Friday, May 29th, 2020

Saint Paul VI has been in many ways made the scapegoat of all the ills of the Church after Vatican II. Yet I wonder if his actions as Successor to St Peter did not shield the Church from far worse things that could have overtaken her. Its something of a major miracle that despite the rampant paganism and rejection of self the West has ridden through that still, all the horrors within her own ranks, the Church continues strong and brightly burning as a beacon of God’s love in the darkness. St Paul VI had a radical and anguished concern about this. “'Yes,' he said, 'I open my mail at midnight and in almost every letter there is a thorn. And when I lay my head at night on the pillow, I lay it on a crown of thorns . But I cannot tell you what ineffable joy I have in being able to fill up in my poor flesh the sufferings that are wanting, wanting in the Passion of Christ for the sake of his body which is the Church.'” St Paul VI, intercede for us, pray for us!