Posted on 03/29/2006 12:18:14 PM PST by pravknight
Vatican II "in the Light of Tradition"? Pastoral Letter by Bishop Mark A. Pivarunas, CMRI
Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul June 29, 1994
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
In the past few years, there has been a rise in the number of conservative publications which attempt to excuse the chaos and confusion in the modern Church of Vatican II by the erroneous argument that there is nothing theologically wrong with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council and that the problems supposedly are caused by misinterpretations on the part of liberal priests, religious and laity. These publications enumerate the abuses perpetrated in the Conciliar Church and yet insist that the problem has not been caused by the modern teachings of the Council. They insist that the Vatican II decrees must be interpreted “in the light of tradition.” Let us briefly examine some of the many modern teachings which emanated from the Second Vatican Council and see if they can be interpreted “in the light of tradition.”
First of all, when the term “in the light of tradition” is used, it should mean that references can be found in the Church’s tradition to the particular doctrines in question. To interpret a doctrine “in the light of tradition” should mean that the doctrine has been previously taught by past Popes and Ecumenical Councils.
Let us begin by the examination of Vatican II’s “Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.” As we quote from this official Declaration of the Council, let us ponder how this Declaration could be interpreted “in the light of tradition.”
Declaration of the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Vatican Council II; October 28, 1965)
“From ancient times down to the present, there has existed among divers peoples a certain perception of the hidden power that hovers over the course of things and over the events of human life... Religions bound up with cultural advancement have struggled to reply to these questions with more refined concepts and in more highly developed language.
“Thus, in Hinduism men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible fruitfulness of myths and a searching philosophical inquiry. They seek release from the anguish of our condition through ascetical practices or deep meditation or a loving, trusting flight toward God.”
Before we continue with the text, let us consider the overwhelming depth of error contained in these praises of Hinduism. Hinduism is a pantheistic as well as a polytheistic religion. It recognizes various gods in the created world. The world and everything in it, including man, is god. Among the various Hindu divinities, there are three of great importance — Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. Hindus worship many animals as god. Cows are the most sacred, but they also worship monkeys, snakes and other animals. Man is supposedly involved in an endless evolution of birth and death called reincarnation.
How then can this Declaration of Vatican II use the terminology that Hindus make “a loving, trusting flight toward God”? — Which god is referred to? Certainly not the true God.
“And express it through an inexhaustible fruitfulness of myths and a searching philosophical inquiry.” — How can one express “the divine mystery” (which is not defined) through myths and philosophical inquiry?
Did the authors of this Declaration ever hear of the First Commandment of God:
“I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before Me”?
Continuing the text of the Declaration:
“Buddhism in its multiple forms acknowledges the radical insufficiency of this shifting world. It teaches a path by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, can either reach a state of absolute freedom or attain supreme enlightenment by their own efforts or by higher assistance.”
Buddhism, like Hinduism, is a pantheistic religion which equates the natural order of creation with God and also believes in reincarnation. How then could the Second Vatican council officially declare the praises of this false religion? What kind of doctrine is it to proclaim that Buddhism “teaches a path by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, can either reach a state of absolute freedom or attain supreme enlightenment by their own efforts or by higher assistance”? What is this ambiguous “absolute freedom” and “supreme enlightenment”?
This Declaration, besides its ambiguous language of the Hindu’s “divine mystery” and “loving trusting flight toward God” and the Buddhists’ “state of absolute freedom“ and attainment of “supreme enlightenment,” is purely and simply the ultimate display of religious indifferentism! Religious indifferentism is the false belief, so often condemned by the Catholic Church, which holds that all religions are equally good and that men can attain salvation in the practice of any religion. This is manifestly false because God has revealed the true religion by which He is to be worshipped through His Only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was truly a historical person and He worked the most stupendous miracles to prove His Divine Mission. To maintain that all religions are acceptable is to imply that Jesus Christ wasted His time to reveal the true Faith and found the true Church. Why should He have accomplished this, if, in the final analysis, the man-made religions of the world would also be acceptable.
The Second Vatican Council’s Declaration continues with praises of the Muslims:
“Upon the Muslims, too, the Church looks with esteem... Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet.”
Herein lies a subtle contradiction. If Jesus Christ is acknowledged at least as a prophet by the Muslims, and prophets are truly inspired by God, how do the Muslims deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ Who solemnly and explicitly proclaimed Himself to be God — equal to the Father? Did the Catholic Church ever in its history look with esteem upon the religion of Islam? How can this be interpreted “in the light of tradition”?
Then comes the most preposterous statement of this entire Declaration:
“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.”
What can be “good and holy” in the worship of false gods and in the practice of false religions?
Following this quote in the Declaration, there is a footnote which is the most damning of all statements:
“Through the centuries, however, missionaries often concluded that non-Christian religions are simply the work of Satan and that the missionaries’ task is to convert from error to knowledge of the truth. This Declaration marks an authoritative change in approach.”
Since Vatican Council II, no longer is it the role of the missionaries to convert the people of these religions to Catholicism; their new role is merely to promote the “good” in them?! This doctrine is directly opposed to the mission of the Catholic Church.
Christ founded His Church to teach all nations all things whatsoever He commanded. This was His solemn command to His Apostles and their successors:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:19).
“Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
Where would the Catholic Church be today if the Apostles and their successors did not attempt to convert to the true Faith the followers of false religions? Where would the Catholic Church be today if the Apostles and their successors merely tried to promote the “good” found in these false religions?
Continuing the text of the Declaration:
“The Church therefore has this exhortation for her sons: prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these men, as well as the values in their society and culture.”
How does one “in witness of Christian faith acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods” of false religions? Is Christianity, is Catholicism compatible and reconcilable with the worship of false gods?! What are the “spiritual and moral goods” to be found in false worship? Why is there not any reference to the work of conversion of the people of these religions?
Should it be any wonder why so many Catholics since Vatican II have involved themselves in the practices of the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islamism?
Should it be any wonder that since Vatican II, John Paul II and his modernist clergy have publicly gathered together for worship in common with the leaders of these false religions and a multitude of other religions, including Animism, Voodooism, Shintoism, etc.?
What then are we to think of the argument that the decrees of Vatican II must be interpreted “in the light of tradition”? No where in tradition will we find such absurd doctrines. And as for interpretation, we only need to look to the ecumenical affair held in Assisi where 150 religions of the world assembled at the invitation of John Paul II to pray together. As Pope Pius XI so aptly defined such false ecumenism — “it is tantamount to abandoning the religion revealed by God” (Mortalium Animos).
In Christo Jesu et Maria Immaculata, Most Rev. Mark A. Pivarunas, CMRI
Anything a schismatic has to say about the matter isn't worth the pixels it's posted on.
Put your hands on your ears, right?
Card. Mahoney isn't a schismatic, so are you going to worship every word out of his mouth, or Bishop Thomas Gumbleton for that matter?
Should it be any wonder that since Vatican II, John Paul II and his modernist clergy have publicly gathered together for worship in common with the leaders of these false religions and a multitude of other religions, including Animism, Voodooism, Shintoism, etc.?
Ping to watch the fireworks later. It promises to be a good show!
I've read all these arguments and these non sequiturs before - and the recommended remedy is always: commit the mortal sin of schism!
No sale.
Card. Mahoney isn't a schismatic, so are you going to worship every word out of his mouth, or Bishop Thomas Gumbleton for that matter?
As a Roman Catholic, the only word I worship is the Incarnate Word.
Gumbleton and Mahony will pay the price for their misrule in due time and this fake bishop will pay the price for his as well.
Both Mahony and Pivarunas assault the Body of Christ even though they both know that what they are doing is evil.
One is no better than the other.
How about St. Athanasius or St. Maximos the Confessor who stood up against the heresies of the church of their day?
A pope can become a schismatic if he falls into manifest heretic? What about the so-called Papal Schism of the 14th century? Who was the schismatic then because there were rival claimants to the papacy?
Sometimes, resistance to heresy is preferable to submission to heterodox bishops and clergy.
Besides, your argument is one of an ad hominem attack that doesn't rebut the substance of Bishop Pivaruas's arguments.
Sometimes schism is a necessary evil if it preserves the faith of the faithful.
That necessity, thus mitigates the mortal sin of schism.
He is a valid, but illicit bishop.
Where the bishop is there is the Catholic Church. (St. Ignatius of Antioch Letter to the Symrneans.)
Are you aware the Catholic Church venerates saints who were also schismatics?
St. Meletius of Antioch of the 4th century, not to mention the fact the Vatican has approved Byzantine Catholics adding St. Gregory Palamas, St. Photius of Constantinople and St. Seraphim of Sarov to our liturgical calendars: all of whom were Eastern Orthodox saints.
My Melkite parish has several icons of post-schism Orthodox saints.
This actually was one of the strangest documents to come out of VatII. While the principle is not particularly remarkable - even virtuous pagans born before Christ were deemed to have been seekers after the true God (which one could tell from their virtuous lives)- never before was so much praise heaped on the religions themselves. And it does indeed seem in that fatal footnote that Catholics are being told that everything's groovy, I'm OK, you're OK, and what is Truth, after all?
I think he does make an interesting point, which is that we need to examine whether all of the bad things that came out of VatII were a result of its "misinterpretation" or whether some of them were actually supported by the documents themselves.
I think in general most of the documents are harmless, that is, vague and wordy and open to misinterpretation but not fundamentally wrong. However, it could be that it's time to review some of them.
Vatican II has made chances of reunification with Eastern Orthodoxy less likely, not more.
It would be a cold day in hell before the Eastern Orthodox hierarchs would accept Vatican II.
You mean two great saints who stuck with the Holy See through thick and thin? What do these great saints have to do with self-serving schismatics like Pivarunas?
A pope can become a schismatic if he falls into manifest heretic?
You confuse schism and heresy - one has to do with the Church's organizational authority and the other has to do with the Church's teaching authority.
No Pope has ever taught heresy ex cathedra and no Pope can do so, by definition.
What about the so-called Papal Schism of the 14th century?
It was not a schism, as you yourself acknowledge by labelling it "so-called."
Who was the schismatic then because there were rival claimants to the papacy?
In each case there was a legitimate claimant and an illegitimate claimant or sometimes two.
The illegitimate claimants were, of course, in schism.
Sometimes, resistance to heresy is preferable to submission to heterodox bishops and clergy.
One can resist heresy without committing the mortal sin of schism. You yourself provided signal examples: Athanasius and Maximus.
Besides, your argument is one of an ad hominem attack that doesn't rebut the substance of Bishop Pivaruas's arguments.
You are confused as to the meaning of the term ad hominem - if I call a Communist a Communist in a economic discussion, it can be considered ad hominem because being a Communist is a pretty bad thing to be. However, "Communist" is also descriptive - it indicates precisely the set of flawed economic assumptions the Communist holds.
Likewise calling a schismatic a schismatic in a theological discussion is not just an epithet but a descriptor.
Sometimes schism is a necessary evil if it preserves the faith of the faithful.
If you think that it is ever "necessary" to do evil - that is, to commit the mortal sin of schism - then you have much to learn about orthodox moral theology.
That necessity, thus mitigates the mortal sin of schism.
There is no demonstrated necessity whatever. This is special pleading.
He is a valid, but illicit bishop.
What proof have we that he is a valid bishop? The word of another schismatic or two?
I certainly don't take his word for it.
Where the bishop is there is the Catholic Church. (St. Ignatius of Antioch Letter to the Symrneans.)
Ignatius was clearly referring to a validly and licitly consecrated bishop accepted by his brother bishops - not renegade schismatics.
Try reading the Fathers in context, instead of prooftexting them Protestant-style.
St. Maximos and St. Athanasius were NOT in communion with their bishops. St. Athansius was NOT in communion with Pope Liberius who arguably was an Arian.
Address the content of his arguments. Pivarunas is a Thuc bishop.
My Melkite parish has several icons of post-schism Orthodox saints.
So you went ELCA to Melkite, fascinating, I bet you have a very interesting conversion story.
You should ask NYER to be put on her ping list, she posts some good stuff about Eastern Catholicism...it's also a bit short on Melkite articles so maybe you could add a few to the pot.
I went to church with the famous Deacon Paul Weyrich.
They were in communion with the Holy See, and they did not break communion with their bishops - their bishops excommunicated them.
Trying to parallel Pivarunas who is in schism with the Holy See with a saint who was unjustly disciplined by a wayward bishop is specious.
And they were still obedient - Athanasius obeyed his ordinary and then appealed to the Holy See to remedy the injustice.
St. Athansius was NOT in communion with Pope Liberius who arguably was an Arian.
Liberius was no Arian - a ridiculous claim. He wrote letters against suspected Arians and chose exile rather than approve Arian doctrine. This is slander.
And Athanasius was always in communion with Liberius - preposterous falsehood here.
Address the content of his arguments.
Pivarunas' argument: "I don't like Vatican II and I don't like the stuff John Paul II did, so I think it's OK to commit a mortal sin and I encourage everyone else to do so."
Answer: Schism is a mortal sin and it is never permissible to commit a mortal sin for any reason.
Pivarunas is a Thuc bishop.
Then he is no bishop.
A person who is raised in a schismatic Church is not necessarily committing the sin of schism - this is obvious.
Photios of Constantinople was absolved of schism, Meletios repented, Gregory Palamas was raised in a separated Church, as was Seraphim.
Two of these men were absolved of schism and two never committed the sin in the first place.
Yes, but only with difficulty!
Lest one misconstue my comment, I would like to put it in the context of pointing out that the source for this article, CMRI, is comprised of sedevacantists actively seeking to divide the Church by trolling for membership directly from mainstream ranks. They are highly active in this vein here in the Archdiocese of Boston. They may mean well, I suppose, and they seem pleasant enough as individuals, but they are hardly improved over the Seattle cult they spun off from a few years back, and should be treated like a flying bullet - avoided at all costs!
I think at least, Pivarunas's criticisms are valid for debate among Catholics.
I know a lot of RadTrads, and yes, they are really bad as individuals. I dated an ex-SSPXer once upon a time, and she made the Puritans of Massachusetts seem like hedonists.
I still think criticism of Vatican II is legitemate. If I had to be stuck with a Card. Mahoney Mass and a Pivarunas Mass and only had those two choices, I would take the latter.
But seeing as I am an Eastern Catholic, I probably would avoid both. I know a lot of Byzantine Catholics who think the Latin Church ceased to be Catholic after Vatican II. Choiced between Pivarunas and Eastern Orthodoxy, I would take Eastern Orthodoxy, besides the Orthodox have their own share of wackjobs. (HOCNA, parts of ROCOR, the Old Calendarists)
Rome isn't the only game in town, even if Roman Catholics think so.
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