I would like to add, that based on my experience, many devout Catholics read, adhere to, and promulgate devotions, visionaries, apparitions, opinions, that are contrary to the mind of the Church. One can check out some of the websites noted on some of the fliers put out and discern that if they are not directly anti-magisterium, they have not been approved. It is always safer to obey the mind and teachings of the Church than to trust ones own thinking. The saints ALWAYS bowed to the judgement of the Magesterium and preferred their works destroyed than to go against holy Mother Church.

What a relief - thank you Father for writing.

Fr. Angelo: you said - "The discernment of spirits is so important today because there are many
voices competing for our attention, and it is all so easy to assume that
that what we hear, or even what we think and say comes from God. We
need to be careful, especially when we are tempted to think differently
than the Church—to disregard or disparage her doctrine or choose a path
that sets us at odds with the sacred magisterium." I think this quote should be copied, and pasted up on all of our study walls. Thank you for penning this wisdom.

Read more: http://spiritualdirection.c...

This series will be a welcome one. I hope that you will somewhere address the issue of yoga and the spiritual implications of getting into it. Thank you.

Dear K - search for the word "Yoga" in the upper right of this site and you will find a lot of good information. Yoga itself is a bit out of scope for this series.

I have and thank you for Fr Sullivan's contribution, looking forward to his 4th article. I am in formation in a 3rd order religious Carmelite this has been a concern, and we must know if the excercises can be separated from the religion, I think not, my group leader and her advisors think otherwise. I am concerned and will pray appropriately.

"Thinking with the Church" is a great phrase. I am glad you wrote about it, Fr. Geiger.

"Even in the name of Tradition, some today speak of a pre- and post-conciliar Church, thus creating a rupture between the past and the present. "
So do you deny that the changes done in the "spirit" of VII did not occur or do you believe they are part of the organic evolution of the liturgy?

Altar girls, mass in the vernacular (as a common practice), communion in the hand, designed lack of reverence, multitudes of Eucharistic ministers, abandonment of Gregorian chant, did in fact occur and the council was used falsely as the reason for the changes. Pointing out the heresies and sacraliges committed by the homosexualists and Marxist in the church and hierarchy is not a sin, it is a duty.

Aldo,

As you say much was done falsely in the name of the Council. That was not thinking with the Church. Joseph Ratzinger has said that there is far less difference between the old liturgy and the new than between the new celebrated properly and the new celebrated badly.

Thinking with the Church is the solution not the problem. This is very much my whole point.

Yes we should think with the Church but we should be careful to define what the Church is. Is it people who wanted to "update" the liturgy such as Bugnini, a wretched man based on his writings, or is it thousands of years of tradition an Church teaching? The new liturgy was not created by Vatican II but only In its "spirit" after the fact. The good news is that the new liturgy is not an infallible teaching and the Antiqua Forma used by hundreds of years of saints can be restored.

With 85% of OF Catholics leaving the faith within 5 years of confirmation (5% in EF parishes) and the rampant contraception amongst OF Catholics I think this restoration of the ancient form will happen by default.

Well said, Aldo.

Thanks, everyone for your kindness. Its a privilege to be writing here and I am glad to see that the topic strikes a cord. God bless all of you!

St. Ignatius of Loyola's rules were for pre-conciliar Church. St. Ignatius' rule 13 is "to uphold especially all the precepts of the Church and not censure them in any manner; but on the contrary to defend them promptly, with reasons drawn from all sources, against those who criticize them." According to St. Ignatius, it would seem that the current magisterium would have to justify itself if and when it in contradiction to the previous magisterium and extrinsic tradition. I am studying mysticism from medieval saints and am very satisfied with past ways of thinking with gives a better understanding of the present. I am certain that you will agree that it is unfortunate that the past traditions should be distrusted. I am looking forward to read the next lesson on mysticism.

You are right, Denise, I don't believe that past any traditions should be distrusted, but that is because the rules of St. Ignatius apply to the Church as she is.

Pope Benedict has rejected a hard distinction between the pre- and post-conciliar Church on a number of occasions, for instance, in his Christmas "hermeneutic of continuity" address of December 22, 2005. In that address the Holy Father points out that what might "at first glance" appear to be a rupture with tradition, in fact, is a new application of the deposit of faith in which "the continuity of principles proved not to have been abandoned."

There is a logical difference between two things that are contradictory and two things that are contrary. The first is an absurdity, the second a difference for reasons that do not violate principle. The Church is the ultimate judge (in this world) about such matters.

This is precisely what I am dealing with in this series, and hopefully over its course, the problems you raise will be adequately addressed.

Thanks for your input.

I read for the first time the 2005 Christmas address of Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI in this address wrote that those causing the hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture frequently avail itself of the sympathies of the mass media and one trend of modern theology. Those modernists claim that the texts of the Council as such do not yet express the true spirit of the council because of compromises necessary to keep and reconfirm many old things that are now pointless. Benedict XVI wrote that the nature of the Council as such is therefore basically misunderstood. In this way, it is considered a sort of constituent that eliminates an old constitution and creates a new one. But Benedict XVI said that the Fathers had no such mandate. But he concluded surprisingly that with the Second Vatican Council, the time came when broad new thinking was required and if we interpret and implement it guided by a right hermeneutic, it can be and can become increasingly powerful for the ever necessary renewal of the Church. However, in 2013, media said that people were happy to see Pope Benedict XVI go because he blocked the Catholic Church from launching a badly needed renewal. As I understood it, I do not agree that Benedict XVI's　address　demonstrated clearly that there is an hermeneutic of continuity between the pre- and post-conciliar Church. I remain uncertain then that the 18 rules of St. Ignatius may apply to the post and pre conciliar church, as if there were no rupture. Your upcoming articles however will be most interesting if you could explain this continuity satisfactorily.

The church is not infallible in matters of the liturgy nor is the Holy Father's address infallible. There was a break with tradition I'm terms of what was done in the spirit if VII. VII did not break with tradition. VII called for the primacy of Latin and the continued use of Gregorian chant. There would be a great apostasy if the modern Church actually adhered to VII let alone 2000 years of tradition.

Aldo,

In the course of my series, I will address the issue of non-infallible teaching. Let me say two things initially.

First, "non-infallible" does not mean "may be disregarded as non-binding." The presumption lies with the Church. Your and my personal opinions are never anything more than just opinions. On the other hand, the Holy Father's teaching, even when non-infallible, is never just a private personal opinion.

Secondly, concerning matters in which one in good faith has a conscientious objection, there is a fundamental difference between a response that is ecclesial and one that is not. The only proper option for a Catholic is an ecclesial response.

I will get to this in due course.

Thank you Fr. Angelo for your witness and for following Christ so closely through the priesthood. Welcome!

Welcome Fr. Geiger... Overwhelmed with excitement in waiting for what is to follow. Peace be with you.

Welcome my friend Fr Angelo. This is Dr Sheila Kuzmic from RI. So wonderful to have you on board!!!

It has been a while, Sheila. It is nice to hear from you! Thanks.

I suspect that your series is exactly what I needed right now. I really do want to think "with the mind of the church" and welcome your help. Thank you!

Hello Fr,
I am a new convert to the Catholic Faith and have brought my whole family with me. Even though I was raised in a Baptist ministers home i have been on a wonderful pilgrimage of rediscovery and joy.
Your posting today already has addressed some of the ideas I have encountered along the way. I have heard much ado about the pre and post-conciliar Church. I have also have even been introduced to New Age Spirituality. However I have a deep regard and Love for the traditions of our Church and to that i hold fast.. I have traveled through these areas with prayer, study and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
What particularly touched my heart was your mention of false discernment. This has been a object of focus in my prayer life and I am very much looking forward to hearing more from you in the future on this as I have felt very strong nudges to my heart and I want to make sure that they are from God and not my own will.
I pray for His will.

Welcome Father Angelo! I have just begun reading the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and I look forward to what is in store each day. Although I am not deep into his work, it is referenced in every spiritual book I've read, so I feel familiar with it already. Your reference here is so important as it simplifies so much. Thank you and I am looking forward your post series.

Welcome Father! I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Welcome Father! Thank you for joining our writing team. We are honored to have you on board! God bless you!

Welcome Father I really reflected on on how our faith and prayer are not isolated but are joined and union with the church. I am glad you mentioned that because often I get in a rut when I think it's a personal endeavor our faith and growth in faith and in prayer in relationship with God but I know it is not with Mary Most Holy we unite with her and all angles and saints in Holy Holy Holy in praise and worship of Almighty God.

This series promises to be very interesting and edifying! Welcome, Father! It is always a pleasure and privilege to enjoy the counsel of priests through this medium!

I'm really looking forward to this series. :-) Thank you for giving your time,Father Geiger.