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.
6 comments:
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.
I’d say it was Benedict’s SP that unwittingly caused the instability and widened divisions within the church. Francis attempted to pick up the pieces.
This story is depressing and I hope it is an exaggeration. I would welcome Father McDonald's thoughts on this:
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/the-unspoken-trial-of-the-orphaning-of-our-priests
LOL - the exact opposite is what happened! I belonged to a parish which consisted of about 50% Anglos and 50% Hispanics. We had Spanish and English language Masses and a TLM at which both Anglos and Hispanics attended. It was wonderful not being balkanized by language at the TLM. Latin, as Pope John XXIII stated in Veterum Sapientia on the eve of the Council is the "language which joins the Church of today.
We also know this was not true because Francis lied about the results of the bishops' survey. There was no problem with the TLM other than in the minds of heterodox, leftwing loons.
The "Crisis" story is not only an exaggeration, it is a fantasy.
"Burdened by anger, isolation, depression, and the tormenting fear of episcopal reprisal, countless priests’ joy has been stolen away, leaving behind only shadows of the men they once prayed and hoped to become."
I've met priests who were dissatisfied with their bishop or who were angry with their bishop. But I have never encountered what is described in this sentence.
In the Catholic Project study cited by the author we find: "Our data reveal an average score of 82 out of 100 for priests and 83 out of 100 for bishops. These averages are relatively high in comparison to the general population. In fact, using the cutoff scoring recommended by the Harvard team, a full 77% of priests and 81% of bishops can be categorized as “flourishing.” This finding is corroborated by other research on priests, which also
finds high levels of well-being."
The Tridentine reforms had to be implemented locally, and this happened to varying degrees and at different speeds. Particular customs and traditions not only persisted but even gained new vigor where dedicated and attentive pastors applied the council’s decrees.3 Within the unity of the rite, each celebration of the Mass is to some extent conditioned by its particular settings and circumstances. As Joseph Ratzinger observed, “A liturgy in an Upper Bavarian village looks very different from High Mass in a French cathedral, which in turn seems quite unlike Mass in a southern Italian parish, and again that looks different from what you find in a mountain village in the Andes, and so on.”
We can advance unity within the True Church via love and respect that we render unto the Pope. Unfortunately, the "let-us-denigrate-Pope-Leo-XIV- folks" are, as usual, on the warpath against His Holiness...and, in turn, Church unity.
Examples of the above just during the past 24-hours:
=======
The Remnant Newspaper yesterday provided Bishop Strickland space for the following hit piece aimed at Pope Leo XIV. Excerpts:
Thursday, October 16, 2025
-- Bishop Strickland on the Cupich promotion: "This is not renewal, it is revolt!
By: Bishop Joseph Strickland
"Today, with deep sorrow for the state of our beloved Church, I must speak. Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Blasé Cupich of Chicago to the governing council of Vatican City.
"This is not a small administrative act; it is a declaration of direction.
"Cardinal Cupich has publicly opposed the Traditional Latin Mass, has tolerated and even celebrated politicians who advance abortion, and has consistently undermined those who defend the sanctity of life and the fullness of Catholic doctrine.
"To elevate such a man to one of the governing bodies of the Vatican is to send a message to faithful Catholics across the world: that fidelity to tradition and the moral law is now treated as an obstacle rather than a light.
"We are watching the faith of our fathers being dismantled under the pretense of renewal.
"The Church I love is being dismantled – not by her enemies outside, but by those within her walls who exchange the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the approval of the world."
=======
From: LifeSiteNews: Friday, October 17, 2025
VIENNA (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has officially appointed modernist Msgr. Josef Grünwidl as new archbishop of Vienna.
LifeSiteNews’ John-Henry Westen responded to the appointment, voicing concern over Grünwidl’s modernist positions which contradict centuries of Catholic doctrine.
“It’s official: Pope Leo has appointed an ultra-liberal who pushed women’s ordination and communion for non-Catholics as the Archbishop of Vienna Austria,” Westen posted on X.
"During his time as a priest, Grünwidl has become known for his modernist stances, which includes encouragement of “female ordination” and attempts to decentralize authority within the Church as part of the leftist push for “synodality.”
=======
To defame holy Pope Leo XIV is to wage war against the unity of Holy Mother Church. It is disgraceful that Pope Leo XIV, our visible guarantor/sign of Church unity, is portrayed as an enemy of the Church.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Post a Comment