How Lockdown proved to me many Catholics in the Novus Order church do not believe do not adore do not hope and do not love God.

Pretty provocative title, right? Well, once I have described to you my experiences and my reasoning maybe it won’t seem so. First of all, I will caveat what I am about to say with very quickly by saying I know many good Catholics who attend the Novus Order Mass and some of the priests in my diocese actually did so much more than even some Traditional priests. I do not say that the Novus Order is not licit, is not a real mass or any such nonsense, just that the main line of the church is being damaged by wicked, nonbelieving clergy and the new mass has had a part to play in this.

I love God, I love his Church, I love my brothers and sisters also, however that love and my resoluteness to love my neighbour was tested more than ever this last year. At times it has been easier to love my enemy than my brother, when he behaves as an enemy.

My first experience which would prove to be just a small taste of what was to come, was when the lockdown hit the churches. They closed willingly evenly jubilantly there was a sense some priests loved being part of the team or taking part in the save the NHS cult, we all experienced this, I was a little dismayed, as the government has no authority to do this not in natural law and not in the realm of what is due to God.

I was willing to grant as much charity of conscience to those Bishops and priests who genuinely believed the black death was upon us, I was sent emails referencing St Charles Borromeo by my Bishops Secretary, how he closed the churches, he failed to mention that St Borromeo and his priestly brothers went out into the streets and did masses at every corner and ministered the sacraments to the sick in their homes. They did not hide away for their own safety, leaving their flock, to their own devices.

Then, there was getting confession. I telephoned one London Church and was told to and I quote “make an act of contrition and try not to worry about it” so if Covid 19 was as dangerous as they were saying, I just should not worry about dying without confession, or last rights, well thanks Father but I will worry.

I believe the Church teaching on what happens to those poor souls who are let adrift in that situation, of course I do believe God will be more merciful to me, than a priest in that situation.

The climax to all of this was a deeply upsetting incident at a Church in which I was attempting to go to confession after the first lockdown and just at the beginning of the mask requirements. I will not go into the mask debate or discuss the moral argument of collaboration with the state against God here. I am medically exempt, I could quite easily obtain a note from a Dr if such thing were in fact a real thing, there is no such thing as a Certificate of exemption from masks, however by 3 separate lines in the guidance I am medically exempt. I walked through the doors of the church my mind on my sins, my desire for forgiveness and certain joy that I would finally be able to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

This is when a man turned to me and asked me where my mask was, and he could not let me into the church without a mask. I told him I was exempt and carried on. At this point he turned on me and asked why was I exempt. I was shocked and told him that I did not need to tell him why and he said “well I am not going to let you in then” I asked who he thought he was, he explained to me he was the church safeguarding officer so I said “well you should know better, you are not allowed by the regulations set out by the government to ask me why I am exempt” this is to prevent people, some of whom have mental and hidden disabilities not to feel constantly under interrogation which under the 2010 Equalities act was actually illegal, I also pointed out to him that the Bishops of England and Wales had specified not to accost people in this situation. He carried on and said I wasn’t going into the church. I told him I was. I mentioned a few verses from the bible about the Pharisees and Jesus throwing his kind out the temple etc.

The person I was with again said that I was exempt, he then pretended that he had not heard me the first few times but insisted that I was not allowed in until I detailed to him my personal Medical Information.

In this I am not getting across the arrogant manner in which he spoke to me and the clear sign of pride he had this was his time to be in charge and he was enjoying it. I walked past him and to confession. He kept repeating are you going to be nice and listen to me, I said “no and nice wasn’t something Jesus ever asked us to be, he asked us to be brave, loving and trust in him”. After this he did not try to stop me but instead sat across from me and watched me. He had been leaving the church when I arrived. This was clearly some attempt to intimidate me.

Since then whenever I enter a church where Novus Order is the norm my heart races, I have been questioned in a lighter manner since, but have not had any more incidents. This got me to thinking and praying on this incident, because I have struggled to forgive him, does he really believe in Christ.

Would someone who really believed that Christ was truly in the tabernacle, be so fearful of death. This pandemic has a survivability rate of over 99% just look at the Government website, ONS, public health England, but even if it was as deadly as we feared, would you give up your soul and hide in the house rather than go to confession and save your eternal life?

The Pew research study who are unbiased on Catholic issues and the Gold standard of statistical research did a study of US Catholics and nearly two thirds 69% do not believe Jesus is truly there! If you do not believe, that is bad news because you are not going to heaven that is what Jesus Christ tells us. The study also shows that the majority of Catholics do not believe in the Church's teachings on Abortion, same sex marriage and contraception. Another study conducted by Fr Donald Kloster shows that 99% of TLM mass goers are against abortion compared to 51% of NO that means nearly half of people attending NO belief the murder of babies is ok.

I bring this up to simply illustrate that whether it be in the research or in real life, this is why I attend the Latin Mass more so now, even more than the beauty of the liturgy, more so than it brings me closer to God, that it enlivens in us a true belief in God.

It teaches us to hold to Christ’s teachings to follow him and to not fear death more than damnation, this is clear, we shall know them by their fruits.

I will Finish with one last anecdote, America Magazine has a video on YouTube in which they talk about the biggest parish in America, 12,000 people on a weekend.

Warning in the video that they handle the Lord in the Eucharist in a very sacrilegious manner, well they go on and on about what they do for the people of the parish then she says we have 600 plus Eucharistic ministers and only 4 priests! There you have 12,000 people and they cannot even produce a few vocations to help, what level of faith is there.

What all of this proves to me is that the people I have encountered, the frenzied readiness to give up the mass, the sacraments rather than risk illness is that they do not believe in the next life, in heaven, they do not adore, as we should be ready to adore even at the risk of our lives like the martyrs of Rome or even the English Martyrs of our own heritage

They do not hope as I would say we should Hope that the Lord will protect us and his will be done, if we are to get sick worshiping him while taking all prudent precautions then that is a type of white martyrdom, no?

I am even hesitant to say and do not judge but simply ask the question do they not love Christ? Did Christ not say it is the ultimate form of love to Die for our friends to Die for him, does not love of him in the Eucharist come before the love of one’s own life, are we not to love the things of Heaven, eternal life before the attachments of the world, Holy Scripture, the Catechism and Church teaching tells us so.

I ask that you pray for these poor souls and for me a sinner.