" PAST " BOLDLY BACK FROM THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS

 

 

Venerable Pope John Paul II THE GREAT

   The high-jacking of the public perception of what the Second Vatican Council taught was accomplished by a small coterie of mostly North European prelates with the all too willing collaboration of the mainstream media, and the fundamentally subversive operations of the later Archbishop Annibale Bugnini.

The following extract from the writings of Father Hubert Jedin (1900-1980) shows how subtly such operators have worked in the past.Father Jedin was perhaps the most respected and accomplished Church historian of his time. Reflection on it, shows just how much we owe to the workings of the Holy Spirit in bringing to St.Peter's Chair Pope John Paul the Great. We see how, despite the gravity of the situation and the obstruction of those who sought not the hermeneutic of continuity, but of rupture, he began boldly to lead the Church back from the edge of the abyss of schism. In this historic struggle, his constant co-worker of the Truth was none other than Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now - as the phrase used to be - gloriously reigning as Pope Benedict XVI.

Father Hubert Jedin (1900 - 1980)

Father Jedin :

"We know to-day that the inner process of the (Lutheran) schism lasted not years but decades. Melanchthon and Calvin claimed to be "Catholic"until the end of their lives, while the adherents of the old Faith were calumniated as "papists". The faithful long clung to the Mass and to their Saints, but the church regulations introduced by Lutheran magistrates took over many Catholic customs - even processions and pilgrimages.

The bulk of the simple faithful never understood that the "Reformation"was not a reform but the construction of a new church set up on a different basis. In retrospect, one must therefore maintain: the schism of the Church succeeded by nothing so much as by the illusion that it did not exist. That illusion was widespread in Rome and in the German episcopate, among many theologians, among the majority of clergymen and among the people."

As the likes of Cardinals, Mahony (Los Angeles) and Martini (Milan) and Daneels ( Brussels) and others including numerous lesser episcopal small fry - not a few close to home - shuffle or prepare to shuffle out of the Sanctuary, we thank Our Lord and His Vicars on Earth  Venerable Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for their patient and persistent teaching and leadership of Christ's Church back from the brink of disaster, and seeing off the leaders of rupture and revolt.These latter men were the spiritual heirs of the "modernists"who fought Pope Saint Pius X. The immediate heirs of those men lay "in the long grass" during the two World Wars and the intervening Great Depression,but continued to surreptitiously spread their poison. Then when Vatican II came along their heirs in turn saw their chance.

Pope Benedict XVI

Gentlemanly and  humble, despite his powerful intellect and decades as the Pope's right hand man, Cardinal Ratzinger seemed to the world an unlikely choice to take up the Pastoral Staff which death had  taken from Pope John Paul's hand. But vindicating the Holy Spirit's guidance, the ageing ( now 83 yrs)  Benedict XVI has proven to be the very man to understand what had been achieved and to further and consolidate the work. The enemies of  the unity desired by Christ have been thwarted and the Pope of Christian Unity is even succeeding in bringing lost sheep back to the more and more united fold.

" PAST " LOOKING -BACK 41 YEARS AND FORWARD 1 YEAR

 

POPE PAUL VI

 Pope Paul VI in General Audience in 1969 , concerning the revised liturgy: "We may notice that pious persons will be the ones most disturbed, because, having their respectable way of listening to Mass, they will feel distracted from their customary thoughts and forced to follow those of others............Not Latin, but the spoken ( vernacular)language, will be the main language of the Mass. To those who know the beauty, the power, the expressive sacrality of Latin, its replacement by the vulgar language is a great sacrifice : we lose the discourse of the Christian centuries, we become almost intruders and desecrators ( intrusi e profani) in the literary space of sacred expression, and we will thus lose a great portion of that stupendous and incomparable artistic and spiritual fact that is the Gregorian Chant. We will thus have, indeed, reason for being sad,and almost for feeling lost: with what will we replace this angelic language? It is a sacrifice of inestimable price. The Holy Father went on nevertheless, to explain why he believed the change necessary.
COMMENT
Looking back 41years,on the First Sunday of Advent (as last Sunday was also) we come to the introduction of the Novus Ordo ( now the Ordinary  Form of the Roman Rite). This saw the phasing out of the traditional Latin Mass ( now the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) in most situations.

The strongest advocates for the Novus Ordo are usually keen spirit of the Council folk (usually elderly clerics, far less often lay folk). But it will be instructive to read what the Council Fathers themselves actually said:

Concelebrated Novus Ordo in St Stephen's Cathedral Brisbane
Note pride of place in the Sanctuary taken by the organ ( a beautiful sound
in an unsound location) and the absence of a Crucifix - replaced by a beardless curly headed figure
of a youth (a surfer?) apparently nailed by one hand to a railway sleeper, dangling above the Altar.

 

 

Second Council of the Vatican-

Sacrosanctum Consilium:

36.1 Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin Rites.

36.2 But since the use of the Mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the Sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters.

36.3 These norms being observed, it is for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22.2 to decide whether and to what extent, the vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved, that is confirmed , by the Apostolic See.And, whenever it seems to be called for, this authority is to consult with the bishops of neighbouring regions which have the same language.

54. In Masses which are celebrated with the people, a suitable place may be allotted to their mother tongue. This is to apply in the first place to the readings and the "common prayer", but also as the local conditions may warrant, to those parts which pertain to the people, according to the norm laid down in Art. 36 of this Constitution.

Nevertheless , steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing those parts of the Ordinary of The Mass which pertain to them.

And wherever a more extended use of the mother tongue within the Mass appears desirable, the regulation laid down in Art. 40 of this Constitution is to be observed.

55,The more perfect form of participation in the Mass whereby the faithful, after the priest's communion, receive the Lord's body from the same sacrifice is strongly commended.

The dogmatic principles which were laid down by the Council of Trent remaining intact (40) , communion under both kinds may be granted when the bishops think fit, not only to clerics and religious, but also to the Laity in cases to be determined by the Apostolic See, as, for instance, to the newly ordained in the Mass of their sacred ordination, to the newly professed in the Mass of their religious profession, and to the newly baptised in the Mass which follows their baptism.

(Thanks to Rorati Caeli Blog for re-drawing the above to our attention.)

  

 

 

COMMENT

That is what the Holy Spirit moved the assembled Council Fathers to require.

We all know what happened. Those are the Council's clearly expressed requirements, and it is not only in these areas that the Council's requirements were disregarded e.g. its very narrow proposal for limited concelebrations.

Archbishop Annibale Bugnini ( who drove the change process) used a cynically superb technique to demolish the existing order. Apparently reasonable exceptions or limited concessions were envisaged but he set up the situation in which they quickly became the rule.No matter what the letter of the Council's wishes might be, the false "spirit of the Council"was always available to subvert them and frustrate their application.

We  lament with Pope Paul VI"( mention of the "smoke of Satan"- address 29th June, 1972),we praise Pope John Paul the Great who set the scene for reform and began it, and rejoice in Pope Benedict XVI and his efforts - steady and inspiring - to implement the Reform of the "Reform"

LOOKING AHEAD

And now, we can look ahead with hope and joyful anticipation, to the same First Sunday in Advent next year 2011: for then we will see the introduction of the new CORRECTED translation of the Order of the Mass thus bringing an end to the botched Old ICEL( before its reform) translation we have endured for 41 years. Then we shall have an accurate translation , and sacral language to dignify it.

This is a large first step in the reform. We hope in time to see :

 

 the restoration of celebration "ad orientem", with the Priest leading the congregation in addressing the Lord and not distractedly facing them, 

 

the abolition of Holy Communion in the hand and 

 

the abolition of  routine use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion."Brick by Brick " says Father John Zuhlsdorf the blogging great at WDTPRS.

God Bless Pope Benedict XVI!

Copyright. This is an amended version of an article appearing in the January 2010 issue of FOUNDATION.

The reverence of the pre Novus Ordo liturgy - our aim.

"SALT" AND "LIGHT"

Now that we have completed our overview of PORTA FIDEI, we return to the text for careful reflection.

Vicar of Christ on Earth, Pope Benedict recalls Our Lord’s expectation of His disciples and calls us to reflect on how dire the situation might be if we do not meet the Saviour’s expectations.

On the Mount of the Beatitudes

But what were they? 

Let us recall the times and the scene: Jesus had been preaching and teaching in Galilee with great effect. So great indeed, that people were flocking to hear Him from all over Galilee and the Decapolis, from Judea and Jerusalem itself, from Syria and even from across the Jordan. So great were the numbers, that Jesus ascended a low mountain which, even to-day, commands a wide plain. From here he delivered the Sermon on the Mount and gave the world the Beatitudes.

 But after the Divine revelation of the Beatitudes, He had still more to say to the disciples, listen to the Lord of the World as He speaks:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.”(Matt. 5:13) 

He goes on: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in Heaven. ( Matt.  5: 14-16)

Jesus‘ expectations of those disciples in far off Galilee some 2,000 years ago are the very same for us to-day, it is as if we were sitting at His feet on that slope and , eyeball to eyeball with God made man. An electrifying thought!

The Holy Father moves our thoughts along. He recalls the Samaritan woman at the well and says that we must, like her, get close to Jesus and draw from Him, the water of salvation. In Jesus we must renew our knowledge and realization of the Word of Life and the Bread of Salvation. In this call by the Holy Father, and reflecting on his remarks shortly before, we see a great reality. We can never assume that “we have arrived” at the fullness of Christian life, rather, we must always be striving to grow in our knowledge and closeness to Christ. 

This is true not only for the individual but for the Church as a whole. For the society in which we live is continually evolving, often in ways that are not immediately apparent, but over time, come to confront us with unpalatable situations. In very recent years, in many places, the social order was well founded on Christian principles. Over time these have been subverted to the point where they are now openly challenged. So there can be no standing still in the Christian life .We must live in reality as “the salt of the earth” instilling and defending what is right and be the “light of world” leading men to Christ.

VICAR OF CHRIST POPE BENEDICT XVI

For this reason the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict has announced the YEAR OF FAITH:

The YEAR OF FAITH will commence on 11th October, 2012.  But why this date?

It is the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

From the very beginning of his Pontificate, The Holy Father has been deliberate in his efforts to correct and root out the false “spirit of the Council” concept which relies upon a Hermeneutic of Rupture – spreading the false idea that the Council radically broke with the Church’s Tradition and brought into being a New Church – thus its servants speak of “the pre- Vatican II Church” and “the Post-Conciliar Church”. His Holiness has definitively refuted this proposition. By careful argument he has shown that in fact the only true view of the Council’s reality is provided by the adoption of a Hermeneutic of Continuity.

 For the Church is in fact the same throughout all time .Christ established one Church to last until He come again. No Council has the power to alter her Divine constitution or her infallibly taught Doctrine. Vatican II certainly did not. Nor did it do, or require many of the aberrations attributed to “the spirit of the Council”. Pope Benedict sees rightly that the Council was the work of the Holy Spirit and therefore he is keen to recover its authentic teachings, which have often been obscured by the fabrications of the false “spirit of the Council” activists. So by commencing the YEAR OF FAITH on the 50th Anniversary of the day the Council opened, he is drawing attention to the importance of the authentic teaching of the Council in the life of Faith.

For the same reason Blessed Pope John Paul II launched the Catechism of the Catholic Church on that same day and 2012 will see the 20th Anniversary of that great achievement – an authentic fruit of the Council as Pope Benedict reminds us.

The YEAR OF FAITH will end on 24th November, 2013 the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Universal King. It will provide a year of particular reflection upon, and re-discovery of the Catholic Faith. A proper relationship with Christ in the Church which He founded- the one true Church – will always recognize this Universal Kingship of Christ. ( In fact it is emphasised in the Title of our sister Blog VEXILLA REGIS and in its sub-title : VEXILLA REGIS – “The BANNERS OF THE KING” and, CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT, CHRISTUS IMPERAT, CHRISTUS AB OMNI MALO PLEBEM SUAM DEFENDAT  - “CHRIST CONQUERS, CHRIST REIGNS, CHRIST RULES , CHRIST FROM ALL EVIL DEFENDS HIS PEOPLE”) http://vexilla-regis.blogspot.com/

Pope Benedict also recalls that in October, 2012 the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops he has convened will have as its theme “THE NEW EVANGELISATION FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH”

He also asks us to note that in 1967 his Predecessor Pope Paul VI also announced a YEAR OF FAITH to commemorate the 19th centenary of the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. Pope Paul saw it as a “consequence of the Council and a necessity of the post Conciliar period”. Pope Paul recognised the particular problems of that time, of universal political and societal upheaval and of difficulties in the profession of the true Faith and its correct interpretation. To-day, in very different times, the crises though different are no less acute and Faith is in need of renewal and re-invigoration as always.

In succeeding posts we will continue to follow the development of the Holy Father’s thought in PORTA FIDEI.