"Do What Thou Wilt": The Founding of the MHFM
“And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will but what thou wilt.” - St Mark 14:36 (Douay Rheims)
No one understands better than Christ how difficult it can be for a human being to embrace the will of God. And no human being has ever suffered more in embracing a command, the will of God the Father, than the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica I-II 90:4) defines law as “A regulation in accordance with reason promulgated by the head of a community for the sake of the common welfare.” A law, then, is first and foremost a “command”, not simply advice than can be accepted or rejected depending on how a one may feel on any given day.
In relation to the Catholic Church; Canon law is the body of laws and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (Church leadership), for the government of the institutions of the church and its members. A Canon Law is promulgated by those holding the competent ecclesiastical / legislative authority; and as such, obedience to that law is binding and required of all those “within” the Church (“Thy will be done”).
“For not the hearers of the law are just before God: but the doers of the law shall be justified.” - Romans 2:13
To have legitimately founded the Most Holy Family Monastery (MHFM) required that Joseph Natale abide by, as a minimum, the following Canon Laws:
Canon 147: “An ecclesiastical office cannot be validly obtained without canonical provision. Canonical provision means the grant of an ecclesiastical office by competent ecclesiastical authority, made according to the sacred canons.”
Canon 216: "Since they share the Church's mission, all Christ's faithful have the right to promote and support apostolic action, by their own initiative, undertaken according to their state and condition. No initiative, however, can lay claim to the title 'catholic' without the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority."
For all intent and purposes it would appear that Joseph Natale, the founder of the MHFM, recognized and was well aware of those rules and procedures; which is why he wrote a letter to Archabbot Strittmater of the St Vincent Abbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 1963, petitioning him for his benediction, his permission to establish a Benedictine “congregation for handicapped men.”
The Dimond Brothers claim on their website that state:
“Brother Joseph Natale was trained at St. Vincent’s benedictine Arch-abbey in Latrobe, PA. St. Vincent’s Arch-abbey was the largest Benedictine monastery in the United States. In the 1960’s, Bro. Joseph left with the permission of the then Archabbot Dennis Strittmatter to start his own Benedictine community.”
Yet, Fr. Brian Boosel, O.S.B., Archivist, Saint Vincent Archabbey, contradicts that claim in an email he wrote on June 6, 2009:
“... Thank you for your request regarding Mr. Joseph Natale (a.k.a. ‘Br. Joseph Natale, O.S.B.’) and ‘Most Holy Family Monastery.’ Mr. Natale was a novice (candidate for the monastic life, but not a vowed religious) at Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1960. He left the community of his own will. He was neither sent out nor was he given any form of permission by Archabbot Denis Strittmatter, O.S.B., to found any community of Benedictine Monks. We have no records of Mr. Natale other than his brief stay as a brother candidate in our novitiate. We have no records in the Archives of the American-Cassinese Congregation concerning the ‘Most Holy Family Monastery’, its founding or ‘Br. Joseph Natale, O.S.B.’"
Thus Fr. Boosel’s the email four things become immediately clear:
Joseph Natale did not complete his training, thus never becoming a professed Benedictine monk.
Joseph Natale did not receive “Canonical Provision” (Canon 147), a “Charter” from Saint Vincent Archabbey to start his congregation.
Joseph Natale did not receive consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority (Canon 216 – i.e. from Archabbot Denis Strittmatter) to a Catholic religious order, association, or initiative. And lastly;
The Dimond Brothers have concealed the truth (lied) in order to fain legitimacy of their breakaway sedevacantist Fillmore, New York monastery (MHFM II); as without legitimatizing Joseph Natale’s claim they have nothing at all to justify the establishment of their 1996 religious order.
So then by whose authority, under whose law did Joseph Natale found his purported catholic Benedictine religious order (MHFM); if not by the laws of the Church (1917 Code of Canon Law)?
The 20th century Occultist, Satanist Aleister Crowley, in 1978, justified and referred to this form of disobedience to God’s will as the Law of Thelma: “Do What Thou Wilt”.
Sadly enough, Joseph Natale’s “pride” got the best of him; leading him into believing that Archabbot Strittmatter had errored and was wrong in rejecting his sincere request to receive a “Charter” to start his Benedictine order. As a result he opted to “become a law unto himself” and, in willful violation of the laws of the Church, unwittingly listened to the “Father of Lies” and embraced the Cowley’s law.
And as a result, instead of establishing the Catholic religious Oder of St Benedict he desired … he inadvertently created a new age “cathilo-protestant” business of religion called the Most Holy Family Monastery and became guilt of breaking yet another canon law (Canon 1364) by his open rebellion against the decision of the bishop (Archabbot Denis Strittmatter) which immediately separated him from the unity of the Church. And for those who violate the unity of the Church they become strangers to Christ and his spiritual family:
“… And if they will not hear the Church: let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.” - St Matthew 18:17 (Douay Rheims)
Joseph Natale broke numerous Canon Laws in the obstinate creation of his counterfeit religious order. And willfully breaking one is all it take to condemn his action in the eyes of Christ’s Church; as St James wrote:
“And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.” - St. James 2:10 (Douay Rheims)
It is literally stupefying that the ardent defenders of the MHFM today know little or nothing at all concerning its founder (Joseph Natale) nor its self-appointed hierarchy today (i.e. the Dimond Brothers). Of course, the Dimond Brothers do NOT provide any details concerning either the founder’s or their rise through the rank and files of the Church to the “ecclesiastic” positions they claim to have held or now hold.
It should be evident to all that the MHFM is NOT a legitimate Catholic religious order but rather, as mentioned before, a cleverly disguised new age “cathilo-protestant” business of religion.
It has been repeatedly stated by the early Church Fathers that we should be wary of those who come to us not sent, not appointed, not commissioned by that authority in which the fullness of Christ's power resides, by virtue of unbroken succession, which can be traced back to the time of the Apostles. Without substantiated proof of their ecclesiastic commission / appointment these persons are to be considered / identified as being false prophets and false teachers; for it is not to be supposed that one ever can claim to himself any power, unless granted by Him who alone can withhold or impart it.
"Neither doth any man take the honor to himself but he who is called by God, as Aaron was." - Hebrews 5:4
Is it not obvious that the mere wearing of black mail-order monk habits does not legitimatize and make one a Benedictine?
Is it no obvious that ardently professing to be “the last Catholic religious order in the world” does not miraculously make it so?
It must be remembered by all that those who cannot provide you with proper ecclesiastic credentials are not credible ambassadors of Christ no matter what they may claim.
It is my sincere wish that those of you who are in doubt about what I’ve presented here simply ask the Dimond brothers yourself … “by whose authority and through what ecclesiastic law does the MHFM exist, preach and teach?
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Be warned … whosoever comes to you not deputed by a Bishop you are NOT to receive him; but rather, you are to treat him as a thief or a robber, according to the words of Christ, unless he is able to produce the authentic seal of his commission. Only those who can provide you their legitimate credentials may you listen to; but of those who come to you “self-appointed” God reproaches:
"The prophets prophesy falsely in My name I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, nor have I spoken to them: they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination and deceit, and the seduction of their own heart." - Jeremias 14:14
Don’t be deceived … the MHFM is NOT a Catholic Order of St Benedict (OSB) as it came into existence without “canonical provision” (Canon 147), without consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority (Canon 216).
Don’t be deceived … the Dimond Brothers are NOT monks and remain to this day un-professed, un-ordained laymen who self-appointed themselves as the last validly remaining “teaching” authorities on earth; and by so doing became automatically excommunicated as vitandus:
Canon Law Digest, Vol. 3, under Canon 147: “Excommunication as vitandus is inflicted for accepting office from lay authority.”
There are those who assert that “if” Joseph Natale received, as he professed, a “private revelation”, a vison from God Himself, instructing him to create his monastery, then he was exempt from following the dictates of the 1917 Code of Canon Law. The word “if” is the key word that statement. They would be correct … “if” the claim was proven true and it would indeed have been an “extraordinary calling” a “divine vocation” that would have circumvented the “normal” rules and procedures for establishing a Catholic religious order, association or initiate.
But, the underlying problem with that claim is that Joseph NEVER provided his local diocesan bishop (or anyone else for that matter) any miracles, signs and wonders required by the Church as proof of his “extraordinary calling” or “divine vocation”.
What we do know is that obedience to the Catholic Church has always been the "litmus test" that that Church uses for discerning the authenticity of a mystic or visionary and their alleged private revelations. A true mystic or visionary will always obey the legitimate religious superiors and authorities in the Church. We can be sure that if a mystic or seer is in any way disobedient to the local Bishop or their religious Superiors, then the alleged revelations and messages cannot be authentic.
One would think that if Joseph’s “private revelation” was indeed authentic he would have joyfully reported the glorious incident to his local bishop (showing the miracles, signs and wonders as proof of his Divine vocation). The bishop would have next passed the “news of the miraculous event” on to the Holy See for recognition by the Church as an “extraordinary calling”. But as Joseph never presented any such petition to the Church, through his bishop (or anyone else for that matter) in order to authenticate such a claim ... his “private revelation” remains doubtful and dubious, to say the very least.
Furthermore, if such a “private revelation” was authentic it is dumbfounding that Joseph Natale never mentioned it in to Archabbot Strittmater of the St Vincent (Benedictine) Abbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania when requesting authorization / permission to start a Benedictine “congregation for handicapped men".
By Joseph contacting Archabbot Strittmatter in order to receive permission it confirms that Joseph understood that he was obliged to follow the rules associated with the 1917 Code of Canon Law (Canons 147 and 216).
Archabbot Strittmatter response to Joseph’s request simply acknowledged the worthiness of Joseph’s desire to establish a “congregation for handicapped men” but stated that Joseph should "proceed carefully under the guidance of the Monseigneur Tolino” of the Annuciation B.V.M. Church in Philadelphia, PS, USA. Let there be no doubt, Archabbot Strittmater (acting in the capacity of a validly ordained Benedictine Bishop) did NOT grant Joseph permission / authorization to found a new Benedictine order or congregation.
As Catholics, we know that God's graces flow through His Church in union with the legitimate authority (i.e. Pope, Bishops, Religious Superiors, etc.) that He Himself established.
“We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." - 1 John 4:6 (Douay Rheims)
Joseph was not pleased with Archabbot Strittmater response so he willfully chose to take the law into his own hands. He could not bring himself to accept that he was denied permission / consent by the competent church authorities (Canon 147 & 216) to start a new religious order. So, Joseph chose the Law of Thelma (“Do What Thou Wilt”) over the 1917 Code of Canon Law (“Thy will be done”) and founded a self-identified Order of St Benedict; and as an unprofessed, un-ordained layman named himself Superior over the Most Holy Family Monastery in Berlin, New Jersey. And, like the Dimond Brothers, by so doing became automatically excommunicated as vitandus:
Willful disobedience to the Church is a grievous sin.
Willful disobedience is when one knowingly and intentionally disobeys the legitimate authority and judgment of the Church (i.e. the local Bishop).
Obedience to the laws and rulings of the Church is not negotiable.
"Rationalization is the first step towards Apostasy."
And for those of you who seek to claim that “Epikeia” is a legitimate “loop-hole” to justify Joseph Natale’s and/or the Dimond Brother’s attempted circumvention of the 1917 Code of Canon Law; forget it. Evidence must first be provided that there was a clear and immediate ecclesiastic “emergency”, an urgency that required the creation of a new Catholic religious order, association or initiative; and there was/is none.
Joseph Natale’s non-sedevacantist counterfeit religious order (MHFM I) and the Dimond Brother’s sedevacantist counterfeit religious order (MHFM II) were both established without “canonical provision” (Canon 147), and without consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority (Canon 216). They were willfully established through disobedience “outside the governance of the Church” which is the same as embracing Aleister Crowley’s Law of Thelma: “Do what thou wilt...”
One either is obedient and serves God or one is disobedient and serves His Adversary:
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both ..." - St Matthew 6:24
- Pax Tecum