You are way too pessimistic. Finally the Vatican is doing something about dissent, and traditionalists ought to be encouraging them, not criticizing or bringing up the same old pet peeves of the last forty years. You ought to be celebrating. This is what gives other people the impression that traditionalists are Gloomy-Guss-es with nothing good to say about anything.
In my defense, I did state that the assessment “ought to be applauded for what it’s worth.” However, to pretend that the Vatican has suddenly swooped down, like some superhero of orthodoxy, to curb dissent and safeguard the faithful after only recently learning of the dissent, is disingenuous at best. The “Vatican” has known about the ridiculous behavior of the LWCR for upwards of forty years. The bishops and the CDF have received complaints, conducted investigations, and discussed the LWCR going all the way back to the 1970s. There is a long history of discussion and even corrective measures on the part of the “Vatican” and bishops, and an equally long history of the LWCR openly thwarting, ignoring and disrespecting the same bishops and the Vatican’s corrective measures. Still, the LWCR continued to act with impunity for almost the entire post-Conciliar period. This article highlights the long, contentious history of the LWCR.
How is it possible that such blatant dissent and disrespect, and the most audacious spouting of rank heresy could continue within the confines of “full communion” for so long? And remember, even now, the sisters who have “moved beyond Christ” are STILL, at this very moment, STILL! in “full communion”, that "full communion" that is so important to the post-Conciliar Church! How is this possible given the contents of the assessment? The simplest and most obvious answer is that for every single opponent of the LWCR in the Church’s modern hierarchy there has been (and continue to be!) one proponent of the LWCR in the Church’s modern hierarchy. In the 1970s and 1980s we can be sure there were MORE proponents than opponents.
The fundamental problem with the LWCR is not that they are degenerate dissenters and heretics. Throughout the history of the Church there have always been degenerate dissenters and heretics, and many times those heretics have ensconced themselves in whole regions, making themselves significant adversaries of Catholic truth. The history of the Church is riddled with the deprivations of heretics, some even more sinister than the sisters of the LWCR that have “moved beyond Christ”.
No! the fundamental problem with the LWCR episode is that we live in a time when the Church’s hierarchy most of the time refuses to condemn errors and those who espouse and propagate the same errors, and on the rare occasion that they do condemn an error or two, they refuse to separate the heretics from the fold, but continue to grant them that precious “full communion” with the Church. The history of the post-Conciliar Church is characterized by the shepherds refusing to drive away the wolves. Ironically the same shepherds rarely failed in the past to drive away, persecute and then excommunicate good and holy traditional Catholics, who did nothing more than embrace the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church and the Church’s Magisterium prior to the insanity ushered in by the Second Vatican Council.
Fully realize, dear readers, that the post-Conciliar church leaders would condemn and drive away even Dom Prosper Guéranger if he were today to say out loud what he wrote in the 19th century for today's feast day of St. Anselm. We are in the midst of a crisis. That crisis is not over just because the “Vatican” now pesters traditionalists with “talks” over the fact that the same traditionalists have preserved traditional doctrine and practice, or just because the “Vatican” harshly assesses a group of rank heretics to whom they continue to hallow with, and have given no indication they will yank them from, “full communion.”
So, please forgive me for not jumping for joy that the “Vatican” has suddenly swooped down like superheroes to save us from the LWCR. They have done nothing of the sort. I applaud the CDF for the assessment. It’s better than nothing, but can we expect any kind of real reform if the same church leaders continue to bare their teeth toward those who truly love Our Blessed Lord and His Church, while continuing to praise “with gratitude the great contribution” of a pack of rank heretics?
The current rebellion was predicted in II Thessalonians ii. We were told that it had to come. The son of perdition (ruin) would be revealed. What we did not know is that the SOP would start a dynasty.
ReplyDeleteA fine article.
ReplyDeleteMany Catholics, who have been viewing the vast wasteland that Catholicism has become, will become joyful at overenthused about any little crumbs that fall from the table of the CDF. It's understandable, given the doctrinal starvation diet the Church has had us on for over a century now, and one can sympathize with them.
But you have looked at the problem with a realistic eye, and that, really, is the most prudent way.