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What Happened to the Catholic Church?!
If you are a Catholic in this day and age (practicing or not) you probably have
noticed the massive disarray in the Catholic Church. Few people go to Mass or
receive the sacraments regularly if at all anymore, and those who do attend Mass
can immediately notice the changes, the laxity and lack of devoutness when
comparing to the Mass of many years ago. There is also a lack of priests and
nuns and scandals surround many of them in the news. It is very discouraging to
say the least. What happened?
Below, we review some of the causes and effects of these problems and some
recommended solutions and workarounds.
The Situation
Depending on your age, you may remember the Catholic
Church before 1969 as being completely different from the Catholic Church today. If
you were born after the 1960’s, then the Catholic Church and Mass you
see today may seem normal to you since you may have never experienced the way it
used to be. This page reviews the differences between the Catholic Church and Mass
before and after 1969 and shows the problems that have developed into what we
are seeing today.
The Second Vatican Council
In 1962 through 1965 the Second Vatican Council was called together by the
Catholic Church. The goal behind the council was to “update” or give a “renewal”
to the Catholic Church. Attending the council was Pope John XXIII, who passed
away while the council was still in session, and was replaced by Pope Paul VI. In
addition, to the surprise of many, many Protestant ministers also attended and were
involved in the decisions of the council. This was a huge red flag to many
Catholics since involving Protestants in Catholicism in any way has always been
forbidden by the Church throughout Her history. The final decisions of the
Second Vatican Council were drastic changes to the Catholic Church and the Mass,
despite the fact that changes to the Mass too had always been forbidden by the
Church throughout Her history. Looking at the papal encyclical,
"Quo Primum" (Promulgating the
Tridentine Liturgy) written by Pope St. Pius V (a canonized Saint) in
1570, we can very clearly see that changes to the liturgy of the Mass were
forever forbidden and declared to always remain under the Tridentine Liturgy
ratified by the Council of Trent.
At the conclusion of the council, a “new mass” was created and Catholic Churches
were instructed to start saying it starting in 1969 instead of the untouched
original mass which had been celebrated since the earliest days of the Catholic Church.
Throughout the 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s and through to today many other changes
have slowly crept into the Church as well, as we will see below.
The Changes to the Catholic Church in General
If we compare the Catholic Church in general before the Second Vatican
Council to the modern day church today, we can see MANY differences. Obviously
these differences vary parish to parish and all may not apply to all parishes,
though there is no doubt these changes are WIDESPREAD:
|
Traditional Church |
New Church (1969 and later) |
|
|
|
|
Full churches on Sundays and Holy Days |
Near-empty churches on Sundays and Holy Days. |
|
Abundant religious vocations (priests and nuns) |
Drastic drop in religious vocations |
|
Altar used |
Altar replaced with a table |
|
Tabernacle kept on altar in center |
Tabernacle removed or moved to the side |
|
Crucifix over the altar |
Crucifix removed, and other pictures such as that of John
Paul II are hung instead |
| Communion rail |
Communion rail removed |
|
Statues of Jesus, Mary, Angels & Saints |
Most if not all statues removed |
|
Veneration of Saints |
Little or no veneration of Saints |
|
Little variations in churches across parishes |
Large variations across parishes |
| Modesty regulations strictly adhered to |
Modesty regulations lax or abolished |
|
Goal of the Church to convert others to Catholicism |
Conversions no longer a goal – instead Ecumenism is
preached |
|
Heresy strictly forbidden by the church |
Heresy no longer discussed |
|
Staying in the state of grace and receiving the
sacraments mandatory to save our souls |
Sacraments optional. Little emphasis on the state of
the soul, mortal sin,
penance, judgment or hell |
|
Liturgy and sacraments consistent throughout the
centuries |
Liturgy changed and validity of the sacraments now
questionable |
|
Tradition held sacred in every aspect |
Modernism now replaces tradition |
|
Priests ordained with traditional rite |
Priest validity of ordination questionable due to
changes in ordination rituals |
The Changes to the Catholic Mass
If we compare traditional Catholic Mass (before the Second Vatican Council) to
the modern “new mass” that exists in churches today, all of the differences
below have also been witnessed. Again, these differences may vary parish to
parish and all do not apply to all parishes, but nevertheless, these changes are
undeniably WIDESPREAD:
|
Traditional Mass (followed since the earliest days
of the Church) |
New Mass (1969 and later) |
|
|
|
|
Mass was the solemn worship of God offered as a
“sacrifice” for our sins |
Mass now more of a memorial, instructional service or
meeting |
|
Mass said in Latin for centuries |
Mass inaccurately translated to English |
|
Rituals & prayers untouched since the early days of the
Church |
Rituals & prayers changed or removed despite prior
Popes' disapproval |
|
Priest faces Our Lord in the Tabernacle |
Priest has his back to tabernacle (if there is a
tabernacle) |
|
Communion received on the tongue |
Communion received in the hand |
|
Communion received kneeling |
Communion received standing |
|
Communion distributed by priest only |
Communion distributed by anyone |
|
Silence, reverence & devotion during Mass |
Talking and little devoutness during Mass |
|
Sisters sing beautiful hymns at Mass |
Modern, profane music at Mass |
|
Priest reverent and restrained during Mass |
Priest very casual and frequently joking |
|
Frequent signs of the cross & genuflections by
priest and laity |
Far fewer signs of the cross & genuflections |
|
No variations in Mass across parishes |
Large variations across parishes (ONE Church should
have NO variation) |
|
High Mass with incense |
No more high masses or use of incense |
|
Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament |
Benediction completely changed or abolished |
|
Altar boys only |
Altar girls |
| Only clergy and altar boys in sanctuary |
Anyone in the sanctuary |
|
Only Traditional missal used according to decrees of Council of Trent |
Traditional missal discarded, contrary to decrees of Council of Trent |
|
Traditional Canon of the mass
intact and is a true sacrifice with true transubstantiation |
Words changed – true transubstantiation
doubtful which likely makes the new mass no longer a true sacrifice. This
change is the
single most devastating change that resulted from Vatican II |
Notice that many of the changes to the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican
Council resemble changes proposed by Luther in the 16th century, many of which
are seen in Protestant churches today. During the Reformation, Luther's motive
was to destroy the belief that the Catholic Mass is a true sacrifice and to also
push ecumenism (i.e. one religion is as good as another).
How can this “new mass” and new doctrine, forbidden by prior Popes and forbidden
throughout the history of the Church be true and pleasing to God?
Looking at the changes to the Catholic Church and Mass above, it is not
surprising that there has been a drastic drop in religious vocations and people
practicing their faith today. Clearly many characteristics in today’s Catholic
Church have similarities to Protestant churches. Since there were Protestant
ministers involved with the “renewing” of the Catholic Church at the Second
Vatican Council, is this not a surprise? If you were born after 1969 and have
only attended the “new mass” in English and have always thought it was the norm,
you have now been shown it is NOT the norm.
KEEP IN MIND:
Truth doesn’t change. If the traditional mass was right
before Vatican II, then it is right now. If the new mass was wrong before
Vatican II, then it is also wrong
now.
”Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have
learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.” Thessalonians 2:2
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the
clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you
shall know them. (Matthew 7:15-16)
If You Currently Attend Mass Regularly
If you are Catholic and currently are a member of a parish in your area, take
note of the changes just mentioned above. If you are a sincere Catholic and you
see these changes in your parish, it is your DUTY as a Catholic to make these
issues known to your pastor. If your pastor disagrees, then it is your DUTY as a
Catholic to seek out a validly ordained priest who offers the true Mass and
sacraments elsewhere to the best of your ability. Simply put, no true Catholic
should knowingly attend a Protestantized or ecumenical service (see the directory of Churches
across the US and Canada below that offer the traditional Catholic Mass and
sacraments). Note that a true, sincere Catholic will even relocate if required
to be able to attend a true Catholic mass, since the true mass and sacraments
should be a priority in life for EVERY Catholic.
If You Are Catholic But Don’t Currently Attend Mass or Practice Your Faith
If you consider yourself Catholic and do not practice your faith due to the
problems in the Church today (or for other reasons), we are now making you aware
that there ARE Catholic Churches that still practice the traditional Catholic
Mass, and the Vatican has approved of any priest that wishes to continue to
say the traditional mass. See the directory of Churches across the US and Canada below that offer the
true Catholic Mass and sacraments. Jesus did not tell us to abandon practicing
our faith if problems arise in the Church. Rather, Jesus established His Church
for us NOT as an option, but as mandatory for our salvation. It is your duty to
seek out a validly ordained priest, and the true mass and sacraments to the best
of your ability!
The Official Catholic ONLINE DIRECTORY OF TRADITIONAL
LATIN MASSES AND RESOURCE BOOK for the United States and Canada
Click the image below to browse the online directory
to find a traditional mass near you (use CTRL-F to search it), or order your own
paperback copy of the directory from
Traditio.com.
2006 Traditional Mass Directory
NOTE: Beware of The “Indult Mass”
The "indult mass" is the traditional Catholic mass offered at churches where the
new mass is also normally offered. Some concerns that Catholics should be aware
of with the indult mass are:
 | Some priests saying the indult mass MAY not be validly ordained with the
traditional (pre-Vatican II) rite, and therefore MAY not be valid priests. |
| The Holy Eucharist distributed at the indult mass MAY also have been
consecrated (invalidly) and left in the tabernacle during a new mass said in
the same church. In this case, people at the indult mass MAY not be receiving
validly consecrated hosts at Holy Communion. |
| Priests who celebrate the indult mass AND the new mass may be obliged by
their diocese to preach certain Vatican II doctrine in their sermons,
confession and elsewhere. This would be a danger to ones faith. |
Therefore we do not recommend Catholics attend the indult mass since the
above criteria may be difficult or impossible to determine. If there is no other
traditional mass available in the area, Catholics may consider attending an
indult mass providing they perform thorough research to the best of their
ability to determine if the above criteria are present.
Conclusion
No true, sincere Catholic should ever blindly attend a Mass that they know is
Protestantized, ecumenical,
invalid, forbidden by past teaching of the Church or otherwise displeasing to
God. You are putting your salvation at risk if you do so. We urge you to
investigate further on your own. There are plenty of books available on the
traditional Catholic Mass. Some books on the subject are below (these may be
found at sites such as
http://www.tanbooks.com and
http://www.amazon.com):
The Problems With The New Mass
Rama P. Coomaraswamy, M.D.
The Great Sacrilege
By: Rev. James Wathen
The Problems With The Prayers of The Modern Mass
By: Rev. Anthony Cekada
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