Do you get it yet; aside from dividing the fabric of Christ, insulting your Catholic brothers and sisters?
Kevin M. Tierney nails it!
"A few weeks ago, Catholic Answers live did a show on
“radical traditionalism” that drew the ire of traditionalists across the board,
“radical” and otherwise. The two senior
apologists hosting the show took to the Catholic Answers blog to defend their
show from the “Radical Traditionalists” and “mad-trad” point of view. They have also promised that on August 12,
they would devote another show to the issue, in the hopes of clarifying any
misunderstandings. If they really want
to help with these misunderstandings, the first thing they must do is the thing
they will be least inclined to do: drop
the moniker “radical traditionalist” and “radtrad” entirely. At best the phrase is a relic of a time that
is no longer relevant. At worst, the
term is creating animosity and perpetuating a growing sense of tribalism within
Catholicism, especially in America."
( ... )
A final reason to drop the moniker is that we tell Pope
Benedict XVI his efforts weren’t wasted.
He worked harder than anyone else in his life to reconcile the SSPX and
other groups to full communion with the Church, removing every possible
barrier, as long as doing so didn’t contradict defined Church teaching.
Read it all here.
3 comments:
This name calling should cease at a number of levels. At the most basic: it is simply puerile. Name calling is used to close down debate... it is an exercise in futility. Name calling is always an alarm bell that there is no actual debate.
At a secondary level, it takes on a type of social "us versus them" mentality, creating, perpetuating divisions, some real, some imagined (in the case of name calling, usually the latter).
At the most profound level, it labels a person, when no person is ever part of a label. It therefore undermines the dignity of the person, by statically placing a person within a given context - subjectively - by another person. It becomes, by those in authority - another perversion of the philosophy of power. It therefore absorbs from the secular culture that surrounds Christians an anti-Christian attitude of of de-humanization. It isolates, derides, objectifies and identifies the totality of a person with one pre-conceived idea of that person. We are reduced to being labeled individuals rather than persons created in the image and likeness of God. It is a perfect fit for the culture of death.
It is, in its simplest - attacking the person and not the point. And this is never Christian.
There are interesting reasons as to why it is so common in the United States, but to analyze that we need to consider the various socio-cultural forces that are distinct to the US as - in comparison to France. In many ways, European civilization has broken down even more so in the US, and a culture of refinement, politeness etc. finds only pockets in the United States... this, being part of America's natural evolution as a Nation... as well as being the home base of Hollywood which has played a massive role in vulgarizing the masses. Catholics, sadly, have not been immune to behaving and speaking in a manner that would have horrified their grandparents.
I wholeheartedly agree that Traditional Catholics should not be called hurtful and offensive names. But, stopping the name calling cannot be unilateral. One cannot ask to not be insulted and continue to insult. I am sure the less traditional catholics would like to not be called unflattering names either. Are you suggesting that if the more liberal catholics stop calling more traditional catholics names does that mean the more traditional catholics will refrain from insulting the less traditional catholics? I won't list any of the well known euphemisms. Cuz unless all traditionalists respect the less traditional brothers, the namecalling will continue. It's the puerile tit for tat scenario, pity. It's a grave pity but it's the truth
I'm not sure that the name calling is hurtful so much as it is simply detestable. "Rad-trad" and "mad-trad" and so on reveal an underlying detest for the Catholic faith, in my opinion. There clearly must be some fear on the part of those who do it, that there house of cards is about to fall. When it is done by "professional Catholics" as those whom I have named it is even more of a problem because they have become the new gnostic interpreters to the dumbed down masses of most Catholics.
Nobody should be called names in the manner they do it, an attempt to undermine and slander the faith.
However, using terms such as "modernits" or "neocatholic" are not the same. These rather, describe an actual belief and practice, the first being coined by a Saint. A "neocatholic" like a "neoconservative" is someone who bears all the signs but hates the history. Heretic is someone who dissents from the faith. "Liberalism is a Sin" according to the great Father Silvany.
"LIBERALISM IS A SIN
Dr. Don Felix Sarda Y Salvany
Liberalism is the root of heresy, the tree of evil in whose branches all the harpies of infidelity find ample shelter; it is today the evil of all evils. (Ch. 4).
"The theater, literature, public and private morals are all saturated with obscenity and impurity. The result is inevitable; a corrupt generation necessarily begets a revolutionary generation. Liberalism is the program of naturalism. Free-thought begets free morals, or immorality. Restraint is thrown off and a free rein given to the passions. Whoever thinks what he pleases will do what he pleases. Liberalism in the intellectual order is license in the moral order. Disorder in the intellect begets disorder in the heart, and vice-versa. Thus does Liberalism propagate immorality, and immorality Liberalism." (Ch. 26).
Liberalism "is, therefore, the radical and universal denial of all divine truth and Christian dogma, the primal type of all heresy, and the supreme rebellion against the authority of God and His Church. As with Lucifer, its maxim is, 'I will not serve.'" (Ch. 3).
"Liberalism, whether in the doctrinal or practical order, is a sin. In the doctrinal order, it is heresy, and consequently a mortal sin against faith. In the practical order, it is a sin against the commandments of God and of the Church, for it virtually transgresses all commandments. To be more precise: in the doctrinal order, Liberalism strikes at the very foundations of faith; it is heresy radical and universal, because within it are comprehended all heresies. In the practical order it is a radical and universal infraction of the divine law, since it sanctions and authorizes all infractions of that law." (Ch. 3).
So, calling out a liberal is a fair thing as is modernits.
I'm afraid that Father Longenekcer, Mr. Shea, Mr. Coffin, Mr. Staples really need to take a step back from the damage they are doing.
Catholics who follow tradition are used to the insults but it has ramped up since the election of Francis and it is evil, pure and simple. They are trying to destroy the traditional movement and turn back the clock on SP because they know that if they don't the Novus Ordo will disappear within a generation and with it, a corrupt man-centred, theology.
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