By: Christ the King Law Center (CKLC)

Editor's Note: The following is a modified abstract of a paper presented at a conference held by Christ the King Law Center (CKLC) on October 8, 2016 titled Make America Catholic Again! ​








​


The Magisterium of the Church and good philosophy teaches that government in civil society has several legitimate forms. Pope Leo XIII in his Encyclical Diurturnum Illud taught the following: "There is no question here respecting forms of government, for there is no reason why the Church should not approve of the chief power being held by one man or by more, provided only it be just, and that it tend to the common advantage. Wherefore, so long as justice be respected, the people are not hindered from choosing for themselves that form of government which suits best either their own disposition, or the institutions and customs of their ancestors." [1]
           
Saint Thomas Aquinas reasoned that there are three classical forms of government that are legitimate and in harmony with natural order. They are: polity, aristocracy, and monarchy.
  
In a polity the government is controlled by many people. According to Thomas Aquinas a polity is a "just government... administered by many." [2]  A polity could easily be compared by many to a modern day democracy but according to Thomas Aquinas a democracy was an unjust form of government in which "the bad government is carried on by the multitude." [3] A polity and democracy are both similar in that they are governments ruled by many but they are different in that in a polity the rulers seek the common good while in a democracy they seek their own good over the common good. Thus Aquinas reasons that "a government becomes unjust by the fact that the ruler, paying no heed to the common good, seeks his own private good. Wherefore the further he departs from the common good the more unjust will his government be." [4] 

In an aristocracy the government is controlled by a few men of virtue. Aquinas states that this form of government is one of "noble governance, or governance by noble men.." (Ibid) By noble men Aquinas implies that they are not noble because they are born in the right family but noble because they are virtuous. [5] And just as Aquinas taught that democracy is the opposite of polity so he taught that the opposite of aristocracy was oligarchy where the government was ruled by a few who sought their own advantage over that of the common good. [6]

In a monarchy the government is controlled by one person. Aquinas states that "if a just government is in the hands of one man alone, he is properly called a king" and he compares such a king to King David who ruled ancient Israel by God's appointment. [7] And as with polity and aristocracy Aquinas taught that the opposite of monarchy is tyranny where one person seeks their own benefit and not the good of their subjects. 

​
[1] Leo XIII, Encyclical Diuturnum (1881) 7.

[2] Aquinas, St. Thomas. On Kingship To the King of Cyprus, trans. Gerald B. Phelan. East Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Mediaeval Studies; 1949.  Google book service. Web. 30 Nov. 2017. 

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.
​
[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

Below is a list of Traditional Latin Masses (TLMs) in southern California for the Feast of All Saints on November 1, 2017. DISCLAIMER. 








Key: 

Diocese: TLMs administered by priests that operate under the control or approval of the local diocese or bishop. 

FSSP: TLMs administered by priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP).

Independent: TLMs administered by priests that do not operate under the control or approval of the local diocese or bishop (not including SSPX). 

SSPX: TLMs administered by priests of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).


Archdiocese of Los Angeles  

Our Lady of the Angels Church (SSPX)
1100 West Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-1752
Time: 8:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Saint Mary Magdalen (FSSP)
2532 Ventura Boulevard
Camarillo, California 93010
(805) 484-0532
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Tradition in Action (Independent)
Address: Call number for address
Montebello, California 
(323) 725-0219
Time: 8:00 a.m.

Our Lady of the Angels Monastery (FSSP)
1977 Carmen Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90068
(323) 466-2186
Time: 7:00 p.m.
​
Maria Stella Maris Mission (SSPX)
3600 S. Gaffey Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 548-4706
Time: 7:30 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas College Chapel (Diocese)
10000 N. Ojai Road
Santa Paula, CA 93060
(805) 525-4417
Time: 7:00 a.m.

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Diocese)
515 West Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744 
(310) 834-5215
Time: 7:30 p.m.

Saints Victor Catholic Church  (FSSP)
8634 Holloway Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 652-6477
Time: 9:00 a.m.

Diocese of Orange

Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church (Diocese)
1015 Baker Street  
Costa Mesa, CA 92626   
(714) 540-2214   
Time: 12:00 p.m.

Our Lady Help of Christians (Independent)
9621 Bixby Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92841
(714) 635-0510
Time: 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., & 7:00 p.m.

Saint Mary's by the Sea (Diocese)
1015 Baker Street  
Costa Mesa, CA 92626   
(714) 540-2214   
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Diocese of San Bernardino 

Saint Joseph's & Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (SSPX)
1090 West Laurel Street
Colton, CA 92324
(909) 824-0323
Time: 7:00 p.m.

San Secondo d'Asti (Diocese)
250 North Turner Avenue
Guasti/Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 390-0011
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Our Lady of the Desert School (Call to check status)
55765 Mountain View Trail
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
(760) 365-4676
Time: Call to check Mass time

Diocese of San Diego

Saint Anne Catholic Church (FSSP)
2337 Irving Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92113
(619) 239-8253
Time: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., & 7:00 p.m.

By: Christ the King Law Center (CKLC)

Editor's Note: The following is a modified abstract of a paper presented at a seminar held by Christ the King Law Center (CKLC) on October 5, 2013 titled Is the Constitution Catholic? ​















So what is the point of this whole presentation? Are we calling for the immediate establishment of a Catholic state in the United States? We earnestly desire the establishment of such a state and everyone should do everything in their power to obtain it! Unfortunately this does not appear possible under the current conditions of American society. Nevertheless we are not stating that the current government established under this Constitution is illegitimate and therefore does not require our submission to it since our Faith teaches us to “let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God, and those that are, are ordained of God.” [1] And furthermore we do not state that a Catholic cannot support and defend the Constitution of the United States since that Constitution provides for a mechanism in order for it to be amended [2] if we disagree with how it is written [3].  In fact since the original ten amendments were ratified the Constitution has been amended seventeen times.
 
Instead what we seek is to show Catholics that the Constitution is not an infallible document. In its present form the Constitution does not adequately protect the freedom of the Church and contradicts traditional Catholic doctrine on the proper relationship between Church and State. Even some of the most “conservative” Justices of the Supreme Court have agreed to an interpretation of the Constitution that forbids the establishment of a Catholic state even if the overwhelming majority of American citizens are Catholic. Furthermore these same Justices agree to an interpretation of the Constitution that makes the laws of the state superior to the laws of God and the Church and therefore contradicts the teachings of Scripture which states that when there is a conflict between God’s laws and man’s “We must obey God rather than men”. [4]
 
Only once we have recognized these problems in our current Constitution can we begin to find a solution to the crisis in our society. But that solution cannot be found in the judgments of men such as James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington but in the decrees of Our Lord Jesus Christ who is King not just of our hearts but also of our nation as a whole. As Pope Pius XI wrote in his Encyclical Quas Primas (On the Feast of Christ the King):
 
“When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.” [5]


[1] Romans 13:1.

[2] See U.S. Const. art. V.

[3] See U.S. Const. amend. I.

[4] Acts 5:29.

[5] Pius XI, Encyclical Quas Primas (1925) 19.

Below is a list of Traditional Latin Masses (TLMs) in southern California for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15, 2017. DISCLAIMER.










Key: 

Diocese: TLMs administered by priests that operate under the control and approval of the local diocese or bishop. 

FSSP: TLMs administered by priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP).

Independent: TLMs administered by priests that do not operate under the control or approval of the local diocese or bishop. 

SSPX: TLMs administered by priests of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).




Archdiocese of Los Angeles  

Our Lady of the Angels Church (SSPX)                              
1100 West Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-1752
Time: 8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Saint Mary Magdalen Chapel (FSSP)
2532 Ventura Blvd.
Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 484-0532
Time: 7:00 p.m.

San Felipe Chapel (FSSP)
738 N. Geraghty Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90063
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Maria Stella Maris Mission (SSPX)
3600 S. Gaffey Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 548-4706
Time: 7:00 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas College Chapel (Diocese)
10000 N. Ojai Road
Santa Paula, CA 93060
(805) 525-4417
Time: 7:15 a.m.

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Diocese)
515 West Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744 
(310) 834-5215
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Saint Victor Catholic Church (FSSP)
8634 Holloway Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 652-6477
Time: 9:00 a.m.

Diocese of Orange

Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church (Diocese)
1015 Baker Street 
Costa Mesa, CA 92626  
(714) 540-2214  
Time: 12:00 p.m.

Our Lady Help of Christians (Independent)
9621 Bixby Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92841
(714) 635-0510
Time: 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Saint Mary's by the Sea (Diocese)
321 10th Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714) 536-6913
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Diocese of San Bernardino 

St. Joseph's & Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (SSPX)
1090 West Laurel Street
Colton, CA 92324
(909) 824-0323
Time: 7:00 p.m.

San Secondo d'Asti (Diocese)
250 North Turner Avenue
Guasti/Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 390-0011
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Diocese of San Diego

Saint Anne Catholic Church (FSSP)
2337 Irving Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92113
(619) 239-8253
Time: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 7:00 p.m. 

By: Christ the King Law Center (CKLC)

Editor's Note: The following is a modified abstract of a paper presented at a seminar held by Christ the King Law Center (CKLC) on October 5, 2013 titled Is the Constitution Catholic? Part I of this article can be found here.


As stated in part I of this article the "ultra-conservative" Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia stated:

• 'We [the Supreme Court] have never held that an individual's religious beliefs excuse him from compliance with an otherwise valid law prohibiting conduct that the State is free to regulate. On the contrary, the record of more than a century of our free exercise jurisprudence contradicts that proposition. As described succinctly by Justice Frankfurter…: “Conscientious scruples have not, in the course of the long struggle for religious toleration, relieved the individual from obedience to a general law not aimed at the promotion or restriction of religious beliefs. The mere possession of religious convictions which contradict the relevant concerns of a political society does not relieve the citizen from the discharge of political responsibilities.” We first had the occasion to assert that principle in Reynolds v. United States… where we rejected the claim that criminal laws against polygamy could not be constitutionally applied to those whose religion commanded the practice. “Laws” we said, “are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious beliefs and opinions, they may with practices… Can a man excuse his practices to the contrary because of his religious belief? To permit this would make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself.”’ [1]

[P]erhaps a more recent example of these “valid laws” that Justice Scalia was describing is the decision in January 2012 by the Obama administration to issue a mandate under the Affordable Care Act (also known as “Obamacare”) that requires all employer health plans to provide free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections. The ministries of institutions like Catholic Schools, hospitals and charities-educating the young, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry-are not considered sufficiently religious to qualify for the mandate’s narrow “religious exemption.” Not only will such institutions be forced to provide services that directly contradict the teachings of the Church, but more alarmingly-this anti-Catholic federal government is claiming the right to decide for Catholic institutions what constitutes their ministry.
 
The outrage against the mandate was so great that in February 2012 President Obama offered an “accommodation” whereby insurance providers, rather than employers, would pay for the services to which religious employers have moral objections. But this did not solve the problem because at the end of the day the mandate still forces all employers to provide health plans with free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs or face crippling fines.
 
Numerous lawsuits [2] were filed across the country which, among other things, challenged the constitutionality of the mandate. While no final decision [3] has been issued many courts have granted injunctions preventing the mandate from being enforced while other courts have denied them. One court that denied an injunction against the mandate stated:

• “Plaintiffs’ claim based on the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment is almost sure to fail [because]… [Obamacare’s]… contraceptive coverage requirement is neutral and generally applicable. [The right to freely practice one’s religion] does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply [with a] valid and neutral law of general applicability on the ground that the law proscribes (or prescribes) conduct that his religion prescribes (or proscribes).” [4]

 
As Justice Scalia’s decision in Employment Division makes clear, the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment does not operate to invalidate neutral laws of general applicability. Based on this decision the courts can decide that the Obamacare contraceptive mandate does not target a particular religious group, nor are they designed to interfere with a particular religious faith and that they apply equally to non-exempt, non-grandfathered plans. [5]
 

[1] See Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872, 878-79 (1990).

[2] See “HHS Mandate Central”. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Web. 30 September 2013. http://www.becketfund.org/hhsinformationcentral/.

[3] Since October 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court has issued two rulings regarding the Obamacare contraceptive mandate which will be discussed in a subsequent blog. 

[4] Autocam Corp. v. Sebelius, No. 12-cv-
1096, 2012 WL 6845677 (W.D. Mich. Dec. 24, 2012).

[5] Id.

By: Christ the King Law Center (CKLC)










​Since President Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States on January 20, 2017 we have commented here on the good promises he has made during his campaign which we hope he will fulfill as President. We have offered a prayer to the President here and also offered Christopher Ferrara's commentary on President Trump's appointment to the Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch here. In this article we will comment on another important event that happened that day which was the end of Barack Obama's (BO's) term as President of the United States. The termination of BO's time as President was a major relief to many Catholics across the country. In his eight years as President BO had pushed an extreme liberal political program that went further than his predecessors. Whole books can be written on all of the destructive and evil policies of the Obama administration but in this article we will focus on one aspect of his political program. That aspect was the attempt to force some of the Church’s institutions to fund abortion and contraception. Such a policy should leave no doubt that Obama’s legacy includes that of a violator of the Church’s freedom. 

The Obama administration sought to force Catholic hospitals and charities to provide contraception and abortion inducing drugs in their health insurance plans to their employees. In January 2012 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a mandate under the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) that required all employer health plans to provide free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections. The ministries of institutions like Catholic schools, hospitals and charities-educating the young, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry-were not considered sufficiently religious to qualify for the mandate’s narrow “religious exemption.” The outrage against this mandate was so great that in February 2012 the Obama administration offered an “accommodation” whereby insurance providers, rather than employers, would pay for the services to which religious employers have moral objections. But this did not solve the problem because at the end of the day, the HHS mandate still forced all employers to provide health plans with free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs-or face fines. Numerous different organizations sued for relief from the mandate but the Obama administration continued to maintain the mandate with some other modifications that still did not satisfy the objections of Catholic organizations such as the Little Sisters of the Poor. For example, on August 27, 2014, the administration announced a new regulation that created a new way for religious organizations to sign control of their health plans over to the government. However, this would have made Catholic religious organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor complicit in the distribution of immoral drugs when they signed away control of their health plans to the government. The Little Sisters of the Poor rightly objected to this fraudulent "exemption" and were able to win a victory at the Supreme Court where the Court ordered the Obama administration to not impose fines on the Little Sisters. [1]  

Obama's attempt to force Catholic organizations to provide contraception and abortion inducing drugs in their health insurance plans can be rightly compared to another tyrant's attempt to crush the freedom of God's Church. That tyrant's name is King Henry VIII, the lecherous heretical madman who ruled England centuries ago but whose evil actions still impact us today. Fortunately under President Trump there appears to be some hope. In May 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order directing HHS and other federal agencies to protect the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious ministries from the HHS mandate. This means that the agencies must fix their rules to exempt the Little Sisters and other religious groups from the HHS mandate. It also means that the agencies must end their unnecessary legal fights against the Little Sisters and other ministries in courts around the country. The President's Executive Order used the language of the liberal/progressivist error of religious liberty which as a matter of principle we at Christ the King Law Center (CKLC) reject since it is against the infallible magisterium of the Church. [2] The President's Executive Order makes no distinction in its intent to protect both the true and the false religion. Nevertheless as a matter of prudence this order is tolerable for the purpose of protecting the freedom of the Church. We pray for the day when, like Saint Constantine the Great, the President will acknowledge Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and put the power of the United States government in the defense and service of Christ's Kingdom on Earth: the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church. 

[1] See here: http://www.becketlaw.org/case/littlesisters/.

[2] See our article here. 

​Below is a list of Traditional Latin Masses (TLMs) in southern California for Ascension day on May 25, 2017. DISCLAIMER.












​

Key: 


Diocese: TLMs administered by priests of the local diocese. 

FSSP: TLMs administered by priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP).

Independent: TLMs administered by priests that do not operate under the control or approval of the local diocese or bishop. 

SSPX: TLMs administered by priests of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).


Archdiocese of Los Angeles  

Our Lady of the Angels Church (SSPX)
1100 West Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-1752
Time: 8:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Maria Stella Maris Mission (SSPX)
3600 S. Gaffey Street
(on Leavenworth Drive inside Angels Gate Park
& Ft. MacArthur)
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 548-4706
Time: 7:00 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas College Chapel (Diocese)
10000 N. Ojai Road
Santa Paula, CA 93060
(805) 525-4417
Time: 7:15 a.m.

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Diocese)
515 West Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744 
(310) 834-5215
Time: 7:30 p.m.

Saint Victor Catholic Church (FSSP)
8634 Holloway Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 652-6477
Time: 7:00 a.m.

Diocese of Orange

Our Lady Help of Christians (Independent)
9621 Bixby Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92841
(714) 635-0510
Time: 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., & 7:00 p.m.

Diocese of San Bernardino 

St. Joseph's & Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (SSPX)
1090 West Laurel Street
Colton, CA 92324
(909) 824-0323
Time: 7:00 p.m.

San Secondo d'Asti (Diocese)
250 North Turner Avenue
Guasti/Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 390-0011
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Diocese of San Diego

Saint Anne Catholic Church (FSSP)
2337 Irving Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92113
(619) 239-8253
Time: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., & 7:00 p.m.

Below is a list of Traditional Latin Masses (TLMs) in southern California for Holy Week 2017. DISCLAIMER.






















Key: 


Diocese: TLMs administered by priests who operate under the control or approval of the local diocese or bishop. 

FSSP: TLMs administered by priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP).

Independent: TLMs administered by priests that do not operate under the control or approval of the local diocese or bishop. 

SSPX: TLMs administered by priests of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).


Archdiocese of Los Angeles  

St. Therese Church (Diocese)
1100 East Alhambra Road
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-2744
Easter Sunday: 1:00 p.m. (Sung High Mass)

Our Lady of the Angels Church (SSPX)
1100 West Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-1752
Holy Thursday: 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday: 2:00 p.m. (Liturgy)
Holy Saturday: 10:00 p.m. (Easter Vigil)
Easter Sunday: 12:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

St. Mary Magdalen Chapel (Diocese)
2532 Ventura Boulevard 
Camarillo, California 93010 
(805) 484-0532
Holy Saturday: 11:00 p.m. (Easter Vigil)
Easter Sunday: 1:00 p.m.

Saint Anthony Roman Catholic Church (Diocese)
710 East Grand Avenue
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322-4392
Easter Sunday: 1:30 p.m.

Saint John Chrysostom (FSSP)
546 East Florence Avenue
Inglewood, CA 90301
Holy Thursday: 5:00 p.m.
Good Friday: 3:30 p.m. (Solemn Liturgy)
Holy Saturday: 11:00 p.m. (Easter Vigil)

San Felipe Chapel (FSSP)
738 N. Geraghty Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90063
Easter Sunday: 11:00 a.m.

Maria Stella Maris Mission (SSPX)
3600 S. Gaffey Street
(on Leavenworth Drive inside Angels Gate Park
& Ft. MacArthur)
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 548-4706
Easter Sunday: 8:30 a.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas College Chapel (Diocese)
10000 N. Ojai Road
Santa Paula, CA 93060
(805) 525-4417
Easter Sunday: 7:15 a.m.

St. Victor's Catholic Church (FSSP)
8634 Holloway Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Easter Sunday: 7:00 p.m.

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Diocese)
515 West Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744 
(310) 834-5215
Easter Sunday: 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Diocese of Orange

Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church (Diocese)
1015 Baker Street  
Costa Mesa, CA 92626   
(714) 540-2214   
Easter Sunday: 12:30 p.m.

Our Lady Help of Christians (Independent)
9621 Bixby Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92841
(714) 635-0510
Holy Thursday: 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday: 1:00 p.m. (Good Friday Liturgy)
Holy Saturday: 8:00 p.m. (Easter Vigil)
Easter Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m.

Saint Mary's by the Sea (Diocese)
321 10th Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714) 536-6913
Easter Sunday: 12:00 p.m.

Serra Chapel (Diocese) 
San Juan Capistrano Mission Basilica
51520 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92657
(949) 234-1360
Easter Sunday: 8:00 a.m.

John Paul II Polish Center (Diocese)
3999 Rose Drive
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
(714) 996-8161
Easter Sunday: 12:00 p.m.

Diocese of San Bernardino 

St. Joseph's & Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (SSPX)
1090 West Laurel Street
Colton, CA 92324
(909) 824-0323
Holy Thursday: 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday: 12:00 p.m. (Stations of the Cross followed by Good Friday Liturgy)
Holy Saturday: 11:45 p.m.
Easter Sunday: 9:00 a.m.

San Secondo d'Asti (Diocese)
250 North Turner Avenue
Guasti/Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 390-0011
Good Friday: 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday: 10:30 a.m.

Sacred Heart Church (Diocese)
43775 Deep Canyon Road
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 346-6502
Easter Sunday: 2:30 p.m.

Saint James the Less (Diocese)
269 3rd Street
Perris, CA 92570
(951) 657-2380
Easter Sunday: 6:00 p.m.

Diocese of San Diego

Saint Mary Church (Diocese)
1160 South Broadway
Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 745-1611
Easter Sunday: 3:30 p.m.

Saint Margaret of Scotland Church (Diocese)
4300 Oceanside Boulevard
Oceanside, CA 92056
(760) 941-5560
Easter Sunday: 6:30 a.m.

Saint Anne Catholic Church (FSSP)
2337 Irving Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92113
(619) 239-8253
Holy Thursday: 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday: 3:00 p.m. (Solemn Liturgy), 7:00 p.m. (Stations of the Cross)
Holy Saturday: 10:00 p.m. (Easter Vigil)
Easter Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:05 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m.

By: Arturo Ortiz

Editor’s Note: The following article was published on the website of The Distributist Review. It has been reprinted here with the permission of the author Arturo Ortiz.








There are many well-meaning individuals who claim that if we only returned to America’s foundation and original intent most of the problems we face today would go away. They also and similarly claim that if we just went back to the original intent of the constitution “what is known as Originalism or Strict-Constitutionalism,” that these problems would likewise be eradicated. Among these individuals we can include many from the Right, social conservatives, strict-constitutionalists, libertarians, and a variety of Protestants and Catholics. They claim that by going back to the “original intent of the Constitution” that the United States would be much better off, and would, as the popularized phrase says, make “America great again.” They furthermore claim that only by such process is it possible to reclaim our Christian roots.

Before going further, I think it should first be pointed out that I consider myself a “patriotic American,” meaning that I love this land. Furthermore, I love the American people, culture and heritage of the United States. I love the many opportunities that this nation has provided to me. I also love the many American institutions that make up the United States. This includes the Common Law traditions which to a large extent protect individual rights. I also believe that America has a rightful place in the world with its unique sets of traditions, its own political language and cultural significance. However, based on Christian, and specifically, Catholic social principles, “Americanism” (the belief that the American form of government is not only good or practical but ideal) as well as the belief in “Strict-Constitutionalism” has and will continue to do more harm than good. This particular mentality will make it very hard if not impossible for the Christian State, culture, or nation in general. Naturally, this would also make it difficult to live the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. [1]

Much can be said about the Christian framework of the United States. Some prominent writers have argued, for example, that many aspects of the Declaration of Independence have been to a large extent influenced by many of the Catholic principles of government as held by individuals such as Saint Robert Bellarmine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. This is pointed out by Rev. John C. Rager in his article Catholic Sources and the  Declaration of Independence. This includes, for example, the function of government, its system of checks and balances, and the principle of subsidiarity. On the other hand, it has also been pointed out that the United States was also largely founded on secular and Enlightenment ideals influenced by the Deism and Masonic beliefs of most of the Founding Fathers (although there were also many practicing Protestants). The Lockean belief in civil government arising from the “consent of the governed” in contrast to the belief that all civil authority originates in God as taught by Scripture and Tradition. Ryan Grant points out that this belief “deconstructed and rejected” the Ancient Greek and Catholic metaphysical and epistemological tradition in favor of the “Enlightenment’s radical doubt.” [2] On a more problematic level, this also includes the Constitutional prohibition of allowing the State to explicitly grant Christianity full liberality and sole profession. Lastly, and more troubling, what the U.S. Constitution may allow in terms of morality in either a real or imagined way, such as a so-called “right to abortion” or to same-sex “marriage,” given the Supremacy Clause which states that the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the land.

One only has to look at the Treaty of Tripoli to show that the Founding Fathers had no intent whatsoever in erecting a confessional Christian nation. The Treaty of Tripoli’s chief concern was the protection of American commercial trade at the hands of Muslim pirates in the Berber region of North Africa. A disturbing aspect of the treaty is given in the eleventh article which reads:

AS THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS NOT, IN ANY SENSE, FOUNDED ON THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION; AS IT HAS IN ITSELF NO CHARACTER OF ENMITY AGAINST THE LAWS, RELIGION, OR TRANQUILITY, OF MUSSULMEN (MUSLIMS); AND AS THE SAID STATES NEVER ENTERED INTO ANY WAR OR ACT OF HOSTILITY AGAINST ANY MAHOMETAN NATION, IT IS DECLARED BY THE PARTIES THAT NO PRETEXT ARISING FROM RELIGIOUS OPINIONS SHALL EVER PRODUCE AN INTERRUPTION OF THE HARMONY EXISTING BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. [3]

It is no wonder why the belief in Originalism (Strict Constitutionalism) and hence the Supremacy Clause is concerning. Based on Christian standards the Constitution is a fallible as well as flawed and imperfect document. This does not mean that everything or most of what is in the Constitution is bad, but that it is definitely wanting. We have already seen the problems it poses for the American State wishing to be an exclusively Catholic one with regards to the Establishment Clause of the first amendment, or because the U.S. Constitution is one of the first constitutions to explicitly omit any mention of God or Christ. But it is also true with respect to the moral liberalism of the Constitution.

Gary Potter, founder of Triumph magazine, notes that this problematic aspect has been shown and carried out even by devout Catholic judges such as the late Antonin Scalia (“Antonin Scalia viewed as a liberal”.) According to Potter, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a man who loved his faith and was a man of virtue, but his Originalism and Strict Constitutionalism limited him from truly acting in the best interest of Catholic morality:

HE OFTEN SAID THAT THE CONSTITUTION DOESN’T PROVIDE A RIGHT FOR A WOMAN TO HAVE AN ABORTION, BUT IT ALSO DOES NOT FORBID STATES FROM MAKING THE PROCEDURE LEGAL AND ACCEPTABLE. THAT IS TO SAY IN HIS LEGAL THINKING EVEN IF IT WAS NOT HIS RELIGIOUS CONVICTION, ABORTION WAS ON PAR WITH SMOKING. IF THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK WANT TO BAN PUBLIC SMOKING AND HAVE LEGAL ABORTION, BUT TEXAS WOULD HAVE ONE AND NOT THE OTHER, THAT’S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. [4]

Gary Potter also noted that despite Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s drastic differences in jurisprudence from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the fact remains that both had something fundamental in common:

THEY DIFFERED ONLY ON HOW THE U.S. CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE INTERPRETED. HE WAS AN ‘ORIGINALIST’ WHO THOUGHT THE DOCUMENT SHOULD BE INTERPRETED AS ITS WORDS WERE MEANT BY THE MEN WHO WROTE THEM. SHE SEES IT AS A ‘LIVING DOCUMENT’ TO BE INTERPRETED IN THE LIGHT OF CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES AND MORES. THE POINT IS THEY BOTH BELIEVED IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AS THE TEMPLATE ACCORDING TO WHICH LIFE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY SHOULD BE SHAPED. [5]

When, in the history of Christendom, has a legal document of any nation been hoisted as the absolute “Supreme Law of the land,” especially, to resolve moral issues? Constitutions were binding and had legal power but they were never the highest authority. Rather the Church was the highest authority. This included accepting Holy Writ (Scripture) as a guide for civil governance. The English Magna Carta, for example, was written at a time when Christendom was the norm and when the authority, rights and freedom of the Catholic Church were accepted, even if not always respected by the Crown or the civil government. Nevertheless, the Church had vast influence over society, articulating sound principles of civil government as well as right morality. Part constitution, the Magna Carta was above all a reactionary document with its main intent to restore the rule of law and tradition, including rights and privileges King John of England had previously abused. Before addressing any of it, however, the charter begins by acknowledging God and the rights of the Church:

FIRST, THAT WE HAVE GRANTED TO GOD, AND BY THIS PRESENT CHARTER HAVE CONFIRMED FOR US AND OUR HEIRS IN PERPETUITY, THAT THE ENGLISH CHURCH SHALL BE FREE, AND SHALL HAVE ITS RIGHTS UNDIMINISHED, AND ITS LIBERTIES UNIMPAIRED. THAT WE WISH THIS SO TO BE OBSERVED, APPEARS FROM THE FACT THAT OF OUR OWN FREE WILL, BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF THE PRESENT DISPUTE BETWEEN US AND OUR BARONS, WE GRANTED AND CONFIRMED BY CHARTER THE FREEDOM OF THE CHURCH’S ELECTIONS – A RIGHT RECKONED TO BE OF THE GREATEST NECESSITY AND IMPORTANCE TO IT—AND CAUSED THIS TO BE CONFIRMED BY POPE INNOCENT III. THIS FREEDOM WE SHALL OBSERVE OURSELVES, AND DESIRE TO BE OBSERVED IN GOOD FAITH BY OUR HEIRS IN PERPETUITY. [6]

This shows that in the age of Christendom, before the Protestant Revolt (and the Age of the Enlightenment), civil government acknowledged the authority of the Church in regards to public matters. No national constitution was in of itself the sole authority. Rather such constitutional authority only existed in connection with the authority as well as rights and freedom of the Church, not separate from them.

As Michael Davies once wrote:

BY WHAT RIGHT CAN A CATHOLIC POLICEMAN ARREST THOSE WHO TRY TO RESCUE THE UNBORN FROM ABORTION? BY WHAT RIGHT CAN A CATHOLIC DISTRICT ATTORNEY PROSECUTE THEM? BY WHAT RIGHT CAN A CATHOLIC JUDGE CONVICT THEM? LET SUCH PUBLIC OFFICIALS NOT PROTEST THAT THEY HAVE SWORN TO UPHOLD THE LAW, BECAUSE ANY HUMAN LAW CONTRARY TO THE ETERNAL LAW CANNOT BE CONSIDERED VALID BY ANY CATHOLIC. [7]

If we are truly to create a Christian nation founded upon Catholic social principles in their entirely then we have to take into account the history, nature and present of the nation we have inherited. This includes taking into account the good, the bad, and the ugly. We have to find better solutions that go beyond Americanism and Strict Constitutionalism at least with respect to the present form of the Constitution. It is only then that we can create a Christian nation and one which we can truly call great.

[1] For an in-depth analysis on the negative secular and Enlightenment principles of the United States and of “Americanism” I recommend reading Christopher Ferrara’s book Liberty the god that Failed and Ryan Grant’s two part review which can be found here and here. Suffice it to say that the “American experiment of liberty” greatly falls short of authentic Catholic social principles.

[2] Ryan Grant, “Liberty the God that Failed Part I,” The Distributist Review (December 19, 2012).

[3] The Barbary Treaties 1786-1816, Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed at Tripoli on November 4, 1796.

[4] Gary Potter, “Antonin Scalia Viewed as a Liberal,” www.catholicism.org (April 1, 2016).

[5] Ibid.

[6] Magna Carta. 

[7] Michael Davies, The Reign of Christ the King, pp. 20-21.

Arturo Ortiz is a young Catholic writer who is discerning the priesthood with the Fraternity of Saint Peter. He is the chief editor of Walking In the Desert, a traditional Catholic publication. He often writes about society and culture, economics, history, liturgy, and apologetics.