Dear readers,

Credidimus Caritati, the familiar motto of our founder, Archbishop Lefebvre, represents a theme most fitting for he who was a missionary throughout his long life, whether as an Apostolic Delegate in equatorial West Africa, or as the tireless envoy travelling the world as the head of the Holy Ghost Fathers or of the Society of St. Pius X. Credidimus Caritati is indeed the heart-felt theme of every devout missionary.

“God is Charity.” And from that source came the Word made flesh, who gave us His Heart on Good Friday. This divine Heart is the symbol of God’s love for us, poor sinners. When man mirrors this divine gift, that charity has a name: sanctifying grace. St. Paul, in the twilight of his life, exclaimed with enthusiasm: “God’s charity urges us on. God’s grace has not been vain in me.”

St. Paul is the prototype of the missionary. His life was poured out as a libation for saving souls from perdition through his many works. Our catechism lists the various physical and spiritual works of mercy being performed by those souls whose love of God takes on flesh by their caring for the wounds of others in soul and body.

Mercy takes on many aspects, and God may call us in myriad ways to practice it at home and on street corners, in the seclusion of private prayer, on a bed of suffering, or in the defense of God’s rights before judges and society.

The first charity is that of the truth. Ours is a world dying of half-truths, of “truths diminished by the sons of men—diminutae sunt veritates a filiis hominum” (Psalm 11). In today’s media world, replete with truths so pruned as to please the listeners’ ears and put them to sleep, “mercy” echoes through every screen as a mantra. Yet, without the other related virtues of justice and fortitude, mercy towards God’s enemies means simply surrender, mercy towards sin means only merciless and anti-pastoral presumption.

May and June are months of grace, and graced twice as much by the Jubilee Year dedicated to divine mercy. May this issue dedicated to the keystone virtue of Christian charity and the Jubilee of Mercy help us make the Christian discernment between the Gospel’s integral message and the seductively merciless “mercy”. May the divine Heart of Jesus be fully acknowledged and adored by all families and societies!

 

Fr. Jürgen Wegner

Publisher