Archives for August 2017

Elsewhere: what works — tradition or modernity?

Elsewhere

It always amazes me when people champion relaxing “rigid” rules in favor of a more “merciful” or “pastoral” Church. This is code for finding ways to justify reinterpretation of orthodoxy, at least in practice (wink, wink). It is also known as heterodoxy.

In charity we assume such people are well intentioned, but the result is not just. It hides the truth – resulting in more pain, separation from God and a smaller, less effective Church.

The collapse of liberal Protestant communities and growth of “traditional” ones illustrates this. In the Catholic Church, we see vocations plummet when a liberal bishop arrives or at parishes with altar girls. Conversely, vocations bloom under more traditional bishops and parishes. This has been observed again, and again, and again (worldwide).

One theory apparently is that the truth is too hard for young people who seek inclusiveness, tolerance and affirmation. That is false, at least for the young who seek truth, would actually come to Church and are open to the Gospel were it boldly offered. Michael Warren Davis wrote an interesting piece recently for the always excellent Crisis Magazine:

No one swims the Tiber (at least not seriously) hoping the Church will “meet them where they are.” They don’t want to stare into a mirror, content with their own little being. That’s why we have…   well, mirrors. If someone makes the effort to become Catholic, it’s because they want to gaze up at some terrible Gothic cathedral and feel helplessly small. They want to become a better person, not to be told what a wonderful person they already are. They want to exchange fashion for what Eliot called “the Permanent Things.”

Which is why Fr. James Martin’s Building a Bridge is such a depressing read, especially compared to a masterpiece like Brideshead Revisited. Modernism somehow manages to be both more debauched and less sexy than traditionalism. It wants us to be more understanding toward the “LGBT community,” but glosses over our common denominator: that we’re all sinners in desperate need of a Savior. If any Millennials struggling with same-sex attraction do approach the Church, I promise you: they’ll prefer Waugh’s treatment. They’ll want to be Catholics, not gay Catholics.

It’s why I and other Millennials are flocking to the Latin Mass, despite the Holy Father’s accusations of “rigidity.” As Paolo Gambi so ably put it:

We, the younger generation, need some rigidity, surrounded as we are by weak systems of thought and “liquid societies.” If we perceive the Mass as something rigid, uncompromising and rigorous, it can be attractive. If it is just something social, then we have better social places to go.

But traditional Catholicism isn’t really rigid. Nothing that survives roughly 1,600 years ever could be. Name a great poet, novelist, sculptor, painter, or architect; odds are he attended the Latin Mass. Little wonder bright young minds sick of tedious nihilists like Duchamps and Foucault turn ad orientem.

And it’s why, as a recent piece in National Review pointed out, we’re experiencing a renaissance of traditionalist conservatism among college students. They’re “more interested in, and connected to, the Catholic faith and Catholic social teaching.” They’re reading St. Thomas Aquinas and Russell Kirk. They’re “trying to reorient Americans toward ideas and ideals that nourish the whole person: community, truth, goodness, and beauty.”

Read the entire piece: A Millennial Defense of Catholic Tradition.

7 Quick Takes Friday (set #215)

7 Quick Takes Friday

This week: The latest issue of New Evangelists Monthly awaits your perusal. St. Stanislaus Oratory celebrates. KLM inadvertently promotes truth while attempting to promote the opposite. Were the policies of our only Catholic president Democrat or Republican? A recent graduate reflects on her college education. Millennials and real work, imagined as lumberjacks.

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New Evangelists Monthly

Issue #56, August 2017, of New Evangelists Monthly is ready for your enjoyment! Scores of faithful Catholic bloggers have contributed their very best pieces from July. Contributing authors this month include: Fr. Stephen Morris, Virginia Lieto, Chris Capolino, Dave Wanat, Blythe Kaufman, David Wong, Dn. Scott Dodge, Ellen Gable Hrkach, David Gray, Carolyn Astfalk, Birgit Jones, Lisa Laverty, Melanie Jean Juneau, Reese Cumming, Susan Fox, Fr. Joseph Mungai, Fr. John Paul Shea, Scott Smith, Vijaya Bodach, Tony Agnesi, Bonnie Way, Tom Perna, Frank Rega, Matt Marks, Barbara Szyszkiewicz, Thomas and Deborah Richard, Michael Seagriff, Larry Peterson, Julia Harrell, Fr. Ben Hadrich, Elizabeth Reardon, Brian Gill, Rich Maffeo, Kirby Hoberg, Susan Stabile, Sarah, De Maria, Rick Becker, John Schroeder, Aimee O’Connell, Leslie Klinger, Lisa Ponchak, Dn. John Donaghy, Robert Collins, Fr. Errol Fernandes, Barbara Hosbach, Fr. Richard DeLillio, Alicia, Christian Miraglia, Tom Smith, Ellen Kolb, Nancy Shuman, David Torkington, Victoria Clarizio, Claire McGarry, Bianca, Christina Nagy, Brian Mullins, Julian Barkin, Fr. Adrian Danker, Erin Cupp, Roy Cooney, Roxane Salonen, Rick Rice, Thomas Cruz-Wiggins, Jennifer Elia, Deanna Babineau, Bartimaeus Timeo, Dn. Allen Tatara and Br. Nicholas.

This monthly “meta-magazine” showcases faithful Catholicism from theology to family life and “everything in between.” Enjoy it now at NewEvangelists.org.

Read Now

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Blackstone Films has produced this excellent video on marriage. Marriage not in the legal and absurdly twisted sense, but authentic marriage as recognized by God:

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St. Stanislaus is an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Milwaukee. Last year they celebrated a beautiful renovation and their 150th anniversary.

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The Dutch airline KLM thought it would be a great idea to jump on the gay-agenda bandwagon. So they tweated the following image saying “it doesn’t matter who you click with.” Very clever, adeptly illustrating only complimentary sexes work as the maker intended. Thank you KLM, well said (even as you intended the exact opposite).

Klm Gay Pride Belts

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JFK was our first, and so far only, Catholic US President. He was a lifelong Democrat from a prominent family of Democrats. Really? Compare President Kennedy to his party today.

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This young lady is a modern college graduate who has figured-out the nature and value of her recently completed “education”:

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To understand millennials, this video explores what it would be like were they to do actual work (as lumberjacks):


Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was begun by Jennifer Fulwiler and is now continued by Kelly Mantoan. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Kelly for hosting this project!

New Evangelists Monthly – August 2017, Issue #56

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