AUGUST 2022 EDITION: St. Peter in Chains and Spiritual Bondage

August 2022 Edition Now Available – Preview HERE

Dear Friends in Christ,

Prior to changes made to the liturgical calendar in 1960 under Pope John XXIII, August 1 was traditionally the Feast of St. Peter in Chains, commemorating among other things the following episode recorded in Scripture:

“And at the same time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the Church. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. … And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending, after the Pasch, to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains…” (Acts 12:1-6).

In answer to the fervent prayers of the Church, God sent an angel to liberate St. Peter from prison and, as we read in the Book of Acts, “the chains fell off from his hands” (Acts 12:7). The Prince of the Apostles was once again free to preach the Gospel and fulfill his mission.

Since 1960, the year this feast was discarded, the Successors of St. Peter, together with most of the Church’s hierarchy, have likewise been in chains – not the physical sort composed of metal links, but rather spiritual bondage to various modern errors which wormed their way into the Second Vatican Council and continue to inhibit the Church’s mission (e.g., ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, religious liberty, etc.).

Over the past year, Pope Francis and his allies have concentrated their efforts on severely restricting and ultimately attempting to suppress the Traditional Latin Mass and other traditional rites of the Roman Church. Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop Arthur Roche, and Francis himself have all said that the reason for their actions is fundamentally “ecclesiological” — referring to the new ecclesiology (understanding of the Church’s nature) introduced at Vatican II (for Cupich and Roche, see here; for Francis, see Desiderio Desideravi, n. 31). Thus, we see that their attempt to suppress the true Roman Rite is based on doctrinal error. Let us continue to pray for their deliverance from such error, as well as for the deliverance of the Church from men who refuse to humble themselves and renounce their errors.

Amidst your prayers for the Pope and all your special intentions, we at Catholic Family News also ask for your prayers and support of our apostolate. We need your help to continue to bringing you news, analysis, commentary, catechesis, and other resources — both in print and online — to keep you informed and growing in the Faith (click HERE to subscribe or renew your current subscription).

May Our Lady, whose Assumption we celebrate later this month (Aug. 15), cover us all under her mantle of protection and lead us ever closer to her Divine Son!

In Corde Iesu per Mariam,

Matt Gaspers,
Managing Editor