A scandal is sought in our ranks,
The Enemy desires a reason for his minions
To renew their persecutions of the Faith,
Rarely does he look in vain for willing accomplices:
There are many men who are cruel,
Who are callous, many who torture and murder--
They love not their fellow men.
In one age, they persecute by cross or sword,
In another by disenfranchisement and loss of honor,
Often it is accompanied by rampant despoiling--
Plundering our earthly treasures, pillaging our homes,
At times with subjugation and oppression,
Whether by crown, minaret, or the hammer and sickle--
Many signs are set against the cross.
Against all these foes and their long odds,
Against their power we survive and sometimes thrive,
The Church perseveres through all adversities,
Despoiled, denuded, and despised on earth and below,
She still lives, grows, and returns to evangelize again,
Her true riches are safe from harm or theft--
Her hope and treasure are in heaven.