FBI labels Catholicism ‘radical extremist’

One would think the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would have more important things to spend their time on rather than targeting Catholic beliefs, teachings, organizations, and the Church. It seems, on the other hand, they must be more concerned with “radical” Catholicism than they are with terrorists or security breaches. After all, it seems they should have all they can handle with discovering classified documents stretched all across the nation.

On the contrary, an internal January 23 memo disseminated listed Church Militant as among the organizations that are apparently a threat to the nation.

“FBI Richmond assesses the increasingly observed interest of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology almost certainly presents opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development. FBI Richmond makes this assessment with high confidence based on FBI investigations, local law enforcement agency reporting, and liaison reporting, with varying degrees of corroboration and access.

In making this assessment, FBI Richmond relied on the key assumption that RMVEs will continue to find RTC ideology attractive and will continue to attempt to connect with RTC adherents, both virtually via social media and in-person at places of worship.”

The memo continues by going into accusations of white-supremacy within traditional Catholicism. The same Catholicism, pre-Vatican II, of the great saints such as Padre Pio, St. Augustine, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Francis of Assisi. If traditional Catholicism is considered radical then those who support and adhere to such “radical” and “threatening” ideology are in good company with a host of saints.

Receiving the body and blood of Christ on the tongue while kneeling, women veiling, a high alter and reverence for the Lord, as well as the expectation of appropriate and modest attire (along with so many other things) are apparently a dangerous combination for the FBI. I do, however, agree with them that Traditional Catholicism IS radical. Christianity itself is radical because Jesus and the apostles were radical.

When Jesus is praying in John 17, He acknowledges to the Father that those who follow Him do not belong to this world. "They (Christians) do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world." (John 17:16)

To be a Christian means that you believe in a higher standard of living. You believe everyone has dignity and worth, but that does not necessitate the forceful acceptance of sin. To be a Christian is to worship someone other than yourself, to acknowledge you are wrong and have done wrong, and to humble yourself in forgiveness toward others who have wronged you. To be a Christian is to refuse to gossip, hate, envy, commit adultery, lie, cheat on taxes, or steal from your employer.

To be a Christian is to believe in miracles, to see the invisible, to experience the untouchable, and to believe in an unfailing, eternal, relentless, and unconditional love. To be a Christian it to believe there is something good that can come from pain.

To be a Traditional Catholic is to believe there is a right and wrong way to worship God. It is to believe there are ways that have been adhered to for generations which have preserved and protected the dignity and reverence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It is to believe that the things we do, the clothes we wear, the attitudes we bring, and the ways we approach Christ matter.

To be a Traditional Catholic is to believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in body, blood, soul, and divinity in the form of a tiny white piece of bread and a drop of wine. It is to believe the same Lord that came in the form of man and sacrificed his life for us still comes to us in the Eucharist daily. It is to believe that a higher being, an infinite and holy God, loves us that much and wants to be with us to that level.

To be a Traditional Catholic is to believe in the importance of accurate theology, uncompromised condemnation of sin, protection of the Eucharist from misuse and abuse, a commitment to the Sacraments, a dedication to daily prayer, protection of life (from conception to natural death) and a refusal to believe in accidents or coincidences.

To be a Christian and to be a Traditional Catholic is to believe that a holy and perfect God loves such finite and messed up people so much that He sent his perfect and sinless Son to this earth, had him born and placed in a feeding trough, never committed a crime but was crucified as if the vilest of offenders, and rose again in order to give us a path to eternity and salvation. To be a “radical extremist” of a Catholic is to believe that there is no hope beyond this life without Christ. To be an “extremist” of a Catholic is to believe that if you do not serve the Lord then you serve the devil and if you are not for God then you are against Him. “To be a radical extremist” of a Catholic is to believe that if you do not belong to God then you belong to Satan and if you do not belong to Christ then you will spend eternity with Satan in hell.

To be a Christian it to be hated by the world and the FBI has exhibited that hatred. "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you." (John 15:18-20)

So, yes, according to the FBI then Traditional Catholicism is indeed radical and it is indeed a threat. Our response: keep pressing forward and doing what you’re doing Church Militant and all you “radical extremist” Catholics.