1977 Thirteenth National Wanderer Forum – Modernism, The Pervasive Error

Held in Minneapolis-St. Pail, Al Matt Jr. gave the Welcome address, and summarized the theme of the Forum to be focused on Modernism. Al’s introduction:

As you know, this is the 13th of the series and the topic is “Modernism, the Pervasive Error.” We didn’t plan it that way, but we’ve had a few conflicts that perhaps have reduced our numbers somewhat this year from past years.  Nevertheless, the speakers are prepared to deliver their usual fine addresses and I’m sure that this will be one of the key Wanderer Forums that has been held to date.

It was only about two weeks ago that one of the speakers that you’ll hear this afternoon was at the University of Notre Dame and I don’t know that he heard the word “modernism” addressed at all, but if you’ve read the first article in a series on the colloquium that was held at Notre Dame, which I think was titled “Vatican III, the Work That Needs to Be Done,” that suggests that not that Vatican II has been exhausted, it hasn’t even been tried yet, but apparently what testing they’ve done of Vatican II, these modernists think that it’s not for them and so they want to try Vatican III.

Although, from what Frank hears, he’s not sure whether the next one will be called Vatican III or Notre Dame I.  I guess Father Hesburgh is pushing for the latter.

But it’s strange because as you will see on an issue of the paper that we hope to have in your hands by sometime tomorrow, there will be a beautiful color picture, taken by your editor by the way, of a statue of St. Pius X, Pope St. Pius X.  He was the latest pope to be canonized and he wrote an encyclical about the modernists back in 1903, I believe it was.

And so some people might think, well why are we still talking about modernism now?

I mean, after all, Pope St. Pius X disposed of it and perhaps he thought he did.  But in fact, modernism and its various branches is very much alive and well today, as Frank Morris so recently discovered at Notre Dame.

And I recall that my late father, in talking to me about Americanism, which is really sort of the American branch of modernism, there isn’t really that much to distinguish Americanism from modernism except that it had, you know, the uniquely American cast to it. But several years ago when we were talking about this, he said that in the early 1950s when the late, great John Gregory Murray was the Archbishop of St. Paul, that he and Archbishop Murray were discussing the phenomenon of modernism and my father ventured the observation that, well modernism was this and modernism was that.

And Archbishop Murray was rather insistent, in fact he got a little angry with my father, that my father was putting it in the past tense.  And after all, the modernist heresy and the Americanist branch of it seemed to have been disposed of back in the early 1900s.  But Archbishop Murray reminded my father, he says, “modernism is not only not dead,” he says, “it’s alive and well and more virulent than ever.” And this was back in the 1950s.

I would hesitate to suggest what Archbishop Murray might say about modernism today if he were here. But just to put this meeting in focus and to sort of suggest that one of the major things that we would ask all of you to do, if not during the forum, certainly after the forum, is to read this encyclical letter which was entitled, “Pascendi Dominci Gregis” on the doctrine of the modernists, written by Pope St. Pius X.

Because this basically forms the foundation of our topic today.  And if you read it, or if you haven’t read it recently, you’ll be shocked at how contemporary even the phraseology sounds.  It sounds as if it might have been written by Pope Paul the day before yesterday.

Without getting away from the first page, I just want to read a passage here.  And think for yourselves how this might apply in the present day situation.  Pope Pius X talks of the gravity of the situation, and this is back in 1903.  He says that we make no delay in the matter as rendered necessary, especially by the fact that the partisans of error are to be sought not only among the Church’s open enemies.  They lie hid, a thing to be deeply deplored and feared, in her very bosom and heart, and are the most mischievous the less conspicuously they appear.  We allude, venerable brethren, to many who belong to the Catholic laity. 

Nay, and this is far more lamentable to the ranks of the priesthood itself, who, feigning a love for the Church, lacking the firm protection of philosophy and theology, nay more, thoroughly imbued with the poisonous doctrines taught by the enemies of the Church, and lost to all sense of modesty, want themselves as reformers of the Church:  Pache, Notre Dame, Hans Küng, Edward Schillebeeckx, Avery Dulles, etc.  But I’m sure Frank Morris will have more to say about that.

And lost to all sense of modesty, want themselves as reformers of the Church, and forming more boldly into the line of attack, assail all that is most sacred in the work of Christ, not sparing even the person of the divine Redeemer, whom with sacrilegious daring they reduce to a simple, mere man. It could have been written yesterday.

So in the next three days, we’re going to focus on this poisonous error of modernism and see just how it affects our contemporary life in the Church, from whence come its roots, and what proposals that we might suggest as to remedy this problem.

I would like to make a few announcements before we get into the program.

Number one, I’ve waived this copy of the encyclical Pascendi here, and copies of this are available at the Wanderer booth in the next room, as well as many other reprints, which should be must-reading for all of us here.

As you know, the Catholic Theological Society of America has come out with its study on human sexuality, whatever that is, and has come up with all sorts of proposals and observations about the subject, which, as a matter of fact, happen to be contrary to the explicit teaching of the Church on these points.  And in fact, one gets the impression that they are trying to refute and to denigrate rather recent teachings of the Church.  For instance, the recent Declaration on Sexual Ethics, which was promulgated by Pope Paul and written by the direction of Pope Paul by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, explicitly answers many of the questions of sexual morality, which are addressed by the Catholic Theological Society report.

That came out about a year before the Catholic Theological Society report, but nevertheless, it’s very relevant today, just as even more so today than when it was written, perhaps, the encyclical Humanae Vitae, which can also be obtained either at our Wanderer booth or at the Wanderer Forum booth.

The Declaration on Procured Abortion, the Declaration Mysterii Ecclesiae, which discusses some of the modern errors concerning the nature of the Church with a brilliant interpretation by our friend Bill Marshner, whom you’ll hear later today.

These are some of the things that are available at the Wanderer Forum booth, and I would suggest that all of us have much more reading to do, have much more research to do, because unless we know the enemy, unless we know its nature, we are in no position to recommend solutions or to find our way out of the maze in which the Church finds itself today because of this insidious error of modernism.

So I would recommend to all of you to examine the pamphlets and the reading material that’s available both at the Wanderer and the Wanderer Forum booth and pick up some of this material, take it home with you, reflect on it in the context of the speeches that you’ll hear in the next couple of days.

Talks:

[ed. note: this page is being developed and will be updated to include all three days of talks and other materials from the conference]