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Tuesday 24 March 2009

There is really only one Enemy...

.... but he's got a hell of a lot, or rather, an earth of a lot, of Useful Idiots.
But it is good to remember, or try to discern, amongst those to whom you find yourself in opposition, which are to be counted amongst those who don't really want to accomplish a faithful and authentic implementation of Vatican II, and which the merely uniformed.

Chironomo has an excellent post on this, (I am looking forward to another forthcoming post of which he hints, about Fr Ruff's recent presentation at a Floridian "Theology Day."
The problem, of course, is that the very progressives who constantly mouth the mantra of "Vatican II... Vatican II...Vatican II!!!" will be the first to object to such a faithful and authentic implementation. They don't want to hear that Vatican II called for the Mass to remain in Latin (except for the readings and homily), they don't want to hear that the priest was to remain facing the same direction as the faithful (ad orientem), they don't want to hear that Gregorian Chant was to remain as the normative music for worship while allowing for "other styles of music to be permitted"..(such as Renaissance Polyphony, Classical Polyphony, Mozart, Haydn, etc...). They don't want to hear any of that. They cringe at the words of Pope Benedict when he said in his letter to Bishops last week;

"But some of those who put themselves forward as great defenders of the Council also need to be reminded that Vatican II embraces the entire doctrinal history of the Church. Anyone who wishes to be obedient to the Council has to accept the faith professed over the centuries, and cannot sever the roots from which the tree draws its life."

They don't want an authentic "Vatican II Church", they just want the Church the way it is now, and that status quo is being challenged and exposed. The thought of having to accept the traditions of the Church because that is what Vatican II called for shatters their 40 year old facade. The idea of turning to Pius X's "Tra le sollecitudini" as the foundational document for liturgical music sends them running. That is why the Holy Father used the figure of speech "those who put themselves forward as great defenders of the council".... he sees the facade for what it really is. There are those who are truly responsible for misleading the Catholic faithful, and then there are those who have been innocently mislead. One is the enemy, the others should be the objects of our compassion and help.

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