Vatican II and Essays on Church

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Rama P. Coomaraswamy

INTRODUCTION to 'Vatican II and Essays on Church'

Having been involved in Catholic controversies over the past 35 years, it is of interest to note how frequently the same issues come up. Thanks to photocopy techniques, I can go back to articles written 25 years ago to answer questions raised today. Why is this so?

The answer lies, I think, in the fact that for many of us being Catholic involves a certain progression or struggle as we conform ourselves more and more to Christ and less and less to the world. In former days the Church was there to support this struggle or spiritual warfare. Today the Church, or what many take to be the Church, has a different vision. Those of us who cannot accept this new vision have to disentangle ourselves from its seductive attractions. Others for whom this new outlook has turned sour hardly know where to turn. When we look for the old Church, we have great difficulty in finding it and carry with us a tremendous baggage of guilt. Who after all are we to question what comes from Rome? We find ourselves walking alone along a path with many stumbling blocks and little guidance. To use the phrase of Philo, we are like a person attempting to cross a trackless desert without a map.

The stumbling blocks however are surprisingly similar. I have stubbed my toe on most of them. I have written these articles in an attempt to sort out issues for myself - trying not to 'think for myself' but to think correctly. In this I have turned to the constant teaching of the Church and to the writings of the saints for clarification. I am happy to share my struggles with others. I am not, or at least, it is not my intention, to propound any ideas of my own, but only to understand and share the constant teaching of the Church. I am of course not infallible, and if I have departed from such teaching, I would be grateful to anyone who can correct me. I should add that most of these articles have been read by several traditional theologians and have been debated with those who find them objectionable for one reason or another. The time has however arrived to gather them together in book form.

There is a certain logic to their arrangement. Starting out with The Gates of Hell shall not Prevail (it's a part of a book, 'The Problem with the Other Sacraments'), a fairly constant refrain on the part of those defending the new changes - changes in doctrine established by the documents of Vatican II and the subsequent teachings of the post-Conciliar 'popes'; and the changes in Liturgy with the imposition of the Novus Ordo Missae. This is followed by an essay on the Magisterium or teaching authority of the Church (like above). The reader is reminded that Truth cannot change, and Truth is incorporated in the Magisterium of the Church. It is to this body of teaching that we must turn if we are to find our way in the present confusion. This is followed by an essay entitled The Fundamental Nature of the Conflicts between Modern and Traditional Man (Part 1) (Part 2). While not written for Catholics, this deals with the supposed conflict between Science and Faith. Being myself a Thoracic Surgeon of many years standing, and currently a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, it is not surprising that I should tackle such a subject.

The next essay entitled Creed and Cult in the Post-Conciliar Churchintroduces one to the problems posed by the changes introduced by Vatican II and the new 'mass.' This is followed by an essay on Vatican II (it's a part of a book, 'The Destruction of the Christian Tradition'). The reader will have forgive the occasional if not frequent repetition of certain points, but these essays were originally written to stand on their own so that such is inevitable. Next in line are three articles on the Mass - The History of the Traditional Mass. Is the Novus Ordo a Catholic Mass? And a brief discussion of Michael Davies' Liturgical Shipwreck which is in fact his attempt to justify the changes. Finally, an article on the new Sacrament of Orders (it's a part of a book, 'The Problem with the Other Sacraments'), which in the desire for unity with Protestants, has all but destroyed the Apostolic Succession - which of course the Protestants reject.

Three articles follow, one Laissez Faire Catholicism (Part 1) (Part 2) dealing with the concept of Papal Authority, and the Problems raised by the Obligations of Obedience (it's a part of a book, 'The Destruction of the Christian Tradition'). The third deals with the fact that All this has been Predicted. There was much talk during the time of Vatican II about reading the signs of the times. This is precisely what was read incorrectly - a true inversion. The parable of the Prodigal Son is worth consideration. The Father did not go and join his son in eating husks fit for the pigs. The son had to return to the bosom of the Father before the 'fatted lamb' could be slain and 'wedding feast' enjoyed. It was not for the Church to go to the world, but for the world to return to the Church. The problem was that the prelates, those responsible for guiding us, lost faith in the Church and felt they had to replace it with faith in the world.

The remaining articles deal with a variety of problems - issues frequently raised. The Nature of Cults becomes important as traditional Catholics are frequently mislabeled as being in a cult, whereas in point of fact the new Church can be called such with even greater justification This is followed by essays on the Origins of the Pentecostal Movementand on the various current apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. With regard to the latter, many are looking for a 'sign.' This is in itself symptomatic of the confusion many find themselves facing. Not knowing where to turn they would like the Blessed Virgin to come and tell them what to do. We have been plagued with a variety of false apparitions, and of course the new Church has abdicated its responsibility and declared that they will no longer make judgements about such things, either condemning or approving. An essay giving examples and providing principles entitled False Apparitions is provided. At this point an experience of my own is instructive. Not happy with the Novus Ordo Missae, I went to visit Brother Gino in Italy, a reputed stigmatist (who was later shown to be a fake) and he encouraged me to accept the Novus Ordo. I wrote to a friend in France, an atomic scientist who also disliked the Novus Ordo, and he informed me that he had visited a stigmatist in the Pyranies who told him he must never go to the Novus Ordo. So now I had two stigmatits telling me to do opposite things. It was then I went to St. Thomas Aquinas and studied the theology involved. I also learned to stop looking for signs, and to turn to the constant teaching of the Church as incorporated in her Magisterium and in the writings of the saints - as St. Alphonse Liguori said, you can trust any author whose name begins with S - S standing for Saint.

Other essays follow. Psychological Integration and the Religious Outlook(part 1) (part 2) deals with the relationship of Psychiatry and Religion. On the Nature of Evil - Is there a Problem of Evil, The Desacralization of Hinduism for Western Consumption which not only attempts to show that the Hinduism being spread abroad in this country has little to do with real Hinduism, but also explains the roots of New Age Religion and the origin of 'Spirit Guides.' An essay on Traditional Economics and Liberation Theology is actually a lecture given at St. Marcos University in Peru which was at the time and probably still is, a hotbed of leftist thinking. An Essay on Marriage entitled From Eros to Agape, an essay on Is Baptism of Desire a Catholic Teaching?(both are parts of a book, 'The Problem with the Other Sacraments')Evolution continues to be a basic error underlying much of modernist thinking as has been demonstrated in the essay of the Creed and Cult of the Post-Conciliar establishment. Yet another essay on the Problem of Jurisdiction (part 1) (part 2) is provided. While I am not a canon lawyer, there is a certain amount of common sense which can be brought to this subject. Not the least is the fact that while the priests in the Novus Ordo establishment have jurisdiction, they do not have the Catholic Faith; traditional priests however who do have the faith, may not have formal jurisdiction derived from pseudo-popes, but they are provided with jurisdiction by the doctrine of Epikeia, a doctrine which the true Church has always recognized.

Finally, the reader should not think all is well with the Traditional Movement. There is much confusion, and so I conclude with a brief essay on The Problem with the Traditional Movement (part 1) (part 2).

Readers do not have to read every essay. As mentioned above, each essay can stand on its own. Nor do they have to agree with anything I say. What they have to do is ask themselves if what I have said is consistent with the teaching of the Church. They can and should 'check me out.' If however they do this, then they have to accept, not what I say, but what the Church says. This is what I have had to do and this in fact is what every Catholic is or should be bound in conscience to do. May God help us all to do so.

APPENDIX

There are also some articles written in years 2000-2003

Rama Coomaraswamy, MD: Are The Priests of St. Peter's Society "Massing" Priests? (part 1) (part 2)

Rama Coomaraswamy, MD: On Keeping The Faith Verses Fundamentalism

Rama P. Coomaraswamy, MD: Use of Meditative Techniques in Psychiatry

Rama P. Coomaraswamy, MD: Philosophia Perennis And The Sensus Catholicus

Rama P. Coomaraswamy, MD: A Brief For Sedevacantism

Rama P. Coomaraswamy, MD: On The Ego, Our Enemy And Too Often Our Closest Friend

Rama P. Coomaraswamy, M.D: Are Traditional Catholics a cult ? (part 1) (part 2)

Rama Coomaraswamy, MD: On Pedophilia

Rama P. Coomaraswamy

Virtual Vendée's Editorial Note
Articles were collected together in year 2000. Nevertheless, most of them had been written one, two or even three decades earlier. All the articles, which are parts of books are included not here, but in the section of e-books.