Has the Catholic Church changed since Vatican II? [Part 3/3]

11.      But why change the Liturgy?

I think it is safe to say that the Liturgical reforms carried out since Vatican II was probably more than what the council intended. The favoring of a possible change to the vernacular (while keeping the Latin in the Church) was already hinted by Pope Pius XII. So it would seem natural that the Church found the translation to the vernacular a compromise that she could make in some cases. However, the council documents themselves indicated that the Latin must be preserved (Sacrosanctum Concilium) since it is the official language of the Latin rite Church.  

Tridentine Mass

12.      So why didn’t the Church revert back to the Old mass once it was clear that the Church had strayed too far from the intentions of the council?

Perhaps it is because the Church saw the reversion back to the old mass will be seen by the world as the Church returning to what it considers the unacceptable older version of the Church. It is quite likely that the older form of the mass will be reestablished if and when the Church is given her rightful place again in society. Even today, the old mass is to coexist alongside the new mass according to the decrees in Summorum Pontificum.   

13.      So we will see the rise of the traditional practices again in the Church at some future time?

I believe so. The traditional values of the Church were formed to support a Catholic way of living over 2000 years. The more Catholic the world tends to become, the more it will find the traditional values naturally attractive. This is probably why we see some converts to the Catholic faith join traditionalist groups within a short time in the Church. 

14.      But this seems to be an incorrect claim considering the Popes have made it clear that Vatican II is here to stay?

Vatican II does not condemn traditions of the Church. Vatican II is certainly here to stay in the sense that it will always be the Council that adjusted the Church to continue in a world that had become hostile to her and stripped her of the authority and position that she rightly held. But apart from the explicit doctrine which cannot obviously contradict the doctrine already present in Sacred Tradition, rest of Vatican II is a pastoral compromise to reach out to the world in a period where the Church has been stripped of her rightful position in society. Therefore, that aspect of Vatican II must pass away when the Church is restored to her full glory while the teachings will remain. 

15.      So is everything going according to plan in the Church then?

As hinted above, I think the answer is no. There are those who have incorrectly understood Vatican II to be a break with sacred tradition. One part of this group has left the Church and continues asking for the rejection of Vatican II. The other part inside the Church has spread havoc. They have invented theological concepts such as “Anonymous Christian” and a concept of God’s mercy that would make it seem impossible for God to punish any person for any sin. All such things have led to a weakening of the faith. 

Some irresponsible ecumenical activities involving faithful who do not even have an understanding of the motive for such events has led to indifferentism inside the Church. Many tend to see all faiths as good and equally capable paths to salvation. That is not a good thing. 

Traditional values have been all but abandoned, for the Church tends to not mention them. The lack of values such as modesty and other traditional values guiding relationships between men and women have led to an increase in sexual sin within the Church. Hostility toward traditional wisdom has also led men and women to marry outside the faith and an increase in broken or undesirable marriages. Divorce rates among Catholic is climbing. There are children growing up in Catholic families without receiving the faith from their parents.

The Catholic faith also tends to get portrayed as a temporal tool. Perhaps with an idea that it will make it easier to spread the gospel, some tend to emphasize temporal benefits of Christianity rather than accepting it because it is the truth. This may include the mention of factors like more happiness and joy, higher life expectancy, higher income levels, loving community, and other sorts of temporal benefits that are said to correlate with Christianity. These persons tend to forget the truth that in times of persecution, being a Christian meant embracing a life of sorrow and a drastic reduction in life expectancy. The joy of Christianity is also a joy different from what the world tends to identify by that term. The true joy in Christianity comes from knowing the truth and surrendering to the will of God. So it is more intellectual than emotional as well. Overall, while mention of such temporal benefits can certainly draw followers, work must be done to dispel their misunderstandings. If not, they could soon leave the faith for not receiving what they mistakenly thought they should receive as a Christian. Worse, they will spread the same misguided view of Christianity making it seem like a temporal enterprise to be changed and manipulated for maximizing these temporal ends.

16.      What is our duty then in these times?

I believe our duty is to pray for the conversion of the world to Catholicism. We must also pray for our Pope and Church leaders to guide our Church wisely and prudently in these troubled times. Apart from prayers, we should try our best at the individual level to convert those whom we meet to the faith, charitably correct fellow Catholics who have a misguided view of Vatican II and the Church teachings, and preserve the great traditions of the Church in our communities and within our families. 

In the words of St. John the Bosco, “May we dare hope to see peace in the world and the Church's triumph before the end of our lives? We could then sing our Nunc dimittis. However, may God's will be done in all things. The triumph of the Church is certain; if we do not see it here below, we shall witness it, I hope from heaven.”

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