Spirit Of Vatican II Neutered The Papacy

Here's some food for thought.  This rings true.

The Best (Or Worst) Of The Spirit Of Vatican II

I suspect that if one watches this at least a few times during Lent, this will suffice as a form of mortification.  I saw a good bit of this as my middle and late childhood was boondoggled by this mess.  Being 12 years old, I didn't grasp the ramifications of it all, but when one spends a "religion" class listening to Andy Williams sing "Born Free" and learn what a saint Martin Luther King was (mind you, at that time he was still alive), the quantum change was hard to miss.

This video was made in 1968, in what can be called the halcyon days of the "revolution" (yes, that word is used in the video) of the "spirit of V-2".  You can see the headiness of the proponents of this schlock.  I don't recognize any of the clergy from so long ago, but wonder how many of them were put into the seminary by Bella Dodd et al.

At the 1:29:26 mark, you see the Archdiocese of Chicago prepare to abolish the key purpose of the existence of their parish schools: to form Catholics.  It's true that many non-Catholics were clamoring to get their children in Catholic schools, for it was no secret that the Catholic schools were outshining the public schools in all respects.  What these liberal priests refused to acknowledge that the schools' Catholic faith and mission regarding the salvation of the students that had as a beneficial side effect their academic excellence.  Sadly, many schools adopted this priest's foolish suggestion and thus undermined their own identity and excellence.

By the by, I understand that several airlines are dropping their vaccine mandates against their employees in the face of walk-outs by their would-be targets.  Doesn't that give us hope that if we stand firm, the attacks against the Traditional Latin Mass will likewise fail if we stand firm for the Mass of the Ages?  With that, I'm off to the Traditional Latin Mass.

What's So Great About Vatican II?

 Last Friday evening Michael Hichborn and Jim Maughan produced a video that documented why Vatican II, at best, produced no new pronouncements that are binding on the faithful.  Those who argue for adherence to the "spirit of Vatican II" (whatever that is) can point to no specific item that requires our assent.  

They delved into the background of Vatican II.  Apparently Pope John XXIII entrusted Cardinal Ottaviani to produce some schemas to set the tone for the upcoming conference.  Please understand that Cardinal Ottaviani was most definitely a voice for Tradition and the Deposit of Faith against Bugnini and others who were working to sabotage it.  I believe he is the reason why Canon 1 of the Mass, that is, the original canon, remains at least as an option eligible for  use.  Most of the traditional-friendly priests who celebrate the Novus Ordo Mass will use that Canon on Solemnities and Feast days.

The progressives in the Vatican at the time (probably masons and/or agents planted by Bella Dodd and her colleagues) managed to have Ottaviani's schemas sidelined.  It was thought that they were lost forever; fortunately that is not the case.  Here they are.  What happened to them should be none too surprising, given how Pope Francis disregarded input from the synods on the family and published his own prepared exhortations.  In fact, someone pointed out how quickly after his hospitalization the pope was able to ram through Traditionis Custodes.  Could that have been prepared before the pope's hospitalization and published for certain reasons?  Vox Cantoris has a hypothesis on that matter.

Given that theory about the pope's precarious health situation, it does seem reasonable to believe that he is fast-tracking the destruction of the Mass to turn it into a vehicle for this one-world-order dictatorship.  We know from Our Lord and Our Lady that the ultimate triumph will be theirs, but in the meantime, many souls will be put in danger of damnation.  We must be prayerful and ever ready to act and speak out.

The Smoke Of Satan Within The Church

Pope Paul VI is said to have uttered the phrase "the smoke of Satan is within the Church".  I believe he said this in the wake of the Vatican II conference and the wholescale destruction of much of Church tradition done in the so-called "spirit of Vatican II".  These days I believe we are seeing such smoke coming through several key avenues:

• The Vatican embrace of climate-change envirowhackoism as evidenced by last week's conference hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences
• The willingness of prelates to kowtow to the gay-mafia agenda, as evidenced by last October's sin-nod
• Vatican acquiesence towards Islam, as displayed by the pope's allowance of muslim prayers on Vatican property and by other strange behaviors towards islam (as evidenced by Cardinal McCarrick).
• Malevolence towards those upholding authentic tradition, evidenced in the suppression of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate and treatment meted out to faithful clergy such as Cardinal Burke and Father Guarnizo
• The involvement of the Vatican in partnerships with organizations that fund abortion, contraception, sterilization to the point of directing these organizations in their malevolent activities.
• The denial of the above-mentioned evils by obstinate pollyannas, who delight in denouncing the messenger rather than addressing the message

As an example of the last bullet-point, I present to you an article by George Weigel.  He seems to take great amusement, if not scorn, at the concerns raised by faithful Catholics regarding ominous signs that point towards Vatican embrace of UN climate-change and population control goals.  What he thought he was accomplishing with his mutation of the Gospel of Luke is beyond me.  He sneeringly points out that no one has read the soon-to-be-released article.  I must wonder if he bothered to read the report that was issued by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences (probably written by Jeffrey Sachs).  This report openly calls for embrace of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and population control.  I suppose the answer to my rhetorical question is "no", for that might force him to remove rose-colored glasses.

Looking at the second point, we are dismayed to learn that in London next Sunday, Cardinal Vincent Nichols will celebrate Mass especially for gays.  Nowhere in this article do we read that these homosexuals are living chastely and not engaging in perversion.  Nowhere do we read that they are receiving real pastoral help to live according to God's laws.  This is kowtowing to political correctness - at the expense of the souls of those gays who need the truth for their salvation.

In yesterday's Vortex, Michael Voris dwells on the loss of England to protestantism.  At 1:25 he asks how England could have fallen so quickly, then answers:  "Cowardice and political machinations of the bishops at the time."  The church was corroded from within by the smoke prevalent at that age.  We must pray that the smoke be removed and shine the light through it.

Being Aware Of Our Parish Practices

Through Facebook I came across this article that does a good job at explaining why some common

practices at Mass are not at all healthy.  I say this not to impugn anyone for I truly think well-meaning people just haven't been properly catechized.  I speak of hand-holding during Mass and laity praying in the "orans" position.  Only through my own study and conversations with other Catholics did I realize that I must cease these practices.

Today's Vortex gives some indications of a parish that may well be infested with "spirit of Vatican II" mentalities.  Please note that there is a world of difference between the actual proceeds of Vatican II versus this "spirit of Vatican II".  Note how many symptoms of that vile spirit are in your own.  I don't think Voris's list is exhaustive, either.

Pope Warns Against Progressivism And "Spirit Of Vatican II"

I came across these key announcements today of the Holy Father taking a stand against two serious maladies afflicting those within and outside the Church.

On November 18, he warned of an "adolescent progressivism", namely the world-wide push for a uniform secular ideology.  He cited the Book of Maccabees, the account of the Jews struggling against such an attempt by Antiochus.  By the way - the Jewish people will soon be celebrating Hannukah, a feast that commemorates a victory over that regime.

A day or so later, a letter that he wrote to Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, in which he made plain his agreement with the vision of Pope Benedict XVI for the Church in relation to Vatican II.  He militated against the so-called "spirit of Vatican II", that in the minds of so many dissidents takes precedence over the actual documents of Vatican II.

These are developments worth noting.

Father Orsy At St John The Baptist

Yesterday the periodical "Our Parish Times" was distributed with the parish bulletins.  On page 7 appeared an article on the address given by Father Landislas Orsy, SJ, at St John the Baptist Church in Silver Spring.  I saw he that he is currently at Georgetown.  Right there the combination of "Jesuit" and "Georgetown" raised the proverbial red flags.  The address focused on the Vatican II Council, but first I'll give some other details about his publicized opinions.

I blogged previously on the courageous action of Bishop Thomas Olmsted in pronouncing excommunication on Sister Margaret Mary McBride for her direct aiding and abetting of abortion.  In America magazine (where else?) Father "declared" that excommunication to be "null and void".  I believe the Vatican has given their opinion on this excommunication, but I'll elaborate at the end of this post.

Two months ago America interviewed Father for his comments regarding the council.  Notice how he defines an "ecumenical council" as "human reality and saving mystery".  Hmmm - a rather curious definition for an "ecumenical council"; one might call it overly lofty.  But that's not all!  It's a "tsunami of the faith"!  Why is it that so many people like to co-opt the word "tsunami" for their own pet fantasies?  Now listen closely at the 11:00 mark; it seems that he is claiming that the bishops operate independently of the Holy Father.  Click here if you can't see embedded video.

I am not at all surprised that this church would invite him to offer commentary.  Several years ago I had to attend Mass at St John the Baptist.  Right from the beginning I knew I was in for an atrocity.  Immediately after the priest processed in, he stated that before he would begin Mass, we all had to "greet" each other.  Immediately the musicians broke out into a piece that I can only describe as lounge/elevator music while people milled about the nave, back-slapping and howdy-doing each other.  I cringed, and the worst was yet to come.  It turns out that during that very Mass a little girl was making her First Holy Communion.  She looked like the typical First Communicant with white dress and veil.  As Father began the Canon, he caller her to join him beside the altar.  He then asked her to "help" him with the words of the Consecration!  Naturally her family and most of the congregation were all smiles and giggles over this blasphemy.  Of course the little girl was innocent in all of this; in fact, it was she who was the most ill-served in all of this as she received an abysmal example of how to trivialize Mass - and at a time that should have been one of the most holy in her life.

Here is the news regarding Bishop Olmsted to which I alluded earlier.  The Vatican Insider reports that he is slated to become the new Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Religious Life.  No doubt the Vatican approves of Bishop Olmsted's handling of the Sister McBride scandal (no doubt to Father Orsy's chagrin).  In his new role, Bishop Olmsted will have much influence over the governance of Catholic religious life.  While the Diocese of Phoenix will miss him, we know that Sister McBride, Sister Simone Campbell, and the rest of that cabal will be quaking in their polyester pant suits - and hopefully come to repentance.

Vortex Series On Council Of Trent

Actually the Vortex series started yesterday.  As that video was merely introductory in nature, I saw little point to posting that.

In this clip, Voris makes a point in delineating the differences between the Council of Trent and Vatican II.  He correctly states that the Council of Trent was a dogmatic council, meaning that the proceeds of that council were to be taken as infallible teachings of the Church, while Vatican II was a pastoral council, not intended to produce dogmatic statements.  I must take some issue with Voris at the 1:43 mark, when he describes the Vatican II documents as being "somewhat squishy" and "causing no end of consternation among the faithful".  I certainly agree that many have misinterpreted (sometimes deliberately) those documents and have made overly-much of the "spirit of Vatican II".  However, I think it a grave error to impugn the Vatican II documents themselves as being inherently faulty.  Vatican II may not have held the same weight as Trent, but it was still a Church council and must be respected as such.

That being said, I look forward to hearing more about the Council of Trent, convened to deal with encroaching protestantism among other things.  Click here if you cannot see embedded video.

The USCCB And Pogo

That is the title of an article written by my friend and Catholic Media Coalition colleague, Jim Fritz of Defenders of the Faith (headquartered in West Virginia).  Now follows the article...

Many readers will remember the famous quotation from an animal character named Pogo by cartoonist Walt Kelly back in the 1950s, “We have met the enemy and they are us.”  Set in the Okefenokee Swamp of the southeastern United States, the strip often engaged in social and political satire through the adventures of its anthropomorphic funny animal characters. As stated by one biographer of Kelly, “It perfectly sums up his attitude towards the foibles of mankind and the nature of the human condition.” There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blast on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, but he may be us.

Perhaps the U,S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has finally realized that the enemy is the bishops themselves.  After decades of the bishops supporting liberal social policies, they must now realize who the real enemy is. During the last election, Catholics voted for Obama by 54 percent. The bishops promoted this by (1) their support of the health care law which is now resulting in mandates requiring religious employers to pay insurance coverage of birth control and abortifacients; (2) ignoring canon 915; and, (3) issuing a ridiculous, incorrect, and totally useless document titled, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.

When did this all begin? 

The Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II) addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. No one can really state that Vatican ll caused the decline of the Catholic Church; however, the fifty years since the end of Vatican ll have been a disaster for the Church. The number of priests has greatly declined even as the population has increased. The religious women have had an even greater decrease in numbers and those who are left have drifted so far from Church teaching they are now not even recognizable as nuns - especially those who sport business suits and mannish haircuts. Catholic schools have closed by the hundreds, and many parents refuse to send their children to those that remain open. Only a handful of Catholic colleges can really be classified as Catholic. After Notre Dame awarded an honorary law degree to Barack Obama it was renamed “Notre Shame” by true Catholics and even some Protestants. There are currently Pro-Homosexual (Pride) Clubs at 107 Catholic Colleges. Bankruptcies have occurred in eight dioceses due to the sexual abuse scandal. And the list goes on and on and on.

Correcting Abuses Of Vatican II

A little clarification on this post title is in order.  I do not mean that the Council itself was abusive.  I am saying that the proceeds of the Council, good in and of themselves, have been abused by progressives who have corrupted then co-opted them to their own nefarious ends.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider is addressing these matters head-on.  The translation of Schneider's statements, mentioned in this Vortex, is here.  As you listen to Voris speak of Liberation Theology being thinly disguised Marxism, think back to yesterday's vote in the House, and the USCCB's reaction to the prospect of Obama Hell Scare being repealed.  Why else would the USCCB want to keep that draconian Obamacare mess on the books?  Guadium et Spec speaks against such attitudes.  If you wish, this blog does link to the Vatican website on the right bar.  Voris also states that the Pope, along with bishops in communion with him, are the only authentic interpreters of Church teaching - not the USCCB, nor RCIA, etc.  So again, what business did the USCCB have in prattling about firearm ownership by citizens?

Click here if you can't see embedded video.

Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi

The English meaning behind the title is "How you pray impacts how you believe which impacts how you live".  In this special segment produced by Real Catholic TV, Michael Voris examines the history of how the Mass and its theology was undermined by certain key players in the Second Vatican Council.  I do urge you to invest the two hours that it will take to watch it, and to review the supplemental materials supplied on the web page.  Due to its length, embedding is impossible.  However, please follow this link.  It is a two-part seriies.  Spread word of this.

Baby Boomers to Blame for Catholic Shambles?

Now that you've watched this, here is why I must take some exception to Voris's indictment of the so-called "baby boomer" generation.  To start, it is commonly held that the "baby boomers" were born after the World War II soldiers returned to their wives and started to have children galore.  It is these children who are the "baby-boomer" generation, born from around 1946 to maybe 1960 or so.

Voris implies that this generation was somehow responsible for promulgating "the spirit of Vatican II".  I don't see how this assertion can be logical.  This council was held from October 1962 to November 1965.  Many of the baby boomer generation were still in grammar school.  The older boomers were, at most, 20 years of age - hardly old enough to exert any influence on anything.  Granted, that generation did carry that torch - but only after that generation itself had been intellectually and spiritually victimized.

To illustrate, I'll use myself as an example.  I was born in 1956 and went to Catholic grade school.  Up until the time I was 11 years old, the education was decent enough.  However, even at my young age, I could discern the paradigm shift that occurred as I entered 6th grade.  Obviously there was precious little I could do about it as a child.  Even in high school, I was helpless to do much about it as I watched disgruntled priests literally decimate the faith of several classmates.  Some would say we were a spoiled generation, and I'd say that's true; but I'd also ask in rejoinder, "Who spoiled us?"

Voris then says that we are fading from the scene - and then gives the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin as an example.  Example of the "fading baby boomers"?  Not!  Joseph Bernardin was born in 1928.  Whatever else he may have been, he was not a baby-boomer.

I go through all this not to defend "my" generation, as it were, but to avoid what may be shallow and simplistic diagnoses of the reasons behind the cultural decline that is all too evident.  Yes, the baby boomers did their part and carried that destructive torch, but who handed the torch to us?  The corruption of Catholic education began a long time ago; I feel personally cheated of my heritage as I was forced to make those wretched felt banners and to have my religion classes turned into "explore your inner feeling sessions".  We've got to look back at the forces of Modernism (Pope St Pius X was dead-on right about this menace).  We've got to look at other forces, such as freemasonry, humanism and socialism.  I could go on and on, because the roots of this situation are so deep and intertwined.  Let's never be satisfied with simplistic ideas, but always be ready to dig deeper.

The Myth of the "Good Enough" Catholic

There's no doubt that many of us have wondered how the Catholic Church today has been reduced to a pathetic shadow of what she was a mere hundred years ago - or even fifty.  I've spent some time reading about the matter to try to understand the myriad influences, both internal and external, that have contributed to the Church's obvious decline (and western civilization's too, for that matter).  On the website, I've listed some books to read and now repeat those recommendations.  In addition, please examine the Land O'Lakes Statement that has provided the game plan for undermining Catholic higher education and the various versions of the Humanist Manifesto (the first one was signed by John Dewey, reputed "father of American public education").  I also recommend the book "Behind the Lodge Door" by Paul A. Fisher.  Google the title and many sites (including Amazon) appear, from where you can order the book.  In that book is discussed the many ways that Freemasonry has had detrimental impacts on American culture.  I'd also recommend the dvd movie "Maafa 21" that details the rise of the pro-death movement in America.  Hint: watch the movie and read Fisher's book together; there are common linkages!

So now that I've described some detrimental and even demonic influences upon American and Catholic culture, did all that mean we were doomed sitting ducks?  I think not, but that means more questions must be answered.  Consider the generation that fought in World War II, the so-called "Greatest Generation."  Now let me be clear; they did indeed, at great sacrifice, fend off and defeat some of the worst totalitarians ever to walk the earth.  Because of them, civilization was saved - for the time being.  Yet we must admit that much mischief happened just a few years later, when this Greatest Generation had laid aside its military uniforms and weapons and took their places in political offices.  Under their watch, Lyndon Johnson foisted the so-called "Great Society" with its destructive welfare system on us.  Crime skyrocketed.  To top things off, the Roe v Wade decision came down, courtesy of justices appointed by presidents who were WWII veterans.  We can only conclude that they were indeed asleep at the switch.  It seems that many (not all!) forgot that "the price of liberty is eternal vigilance" - with emphasis on the word "eternal".

While I think that much can be explained by Carlin's book (again, check the website book list), something more fundamental went awry.  In the December issue of Homiletic and Pastoral Review is an article written by John Young entitled "From Order to Chaos in Ten Years".  (It's not online yet, but when it is, I'll post the link.)  He points out that the current problems in the Church didn't just magically appear during the turbulent 1960s.  He mentions that Pope St Pius X understood the problem of modernism and issued Pascendi Dominici Gregis.  His encyclical was followed by Pope Pius XII's encyclical Hamani Generis. (Go to the side bar to see encyclicals from Leo XIII onward).

He then talks of his experience of Catholicism in his life and his fellow Catholics.  I was a child during that time, but a fairly observant one.  I can corroborate what Young says based on my own observations.  He points out that while the "rank and file" Catholic during the 1950s generally didn't question what they were taught, they really didn't have a deep grasp of the truths of their faith.  They (like I) could recite the Baltimore Catechism, but couldn't give answers that represented intellectual depth and integration of the truths into their personal lives. They didn't take it seriously.  They did not strive for the highest level of sanctity that they could achieve.  In a word, they didn't make the Faith to heart and make it their own.  In fact, while they may have accepted the directives of the Magisterium in matters of faith and morals, many of them chafed under what they thought were joy-robbing restrictions.  This was particularly true in matters pertaining to sexuality.

At that time, the 1930 Lambeth Conference had already occurred - that conference in which the Anglicans shamed themselves by admitting the usage of contraception.  After the Vatican II conference (and the various misinterpretations regarding it), many matters of discipline were relaxed (fasting before Communion, etc).  There was talk of the Church admitting the usage of contraception.  Of course, that didn't happen - Humanae Vitae happened instead.

I write all this to explain what I believe are the reasons for the faith of Catholics melting like snow in hell during the 1960s: how fairly loyal Catholics could just fall like dominoes into rebellion against the True Church and ultimately against Our Lord Himself.  They did not make heaven their ultimate aim in life.  They did not make holiness a prime personal goal.  I think Mr. Young's lessons are worth the read.

Advent started today, as did a new liturgical year.  This would be an excellent time to take stock, to make the Kingdom of God our ultimate aim.  There is no such thing as a "good enough" Catholic.  The minute anyone thinks he or she is "good enough", that may well be a warning sign of complacency or worse.

Sioux City Bishop calls for exorcism of false "spirit of Vatican II"

Most Reverend R. Walter Nickless has been the Bishop of Sioux City (IA) for four years. On October 15th, he released his first pastoral letter Ecclesia Semper Reformanda (The Church Is Always in Need of Renewal). I urge its study; it is an excellent reflection on some mis-applications of Vatican II and what needs to be done to correct some of the resultant damage. He sets these measures forth as "pastoral priorities for the Diocese of Sioux City".

First is the renewal of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, both in and out of Mass, emphasizing the need for Confession and devotion to the Blessed Mother. In this section he touches upon reverence at Mass and respect for traditions. He reminds folks of the need for Confession in the case of mortal sin before receiving Communion. He exhorts his priests to schedule more frequent and convenient hours for Confession, and to preach on the need for Confession.

As a next priority, he posits the need for catechesis on all levels, beginning with adults. He acknowledges that two generations now have a poor grasp of their faith and this must be remedied through study of the Magisterium and the Catechism.

The next two priorities are the strengthening of the family and the fostering of vocations. I won't go into these here, as I do urge you to read this document for yourselves. It does bear special mention, however, that Bishop Nickless reminds us what the Holy Father has said about the so-called "spirit of Vatican II". The Holy Father said that the meaning of Vatican II is to be found only in the Vatican II documents themselves and that the so-called 'spirit' of the Council has no authoritive interpretation. It is a ghost or demon that must be exorcised if we are to proceed with the Lord's work." What is in italics is a direct quote from the last few sentences of section II of Bishop Nickless' letter.

Let us pray that this is a trend that will spread like wild fire!