Posted on 06/09/2002 5:12:50 PM PDT by JMJ333
For the entire sordid tale, (particularly Janet Smith's Response and Ronald McArthur's Response) see the timeline of the controversy at the Seattle Catholic web site.
My conclusion is that Humanae Vitae is to Castii Canubii what the Novus Ordo Missae mass is to the Tridentine Latin Mass, i.e., yeah, its Catholic, and it teaches Truth, but like the new mass, it ain't always pretty, and it ain't necessarily an improvement on what came before it.
The fact that the two most significant acts of Pope Paul VI were the promulgation of the New Mass and the publication of Humanae Vitae, somehow links these two important developments in my mind.
The poor theology related in the vernacular translations of the Latin (but not, necessarily in the Latin itself!) of the Novus Ordo Missae has lead to decreased belief in the Real Presence, and decreased awareness that the mass IS the Supreme Sacrifice. In my opinion, it also increased the rate of falling away from the faith that accompanied this post-modern, post Christian moment, ushered in by the sexual revolution, which in turn was enabled by the introduction of the Pill in 1959/1960.
So a critical examination of Humanae Vitae is indeed a legitimate endeavor, and in such examination, if Humanae Vitae seems to come up lacking, it is still no less authoritative than the new mass itself, if we are to believe the Gates Shall Not Prevail.
Why would you take middle school kids to a Tridentine Latin Mass? Seriously. Is a 13 year old going to have any clue about the significance of a Mass that has not been the norm in forty years?
The article is very perceptive and accurate.
The first mistake was forming a commission. The second was allowing the commission to come to a consensus, have that consensus signed off on by nine cardinals and archbishops, then wait TWO YEARS before responding with an encyclical that reversed the commission.
Once the commission's opinion hit the press, the argument was over. Humanae Vitae was, by the time it came out, an afterthought.
Once the pope assented to the regulation of births, the method became incidental.
Excepting that any sort of *chemical* methodology necessarily induces actual, post-conception abortions, is it not true?
In other words, even if we grant that "Once the pope assented to the regulation of births, the method became incidental", would that still not ONLY apply, morally, to the question of "NFP" versus "Barrier" methodologies?
In the question of "NFP" versus "Barrier" methodologies, we are talking about the matter of "proper regulation of births". That's a debate that is going to get tied up on whether Onan's sin was in his Action, or in his Intention.
OTOH, in the matter of any kind of chemical "contraceptive", we are talking about abortion-murder. That's a Decalogual issue... absolutely foundational stuff.
No??
Why should we teach middle school kids about Apostolic succession, Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the Saints and Scripture? Seriously, why bother teaching children any history of the Church established by Jesus Christ. Two millennia of truth is nothing but minutia to these kids anyway. Let's teach them moral relativism since that appears to be the norm here and now.
For some reason, I knew you would reply to me on this issue!
Just because it might not be the "norm" doesn't make it irrelevant or useless. It has meaning and beauty and is a part of our Catholic heritage and tradition. Some things that are accepted as the "norm" today are unacceptable to Christians - like abortion, euthanasia, etc.
First off, understand the situation. These are kids (ages probably 11 - 14) who hopefully will join this group and keep membership through HS. There is no Catholic HS or middle school that they can attend. The parish has done nothing but run CCD classes that all the kids hate attending because they are boring and noisy. The CCD books used are silly and could be used by any Christian group, they are the "hand-holding", Jesus loves you, love your neighbor type books. The overwhelming sentiment from parents and kids is that they will attend CCD until Confirmation and then stop coming. Recently, 47 kids from our parish who graduated this week were invited to a Baccalauriate Mass and Luncheon in the parish hall. Fully 6 of them attended. The Parish having meaning in their lives has been made irrelevant. That is the fault of us parents and the parish.
Our vision of this group is to do fun stuff geared toward being part of a "Catholic Community," these kids will be there because they want to be there, not like the CCD classes. We will be doing some community service (old age homes, unwed mothers program in a nearby city), some church service (tending the gardens, etc), some fun things (amusement parks, cookouts), and incorporating the "Catholic life" in these things, progressively, not immediately. You can't take the kids to a Latin Mass right away, it has to be part of an ongoing program, IMO, and there has to be some interest. I was just surprised that the nun jumped on that aspect in a negative way, right away, I almost expected her to hold up a crucifix to ward me off.
One of the saddest things I hear "on the street" and sometimes here on FR, is the former Catholics who say "no one ever told me that" or "I never learned that" or "we weren't encouraged to read the Bible" - that is just needless. I'm quite sure a lot of Catholic kids do not realize that the Bible is read extensively at Mass and that they hear it in its entirety in 3 years. Do many kids know what the rosary is or how to say it? Do they realize that Mass is exactly the same at every Catholic Church in the world? How about Fatima and Lourdes? How about an alternative to having sex while they are teenagers? Have many of them been in an "old fashioned" Catholic Church with altar kneelers and the Tabernacle on the center altar? WOULD they be interested in how the Mass was said for centuries until about 40 years ago? Do they know why Mass was said in Latin?
Catholicism didn't just spring up, we are part of a 2,000 year old Catholic Christian family, and that is something that kids should know. Otherwise, this sort of group could be run out of the local public schools.
Thank you Smedley. You hit the nail on the head. Last night I was just kind of defeated because this nun kept repeating " they have to know Jesus is their friend" and pap like that. The Latin Mass was kind of a reflex action on my part (and I'm sure the other mothers thought I was nuts as well) but as I outlined to Sinkspur a few posts ago, the Latin Mass should be a part of a whole Catholic education, IMO.
Yeah, I guess so. But, the "critical examination" is to be performed by the schismatic right? I thought that "Roma Locuta est, Causa Finita est was "Traditonal" Catholicism." I thought that Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesia was "Traditional" Catholicism. Now, we are being told by various and sundry groups with at least one foot in schism that THEY must critique the Encyclical because Rome has been the locus of all manner of revolutionary thought, masonic activity, poorly-reasoned Encyclicals, valid but poorly-theologised Masses, accepting of and promoting the "wrong" philosophy, blah, blah, blah.
The orientation this "reassessment" is built upon is private judgement. At one time, prior to 1960, "Traditional Catholics" would no more have taken upon themselves the "authority" to critique Encyclicals, Ecumenical Councils, Catechisms, Canon Law, and the Pope's philosophical orientation anymore than "The Federalist Society" would criticise the Constitution as deficient.
Richard Nixon once famously said, "We are all Keynesians now" after he rejected the Gold Standard. "Traditional Catholics" ought to admit "We are all protestants now" having abandoned "The Keys" given to the Pope as the gold standard of Catholicism.
"Traditional Ctholicsm" has been revolutionised since 1960 yet, in a pathetic irony, it is they who charge Rome with being the victim of all manner of revolutions while they, the mini-media of "dissident-orthodoxy" has preserved the limpid doctrine of "Traditional Catholicism" and their philosophical orientation is pellucid and irreformable."
Roma Locuta est - NOW, Hear "The Angelus," "Catholic Family News," "The Fatima Crusader," "The Remnant," The Latin Mass Magazine" to hear how Rome has gotten it wrong and how the gates of Hell WILL prevail unles you re-subscribe to our periodical today.
Their charges against Rome are but psychological projections. The "Traditional Catholics" appear to have lost the Faith. It really is that simple. They have no Faith in Divinely-constitued authority so they usurp legitimate authority and act like protestants while preening they are the only reliable source for truth.
It is as though Jesus were referencing the mini-media of the self-annointed and self-appointed, soi disant "Traditionalists" when He said "He who hears you hears me."
My daughter is a grad student at B.U. and she went to the Indult High Mass at Trinity for Pentecost. She still prefers the normative Mass but loved the Church, altar, statues etc
My kids don't really like it much - my daughter didn't like the manditory mantilla or receiving Communion kneeling down and on her tongue. I did have a 1962 Missal, so they could follow along. I just think it is important to expose them to it.
Of course, the result in theology has been particularly dramatic, since it has reduced what was a science to a mere feeling. As american_colleen said, it's now become "Jesus is our friend" garbage, babbled about by people who should know better.
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