Modernism

The history of modernism was laid by Descartes philosophy, officially condemned by Pope Pius X, and flared up again in modern times. The heresy of modernism is one of the greatest dangers to objective truth and Catholic dogma. Pope Pius X,  laid out the origins, errors, solutions for teh heresy. The origins of modernism flow from the concepts found in the teachings of idealist philosophers. This false understanding of the world spreads into other aspects of life corrupting Catholic doctrine and liturgy. The solution to this heresy is Thomism, a philosophy rooted in truth and objectivity. Modernism continued to threaten the church into the later parts of the twentieth century but was countered by Pope John Paul II.

            The condemnation of this heresy began with Pope Pius X in his encyclical letter Pascendi Dominici Gregis,  in which he coined the term modernism.[1] The letter identifies the origins of the error, which stems from the thought of modern philosophical principles, explains how these false principles distort our understanding of theology and objective truth, especially the sacred dogmas and the document finishes with the solution to the problem and the traditional teaching of Thomism.[2] IT can be seen that the modernist heresy was looming long before the pontificate of Pius X. His predecessor, Leo XIII, wrote the encyclical Aeterni, Patris which promoted the use of Thomism, in a hope to end the heresy before it took flight.[3] However, this infection continued to spread through the Church, and an oath against modernism was required to be recited by all clergy and Catholic professors until 1967. [4]  The oath condemned the idea that one could hold contradictory opinions as a theologian and another as a scientist, which was prominent occurance among Catholics who had fallen into this new heresy. [5]

          
        It was contemporary idealism that laid the philosophical foundation and principles of modernism. [6] Without explicitly naming names, the encyclical mentions that the modernist philosopher is concerned with phenomena and not nature, this is clearly referring to Immanuel Kant. [7] This new philosophy rejects our ability to know the external world and leaves us with nothing but a subjective interpretation. [8] For in this modernist nominalism what we see as a tree is not actually a tree, but only a tree in our mind. [9] Thus, the ability to know the external world is rejected and all knowledge comes from within, such as the knowledge of the tree. This philosophical error is the foundation for all of the errors modernism causes in theology and is similar to the nominalism that led Luther to consubstantiation. [10]

            Since Modernism claims our knowledge does not come from outside of the person but from a sentiment within, it destroys one's ability to know truth. Dogmas are universal truths about nature that are eternally true and lay the foundation of Catholic theology. The modernist, however, does not acknowledge universal truth, but claims that dogmas are only true for particular people in a particular circumstance and that the dogmas evolve throughout time and place.[11] Modernism has destroyed the foundation for Catholic theology and was rightly called “the synthesis of all heresies”. [12] Once moral dogmas are allowed to change they cease to be universal truths; and the stage has been set for relativism, where morality is determined by each individual's internal sentiment.[13] In modernism, since dogmas and truths are subjective, there is no reason a particular religion is right or wrong, which can end in religious indifferentism. Through the lense of the modernist, the only method of finding the true religion is not an objective search for truth, but an adherence to the sentiment within us.

          Additionally, Modernism has a devastating effect on the liturgy. The modernist rejects the hidden mysteries of the Mass such as the unbloody sacrifice, the Eucharist and the reception of grace.[14] This is contrary to the traditional goal of the Mass, revealing the invisible mysteries, and properly disposing people, according to their nature to receive grace and glorify God. Like with all objective truth, the modernist rejects the traditional principles of how to receive God’s merit and offer worship that is pleasing to him; Now, the religious experience and how it stirs the sentiment within is the new judge for determining liturgical celebrations.[15] The invisible ontological changes at Mass are neglected, and the liturgical ceremony is relegated to that which causes delight within the attendant, rather than that which makes the attendant more pleasing to God.

         Pope Pius X said that Thomism is the solution and remedy for the most “pernicious of all the adversaries of the Church”.[16] Since the modernist does not acknowledge the universal binding force of dogma the infallible condemnations will not change him.[17] The best remedy is to strike at the source of the problem which is the idealist philosophy. Unlike idealism, Thomism is based on the intellect’s conformance to the external world, through knowledge of universals and eternal truths.[18] Under Thomism, dogmas are seen as unchangeable eternal truths which are revealed by the church for all peoples and ages. Morality is determined through objective laws of nature and decrees from the Church. Religions that do not adhere to Catholic dogmas and morals are known to be objectively false, and the sentiment within has no value if it does not conform to external truths. Thus the liturgical celebration is based on the nature of the Mass and the Eucharist as a sacrifice. Catholic worship is determined by the nature of grace and man's reception of it, as well as what is objectively pleasing to God, regardless of whether it pleases man's emotions.

            Modernism was also attacked by Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Fides et Ratio, where he condemned the notion that faith can contradict reason.[19] This Encyclical was written in honor of his dissertation director, Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, who was one of the greatest Thomists of the twentieth century. [20] Father Reginald lived during the reign of Pius X and fought against the modernist heresy found among his peers.[21] This influence had rubbed off on John Paul II, who had to fight modernism, as well as many other heresies during his pontificate. [22] The Encyclical showed the modern world that the Catholic faith did not fear that her sacred teachings would be undermined by the advancements in science.[23] Rather, the church embraces these truths and uses them to glorify God.

            Modernism is a dangerous error that undermines most, if not all, of the Church's teachings. It was first condemned by St. Pius X but that was not enough to purge the Church of the heresy. It was created as a result of idealist philosophy and destroyed the ability to know objective truth. This lack of objective truth put an end to dogmas and led to moral relativity and religious indifferentism. Modernism also seeks to alter the liturgy, basing worship on man, instead of what is pleasing to God. There is an easy solution, however, the intellectual tradition of Thomism, which conforms the intellect to natures and objective truths. While this heresy still lived in the Church, it was given a fierce confrontation in Fides et Ratio by Pope John Paul II. Considering all the damage this single error can cause, it truly is “the synthesis of all heresies.”[24]

___________

Footnotes

[1] Pope Pius X, Encyclical on the Doctrine of the Modernists Pascendi Dominici Gregis (8 September 1907), §4.

[2] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §45.

[3] Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical on the restoration of all things in Christ Aterni Patris (4 August 1879, §29.

[4] John Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 2014), 290.

[5] Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, 289-290.

[6] J.J. Heaney, “Modernism,” in New Catholic Encyclopedia,  2nd ed., vol.9  (Detroit: Gale, 2003), 752.

[7] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §6.

[8] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §7,8.

[9] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §7,8.

[10] Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, 290.

[11] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §13.

[12] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §39.

[13] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §39.

[14] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §33.

[15] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §34.

[16]  Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §3.

[17] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §13.

[18] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §45,46.

[19] Richard Peddicord, The Sacred Monster of Thomism: An Introduction to the Life and Legacy of Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, o.p. (South Bend: St. Augustine’s Press, 2005), 214.

[20] Peddicord, The Sacred Monster of Thomism: An Introduction to the Life and Legacy of Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, o.p., 218.

[21] Peddicord, The Sacred Monster of Thomism: An Introduction to the Life and Legacy of Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, o.p., 74.

[22] Peddicord, The Sacred Monster of Thomism: An Introduction to the Life and Legacy of Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, o.p., 217-218.

[23] Pope John Paul II, Encyclical letter on the Relationship between Faith and Reason Fides et Ratio (10 November 1979), §45.

[24] Pascendi Dominici Gregis, §39.

Image Credits

https://www.romancatholicman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pope-pius-x-oath-against-modernism.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kiiAChAVW9X63GC0y5zUsBL00Pq-dTUT3q7xpts1ClnQ9Borqql5k6q-vnQbZDO4Ct75oDqdZyx6RGVctSia-AV9I0lzQQdnflINVvyFlwS0JwMWkDHUqJfnOtSi7FebZoxTmJ9rk_w/s1600/pius+x+pic.JPG

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Friedrich_Heinrich_Jacobi_portrait.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Descent_of_the_Modernists%2C_E._J._Pace%2C_Christian_Cartoons%2C_1922.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfCLUfyGEU8aTvWB5R-OEwU4dINo-5siI_3qU7dKdr8rrZddh-YdOE18gEcGz8wJnTEB0Vee24hZM9h7pCFhhBqT9FAS3j-D7DMPhKKQe4b1tXiAG4JmJfpvCBVmC8iWFbgJJgTUgLTYu/s1600/the_apotheosis_of_saint_thomas_aquinas.jpg

https://turmarion.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/pope_john_paul_ii.jpg?w=604