My Discernment
I had kept a blog regarding my analysis and outlook on matters of the Catholic faith from an unique perspective: as one who in many ways is a puzzle to many of the lay faithful. For years I had a vicious cycle of posting in bursts, and then would fall silent only to delete all the posts and after a few years of nothing began again. As much as I wanted to make great attempts at trying to explain my perspective of the Catholic faith, I realize over and over again that I just don't have the eloquence to do so. So in a sense I'm announcing my retirement from the Catholic "blogosphere." It's been fun, it really has. But I'm not walking away without learning a few things about many of my fellow Catholics. Allow me to break it down by talking about two very different wings of the Catholic Church and their subsets as I sit and watch the social media firestorms.
"Novus Ordo" (New Order Mass)
The "Liberal Left"/Social Justice Warrior (SJW)
So... yeah, this type absolutely has a very fanatic love affair with the Novus Ordo Missae (New Order of the Mass). To say that they LOVE it when Mass is done with the most minimalist reverence to God would be an understatement. If Pope Francis were suddenly to change the perennial teachings of the Church to reflect the flamboyant desires of this group of lay faithful, the organ and Latin would be universally abolished, and those who so much as think about suggesting or singing a more traditional hymn would be publicly denounced as a schismatic, or even "rigid," and promptly excommunicated.
These are the types who have a rather dim understanding of Catholic teaching and somehow thing that every thing that comes from the mouth of the Holy Father is infallible despite the fact that this is contrary to Vatican I. Furthermore, these are the people will rush in to defend whatever flamboyantly erroneous thing that James Martin, SJ puts out on social media (while proceeding to callously insult even their own Bishops if they feel that their feelings are being "attacked"). Most of the time you can expect a "boomer" or child of the 1960s to be very deeply entrenched in this group.
Conservative Faction
These bunch are actually a mixed bag and by and large likely comprised of the vast majority of Catholic lay faithful. These types are really trying to understand their faith, and are to be praised for it. They've somehow made it past, or never dabbled with, the "chicken soup for the soul" type of thinking and have figured out that it actually takes a little effort to really navigate through the teachings of the Church as they apply to every day life.
These Catholics have sort of given in to this notion that those Catholics who go to Latin Mass are okay guys, but perhaps a little nutty. They have a tendency to repeat and share things that in themselves seem well and good on the first glance (i.e. things Mark Shea writes), but haven't quite realized that prudence really is a good thing, and so really miss an opportunity to show someone the charity that is due them. Many of these Catholics, despite the overwhelming crisis in the Church, go on about their lives as though some magical fairy is going to wave a wand and make everything better again. Really, these Catholics are pretty mainstream and are trying their best, despite getting too "trigger happy" with the Catechism. Again, I emphatically commend and praise them for their efforts and encourage them to keep striving to better their understanding and practice!
Neo-Conservative Caucus
Oh boy! These are an interesting bunch. Latin Mass goers? Occasionally. Do they, like most "traditional" Catholics support Cardinal Burke? You bet. However despite their agreements with most Latin Mass attendees they have a tendency to give in to the conspiracy theory that Abp. Lefebvre founded the Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to create a overly militant order of Priests hell bent on beating the faith into people. In fact it would be an understatement to say that they would be immensely suspicious of the Holy Father if he granted the SSPX the ability to go unchallenged within the Church. Guess it's better to make sure one group of traditional Priests takes the brunt of the anti-traditional rage that's been going on since the 1950s.
When they aren't arguing about how much Latin would be too much at Mass, and sometimes sounding worse than the Republican National Convention, they're bludgeoning each other and those who argue with them about what virtues they're lacking. Good luck talking to them if you're a Catholic who also happens to be a monarchist, because "you're just wrong, because the republican party will save America!" If it were possible to create a democratic Catholic state just for them, they would no doubt flock to it. If you've ever committed a sin at any point since you've been born you've probably been chewed out by a few of these types of Catholics.
"Traditional" Catholics
Before we delve into this I need to explain why I put traditional in quotes. The reason is simple: adhering to what the Church has always taught and practiced does not make one a traditional Catholic, but just simply Roman Catholic.
"Rad Trads"
Oh my gosh! I'm very happy when someone discovers the "Latin Mass" (henceforth Mass), however these are the type who will bludgeon folk and "non-trads" with every article they've ever read about how this Bishop or that Bishop is doing this or that thing. Okay, I get it there's a crisis in the Church and this, this, and this Bishop has to go. You know something? I'm on your side on this, but moreover I'm hearing a lot more complaining and seeing a lot less action. Let the good journalists and commentators at
Rorate Caeli or
One Peter Five do the talking and discussing. As for "rad trads" (boy I really hate that label) they would do better to work with their Bishops, and if they can't do that, then pray for them. Really, let others do the talking, because you're plaguing social media with a bit of fanaticism that's chasing people away, and that's
not good.
Quasi Schismatics
These are the overly scrupulous about everything at the Mass. Not only that, but talking about any of the Popes after Pius XII (John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, & Francis) in their presence causes them to writhe in pain a little. While some may be okay with the fact that Francis is indeed the Holy Father, they practically refuse to pray for the Pope. The faith, to them, is more or less approached in a similar way to the "neo-conservative caucus" discussed above. The only reason they don't dare step near a sede vacantes prayer service that looks like Mass is because their scruples just won't let them, and that's their saving grace.
"The Fake Canon Lawyer"
Alright, these are the kind who have read enough Canon Law to make them dangerous to others faith. Unbeknownst to them you can't just read Canon Law and assume that such and such a situation, crisis, marriage, community of Priests, etc. is somehow improperly or properly according to this or that Church teaching or practice. Moreover there is a tendency to even start pointless arguments over whether or not assisting at Mass said by a Priest of the SSPX somehow fulfills the Sunday obligation, despite the fact that it does fulfill the Sunday obligation per the Holy See.
"The Groupie"
Oh man! Ever hear anyone say anything insinuating that only their parish has the only valid Mass? You've met a groupie! Whether it's someone who assists at Masses said by a Priest of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICRSS), Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), or any other community of traditional Priests or Diocesan, you can be sure that this person thinks very highly of the Priest offering Mass. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you can't assume that any Mass said outside of your parish is somehow invalid or illicit. You do have to admire the profound respect they do have towards their parish Priests though.
On A Final Note
As a Roman Catholic layperson I guess I really don't have a lot of positive or optimistic things to say about most of my fellow Catholic lay faithful. I really don't. That is not to say that I don't love and pray for them, though. It's more that the faith that I received and was taught in grade school wasn't always the same faith I saw taught at other parishes while growing up. In fact sometimes I wonder if we lay faithful of the Roman Catholic Church are somehow partially responsible for the crisis in the Church. When we saw the Faith needlessly dumbed down in the 1970s, did we speak up to our Bishops? When we saw the Mass of our parents and ancestors watered down to a mere replication of a late night talk show or a rock concert, what protest did we make?
I'm a little ashamed that often I think less of my fellow Catholics, but at the same time I don't apologize, because I see the Church truly at a tipping point. Many of our Bishops have failed to protect and defend the Church against those who seek to harm her teachings and the most vulnerable and impressionable among us. Many of the lay faithful are poorly taught their faith and are just getting by. On social media there is more time spent arguing moot points and pointless topics (e.g. does going to Latin Mass make one schismatic? Is it a sin to live in the suburbs?).
We need to stop. I think this is where I'm different. I don't fit in any of the stereotypes, and I really hope that you don't see yourself in the stereotypes either. I'm just a Roman Catholic who assists at Mass (1962 Roman Missal), prays my Rosary, and day to day tries to prepare my soul for the inevitable day, that day of wrath, when my soul will finally be called forth to meet the very God who "created me to know, love, and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in the next." (Baltimore Catechism) On that day I will have to render an account for my actions. And I think that it would be good if every Catholic, even the Bishops, and those who may have become disoriented and confused in recent times, were to reflect daily on that point. One day we will all have to render an account. If the goal is to be welcomed into Heaven with the words "well done, good and faithful servant," then maybe we need to stop the drama and start acting like we actually believe what we have been taught.
