Conciliar (post-Vatican II) Popes Embraced Modern Philosophy

Perhaps the most troublesome feature of the Progressivism which the Conciliar Popes have embraced is the fundamental underlying assumption upon which it is constructed. That is to say, Progressivism--from a philosophical perspective--repudiates classical "first principles of being" for example the law of non-contradiction. The later first came under fire with Descartes's "turn to the subject" in which he inverted the traditional metaphysics (I think therefore I am) where being comes before thinking. Later Emanuel Kant totally eviscerated the classical notion of metaphysics as did the modern philosophers who followed him--many of whom Progressivist's admire and upon which their Novelle-Theologie is based.

The so-called perennial philosophy as articulated by the Scholastic's who produced the Aristotelian/Thomistic synthesis--was rejected at the second Vatican Council in favor of a philosophical construct that was grounded in the modern philosophical currents of Existentialism and Phenomenology--totally devoid of metaphysics in the traditional sense. Therefore, the Conciliar "new-theology" is perfectly comfortable embracing concepts which are contradictory and otherwise mutually exclusive. Dogmas either no longer exist or come to mean whatever enlightened Progressivist theologians contend they mean--at a given time in history. This explains the false Historicism which Cardinal Ottaviani warned against and which Progressivist's employ to de-legitimize traditional Roman Catholic teaching.

It was always difficult for me to understand how Pope John Paul II could be so effusive in his praise of modern philosophy and modernism per se. When one learns that he was intellectually enamored by the teaching of multiple continental idealists including Edmond Husserl (Phenomenology) and his pupil Max Scheler (philosophy of personality and values), Frederick Schleiermacher (religious idealism where sentiment alone is the foundation of religion), and Frederick von Schelling (objective idealism) it all becomes clear. He embraced modern philosophical concepts, rejected classical/traditional Aristotelian/Thomistic metaphysics and appears to have attempted a synthesis between Traditional Roman Catholicism and Modern Philosophy/Theology--an impossible task as the two are fundamentally irreconcilable given that after Kant and Hegel, metaphysics in any traditional sense no longer exists.

Pope Benedict has followed in Pope John Paul II's footsteps. He has been a proponent of the New Theology since before the Council--based as it is in modern philosophy, and has never repudiated it. This no doubt explains why he has not corrected the likes of Hans Kung or applied any sanctions whatsoever to dissident Theologians. In the Nouvelle Theologie there really is no such thing as heresy, dogma in the traditional sense or apostasy. Rather than discipline for wayward Theologians--Pope John XXIII normalized Dialogue with those who disagree meaning no corrective/punitive action was from then-on to be taken. That approach has prevailed ever since. Tragically, Traditional Catholics should not look to the present Pope for a return to orthodoxy in belief or practice (barring Divine intervention of course) since it would require a total rejection of his life-long investment in the New Theology and the Modern Philosophy upon which it is based. Recall that Pope Benedict has made it clear that he is unimpressed with Scholasticism!

--Dr. J. P. Hubert

The Great Western Schism: Lessons for the Troubled Catholic Present from its Chaotic Past (Part I)

by Dr. John Rao

Why Study the Great Western Schism?

A detailed review of the chaotic years of the Great Western Schism is extremely helpful in coming to terms with the troubled Catholic present. It is useful, in this context, for three reasons. First of all, it shows us — as do all historical studies — that crises do not pop up out of nowhere, and that a given generation's miseries generally have been prepared in a previous age suffering from perhaps even more fundamental woes. Secondly, it demonstrates that resolution of the specifics of any given ecclesiastical disaster may not proceed precisely "by the book", especially if the problems involved are basically new ones and have not been confronted by theologians and canonists adequately before. Finally, it points to the fact that the Church's full awakening from a nightmare which has diverted her energies away from her real mission is a very difficult enterprise indeed; that it cannot be accomplished "on the cheap"; that if it is to take place at all, it must be built not only upon a humble digestion of the lessons taught by recent adversity, but also on a deeper inspection of all of the wisdom that the book and jewel box of her Tradition contain. Only thus can she truly arouse herself from her doctrinal and pastoral slumber and be better armed for the next inevitable battle with her outer and inner demons. ...Cont.

--->Dr. John Rao's website

Dr. John C. Rao, D. Phil. Oxon., is Associate Professor of History at St. John's University, Director of the Roman Forum/Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute, and former President of Una Voce America. A well-regarded speaker as well as writer, Dr. Rao presents a lecture series on Church history in New York and as part of the Roman Forum's Summer Symposium at Lake Garda in Italy. The New York lecture series is open to the general public, and applications for the Summer Symposium are available through the Roman Forum's website. Tapes of those and other lectures are available from Keepthefaith.org.

When Benedict XVI Subverted Vatican II

By: Stephen Hand

The traditional Mass of the saints, prophets and Doctors of the Faith is our catechism

Whether he intended it or not (I think not, others disagree) when Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI on Saturday July 7, 2007 issued the Apostolic Letter "Summorum Pontificum" and wrote the following, he subverted the Second Vatican Council and much of its orientation:

It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the [Tridentine] Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated...MORE...

Vatican II Created a Pan-Ecumenical Religion

The post-Vatican II period has been characterized by persistent calls for "unity" by progressivist theologians and the hierarchy of the Holy See albeit a "forced" and false unity which has required that all doctrinal/dogmatic differences between various religions be ignored--e.g. Pope Paul VI kissing the feet of the Greek Orthodox prelate, Pope Benedict praying with members of multiple other religions and distributing communion to heretics including Brother Roger Shuutz of the Taze community, Pope John Paul II kissing the Koran etc. This has apparently been done in hopes of creating a one-world universal pan-ecumenical religion.

An important part of this Conciliar ecumenical development program has been the promulgation of so-called "anonymous Christianity" in which it is purported that all human beings have the "seeds of the Word" within them by virtue (presumably) of being created in God's image and are thus by extension recipients of Christ's redemptive work on the Cross. Thus, even polytheists and atheists are said to be capable of being saved without conversion to Christianity let alone Roman Catholicism.

What this means is that the pan-ecumenical religion of the post-Vatican II Conciliar Church is also characterized by an acceptance of if not outright belief in universal salvation--for example see the supportive writings of Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar and conservative Catholic Priest (Protestant minister turned Roman Catholic) editor of First Things Fr. Richard John Neuhaus (who quotes Balthasar on universal salvation) among other progressivist theologians such as Fr. Edward Schillebeeckx, Fr. Marie Dominique Chenu, Fr. Hans Kung, Karl Rahner, Fr, Luis Maldonado (Rahner's disciple), Cardinal's Avery Dulles, Julius Dophner, Yves Congar etc. Not only is it no longer necessary to convert to Roman Catholicism to be saved, all people with a sincere belief (albeit temporary) system who try to live by some kind of moral code--are assumed to be saved--Fr. Hans Kung for example has written essentially as much. Kung has also said:

"Decisive doctrinal differences in understanding the sacraments, above all in determining their relationship with the word as well as their origins, number, and efficacy can be considered outdated. In principle, this is valid also for the problem of the Eucharist...From the standpoint of the New Testament, it is certain that we do not need any uniform Church, much less any uniform theology..." (Vaticano III: problemi e prospective per il futuro," V. A., Verso las chiesa del terzo milennio, pp. 77-78)

Apparently, Kung believes that it is immaterial whether Jesus Christ is substantially present in a unique way in the Eucharist. The doctrine of the "real presence" of Christ in the Eucharist like all other doctrinal differences is of no consequence when it comes to building the pan-ecumenical post-Conciliar universal religion of Progressivist's. What we have here is total doctrinal and liturgical anarchy/nihilism--virtually anything counts as religious belief/worship including satanism and atheism provided they are seriously/sincerely held--at least temporarily.

If one assumes that Progressivist's desire to create a pan-ecumenical religion which they term the "Church of Christ" open to schismatics, apostates, even to atheists and that doing so has become the overriding concern, to the complete repudiation of all traditional doctrine/dogma and in its place construct a generic global religion based solely on a feelings-based communitarian amalgam of disparate entities--it is possible to understand all of the seemingly incomprehensible developments which have befallen the Roman Catholic Church since 1962.

This is a shocking statement but on careful analysis it is the only one which seems to fit the evidence when looked at dispassionately in an a-posteriori way. Progressivists have systematically secularized the Roman Catholic Church and have managed through "dialogue" to remove all doctrinal stumbling blocks to the creation of a pan-ecumenical religious entity based solely on visceral comfortability and sincerity of belief. Moreover, this new universal entity via the doctrine of anonymous Christianity (invoking "seeds of the Word") provides salvation for all-- even avowed atheists. This begins to sound dangerously close to the total apostacy prophesied in Sacred Scripture.

How is it possible to harmonize this with the traditional (perennial) teachings of the pre-Vatican II popes without violating the law of non-contradiction? No wonder Vatican II repudiated Thomism and the entire scholastic system with its exquisite attention to definition, detail and rigor in polemics.

--Dr. J. P. Hubert

Cardinal Ottaviani on False Historicism

SH: Regarding those who taught that the Church must change in relation to her duties to the state and in other respects, Cardinal Ottaviani the head of the Holy Office under Pius XII in 1953 reiterated the perennial teaching of the Catholic Church:

"The first mistake of these people is precisely that of not accepting fully the "arms of truth" and the teaching which the Roman Pontiffs, in the course of this last century, and in particular the reigning Pontiff, Pius XII, by means of encyclicals, allocutions and instructions of all kinds, have given to Catholics on this subject.

To justify themselves, these people affirm that, in the body of teaching given in the Church, a distinction must be made between what is permanent and what is transitory, this latter being due to the influence of particular passing conditions.

Unfortunately, how­ever, they include in this second zone the principles laid down in the Pontifical documents, principles on which the teaching of the Church has remained con­stant, as they form part of the patrimony of Catholic doctrine.

In this matter, the pendulum theory, elaborated by certain writers in an attempt to sift the teaching set forth in Encyclical Letters at different times, cannot be applied. "The Church," it has been written, "takes account of the rhythm of the world's history after the fashion of a swinging pendulum which, desirous of keeping the proper measure, maintains its move­ment by reversing it when it judges that it has gone as far as it should.... From this point of view a whole history of the Encyclicals could be written. Thus in the field of Biblical studies, the Encyclical, Divino Afflante Spiritu, comes after the Encyclicals Spiritus Paraclitus and Providentissimus. In the field of Theology or Politics, the Encyclicals, Summi Pontificatus, Non abbiamo bisogno and Ubi Arcano Deo, come after the Encyclical, Immortale Dei."

Now if this were to be understood in the sense that the general and fundamental principles of public Ecclesiastical Law, solemnly affirmed in the Encycli­cal Letter, Immortale Dei, are merely the reflection of historic moments of the past, while the swing of the pendulum of the doctrinal Encyclicals of Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII has passed in the opposite direction to different positions, the statement would have to be qualified as completely erroneous, not only because it misrepresents the teaching of the Encyclicals themselves, but also because it is theoret­ically inadmissible. In the Encyclical Letter, Humani Generis, the reigning Pontiff teaches us that we must recognize in the Encyclicals the ordinary magisterium of the Church: "Nor must it be thought that what is expounded in Encyclical Letters does not of itself demand assent, in that, when writing such Let­ters, the Popes do not exercise the supreme power of their teaching authority. For these matters are taught with the ordinary teaching authority, of which it is true to say "He who heareth you heareth Me" (St. Luke 10:16); and generally what is expounded and inculcated in Encyclical Letters already belongs for other reasons to Catholic doctrine."

Because they are afraid of being accused of want­ing to return to the Middle Ages, some of our writers no longer dare to maintain the doctrinal positions that are constantly affirmed in the Encyclicals as be­longing to the life and legislation of the Church in all ages. For them is meant the warning of Pope Leo XIII who, recommending concord and unity in the combat against error, adds that "care must be taken never to connive, in anyway, at false opinions, never to withstand them less strenuously than truth allows." ---Excerpt, Duties of the Catholic State In Regard to Religion, 1953

Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum (# 9), June 29, 1896: “The practice of the Church has always been the same, as is shown by the unanimous teaching of the Fathers, who were wont to hold as outside Catholic communion, and alien to the Church, whoever would recede in the least degree from any point of doctrine proposed by her authoritative Magisterium.”
”

Benedict Issues Statement Asserting That Jesus Established ‘Only One Church’

MSNBC-July 10, 2008---Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

Benedict approved a document from his old offices at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that restates church teaching on relations with other Christians. It was the second time in a week the pope has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that modernized the church.

In the latest document — formulated as five questions and answers — the Vatican seeks to set the record straight on Vatican II’s ecumenical intent, saying some contemporary theological interpretation had been “erroneous or ambiguous” and had prompted confusion and doubt.

It restates key sections of a 2000 document the pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, “Dominus Iesus,” which set off a firestorm of criticism among Protestant and other Christian denominations because it said they were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the “means of salvation.”

In the new document and an accompanying commentary, which were released as the pope vacations here in Italy’s Dolomite mountains, the Vatican repeated that position.

“Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one church,” the document said. The other communities “cannot be called ‘churches’ in the proper sense” because they do not have apostolic succession — the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ’s original apostles.

‘Identity of the Catholic faith’

The Rev. Sara MacVane of the Anglican Centre in Rome, said there was nothing new in the document.

“I don’t know what motivated it at this time,” she said. “But it’s important always to point out that there’s the official position and there’s the huge amount of friendship and fellowship and worshipping together that goes on at all levels, certainly between Anglican and Catholics and all the other groups and Catholics.”

The document said Orthodox churches were indeed “churches” because they have apostolic succession and that they enjoyed “many elements of sanctification and of truth.” But it said they lack something because they do not recognize the primacy of the pope — a defect, or a “wound” that harmed them, it said.

“This is obviously not compatible with the doctrine of primacy which, according to the Catholic faith, is an ‘internal constitutive principle’ of the very existence of a particular church,” the commentary said.

Despite the harsh tone of the document, it stresses that Benedict remains committed to ecumenical dialogue.

“However, if such dialogue is to be truly constructive, it must involve not just the mutual openness of the participants but also fidelity to the identity of the Catholic faith,” the commentary said.

‘Not backtracking on ecumenical commitment’

The document, signed by the congregation prefect, U.S. Cardinal William Levada, was approved by Benedict on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul — a major ecumenical feast day. ...Cont.

--->Note: Catholics must welcome in hope any movement in the direction of the immutable pre-conciliar infallible dogmatic certainties which defined the Church for over 1,900 years. Yet concerns remain, specifically 1.) the matter of the grievously ambiguous texts of the Second Vatican Council which future neo-modernists will undoubtedly exploit; ambiguity which the preconciliar Church did not knowingly tolerate. 2.) also, and critically important, the fact that until now Benedict has shown no inclination to extirpate heretics who spread their heresies, destroying souls in Catholic schools and seminaries to this very hour (for me this is crucial), heretics who remain in "communion" with Benedict, saying the same Creeds (without believing them) and incensing the same altar-tables as he, leaving us mired in so small incoherence (See-click Labels below this post). 3.) An unprecedented ecumenism which involves "the huge amount of friendship and fellowship and worshipping together" which in the past was always condemned and forbidden as communicatio in sacris.

But one must nevertheless hope. One wonders, however, what is new here; the report above mentions the August 2000 document, Dominus Iesus, issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith while the present pope was the head of that office. Now let's consider that document.

Whether one agrees with the other opinions or polemical tone of the author of the study that follows or not, his arguments / analysis demand answers which have stumped me. So I proceed to it forthwith in hopes that the Vatican will reply to it and not simply ignore the profound questions raised by the document itself. /Stephen Hand



Ratzinger's Dominus Iesus: A Critical Analysis by Bishop Donald Sanborn

Introduction

In August, 2000 the Vatican issued a document entitled Dominus Iesus, which was touted by the press as a defense of the Church's traditional teaching that the Catholic Church is the unique means of salvation. The Wanderer, true to form in sanitizing everything which emerges from the modernists in the Vatican, called it a new Syllabus of Errors. (The Syllabus of Errors was the wonderful document issued by Pope Pius IX in 1864 which condemned modern errors). But is this document a true defense of the Catholic Faith? No. In fact, it contains explicit heresy, and is the boldest and most complete explanation of modernist Church theology to date.

A. The Catholic doctrine concerning the unicity of the Church. The Catholic Church teaches that she alone is the unique Church of Christ, and that all other religions, whether Christian or non-Christian, are sects. They are false religions. St. Cyprian said, "There is one God, and Christ is one, and there is one Church and one chair founded upon the rock by the word of the Lord. Another altar cannot be constituted nor a new priesthood be made except the one altar and the one priesthood. Whosoever gathereth elsewhere, scattereth." [1]

B. Who are members of the Catholic Church? The Church teaches that those people are members of the Catholic Church who have been validly baptized, and who have not been excluded from the Catholic Church by means of heresy, schism, or excommunication. Pope Pius XII teaches in his encyclical Mystici Corporis:

"Actually only those are to be included as members of the Church who have been baptized and profess the true faith, and who have not been so unfortunate as to separate themselves from the unity of the Body, or been excluded by legitimate authority for grave faults committed. 'For in one spirit' says the Apostle, 'were we all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free.' As therefore in the true Christian community there is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can be only one faith. And therefore if a man refuse to hear the Church let him be considered - so the Lord commands - as a heathen and a publican. It follows that those who are divided in faith or government cannot be living in the unity of such a Body, nor can they be living the life of its one Divine Spirit."[2] Cont.

Historicism, the "Key" to Conciliar Chaos

As discussed in other posts, Historicism is the conceptual framework which Progressivists have embraced in order to justify their repudiation of the perennial Roman Catholic doctrine/dogma that characterized offical Church teaching for most of the past 2 thousand years. This neo-modernist theory holds that all dogma and doctrine is applicable only to the time period in which it was propounded a notion which totally contradicts the very definition of doctrine (being that doctrine is fundamentally characterized by its immutability). Thus in one fell-swoop the Progressivists have managed to avoid the charge that their teachings violate the law of non-contradiction--diabolically clever that!

Through the use of the "doctrine" of Historicism, Progressivists have been able to foist a totally ad-hoc set of propositions upon the Catholic faithful none of which bear any actual resemblance to perennial Roman Catholic theology. For example, there is the lack of discipline which all post-Conciliar Popes have evinced with regard to those among the hierarchy and certain neo-modernist theologians who by pre-Vatican II standards have repeatedly embraced and circulated totally heterodox (heretical) views. Since the entire concept of doctrinal/dogmatic integrity is no longer applicable by virtue of the acceptance of Historicism, heresy itself is also an antiquated notion and thus not worthy of sanction. As a result, not one progressivist of note who has promulgated heretical views (from the perspective of pre-Vatican II teaching) has been formally and properly disciplined for their transgressions.

Pope John Paul II was notorious for his inability or unwillingness to provide proper disciplinary oversight a reality which greatly disturbed theological conservatives. Viewed in light of Historicism and with the knowledge in retrospect that he embraced Progressivism, his lack of action is completely consistent with the neo-modernist bent that he and other Progressivists so enthusiastically sought to normalize.

If one assumes that Progressivists desire to create a pan-ecumenical religion which they term the "Church of Christ" open to schismatics, apostates, even to atheists and that doing so has become the overriding concern, to the complete repudiation of all traditional doctrine/dogma and in its place construct a generic global religion based solely on a feelings-based communitarian amalgam of disparate entities--it is possible to understand all of the seemingly incomprehensible developments which have befallen the Roman Catholic Church since 1962. This is a shocking statement but on careful analysis it is the only one which seems to fit the evidence when looked at dispassionately in an a-posteriori way. Progressivists have systematically secularized the Roman Catholic Church and have managed through "dialogue" to remove all doctrinal stumbling blocks to the creation of a pan-ecumenical religious entity based solely on visceral comfortability and sincerity of belief.

For any Catholic who attempts to make sense of all the disparate statements and actions of the Conciliar Church, it is impossible to know how far Progressivists might go in way of mirroring the post-modern world. The Novus Ordo Missae has been almost completely and systematically Protestantized. The 10 commandments and the 2 great laws of Christ are now passe. What seems to matter is whether a person is true to whatever belief system one has at a given moment recognizing that it could change any time. This is apparently the reason why no serious effort is now being made to convert non-Catholics. From the perspective of Progressivists, it simply doesn't matter all that much what current religion one espouses.

Traditional Catholics should ask Progressivists what evidence exists in either Sacred Scripture or Sacred Tradition that doctrine/dogma was intended to apply only to the time in which it was promulgated. The assumption that Historicism is a correct theological view is contradictory of the very notion upon which Historicism itself is based. In other words, it is impossible to know if Historicism is a legitimate conceptual belief--due to it being self-referentially absurd--i.e. if Historicism is true you could not know it. The idea that the Progressivist hierarchy could foist with ease such an obviously irrational idea on the faithful is more than disturbing and suggests a demonic origin to this writer.

--Dr. J. P. Hubert

Conciliar Church Embraced "Feelings" Abandoned Dogma/Doctrine

Unity and Ecumenism seem to have been the constant overarching theme of the post-Vatican II Catholic Church. The "unity" which has been so fervently sought by post-conciliar Popes however would appear to have been purchased at the expense of doctrinal integrity--meaning that it is a false unity.

Progressivists have managed to completely eliminate all doctrinal differences with other religious groups by simply purporting that doctrine/dogma is valid only for the time in which it is produced--another way of saying that dogma/doctrine is passe. This concept referred to as Historicism has been embraced by all of the post-Vatican II popes especially Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger now Pope Benedict XVI who all but totally rejects the clarity of Thomism and the doctrinal corpus which was so fully developed in the scholastic period.

What "unites" these varied and disparate groups post-Vatican II is a "feelings" based pan-religiosity in the absence of all dogma/doctrine. Progressivists appear to accept all fervantly held beliefs and belief systems including atheism in their willingness to include adherents in the newly constructed "church of Christ." Obviously this Indifferentism is incompatible with all prior (pre-1962) Magisterial teaching on the subject. Understanding this goes a long way to explaining the otherwise inconceivable practices of post-Conciliar Popes participating in non-Catholic even non-Christian worship services etc.

Progressivism Explains Papal Embrace of Other Religions

Many Roman Catholics in the United States were puzzled by the aggressive embrace of non-Catholic and non-Christian religions and religious leaders that Pope Benedict XVI made throughout his recent visit to America. In this he was clearly following in the path of Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI.

Since Vatican II in fact, the Roman Catholic Church has radically altered its view of non-Catholic "religions" even to the extent of claiming that the Holy Spirit utilizes them in a salvific way--an idea which prior to the second Vatican Council was clearly understood as having been anathematized. While the Roman Catholic Church pre-Vatican II consistently held that non-Catholics could through invincible ignorance be saved, she was unswerving in her doctrinal teaching that schismatic and apostate groups were inherently illegitimate.

In an attempt to force what has become a pan-religious ecumenism or false unity, Progressivists who now control the Roman Catholic Church have succeeded in destroying all pre-existent dogmatic/doctrinal elements which for almost 2000 years characterized the Roman Catholic faith. This has allowed the very highest Vatican prelates including Popes to welcome into the newly created (Church of Christ) fold virtually every religion including atheists.

By completely endorsing the intellectually bankrupt modern philosophies which emanated out of the Enlightenment (by definition a system designed to replace Christianity) Progressivists have repudiated Thomism and with it all of scholastic philosophy and Traditional Roman Catholic Theology. The Aristotelian/Thomistic synthesis has been abandoned in the realm of moral and dogmatic Theology by the neo-Modern Progressivists who now control the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church--note that Pope Benedict XVI has famously said that he rejects Thomism as too limiting. This loss of orientation largely explains why homosexually active Priests and Bishops have not been eliminated, why the Church has been subjected to a homosexual abuse crisis of monumental proportions and why the contemporary Catholic Church is virtually devoid of doctrinal/dogmatic stability. Why would any thougtful person be attracted to a religion with no immutable principles in either the moral or dogmatic realm? We should not be surprised that millions of Catholics have left the Church.

--Dr. J. P. Hubert

One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church

In reciting the Nicene and Apostles Creeds, and in light of the changes resulting from Vatican II, one may rightly ask: what is meant by "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church?" Clearly, something different entirely was envisioned by Progressivists--read Heresiarchs. These individuals developed the "New Theology", managed to entirely prevail at and after the Second Vatican Council and succeeded in completely redefining the concept of the "Church of Christ."

Prior to the Second Vatican Council, traditional Catholic teaching held that the Roman Catholic Church was identical to the Church of Christ. Post Vatican II, the Church of Christ according to Conciliar documents only "subsists in" that is; exists in or can be found in the Roman Catholic Church and more importantly is no longer identical with it. The Church of Christ according to the Council is said to exist or be found in other entities as well to varying degrees--those which in the past were termed schismatic or apostate such as the Greek Orthodox Church and the various Protestant sects.

Moreover,in light of Vatican II eclesiology even non-Christian Monotheistic sects such as Judaism and Islam can be considered in some sense part of the Church of Christ albeit to lesser degrees than the Roman Catholic Church or those who have "separated" themselves from it. In other words, an entity larger and more encompassing than the Roman Catholic Church is now said to define the "Church of Christ" even though the so-called fullest manifestation of it is apparently to be found in the Roman Catholic Church. This represents a profound alteration in Catholic teaching and from a philosophical perspective appears to violate the law of non-contradiction--it is not logically possible for the Church of Christ to be identical with the Roman Catholic Church and yet not be identical to it at the same time. Clearly the new view is logically incompatible with that which was held for almost 2000 years if words are to have any meaning. Unfortunately, Progressivist teaching is dependent upon language deconstruction where familiar words are retained and utilized but given an entirely knew connotation.

What progressivists/neomodernists have done it seems is to create a kind of sliding scale for Christianity where some sects apparently possess more truth than others and presumably more fully reflect the intentions of Jesus Christ-- at least as the Progressivists conceive of it. In light of Conciliar teaching, it would seem not to matter any longer what religion one actually professes so long as it is a sincerely held belief system--since some religions contradict the doctrinal content of others. How this does not amount to the Indifferentism which the pre-Conciliar popes anathematized is beyond comprehension.

The only potentially viable explanation for the above dilemma is the one offered by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) wherein the concept of Historicism is invoked by which all doctrinal/dogmatic statements are said to apply only to the time in which they were formulated. This of course results in complete doctrinal anarchy/relativity. By functioning as a kind of "get out of jail free card" it allows neo-modernists to explain away those Roman Catholic doctrines/dogmas which are now said to be outdated--read false. In fact, "dogma" as traditionally understood no longer exists in light of Conciliar and post-Conciliar Progressivist thought. The newly invented version of the "Church of Christ" is thus in position to judge which tenets of each religion are true and which are false from the perspective of the current time period in which we live. Obviously, these "truths" will no doubt change as well at some later date. What this means from a practical standpoint is that Roman Catholics are now confronted with total and complete theological anarchy/nihilism where once existed immutable dogmatic truths.

What logically seems to emanate from the New Theology is the creation of a kind of pan-religious ecumenism in which doctrine/dogma has become for all intents and purposes meaningless--replaced by the "feel-good" experiential church of contemporary record. It is not surprising that Progressivists found it necessary to abandon the precsision of the Thomistic (Scholastic) system in order to promulgate their false "theology." For those Catholics who try to make sense of Vatican II teaching, the situation is extremely challenging--if not irreconcilable with the tenets of traditional Roman Catholicism. The fact that no one in the Vatican has been willing to adequately address the issue of contradictory Conciliar teaching is cause for even more alarm. Historicism invoked as the only possible explanation is of course intellectually bankrupt from the perspective of scholastic philosophy or even first principles of being for that matter. Perhaps that is the reason why Pope Benedict and the other progressivists have been so negatively predisposed to Thomism.

Atilla Sinke Guimaraes: Post-Conciliar Popes all Progressivists

I am currently reading Atilla Sinke Guimaraes's Desire to Destroy, (the first of two parts, volume IV of his extensive series Eli, Eli lama Sabacthani) after having completed his In the Murky Waters of Vatican II. In it he presents persuasive evidence that Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI intentionally gave the neo-modernists (progressivists) what amounted to free reign over the second Vatican Council. Among those mentioned are; Fr's. (later) Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), Hans Küng, Edward Shillebeeckx, Yves Congar, Karl Rahner, Marie Dominique Chenu, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, Karol Wyjtola (Pope John Paul II) and others--many of whom were among those that Pope Pius XII accused of harboring modernist sympathies.

Guimaraes clearly believes that all of the post-Conciliar Popes have embraced progressivism that is neo-modernism. He alleges that Vatican II represents a clear rupture with the Roman Catholic Church of pre-Conciliar record. What is amazing to me is that there was no huge outcry (at the time of the Council) that much of its teaching was totally incompatible (by the law of non-contradiction) with prior yet constant magisterial teaching. It is as if all of the faithful orthodox and traditional members of the Council simply abdicated their responsibility to maintain the faith.

Jacques Maritain:

"During the 1950's, Maritain came close to being condemned by the Holy Office for his philosophical thought, suspected of "extreme naturalism." One reason why the condemnation was not issued was that he was defended by Giovanni Battista Montini, the future Paul VI, who at the time was substitute secretary of state and had a longstanding friendship with the French thinker." ---Sandro Magister

Paul VI's Credo of the People of God:

I used to think it saved the Council. But why when the Church had all the Creeds it ever needed was Paul's Credo made to substitute for action against those who subverted it? Words (already well known sacred words and creeds) do not persuade wolves. Only action does. And Paul VI failed to drive out the wolves, showing he must likely go down with them one day, at the very least for reckless disregard of duty, to say nothing of the destructive Council over which he presided. Thus neither Paul nor Jacques could save the other. Both howled at the works of their own minds and hands too late, one fears.

Pope: interreligious dialogue requires "discernment"

Benedict XVI speaks to participants at the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Attention to practical aspects, and not only spiritual ones: conversions, proselytism, reciprocity, and the formation of dialogue promoters.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The great proliferation of interreligious meetings in the world requires "discernment" and attention to the "formation of those who promote dialogue" among religions. This is the call issued by the pope this morning to participants at the plenary assembly the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Benedict XVI expressed his appreciation for the assembly's reflection on "pastoral guidelines", and not only spiritual ones, in relations with other religions. Included in the discussions were "some of the issues of practical concern in interreligious relations: the identity of the partners in dialogue, religious education in schools, conversion, proselytism, reciprocity, religious freedom, and the role of religious leaders in society. These are important issues to which religious leaders living and working in pluralistic societies must pay close attention".

"If it is to be authentic, this dialogue must be a journey of faith", Benedict XVI suggests. In this regard, it is necessary "for its promoters to be well formed in their own beliefs and well informed about those of others".

Note: The Gospel naturally leads to the necessity of Catholic states

Whatever Benedict and the Conciliar Church has been meaning by "conversion, proselytism, reciprocity, religious freedom," for a long time now is far from clear. In traditional Catholicism, the Catholic state---as opposed to the newly encouraged and very tense "multicultural society"---has never allowed all religions to be placed on an equal public and legal footing at the expense of the truth of Jesus Christ and His Church; though a reasonable tolerance of private religious worship of minorities has always been respected. Our Lord mandated the Church to "make disciples of all nations," by offering the free Gift of God in Jesus Christ to all. It was Christianity which demythologized the ancient world and civilized our pagan ancestors, whether in Ireland or Latin America and far beyond, elevating us above our pagan barbarism to which the Western world, under the influence of Masonic syncretistic foolishness, is reverting at breakneck speed.

The Church can never turn away from this Christic mandate, for it is the very salvation of souls which is at stake; and the First Commandment makes clear it is manifestly false that all paths lead to God, or worse, that there are many gods. Between man-made religion and revealed religion is a chasm, though the seeds of the Logos (Christ) can often be found in most of human religion, albeit mixed with terribly wrong and dangerous ideas. But Christ is the fulfillment of those good promises.

The Church always taught that the salvation of souls naturally leads to the necessity of Catholic states.

To invite a utopian "multi-cultural" vision of the world is extremely naive at best and very dangerous, since not all principles and "values" are the same; they are often grievously contradictory and pave the way for relativism, indifferentism, syncretism, despair manifest as decadence, endless clashes, and even wars. None of these are options for catholics.

The fact must be faced: people do not think alike and no attempts at secular homogenization can succeed, especially the atheist versions being spread everywhere by the powers. To speak of "reciprocity, religious freedom," as the Conciliar Church does is extremely naive at best and invites disaster, not utopia (which means "nowhere"). Only the resurrection of Catholic states and the urging of peoples back to their tribal homes if they will not respect Catholic teaching is realism. Look at Israel, the Arabs and Palestine for a multi-faceted and fearful lesson in multi-culturalism. Cooperation is certainly possible between sovereign nations and peoples, and is to be encouraged; but homogenization within a global superstate is impossible. Imperial "democracy" forced against peoples in the interests of values-homogenization and "globalism" would be as disastrous as the old international Communism, whose image it appears to be reflecting in certain ominous respects.

Oil and water: To mix Islam and Christianity especially in states is to do serious wrong to each and, as history (history means to re-member)shows, invites disaster for our children. The only way a forced secular (masonic-like) homogenization can succeed is at the point of a gun, ala Stalin and Tito's Yugoslavia; that is totalitarianism where only the State is ultimate. The United States is an anomaly and cannot be transplanted elsewhere (except by imperial force for a time). The US had no history, no sense of family, no religion, it perpetrated slavery and suffered a most terrible civil war over state's rights. The tensions continue to simmer here just beneath the surface. Only vast military might keeps the lid on this "melting pot"---so far. Stephen Hand, MORE...

Charting a Path to Sainthood: Team in Rome Examines 'Cause' of John Paul II

By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 2, 2008; Page A01, original HERE...

ROME -- Evidence overflows from hundreds of boxes stacked to the ceiling in room after room at the Catholic Diocese of Rome -- photographs, drawings, letters and other items that church officials are scouring for the answer to a question: Is Pope John Paul II a saint?

The task here at the Office of the Postulator of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization is to judge souls, a complex job even when the soul in question doesn't belong to a spiritual superhero such as John Paul, who died in 2005 as one of the most popular pontiffs in history.

Located down a towering marble hallway, through a locked glass door, the office is tasked with determining whether John Paul meets the Roman Catholic Church's two broad standards of sainthood: His life deserves to be imitated, and he has demonstrated a postmortem power to help people who pray to him, proving he is in heaven with God.

So far, investigators are coming down in his favor. Their leader told reporters recently that beatification, or elevation to the status of "blessed," often an intermediate step toward sainthood, could take place next spring.

The office has received a handful of arguments against sainthood for John Paul, whom church reformers, particularly in Europe and Latin America, have long lambasted. Letters circulating point to the clergy sex abuse scandal, the treatment of women in the church and the repression of dissident theologians.

But what is found here overwhelmingly supports the late pope's "cause," often in the most affectionate terms -- a stuffed animal from a couple who credit him with an end to their infertility, a wedding dress from someone who had longed for a partner. Countless letters include those from a prostitute who got her faith back and a singer who was able to forgive her daughter's killer. There are also historians' studies of his long papacy, and John Paul's own writings, including verse that refers humbly to his "fallible thoughts."

Blesseds and saints aren't metaphors in Catholic doctrine. They are held up as real examples of people who successfully imitated Jesus in their lives (or deaths, in the case of martyrs), and are well known among Catholics for their holiness.

From the start, this has not been a typical investigation. On the day of John Paul's funeral in 2005, Catholics in St. Peter's Square shouted out "Santo subito!" -- "Sainthood now!" In the face of strong public enthusiasm, his successor, Benedict XVI, waived the usual five-year wait before formal considerations could begin. Since then, the advocacy has only stepped up to get John Paul quickly through a process that can take centuries.

Taking part in the investigation is a small army of consultants, archivists, translators of John Paul's writings, and oncologists and psychologists who examine the medical evidence for reported miracles.

There are also journalists who put out a monthly magazine -- Totus Tuus, or Totally Yours -- devoted completely to the status of John Paul's case. Translated into seven languages, the publication has 8,000 subscribers. "We can't even count the documents we get; there are too many," Aleksandra Zapotoczny, who writes for the magazine and translates letters and testimonies from Polish speakers, said with a grin.

The lead investigator, Monsignor Slawomir Oder of Poland, announced earlier this year that a 2,000-page report about John Paul's life and virtues had been completed by officials at the Rome Diocese (the first phase of such a study is handled by the diocese where the potential saint died) and sent to the Vatican's 34-member Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The report makes a case for John Paul to be beatified. This requires proof of one miracle (usually of the medical kind) after the candidate's death. Church officials say privately that Oder has attributed the 2005 healing of a French nun who had Parkinson's disease to prayers she addressed to John Paul's soul.

Though John Paul II is the most high-profile candidate for sainthood in modern times, church officials say they are treating his case with the seriousness and skepticism befitting a process that birthed the term "devil's advocate" -- a former church post whose holder was tasked with making sure that the full facts against a sainthood came to light.

"No one has the right to be canonized, not even Pope John Paul," Monsignor Robert Sarno, a Brooklyn-born priest who works for the Congregation, said during a recent interview at his Rome apartment.

That means putting aside reported miracles that can never be proved, and stringent physiological and psychological testing for cases that look possibly real.

Two levels of the Congregation will review Oder's documents and make recommendations to Benedict, who has the final say on beatification. If that takes place, proceedings would begin toward canonization, or sainthood, which requires verification of a second miracle taking place after beatification.

John Paul, who canonized more people than any pope in history -- 482 -- has entered the system just as it is slowing. In February, the Vatican issued a document calling for the consideration process to be followed more stringently, apparently responding to worries that perhaps John Paul's numbers were too high.

Some critics point to cases like that of Padre Pio, whom John Paul canonized in 2002 even though previous popes and Vatican doctors had called the Italian monk and his stigmata, or wounds of the cross, a fraud. Padre Pio is Italy's most popular saint; his body is on display this year, and hundreds of thousands of people have made reservations to see it.

In his three years as pope, Benedict has canonized just 14. Although he has said he favors John Paul being named a saint, he has not exercised his right to make it happen immediately.

Many popes are never recognized as saints or blesseds. When Pope Pius X was canonized in 1954, he was the first in centuries. While the Vatican is moving toward beatification for Pope Pius XII, his case has been dogged by some scholars who accuse him of not doing enough to help Jews during the Holocaust.

Among the people opposing John Paul's sainthood are José Maria Castillo, a Jesuit from Spain, and Italian theologian Giovanni Franzoni.

About 400 people are currently in the system for beatification or canonization along with the late pontiff, including Mother Teresa. Most are not well known, such as an Italian couple beatified through the Rome Diocese who "were very good-hearted, very faithful," and had at least two children who went into the clergy, said Monsignor Marco Fibbi, who handles communications for Oder and the diocese.

Church officials say they want the process to be strict -- even for John Paul -- because they say it is important for modern-day Catholics to see that God works in tangible ways. It's especially important, they say, to examine the reported healings with objectivity.

"If anyone is scientific in this process, it's the church," said Christopher Gaffrey, an American Franciscan friar helping the John Paul office with translation. "Because if they're going to hold this up as a miracle, they're not going to hold up something that could be easily criticized."

To church officials, however, skepticism has a limit. "The church starts with the premise that God exists and that He can and does get involved in our lives," Sarno said. "We don't even take into consideration that that isn't possible."

And will it be difficult to impartially judge the soul and intercessory power of John Paul, particularly in an office surrounded with poster-size photos of him, and boxes upon boxes of letters praising him?

"Faithful people understand," said Fibbi, his hands crossed and a slight smile on his lips, "that the church has 2,000 years of experience at this. It knows what it is doing."

NOTE:

Knowing that Pope John Paul II made extensive changes to the pre-Conciliar process of beatification and canonization for sainthood, that these changes were all in the direction of making the criteria less stringent and in light of the fact that he named more new saints during his pontificate than all his predecessors combined, to what extent is it reasonable for the Church to be extremely careful in considering his case? Is it not at least possible that making him a saint without extreme care in the process of consideration will succeed in legitimizing the revolutionary changes which have occurred subsequent to Vatican II rather than attest to his own Holiness?

New Mass-A Revolution akin to the Protestant Reformation?

Marian Horvat asserts that the Novus Ordo (New Mass) promulgated in the wake of Vatican II represents the equivalent of a Catholic Reformation really a Catholic revolution and complete break with Tradition--that brought to a final end the Catholic Counter-Reformation--begun by the Council of Trent called in response to the errors of the Protestant Reformation. In other words, Vatican II accomplished a revolutionary alteration in the Roman Catholic Church; a virtual complete rupture with Sacred Tradition. MORE...

NOTE:

What Horvat is stressing it seems to me is that Martin Luther claimed the Mass was not a re-presentation of the atoning death of Christ on the Cross of Calvary but rather a memorial of the Last Supper. In Luther's theology the Mass becomes primarily a communion service of believers and a way of giving thanks to God.

The Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation was rejected by Luther and interestingly enough the uniquely Catholic term all but ignored by Vatican II further evidence that the second Vatican Council moved in the direction of Luther. In multiple ways the Novus Ordo Mass is without doubt much closer to Luther's view of the Mass than of the pre-Vatican II Mass of Pope Pius V--the so-called Tridentine Rite.

Interestingly, Luther made the inherently ridiculous claim that Christ's sacrificial death on the Cross "covered" all of the believer's sins such that one could sin with impunity as long as one believed through faith even more--an obvious afront to the Holiness of God and a clear contradiction of the words of Christ--"if you love me, obey my commandments" (Jn. 14:15).

The perennial Catholic doctrine in contradistinction is that Christ's propitiatory sacrifice is applied only to those who are truly sorry for their sins which are offensive to God and who repent (turn away) of their sinful transgression and amend their lives in such a way as to become truly transformed by grace in Christ. The hollowness of the Lutheran view is readily apparent in that it allows the sinner to persist in their sinful habits without a fundamental transformation. Luther ignores so much of the Gospel it is difficult to believe that anyone would have accepted his teaching.

Suggestions on How to Correct Vatican II: What Can Be Saved / Restored Via A New Council or Papal Acts

By: Stephen Hand

Reaffirm and Realign Church Teaching in accordance with the whole of sacred tradition, the unequivocal teachings of pre-Vatican II popes, especially the Council of Trent and Vatican I. Express sadness that ambiguity or carelessness at best blurred or erased such teachings and gave rise to false impressions across many lines. MORE HERE...Scroll down page.

What of Non-Traditional Marriage"

Over the past several years marked interest has grown in what must for the sake of intellectual honesty be termed non-traditional “marriage.” By this is usually meant civil unions or arrangements in which same-sex couples formalize their relationship and in so doing derive the benefits usually reserved for married heterosexual couples. To date, little organized interest has been expressed for other kinds of non-traditional “marriages” such as polygamous ones or those involving animals and humans (bestiality). In any case it has now become necessary to flesh-out the philosophical implications of marriage including the nature of what it means to be a human person and what is meant by “tradition.”
MORE...

A Response to Fr. McCloskey on The Church in Transition

12/28/2005 5:33:00 PM original HERE...
by Fr. CJ McCloskey - McCloskey's Perspectives

I have always been very impressed with Fr. McCloskey in the past. He has seemed to me to be a very faithful and effective Catholic Priest one who I presume to be orthodox in theological orientation. I have posted his piece here for several reasons; first, as a way of highlighting important data which demonstrate what the "fruits" of Vatican II have been. Second, to pose some questions in response to certain of his claims. My comments are in bold italics. JPH

The Catholic Church in the United States is in a state of profound transition. Fifty years after the close of the Second Vatican Council, a priest or layman transported through time travel from 1965 to 2005 would be astonished and most likely disconcerted by the evident changes that had taken place in those forty years. Of course, the hierarchical and sacramental nature of the Church remains unchanged.

It is certainly true that a pre-Vatican II Catholic priest or layman should be absolutely astonished--better yet appalled by the changes which have occurred subsequent to the Second Vatican Council. By and large many have been anti-Catholic as that word was understood for almost 2 millennia. Fr. McCloskey's view that "the hierarchical and sacramental nature of the Church remain unchanged" does not seem accurate in light of the documents of Vatican II which address Collegiality, the Sacred Liturgy and the evolutionary character of the Counciliar Church--as the progressivists who prevailed during the Council freely admit.

What, however clearly has changed and which we will examine in this article, are the numbers, status, and in many case, the understanding of the roles of laity and, religious, and clergy in the mystical Body of Christ.

Vatican II replaced the Roman Catholic understanding which regarded the Church as the "mystical body of Christ" with a much more potentially broad and vague formulation "the people of God." This potentially allows even non-Christian theists, possibly even agnostics or atheists to be counted among those for whom Christ's atoning work on the Cross has salvific character. It is not clear to what extent Fr. McCloskey actually means "the mystical body of Christ" as understood in the Traditional sense prior to 1965. Obviously Christ's atoning work on the Cross is capable of saving the entire human race in potency but according to Christ's own teaching not in act since only those who believe in Christ, submit their lives to his Lordship ("If you love me obey my commandments") and persevere to the end will be saved.

I am writing this article in the aftermath of what the well know convert Fr. Richard John Neuhaus referred to as " The long Lent" that the Church in America has undergone. This was the painful unraveling of the revelation and cover-up of thousands of accusations, some well founded; others not, against Catholic clergy of sexual abuse of young people. Although brutally disillusioning to many of lay faithful, nonetheless those accused formed less than 2% of Catholic clergy during this time period. Some of the cases dated back to even to the pre-Vatican II era. This has resulted in part to the dismissal from the clerical state of hundreds of Catholic priests and the resultant scandal to the lay faithful.

I find that Fr. McCloskey has too easily accepted the Vatican explanation--also trumpeted by many of the clerical rank in the US—that since some 98% of the Catholic clergy were not guilty of perpetrating sexual abuse against minors especially since “some of the cases dated back to even the pre-Vatican II era” (as if that is any consolation) and that while “brutally disillusioning to many of the faithful” (what an understatement that) “the dismissal from the clerical state of hundreds of Catholic priests” (as if somehow that alone is adequate reparation) “and the resultant scandal to the lay faithful” (to refer to what happened as simply a scandal is an extreme, understatement) that somehow the terrible life changing reality for the victims--and the distrust of the Church itself--of what happened is not really so bad.

Fr. McCloskey’s treatment of the sexual abuse crisis in such a cursory fashion lacking almost completely in empathy and compassion for the victims yet missing no opportunity to defend the clergy who are not guilty of these heinous crimes is extremely disappointing. This is standard Vatican misdirection (spin or sophistry) in my view and represents an obvious attempt at mitigating the severity of what happened. The Holy See is guilty of a total lack of discipline with respect to its duty to insure that the Catholic clergy remains--in word and deed--committed to the very highest ideals of Catholic faith and practice. After the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965, all disciplinary action designed to insure orthodoxy functionally ceased. There is simply no excuse for the flock to have been subjected to the wolves who for decades have been allowed to ravage them without limitation.

Where was the justifiable outrage from Fr. McCloskey, who could easily have taken this opportunity to reiterate the Traditional Catholic teaching that; homosexual activity of any kind is gravely sinful? Where does he state clearly that clerics must never utilize their power and sacred trust to intimidate children and adolescents into sexually or otherwise compromising situations which are not compatible with their ultimate salvation? Sacred Scripture is abundantly clear in multiple Old and New Testament passages that the abuse of one’s sexuality especially in a homosexual capacity is an abomination and left unrepented is grounds for eternal damnation. Even worse is Christ’s own concise statement that it would be better for a cleric to have a stone tied about his neck and be cast into the sea than to harm one of the “little ones” who come to him. Think of the harm that has been irrevocably caused without any response by the Vatican to formally defrock and excommunicate the offenders.

Nevertheless, contrary to the dire predictions of prognosticators both within and without the Church, the scandal has not seemed to lessen the sacramental or even financial contributions to the 195 dioceses that compose the Church in America. Indeed, as we will see, it appears that according to the statistics, the situation in many areas of the Church is bottoming out and that it may well be on cusp of a more vibrant, faith Church firmly rooted in the authentic teachings of the Second Vatican Council as mediated through the magisterium of Pope John Paul (who visited the US seven times during his pontificate) and his able successor and close collaborator, Pope Benedict XVI, respectively a Father and peritus of Vatican II. If the Church in the US is entering, as I firmly believe, a many decades march into the New Evangelization, given its status as the world's only world power, it can have a tremendous effect both in the United States which finds itself deeply divided on issues that are largely moral based, witness; the well known division between the so-called blue and red states in the last several national elections.

I fear that Fr. McCloskey evinces here a belief in Neoconservative politics in his use of words which seem overly enamored with the notion of American exceptionalism i.e, "the world's only world power." There is a certain contingent of American Catholics who seem to have embraced the neocon political agenda in such a way as to make it fit with their view of Roman Catholicism or vice-versa, a view which is certainly not Traditional and in many respects not even orthodox.

Moreover, many of the beliefs which Fr. McCloskey seems to hold most fervantly have either been completely ignored or severely attenuated e.g. the twin evils of procurred abortion and artificial contraception in the wake of Vatican II where clear majorities of Roman Catholics openly reject Church teaching. This is temporally related to one event--Vatican II. It seems that someone with Fr. McCloskey's obvious theological sophistication would easily recognize that his committment to orthodoxy was not shared by the Vatican II Council Father's or those who promulgated it thereafter. Why the lack of candor and his praise for and endorsement of Vatican II writ-large?

The purpose of this article is not to compare and contrast with other continents but is quite clear that in many areas, the Church in the US compares very favorably, as we will see, with the imploding and apostatizing situation in Europe and the chaotic situation inLatin America. Of course, Africa, and Asia are another case as they are in full evangelical bloom of an enculturation that may take centuries to complete not unlike the Christianizing of the barbarians in the latter part of the first millennium. Their growth rates have been off the charts in the last century . This clearly presages that the demographic center of the Church will continue moving East and South in the centuries to come thus fulfilling Christ's commandment that the Gospel be preached to all the nations.

There are presently approximately 67 million Catholics in the US representing 6 percent of the global Catholic population of 1.1 billion. Interestingly enough, the percentage of Catholic in the American population has remained rather steady in the last forty years hovering around a quarter of the population. This actually is rather encouraging given that gradual disintegration of traditional mainstream Protestantism and the growth of the larger number of people who practice no religion in any real sense. The actual number may be many millions more given the high level of illegal immigration of Hispanics from Latin America, the majority being Mexican. The enculturation and evangelization of both the legal and immigrants from Latin America will be crucial to the health of the Church in America as this trend may continue and the Hispanics generally have a considerably a higher birth rate than the " Anglo", Black, or Asian American Catholics. Happily many seminaries are increasing requiring or at least encouraging Spanish classes as a pre-requisite for education as increasingly the Catholic Church in America is bi-lingual.

If it were not for the massive immigration of Hispanic Catholics into the US, the total number of Catholics would clearly be signficantly reduced over the period in question.

The growth of the Church in the US both in its origins and throughout its history until the 1930's was an immigrant Church. Yet no immigration by any ethnic group, not even the Irish has been so rapid and overwhelming as the deluge from South of the Border. Indeed that continuing immigration has been so massive that some people refer to our large most westward state as "Mexifornia" one of the big questions affecting both the U.S. as a country and the Catholic Church in it, is to what extent the Hispanics will assimilate by learning English as other immigrants historically have or may well form almost a separate region in side of the United States, almost a " Balkanization" of America.

On the handling of the Hispanic question rests the real future of the Church in the U.S. Even though the Church in the US is large it still trails Brazil (144 million), Mexico (126 million), and the Philippines 70 million) in number of believers. Even though the boundaries between the US and Mexico as commented upon a moment ago are increasingly blurred.

Obviously none of the above-mentioned countries, all of which could be placed in the category of "developing" match the United States, for the time being, in wealth or power or cultural influence . This is also reflected, not surprisingly in ecclesiastical "politics," if you will, The US has 13 cardinals, as contrasted to Brazil with 8 cardinals, Mexico with 5 cardinals, and the Philippines with 2 cardinals. Those three countries represent a block of 340 million Catholics, more than 30% of the global total). American votes in the recent conclave outnumbered all of Africa.

The above is a testament to the hypocrisy of the current hierarchy steeped in political concerns it would seem than a statement of support for the effectiveness of the Catholic Church in the US. Of all the nations with a large Catholic population, the US has had the most dismal and outwardly visible problems post-Vatican II.

Naturally the universal Church and its particular churches in countries cannot be measured only in statistics but certainly the stature of the Church in the US plays a very significant if not predominant role in the universal Church. For example, Catholics in the US have six percent of the population but 12 percent of the bishops in the Church and 14 percent of the priests. The US has more priests by itself than the top three Catholic countries combined (41,00 in the US to 37,00 in Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines combined.) This makes the notion of a " priest shortage" in the US almost laughable at least in comparison with these countries with a much larger total Catholic population.

There is no joke involved with the current situation in the US. A very unfortunate choice of words were utilized there.

Now we can move on to the state of the priesthood, always a key sign when looking at the state of the Church. Before starting, I will add that statistics mirror in many ways the statistics from Europe, whether it is a result of the post World War II secular hedonism in Western Europe or the effects of Soviet communism in the East. In any case, the primary cause of the quasi- collapse in the levels of practicing Catholics, whether in America or Europe was the post-conciliar malaise and utter confusion. But that is another article.

Here, he is at least partially correct. Why not go all the way and indict the Council itself for the confusion and malaise since it is the ambiguity and outright incompatibility of the documents themselves with Sacred Tradition which is the real problem.

Let's look at the numbers first in the US first. In 1965, at the end of the Council there were 58,00 priests. Now there are 41,000 .By 2020 if present trends continue (and there is no sign of a dramatic upsurge in vocations) there will be only 31, 000, and half will be over 70. To give an example, I was ordained in 1981 at the age of 27. Today at the age of 52, I can still attend priest's meeting and be one of the younger priests there. In 1965, 1575 new priests were ordained, In 2005, the number 454, less than a third and remember that the Catholic population in the US increased from 45.6 million in 1965 to the 64.8 million of 2005, almost a 50% increase. The Venerable John Henry Newman said, " Growth is the only evidence of life." By his definition, the Church in the United States has been and continues to be in sharp decline. Now, quite clearly, there has been a sharp decline in the number of seminarians over this time period. Between 1965 and 2005, the number of seminarians fell from 50,000 (some 42000 high school and college seminarians, and 8000 or so graduate seminarians) to today's approximate 5000, a drop of ninety percent. The increasingly affluence and integration of the American Catholic into society was responsible for part of this drop, as entry into the priesthood became only one of more options into professional priesthood. Also the average size of the American family due to both to, again, affluence, and to the increased availability of contraception means simply there were fewer men being procreated from fewer generous families that might be open to total dedication to the celibate priesthood. This trend had already begun as early as the 1940's when the number of priests per Catholic layperson began to decline, well before the Second Vatican Council. While there certainly has been a modest increase in seminarians and an up tick in ordinations, there is unlikely to be large upsurge in priestly vocations in the US, at least in comparison to its apex in 1965. I will touch on this again later but there is greater hope as more and more bishops come on board who were ordained during the pontificate off John Paul II take a more aggressive and positive recruitment of young men to the priesthood. There has been considerable success in more than a several dioceses with this approach.

My understanding is that only in those dioceses which adhere to very orthodox Catholic teaching reminiscent of pre-Vatican II theology is there an increase in vocations of any appreciable degree.

At the same time, as I write there has begun a Vatican mandated countrywide investigation of American seminaries. This investigation was mandated over three years ago as a result of the explosion priestly abuse scandals of the years 2001 -2003. It is quite clear that this crisis was brought about in part by the presence of active homosexuals in the seminary and in the priesthood.

At least we have here an admission that homosexuality in the Catholic Priesthood is a huge problem. However, he does not go nearly far enough.

With this the conclusions and recommendations of this investigation and the issuing of a recent document forbidding the entrance into the seminary of homosexuals, it can be anticipated that seminaries will once again be strongly faithful to the Churches in its teaching and that the moral atmosphere at the seminaries themselves will be much improved. This alone will make a big difference in attracting virile, pious young men and also in families encouraging their sons to contemplate a priestly vocation.

The recent document "Concerning..." referred to previously on this site HERE...is extremely ambiguous and it is not at all clear that there will be a reduction in the number of homosexuals admitted to the seminary. Quite the contrary, since the seminary directors who are homosexual themselves or are sympathetic to homosexuality have not been removed, it is logical to presume nothing will change. There exists a virulent homosexual subculture at many US seminaries and among the US Catholic clergy which is growing not decreasing.

Also certainly the priestly example of recently canonized men like, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Pio of Pieltracina and St. Josemaria Escriva along with the long pontificate and recent death of the exemplary in every way priesthood Pope John Paul II surely will attract many young men to the priesthood.

This statement at least with regard to Pope John Paul II is demonstrably false no matter how much Fr. McCloskey may admire the late Pope John Paul II. He was a simply awful disciplinarian and allowed the “wolves” to ravage his flock. He failed in his primary duty to protect them from doctrinal error and malevolent clerics whose actions threatened their very salvation. How one wishes that it were not so. Intellectual honesty forces us to admit the truth.

Mention should also be made of the gradual appearance in the US of the various new ecclesial realities so favored by Popes John Paul land Benedict are already providing vocations to the diocesan priesthood. the Neo-Catechumenate being the most notable in this regard.

The religious men and women (those taking vows) have even more precipitously declined in the US over this time period. In 1965, there were 22,707 priests; today there are 14,137 with a much high percentage of them well over the age of 65. . Religious brothers have gone from 12,271 to 5,451, and woman religious from the astounding number of 179,954 in 1965 to 68, 634 in 2005. I should mention here that the attrition in these number, as well as that of diocesan is not only due to deaths and a dearth of priestly or religious vocations but also a massive defection whether a sanctioned or not by the Church. Again we do not have time to analyze the multiple causes that caused this precipitous decline in belief and practice, the doubting into questions of faith and morals that was widely spread in the post-conciliar Church after the Council also led many priests and religious to abandon ship in to lay married life. Naturally this also has a depressing effect on the recruitment of response to a vocation by young men and women who had seen this exodus in full play. Quite clearly the abandonment or radical changes on the part of many religious congregations of their historical rules, community life, and clothing also had a deleterious effect both on perseverance and recruitment in vocations. There are many more women religious over the age of ninety than under the age of 30 in the US. The number of Catholic nuns, 180,000 in 1965, has fallen by 60%. Their average age is now 68. The number of teaching nuns has fallen 94% from the close of the Council. The number of young men studying to become members of the two principal teaching orders: the Jesuits and Christian Brothers have fallen by 90 percent and 99%, respectively. There is little sign of growth in this part of the Church in the US. However there are some signs of hope with the arrival of some new religious congregations and revival of others.

All of the above are further evidence of the general "rot" which occured post-Vatican II.

The only religious congregations showing signs of life and getting vocations are strongly faith evangelizing men's congregations like the Friars of the Renewal and the Legionaries of Christ. Among the women it is the same. those who wear full habit and have a strong prayer and community life are drawing many vocations; the Nashville Dominicans, and Mother Angelica's Poor Clares being outstanding examples. The traditional Carmels continue to draw a steady stream of young vocations.

We can now examine the state of what was in many ways, the pride and joy of the pre-Vatican Catholic Church in America: the educational system that extended from grammar school through hundreds (yes, hundreds) of Catholic colleges and universities. It is accurate to say that there had never been such an extensive, and at least in appearance, such a fundamentally sound, education system, in any place or at any time in the history of the Church. Elementary education was basically taken care of by the parish following the pioneering work of St. John Neumann. . The parish also directed many highs schools but there were also many directed by the armies of men and women religious. Virtually all of the high schools were single-sex while some were co-institutional i.e. boys and girls in the same building but educated separately. Naturally the combination of a stable marriages, relatively, large families, and strong catechesis produced not only vocations but also well formed men and women who lived their Fifth in a coherent way in there professional work, including politics and marital life. . That is all virtually gone now.

Almost half the Catholic schools open in 1965 have closed. There were 4.5 million students in Catholic schools in the mid-1960. Today there is about half that number. What is even more troubling is that those children still attending Catholic schools (grammar and high) are taught by lay poorly formed Generation X Catholics who often themselves have serious difficulties with aspects of Catholic doctrinal and moral life. Only 10 percent of lay religious teachers accept church teaching on contraception, 53 percent believed a Catholic woman could get an abortion and remain a good Catholic, 65 percent said Catholics have a right to divorce and remarry, and in a New York Times poll, 70 percent of Catholics ages 18-54 said they believed the Holy Eucharist was but a " symbolic reminder" of Jesus.

What more is required to demonstrate the complete failure in belief and practice of Catholic education and catechesis post-Vatican II? The majority of professing Catholics do not even believe what the Church teaches subsequent to the Council let alone the much more strict pre-Vatican II doctrinal corpus.

There are 224 existing Catholic colleges and universities formally recognized by the US Bishops as Catholic. Two of them, Georgetown and Notre Dame University are generally included among the top 25 universities in the US. . However the world " Catholic" tends to be very loosely applied with in many cases only the name and the statuary remaining to signify the Catholic origins of the universities. At least, if one judges the most important part of any catholic university to be the faithfulness of its theology departments, only some fifteen of the 224, less than 10% of the theology faculties as a whole have received the Mandatum" from the competent ecclesiastical authority as required by the Congregation of Catholic Education according the Apostolic Constitution on Higher Education (1990), Ex Corde Ecclesiae. "

One could ask why has the Vatican not insisted that "Catholic" colleges and universities insure full compliance with the Mandatum requirement in their departments of theology? This suggests that the Holy See is not serious about orthdoxy. Those which fail to achieve full compliance should no longer be allowed to use the "Catholic" moniker at all.

Nonetheless, there are signs of hope. Over the last thirty years or so, there have been a dozen or so Catholic colleges founded, in part, in reaction to the increasing secularization of the nominal Catholic institutions. Generally, they are flourishing even though still not large in the quantity of students attending. Franciscan University of Steubenville, The University of Dallas, and the newly founded Ave Maria University stand out among the larger faithful institutions, while Thomas Aquinas College and Christendom College stand out among the smaller schools. All of them have a required core curriculum for the liberal arts with theology and philosophy required. Another sign of hope among the larger universities is what appears to be a gradual return to Catholicity of Notre Dame University spurred in part by a new President and by generally better catechized student body and also by alumni demand for a return to faithfulness to the Church's teaching. Some other good signs are that bishops are in some case now informing colleges that they can no longer refer to themselves as Catholic and that there are at least six new Catholic colleges and universities under development.

These are all very favorable developments. They implicitly are based however upon a return to pre-Vatican II teaching if not explicitly so. Orthodoxy of belief and practice are core to their success albeit without a candid admission that the Vatican II (New Theology) is incompatible with Sacred Tradition.

However, none of these "positive" changes have been associated with any real criticism of those parts of the Second Vatican Council which conflict with Sacred Tradition. For the most part, even the more orthodox educational facilities tow the line in upholding the Council as a positive ecclesiological development. This suggests that there is a hollowness or shallowness to their appreciation of Traditional Catholicism in its splendor and entirety.

As we come to an end, we now can look at some of the quantitative participation of lay Catholics in the sacramental life. Before the Second Vatican Council, approximate 75% of Catholics attended Mass on Sundays. As of 2004 approximately 32% of American Catholic attend Mass every Sunday. On any given Sunday as many as 40% of American Catholics may be attending Mass even though some of them do not attend Mass regularly. Thus there are only more or less half as many Catholics attending Mass now as before the Council.

These statistics should tell us all we need to know about the contemporary Catholic Church. How could one not conclude that a very serious problem exists when over 50% of the Catholic population has abandoned regular Catholic worship many having abandoned a belief in God altogether?

This may also suggest that there really is no priest shortage at all although there clearly is a surplus of Church buildings since the practicing congregations are nowhere as near as large. This accounts for the multiples closing of parishes, particularly in the large metropolitan areas, over the last fifteen years.

Fr. McCloskey engages in some very spurious logic above.The reason why there may not actually be a priest shortage is that in the wake of Vatican II over 50% of Catholics have either abandoned the Church in favor of some other religion entirely or have effectively become secularists/atheists.

However, what is even more distressing is the American custom of virtually every layperson that attends Mass on Sundays also receives Holy Communion. Given the dramatic fall-off in the in the reception of the Sacrament of Penance and the drop in belief in the divine presence in the Eucharist, it is clear there are many objectively sacrilegious communions. Much work of catechesis is to be done.

This is all very true. Unfortunately, it is beyond reasonable doubt the direct effect of Vatican II ecclesiology which Fr. McCloskey seems to support overwhelmingly at least in theory but not in practice. The Conciliar documents and the post-Conciliar promulgation of same have all but removed the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass” as a foundational principle meaning that the Mass is no longer presented as a propitiatory sacrifice that is, a re-presentation in an extra space/time dimensional way of the salvific work that Christ performed on the Cross of Calvary as recompense to HIS father for the sins of the world.

Rather the Mass is most often referred to as a celebratory meal in which the "table" aspect has become the primary focus in almost complete contrast to the stressing of the “alter of sacrifice” which was intrinsic to the pre-Vatican II Mass. The latter development was purposeful as can be appreciated by noting that Protestant ministers were involved in altering the Sacred Liturgy in such a way as to make it more amenable to Protestant sensibilities, their main objection to the Mass being its sacrificial nature which they saw as barbaric even idolatrous. Why the Council Fathers who should have known better would have been willing to alter something so central to Catholic doctrine remains debatable. The best answer would appear to be that the Modernism which Pope St. Pius X opposed was able to rear its ugly head again in the form of the Neo-modernist Periti (now known as Progressivists) who ultimately prevailed over the theological conservatives at Vatican II.

Moreover, part and parcel of the New (post-Conciliary) Theology is the virtual disappearance of personal sin, the individual responsibility for same and the need to confess it to a Priest. Precious little discussion of Hell is found in the Conciliar documents and no anathemas were forthcoming from the Council which while presented as “Pastoral” contained much that was clearly Dogmatic/Doctrinal.

Also of interest from a cultural viewpoint are the voting patterns of American Catholics over the last forty years, there has been a clear shift towards the Republican party away from the Democratic party among Catholic voters. When the polls differentiate between church going and non-Church going Catholics, the Republican dominate by a wider margin among the Church going, and Democrats among the non-Church going. I would extrapolate the more orthodox in belief and regular in Church attendance the Catholic person, the more he votes for Republicans whose national platform particularly upon non-opinionable teachings, are clearly more in synch with the Church's teachings particularly on non-negotiable matters such as abortion, homosexuality, marriage, and embryonic experimentation.

This is only partly true. As outlined above, while the Catholic Church pays some lip service to the grave sinfulness of homosexual activity, the clergy virtually ignores the issue in the pulpit and in catechesis. Moreover, the post-Vatican II statements on homosexuality tend to legitimize the view that homosexual inclinations/tendencies are not in themselves morally wrong as if they do not represent the near occassion of sin. The idea that one could avoid acting on such inclinations--particularly if they are regarded as uncontrollable or somehow part of the individual's personna or outward affect--is simply naive in the extreme.

The Roman Catholic clergy and heirarchy leave the impression that homosexuality is simply normal for some people yet it represents an aberation which affects only 2% of the population when not encouraged or normalized. Similar statistics could be sited for other sexually related abberent behavior such as blatent promiscuity, heterosexual sodomy--which is now apparently engaged in to an even greater extent than that of the homosexual variety--due in large part to the widespread viewing of pornography in the developed West. These images depict multiple partners of both sexes engaging in both vaginal and anal intercourse often simultaneously in "3-some's." Such sexually aberrant behaviors are not yet considered entirely normal or legitimate among secularists yet some individuals are strongly motivated to engage in them. Bestiality has even become fashionable in some quarters yet to date it has not yet become "normalized." It seems that the Roman Catholic Church has accepted the homosexual personna but not that of those individuals who are driven to engage in other impure sexual practices which violate the natural law. Is such a distinction not hypocritical? It would seem to be contrary to right reason and must be corrected in such a way as to make it clear that sexual activity in order to be morally licit must be compatible with Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Natural Law.

Moreover, now that the Republican Party has become the predominate "war party" through its blatent "war mongering" and acceptance of preventive wars of aggression, the fact that regular church going Catholics are more likely to vote Republican is as morally deficient as those Catholics who vote Democratic knowing that the party supports unrestricted access to abortion, in-vitro fertilization and destructive embryo research on human beings. All of these are immoral practices according to Catholic teaching. Neither political party can righfully claim that its policy positions are compatible with Catholic teaching.

As regards the living out by American Catholic of the moral aspects of marriage and family, life the statistics available are somewhat less exact. Catholics are 30 percent less likely to divorce than the rest of the population. Active Catholics are 50% less likely to divorce than unaffiliated-secular Americans. About 20% of all Catholic marriage ends in divorce where at least one spouse attends Mass weekly.

If true, these statistics are encouraging. Yet, overall, Catholics have the same rates of divorce and abortion as the general population in most sociological studies. It would be nice if Fr. McCloskey provided some documentation for the assertions above. Unmarried Catholic women are known to contracept at the same rate as the general population and this is well-known on simply anecdotal grounds.

Unfortunately but not surprisingly Catholics tend to contracept the same as rest of the world Hence the number of children per family is not significantly different from non-Catholics. Catholics tend to have less abortions that the rest of the population but not by a large percentage. The key always is how to define Catholic. On these moral issues, there is a huge difference between the Catholic who worships weekly and the one who goes a few times a year. I would suggest that one of the major issues for the Church in the decades ahead would be clarity as to who is considered Catholic and who is not.

It would be more appropriate to clearly define what is Catholic and what is not in the realms of doctrine/dogma and praxis. This would no doubt include significant corrections to the Vatican II documents themselves where they are incompatible with Sacred Tradition or an outright rejection of same through a subsequent Vatican III corrective council.

This may result in a smaller but much more fervent and evangelizing Church. They will carry out the New Evangelization in the United States that can bear so much fruit in the 25 years ahead with the resulting positive impact throughout the globe.

Fr. McCloskey seems to have drawn the wrong conclusions from his own assembled data. In my opinion he is much too forgiving of the mess that is the post-Vatican II Catholic Church in failing to recognize the doctrinal incompatibilities with much of what was written in the documents there. The new view of the "Church of Christ" being broader than the Roman Catholic Church is but one example. Someone of his obvious intellect and gifts would be expected to derive a more realistic set of conclusions from the current almost completely negative fruits which have been forthcoming from the Second Vatican Council. Obviously, it is not easy to deal with the realization that something has gone terribly wrong with Roman Catholicism in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Maybe this is his attempt at putting the best interpretation he can muster on it. However, I believe his confidence is misplaced.

This article was originally published in the January 2006 issue of Palabra
(Madrid, Spain).