The Naturalization of the Sacred: How the Conciliar Sect Profanes the Liturgical Year
The cited article from Vatican News (17 February 2026) reports on the celebration of the Lunar New Year by Catholic communities in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. It presents these celebrations as a harmonious integration of “faith and culture,” where traditional practices like preparing bánh chưng, distributing red envelopes (ang pao), and venerating ancestors are seamlessly woven into Catholic life under the banner of “inculturation.” The tone is one of pastoral approval, framing the season as an opportunity for “evangelization, thanksgiving, and family reconciliation.” This portrayal, however, constitutes a profound and dangerous distortion of Catholic doctrine, a symptomatic manifestation of the apostasy described by St. Pius X in *Pascendi Dominici gregis* and the Syllabus of Errors. From the immutable perspective of the Catholic faith, the article reveals a complete surrender to naturalism, a rejection of the Kingship of Christ over all aspects of life, and a return to the pagan superstitions condemned by the Church.
1. Factual & Theological Deconstruction: The Idolatry of Ancestor Veneration
The article explicitly states that in Malaysia, “the veneration of ancestors is widely accepted by many Catholics as an expression of filial piety, in harmony with the commandment to honor one’s parents.” This is a direct and damnable error. The “veneration of ancestors” (or *cúng gia tiên* in Vietnam) is not a neutral cultural custom; it is a religious act with deep roots in Confucian and folk religious practices that involve offerings of food, incense, and prayers to the spirits of the dead. The Catholic Church, before the conciliar revolution, consistently and unequivocally condemned such practices as superstitious and idolatrous.
The 1917 Code of Canon Law (Canon 1258) and the teachings of the Holy Office prior to Vatican II strictly forbade Catholics from participating in non-Catholic religious rites, even if done for “cultural” reasons. More fundamentally, the First Commandment forbids giving worship (*latria*) to anyone but God. The *Catechism of the Council of Trent* (published 1566) states: “The honor which is due to God alone is called *latria*… Therefore, the honor which is given to the saints, and which is not *latria*, but only *dulia*, must be carefully distinguished from the worship which is due to God.” The practices described—offering food, burning incense, praying at ancestral altars—are intrinsically acts of *latria* directed to creatures, thus violating the very essence of the First Commandment. The article’s claim that this is “in harmony with the commandment to honor one’s parents” is a monstrous perversion. The Fourth Commandment obliges us to honor our parents *as parents*, not to treat them as objects of religious cult. The article whitewashes open idolatry, presenting it as a permissible “cultural expression.”
2. Linguistic Analysis: The Language of Naturalism and the Silence of the Supernatural
The vocabulary of the article is saturated with naturalistic and humanistic terms, while the supernatural realities of the Catholic faith are conspicuously absent. Phrases like “family reunions,” “gratitude and generosity,” “solidarity and compassion,” “joyful hope,” and “transform the Lunar New Year into a season of faith, hope, and love” are all framed in purely human, ethical terms. There is **no mention** of:
* The **sacrifice of the Mass** as the central act of worship.
* The **state of grace** and the **avoidance of mortal sin** as the primary goal of the Christian life.
* The **redemptive value of suffering** united to Christ’s Passion.
* The **Last Judgment** and the **eternal destiny of souls**.
* The **duty to convert** non-Catholics and non-practicing relatives.
This is not accidental; it is the very language of Modernism. St. Pius X, in *Pascendi*, condemned the Modernist who “regards dogmas not as absolute truths but as relative and mutable.” The article reduces the Gospel to a set of nice family values that can be “lived authentically within long-standing cultural traditions.” The Kingship of Christ, so powerfully proclaimed by Pope Pius XI in *Quas Primas* as requiring the submission of “all individuals, families, and states” to His divine law, is entirely absent. Christ is not the center of these celebrations; the family unit and cultural tradition are. The article’s silence on the duty of Catholic states to publicly recognize Christ as King (as demanded by *Quas Primas* and the Syllabus of Errors, §77) is deafening, revealing its complete embrace of the secular, pluralistic model condemned by Pius IX.
3. Theological Level: The Heresy of “Inculturation” vs. The Catholic Principle of Adaptation
The article’s core thesis is that “inculturation” allows the absorption of pagan customs into Catholic practice. This is a direct repudiation of the Catholic principle of *accommodatio* (adaptation) as understood by the Church Fathers and pre-conciliar theologians. True adaptation involves taking a neutral or good cultural *form* (e.g., a local style of music, architecture) and filling it with Catholic *content*. It never involves incorporating the *religious content* of a pagan practice into Catholic worship.
The article describes the “Rite of Veneration of Ancestors” as something “widely accepted” by Catholics. This is a contradiction in terms. A “rite” in Catholic theology is a religious ceremony with a specific meaning. The Catholic Church has one rite for praying for the dead: the Mass and the prayers for the faithful departed, especially on All Souls’ Day. To create a separate “rite” for ancestors, even if called “cultural,” is to establish a parallel, competing religious system within the Church. This is the logical outcome of the Modernist principle of the “evolution of dogma” condemned in *Lamentabili sane exitu*, propositions #54 and #58: “Dogmas, sacraments, and hierarchy… are merely modes of explanation and stages in the evolution of Christian consciousness… Truth changes with man, because it develops with him.”
The article also mentions the “lion dance.” This is not a neutral cultural performance; it is a ritual with Taoist/Buddhist connotations meant to ward off evil spirits and invite good fortune. To have this performed in or near a Catholic church is a scandalous syncretism, a practical denial of the exclusive power of Christ and the sacraments to dispel evil and confer grace.
4. Symptomatic Level: The Conciliar Revolution’s Fruit—Apostasy in Practice
The article is not an isolated piece of poor journalism; it is a perfect symptom of the systemic apostasy of the post-1958 “church.” Its key features align exactly with the errors condemned by St. Pius X and Pope Pius IX:
* **Indifferentism (Syllabus, Error #16):** By treating ancestor veneration as an acceptable alternative to Catholic prayer for the dead, it implies that multiple religious paths can lead to God and satisfy the duty of piety.
* **Separation of Church and State (Syllabus, Error #55):** The entire focus is on private, family “culture,” with no hint that the Lunar New Year, or any public celebration, should be ordered to the public worship of Christ the King. It assumes the secular, neutral state model.
* **Democratization of Doctrine (Lamentabili, #6, #7):** The article presents a “both/and” approach (“some express reservations… others accept”), implying that doctrine on religious worship is a matter of personal conscience and cultural preference, not an absolute command of the First Commandment. It cites no magisterial authority condemning these practices because, within the conciliar sect, no such absolute, binding authority exists.
* **The “Hermeneutics of Continuity” in Action:** This is the practical outworking of the “hermeneutic of continuity.” The article pretends that the post-conciliar Church’s novel approach to “culture” is the same as the pre-conciliar Church’s approach. It is a lie. The pre-conciliar Church would have forbidden these practices as superstitious and idolatrous. The article’s very existence proves the radical discontinuity.
5. The Omission That Screams Apostasy: The Total Absence of the Supernatural
The gravest accusation against this article is its total omission of the supernatural purpose of human life and the liturgical year. The Catholic liturgical year is not a “season of faith, hope, and love” in a vague, humanistic sense. It is the cyclical re-presentation of the saving mysteries of Christ—His Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection—through which sanctifying grace is conferred. The purpose of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving is to make satisfaction for sin, grow in virtue, and merit eternal life.
The article reduces all of this to “family bonds,” “gratitude,” and “solidarity.” There is **no call to repentance**, **no warning of judgment**, **no emphasis on the Sacraments** (the article mentions “Mass” only as a venue for cultural gestures like distributing ang pao). The “evangelization” mentioned is not the preaching of Christ crucified to save souls from eternal damnation, but the vague idea that “the Gospel can be lived authentically within long-standing cultural traditions.” This is the gospel of *integral human development* of the Freemasonry-inspired UN, not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the “cult of man” condemned by Pope Pius XII in *Humani generis*.
Conclusion: A Call to Return to the True Faith
The article from Vatican News is a document of apostasy. It presents a “church” that has exchanged the *sacrifice of Calvary* for the feast of the family, the *worship in spirit and truth* for the veneration of ancestors, and the *Kingship of Christ over all nations* for the sovereignty of cultural tradition. It is a perfect illustration of the “abomination of desolation” standing in the holy place (Mt 24:15)—a false church teaching a false gospel that leads souls to damnation by making them comfortable in their sins and superstitions.
The true Catholic, holding the faith integral and unchanged before 1958, must reject this article and everything it represents with utter abhorrence. The Lunar New Year, with its pagan rituals, cannot be “celebrated” by a Catholic. It must be either rejected or radically purified of all religious meaning, reduced to a purely civil, family gathering devoid of incense, altars, and prayers to the dead. Any other position is a betrayal of Christ, a return to the paganism from which we were redeemed, and a cooperation with the Modernist revolution that has usurped the Vatican. The only “inculturation” that is Catholic is the conversion of cultures to Christ, not the conversion of Christ to cultures.
The exterior of Holy Rosary Church in Bangkok is adorned with seasonal Lunar New Year decorations. Photo: LiCAS News Church Asia Thailand Vietnam Malaysia culture Catholics in Asia celebrate Lunar New Year Faith and culture come together as Catholic communities across Asia mark the Lunar New Year through family gatherings, prayer, and acts of charity. By Fr. Mark Robin Destura, RCJ In many Asian countries, the Lunar New Year, rooted in Chinese cultural tradition, is widely celebrated, including among Catholic families who continue to honor their ancestral customs. For the Church, this season is more than a cultural festival. It is also a pastoral opportunity for evangelization, thanksgiving, and family reconciliation. Through the lens of inculturation, the Church recognizes the Lunar New Year as a moment when faith enters deeply into the fabric of Asian life. Across the region, Catholics celebrate the New Year through local customs, while placing Christ at the center of their family and community life. Celebrating faith and tradition in Vietnam In Vietnam, preparations for the Lunar New Year, known as Tết, begin soon after Christmas. Families start making traditional food, especially bánh chưng (rice cakes), decorating their homes, and cleaning ancestral graves. For Catholics, these practices are observed with a spiritual focus on beginning the year with renewed trust in God. On New Year’s Eve, many faithful gather in churches for a special Mass of thanksgiving. They give thanks for the blessings of the past year and renew their commitment to the Lord for the year ahead. During the first days of Tết, Masses are celebrated with specific intentions. The first day is dedicated to prayers for peace. The second day is offered for grandparents and parents, both living and deceased. The third day is devoted to the sanctification of work, studies, and personal endeavors. The Church in Vietnam also emphasizes charity at the start of the year. Many parishes visit the poor and distribute food, especially traditional rice cakes, as signs of Christian solidarity and compassion. For Vietnamese Catholics, these acts reflect the true spirit of the New Year, happiness rooted in faith and peace. Family and prayer in Thailand In Thailand, Catholics observe the Lunar New Year in a similar spirit, centered on family reunions, remembrance of the dead, and prayer for the future. Fr. Peter Piyachart Makornkharnp, speaking to LiCAS News, said, “The Lunar New Year is an opportunity to deepen family bonds and pray for the year ahead.” Special thanksgiving Masses are held, during which families entrust their hopes and plans to God. Fr. Peter also reminded the faithful that while cultural practices in harmony with Catholic teaching are encouraged, superstitious rituals should be avoided. A well-known tradition is the giving of red envelopes, or ang pao, containing money. “At the conclusion of the Thanksgiving Mass, we distribute traditional ‘ang pao’ to all,” he explained. “This gesture serves to tether the joyful hope of the new year to the communal charity of the Church.” Through this practice, material generosity is linked with spiritual communion as part of the community. Cultural expressions in Malaysia In Malaysia, churches are often decorated with red lanterns and festive banners to welcome the Lunar New Year. Many parishes celebrate a thanksgiving Mass on the first day of the year. However, some Catholics may miss the Mass to participate in family customs, such as the Rite of Veneration of Ancestors or watching the traditional lion dance. The veneration of ancestors is widely accepted by many Catholics as an expression of filial piety, in harmony with the commandment to honor one’s parents. For them, it is a cultural way of expressing gratitude and remembrance. Other people, however, express reservations, preferring to focus prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day and during Eucharistic celebrations. Despite these differing views, the Lunar New Year in Malaysia remains a deeply family-centered celebration, where faith continues to be nurtured and strengthened. A season of thanksgiving and charity Across Asia, the Lunar New Year remains a significant moment that highlights the importance of family, gratitude, and generosity. Through these celebrations, the Church bears witness that the Gospel can be lived authentically within long-standing cultural traditions. By embracing the values of respect, solidarity, and prayer, Catholics in Asia continue to transform the Lunar New Year into a season of faith, hope, and love, rooted in tradition and illuminated by the light of Christ. Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here Your contribution for a great mission:support us in bringing the Pope’s words into every home Topics Asia Thailand Vietnam Malaysia culture 17 February 2026, 13:46 Send Print
Source:
Catholics in Asia celebrate Lunar New Year (vaticannews.va)
Date: 17.02.2026