When I was a kid, about the same time that the Russians launched the satellite Sputnik, and in response, the U.S. launched the satellite Echo, I was enthralled with the wonder that nations began the process of exploring the heavens and starting our own attempts to travel into space. Equally enthralling was Vatican II, begun by the courage of the man, whose memory I honor today. He took a Church frozen for over 400 years in the Counter-Reformation and updated that Church to the 20th century. He cast out of the Church the oppressive Latin liturgies, the horrific Requiem Masses (that make most horror films seem lame, e.g. read the English translation of the Dies Irae I use to sing at Requiem Masses … thankfully it was in Latin otherwise I would have had unending nightmares). A Church is which every little transgression was a mortal sin condemning the individual to eternal hell fire. John XXIII began the process of opening the doors of the Church to all Christian denominations, to all religions, beginning the process of ecumenism that sought to seek the presence of God in all religions, and ending the centuries of condemnation of all religions outside the Catholic faith. We ceased to be a people of death, and became a people of the Resurrection. To hear our prayers in our own language, and to be able to participate once more fully in the official prayer of our Church was liberating and uplifting to our souls.
This great man, a true servant of THE Servant of God, Jesus Christ, at Vatican II opened the windows of the Roman Catholic Church and threw all that oppressive crap out the window, and let fresh air and light of God permeate the dim, dark recesses of the Church again.
It is no great secret that I do not respect nor have any admiration for John Paul II, whom the hierarchy has lifted to the level of a saint, something I still oppose and a feast day, along with that of Pius X, I refuse to acknowledge. John Paul II did everything in his power to shut the windows that John XXIII opened, and to repress and oppress the Roman Catholic Church. Tragically for the faithful, John Paul II’s followers, those ordained within the past 30 years have done everything in their power to return the Roman Catholic Church to the dark ages. This is something I will oppose to my last breath. I will have nothing to do with these Sons of Trent.
Today, however, is a day to rejoice in the life of John XXIII, and to be thankful that finally one of his successors, Pope Francis I, has taken up the banner of Vatican II, seeking to fulfill the plan that John XXIII put into motion, again.
Initially, I began the composition of this fugue in honor of John XXIII, in 1971. It began as a fragment of a two part fugue. I played around with it for several years, finally completing it in 1975 (during the span of the time between 1971 and 1975, I was completing my Bachelor degree in Music, courting and marrying my beloved, Ruth, and working to pay for my education).
In honor of this great human being, I offer it up as prayer song in his memory.
