or sheltering terrorists and aiding their escape. At that point, law enforcement will intervene against the young criminal and rightly impose the full extent of the law. As for Father Comblin, he will remain unharmed. Is this reasonable? Wouldn’t it be much better to prevent the young man from falling into corruption than to punish him after he has been corrupted? Wouldn’t it be better to silence the subversive teacher now rather than later punish the young man, who is more his victim than his disciple?
I am not requesting punishment for Father Comblin. Let the proper authority take care of that. I am only asking for one simple thing: that he be prevented from continuing to poison my fellow countrymen and brothers in the Faith.
He certainly has the means to do it. In São Paulo, he lectured at the National Pastoral Institute’s Second Course of Pastoral Medicine at the Nursing School connected to the Santa Catarina Sanatorium in July. As far as I know, he published articles for training nuns in Grande Sinal — Revista de Espiritualidade e Pastoral (Great Sign — Magazine of Spirituality and Pastoral Care). It is not unreasonable to assume that he will be given other opportunities. Moreover, these activities can bring him recognition and prestige in the eyes of the public, which could serve him very well in his subversive actions.
Isn’t this troubling? I think so. I say this with regret because the first, most immediate, and natural response to the Belgian clergyman’s actions should come from the church authorities. Still, this is where I find the most perplexing silence.
But, the reader might ask, what can ecclesiastical authority do about this? The answer is simple: do a little of what certain church circles do against the TFP when it takes to the streets to defend Brazil and Christian civilization. Bishops and priests release statements and interviews, deliver fiery sermons, and hold nothing back in criticizing us during these moments. And this is despite the open enthusiasm with which the faithful support us.
So, do some of this to Fr. Comblin, and I’m sure his prestige will fade. Those living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
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The investigation into terrorist activities within the clergy had the merit of awakening anticommunist sentiments in people who had not spoken out against communism for a long time. This sudden surge of anticommunism isn’t very clear to me. I would like to see it less showy and more effective. However, I doubt this neo-anticommunist fervor will limit the action of the unshakeable Father Comblin. He remains mysteriously untouched…
