Dragon Slayer
Dear Father…,
It was good that you got some steam off your chest! To begin with, I am very happy and pleased with all your efforts to educate the clergy and seminarians on the dangers and immoralities of contraception and artificial birth control. More power to you if you manage now to switch the tide by trying to concentrate on this new generation. You have done much good throughout these years and you are to be commended. Your work is of extreme importance and very precious for the world and Church.
I agree with you that many “bad” priests are to blame for the mess of birth control, starting with those rebellious and false theologians of the sixties, who were the first to spread the lies on the issue. Following them, the ones who kept silence on the matter or simply persecuted the good priests for condemning contraception also have a heavy conscience. When you write about them, though, you have to affirm the work of the faithful ones or else we will feel unfairly treated and confounded with the wrong ones. I know that the bishops are tough to deal with, but they are the big prize. Satan was a good strategist because he first attacked Eve, the stronger one, knowing that Adam would soon fall because of her. Concentrate your energies on the bishops since the results will be more effective.
In all my years of dueling birth control, I have never once cringed nor shown fear nor sweated in nervousness. I have maintained a great calm, tranquil and self-confident posture and attitude and looked the enemy in the eyes right through to his conscience. I have an absolute certainty that I am the right one and the opponent is the culprit, so why should I cower before him? I have no fear of these birth control fools whether they belong to the laity, clergy or Episcopal rank.
Yes, Father, I have confronted many bishops on the issue, including high level Cardinals of the Church. I have done it with the same courage and zeal of St. Paul when he reprimanded St. Peter. I picketed a bishop of NY in the ‘70’s for financing birth control agencies, denounced theologians in seminaries of NY for their defense of birth control, privately reprimanded an auxiliary bishop of Massachusetts for supporting birth control politicians, wrote an open letter to the biggest newspaper of Latin America slapping the hand of a Cardinal in Brazil for his support of condoms, as well as exposing a Cardinal of Italy for his same defense of these things. If I did not do more, it was because I was limited in my actions by my religious superior. Because of all this, I was persecuted and ridiculed by much of the clergy of the archdiocese and not invited to preach in their Churches. I was marked by many as the one who dared to call the Cardinal to attention and therefore needed to be avoided. The Cardinal responded to me, very upset, but forgot the whole matter soon after and re-established his friendship with me.
I realize the full implications of what it means to take on the birth control people and therefore, I don’t make light decisions on the matter as you might have judged me to have done. Any bishop who approves of contraception has lost his moral authority. If he has separated himself from the Church in this way, he is like the salt that has lost its flavor and is to be thrown out, worthless and of no value. How can he demand obedience of the laity since he himself does not obey the highest authority?
Besides approving greatly your present work with the clergy and seminarians I would suggest the following as counsels. Invite the bishops for seminars on subjects covering the physical aspects and damages of contraception and educate them at least in this specific area. You will be surprised how terribly ignorant they are on this issue. They urgently need this formation, before you take them on to the more complicated areas of the moral aspects. I have done this in Brazil and it has brought many bishops to a greater awareness of the issue. It is not enough to condemn contraception if something is not put in its place to create a true and authentic sexual revolution that is needed in the world.
That is why it is also necessary to build the new civilization of love on four solid cornerstones: NFP, the anthropology of JPII, the emotional psychology of Conrad Baars and Anne Terruwe and the Sexual Philosophy and Philosophy of Being of Robert and Mary Joyce. I have dedicated my life, energy and time to spreading these likewise.
I have also given many talks to seminarians on contraception. Some seminary rectors do not want me to bring up the issue and therefore refuse to accept my offer to speak. I have a text ready in the Portuguese language on birth control that I would like to see published so that it could be available for the general public. I too, want to enlighten everyone on the matter and have the truth told. With this book, I could also plan a series of lectures around the country. Unfortunately, I need money to publish the material, something I do not have. If you know of any generous, rich and zealous benefactors strongly committed to combating contraception in the world and would like to help me publish the work to defend the dignity of conjugal love; it would do Brazil a tremendous favor!
In fraternal charity,
Father Anthony Mellace
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