I have been reading much of the reaction that the American (and other) bishops and the entrenched liturgical establishment has to say about the Moto Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, that Pope Benedict released 10 days ago. Fr. Z has a listing of these, with intelligent commentary (far more intelligent than most of the original pieces). His July 2007 listings can be found here: What Does The Prayer Really Say? » 2007 » July. When I read the reactions of our leaders, I was saddened by the pride and arrogance that many of the responses exhibit, which prompts this post. I posted on Christian Pride previously, and want to continue my thoughts in light of the current developments.
What does pride look like? It goes something like this.
I don’t need to listen to you.
Who cares what the Church says.
The Church doesn’t know what its talking about.
I don’t not need to pay attention to the Bible.
Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?
I know what is best for myself.
I know better than you what needs to be done.
What, do you think I’m stupid that I need your help?
I have a brain to think for myself, I certainly don’t need to be told what to think.
I will only believe what I see, I will not trust the word of others.
My own counsel will I keep.
We all have seen this kind of thinking. I suspect we all have thought this way. I certainly know I have. But this thinking is the root of sin. It sets up whoever thinks this way as their own god. It stiffens the neck and hardens the heart. When we are called back to the truth, to repentance, it fights the soul within us that wants to return to God. This is the real plague that threatens Western civilization. Our culture tells us we are all little kings of our own realms, gods of our own existence. This fatally flawed perspective tells us that there is no right and wrong, except as the individual sees it (relativism feeds and insulates pride).
This pride even infects our Church. Bishops that resist the lead of the Pope demonstrate it. They want to be head of the Church and resist following the Vicar of Christ. Liberal religious advocates speak from this very place. They argue that the Church is wrong, that our tradition is not sacred, that we do not need to believe the teachings of the Church, and that, somehow, the Church was wrong in its teachings before the 60’s, and is wrong now on a number of important issues. Those that argue the Holy Spirit abandoned the Church at Vatican II show this arrogance as well. Both groups share the foolish pride that they have the truth and that Christ’s own Church is too ignorant to see it.
We have seen this sinful pride before in our history. We saw it as the unity of the Church was splintered at the Great Schism and during the Protestant Reformation. Those episodes resulted in fractures in the Body of Christ that have yet to heal. To many of our wayward brothers have not yet returned home.
We are facing the same situation today. But it is not from the extreme traditionalists - they have had their say and only a fringe are willing to leave the Church with them (though we should strive to keep all within the Church). No, it is the liberal side of the Church that is the greater threat. This group says they are Catholic, but in their arrogance reject what is Catholic and what is Sacred.
So what can we do? We all must humble ourselves before God. We must answer whether we believe what we say every Sunday in the Nicene Creed. If so, we must follow the leader of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We must open our hearts and bend our knees. Pray for forgiveness, and receive the Holy Spirit.
All lay, and all priests, and all bishops who serve the Lord,
set aside your pride and open your hearts!
