Sunday, January 31, 2021

Patriarchal Letter “Come Holy Ghost” to the People of the World on Septuagesima Sunday

FIRENZE-NUOVA ROMA 31 January 2021 (NRom)


Patriarchal Letter “Come Holy Ghost”
to the People of the World
Septuagesima Sunday
31 January 2021 

RVTHERFORDVS PP. I

COME Holy Ghost, and enlighten the people of the world! As the pre-Lent season begins today with Septuagesima Sunday, the people of the world are rightly tired of the continuation of extreme pandemic measures – and they are rightly tired of corporate oligarchy that is making tremendous windfall gains the longer the pandemic measures continue. As oligarchs grow fatter, and more powerful, countless people lose their jobs, see their businesses fail, and cannot find work. Governments around the world who claim to be for the rights and welfare of mankind instead force this outcome that adds to the already swollen moneybags of massive corporations while destroying the lives, mental health, and even physical health of others – all without the promised compensation for their sacrifice. If nothing else, this pandemic has laid bare the true motivations of companies, and it has laid bare true loyalties of government. 

It has been asked “Who will pay for all of this compensation? How can we actually afford to compensate those who have lost?” Yet if it is not the massive oligarchs who have made approximately one trillion dollars since the pandemic began, and if it is not to be spread around proportionately to the entirety of taxpayers, then the only other option is to force the sacrifice upon those very people who have lost their jobs and lost their businesses. What right do governments have to pick winners and losers? That is what they are doing and what they have done during the pandemic. What right do governments have to harm certain people and demand the sacrifice from a subset of the population while others are unscathed or even thrive? It is a complete and utter abdication of their obligations under God as leaders of government. In Italy, the premier maneuvers to avoid being voted out, despite the growing vox populi. In Britain, bishops demand evidence of justification for continued church shutdowns, which has not been forthcoming. In the United States, the physical fence recently installed around the US Capitol and the White House serves as a metaphor for the continued insulation and isolation of government from the people, not just in America, but around the world. It is a sorry state of affairs. 

Yet, Holy Mother the Church was instituted by Christ for all humanity, great and small. Christ hung on the Cross for everyone, regardless of fleeting national borders and deep ethnic and cultural identity. The caring nature of Christ’s Holy Church extends to everyone, even to those who do not believe and do not profess the Christian faith. 

As the governments of the world abdicate their responsibility, for which they will answer to God and for which We earnestly hope for their reconciliation in the love of Christ, the Holy Church instead will continue to speak and advocate and work for the condition of all mankind. We do not measure victory in a popular vote count, in money, or in buildings. Rather, we count our victory as saving what souls we can and helping those whom we can help. When St. Lawrence, that great Roman Deacon and Martyr was asked to show the government officials the true treasure of the Church that they had heard was in his keeping, he agreed and showed them the poor of Rome. 

The problem is so vast, as it has always been in one way or another, that it is tempting to say that our own organisational or individual efforts are in vain. However, to do so is to abandon our faith. It is that very vastness as well that governments exploit, saying that they are the only ones, alongside their oligarch partners, who can have any hope of success. Do not fall into the trap of believing that lie. It is only God that has the power to help us with problems on such an immense scale. Let us not believe that mere human agency is sufficient, for it has never been as history plainly shows. Yes, government has an absolute responsibility to help the people in its borders and even without its borders according to its ability, using the public treasury to do so. However, it is not government that is the dispenser of good, but rather we may only consider it an instrument for helping to do the work of God. Therefore, its legitimacy only comes when it does indeed employ its resources and doing the work of God. 

Each of us likewise has the capacity to be an instrument of God, helping those whom God puts in our path. We cannot and must not be concerned with numbers or other superficialities. Rather, let us each seek every day to attempt to do God’s will in all that we do, taking opportunities to help others as they arise, ever vigilant of those who may be in need.

Rutherfordus Ap. I
Servant of the Servants of Christ