Vatican II Church, Dignitatis Humanae, Freedom of religion, Catholic traditionalist movement, Church and State, John Courtney Murray, Liberalism, Modernism 

In his introduction to this book, Paul Hallett remarks that there could hardly have been a more appropriate time for its publication. The reason is made clear by Professor Dietrich von Hildebrand, who warned in The Devastated Vineyard that mankind is in the process of an apocalyptic decline which is approaching the stage of actual dehumanization. The legalized murder of more than 25 million unborn babies in the United States alone since this warning was given in 1973 proves that this is no exaggeration. Professor von Hildebrand stated correctly that it is the superhuman task of holy Church to save humanity from this downfall. She can do so only by a return to the uncompromising teaching of the pre-conciliar popes that the State should conform its legislation to the law of Christ the King. Michael Davies proves that this teaching was abandoned by the Second Vatican Council in Dignitatis humanae, its Declaration on Religious Liberty, which, wrote Hnri Fesquet, enabled "the Church to take up the standard of the French Revolution . . . Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: this glorious motto was the quintessence of Vatican II."

The traditional papal teaching on Church and State is presented here in the words of the Popes themselves, and particularly as interpreted by Msgr. Joseph CCliffor Fenton, Editor of The American Ecclesiastical Review (to whom this book is dedicated). It recounts his longstanding conflict with Father John Courtney Murray, SJ, who wished to bring the teaching of the Church into line with the American Constitution, and persuaded the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to do precisely this. But Dignitatis humanae is not infallible, and Davies indicates that some of its teachings could actually be incompatible with the traditional position. We have the right and the duty to beg Pope John Paul II to restore the teaching of his predecessors in which the rights of Christ the King are asserted unequivocally, thus vindicating the courageous stand of Msgr. Fenton and initiating a crusade to reverse the apocalyptic dehumanization of mankind. The object of The Second Vatican Council and Religious Liberty is to prompt those who read it to dedicate themselves to this sublime cause.

Taken from the back cover.