In the years following the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul IV stated, “The smoke of Satan has entered the Church.” In this day of scandal among the clergy, and misunderstanding of key points of doctrine among some clergy and lay people alike, it is not difficult to understand what the Holy Father was anticipating. While the Church is in a difficult situation, even before the clergy scandals erupted, it is not beyond repair. There are several important steps that the Church and the laity can take in order to restore the Church’s health:
1) Restore the Tridentine Mass. This ancient ritual is perhaps the most beautiful and devout practice of any religion; its reverence is beyond dispute, and the chants and rituals lift the mind to God like no other ceremony on Earth. Affectionately called the Mass of All Times, this rite, already centuries-old, was codified by St. Pius V. In 1998, John Paul II issued Ecclesia Dei, calling for “a wide and generous application” of the old Mass. Unfortunately, the Novus Ordo Mass has proven itself to be open to many abuses – liturgical dancing, clapping, jazz bands and other sorts of flairs added by priests seeking to put their personal stamps on the Mass. While Catholics wait for the traditional rite to return to its place of primacy, they should insist that Novus Ordo Mass be said correctly, reminding violators of the Vatican II document Sancrosanctam Concilium, stating, “No one, not even a priest, may on his own, add, remove or change anything in the liturgy.”
2) Obey the Holy Father. The papacy enjoys an unbroken line to Christ himself, and the Pope is known as the Vicar of Christ. But too many Catholics think his teachings are open to debate. When he affirms doctrine in documents the response from the Catholic liberals is something akin to, “Well, he’s old.” Instead, the response should be one of obedience. Consider the words of Ignatius Loyola, “We should always be disposed to believe that which appears white is really black, if the hierarchy of the Church so decides.” There can be no disobedience from the flock.
3) Venerate the Virgin Mother. Mary serves as the perfect model of a follower of Christ-humble and obedient; Catholics always look to her for inspiration, especially through the reading of her advice given in approved apparitions such as LaSallette and Fatima. In one sanctioned apparition in Japan, he warned that the Church would become “full of those who accept compromises.” In these days of challenges to Church teaching and attempts to obfuscate what is really taught, we can look to her advice for definitive answers. For example, when radicals say that the Church needs to “lighten up” on matters of sexual morality, dropping the prohibitions on fornication and other perversions of God’s will, the faithful Catholic can look to Fatima, when Mary warned, “the sins that lead the most souls to Hell are sins of the flesh,” and revealed Hell to be a place of fire and torment, another blow to the “lighten up” crowd.
4) Restore non-doctrinal traditions. Of all the traditions that have curiously disappeared for no apparent reason, two stand out in particular. The first is clerical dress. In the past, priests would wear cassocks a great majority of the time; today, many don’t even wear the collar. Catholics who have graduated from Sunday School remember that the Church on Earth is called the Church Militant-it is necessary to fight for the salvation of souls. The officers in this battle should wear their distinguishing uniform and be proud of their vocation, especially in this day of scandal. When approached by a plain-clothes nun, Bishop Fulton Sheen once said, “Sister? Could have fooled me.”
Second, liturgical music needs attention. All too often, hymns have been replaced with folk jingles. Hymns such as “Come, Holy Ghost” have been superseded in many parishes by such feel-good songs as “Our God is an Awesome God.” The Church teaches that the law of prayer is the law of belief-if prayer, including hymns, become watered-down, so too will the understanding of doctrine. Popes Pius XI and XII both promulgated the use of the organ, but today, we see too many guitars and drums, turning the Mass into Sunday bistro. Resurrecting traditional hymns, or even writing new ones reflecting doctrine instead of entertaining the congregation will play a large part in restoring the health of Catholicism.
While these are suggestions, they are also predictions. While we dare not join separatist movements like the SSPX, we remain obedient to he unchanging faith; the faith of Padre Pio and Pius X. In religious crises like today, it is best to have a firm faith that remains constant. Men must be changed by religion, not religion by men, said a theologian during the Catholic Reformation.
While liberal Catholics dig their hole deeper with female and married priests as their current shovels, I know that the faith of our fathers will prevail within my lifetime, just as it has with so many other errors throughout history.
Mike Benoist is a senior studying political science.
