7) Do we really need a good inquisition in the Province of Quebec?

But many signs lead me to think that a good inquisition is necessary and urgent in the Province of Quebec. The Catholic Church in Quebec is sick.

First, there are statistics. General statistics, like the high rates of abortion, of young people committing suicide, of divorce, etc. Then you have more directly religious statistics: low attendance at Mass, fewer baptisms, priestly vocations, etc. You also have statistics which as far as we know don't exist, but which should be obtained: high rates of ignorance of dogmas in the laity, high rates of heresies among priests, of sexual deviances in the clergy, etc.

There are also the books which deal with this topic, like "Goodbye, Good Men" by Michael S. Rose, "The Decline and Fall of the Catholic Church in America", by David Carlin, etc. Many articles are also available on the Internet, like The Promotion Of The Culture Of Death By The "Catholic" Clergy.

There are also the informal samplings of various publications handed out to the faithful in the churches, like the parish bulletins. I've begun a collection of these documents where you can pick up either obvious heresies, or suffocating silences (i.e. a touchy topic is discussed, but without quoting or referring to official Church teachings, and using mental restriction and ambiguous language, so as to hint that a position contrary to the Church is acceptable).

There is also the lack of engagement of Bishops in the means of social communication. For example, in the bookstore located inside the Chancery building in Quebec City, books containing doctrinal and moral errors are openly sold. Also, a quick review of official diocesan websites in the Province of Quebec shows that there is little or no dogma and morals, apologetics (the reasons to believe), polemics (defence of Catholicism against the attacks of other religions and atheists), etc. Also, few or no newspapers have a kind of weekly "Dear Bishop" column, or something of the sort, where the local Bishop defends the teachings of the Church against the constant attacks of some journalists.

There is the lack of quality control of catechesis given to children and teenagers. Some schools, while schools in Quebec could still talk about God, gave catechesis courses based on non-approved textbooks [See Canon 827, para. 2], which present Catholicism as just another choice among others, which omit some teachings of the Church in general, and specifically teachings on sexuality (abortion, contraception, sex before marriage, masturbation, etc.), or who adulterate them.

Finally, there are my subjective impressions. You have the churches where most of the flock is very old, and quite lethargic. Also, you have all the young people I meet at university or elsewhere, and who often are opposed to the teachings of the Church, even though they don't know what they are! And of course you have the sermons that we don't hear anymore.

But granted that the Church in Quebec is ill, that doesn't mean this disease is caused by the "wolves in sheep's clothing" that have infiltrated the sheepfold. So lets try to find that cause, by elimination.

Is it God's fault? No. God exists, and He's not stupid. God didn't forget to put "Call good young men to the priesthood" on His agenda, for example.

Is it the Pope's fault? No. The Seat of Peter is not vacant, the Pope is not a heretic, and so on.

Couldn't we accuse the teachings of the Church? No. They are true and good, because they come from God. Even the most controversial teachings (about abortion, the pill, etc.) are very good.

In that case, couldn't we finger out the laity, especially the young people? No. In my infantry officer's course, I was taught that in a large group of soldiers, what made the difference was the quality of the officers. (I was told the Curé D'Ars said the same thing differently: "Holy Priest? Pious congregation. Pious Priest? Lukewarm congregation. Lukewarm Priest? Pagan congregation.") The laity is no better or worse than in "the good old days".

Here, I have to put on my velvet gloves! Criticizing anybody is always risky, and criticizing one's superiors is even more risky! I therefore begin with two remarks. (See also: "Should a Catholic Publicly Criticize His Superiors?")

First, rest assured that I observe just as much as you that "a large number of pastors (Bishops, Priests and Deacons) have a profound love of Christ, His Church and the People of God which is here in Quebec, and who devote the better part of their lives, with their strengths and their limits, to spreading the Gospel in the culture and the world of our time".

Second, I repeat that I don't have the authority to punish the actions or the omissions of religious leaders, because only the Pope and the Bishops united to him have that authority. Notice the wordsmithing of the previous sentence, since: (1) only God can judge intentions; and (2) even if I don't have the authority to judge and to punish, I nevertheless have the right and the duty to compare with my conscience the official teachings of the Catholic Church with what some of my religious leaders are asking me to believe and do, and then make my opinion respectfully known (Code of Canon Law, Canons 211; 212 §2 and §3).

Our religious leaders in Quebec have failed us. A small minority has failed us by becoming heretics, and the large majority has failed us by not having the courage to speak up (i.e. by committing sins of omission).

We therefore need to do a good inquisition in Quebec, to reveal who are the wolves in sheep's clothing, and to deal with them according to Canon Law and Canadian Law.

In conclusion, as I repeat elsewhere, a good and joyful inquisition is only one of the elements of the complete solution. It's an element which is both necessary and which is painfully lacking these days, but a good inquisition is still not the complete solution. Another element of the solution is to learn to love the Cross. Indeed, the more you faithfully transmit all of the Church's teachings, the more you'll be persecuted, and the Cross is lovable only if Jesus-Eucharist comes with it. Actually, it's a bit like a Catholic "Yin and Yang": the more you lose focus on Jesus-Eucharist, the less you feel like suffering persecutions, and therefore the more you try to hide the teachings of the Church. And vice-versa!