Saturday Night Theater: Malachi Martin and William Buckley talk Church in 1978 at the Election of John Paul I

Take a worthwhile journey back to 1978 and listen to two entertainers talk the state of the Church in 1978 as Pope John Paul I was elected.

Malachi Martin is on Firing Line with William Buckley and it’s interesting to hear Martin (who is already laicized and wearing civilian clothes) give the principle issues at stake to be split on morals with the “vibrant left” (as he put it):

  • contraception
  • abortion
  • homosexuality
  • married priests
  • priestly/religious celibacy

So, if you surf YouTube for something to watch, prepare to be surprised and entertained by seeing how things were 40 years ago, and compare it to today.

Don’t forget… Martin and Buckley were both really good at spinning yarns, but even with that tendency, this is quite prescient even to today. Among other things, pay attention around the 22:00 minute mark when Martin begins bringing the Freemasons and Marxists within the Church. They begin to parse the objectives from there.

Enjoy! And tell me in the comments what you think!

Again, later, Malachi Martin talks about the coming of Latin American concerns… was he right?


This article, Saturday Night Theater: Malachi Martin and William Buckley talk Church in 1978 at the Election of John Paul I is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/saturday-night-theater-malachi-martin-william-buckley-talk-church-1978-election-john-paul/
Do not repost the entire article without written permission. Reasonable excerpts may be reposted so long as it is linked to this page.

John B. Manos

John B. Manos, Esq. is an attorney and chemical engineer. He has a dog, Fyo, and likes photography, astronomy, and dusty old books published by Benziger Brothers. He is the President of the Bellarmine Forum.
  • Midwester says:

    Fr. Martin was not laicized. He was relieved from the Jesuit vows except for chastity. He continued to practice his priesthood, said a daily Tridentine mass, and continued to perform exorcisms until his death.

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