SiSiNoNo: [The New] Catechism of the Catholic Church

THE NEW CATECHISM - A MOUTHPIECE FOR VATICAN II

Nobody ever believed that we would ever have to write on the subject of the new Catechism, as it was so blatantly unacceptable. Yet we are obliged to do so, since it has met with a certain approval on the part of those who want to be faithful to the Church.

Let it be said right now that this approval shows these people to have barely glanced at this new Catechism obviously stopping at the first good thing they read.

Isn't it just true that the sons of darkness are more cunning than the sons of light - and aren't we ready to believe what we wish was true?

It is true that in the new Catechism, just as in Vatican II, there are good things to be found. Yet it is also true of both the Catechism and the Council, that these good things, not altogether new, are mixed in with new things, not altogether good! We see this with their false sense of collegiality, their erroneous policy of religious liberty and the ruin brought about by a heretical notion of ecumenism.

On these three points, the new Catechism slavishly imitates Vatican II. Consequently, both Council and Catechism are unacceptable, because of these erroneous and heretical ideas. They contradict what the Faith has taught throughout all ages and all places - a Faith which Rome has a grave obligation to protect, a Faith that nobody can alter or dispute: "For we can do nothing against the truth; but for the truth. (II Cor. 13:8)"

To dispel all illusions, it suffices to quote Pope John Paul II, who confirmed his fidelity to Vatican II in unveiling the new Catechism:

In his address to the bishops of Wales, during an ad limina visit, he said:

Actually, the voluminous text of the Catechism (almost 700 pages) is nothing but a copy of the rarely read, verbose passages of Vatican II. It has the same errors, the same ambiguities, permitting everyone to do their own thing, mixed together with the usual batch of good and true elements that can also be found in the Conciliar texts.

Therefore, acceptance of the new Catechism is equivalent to accepting Vatican II. Why, then, did the immutable Faith of the Church resist change for all these years; but yet to let in by the window today those things which it rejected at the door yesterday?


THE NEW "CATECHISM" - THE MOUTHPIECE FOR A FALSE RESTORATION

It is quite true that the press, cleverly orchestrated, has spoken of a change of direction. Yet, two things must be stressed. Firstly, this change of direction is purely on the theoretical level. Secondly, it changes only the most striking excesses or abuses of the post-Conciliar period, referred to by Cardinal Ratzinger. His slogan for this change of direction is certainly not "Return to Tradition, " but rather "Return to the authentic texts of Vatican II "

He explains himself further in Discussion on the Faith with Vittorio Messori (p. 32). Therein, he says:
Thus, it is not a case of returning to the unchangeable Catholic Faith or the universal and constant Tradition of the Church, which has infallibly handed down to us Divine Apostolic Tradition; but rather a return to the Council with its "aggiornamento, " which now calls itself the "true" Tradition, and places itself in opposition to the perennial Tradition of "yesteryear." It claims to be the "true" Tradition because it is "living" and evolving [along modernist lines], whereas the ever-present Tradition is seen to be false, simply because it is unchangeable.



THE FAITH - "EITHER WE PROFESS IT IN ITS ENTIRETY, OR NOT AT ALL. (BENEDICT XV)"

Faced with this new danger, it is necessary to remind ourselves that

 
Pope Leo continues:

St. Augustine wrote:

Consequently, our attitude to the Catholic Faith should be one of - "either we profess it in its entirety, or not at all. (Benedict XV, Ad Beatorum Apostolorum Principio)" Only one error, in the tiniest detail of the Faith, suffices to make any Catechism unacceptable.

What then are we to think of this new Catechism, which pretends to be Catholic, while it propagates the same errors as Vatican II? Errors that are in no way insignificant, since they touch upon the very origins and structure of the Church; the Social Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ; the unity and universality of His mediation, and in effect, His Divinity!

In future issues we will publish a detailed examination of the new Catechism by two of our learned colleagues. For the time being, we will simply say that in order to accept the new Catechism, it would be necessary to prove that there never was any reason whatsoever in resisting the "aggiornamento" of Vatican II.


A SUBTLY PERNICIOUS ILLUSION

To all that has been said, we must add that the most significant post-Vatican II abuses are simply the logical consequences of Conciliar deviation. As Cardinal Ratzinger himself admits, the ultra-progressives cannot understand why some things can be changed, whereas oth[ers] cannot. They see certain teachings of pre-Vatican II popes changed, and they ask themselves: "Why can't we change the rest?" This is more understandable (in the logic of their error) than the attitude of Cardinal Ratzinger and all the other moderate neo-modernists (cf. "Cardinal Ratzinger and the doctrinal changes in the Church" Courrier de Rome July, 1986).

It is clear that the post-conciliar Rome of "collegiality" and democracy has no intention of taking any measures against the most serious abuses. Furthermore, Rome still grants bishops the greatest possible freedom in their methods of catechizing - a freedom, which has been, used until now, for the general destruction of catechetics.

"This Catechism is not meant to replace those local catechisms that have been duly approved by the ecclesiastical authorities, diocesan bishops and Episcopal Conferences, especially if they have received approval from the Apostolic See. Its purpose is to encourage and be of help in the compilation of new local catechisms, which take into account local situations and cultures, while still preserving with care, the unity of the Faith and fidelity to Catholic doctrine. (Quoted from the new Catechism, p.9)"

What changes, then, does the new Catechism bring about? None at all!

In order to put an end to this doctrinal and disciplinary crisis, the Roman Authorities must do two things:

Firstly, they must profess and present "the Faith in its integrity, free of all traces of error" (Benedict XV, Ad Beatorum Apostolorum Principis), for as Leo XIII said of the Faith: "Either we Profess it in its entirety, or not at all!" ..."Whoever sins against one sole point [of the Faith], thereby sins against Faith as a whole" (Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum).

Secondly, the Roman authorities must exercise all the powers that Our Lord Jesus Christ has conferred upon His Church - that includes judicial and coercive powers - in order to defend the "deposit of Faith."