Uploaded February 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Dr. E. Michael Jones talks about his book, 'John Cardinal Krol and the Cultural Revolution' that he wrote in 1996 and that he is now republishing. For a baby-boomer raised Catholic it is especially insightful. This book answers the question: What was the leadership of the Catholic Church in America doing during the 60's when America's diminishing Christian world view gave way to secular humanism?
Mike investigates Bishop/Cardinal Krol, who ruled over the Philadelphia diocese during the time of the cultural revolution in the 60's. Cardinal Krol gave Mike (and only Mike before or since) permission to access his archival material of 200 cubic feet of documents. With the help of Sister Mary of Victory O'Brien he then used this material to write his 550 page book.
While Cardinal Krol was flying back and forth to Rome during the three years of Vatican II he was starting to fight a losing cultural war fought on three fronts in America Through the Legion of Decency he fought to keep Hollywood film productions from corrupting Christian morals. The pivotal battle in this culture war that lead to defeat was the 1965 movie 'Pawnbroker'. The Jewish forces in Hollywood used the Holocaust theme to justify having bare breasts in the movie.
The next cultural war that Krol fought and lost was the immigration/race war in Philadelphia. As Mike detailed in his book "Slaughter of the Cities" the African-Americans were brought up into Philadelphia and placed right in the middle of the diocese. Within a few years you had massive white flight. The ethnic parishes and schools fell apart.
Lastly the war over birth control/contraception. Soon after Vatican II Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae making the use of artificial birth control a mortal sin and the American Catholic leadership amazingly would not accept this. Mike describes how this battle was fought and lost. His discovery of the collusion of Notre Dame University and Theodore Hesburgh with the Rockefellers over this issue was the key to understanding why this war was lost.
Finally Mike discusses how Krol fought to preserve Catholic interests in the Supreme Court. However the Supreme Court kept deciding against the Catholics. These decisions were used against Cardinal Krol in all the three fronts he was fighting.
Mike's conclusion seems to be that although Cardinal Krol (like many American Bishops/Cardinals) was an excellent administrator he was not good at sheperding his flock by means of Scripture and tradition.
Dr. E. Michael Jones talks about his book, 'John Cardinal Krol and the Cultural Revolution' that he wrote in 1996 and that he is now republishing. For a baby-boomer raised Catholic it is especially insightful. This book answers the question: What was the leadership of the Catholic Church in America doing during the 60's when America's diminishing Christian world view gave way to secular humanism?
Mike investigates Bishop/Cardinal Krol, who ruled over the Philadelphia diocese during the time of the cultural revolution in the 60's. Cardinal Krol gave Mike (and only Mike before or since) permission to access his archival material of 200 cubic feet of documents. With the help of Sister Mary of Victory O'Brien he then used this material to write his 550 page book.
While Cardinal Krol was flying back and forth to Rome during the three years of Vatican II he was starting to fight a losing cultural war fought on three fronts in America Through the Legion of Decency he fought to keep Hollywood film productions from corrupting Christian morals. The pivotal battle in this culture war that lead to defeat was the 1965 movie 'Pawnbroker'. The Jewish forces in Hollywood used the Holocaust theme to justify having bare breasts in the movie.
The next cultural war that Krol fought and lost was the immigration/race war in Philadelphia. As Mike detailed in his book "Slaughter of the Cities" the African-Americans were brought up into Philadelphia and placed right in the middle of the diocese. Within a few years you had massive white flight. The ethnic parishes and schools fell apart.
Lastly the war over birth control/contraception. Soon after Vatican II Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae making the use of artificial birth control a mortal sin and the American Catholic leadership amazingly would not accept this. Mike describes how this battle was fought and lost. His discovery of the collusion of Notre Dame University and Theodore Hesburgh with the Rockefellers over this issue was the key to understanding why this war was lost.
Finally Mike discusses how Krol fought to preserve Catholic interests in the Supreme Court. However the Supreme Court kept deciding against the Catholics. These decisions were used against Cardinal Krol in all the three fronts he was fighting.
Mike's conclusion seems to be that although Cardinal Krol (like many American Bishops/Cardinals) was an excellent administrator he was not good at sheperding his flock by means of Scripture and tradition.
