Guest Op-Ed: The Council Opened the Church to the Prince of this World

By Fr. Paul J. McDonald

It is a very strict "dogma" of the ecclesiastical-politically-correct orthodox mainstream, which admits the grave malady that afflicts the visible Kingdom of God on earth, the Catholic Church, that the Second Vatican Council is in no way to blame for the malaise. It is, rather, the misinterpretation of the Council which is to blame, since only positive fruits could ever have come from it.

But in his encyclical on the Holy Spirit, Dominum et Vificantem, 26, Pope S.John Paul II seems to say that the Council consciously took a risk of opening the Church to the world, that is, the world that is dominated by the "Prince of this world." It seems that he thought the risk was well worth it, for the sake of evangelization, but that it was a risk:

"One must learn how to "discern" the salvific fruits of the Spirit bestowed in the Council carefully from everything that may instead come originally from the "prince of this world." This discernment in implementing the Council's work is especially necessary in view of the fact that the Council opened itself widely to the contemporary world."

So, according to the pope who dedicated his 26 years of Petrine ministry to implementing the Council, the Council "opened itself widely to the contemporary world" which means that "what may... come from the 'Prince of this world'" is perhaps more present in the life of the Church.


But if what comes from the Evil One is more present and needs to be discerned, isn't this very lamentable?

Pope Paul VI certainly lamented it, speaking of the "smoke of Satan" entering the Church through some "unknown fissure." Pope John Paul II seems to be saying, wittingly or unwittingly, that this happened through the Council. It was either a bold, evangelical move, worth the risk or an imprudent policy which has harmed the Mystical Body.

Are we not allowed to think that it was imprudent and harmful? The Church is suffering from "diabolical disorientation," to use Sr. Lucy of Fatima's expression, and this is at least partially because of Vatican II.

So, in submission to the above teaching of Saint John Paul, let's stop saying that the Council has nothing to do with the current crisis.
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Notes:

The integral key quote: 26b: This work being done by the Church for the testing and bringing together of the salvific fruits of the Spirit bestowed in the Council is something indispensable. For this purpose one must learn how to "discern" them carefully from everything that may instead come originally from the "prince of this world." This discernment in implementing the Council's work is especially necessary in view of the fact that the Council opened itself widely to the contemporary world, as is clearly seen from the important Conciliar Constitutions Gaudium et Spes and Lumen Gentium.