Apparently, I’m a Catholic fundamentalist.

At least, that’s the assessment of Boston College theology professor Fr. Mark S. Massa, S.J. In his recent book Catholic Fundamentalism in America (Oxford University Press), Massa warns of the threat of Catholic fundamentalists, who “combine a sectarian understanding of religion with an aggressive anti-progressive stance.” He highlights in particular seven individuals and movements “that embody the Catholic fundamentalist impulse,” and one of those case studies is me as the editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine.

In a chapter entitled, “On the Dangers of Swimming the Tiber: Crisis Magazine and the Premillennialist Embrace of Catholicism,” Massa takes special chagrin at my Protestant background. Mind you, it’s been thirty-three years since I became Catholic (and I was only twenty-one at the time, so I’ve been Catholic much longer than I was Protestant), but that doesn’t stop Massa from suspecting that my conversion didn’t really take. In the best line of the chapter, he writes, “Sammons may have indeed swum the Tiber, but he did so in a Protestant wetsuit that left him untouched by Catholic holy water.” 

So why does Massa believe I’m still holding on to my Protestant faith, in spite of spending the last thirty-plus years working to bring people into the Catholic Church? My greatest sin apparently is that I actually believe that what the Church teaches is unchanging. Massa warns, “There is…a consistent argument in Sammons’s postings at Crisis that seems to presume that Catholic doctrine rests on an unchanging and propositional ‘deposit of faith’ almost exactly analogous to how Protestant fundamentalists understand the King James Bible.” My crime, according to Massa, is that I treat Catholic doctrine as if it were “static and unchangeable” and not “marked by development and evolution.”

Massa then invokes St. John Henry Newman to his defense, apparently assuming I’m unfamiliar with the 19th century English Cardinal. I have to chuckle, however, since as I write this I’m looking at a large portrait of Newman on my office wall, and if I turn my head I can see a whole shelf full of books either by Newman or about Newman. He’s one of my favorite saints, and I’ve read extensively about his life and his teachings. In particular, his An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine was instrumental in helping me understand how Christian doctrine develops over time, which in turn helped me see how what the Church Fathers taught was fundamentally Catholic, even if at times the trappings weren’t always exactly as they are today.

But because I understand Newman’s teachings on doctrinal development, I also know that the term “evolution,” which Massa uses, is completely contrary to Newman’s views on the matter. Evolution, as it is typically understood, can include the change of something into a wholly different species. The Darwinian theory of evolution, in fact, posits that a single-celled organism can eventually evolve into a fish, or a mammal, or even a man. Doctrine, however, can never change like this. Our understanding of a particular teaching can deepen and therefore develop over time, but the core doctrine remains intact. If this is “fundamentalism,” then Newman was a fundamentalist.

Massa also wants to be sure you know that I’m not as smart as him (which is likely true, to be honest). After all, for progressives, stupidity is a hallmark of fundamentalism. He writes, “Sammons…holds an MA in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. So, unlike previous editors [of Crisis], he was not trained in academic theology or philosophy.” Only holding a Master’s Degree in theology is not enough to protect you from fundamentalism, apparently. He later notes, in response to an old article in which I call his friend Fr. James Martin a heretic, “It is, of course, unclear how Sammons himself—lacking both ecclesiastical credentials like a Licentiate in Sacred Theology and hierarchical office—believed he possessed the authority to publicly declare anyone a heretic.”

Massa got me: I’m not able to make an official declaration to that effect. But then again, I doubt anyone will confuse an article in Crisis as an official ecclesiastical sanction. In truth, I rarely call anyone a heretic because it is a serious charge, but I’m comfortable using that label for Fr. James Martin, who devilishly hides behind vague comments to advance beliefs contrary to the Catholic Faith. Massa just wanted to use my article as an opportunity to remind readers that I am not as official as he is. Which is true: I’m just a Catholic dad trying to help people draw closer to Christ during this crisis in the Church; I’m not a professor of theology at a Jesuit college notorious for leading souls astray.

What really rankles Massa and so many progressive Catholics like him are converts like me who actually believe what the Church teaches and want others to embrace those teachings as well. They recognize that their life’s work of trying to remake Catholicism into the world’s image has failed, and in particular, has failed to produce any converts. They are a dying breed and they know it. So they hate actual converts with a deep passion.

Just look at how triggered they get when Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, schools them on Catholic theology. It’s not that converts like me are better educated (although many—like Scott Hahn and John Bersgma—are just as educated); it’s that we are willing to accept all of Catholic doctrine as we’ve received it. We don’t feel a need to change it, for we believe it is truly the words of everlasting life. Massa and other progressive Catholics think Catholic doctrine is something to be shaped into their image of a liberal religion much like Episcopalism. 

To be honest, I’m honored that Fr. Massa picked me and Crisis Magazine as prime examples of Catholic fundamentalism in America. It must mean we are doing something right, for the label “fundamentalist,” when used by a progressive Catholic, just means “faithful.” Here at Crisis we will continue to preach a Catholic “fundamentalism” that is faithful to the Church’s perennial teachings, and unlike Fr. Massa, we are willing to proclaim those teachings even when they fall out of step with the latest progressive fads and trends.