POPE LEO’S PLEA FOR UNITY IN THE CHURCH—ONLY BY GOD’’S GRACE AND COMMON SENSE CAN IT HAPPEN

All the disunity in the Church in the modern era can be traced to Vatican II and how it was implemented. 

If the Holy Father and the bishops in union with His Holiness cannot recognize this by God’s grace, than we will continue with the disunity, not only concerning externals but the substance of the Deposit of Faith. 

What do I mean by disunity caused by Vatican II’s implementation?

1. Vatican II not completely understood by the pope and bishops imposed changes on clergy, religious and laity in the most pre-Vatican II authoritarian way possible—that never bodes well for an organic development embraced by all

2. Vatican II’s changes disoriented those who thought nothing in the Church could change, especially her liturgy and morals, but delighted those who love change and thrive upon it. They were released from what was thought not to be able to be changed by demanding more change, liturgically and otherwise, like artificial birth control, abortion, women’s ordination, divorce and remarriage without sacramental consequences, and sexual license without guilt or marginalization in the Church.

3. Those who did not want changes, resented the Church changing and thus causing them to be left behind or marginalized for not being onboard. Considered to be faithful, good Catholics one moment, they were now thought to be the problem in the Church since they were so-pre-Vatican II!

4. The constant yanking around of Catholics in more recent times, after some stability being achieved under St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI—this all came crashing down with the election of Pope Francis enamored by the heady days of changing of the late 1960’s and 70’s. 

5. Thus in the last 13 years, Catholics have been yanked around liturgically and otherwise. To face the altar or the people, liturgical experimentation or not, the TLM or not, Catholic sexual morality or not, change doctrines or not.

6. Everyone who wants the Catholic Church to become like liberal Protestantism and the Anglican Communion see their chance to win that battle with synodality.

7. Everyone who wants the Deposit of Faith, stable traditional liturgies and peace and calm at this point don’t know where things are going and neither do those who want change. 

God bless Pope Leo and the bishops in union with His Holiness. Let us pray they know what has caused the disunity in the Church, especially in the last 12 years, and let us pray they rectify it and make sure we are Catholic even with some diversity in this, that and the other.