Mr. Potter contrasted true reform with false reform. Every revolution, he said, begins with a call for reform. The Counter-Reformation is the Catholic remedial response to the corruptive dissolution of truth that was the Protestant revolt. It is the truth, Mr. Potter said, because it is the teaching of Christ, Truth Itself, Truth crucified and risen from the dead. Our speaker criticized his own title saying that we do not need “reasons” to keep going, alas the reason was given by Our Lord Himself who commanded His Church to “teach all natioins.” That is the gospel. Mr. Potter spoke of the importance of respecting the papacy, not merely the office, but the person of the pope. It was the papacy, he said, that brought him into the true Church. Not that we are to be supine and uncritical when the pope fails to defend the truth or weakens it, nay, rather, our speaker affirmed that we must resist where resistance is necessary, but always with respect. Mr. Potter had some interesting insights concerning Russia and Vladimir Putin that he considers to be encouraging signs of the future conversion of Russia, as promised by Our Lady. In all, this talk was filled with hope and not a stale exercise in righteous wailing.

From 2016 SBC Conference