This February, many Chinese are preparing to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Initially, only the Chinese celebrated it, but some countries, including the Philippines, began to celebrate it as it was recognized as one of their holidays. Feng Shui masters are being hired by many individuals, including entrepreneurs, to seek assistance and bring prosperity to their businesses. But the question is, is it safe to use Feng Shui for Catholics? Let's begin by discovering what Feng Shui is.
St. Anthony the Great is a 4th Century Christian Monk from Egypt, and was known as the Father of All Monks where his life is the inspiration of Christian Monasticism when St. Athanasius of Alexandria wrote his biography. He has so many words of wisdom when it comes to faith, but there is a certain word quote that prophesied the future:
Recently, there's a news item about US Bishop Strickland was removed from the Diocese of Tyler by Pope Francis. The Vatican didn't provide reasons or his removal buy Bishop Strickland was recently known to criticise Pope Francis including the acceptance LGBT (And now the blessing of the same-sex couples). When he celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass in 2020 for the first time, he fell in love with it and continued celebrating it. He disobeys the Pope's command on restricting the Traditional Latin Mass. For the views of some of our Catholic brethrens and Priests, disobeying the Pope is not good and it may end up as schismatic. But do we really have to obey the Pope even his words and actions will lead us to heresy and blasphemy? Even he makes more Catholics swayed their way to the truth?
Traditional Catholic societies have suffered in the past because of their brethren in the Church. They condemned the movement of these societies because they believe that the traditional way of life is not fitting in with the modern world, just like the Vatican II taught. Though many Catholics, including those who did not experience the Tridentine Rite, treat the Novus Ordo Mass as the Traditional one. Even though the Novus Ordo Mass started out as solemn, it has gradually introduced more Protestant gestures that remove the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
The Tridentine Mass or the Traditional Latin Mass is still restricted and can only be attended by the parishes or churches that are under the Traditional Catholic Societies or communities. Since the SSPX (Society of St. Pius X) has its bishops unlike other Traditional societies, they slowly built churches in every part of the world where some people discover the beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass. And since many Traditional Societies have been formed in the past years after the promulgation of the Novus Ordo Mass, followers of the Traditional societies are spreading the word of the importance and truth about the Sacred Tradition and the Sacred Rite of the Holy Mass.
When Archbishop Lefebvre established the Society of St. Pius X (where he used the name of Pope St. Pius X because of the Saint’s battle against the evil of Modernism) following the promulgation of Pope Paul VI’s Mass, also known as the Novus Ordo Mass, it caused controversy in the Catholic Church but provided hope for those who still adhere to the Catholic Tradition. When Pope John Paul II declared Archbishop Lefebvre and his newly consecrated bishop to be schismatic, they were automatically excommunicated (but not the whole SSPX).
Following Vatican II, we are now witnessing changes in our church. Perhaps some of us, including Millenials and Gen-Z, are unaware that our Holy Mass has become more like a protestant service since Pope Paul VI instituted the Novus Ordo Mass, in which the priest now faces the people, the language has become vernacular, and Gregorian Chant has been replaced by modern music. Liturgical dances and applause are now included in the Holy Mass, and some parishes have their own version of the Mass, which Pope St. Pius V fixed when he promulgated the Tridentine Mass to unite the Church. The Church is now open to other religions, with the Pope and Cardinals visiting different religions, participating in their rituals, and praying to their gods, which violates God's first commandment.
Following Pope St. Pius V's reformation in 1570, which is focused on Sacred Tradition, including the Holy Mass, the truth, and strengthening Catholic faith, there are no reforms in the following centuries. When modernism gradually infiltrated the church, causing some changes such as the Holy Mass, Pope St. Pius X fought the evil of modernism and restored everything to Christ. When St. Pius X died, modernists in the Catholic Church seized the opportunity to present their ideas to the Church, but they were unable to do so because the subsequent Popes also denied modernism. Then, in 1962, Pope John XXIII convened the Vatican II Council, which focuses on Modernism, the Liturgical Movement, and Ecumenism - a reunion with other Christian denominations such as the Protestants.
The Catholic Church has remained faithful to Sacred Scripture and Holy Tradition over the past centuries. In the 1500s, the Protestant Reformation occurred, and the Council of Trent was created in response. This council made a strong counter-reformation, which was strengthened by Pope Pius V by making the church more disciplined and uniting it by promulgating the Tridentine Mass. Then, over the course of the twentieth century, many things changed and the modern era arrived. That is where modernism comes into play.
After the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon our Lady and the Apostles, the Church has faced numerous challenges, including persecutions from the Jews, the Roman Empire and other pagan nations. The demon used it to destroy the Church from the outside. Yet he also attempted to destroy the Church from within. There have been prior attempts to wreak havoc on the Church. Including critiques of corruption by a Catholic priest named John Wycliffe. But it was until 1517, when Martin Luther, an Augustinian Friar who wrote his ninety-five theses protesting against the sale of indulgences, became the wick of the Protestant Reformation.
When Martin Luther left the church and started the protestant movement, a number of heretics created their own churches, in the belief that they built the true church of God. They left the one, true, apostolic and Catholic Church that our Lord Jesus Christ has founded. Some of them even copied the rites and doctrines of the Catholic Church. As years passed, the Church entered modern world and “modernism”, as Pope Pius X said, brought evil to the faith. Protestants fully embraced Modernism. The use of ballad and rock music can now be used in praying and in worship. Sharing of life experiences is very common within the group and you will be asked "Have you accept Christ as your personal savior yet?" This is the Born-Again Movement, also called Born Again Christians and Evangelical Protestantism.
During the previous century and before Vatican II, the protestant become popular to people because of their modern approach, as the Catholic Church remains faithful to Traditions. When Vatican II Council started, many changes occurred to the church including the Holy Mass which becomes similar to the Protestants. Because this is the solution of the Vatican II Popes when modernism spread to the whole world. Even though a reform happened to the Church, the protestants still have their way to attract more people to join their false religion. This is when the Born-Again Christians was born. More popular music genre in their worship such as ballad and rock, Bible Studies and no more sacrifice such as kneeling when worshipping God, you can just raise your hand and sing along with the music. Some modernist priest tried to bring this method to the church such a Mass in TV where there is dancing and clapping, but some wants to remain its solemnity. But some faithful including lay ministers saw the methods of the Born-Again, they build an organization or movement for Catholics with protestant approach. They were called Catholic Charismatic Movement or Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
