Most Holy Family Monastery

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Most Holy Family Monastery is a radical sedevacantist Catholic sect currently run by brothers Frederick Dimond (pseudonym "Brother Michael Dimond, O.S.B.")[1] and Robert Dimond (pseudonym “Brother Peter Dimond, O.S.B.")[1] in Filmore, New York. It makes the proud (but unproven) claim of having the "most visited traditional Catholic website", and offers free Catholic DVDs and online streaming videos. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) declared the organization a hate group due to its strong antisemitic views.[2]

The sect represents itself as a "BenedictineWikipedia community" without any qualifications; founder Joseph Natale never took religious vows and thus was not a Benedictine monk in the eyes of the Catholic church.[3][4]

Other than believing that the all popes since the Second Vatican Council are antipopes (sedevacantism), the group believes that the modern Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon, with Pope John Paul II having been the antichrist (the "first beast" in the book of Revelation).[5] The site espouses extremist Christian views reminiscent of ultra-fundamentalist Protestants and evangelicals like Jack Chick — including Holocaust denial;[6] young earth creationism;[7] extreme homophobia;[8] 9/11 trutherism;[9] conspiracy theories related to Freemasonry,[10] Communism,[11] the European Union,[12] rock music,[13] and Superman (no really, Superman)[14] — and a New World Order run by Jews and the Illuminati.[15]

Beliefs[edit]

Some of MHFM's crazier views espoused on its website include:

  • Aborted babies go to Hell because they are unbaptized (according to them, Satan knows this, which is why he loves abortion).
  • Having homosexual thoughts is a mortal sin (even if not acted on), and homosexuality is the result of "demonic takeover" (and only "faithless liberals who don't want the truth" disagree).
  • Contraception is a mortal sin — in fact, even having sex with your wife while on her monthly cycle is a mortal sin, since she's unable to get pregnant.
  • The Jews are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus… and the Holocaust was of course a hoax.
  • Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, evolutionists, mainstream Catholics (aka "modernist heretics"), and basically anyone who doesn't share MHFM's views are destined for hell. Ironically, this goes against traditional Catholic teachings and borders on Calvinism, itself a form of Protestantism.
  • Superman is "Satan's replacement" for Jesus Christ.[16]
  • Rock musicians such as Elvis, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Madonna, Iron Maiden, etc are possessed by demons and listening to their music allows demons to put you in a "zombie-like trance". According to them, rock musicians leave clues making it easy to spot their demonic nature; for example, if you turn a copy of Prince's 1999 album upside down, you get 666 (well, 6661, but whoever said whackjobs' beliefs had to be internally consistent?).
  • The group is also apparently sympathetic to geocentrism — while they don't endorse it outright, they mention that many of their followers debate whether or not one is required to believe in a geocentric model (some citing Psalm 103:5 in support). The Monastery maintains that one doesn't have to believe in geocentrism to be a "true Christian".
  • They believe that magicians have demonic powers and that's how they perform their tricks.[17] Most magicians would find that hilarious, because if this was true, then they wouldn't have to spend more time in a week rehearsing than most people do at their regular jobs.

As you've probably noticed by now, even more than most literalist Christians, their beliefs seem almost calculated to make people think that God is a dick and maybe Hell would be the better place to end up in the afterlife. Gee, it's like morals 2,000 years ago don't align with what is considered morally appropriate today!

Victims[edit]

In 2005, Eric E. Hoyle, a former high school chemistry teacher, contributed nearly $1.3 million in cash and stock to the MHFM and took up residence at their "monastery" as a "Benedictine monk". Hoyle later became disillusioned with the sect and tried unsuccessfully to sue the brothers.[18]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Eric E. Hoyle, Plaintiff v. Frederick Dimond, Robert Dimond, and Most Holy Family Monastery, a New York Not-for-Profit Corporation, Defendants
  2. ↑ Southern Poverty Law Center
  3. ↑ Most Holy Family Monastery - Info on our Benedictine Community
  4. ↑ Michael W. Cuneo, The Smoke of Satan: Conservative and Traditionalist Dissent in Contemporary American Catholicism. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. ISBN 9780801862656.
  5. ↑ "The Heresies of John Paul II"
  6. ↑ "Facts which contradict the official 'Holocaust' story"
  7. ↑ "E-Exchanges Archive, First of 2014"
  8. ↑ "Does God Create Homosexuals?" Answer: No, it's Satan.
  9. ↑ MHFM Link to 9/11 Mysteries: Demolitions
  10. ↑ "What Francis Really Believes". Is Francis a Freemason?
  11. ↑ "The Church’s enemies, Communists and Freemasons, made an organized effort to infiltrate the Catholic Church"
  12. ↑ "Van Rompuy: Unelected EU Will Control Europe and Flank Russia"
  13. ↑ A MHFM video: "Abortion, Rock Music and Freemasonry Exposed"
  14. ↑ "Superman, the Devil’s Replacement for Jesus Christ"
  15. ↑ "Jewish Power and Control Watch"
  16. ↑ Superman, the Devil's Replacement for Jesus Christ. christiantruth on YouTube, 23 January 2014.
  17. ↑ New Video: “Magicians” Prove A Spiritual World Exists. mostholyfamilymonastery.com.
  18. ↑ New York Law Journal - Hoyle v. Dimond
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