i copied and pasted my comment on the Second Vatican Council thread here. I don't understand why it was closed...
what i wanted to point out was the Spiritual authenticity of Vatican II and this includes the "new mass vs. tradentine mass" argument (which for me should never be an argument at all). I just felt obliged to put up a little defense. BUt really, again, I was trying to emphasize on the SPIRITUAL AUTHENTICITY of the tenets of Vatican II.
Here goes:
i have a copy of "nourish your life with the council" it outlines and expounds the things discussed and agreed upon by bishops and theologians during the second vatican council. the principles are not so "liberal theology" or "apocalyptic" as most people think. in fact, i think they are in-line with the catholic tradition and quite simple for lay people to understand. although they do emphasize on social justice, which for me, still, has traditionally been a Christian concern and not a modern innovation. Catholics and other Christians should examine them closer rather than judge them based on what they heard about it. This has been one of the problems concerning Vatican II: due to misinformation it has been popularly viewed as too scholarly, or too intellectual, or too exclusive / secretive which gave it an aura of mystery, if not conspiracy. But the truth is, it's not at all that. Find a copy (very cheap - 20 pesos only) and read it for yourselves.
to rclong_rey: the statistics you showed are not that convincing - you should
not view the patterns in conversion in the united states as caused by only one factor, namely the promulgation of the new mass.
there were other more direct and logical factors such as the growth of post-modern culture which emphasized on individualistic / new age spirituality among other things or new socio-economic trends or political movements (for instance, the Vietnam War and Cold-War hysteria which bred a generation of young people disenchanted with anything traditional) -
all hardly the creation of the second vatican council. you are right though in pointing out that the RCC should not bend or compromise its moral tradition -
but you didn't need to because, truly, it has NOT (!). Listen to how it has continued to speak out against abortion, divorce, same *** marriage, capital punishment, artificial birth control, violations of human rights and dignity, etc. despite the risk of it being labeled "kill joy" or "ultra-conservative" or "unfashionable."
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About the "universal" orientation of the church: the RCC has always been universal. Catholic is a synonym for universal. The RCC does not present itself as the exclusive vessel of God's love, rather, it preaches (according to its apostolic nature) the universality of God's love. That God's love is overflowing, that it cannot be contained and that it is there and here for everyone.
Thank you all for your patience