Identity Theft - Part II

The reign of the experts came upon us in the wake of the Council and it has lasted for over forty years. Their influence has waned considerably, and indeed it's taken a big hit since the election of Pope Benedict; but there are still far too many of them left in positions of authority or influence, and they're still trying to re-invent Catholicism and force us into a new way of " being church".

So even today, we have various "experts" telling us that our traditions are merely simplistic and superficial piety which limit us to mindlessly "doing church" rather than "being church". But then, in the very next breath they tell us, "active participation" demands that we be doing something at Mass rather than just being there. Why? To what end? It's very strange to me that they've been striving for years to get us to "join in" but at the same time they've been Hell-bent on destroying all of the signs of our Catholic identity they can get their hands on. Again, one could rightly ask: exactly what, then, is it they want us to be a part of?

There are two* passages in the New Testament which are rather illustrative. If I may make bold to say so, Our Lord doesn't seem to have been a big fan of the sort of "active participation" so beloved of the liturgists:

1. Luke 10, 38-42: Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain town: and a certain woman named Martha, received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord's feet, heard his word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and said: Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? speak to her therefore, that she help me. And the Lord answering, said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things: But one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.
2. John 13, 6-9: He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith to him: Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.

In the first we see Jesus endorsing passive adoration over active busywork. In the second He corrects Peter who seems to resist passivity in his encounter with the Most Holy. (Martin Mosebach does a far better job of explaining this in "The Heresy of Formlessness" than I could ever do.) And of course St. John Marie Vianney's admonition is that we stand at the foot of the Altar as the Blessed Mother stood at the Foot of the Cross. I certainly don't remember anything about her running around and getting "involved". She - and St. John - remained quietly, adoring and praying.

Traditionally the Church has seen the Mass first as an unbloody re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary and secondly as a re-enactment of the Last Supper. Even though post-Conciliar theology has attempted to reverse these two emphases, the foregoing should aptly demonstrate that - either way - the ethos of true Christian worship does not require or even favor congregational activity over silent prayer and adoration. The perpetrators of the liturgical revolution - and its latter-day adherents - have turned their back on nineteen centuries of tradition in favor of trendiness.

When an identity thief assumes the persona of another, he is not simply engaging in a harmless masquerade; he's seeking to use the victim's good name and reputation to advance his own ends. Consider, for a moment, what would have happened if the "experts" who gained control of the post-Conciliar reforms had not been able to proceed under the auspices of the Pope and the bishops? What if they had started their own sect, let's call it the "Reformed Catholic Church", and sailed forth to peddle their theoretical theology and lackluster liturgy under this flag? Would their ideas have gained currency, or their sect gained converts? I doubt it! For my money it's a toss-up whether they'd have been clapped into mental institutions or simply ignored!

Does the name "Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter" mean anything to you? If not, perhaps it will refresh your memory if I reveal his alias: "Clark Rockefeller"! Now do you remember him? By presenting himself as something he was not - a member of the famous and wealthy Rockefeller family - Gerhartsreiter was able to gain the trust of numerous unsuspecting individuals and perpetrate a hoax that unraveled only when he began to believe his own fabrications.  A penniless unknown would never have been able to become a member of the Algonquin Club - let alone a member of it's Board of Directors - or marry a high-earning female exective, but the "Clark Rockefeller" identity gave him credibility.

By the way, his attorneys used an insanity defense. Do you suppose that sort of thing will fly when the thieves who tried to steal our Church and our Catholic Identity finally appear before the Seat of Judgment?

 * And there's lots of good stuff in the Old Testament about the importance of following the rubrics too!