Fr. Fenton: Since the death of Pope St. Pius X, the Church has been governed by weak, progressive popes who have inundated the hierarchy with useless and stupid people. The current composition of the Council is a good example of this. Father Ed Hanahoe, the only intelligent and faithful member of Cardinal Bea's secretariat, has been excluded from the list of experts. But idiots like Quinn and the traitorous Father McManus have been included. Even the American Father Tavard is there, may God have mercy on us. On the surface, it seems as if the Lord Jesus has abandoned his Church. The thoughts of many have come to light. All we can do is expose the most perfect infidelity to Christ ever committed (October 19, 1962).
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Church History / "It Will Be a Disaster." Monsignor Fenton's Courageous Testimony on Vatican II
“If I didn't believe in God, I would be convinced that the Catholic Church was about to end.”
Monsignor Joseph Fenton, November 23, 1962
Dear friends of “Duc in altum”, after the publication of the article “The ecclesiology of Vatican II refuted before Vatican II. The drama of those who saw the false prevail over the true” [ here ], some readers wrote to me [at blogducinaltum301@gmail.com] to learn more about Monsignor Joseph Fenton, who foresaw the problems that would arise with the Second Vatican Council, so much so that in his diary of the Council he wrote: “This will mark the end of the Catholic religion as we have known it until now.”
Monsignor Joseph Clifford Fenton (1906 – 1969) was an American priest of the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, ordained in 1930. He studied at the Catholic University of America and was editor of the American Ecclesiastical Review from 1943 to 1963. In 1931, he received a doctorate in sacramental theology from the Angelicum in Rome. He wrote his doctoral thesis under the guidance of Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange and published it in expanded form ten years later under the title “The Concept of Sacred Theology” (Bruce Publishing).
Under Pope Pius XII, Fenton was named a monsignor and received several papal honors. He published numerous books, proving himself a competent, gifted, and fully faithful Catholic theologian. Over the years, he fought against many modernist heresies and engaged in heated debates with his opponents. He was particularly resolute in refuting the error of Jesuit John Courtney Murray in favor of religious liberty, which later became the doctrine of the Novus Ordo (New Order of the Church). During the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), Fenton played a prominent role as Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani's theological advisor.
Fenton's numerous diaries, preserved in the archives of the Catholic University of America, scanned and made available online in English, reveal a knowledgeable and enthusiastic anti-modernist and provide interesting details about other theologians. Fenton's works have been cited in various scholarly publications, such as Giuseppe Alberigo's "History of the Second Vatican Council" and David Wemhoff's "John Courtney Murray, Time/Life, and the American Proposition."
Given his close contact with Ottaviani, Fenton learned that under Pius XII the Holy See was preparing to condemn the Jesuit John Courtney Murray and Jacques Maritain for various doctrinal errors, but this was cancelled with the death of Pope Pacelli (9 October 1958).
Fenton helped Ottaviani draft several preparatory documents for discussion during the Council, but they were later shelved by order of John XXIII. Texts prepared largely by "new theologians" such as Rahner, Ratzinger, von Balthasar, Congar, Chenu, Murray, and de Lubac prevailed. Hospitalized several times during the Council for heart problems, Fenton was unable to attend all the discussions and sessions.
I propose some notes taken from the diaries, divided by year.
1960
“Circumstances here in Rome demonstrate to me that the Church functions as a miracle of social order. It is generally run by people who have no concern for the integrity or purity of Catholic teaching. And when it comes to making decisions, the teaching of Christ is always ignored.” (November 5, 1960)
“The Council will not be allowed to fail. This trip has taught me one thing: I am undoubtedly a believer. But it has shown me that some of the Church leaders seem not to believe.” (November 5, 1960).
1962
There has never been anything less effective in the Church than the secret condemnation of an error (March 16, 1962).
[Cardinal Ottaviani] observed that we find ourselves here on the eve of a council, and no one knows who the theologians of the council will be (September 28, 1962).
It is a crime that the anti-modernist oath has been abolished. Poor Ottaviani had to fail when our confession, which included the condemnation of Father Murray, was ignored by the Central Committee (October 9, 1962).
I have always known that this council was dangerous. There was insufficient reason to convene it. There was too much talk about what it was supposed to resolve. Now I fear that a real danger is looming. (October 13, 1962)
I began reading the material on the liturgy and was shocked by the bad theology (October 19, 1962).
I don't believe a little work on our part can do any good for the Church. We must face the facts. Since the death of Pope St. Pius X, the Church has been governed by weak, progressive popes who have inundated the hierarchy with useless and stupid people. The current composition of the Council is a good example of this. Father Ed Hanahoe, the only intelligent and faithful member of Cardinal Bea's secretariat, has been excluded from the list of experts. But idiots like Quinn and the traitorous Father McManus have been included. Even the American Father Tavard is there, may God have mercy on us. On the surface, it seems as if the Lord Jesus has abandoned his Church. The thoughts of many have come to light. All we can do is expose the most perfect infidelity to Christ ever committed (October 19, 1962).
In my opinion, the Church is suffering serious damage because of the Council. The antagonism between liberals and faithful Catholics has become evident. Yesterday, a Dutch bishop gave an unpleasant speech in which he claimed to speak for all his compatriots. He attacked us by saying that the claims about theological imperfections (statements of actual facts) in our draft were "exaggerated." The poor fellow evidently imagined that a small lack of precision was appropriate in a conciliar document. I find it disgusting to be involved in discussions of this nature. (October 27, 1962)
The spirit of this meeting seems completely liberal. I return home restless. I regret not being able to do anything here. Participating in the Council is, of course, a great event in my life. But it is also a terrible disappointment. I never thought the episcopate would be so liberal. This means the end of the Catholic Church as we know it. There will be masses in the vernacular, and, what's worse, there will be disgusting theology in the Constitution (October 31, 1962).
Tromp, you just pointed out that a pastoral council cannot simultaneously be non-doctrinal. Tromp is a good man. He defends the schemas. He resists relentlessly (November 13, 1962).
By decree of the Pope himself, the rules were changed and the plan was discarded. A new commission was established, of which Meyer, Alfrink, and Cardinal Lienart were members (November 23, 1962).
It will be a disaster. If I didn't believe in God, I would be convinced that the Catholic Church was about to end (November 23, 1962).
Others believe what I've been thinking for months: that Pope John XXIII is decidedly left-wing. It's shameful folly to believe he was "deceived" and "ill-advised." He's the boss (November 25, 1962).
Articles in Milan's "Corriere della Sera" discuss the Pope's relationship with Father Ernesto Buonaiuti, an excommunicated modernist, and present him as a true modernist. He probably is (November 26, 1962).
1963
I'm sorry they're peddling a lot of nonsense to the poor Catholic people (6 Mar 1963).
Liberal Catholicism, as these people understand it, is the system of ideas with which the Catholic Church was presented as compatible with the French Revolution (May 11, 1963).
A conciliar declaration is not a theological textbook. However, a conciliar declaration can be ambiguous and ultimately dangerous even if it contains no errors of faith or morals, but simply glosses over truths that have long been known as part of Catholic doctrine (May 11, 1963).
Father Ed Hanahoe gave me two books on modernism. In one of them I found proof that the first chapter of the new Church schema [which would become the dogmatic constitution of the Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”] is identical in teaching and language to that of Tyrrell [an excommunicated modernist]. If it is accepted, great evil will result. I must pray and act (September 24, 1963).
1964
There is nothing wrong with the material [on divine revelation] we have accepted. But it contains many things that are misleading and incomplete (June 4, 1964).
Father Murray can now celebrate the victory of his false teaching [on religious liberty] (September 21, 1964).
Father Charles Davis has inherited Father Hans Küng's role as king of the rascals (November 16, 1964).
I have just been told by Joseph Quinn that the Holy Office will be abolished and that Cardinal Ottaviani will not be the head of the new, no longer supreme, congregation that will take its place. The old man has been humiliated. He is a saint (November 21, 1964).
1965
Since we've come this far, I've had the idea of writing a book called "Being a Priest." Last night (while I couldn't sleep) I had the idea of writing about "Being a Priest after Vatican II." I think I have something to say (October 26, 1965).
The part about ecumenism is a joke. It reads like a nineteenth-century text or a second-rate article in a left-wing newspaper (October 28, 1965).
The day before yesterday I had dinner with O. [Cardinal Ottaviani]. On my way home I learned that the Pope had written to O. about Schema 13. I saw the letter. It was a huge mistake to allow the sections on religious freedom [which would become “Dignitatis Humanae”] and on non-Christian churches [which would become “Nostra Aetate”] to be adopted by the Council (November 26, 1965).
1966-1969
I must write about the concept of the Church… I must be very careful. If a sincere Catholic writes a book, it will be ignored or harshly attacked. I cannot be wrong. The main line of thought will be that Catholic theology is being perfected within the Church, but has not been modified in any way by the Council. I must start from the fundamental concept of the Church, which “transferred” humanity from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. The Council left aside the foundations of the Church (November 23, 1968).
Monsignor Fenton's many other observations are worth citing and reflecting on. The American priest paints a shocking picture of Vatican II, far different from the one handed down by progressives. It is a kind of highly instructive counter-history, especially for those born after the Council and who for a long time ignored the courageous, counter-current testimonies of those who opposed its dismantling.
Monsignor Joseph Fenton died of a heart attack in his sleep on July 7, 1969, less than five months before Paul VI introduced the Novus Ordo Missae (the so-called “New Mass”) as the liturgical norm in the Latin Church.
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