I nearly ignored this because I don't normally bother with Lutheran things. But this is IMPORTANT. The dictatorship of Relativism, by John Stephenson, LOGIA March 31. Read it ALL.
An article which obtains a refreshing clarity from its standpoint a little removed from the subject.
But from that standpoint Prof. Stephenson might reflect that in Canada at least, those who "accept Vatican II, but decline to see [it] as a .. rupture with the foregoing tradition" do not form a Centrist Mass, but are few enough that they might as well be lumped with the Traditionalists.
The majority Catholic view in Canada, really the only view to be found unless you know where to look, is that which Stephenson succinctly characterized as "regard[ing] faith and practice as man-made constructs" to be refashioned as desired. Namely Modernism.
Prof. Stephenson's article is good in that it gives a sense of the continuity and focus of a phenomenon that has been ongoing in our (Western) society since at least the days of Vatican II. There has been a "gravitational pull" of Modernistically-trained Catholics into the organs of "the world" intelligentsia (or chattering classes), where they have been very well fed and housed, so as to trot them out, from time to time, as needed "Catholic" witnesses to the "evils" of Church teaching and praxis.
What Andrew Malton calls the "majority view in Canada" is, in the United States, the view of the Catholic "intelligentsia" also. That includes many so-called Catholic university professors and administrations, plus organs of the media with roots going back to the 1960s. Unfortunately, it is passed on as "mother's milk" to the students who they are supposed to be forming. As to the American Episcopate, it is true that any number of bishops around in the 1970s-80s have had "itching-ears" to hear and protect these views "just in case they turn out to be right".
And may I say, from my own experience, that in private Ratzinger was spoken of as the "Enforcer" from the very beginning of his role at the CDF by these same bishops whose ears were acting up?
Andrew Malton's description of the situation in Canada resonates with my experience of the church in the US and explains why I entered the Orthodox Church a few years ago. Thanks to the prevalence of what the article correctly describes as modernism in the American clergy, it is virtually impossible without the grace of heroic sanctity (which I do not possess) to practice Catholicsm in many if not indeed most American Catholic parishes. After a long and painful struggle, the cognitive dissonance simply became too great for me.
And if we Catholics feel lonely among so many "catholics," think how lonely Professor Stephenson feels - I can count the number of orthodox Lutherans I know on one hand. Is the Professor among them interested in a "Lutheran" Ordinariate? Strange how God has maintained a remnant that has not bent the knee to Baal.
That link doesn't work for me. Internet explorer gives me nothin and Google gives me:
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Search ResultsFr Hunwicke's Liturgical Notes: Benedict XVI - 11:17am 1 Apr 2010 ... William Tighe said... Can you include a link? 01 April, 2010 · Giles Pinnock said... It can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ykbch82. ... liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/benedict-xvi.html - 8 hours ago
David: The final period isn't part of the URL, it's Fr Giles ending his sentence. I shall therefore risk the wrath of punctuation pedants by saying that the address is http://tinyurl.com/ykbch82
"I'm quite used to not being acknowledged by quite a lot of people!"
And you should be, Father! But even Our Lord was not acknowledged by his own people... And I do consider you very much "one of us" - much more so than some "Catholic" priests I could mention!
Yes, excellent article by Prof. Stephenson and thank you for bringing it to our attention, Father.
Can you include a link?
ReplyDeleteIt can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ykbch82.
ReplyDeleteWonderful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAn article which obtains a refreshing clarity from its standpoint a little removed from the subject.
ReplyDeleteBut from that standpoint Prof. Stephenson might reflect that in Canada at least, those who "accept Vatican II, but decline to see [it] as a .. rupture with the foregoing tradition" do not form a Centrist Mass, but are few enough that they might as well be lumped with the Traditionalists.
The majority Catholic view in Canada, really the only view to be found unless you know where to look, is that which Stephenson succinctly characterized as "regard[ing] faith and practice as man-made constructs" to be refashioned as desired. Namely Modernism.
Prof. Stephenson's article is good in that it gives a sense of the continuity and focus of a phenomenon that has been ongoing in our (Western) society since at least the days of Vatican II. There has been a "gravitational pull" of Modernistically-trained Catholics into the organs of "the world" intelligentsia (or chattering classes), where they have been very well fed and housed, so as to trot them out, from time to time, as needed "Catholic" witnesses to the "evils" of Church teaching and praxis.
ReplyDeleteWhat Andrew Malton calls the "majority view in Canada" is, in the United States, the view of the Catholic "intelligentsia" also. That includes many so-called Catholic university professors and administrations, plus organs of the media with roots going back to the 1960s. Unfortunately, it is passed on as "mother's milk" to the students who they are supposed to be forming. As to the American Episcopate, it is true that any number of bishops around in the 1970s-80s have had "itching-ears" to hear and protect these views "just in case they turn out to be right".
And may I say, from my own experience, that in private Ratzinger was spoken of as the "Enforcer" from the very beginning of his role at the CDF by these same bishops whose ears were acting up?
Andrew Malton's description of the situation in Canada resonates with my experience of the church in the US and explains why I entered the Orthodox Church a few years ago. Thanks to the prevalence of what the article correctly describes as modernism in the American clergy, it is virtually impossible without the grace of heroic sanctity (which I do not possess) to practice Catholicsm in many if not indeed most American Catholic parishes. After a long and painful struggle, the cognitive dissonance simply became too great for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd if we Catholics feel lonely among so many "catholics," think how lonely Professor Stephenson feels - I can count the number of orthodox Lutherans I know on one hand. Is the Professor among them interested in a "Lutheran" Ordinariate? Strange how God has maintained a remnant that has not bent the knee to Baal.
ReplyDeleteThat link doesn't work for me. Internet explorer gives me nothin and Google gives me:
ReplyDeleteResults 1 - 1 of 1 for http://tinyurl.com/ykbch82.. (at 5.45 hertz)
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Search ResultsFr Hunwicke's Liturgical Notes: Benedict XVI - 11:17am
1 Apr 2010 ... William Tighe said... Can you include a link? 01 April, 2010 · Giles Pinnock said... It can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ykbch82. ...
liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/benedict-xvi.html - 8 hours ago
David: The final period isn't part of the URL, it's Fr Giles ending his sentence. I shall therefore risk the wrath of punctuation pedants by saying that the address is http://tinyurl.com/ykbch82
ReplyDeleteOr I suppose I could be helpful and provide a clickable link.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Thank you Father for pointing this out.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed Father that Fr Z posted this same reference at 4:26 pm. Assuming that he is in the US this is at least 9:26 pm.
ReplyDeleteYou posted at 11 am. Should he be giving you a biretta-tip?
I'm quite used to not being acknowledged by quite a lot of people!
ReplyDelete"I'm quite used to not being acknowledged by quite a lot of people!"
ReplyDeleteAnd you should be, Father! But even Our Lord was not acknowledged by his own people... And I do consider you very much "one of us" - much more so than some "Catholic" priests I could mention!
Yes, excellent article by Prof. Stephenson and thank you for bringing it to our attention, Father.
'I'm quite used to not being acknowledged by quite a lot of people!"
ReplyDeleteJesus acknowledges you......for all eternity. He has your image carved on the palm of His hand.