Bishop calls for new document correcting misinterpretations of Vatican II
January 21, 2011
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A bishop from Kazakstan has suggested the preparation of an authoritative document to expose major errors in the interpretation of the teachings of Vatican II.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, an auxiliary of the Karaganda diocese, argues that the Church has been damaged by inaccurate interpretations of the Council documents, which suggest “an anthropocentric, secularizing, or naturalistic shift by the Second Vatican Council” and a dramatic break from previous Church teachings.
Bishop Schneider says that the teaching of the Church has been distorted because of secular influences and because too many Church leaders failed to uphold traditional teachings. The result, he says, is a widespread misinterpretation of conciliar teaching:
In substance, there were two impediments against the true intention of the Council and its Magisterium bearing abundant and lasting fruits. One was found outside the Church, in the violent process of cultural and social revolution in the 1960s, which, like every powerful social phenomenon, penetrated within the Church, contaminating vast ranges of people and institutions with its spirit of rupture. The other impediment showed itself in the lack of wise and intrepid Pastors of the Church who would be ready to defend the purity and integrity of the faith and of the liturgical and pastoral life, not letting themselves be influenced either by praise or by fear (“nec laudibus, nec timore”).
The post-conciliar confusion can only be resolved, Bishop Schneider says, by identifying errors in interpretation of Church teaching and by appointing bishops who will be “holy, courageous pastors, profoundly rooted in the tradition of the Church, free from any type of mentality of rupture whether in the field of doctrine or of liturgy.” Bishop Schneider made his appeal during a conference held in Rome in December. The translated text of his talk has now been posted on the EWTN site.
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Posted by: Gil125 -
Jan. 22, 2011 3:15 PM ET USA
Heck of a good idea. It might have to be published online, though. There may not be enough paper in the world to print the complete list.
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Posted by: -
Jan. 22, 2011 6:43 AM ET USA
It is an excellenct suggestion, but I wonder if it could be done without calling Vatican III, i.e., another council.
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Posted by: -
Jan. 22, 2011 12:48 AM ET USA
The only problem with this is that the Church has already been screaming this ever since it started happening. Those who chose to twist the words of the council also choose to ignore, or pick and choose from other church documents. They would only see it as a "conservative" hierarchy pushing their views on the rest of the Church. Still, you should teach because it is the truth, not based on whether people will listen or not.
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Posted by: Justin8110 -
Jan. 21, 2011 10:55 PM ET USA
This is BADLY needed and only the Holy Father can do this. Sadly Blessed Pius IX already had a Syllabus on hand as did St. Pius X and had many members of the Church followed the guidelines from them we never would have gotten into this mess but now that we have we need one that addresses Vatican II itself with clear, unambiguous language that leaves no room for nuance and abuse. Someone ought to start a Rosary Crusade for this. I'm not kidding either.
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Posted by: -
Jan. 21, 2011 10:10 PM ET USA
Bishop Schneider should be commended for his courage and clarity in search of the truth (and the Truth). I stand with niall in praying that the Holy Father find the inspiration and energy to achieve an authentic "aggiornamento" through a rigorous "ressourcement". Surely, as the author of the phrase "hermeneutic of continuity", there could be no better man for the job. I'd prefer an articulation and clarification of authenticity to a litany of errors. We can build on the undeniable Truth.
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Posted by: Defender -
Jan. 21, 2011 7:39 PM ET USA
One can only imagine the problems after such a list is published. Look what the pope had to do to let priests say the Latin Mass without the bishop's permission. A list will be much easier to compile (and I'm sure no end of volunteers to help) than it will be to overcome the current crop of bishops' lack of Latin, positioning of the priest during Mass; use of Gregorian chant; giving the Eucharist on the tongue; etc; etc.
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Posted by: -
Jan. 21, 2011 6:55 PM ET USA
Bishop Schneider's request has my full support! I've held for some time now that the Holy Father should compile a "catalogue of errors" about the misinterpretations, mistranslations, and outright disobedience of the documents of Vatican II. I pray that the Holy Father will seriously consider the request, and that the Good Lord will grant him many more years to finally bring about a "reform of the reform"!
