The School of Sheen and the Holy Rosary Program hosted by Al Smith (The Pipe Padre)

A Declaration of Dependence - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Iowa Catholic Radio with Jon Leonetti

The School of Sheen and the Holy Rosary Program hosted by Al Smith (The Pipe Padre)

Show Notes

On Iowa Catholic Radio's morning show, host Jon Leonetti and his guest Al Smith talk about Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's 1941 book titled 'A Declaration of Dependence' that has been republished by Sophia Institute Press and is available at https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/a-declaration-of-dependence

This book reveals the shocking truth you need to know in a world riddled by irrationality, emotionalism, and violence. Religion is under attack, whether from totalitarian governments or modern education. Our tacit submission to politics, “freedom,” and science has made us slaves to a diabolical New Atheism and fear.

With his prescient wit, wisdom, and fervor, Archbishop Fulton Sheen provides clarity amid propagandist lies and pagan societies united in purpose to destroy. He reminds us why we must fear what kills the soul more than what kills the body. He exposes the false prophets and philosophies at work in the world and the many “believers” who no longer worship or act in accordance with their beliefs. Archbishop Sheen masterfully decries the divisions and hatreds in America, explaining how we have turned from God and are on the precipice, that there is “too much tolerance of evil and not enough intolerance of injustice.” The chastisements the world is facing, he declares, are a consequence of its sins; they are the result of our abandonment of God, our idolatry; and man’s attempts to replace God serve only to show that the world is devoid of goodness without His presence. By declaring ourselves independent of God, we have brought down His wrath and made ourselves slaves to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Archbishop Sheen invites us to examine our consciences to see how we have, in fact, caused the wars in the world. By reading this book you will see how “isms” control people where the seeds have been planted for them to be controlled. You will learn how, throughout history, God punishes to destroy evil and, at the same time, to heal His sons from their sins. In addition, you will absorb the future saint’s teachings on:

The presence of the Antichrist in history

The cause of war — whether or not it is just — and where its greatest tragedy lies

How to truly fight for peace, justice, and unity in our country and among nations

The standard to which all Christians should hold themselves

Why the Church is opposed to extreme militarism and pacifism

Why those without conscience persecute those with conscience

Best of all, Archbishop Sheen explains how God’s wrath is not capricious but is a consequence of our actions, how He is good and loving and will not let us drown in our sins, and how the key to our restoration — repentance — is readily in our grasp.

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Al Smith is the editor of five best-selling books featuring the writings of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He has served the Church for fifteen years as a Catholic evangelist, radio host, writer, Internet broadcaster, and retreat director. Al's work as the director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Mission Society of Canada and board member of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation in Peoria, Illinois, which promotes the cause of Fulton J. Sheen's canonization process has provided Al with a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the works of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

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