It occurs to me based upon recent emails and telephone calls that the crisis besetting the Church in our day, while not terribly complicated, is perplexing to many otherwise bright Catholics.
Perhaps the following illustration, devoid of ecclesial-speak; set forth in terms more readily understood by the average person, may prove useful to such people in your own life. If so, feel free to pass it along.
Crisis rocks the Water Buffaloes
Fred Flintstone, as everyone knows, belongs to the Loyal Order of Water Buffalo, Bedrock Lodge.
What many do not know, however, is that the Water Buffaloes have developed a very specific set of principles that have been passed along from generation to generation, in all integrity, from the beginning of the Stone Age onward.
All Water Buffaloes must assent to these principles as they are set forth in the Great Depositerium and consistently taught and expounded upon by the Grand Poobahs throughout the age.
Fifty years ago, many centuries after the Order’s founding, the reigning Grand Poobah, Johnny Rockalli, called a surprise General Herd so the top Water Buffaloes could gather from Lodges around the known world to update the language of the Great Depositerium.
Poobah Rockalli was firm: “Fellow Water Buffaloes of the General Herd, you have no authority whatsoever to change the principles in the Great Depositerium, you are simply to re-articulate them so that they will hit the boulderheads like a ton of bricks; i.e., even they will be able to understand them.”
After years of chiseling away, the Herd unveiled the Bronze Age Depositerium (BAD for short), but it soon became clear that there were serious problems.
The Herd often used new hieroglyphics that were confusing. Many of the Water Buffaloes, therefore, no longer knew the principles. Lodges began to close, some members didn’t even know enough to give a respectable Water Buffalo handshake!
Some of the Water Buffaloes loved the Loyal Order so much, that their Lodges decided to stick with the venerable Great Depositerium as it existed for centuries before the BAD confusion set in.
Not only were their members not confused about the principles, their numbers grew and grew and grew!
Yabadabadoo, right?
Well, not so fast…
You see, most of the Lodges put allegiance to the BAD work carried out by the General Herd, confusion and all, before fidelity to the principles that the Loyal Order still claims to believe; just as they are set forth in the Great Depositerium.
The Water Buffaloes who cling to the BAD and defend it as though it is good, or at least, good enough, save for a few parts that even they don’t really like, are not only terribly confused for the most part, their numbers are dwindling; their Lodges crumbling right before their very eyes.
Many of them, including the new Grand Poobah, Frank Humblestone, are angry with the Great Depositerium Lodges, calling them names, like “Neolithic Restorationist.”
Some poor confused members of the BAD Lodges even claim that the others aren’t even Water Buffaloes at all.
The Water Buffaloes of the BAD Lodges mean well most of the time, but they sure do sound awfully silly.
To be continued…
So Fred Flinstone is a freemason? lol
Right, and that was the FIRST red flag: calling an ecumenical council for NO other reason than to ‘update’ the language of the Church, repackaging and marketing it for ‘modern’ man.
There were tremendous issues that needed addressing…they were left unaddressed – ignored, even (e.g., Communism, and the Freemasonic infiltration of the hierarchy.)
And since the Church has always been pristinely clear in its presentation, and since ‘modern’ man is supposedly soooo much more educated now, there was no need to talk down to him. If anything, given the way the modern hierarchy assumes so much of ‘modern’ man’s progress, the call should have been made for more theologically technical language, eh?
No.
It was all a ruse from the start.
John XXIII was something of a peasant simpleton, and so was entirely taken in by the modernist theologians and their flashy modern church-speak.
The entirety of the council was a colossal mistake, from beginniong to end, and everything that came from it.
The Church needs to revisit and amend, but not from 1962, rather from about 1951. For this all started on Pius XII’s ailing watch.
When the restoration comes, the entire latter half of the 20th century, ecclesiastical history wise, will be a grinning head-shaker.
“I know, man, I know. That was quite a ride,” they will say.
Frank Humblestone….heh 🙂
God bless for this bedrock right reason, Louie, and for the chuckles.
it’s time for the big guns, ‘Wilmaaaaaa!’
p.s.
water buffalo Bam-Bam-Burke, could start swinging the Truth club on Bad buffalos like smugradiaga.
Let’s not let Poobah Rockalli off too easily. He did let heterdox dissenters attend a Council without their rescinding and repenting of their errors, did he not? As well as introduced a host of pre-Novus Ordo liturgical changes, none of which appear to have been introduced for the glory of God nor the sanctification of souls.
And does anybody want to really, truly claim that Pacem in Terra is really a well-rounded, rigorous traditionalist teaching fully in keeping, in letter and in spirit, with the fullness of Holy Tradition?
from what I have read about Rochalli and knowing his environment, he could have just been a modernist himself. surely he called lot of people who were despised and left apart under Pius xii. in any case, he was no simpleton peasant.
rosa
Well, I’ll give you that perhaps John XXIII was a little more ‘agenda intensive’ than I may know.
But his personal prayer life and overall outlook as an Italian Catholic seems to have been steeped in tradition and received ritual.
Perhaps we can just say of him that he was the wrong man, in the wrong place, and at the wrong time.
A cock-eyed optimist riding third class on the Titanic.
In charity, I like to think so at least. But if I’m wrong, I’m wrong.
Yabadabado the Latin Mass at your Parish and keep the Loyal Order true to the Great Depositerium! 🙂
Rodj said: And does anybody want to really, truly claim that Pacem in Terra is really a well-rounded, rigorous traditionalist teaching fully in keeping, in letter and in spirit, with the fullness of Holy Tradition?
This is what i wonder sometimes. It is God who gives us a ‘new heaven and a new earth’. We should try to foster peace and the one mind between ourselves and not shirk at proclaiming the truth, but the world is the world; world peace – a Catholic oxymoron – Christ is peace, Christ is not the world. The Gloria, according to Pope Benedict, is properly translated ‘and peace to those in whom God is well pleased’.
Could it be that the “Grand Poobah” (read “Grand Master”), Frank Humblestone, presides over a “BAD Lodge”, otherwise known as the “Masonic Lodge”? ; )
Oh, how Frank Humblestone is pleased to see hapless souls swoon at his feigned humility!
What joy the Grand Poobah must be experiencing imagining throngs of his followers crying “Santo Subito Grand Poobah Humblestone I” at his death not too far away! He can already picture in his mind his image being unfurled in the heart of the Loyal Order in Bedrock Lodge being displayed in front of thousands of his swooning admirers with the next Grand Poobah solemnly declaring:
“I solemnly declare that Frank Humblestone of happy and blessed memory is to be held in special honour throughout the whole Loyal Order of Water Buffalo”
Meanwhile some Neolithic Restorationists are wondering:
Is Frank Humblestone still a member of the Loyal Order of Water Buffalo? Or is he the Grand Poobah of some diabolical counterfeit of the much loved Loyal Order?
I do not agree with the statements about Blessed John XXIII being a Modernist. I honestly do not think so. I read his diary Journey of a Soul and there is nothing in there to suggest he had any Modernist or Liberal leanings. He composed and had a great devotion to the Precious Blood published in Feb 8 1960. He also suppressed the worker priest movement and he Bugnini thrown off the Council in early 1962 for some unknown reason. That said John like Francis was too naïve about the UN and the modern world and diplomacy. He meant well and was rumored before his death to order the Council stopped when he saw the direction it was starting to go in. He was very charitable.
blimey, check this out:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2546218/Birds-released-Vatican-gesture-peace-immediately-attacked-vicious-seagull-crow.html
the omen anyone?
Dear Sheena,
If any event in the last 50 years could be viewed as the “fulcrum” event that undermined the Magisterium and the safeguards against heresy introduced at the Council of Trent, it was JXXIII introduction of St. Joseph into the Canon of the Mass. Up until then, the Canon was exclusively restricted to Martyrs, a Tradition that reached back to Apostolic times. At the time of the introduction, it appeared that it was done for no apparent reason since St. Joseph figured prominently in other parts of the Mass. It was only during VII that it became apparent why it was done, and demonstrated that it was done with cunning and premeditation. Why was it done and what was its significance? It was done to break the “CONSTANCY” of the Canon. After this, nothing could be considered sacred an more. And it was on the back of this NOVELTY, that the changes in the Mass started appearing posts 1962. The final iteration of this novelty is the anthropocentric assembly style of liturgical worship that was introduced in 1969, and that we all know all too well. Therefore, it was JXXIII who was in fact the first modernist pope, and all the troubles that have afflicted the Church since can be honestly laid at his feet.
Sheena,
Please read “The Rhine flows into the Tiber” by Fr Wiltgen, an authoritative account of what transpired at the council. I wish the fable of J XXIII declaring shortly before his death that the council should be stopped would vanish, it is simply not supported by the facts. In fact, it is recorded that right before his death he uttered words to the very contrary, that it was his dearest wish that the council should continue and be successful.