Obama's War On The U.S. Catholic Church

Originally posted back on July 3, 2009. I brought it back from the archives to shed some light on Obama's recent HHS mandate....

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: It is the opinion of this blogger that alleged President Barack Obama is actively working to do everything he can to crack and split the U.S. Catholic Church in half. His appointment of exclusively pro-abortion Cafeteria Catholics to key positions in the government, coupled with the statements below demonstrate this beyond the shadow of a doubt. Allow me to elaborate....

Obama has a pro-choice Liberation Theology (i.e. "Christian" Socialism) agenda, and the only thing standing in the way is the U.S. Catholic Church, which officially opposes both. Unfortunately, the U.S. Catholic Church has been considerably weakened in recent years, plagued by sex-scandals (which only affected 5% of the clergy), and other scandals related to associations of the USCCB, coupled with a general liturgical crisis and poor catechises over the past four decades. The U.S. Catholic Church is ripe for schism, and President Barack Obama knows if such a thing were to happen, it would only help clear the way to push his agenda through. Nothing would serve the Obama administration better than a U.S. Catholic Church torn by infighting and reorganization.

There is nothing new about this strategy. It's been successfully employed in the past by Marxist regimes in Central and South America, where Liberation Theology (i.e. "Christian" Socialism) was born and has pitted the Catholic clergy and laity against each other in that region. Obama is doing the exact same thing here in the USA, except he's just a bit more subtle about it. It all starts with the appointment of dissenting Cafeteria Catholics (who agree with his pro-abortion Marxist goals) to key positions in government. Obama has made it clear that Catholics who actually believe and practice what the Church teaches on abortion and socialism are not welcome in his administration. In other words, Catholics who oppose the teachings of the Church will be rewarded with high level cabinet positions, while Catholics who adhere to Church teaching need not apply.

Okay, so what does this do?

Well, the U.S. Catholic Church is already split on social issues about 50/50. Approximately 50% of U.S. Catholics are what we call "practicing Catholics" (actually the number may be a little less than that, but about 50% rise to the occasion when the bishops call them to on key issues). The other 50% are what we call Cafeteria Catholics, and these are the dissenting group who may (or may not) regularly go to mass, and like to "pick and choose" which teachings of the Church they will follow, and which they will not. It's sort of like a "salad bar" approach to the Catholic faith. According to the Vatican, and the U.S. Catholic bishops, this Cafeteria Catholicism is unacceptable, and in some cases it causes those who practice it to put their status in the Church in jeopardy. In other words, Cafeteria Catholics aren't really good Catholics, they just say they are.

By exclusively putting Cafeteria Catholics in key government positions, Obama is pandering to the Cafeteria Catholic community, and in the United States, that's about 50% of all U.S. Catholics. Simultaneously he shields himself from any criticism of anti-Catholicism, because he has plausible deniability. As soon as the accusation is made, he can simply say that such charges are ridiculous because he's appointed more "Catholics" to government positions than any other president in recent memory. He won't bother to point out, of course, that these are only Catholics who oppose the teachings of the Catholic Church. His most recent nomination of a Cafeteria Catholic to the U.S. Supreme Court was his crowning achievement in implementing phase one of his plan to crack and split the U.S. Catholic Church in two.

Phase two is now underway. Barack Obama will embark on a media campaign, directly engaging U.S. Catholics, via press interviews and photo ops with the pope and various Catholic leaders. This is where the propaganda war goes into effect. What Obama started in appointments, he now follows through with in commentary. On July 2nd, Obama met with a Catholic press conference ahead of his July 10th meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. In that interview he had the following to say, among many other things, but the trigger lines I have bolded for clear recognition....

“When I was first becoming interested in social justice issues, the American bishops were talking about nuclear freezes and sanctuary for illegal immigrants and protesting U.S. policy in Latin America, and there was, I think, a very different set of perspectives that were represented, arising out of the Second Vatican. And then there was a decided shift that I think took place within — among Church officials. And, in some ways, that tracked changes in American society at large, or at least American politics... I think responses to my administration mirror tensions within the Church as a whole. Cardinal Bernardin was strongly pro-life, never shrank away from talking about that issue, but was very consistent in talking about a ‘seamless garment’ and a range of issues that were part and parcel of what he considered to be pro-life, that meant that he was concerned about poverty; he was concerned about how children were treated; he was concerned about the death penalty; he was concerned about foreign policy... and that part of the Catholic tradition is something that continues to inspire me. And I think that there have been times over the last decade or two where that more holistic tradition feels like it’s gotten buried under the abortion debate. Now, as a non-Catholic, it’s not up to me to try to resolve those tensions... All I can do is to affirm how that other tradition has made me, a non-Catholic, I think reflect on how I can be a better person and has had a powerful influence on my life. And that tells me that it might be a powerful way to move a broader set of values forward in American life generally.”

Okay, notice how Obama is trying to pit one side of Catholic Social teaching against another, and thereby trying to pit Cafeteria Catholics against practicing Catholics. He's lecturing the U.S. Catholic bishops (and ultimately the pope) on how Catholic emphasis on the holocaust of abortion is clouding the "larger" social teaching of the Church. In effect, he's telling the U.S. Catholic bishops (and the pope) that they ought to tone it down a bit on the abortion issue, so more Catholic Americans can "recognize" how much he supposedly agrees with the other aspects of Catholic social teaching. But does he really expect the pope and bishops to take his advice? Of course not! He may be a narcissist, but he's not stupid. Obama knows perfectly well that his supposed "advice" will fall on deaf ears with the pope and bishops, and in fact, he's counting on it. The comments are not intended for the pope and bishops. They're designed for the 50% of U.S. Cafeteria Catholics who would be more inclined to agree with him on the matter. The point here is to come across as seeming "reasonable" and "open to dialog." The idea being that he wants to paint the pope and U.S. Catholic bishops as being "unreasonable" and "stubborn." His coming photo op with the pope will be his capstone on this phase of the plan.

Notice, however, that Obama let the cat out of the bag with the second bolded comment. He said "I think responses to my administration mirror tensions within the Church as a whole." This is the wedge people. He just pointed out the very thing he hopes to exacerbate by his actions and comments. In this one comment he has revealed that he is all too aware of the catechises problem within the U.S. Catholic Church. He is mindful of the sad fact that the U.S. Catholic bishops have nearly lost control of half of their flock, and indeed some of those bishops are contributing to the problem. Then he goes on to lament how the Catholic bishops "unreasonable and stubborn" emphasis on abortion has "obscured" the "larger message" of Catholic social teaching, of which he claims to be in agreement on. We can expect a lot more comments like this in the near future, as this is the strategy folks. He's trying to paint the leaders of the Catholic Church as intolerant and unreasonable. Simultaneously, he's trying to make himself out to have a greater understanding of Catholic social teaching than the Church does. It's designed to drive the wedge deeper between Practicing Catholics and Cafeteria Catholics. It's designed to pit as many Catholics as he can against the leadership of the U.S. Catholic Church. It's designed to create a full-blown and all-out schism in the U.S. Catholic Church, and thus neutralize the influence of U.S. Catholic bishops on the 2012 election, and any major issue of his agenda that comes up between now and then.

Of course, the last thing Obama will let us know is that he really doesn't agree with the Catholic Church on ANY of it's social teaching. That's the dirty little secret. You see, Catholic social teaching on poverty and fairness is based on the principle of SUBSIDIARITY. Essentially it's an anti-Marxist principle. The idea of subsidiarity is that it's immoral for larger government functions to take over and perform the roles of smaller entities (state, city, local, neighborhood, family, parish church, private charity, etc.) when those entities are perfectly capable of performing those functions for themselves. The larger government entities should instead refrain from direct interference (i.e. micro-management) and instead attempt to coordinate efforts between them, to help things run more smoothly. In other words, the American principles of limited government and federalism are consistent with the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, while the Marxist principles of huge government and micro-management are not. Unfortunately, the kind of Liberation Theology Obama believes in is Marxist in principle, and flies in the face of subsidiarity. The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church is very clear that all social principles are based on subsidiarity, and subsidiarity is the "hinge" upon which all Catholic Social Justice turns.

Vatican Takes Control of Liturgical Art, Music and Architecture

The Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove California

(Vatican Insider) - A team has been set up, to put a stop to garage style churches, boldly shaped structures that risk denaturing modern places for Catholic worship. Its task is also to promote singing that really helps the celebration of mass. The “Liturgical art and sacred music commission” will be established by the Congregation for Divine Worship over the coming weeks. This will not be just any office, but a true and proper team, whose task will be to collaborate with the commissions in charge of evaluating construction projects for churches of various dioceses. The team will also be responsible for the further study of music and singing that accompany the celebration of mass.

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Benedict XVI, consider this work as “very urgent”. The reality is staring everyone in the eyes: in recent decades, churches have been substituted by buildings that resemble multi purpose halls. Too often, architects, even the more famous ones, do not use the Catholic liturgy as a starting point and thus end up producing avant-garde constructions that look like anything but a church. These buildings composed of cement cubes, glass boxes, crazy shapes and confused spaces, remind people of anything but the mystery and sacredness of a church. Tabernacles are semi hidden, leading faithful on a real treasure hunt and sacred images are almost inexistent. The new commission’s regulations will be written up over the next few days and will give precise instructions to dioceses. It will only be responsible for liturgical art, not for sacred art in general; and this also goes for liturgical music and singing too. The judicial powers of the Congregation for Divine Worship will have the power to act....

read full story here

St. Annes Catholic Church
London

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The most important line in this article was the last one in the above quote: "The judicial powers of the Congregation for Divine Worship will have the power to act." Based on this, it doesn't look like this is going to be a typical Vatican commission only making recomendations, but an actual department with some teeth. It comes not a moment too soon. In fact, I dare say it's a couple decades too late, but better late than never I suppose.

Catholic Chapel, Ronchamp France

This comes on the heels of the massive purchase of the Crystal Cathedral by the Diocese of Orange. For a worship space, it's even bland by Protestant standards. Oh sure the exterior is impressive, looking something like a glass spaceship from another planet. The interior stairs and gathering spaces are also somewhat interesting. The worship space however is too spacious, empty and distracting. How they will rearrange it to make it suitable for Catholic worship is beyond me. I have no idea.

The Los Angeles Cathedral

It isn't just the purchase of Protestant chapels that is problematic. I have to say the Crystal Cathedral is somewhat conservative compared to the monstrosity of a cathedral in Los Angeles. Here we have a case where the former cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles actually raised money for years to have that thing built. It so bad it almost makes the Crystal Cathedral look like a proper church! It isn't just the West Coast that is the problem. If it were we could excuse it for those nutty Californians and their crazy eccentricities. No, this is a problem that extends from coast to coast in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. It is what some have called the 'heresy of formlessness.' In almost every American city, with a population greater than a hundred-thousand, you will see them. Strange and bizarre structures, mimicking something out of a bad science-fiction novel, passing as a place of Catholic worship. Go inside one of these flightless spaceships and the interior is usually not much better. Sit through a mass there, and you are likely to hear everything from folk music to pop songs used in liturgy. The problem is widespread.

Catholic Chapel, Gore New Zealand

We can get nasty about it all we want, and play the blame game if we like, but in all likelihood such ridiculous nonsense in art, music and architecture is not the result of some evil conspiracy to rob the Church of her heritage. Rather, it is usually the result of poor spiritual formation coupled with the embrace of modernity. Most of the time, these things are done in ignorance. However, there comes a time when somebody has to say 'enough is enough!' Let us hope the Vatican has finally come to the realisation that such a time is now.  My only question is this.  Once the Vatican finally has a hold on standardising all new architecture, what will become of the old stuff, which is so obviously out of step with the Vatican?  Might I suggest they eventually be sold?  Surly there are some Modernistic Protestant sects out there that would love to get their hands on facilities such as these.  If not them, than perhaps they would do well as mosques or Buddhist temples.  Sooner or later however, with the exception of the large cathedrals, these Catholic parishes will eventually outgrow their 'chapels.'  When that happens it would be the perfect opportunity to either sell or demolish and rebuild.

Pope Approves US Ordinariate for Anglicans

Cardinal Donald Wuerl addresses the U.S. Bishop's Conference
on November 15, 2011

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has just approved the creation of a U.S. Ordinariate for Anglicans seeking to enter the Catholic Church. The ordinariate will be erected on January 1st, 2012. The name of the ordinariate and the ordinary will be released at that time. Cardinal Wuerl made the announcement today at the USCCB Conference, though the pope had actually made the approval on October 28, 2011 in the presence of Cardinal Levada. Cardinal Wuerl was authorised to make the announcement today at the bishops conference. The full text of Cardinal Wuerl's report can be viewed HERE. Another blogger has prepared a general Q&A for Roman Catholics here.

How To Prepare For The New Mass

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: For about a year now, classes have been offered to Catholics to help them 'prepare' for the new English translation of the Roman Missal. Very few Catholics have attended these courses. Those few that have should consider themselves blessed. As for the rest of us, there is no need to panic.

The best advice I could possibly give you is to chill out, relax and take it all in. Everything is going to be fine. Just pick up a copy of the missal in your pew, and follow along. Yes, it will take you a few weeks to get used to things, but you will get used to them. Within a few months, you will hardly remember the old translation. Within six months you'll be reciting the responses by memory.

Something beautiful is happening here, and it's something really good! Not only will this new translation elevate the spirit of the liturgy during mass, but it will likewise elevate our vernacular culture. There is an old saying in Latin. Lex orandi, lex credendi. It means "the law of prayer is the law of faith." Our prayers literally effect our faith. How we pray effects how we believe. How we believe effects how we act. How we act effects our whole culture. These days our culture could use all the help it can get, and the improvement to our English liturgy will have some positive impact.

So don't panic. Relax. Everything is going to be okay. Come the first Sunday of Advent (in just eleven days), pick up a new missal in your pew and follow along. Try to think of this as a Christmas gift of sorts. Things were starting to get a little old and stale in the former English translation. Now Rome has renewed it. So Enjoy!

Now please pass this message on to other Catholics who may be a little worried and/or confused. You can use the 'share' icons below...

Anglican Catholicism Officially Begins

Blessed John Henry Newman

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT:  With the beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman completed in Birmingham, Pope Benedict XVI returns to Rome victorious.  His trip to England was a remarkable success, having energized millions of the nation's Catholics and intrigued at least an equal amount of Anglicans.  The noise of anti-catholic protesters was drowned by the cheers of uncountable throngs of supporters upon the pope's arrival in England.  His safety being of primary concern to the British government, half a dozen Muslims were detained for what appeared to be an alleged plot against the pope.  Further investigation revealed no credible evidence and the suspects were released after the pope departed British soil.  While in the U.K. the Holy Father gave an inspirational defense of the Catholic faith at Westminster, in the very place where St. Thomas More was condemned to death by the Protestant regime of King Henry VIII.  Even the most liberal publications in the U.K. acknowledged the historical significance of this event...

(Catholic Culture) - Writing in the Guardian-- a paper that has given heavy coverage to protesters during the papal visit—Andrew Brown writes that the Pope’s address to the nation’s political leaders was a historic event:

This was the end of the British Empire. In all the four centuries from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II, England has been defined as a Protestant nation.

Brown recognizes the significance of the fact that Pope Benedict based his thoughts on the example of St. Thomas More: a man who had defied the king in loyalty to his faith. He notes, too, that the British Empire arose soon after the Reformation:

Rebellion against the pope was the foundational act of English power. And now the power is gone, and perhaps the rebellion has gone, too.

read full story here

'The Catholic Knight' agrees with columnist Andrew Brown insofar that the pope's political address does indeed mark the end of the British Empire, British supremacy and the British national religion formally known as "Anglicanism."  In regards to the empire and supremacy, the events of the 20th century should make that obvious.  In regards to the British national religion of "Anglicanism" the events of the last few decades should make that painfully obvious.  The Church of England is stagnant, having abandoned all remnant of apostolic authority, if indeed it ever had any to begin with.  British Christianity has declined under Anglicanism so severely that Islam now threatens to become the nation's top religion.  The Anglican Communion has become nothing more than a disheveled affiliation of disorganized member-churches united in nothing more than name.  The Archbishop of Canterbury, the great right-hand-man of the queen's national religion, has become as impotent as the queen herself, if indeed either the archbishop, or the queen, had any significant power to begin with in the modern world.  In every way, the United Kingdom has become spiritually and socially bankrupt.  The religion of King Henry VIII, and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I, has left the nation that was once "Mary's Dowry" in ruins.  So it is fitting that the modern Queen Elizabeth II should bear the name of her predecessor who essentially created what is today known as "Anglicanism."  Under Queen Elizabeth I Anglicanism was born, and under Queen Elizabeth II it has died.  The latter should not be blamed though, as the poison of Anglicanism's demise was administered 500 years ago.  It just took five centuries to fully run it's course.  Anglicanism is spiritually dead.  That's not some declaration on my part, but a simple statement of the obvious.  The stench of the evidence has been wafting for decades.  All that remains now is to bury the rotting corpse.  Pope Benedict XVI did not do that in his recent trip to England.  He left that job to the British people.  Nor did he come to England to state the obvious.  Everyone knows that Anglicanism is spiritually dead, and to make such an obvious statement is beneath the office of the papacy.

Instead he came to England to shine a light in the darkness and point the way toward a much brighter future.  The Holy Father did this with the beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman, the 19th century Anglican pastor who returned to the Catholic Church, became a Catholic priest and was eventually elevated by Pope Leo XIII to the office of cardinal-deacon even though Newman was neither a bishop nor a resident of Rome.  The current pontiff's actions have much greater significance than the mainstream news media would care to admit.  Blessed John Newman was an Anglican who became Catholic, his conversion was eventually rewarded with much favor and dignity, putting him on the path to sainthood.  Newman was certainly not the first Anglican to become Catholic, but his conversion is very high profile, and in his conversion, elevation and later beatification, the pope has pointed the way home for all Anglicans.  The Holy Father's address to the Catholic bishops at Oscott College ended with the following statement...

The other matter I touched upon in February with the Bishops of England and Wales, when I asked you to be generous in implementing the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. This should be seen as a prophetic gesture that can contribute positively to the developing relations between Anglicans and Catholics. It helps us to set our sights on the ultimate goal of all ecumenical activity: the restoration of full ecclesial communion in the context of which the mutual exchange of gifts from our respective spiritual patrimonies serves as an enrichment to us all. Let us continue to pray and work unceasingly in order to hasten the joyful day when the goal can be accomplished.

Once again Pope Benedict XVI has demanded "generous" implementation of the Apostolic Constitution he created for Anglican converts nearly a year ago.  Sadly, some Catholic bishops in the U.K. have expressed reluctance toward it's implementation for fear of what may become of ecumenical relations with the Church of England.  The Holy Father has made it clear however, that Anglicanorum Coetibus is a "prophetic" gesture of true ecumenism.

That being said, it stands to reason that what follows is the Vatican's implementation of Anglicanorum Coetibus, as the English bishops cannot act on their own.  So I think it's reasonable to say that something is coming on this - something very soon - and the beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman is a sign marking the beginning of Anglican Catholicism.

The Great Modernist Schism of the 21st Century

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The Great Modernist Schism in the Catholic Church will most probably occur sometime between 2011 and 2020. It's ironic that this time period will mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Schism in Europe. However, the Great Modernist Schism of the 21st century will be much bigger than anything the Catholic Church has experienced in the last millennium. The closest thing that could compare would be the Arian schism of the 4th century, in which at one time there were actually more Arians than Catholics. This Modernist schism may not likely be that big, but it will be comparable.

The players in this schism are primarily in the United States, though Europe will most certainly have a significant influence as well. However, since the founding of Catholic Christianity in the Americas five-hundred years ago, there has not been a significant schism on these shores. That is about to change. The United States leads the way and will be the principle player in this latest (and possibly final) schism of the worldwide Catholic Church. European countries such as Austria, Germany, France and England may also play a significant (but supportive) role to the primarily American led schism. The highest principle player is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has for years been duped into supporting liberal causes and has generally been a very weak advocate of the traditional Catholic faith. The USCCB, as it is called, will ultimately play a sucker role as it will continue to be inadvertently used to promote the very schism that will ultimately tear it apart. Behind the scenes is a subversive player called the American Catholic Council. This is a liberal front group, designed to rally dissident Catholics in the years ahead in what may become direct opposition to the USCCB and the Vatican. In the opinion of this blogger, the American Catholic Council will most likely serve to replace the USCCB as THE primary consulting body for the majority of US Catholic parishes. The stated goals of the American Catholic Council are taken from their own website here, and are listed below in black. My commentary is in blue...

• We seek a Church that is inclusive, compassionate, trustworthy, and representative. (It sounds nice, but the key word here is "representative." This is code for ecclesiastical democracy. These people want to be able to "elect" their leaders, perhaps even their priests or bishops. I suspect that the term "inclusive" in this context may be a reference to female clergy.)
  
• We seek a Church that actively listens to the Spirit in its people and that worships and evangelizes in the fullness of that inspiration. (Again, this is code for a Church that tells the people what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear.)
  
• We seek a Church that addresses the spiritual hunger of all Catholics, including marginalized and former Catholics. (The term "marginalized Catholics" is code for dissident Catholics, meaning those who oppose the teachings of the Catholic Church.)
  
• We seek to multiply the bread of the Eucharist so that a malnourished Catholic Community can encounter Christ with all the healing power of his sacramental presence through the preservation of parish community and a radically inclusive theology of ministry. (The term "radically inclusive theology" in relation to the Eucharist is almost universally recognized in religious circles as acceptance of homosexuality. The term "multiply the bread of the Eucharist" is a way of saying that communion should be open to all, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, and especially those who oppose the Church's teaching on Christian sexual ethics.)
  
• We seek reform of the governing structures in our Church so that they reflect the better aspects of the American experience: a democratic spirit, concern for human rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and a tradition of participation and representation. (Once again, this summarizes the above stated goals of changing the structure of Catholic parishes, and perhaps even dioceses, into a democracy, where leaders are elected based on what the people want to hear, rather than what they need to hear, making room for dissidents to become leaders and the Church's moral teachings to become subject to collective opinion.)

Further investigation of this group's website will reveal latent influence by homosexual and radical feminist sub-groups. The collective gathering of various dissident Catholic sub-groups, under one umbrella organization, can only spell a recipe for schism. The first meeting of the American Catholic Council is scheduled for June 10-12 of 2011. I expect more will follow.

The next big player in the Great Modernist Schism is none other than President Barrack Hussein Obama. This liberal American president has been playing the weakness of the US Catholic Church for a political angle. He knows this will be one of the largest organizations standing against his reelection campaign in 2012, and therefore in order to crack its influence over Catholic voters the organization itself must be cracked. To do this Obama has systematically been taking advantage of liberal dissidents within the US Catholic Church, by appointing as many of these dissidents as possible to the highest offices of the land. Simultaneously, Obama has accepted invitations to be awarded with honors at various dissident Catholic organizations around the nation - including the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. These public acts create confusion among the general Catholic population in the United States, presenting the image of a divided Catholic Church, which is EXACTLY what the president wants.

The final big player in this Great Modernist Schism is none other than the mainstream news media fueling the sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church and forming public opinion about it. Though statistics indicate that sexual abuse of minors and subsequent cover up is no higher in the Catholic Church than any other denomination or religious organization, the mainstream news media continues to focus it's spotlight on Rome. There is a reason for this and it is intentional. Because the Catholic Church is the largest Christian Church in the world, and because the players in the mainstream news media hate Christianity in general, it only makes sense to attack the largest Christian organization first. The idea is to bring down the big boys, and then watch the little boys run for cover. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter. Destroy the Catholic Church, and all of the smaller Christian denominations will head for the hills. It will be much easier to take down the smaller Christian denominations once the largest is crippled. The United States is now leading the charge against the Vatican by allowing an illegal lawsuit to go forward that would implicate the Vatican (and the pope himself) as responsible for sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the United States. This is under the ridiculous notion that the Vatican acts as an "employer" to these abusive priests. The premise of the lawsuit is absurd and has no basis in reality or common law but nevertheless the lawsuit will go forward, and the ensuing media flurry that will surround it will only bolster the position of dissident Catholics. It is highly unlikely the Vatican will win the lawsuit against it, even though the Vatican is right and the lawsuit is baseless. This is because public opinion of the Catholic Church has been so soured over the years by relentless reporting of sex-abuse, that it will be virtually impossible for the Vatican to receive a fair trial. Furthermore, just the image of a Vatican official in court itself, will be enough for the mainstream news media to put the final nails in the coffin of the US Catholic Church. In the public eye, all moral credibility of the pope, Vatican and US Catholic Church will be completely destroyed. Dissident bishops, priests and laity will increasingly see no need to follow the leadership of a seemingly defunct pope or an obsolete Catholic hierarchical system. All the conditions for schism will be ripe in 2011 and in that year the process will most likely begin. When it will be complete is up for debate.

The time for straddling the fence is over. If you're a Catholic who wishes to remain faithful to the pope then it's time to get out of the progressive Catholic parishes NOW. Beware of any parish or priest that makes reference to the American Catholic Council (or ACC). Beware of any parish or priest that makes reference to the language used in the ACC's agenda listed above. Find a relatively conservative, traditional and orthodox Catholic parish as quickly as possible and get your family involved there. Spread the word to your Catholic family and friends, notifying them of the impending schism and the players involved. Try to salvage as much of US Catholicism as you can, before it's too late. Finally, the only thing left to do is pray. Pray the rosary. PRAY HARD!

Novus Ordo - Ordinary Form - Missal of Paul VI

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Below are six videos demonstrating what the Vatican INTENDED to accomplish in 1969 with the new mass ("Novus Ordo" or "Ordinary Form") we commonly celebrate today. You'll notice it looks nothing like what is commonly celebrated in English-speaking parishes around the world. Yes, the primary language used here is Latin. That is exactly what Rome originally intended...













Now in contrast the video below represents an Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) mass as celebrated in most English-speaking parishes. The following video is relatively tasteful, no surprises, but also very typical. You'll notice it's a far cry from what Rome intended with the Second Vatican Council as represented by the above videos...



So after viewing the above videos we have to ask ourselves what went wrong. Why is the typical English celebration of the Novus Ordo so radically different from the Ordinary Form of the mass intended by Pope Paul VI in 1969?

Cardinal Levada Links Summorum Pontificum to Anglicanorum Coetibus

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, William Cardinal Levada, has just linked the Traditional Latin Mass (Usus Antiquior) with the Anglican Use...

Liturgical diversity is not inconsistent with the unity of the Catholic faith. This has been clear through the centuries in the diversity of rites, East and West. And it is clear with special relevance to your priestly fraternity in Summorum Pontificum. It is also the same principal that is operative in the new Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, establishing Ordinariates for former Anglicans who desire full communion with the Catholic Church, whilst at the same time preserving some of the richness of their liturgical and spiritual patrimony.

listen to full homily here

It occurred today (3/3/10) at the dedication of the FSSP seminary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Lincoln Nebraska.

What we have here is the unveiling of the pope's two prong approach to liturgical reform. On the one hand, the Holy Father has liberated the Usus Antiquior (Traditional Latin Mass) for the restoration and renewal of tradition in the Catholic Church. In doing this, the Holy Father is not attempting to take the Church back to the pre-conciliar time, but rather pick up where the Church left off after the council, but before the implementation of the Missal of Pope Paul VI in 1970. (Remember, there was a five year window after the council when the Usus Antiquior was still the one and only mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.) On the other hand, the Holy Father has now brought back into the fold of the Catholic Church, those Protestants who long to be Catholic, and have a fervent love of Catholic tradition. Having already been snubbed by many Catholic bishops throughout the world, these tradition seeking Protestants have now been given their own "ordinariates" with their own bishops, who will see to it that they are given free reign to return to the Catholic Church unhindered, and bring their love for tradition with them.

So now we see the unveiling of the pope's master plan to restore liturgical order to the Catholic Church, and here we begin to see the beginning of the end for the Novus Ordo culture. However, I have a feeling the Holy Father is not done yet. There is but another shoe to drop.

The Anglican Use Liturgy Should Become The Standard English Mass

Anglican Use Mass

(Catholic Online) - For non-Episcopalians, he said, the Anglican Use provides the worship-enabling beauty of Anglican liturgical action, music, architecture and art. It has even helped Catholics whose practice of the faith lapsed because of liturgical abuses in the implementation of the Novus Ordo reform of the Mass after the Second Vatican Council.

Describing his own experience of the Anglican Use, Archbishop Myers said:

“I was awestruck when I first experienced the Anglican Use liturgy at the English College in Rome during a pilgrimage last September. Its beauty was incarnated in the devotion manifested in the exquisite celebration of the Eucharist. I was humbled by the devotion of the faithful and I am encouraged by the fervor of the chapel and parishes that employ the Anglican Use liturgy here in the United States...

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THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Imagine a Catholic mass very similar to the full Roman Rite (Tridentine or Extraordinary Form), but celebrated entirely in English, incorporating all the customs and forms of old-school English Catholicism. Ah, but you don't have to imagine it. It's real, and it's celebrated every day in limited locations. Now that's all about to change, and the Anglican Use mass is about to go mainstream! Archbishop Myers hit the nail on the head. The reason why the Anglican Use Liturgy is so healing for many Roman Catholics is because the Anglican Use Liturgy effectively IS the vernacular mass for all English speaking people. It is the organic heritage of English Catholicism having evolved in both language and custom long before the schism of the Church of England in 1534. During the 1800s Oxford Movement, the Anglicans sought to return to their Catholic roots by reconstituting the Catholic customs originally found in the English Church and this served as a liturgical treasure for Anglicans for over a century, eventually leading many of them back into full apostolic communion with Rome.

So what is the common English mass we all currently celebrate in Roman Catholic parishes today? It's called the Novus Ordo (or "New Order") and in essence it is a low vernacular translation of an abbreviated form of the Roman Rite. It's not even the full Roman Rite! It's an abbreviated form of the Roman Rite, and it translates into low common English. Up until the new translation (set to be promulgated between 2010 to 2012) it wasn't even translated correctly! Yes, that's right, the English Novus Ordo mass we've all been attending for the last 40 years is not even translated correctly! In addition to that, the Novus Ordo mass has been an "experiment" of sorts, a type of "rupture" from the organic liturgical development of the Latin Church. Most traditional Catholics agree it ought to be abandoned. However, in the face of having no approved vernacular translations of the full Roman Rite Liturgy (commonly called Tridentine or Extraordinary Form), most contemporary Catholics have been reluctant to give it up. The prospect of regularly attending an entire mass in Latin is an intimidating one to most Catholics today. (Personally speaking, it's not so big a deal, but that's another topic.)

Another problem facing English speaking Catholics is the excessive amount of liturgical abuse that goes on in English speaking parishes. The reasons behind this are perplexing, but nevertheless seem to be an undeniable fact. For decades, liturgically sensible Catholics have been abused and traumatized by this.

Finally we can look at the origin of the post conciliar liturgical reform that brought us the Novus Ordo mass, and what we discover is a history that is rife with scandal (read more here). Whatever the origin of the Novus Ordo, it looks like it's here to stay. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has long term plans for the Novus Ordo Liturgy, which his people are working on behind closed doors. In time this liturgy will change dramatically, once again, but this time to more closely reflect the Roman Rite - or so we can only hope.

The Novus Ordo will continue to serve a function where the celebration of the mass is in a language more closely related to the original Latin, such as Spanish, Italian, French, etc. Likewise, it will also serve a function in languages where no native rites have had time to develop, such as Vietnamese, German, Swedish, Korean, Japanese, etc. However, in languages like English, where an ancient history had once provided for the development of a rite, and current developments in modern history are leading toward the re-emergence of that rite after a long schism, it would appear that the use of a widespread English Novus Ordo Liturgy is no longer necessary. Indeed, since Anglophone (English speaking) culture seems to be imploding for lack of a religious cultural foundation, the re-emergence of the Anglican Use Liturgy is timely. It is possible a future re-emergence of a full Anglican Rite within the Catholic Church will help to effect the very cultural renewal so needed in Anglophone culture today.

So the question is how do we get there? Answer; it all begins with your average English speaking Catholic. If you're reading this - that means YOU. The Anglican Use Liturgy is easily accessible to both the clergy and the laity. No special training is needed to celebrate the Anglican Use Liturgy, though some might be beneficial. Any Catholic priest can use the 'Book of Divine Worship' as it has been canonically approved by Rome for the celebration of the Anglican Use Liturgy. All that needs to happen is laypeople just need to start requesting it. A high demand will eventually produce a high supply, and in time there will be no need for widespread use of the Novus Ordo liturgy in the English speaking world. The Anglophone people will once again have their own rite, in full apostolic communion with Rome, and our culture will benefit because of it.

Was The Novus Ordo Mass Built On Deception?

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: It is alleged that Monsignor Annibale Bugnini was either a Freemason, or else a cooperative with European Freemasonry. The following is the conversation that took place between Pope Paul VI and Fr. Bouyer in 1974...

Father Louis Bouyer: I wrote to the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, to tender my resignation as member of the Commission charged with the Liturgical Reform. The Holy Father sent for me at once and the following conversation ensued:

Paul VI: Father, you are an unquestionable and unquestioned authority by your deep knowledge of the Church’s liturgy and Tradition, and a specialist in this field. I do not understand why you have sent me your resignation, whilst your presence, is more than precious, it is indispensable!

Father Bouyer: Most Holy Father, if I am a specialist in this field, I tell you very simply that I resign because I do not agree with the reforms you are imposing! Why do you take no notice of the remarks we send you, and why do you do the opposite?

Paul VI: But I don’t understand: I’m not imposing anything. I have never imposed anything in this field. I have complete trust in your competence and your propositions. It is you who are sending me proposals. When Fr. Bugnini comes to see me, he says: “Here is what the experts are asking for.” And as you are an expert in this matter, I accept your judgement.

Father Bouyer: And meanwhile, when we have studied a question, and have chosen what we can propose to you, in conscience, Father Bugnini took our text, and, then said to us that, having consulted you: “The Holy Father wants you to introduce these changes into the liturgy.” And since I don’t agree with your propositions, because they break with the Tradition of the Church, then I tender my resignation.

Paul VI: But not at all, Father, believe me, Father Bugnini tells me exactly the contrary: I have never refused a single one of your proposals. Father Bugnini came to find me and said: “The experts of the Commission charged with the Liturgical Reform asked for this and that”. And since I am not a liturgical specialist, I tell you again, I have always accepted your judgement. I never said that to Monsignor Bugnini. I was deceived. Father Bugnini deceived me and deceived you.

Father Bouyer: That is, my dear friends, how the liturgical reform was done!

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