The latest Pew study shockingly states that only 31 per cent of Catholics in the United States believe that “during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.” Out of the 69 per cent of Catholics surveyed who believe that the bread and wine are mere “symbols,” only 22 per cent of those understand that they are dissenting from the Church’s actual teaching. The rest are accidental Zwinglians.
It sometimes surprises students how little dispute over the Eucharist there was in the early Church. Certainly one could see how Donatism or Pelagianism or Nestorianism might touch upon Eucharistic understanding, but there were no serious disputes until the ninth century — when the aptly named Ratramnus taught Charles the Bald that the elements of bread and wine should not be regarded as “verily” Christ’s body and blood, but as “figures” which spiritually communicated the reality to us. Yet this never rose to the level of a grand ecclesial dispute.
What the Pew study shows is something like an echo of this protestant history, yet very much downstream from another set of reforms: a series of unnecessary and para-conciliar liturgical reforms that were implemented by Catholic priests in the United States to better accord with their view of what it meant to be “open to the modern world.”
Many have said that the Pew study reflects a catechetical failure. I fear the opposite: it reflects a certain kind of catechetical success. It is the result of an unwritten catechesis that American Catholics have been slowly learning. Through a deracinated, spiritualistic, and emotivistic treatment of the Eucharist, many Catholics have learned their faith from a generation of pastors who stripped the altars, razed the bastions of reverence around the Lord in the sacrament, and who generally treated the Most Holy Eucharist itself as something to be passed out like a leaflet rather than received in awe, as people prostrate before the fire of divinity. Far too many have received this kind of unwritten catechesis.
It’s past time that our pastors preach what St. Cyril of Alexandria taught. Namely that the Eucharist is divine fire. Mistreat it, and it will burn you. The whole “razing of the bastions” theme has played itself out to disastrous effect in the Church. The bastions turned out to be things like altar rails, and liturgical actions which conform us to the reality of the Eucharist. The Pew study proves that it’s time to put the bastions back.
Full story at Catholic Herald.
Since Vatican II, it has been very painful to see our old Church destroyed, with nothing of much value, to replace it! I learned, when quite young, that many clerics in our Church, are not necessarily good, devout, practicing Catholics! Some prominent clerics have HUGE academic degrees, but are also impractical– and have primarily intellectual and speculative interests, in theology– and very little interest in a devout, well-practiced Faith! These clerics are not holy! They are very worldly and academic– and are poor Church leaders!
At Vatican II, Church leaders desired to “open their doors,” to the secular world. Liberal leftist social activist work became a big interest– whereas, seeking Christ prayerfully, away from the world, was downplayed. Many social activists in the Church were like socialistic Democrats– not very religious, not rooted deeply in Christ, like St. Mother Teresa. The transcendent, spiritual realms, and preparing for Heaven, was downplayed. The Mass was modernized, “ecumenized,” with more emphasis on humanism and lay involvement– and made more “accessible to the common man.” Very “worldly!’ Not much reverence for God! Yet it seems the Vatican is happy– and wants more of it all!!
Anon’s interpretation of history must be taken with a grain of salt, a lot of grain of salt. Whatever Anon’s negative interpretation is, was NOT the intent of the Fathers of the Council.
I say, this is patently not true, based on my knowledge of my own priest-friends. If I may, this is plain, old, anti-Catholic clergy ranting!
jon, this has nothing to do with your “priest-friends.” And no, this is objective, not a so-called “anti-Catholic clergy ranting!” The post-Conciliar Church is a big challenge for your “priest-friends,” I bet! — we have, currently, a very disorganized, “disordered” and confusing “mess,” in our Church! Very hard to work with! Yet, the Vatican seems to think it’s great– so there we are! As for the teaching on the Eucharist– we hear too many prominent clerics, like Cardinal Mahoney, for example– with their own, made-up, misguided ideas, which they “teach” to Catholics– Mahoney even received support against Mother Angelica’s corrections– by the Vatican of Pope St John Paul II, who was a firm believer in the true doctrine of the Eucharist!!
Anon is very mistaken. With respect to teachings on faith and morals, the Church has continued to teach what she has always taught: the dignity of all human life, the importance of marriage, chastity, the sacraments, and others! The only people I have observed who say that the Church is a “confusing mess” are those from the extreme left (who want female clergy) and those on the extreme right (who want nothing else but the Extraordinary Form). The vast middle/majority are going about their spiritual life, coming closer to God in their own quiet way, dealing with these vociferous leftists and rightists with GREAT FORBEARANCE and patience.
jon, no one here is “anti-Vatican II!” This is our Church! What all good, sincere Catholics want, is for their Church to run correctly and well, to be very reliable, with good leadership! Regardless of personal interests in favorite religious devotions, liturgy, or anything else! A good, responsible Catholic is no fool, merely expected to “tolerate” the on-going Church problems– these problems are very serious, and must end!
jon, many Catholic young people today, get their religious training on-their-own, by reading the Catechism, good Catholic books, and by watching EWTN! Not from their local parish churches, Catholuc schools, and priests and nuns! Others have little or no religious training. And so many do not believe in the Real Presence! This is a big problem– which must be solved! Regardless of your favorite liturgical interests and religious devotions!
Since the late 19th century, intellectual leaders of all academic disciplines have been on a massive, highly destructive, liberal-leftist experimental trend, known as Modernism. Despite Pope St.Pius X’s ban on Modernism in the Church– it finally hit us, anyway, at Vatican II!! Academia has bought into Modernist concepts for too long– with highly destructive results, worldwide! To sum up– the post-Christian society, and death of Western culture!
Great comments on Modernism. To read more about its impact on the Church, search: William Marshner and Modernism. The Institute of Catholic Culture (ICC App) has several talks by him that you can download for free.
I wonder if there is a statistical correlation between the laity’s understanding of the Church’s teaching on the Holy Eucharist and their parish pastor’s/priest’s adherence to their vows of celibacy, fidelity and chastity.
It is not surprising some Catholic pundits will blame Vatican II for the laity’s proper understanding of the Eucharist and will assert the solution for this sad state of affairs is an abandonment of the Mass in the vernacular and a reinstatement of the Missale Romanun ex decreto SS. Concilii Tridentini restitutum. There are many other factors (e.g. Abuse scandals, priest shortage, family dysfunction, incompetent leadership in the Church, etc.) that have contributed to this situation. Satan is laughing very loudly.
It is too bad that the Council failed to come up with a definite worldwide plan, for their ideas for “aggiornamento”– revisions and updates, of everything in the Church. It even took many long years, after the Council, to finally see them put out a new Catechism, wth Vatican II updates! Meanwhile, faithful Catholics, their children, their parishes and schools, all were floundering in the “mess,” with little direction from the Church– on how to proceed, in the newly-updated Church, as practicing Catholics!! Lots of confusion– and many clerics and laymen were floundering, even inventing their own liturgical creations– to cope with the lack of clear direction!.Plus– the Vatican decided to allow for lots of religious freedom, for all— and no longer guided clerics or laymen much, in the practice of our Faith. To this day– Vatican experts, plus the Pope– seem to think all of this is great– and they want more of it! Oh– and how about Jesuit schools hiring a gay “married” teacher for the kids– and his “husband?”– what’s so “wrong” with that?? No moral guidance!
At Vatican II, Church leaders desired to “open their doors,” to the secular world. Liberal, leftist social activist work became a big interest– whereas, seeking Christ prayerfully, away from the world, was downplayed. Many social activists in the Church were like socialistic Democrats– not very religious, not rooted deeply in Christ, like St. Mother Teresa. The Eucharist was viewed in sort of “socialistic” terms. The transcendent, spiritual realm of Heaven was downplayed. The Mass was modernized, “ecumenized,” with more emphasis on humanism and accessibility for lay involvement. Very “worldly!’ Not much reverence for God! Yet it seems the Vatican is happy– and wants more of it all!!
Anon’s is the typical anti-Vatican II, anti-Ordinary Form, narrative that has been pedaled and sold for several decades now. What has it bred? Division. Hatred towards the Magisterium, in particular Pope Francis. Confusion. A weakened faith among those who read rants like this and think that God has not protected the Church from errors on spiritual matters. Folks, there may be liturgical abuses, but there were liturgical abuses also BEFORE Vatican II.
jon– No sense in scheduling ANY form of the Mass– if there is no belief in the Real Presence! To insist on either form of the Mass, with either kneeling at an altar rail, or standing in a Communion line– is a truly hopeless situation!
jon, your pre-judgments and knee-jerk reactions are not necessary! I never mentioned my own religious and liturgical interests! As the above article pointed out, our Church has many serious problems– particularly, recognition by Catholics, of the Real Presence!
Vatican Council II took a 2000 year old Tradition and threw it out the window. Pope Francis is now implementing all the bits that had not yet been completed in the “aggiornamento” to society of the 1960s.
The article does not specify how the Pew study selected those they surveyed. While the results do not surprise me, I wonder if Pew would get similar results if they ran two more similar studies.
It has been quite shocking for me, over the years– to see that many clerics have little interest or attachment to a liturgical form, or to the church buildings where they work. The Church buildings, beautiful and traditional, or starkly modern — can all be sold off quickly, if needed– with no sentimental attachment! And even clerics highly educated in liturgy, may have no attachment or preferencs, as to what they do, at Mass! And some prefer intellectual thought to true religious devotion and practice.
.
“Anon” is entirely correct, and “jon,” and other post-VII implementers are not. When the liturgy changed — something not directly required by VII fathers, all of whom attended the TLM every day — the practice of the Catholic Faith changed (not the True Faith, which cannot change). One element demanded by the implementers was to remove the sacred and miraculous from the Faith. Certainly believe in the Real Presence is that. Many left Christ when He introduced this, and they are still doing so today.
St. Christopher, I have thought for a long time, that these “men of Faith,””leading,” our Church today– are very superficial, and far too worldly! Here’s something worse! In Anglican England, the rector of Norwich Cathedral, who says he was inspired by a visit to the Sistine Chapel– installed an amusement park “helter-skelter” ride in the nave, so tourists could enjoy a close view of the ceiling! The rector of Rochester Cathedral installed a mini-golf course in his nave! A tragic loss of Faith, and respect for God!
Our morally and intellectually corrupt Catholic as well as secular higher education institutions today, are completely bankrupt, and turn out fraudulent leadership now, in almost all fields of endeavor! Truly excellent, mature Catholic and secular leadership for the future– has been severely undermined! A tragic, on-going consequence of the “post-Christian” liberal, anarchic, “Modernist” influence, in Western Civilization!