C. The Explicit
Counter-Revolutionary
No
one may deny that it is licit for certain persons to take upon themselves the
task of developing a specifically counter-revolutionary apostolate in Catholic
and non-Catholic circles. This they will do by proclaiming the existence of the
Revolution, describing its spirit, method,
and doctrines, and urging everyone to counter-revolutionary action.
In so
doing, they will be putting their activities at the service of a specialized
apostolate as natural and meritorious as (and certainly more profound than) the
apostolate of those who specialize in the struggle against other enemies of the
Church, such as spiritism and Protestantism.
To
influence the numerous Catholic and non-Catholic circles in order to alert
souls against, say, the evils of Protestantism is undoubtedly legitimate, and
necessary for an intelligent and efficacious anti-Protestant action. The Catholics
who devote themselves to the apostolate of
the Counter-Revolution will proceed in an analogous manner.
Possible excesses in this apostolate - which may happen as in any other - do
not invalidate the principle we established. After all, "abusus non
tollit usum ("abuse does not abolish use").
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