THE LITURGICAL SCHISM OF NCW

(Posted by Glaucon Jr)

Over the last week, two articles have been posted talking about the underlying problem of the NCW:--its ecclesiology, its theology of the Church--and three other articles are to follow. But in all our discussion about why there’s no room to dialogue with the NCW and the inevitable moral collapse of its adherents, one thing must stated again and again until it finally sinks in on everyone:

The Eucharist is the source of our Faith (whether by “Eucharist” you mean the Real Presence or the rite that makes it so, it really makes no difference). All our unity, all reconciliation, everything that Hon says he wants for the Church on Guam, all that makes us the Body of Christ—all of this flows from the Eucharist. The Eucharist isn’t derived from the Church; it’s the other way around.

And THAT’S what makes the NCW outside the Faith. Regardless of bad theology or mis-readings of Scripture or some quasi-approval by Rome (that’s not really approval) or whatever else you can think of, regardless of all of that,  in the end—and most visibly and scandalously—the NCW has in its practices broken liturgical communion with the universal Church. Perhaps they are better evangelizers; that’s a topic for later, but even if that is true:  since when did evangelization ever necessitate breaking communion with the Church? Since when does better outreach, better works of mercy ever stop flowing from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? The answer is never. And that’s precisely what’s been done by the NCW. 

And that’s why the fight goes on.

And make no mistake: this is a fight born of love, and a fight seeking reconciliation—reconciliation of Eucharistic schismatics with the universal and timeless Body of Christ. That’s real love of neighbor. And that’s a love worth fighting for.