0055 In section seven, Vigano explores the nature of the open society and the open religion.
In Fratelli Tutti, Bergoglio pontificates, saying (more or less), “We want to be a church that serves, that leaves home and goes from places of worship… in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, and be a sign of unity… to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation…”
This quote leads to a question, “Does Fratelli Tutti fulfill the possibilities inherent in harvesting tradition and authority, the substance of the integralist actuality2a?
0056 To the modernist, it does.
0057 The harvest is substantial. The content-level dissolves as the situation-level coagulates. The alchemic transformation1b proceeds within the ambiguous wording of Vatican II3b, the Council3b that surpasses all previous councils, thereby rupturing the hermeneutics of continuity… even, though, it3b is not really rupturing the continuity at all. Rather, it3b is merely channeling1b the contiguity from the content-level2a to the situation-level2b.
0058 What globalist billionaire would not want to pay for that?
What high-end pension fund strategist might be interested?
0059 In section eight, Vigano discusses the ideological foundations of the term, “brotherhood”.
Clearly, the “encyclical”, Fratelli Tutti, as well as other Bergoglionian initiatives, virtually situates the body of Christ2awith the human brotherhood2b.
Both elements associate to matter.
The kingdom of God2a is situated by the open society2b.
Both elements associate to form.
0060 Tradition and authority is the contiguity between the body of Christ2a and the kingdom of God2a.
Open religion is the contiguity between the human brotherhood2b and the agenda of the open society2b.
0061 This makes me wonder about the nature of contiguities.
0062 For the hylomorphe, matter [contiguity] form, the contiguity may be called, “substance”.
Here, “substance” becomes a technical term that points to the contiguity and says, “This is not one of the real elements. This is a causality between the two real elements.”
What better catalog of all these causalities than Aristotle’s list of the four causes, amended to eight or twelve by the medieval scholastics?
0063 If the body of Christ2 explains the kingdom of God2, then their contiguity should substantiate that explanation. But, that substance is not a real element. It is a real relation between real elements.
As such, this substance is attuned to the normal context of the Catholic Church3, as well as the potential of the charism of Christ1. To me, this substance may be called, “sacramental”.
0064 Likewise, if the human brotherhood2 explains the open society2, then their contiguity should substantiate that explanation.
As such, this substance is attuned to the normal context of the Vatican II Council3, as well as the potential of Fratelli Tutti1, along with the possibilities inherent in harvesting… er… channelling… er… dissolving and coagulating the tradition and authority of the historic, yet increasingly compromised, Catholic Church3. To wit, the modernist substance may be called “open religion”.
0065 The problem?
Vigano seems to be saying that the Catholic Church3a cannot be completely situated by Vatican II3b, despite what all the experts say.
The body of Christ2a cannot be situated by the human brotherhood2b.
The kingdom of God2a cannot be situated by the agenda of an open society2b.
So, the audience is thrown back into analogies of the eclipse2, where the Church joins all other religions in the umbra of the moon at the feet of Holy Mary, even though the tradition and authority of the Church remains above the moon, standing in solidarity with the Mother of God.
0066 In section nine, Vigano examines several links between Vatican II and the present crisis. In particular, he raises the issue of the relationship between {the individual and the community of faithful} and {God}.
To me, these bracketed terms associate to the body of Christ2V. The term, “the body of Christ2V“, is multivalent. It2Vencompasses the individual and the community of faithful. It2V also means the eucharist.
0067 Vigano writes that the modernists, occupying positions of institutional authority within the Church and Catholic Universities, translate the sacramental character of Catholic rites into touchy-feelycommunal expressions. The sacramental opportunity for the individual to be born again, into mystical union with Jesus Christ, is rendered into an affirmation of belonging with one’s fellow humans.
Each individual can get on the train, along with all the baggage one wishes to carry.
The train is destined for the station of human brotherhood2H and open society2H.
0068 Does this sound like bait and switch?
The bait is each sacrament, calling each integralist into alignment with tradition and authority.
The switch is the re-articulation of the practices of each sacrament into liturgical performances, celebrating human brotherhood2H and the agendas of the open society2H.
0069 The bait-and-switch defines an alchemic flow, between potentials and substances, within the two-level interscope.
0070 At this point, there are two arrangements, a two-level interscope and an intersection. The interscope depicts an alchemic flow. The intersection depicts an eclipse2, a single actuality involving two celestial bodies, where one body occludes the light of the other.
0071 From the modernist point of view, the two-level interscope operates. Vatican II is triumphant. Modernist experts are empowered to alchemically isolate the substance of the sacraments, dissolve it, and then coagulate it as an open religion, on par with all the other religions of the world. The Catholic Church3a aligns with Vatican II3b, through the ministrations of experts.
0072 From the integralist point of view, the intersection operates. According to Vigano, Vatican II3H is one normal context and the Catholic Church3V is another. Typically, normal contexts exhibit the logics of exclusion, alignment and complement. Here, the two nested forms cannot complete their logical destinies, because their actualities consolidate into a single actuality. So, the two actualities cannot be the same, but they are stuck together.
0073 Is the integralist eclipse2 on its way to an alignment of two nested forms?
The modern experts want it so.
But, there is a problem.
Vatican II3H has not, and cannot, complete the task of reconciling the two actualities of intergralism2V and modernism2H, and bringing them into alignment.
But maybe, that is not the end game.
Perhaps, the end game is much more cruel.
0074 Why?
The charism of Christ1V is the potential that underlies the contiguity between the body of Christ2V and the kingdom of God2V.
The potential of experts1Hdissolves the credibility (tradition and authority) of the sacraments and alchemically coagulates an open religion, redefining the body of Christ2V as the human brotherhood2H and reformulating the kingdom of God2V as the open society2H.
0075 In the eclipse2, the horizontal potential1Hexploits the substance generated by the vertical potential1V.
Why does the two-level interscope fail?
The moment that the sacraments cannot be dissolved and reformulated into the lingo of human brotherhood2b and open society2b,the substance of the open religion can no longer feed of its host.
Why is the interscope cruel?
The potential of the Third Person of the Trinity1a cannot be virtually situated by experts harvesting material precipitates1bof sacred sacraments2a and making the coagulate open for all to share2b. But, it can be exploited.
0076 In section ten, Vigano suggests that maybe Catholics should just… let go… of this strange monstrosity.
Let go of the exploitation.
0077 Indeed, the eclipse2 is a strange configuration, since the historic Church stands with the Virgin Mary upon the moon and is clothed in the garments of righteousness and the open religion, which is what “we” want the church to be(according to Fratelli Tutti), stands in the umbra of the moon, along with the other “open” religions of the world.
0078 In section eleven, Vigano proposes that there is a way to win the battle between the integralists and the modernists. Go back to what the Church has always done. Stop doing what the anti-church asks for.
Then, almost as a correction, Vigano quotes 2 Maccabees 15:23, which says (more or less), “So now, O Sovereign of the Heavens, send a good angel to spread terror and trembling before us. By the might of your arm may these blasphemers, who come against your holy people, be struck down.”
0079 Why would Vigano say, at first, “Simply return to the pre-Vatican II Church.”, and then immediately, “Lord, send your angel to destroy those exploiting your Church.”?
Here is a picture of the flows between substance (the contiguity in secondness) and potential, transferred from the modernist’s two-level interscope to the integralist’s eclipse2.
0080 Does this diagram picture the cruelty of the intersection of the eclipse2?
To some extent, the nightmare is portrayed by Vigano’s initial shifting metaphor.
The substance of the sacraments belongs to the Church, standing in solidarity with the Mother of Jesus, wrapped in the mantle of divine righteousness. In artistic renderings, Mary stands on the moon.
The substance of the open religion belongs to the Church, located in solidarity with all the religions of the world(including Protestant religions), in the umbra cast by the eclipse2 of the sacraments. Open religion stands in the umbra below the moon.
0081 The church, like some quantal object, is delocalised. It is a waveform, presenting in two locations, above and below the moon. It is not the particle that Bergoglio’s customers think that they are purchasing. The world demands a particle. God offers a wave.0082 I wonder, “Is there another analogy, one less physics-oriented, and one more attuned to the transactional character of Vatican II, where facilitators sell their positional authority to ‘someone else’?”
0083 Here is an alternate analogy, pertinent to the crisis of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the crisis of the 2010s and 2020s. Vigano does not envision this analogy, even though he raises the topic of motivation. The following analogy is latent in his argument. It will take a few steps to set it forth.
0084 I start with the vertical axis.
Sacrament is the contiguity between two real elements. Similarly, the term, “commodity”, is a contiguity between two real elements, which I will call, primal matter and human labor.
0085 Here is the first analogy.
0086 For the horizontal axis, the term, “money”, labels the contiguity between two real elements, products for sale and social arrangements that the products engender.
Here is the second analogy.
0087 The normal contexts of production3V and transaction3H mirror the distinction between the Catholic Church3V and Vatican II3H.
The potential1V that is analogous to the charism of Christ1V is utility1V, defined as the potential of ‘the charism of a product’1V.
The potential1H that is analogous to the alchemic transformation conducted by experts1H is price1H, defined as the potential to ‘transmute a commodity into money’1H.
The single actuality2 composed of construction2V and sales2H is the market2.
0088 Here is a picture.
0089 So, now I have an intersection that is analogous to Vigano’s eclipse2.
0092 The analogy in the previous blog brings me back, full circle, to the so-called spirit of Vatican II, as well as the title of Vigano’s speech.
Mercy is not the same as mercenary. The Catholic elites of the time before Vatican II wanted to be accepted by their secular superiors, Big Government (il)Liberals. They wanted to be acknowledged by those-in-the-know so badly that they promulgated a new theology to mask a cruel exploitation. That new theology alchemically dissolved and coagulated the sacraments into the open religion demanded by the wealthy and well-positioned purveyors of “the human brotherhood” and “the open society”.
This examination reveals that the Catholic elites, operating on the society tier, recapitulate the exploitation practiced by the financial elites in the organization tier.
0093 Students of political theology take note.
The alchemist says, “As above, so below.”
0094 Does the societal alchemic transmutation of the body of Christ2V into the human brotherhood2H and the kingdom of God2V into the open society2H have a parallel below, where well-funded organizations transmute our bodies as primal matter2V into products for sale2H and the labor of caring for human health2V into product-driven social arrangements2H?
0095 Intersections can be mysterious.
Intersections can also be cruel.
0096 Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano on the Church, America and the World is the subtitle for A Voice in The Wilderness,published by Angelico Press in 2021. The presentation under examination appears on pages 251-274. The speech is worth reading.
0097 How To Define the Word “Religion” is a masterwork by Razie Mah concerning political theology, one of the most disconcerting intellectual challenges of our current Lebenswelt. This e-work is available at smashwords and other electronic book vendors.
0098 Plus, there is more.
Other electronic articles for sale may be found in the Intimations of Political Philosophy Series.
0099 In addition, recent blogs include the following.
Looking at Peter Redpath’s Essay (2000) “The Homeschool Renaissance”, raziemah blog, June 2022
Looking at Thomas Michaud’s Article (2021) “Anatomy of the Progressive Revolution”, raziemah blog, May 2022
Looking at Josh Hammer’s Opinion Piece (2021) “…Experts”, raziemah blog, July 2021
Comments on Philip Marey’s Post (2021) “Insurrection”, raziemah blog, Jan 2021
Comments on Yoram Hazony’s Post (2020) “Challenges of Marxism”, raziemah blog, September 2020
Theology of the Deep State, raziemah blog, May 2020
0001 The article under consideration appears in a special issue of Studia Gilsoniana (volume 10(5), pages 1107-1120), covering economics and politics.
I downloaded the article from academia.edu.
The article addresses issues raised in How To Define the Word “Religion”, as well as in contributions to the Intimations of Political Philosophy series.
0002 The structure of Michaud’s argument follows Greek textual structure. Greek textual structure seeks certainty by eliminating possibilities.
Here, Michaud presents two options: (A) the traditional view of religion as the foundation of morality and culture and (B) the Progressive view, where politics transforms culture by imposing revolutionary ideological social justice through a collectivist economy. Then, Michaud questions the Progressive stance (B) by considering one implication, the integrity of the individual as a person. This leaves (A) as the only viable option.
0003 Of course, I oversimplify.
Why am I interested in this essay?
Features in Michaud’s argument may be re-conceptualized as category-based nested forms.
See A Primer on the Category-Based Nested Form and A Primer on Sensible and Social Construction, available at smashwords and other e-book vendors under the author, Razie Mah.
0004 In the twilight of the Age of Ideas, a traditionalist slogan captures the order of social things. Politics is downstream of culture. Culture is downstream of religion. To that, Michaud adds two more. Morality flows from religion. Economics goes with politics.
Surely, America’s founders, living in the heyday of the Age of Ideas, would sympathize with this snapshot, which may be encapsulated in a hierarchical diagram.
0005 How does the following flow diagram associate to a category-based nested form?
Religion is the normal context3. A normal context3 belongs Peirce’s category of thirdness. Thirdness brings secondness into relation with firstness.
Morality and culture are both actual2. Actuality2 belongs to the dyadic category of secondness. Secondness consists in two contiguous real elements. Here, the two real elements are morality and culture. I can write the actuality2 as morality [contiguity] culture2.
0006 What label describes the contiguity?
This is a great question. It is at the heart of a series titled, “Peirce’s Secondness and Aristotle’s Hylomorphism”. I could label the contiguity, “substantiates”. But, here, I will use a less technical term, “sustains”.
0007 Finally, the possibilities inherent in ‘politics and economics’ underlie culture.
0008 Thus, I arrive at the following category-based nested form.
0009 Where does the individual fit into this category-based nested form?
The individual resides on a lower form. Looking up, “he” sees a relational dynamic within the social paradigm.
0010 The hierarchical flow in the traditional slogan becomes a double dynamic, where the normal context3 flows into one dyadic actuality2 and the potential1 rises into the other dyadic actuality2. The category-based nested form displays its own transcategorical flows. Religion3 motivates morality2. Politics and economics1 enlivens culture2.
What does this imply?
The traditional slogan depicts a flow down a hierarchy. This flow conveys an aura of determinism.In contrast, the corresponding category-based nested form presents two transcategorical flows. One flows “down” from normal context3 to actuality2. The other flows “up” from potential1 to actuality2. These flows convey a picture of dynamism.