Caesar Alloquitur: The Poor, Poor Pentecostals

"I'm so Persecuted With my Money and Legal Rights Because I'm Surrounded by Catholicism in Italy!"

Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, with Michael's statue atop. How oppressive must it be for a Protestant to live in the shadow of an architectural marvel which is a monument to the Papacy's refusal to be crushed?

I just have a couple of questions concerning all of this.

War Flag of the Italian Social Republic. Fascists, like their Communist adversaries, had a talent for naming horrible things in such a way you'd think they were the grandest thing.

 While I understand reconciliation is necessary in any event, I have to ask a question that I want a serious answer to: when has the Catholic Church persecuted Pentecostals? It’s curious. I use pretty much every search engine I know to find out, and I find nothing. In fact, the only reference to persecution of Pentecostals comes from more news articles reporting on the events in the other link. The only thing I can find is in these articles glib mention of religious persecution of Pentecostals by Mussolini in the 20s and 30s. There’s also minor mention of it in various (reputable) sources speaking on Fascist Italy.

I’m not about to start white-washing Fascist regimes or anything, but how is this our fault? The Catholic Church was as much a prisoner in Fascist Italy and in the subsequent satellite state controlled by the Nazis as anyone else was. Like with most fascist regimes, the state religion was usually picked based on the preference of those in power and the cultural background of the nation. It had nearly nothing to do with any real respect for the religion or any desire to follow it. To be fair, we were lucky to get the concordats we did or that the Lateran treaty remained in force.
Historically speaking, Pentecostalism has its roots in the big tent revivals of the early 20th century and the mysticism which grew out of that. Anyone who thought the Catholic Church had any temporal power by that point should’ve been laughed off his soap box. Even with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, edicts of past emperors had restricted Papal influence in the last bastion of the Holy Roman Emperors. While it is likely most of these were rescinded under later monarchs, it’s unclear if they were.

Portrait of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor. One of those Emperors who began the trend of writing policy limiting the power of the Church.

So the head of Catholicism basically had no say or control over anything and was at the mercy of

Maria Theresa, Another Hapsburg who advocated such policies as Joseph II's.

those who should’ve been his greatest benefactors. It’s been established that the Great War Popes were playing a game close to their chest, with the goal being to protect what was left of the Church because for the first time in nearly a thousand years there was no one to protect it. They were not callous toward the plight of persecuted minorities, as the smuggling efforts carried out by the Roman Pontiffs attests. But anyone who expected the Pope to pull a Julius II and ride out with an army in the full panoply of war and suddenly fix everything or die trying is an idiot with absolutely zero understanding of realpolitik or any foresight. Quite frankly I’m glad the Popes didn’t do that, because if they had, suddenly the dominant powers in Europe would’ve enacted a pogrom against Catholics. Cathedrals and Churches would’ve been looted, smashed, and destroyed, or Antipopes would’ve been set up in the various countries, all with their own Catholicism suitable to their Fascist ideas, and we would’ve had another Great Western Schism on our hands. Quite frankly, we barely survived the last one. There’s no way we would make it out of a second one.

Pope Julius, Warrior-Pope. As much as I admire his approach, one must admit there is a time for war and a time for peace.

More on point, Mussolini was never quiet about his true opinions of Catholicism. He hated it, and himself was raised by anti-clerical parents. He proclaimed himself an atheist and was downright blasphemous in his statements and remarks about Catholicism, even going so far as to introduce the idea that Christ and the Blessed Mother had an incestuous affair. He even early on in his tenure in the Socialist party suggested a policy of expelling Christian members or those who accepted religious marriage as valid.

Benito Mussolini at a Fascist Rally in Rome

Signing of the Lateran Treaty with Mussolini

Mussolini’s own wife admits that any time during his relations with the Pope, he was still irreligious and refused to allow any photographs of him with the Pope in which he was in any way seen as submitting to him. He wanted to create the idea that Fascism was Catholicism and Catholicism was Fascism, but he personally still had no use for clergyman or the sacraments.
In fact, Mussolini built himself up as a God. Pronouns in official documents referring to him were to be capitalized. In art and in public appearance he tried to give himself an apotheosis and make himself a Christ-figure to the Italian people.

Even more damning, is that by the late 1930s Mussolini was calling for the outright removal of the Papacy and called it a, “malignant tumor” on his otherwise perfect Italy. He thought Rome wasn’t big enough for the two of them.

What’s puzzling is that even in spite of all this, Mussolini was given a Catholic funeral in 1957, after being hung by a mob after Italy collapsed with the American invasion.

So can we please put to rest the idea that Catholicism and Fascism are somehow compatible? Can we mature just a little bit, open our eyes to the larger political picture of the 20th century, and realize that we probably would’ve done the same thing as the Roman Pontiffs? That we had no more ability to avert history than they themselves did? It’s very easy, if you try. Now all I need is for my fellow Catholics to also drop fascism.

I’m looking at most of the, “Rad Trads” in the room.

Tomb of Marshal Petain, leader of Vichy France and collaborator with the Nazis. Former French Hero from World War II. This is is grave after a pilgrimage by the SSPX, celebrating him as a hero of Catholicism in spite of his crimes committed with the Nazis and in Vichy France. Video footage exists of the pilgrimages. Fliers distributed in French SSPX parishes for the pilgrimages exists. Though they've tried to hide the evidence, it's as plain as day that the vast majority of the SSPX - for whatever ungodly reason - supports Fascism. As far as I'm concerned, before any other unity talks, they need to clean their own house before asking us to clean ours.

We’ve established now that Mussolini simply doesn’t stack up to other Catholic leaders of the past. Philip II of Spain, Charles V (HRE), Charlemagne, Otto the Great (HRE), Jan III Sobieski of Poland, Saint Louis IX of France, Godfrey of Bouillon, Sigurd the Crusader-King of Norway, Saint Ferdinand III of Castile, Charles I of Naples, Leopold I (HRE), King Edward the Confessor of England, Albert the Great of England, and a hundred others I could list off to you. So acting like this is all somehow something that went on with a complete Catholic stamp of approval is ridiculous.

Tho as evidenced by this piece of propaganda, the Fascists sure did try and play themselves up as religious zealots, completely independent of the facts.

 I can’t help but look at the irony of the situation. The fact is these same people who criticize us for not doing enough are the ideological successors to the people who deprived us of all our power. The fact is we would’ve stopped a lot of bad things we had to stand by and watch, but the world literally removed from us the ability to do anything. But now that we don’t have control anymore they treat us like we still do and hold us to the same standard as if Christendom was still a political reality.
What I’m saying is this: if the world wants us to have the influence to fix these problems, they should give us back what is rightfully ours. Protestant squatters in stolen Catholic churches should vacate the premises. The Crowned Heads of Christendom and/or their successors should reaffirm their loyalty to the Vicar of Christ and those who are deprived of their thrones should have them restored. Give Catholics the same legions of lawyers, armed zealots, and UN fandoms that every other religion seems to get. Let us re-established an international Roman Inquisition with regional officers and 100% insight into our dioceses and religious communities. Let us tell our children it is OK to love your culture and your religion. I can promise you, work will get done.

Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms Before Charles V. It's said that had Kaiser Karl not promised Martin Luther save passage to Worms to get him to come speak in the first place, he would've had him killed on the spot.

You wouldn’t ask a plumber to come fix your pipes and then steal all his tools from him and then still demand he do the job with the same efficiency and capability. Don’t do the same to the Roman Catholic Church. That’s all I’m asking. If no one else will put those powers and resources to work for the greater good, I will.

But I haven’t really labored on the most interesting part of this whole thing. What initially had everyone on pins and needles about this whole event was what was said by the Protestant representatives at this meeting the Pope had. They claimed that, quote, “the Catholic Church, with its imposing presence, acts too much as an obstacle to the growth and witness of these [Pentecostal] communities.”

The Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy. I'm so sorry all the beauty we've created in the centuries we've held up Western Civilization hurts your feelings. Are you sure that's not envy you feel, instead of oppression?

There was not a single mention of the persecutions in Fascist Italy. They didn’t ask for an apology for that. Some elderly gentleman who’s family was executed by Italian Firing-Squads or who’s wife was beaten and raped by a gang of Black-Shirts didn’t walk up to the Pope and with what strength he had left stand tall and demand an apology for the wrongs done to him and his family.
No, a proponent of the Prosperity Gospel walked straight up to the Pontifex Maximus, in his own
city, in his own home, in the heart of Christendom on earth and said, “Gee wizz, Franky; all this Catholicism sure makes it tough for me to get these Italians to make donations and come to my Sunday Meetings! Could ya maybe tone it down a bit? Thanks, ol’ buddy ol’ pal ol’ friend! High five, up top!”

Yes, this happened.

All with a shit-eating grin only a con man could muster. Frankly, this is probably why I’m not the Pope, nor is anyone else in my circle of companions. I would’ve ordered the Swiss Guard to behead him before me. Or maybe I would’ve turned him away with a smart, “That’s a brave request, sir! Perhaps you should take your private jet to Iraq and speak with the Caliph and ask him to tone down on all the Islam so you can start milking Iraqis for money! I look forward to seeing you on the news.”
But I really have to give it to Pope Francis on this one. He gave the Pentecostals an apology, all right. For something that was done wrong to them, which he of all people - an Argentinian - has absolutely zero connection with, over something even they didn’t remember it seems. Of course everyone acted like they got an apology for the mere existence of Catholicism, but the reality is that’s not what he apologized for.

The Battle of Ostia by Raphael. In which Muslim Pirates raiding Rome were confounded by Papal forces.

So in a move showing a deftness and wit I knew this Pontiff possessed, he carefully satisfied all parties - from those who would be outraged at an apology to the Evangelicals who demanded one from the Coryphaeus, the Ruler of the Whole World, who days later issued a document at one of their “councils” speaking of how they hated the “Imperial Roman Church” and wanted no part of it.

Aren’t they nice?

Well, he didn't stick a knife in the Holy Father. That already puts him a step above most of the Protestant Reformers.