Changes in the Church
"The spirit of Vatican II" is perhaps one of the most overused and dangerous phrases common among revolutionary Catholics. What this phrase refers to is change. It is often used to suggest that changes sought today are in line with the types of changes made in the second Vatican Council.
However, many times when someone refers to something being "in the spirit of Vatican II," they are seeking changes which are indeed NOT in the spirit of Vatican II and are COUNTER to basic Catholic Doctrine. Some things that many are attempting to change include the Church's position against contraception and abortion, the celibacy of priests, the reservation of the priesthood to men, and the acceptance of homosexual relationships.
The big difference between Vatican II and these changes that claim to be in the same spirit is this: Vatican II made drastic changes to the liturgy including the allowance of Mass in common languages, but Vatican II did not attack the basic moral philosophy of the Church. The changes sought today do.
There are very basic reasons why the Church teaches what it does. Contraception and abortion contradict the Church's teaching on the sanctity of life. The marriage of priests and homosexual relationships challenge the Church's basic teaching on marriage and vocation. Female priests ignores the tradition established by Christ himself of calling only male apostles and runs counter to the idea that we all have special roles in God's plan.
The following three articles deal expressly with the sought after changes in the Church. They seek to explain why certain elements of doctrine cannot be changed, and they attempt to establish the motivation behind the move for change.
The Basis for Change should be Truth
The intended end of religion is truth. Therefore, any change to any religion must be in line with that end which is sought.
Some individuals seek change for selfish reasons; others perhaps view the changes as good for the sake of tolerance. However, as Jacques Maritain explains, tolerance between systems of belief is impossible from a metaphysical point of view.
We are Church: Why the Petition for Change is Wrong
We are Church, a petition authored by a former nun, outlines some of the proposed changes in Church doctrine. However, the petition contains many examples of faulty reasoning and provides an insight into the supporters' less than noble motives.
