Solemn Reflections of a Traditional Catholic


Vatican Two at Sixty



As Catholics approach the 60th anniversary of  the Second Vatican Council is there an understanding of its effect on Catholic life? Pope John XXIII convened the council in 1962. Under his reign no conciliatory document was propagated. The Good Pope, as he was known, had noble intentions of bringing the Church into a post WWII society. It was his predecessor, Pope Pius VI, who propagated all 16  documents of the Council. Of those, the first, Sacrosanctum concilium (Reform of the Liturgy), was the most revolutionary. In the years that followed changes were made to the liturgical calendar, abstinence and fasting, the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours to name a few.


After the Second Vatican Council had ended it was reported that 100,000 men left the priesthood during the ensuing decade. The number of religious who left their communities was not far behind. This because the uniqueness of the Catholic Faith was compromised. In some Orders religious piety was discouraged. Bishops were equivocal in their interpretation of the new directives and often made bad decisions in their diocese. The priests that remained became nothing more than money-managers with Roman collars with the better ones assigned to the larger parishes. Sacraments were diminished with impunity. Marriage remained popular financially while Confessionals were relegated to closets. In some cases, sacramentals such as votive candles and devotional statues were removed to discourage after hours piety. The consequence of all this resulted in more time for the priest to indulge in secular pursuits. I believe this opened the door for parishioner abuse.


My monastic journey began shortly before the Second Vatican Council ended. Before leaving the novitiate, I witnessed changes that impacted my vocation. The horarium was altered. Distinction between priest and brother were eliminated. English was the preferred language except during the Divine Office where Gregorian Chant was retained. Silence was no longer mandatory and personal time was increased for prayer and Lectio Divina. As a result some monks left the monastery for much the same reasons priests were leaving the priesthood. The ideal of what it was to be a monk had changed. Not so much in the journey to follow Christ, but in the manner it was to be accomplished. The Catholic Faith had been watered down all for the sake of progress initiated by modernist clerics.


Today, secular Catholic life has only gotten worse. The current Pope and bishops show little charity towards Traditional Catholics who adhere to authentic tradition. It is my right to reject all Novus Ordo Mass gestures which are centered on the individual and not Christ. The clerical extremeists would have you rely on them for the formation of your conscience, but it is you, lest you forfeit your right, to formulate a conscience worthy of Our Lord. In times like these it is fundamentally necessary to rely on one's own 'spiritual conscience'. Prudence is a virtue which should be practiced in light of the above. Remember, novelty is the inspiration of the devil.



 
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