The Holy Spirit is Wrong Wrong Wrong
People who know what the Church should be (or is, it just doesn't know it) are wailing and gnashing their teeth because the Holy Spirit, it seems, has other ideas. Benedict XVI is a disappointment because he hasn't yet returned us to the state of the true Church (which, evidently involves ignoring everything else the Holy Spirit has done in the last fifty or so years of the Church's history). John XXIII--mistake, Vatican II--mistake, Paul VI--mistake, John Paul II--mistake. With the election of Benedict XVI, they thought the Holy Spirit had finally gotten it right. But the returns are in and it seems that the Holy Spirit screwed that one up too.
Karen shares one such assessment with us:
"No doubt our pope is a good person and probably very pious but he is not a conservative in the sense of a pre-Vatican II orthodox Catholic. He will not undo the damage created in the name of the "spirit of Vatican II". He will enforce Paul VI mass, he will maintain the new face of the Church because that is what his whole life has been about.
Unfortunately for the Church what is needed as a true orthodox pope, willing to be forceful, determined and capable of re-establishing the Tradition of the Church. The breed of cardinal and bishops product of the sixties, like our current Pope saw themselves as reformists building bridges to modernity. The true orthodox hierarchy of the past saw themselves as preservers of the Tradition, handed down from our Lord Jesus Christ to the Apostles, Church Fathers and continuing in the Church throughout generations.
The virus of modernity has so infected the Church that is doubtful it will return to the Tradition of the Fathers and perhaps the remnant orthodox will find places like the Society Pious X to preserve them." (Original comment posted here.)"
She also adds her thoughts on the matter.
My question: If the Holy Spirit could be mistaken so many times, might they be mistaken too? I'm just saying . . .
Karen shares one such assessment with us:
"No doubt our pope is a good person and probably very pious but he is not a conservative in the sense of a pre-Vatican II orthodox Catholic. He will not undo the damage created in the name of the "spirit of Vatican II". He will enforce Paul VI mass, he will maintain the new face of the Church because that is what his whole life has been about.
Unfortunately for the Church what is needed as a true orthodox pope, willing to be forceful, determined and capable of re-establishing the Tradition of the Church. The breed of cardinal and bishops product of the sixties, like our current Pope saw themselves as reformists building bridges to modernity. The true orthodox hierarchy of the past saw themselves as preservers of the Tradition, handed down from our Lord Jesus Christ to the Apostles, Church Fathers and continuing in the Church throughout generations.
The virus of modernity has so infected the Church that is doubtful it will return to the Tradition of the Fathers and perhaps the remnant orthodox will find places like the Society Pious X to preserve them." (Original comment posted here.)"
She also adds her thoughts on the matter.
My question: If the Holy Spirit could be mistaken so many times, might they be mistaken too? I'm just saying . . .
posted by Mark Mossa, SJ at 3:11 PM
7 Comments:
Can I just say how sick I am of hearing "orthdox" applied to those who reject an Church council? They weasel out of it by saying nothing of dogma was changed, yet they fail to see how they pick and choose from the steam table, like everyone else.
Can I just say how sick I am of Catholics beating each other about the head and neck? It's taken me a little while (having engaged in it myself), but I've really gotten tired of it. Nothing about Pope Benedict's papacy should come as a surprise to those who have read his encyclical. God IS Love. Failure to love is sin. There is a place for righteous anger. Jesus was angry. He was also loving. He corrected those who needed it, forcefully when necessary (cleansing of the Temple, calling the Parisees a "brood of vipers"), but He was always loving and forgiving. We could do with more of that in our Church.
I'm surprised by the Pope ... in a good way. I think Vatican II was a sign of the Holy Spirit working ... living things change.
Mark, that is what occurred to me when I read Karen's post also. The mere fact that Pope Benedict is not approaching it the way that some would like (read that the "obvious" way) actually was reassuring to me. I don't know how to solve many of the Church's pressing problems and my way usually is the "obvious." However, I have been really pleased to see a gentle but still quite effective wind of change blowing. For those who feel he isn't doing enough, I invite them to come to Dallas, where for the first time in a long time we are feeling hopeful about our bishop's resignation being accepted and getting a bishop who will really be a good shepherd.
Tony, I'm not sure I understand what you mean ... could you please expalin more?
Tony, I hear what you're saying. The actual Vatican II writings seem to be obscured by the actions of those who read the figurative headlines -- "Nuns can do whatever they want!", "Guess what! We're not really hierarchical after all!", "Truth and fidelity don't matter nearly as much as everyone feeling loved!" -- and used the enabled changes as license for self-indulgence instead of as a means to clean some dust off the stained glass through which the light of Christ shines.
I am delighted at Pope Benedict's reign for, among other reasons, being so clearly orthodox that people like me who might be doubtful about unfamiliar approaches can be confident that he's obeying God as he hears God rather than operating out of a liberal agenda. So go get 'em, PBVI! You lead, I'll follow.
I'm tired of sour-pussed Trads besmirching my church becasue they can't get over the movements of the Holy Spirit.
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