Tuesday, May 27, 2008

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...

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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.

What/Where is the Roman Catholic Church?

In light of Traditional Catholic dogma/doctrine, how should the Second Vatican Council be viewed ? Is it consistent with Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and prior Magisterial teaching?

What explains the tremendous amount of "bad fruit" which has been forthcoming since the close of the Council in 1965? “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16)

This site explores these questions and more in an attempt to place the Second Vatican Council in proper perspective.