Fair-Weather Traditionalism Is Over
The rumors that the TLM will be all-but-eliminated will cause much confusion among its attendees. How should they proceed?
Can Catholics Oppose Traditionalism?
Employing “traditionalism” as a pejorative term while retaining a respect for tradition and even some traditionalists is at best confusing.
Modern Catholic Recovery Conference
If Catholics want to hold a conference for Catholics who have been wounded by the modern Church, they will likely need a huge venue.
Is Traditionalism an Essence or a Reaction?
Second-wave traditionalists are often less ideologically-driven than first-wave traditionalists, but instead have simply found no allure in the predominant Catholicism of recent decades.
Is Anyone in “Full Communion” With Rome?
The common post-conciliar understanding of “communion,” taken to its logical conclusion, often ends in absurdities.
Coffee Hour With the Feds
What is a Catholic to do when our after-Mass coffee hours are infiltrated by federal agents?
The Status of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) (Guest: James Vogel)
The Society of St. Pius X is perhaps the most controversial Catholic organization today. They have been accused of being schismatic and rejecting Vatican II. We’ll talk to someone from the Society about their organization and the controversies that surround it.
The FBI Tags TLM Communities as Homes for “Violent Extremists”
A recent report reveals a disturbing reality: the FBI considers faithful Catholics as threats to our country.
Is the Vatican Resurrecting the Failed “Ruthenian Option” for Traditionalists?
More than a century ago the Vatican cracked down on a small liturgical group within the Church in an effort to establish unity, to disastrous results. Is history repeating itself with today’s traditionalists?
Why Is the SPLC Persecuting Traditional Catholics?
Few activist groups have been more powerful or influential than the Southern Poverty Law Center. Established in 1971, the SPLC was founded with the noble desire—at least on the surface—to combat the violence being perpetrated by groups that were resisting the federally mandated forced integration of blacks and whites in the American South. As many … Read more
SSPX: Back to the Bad Old Days?
“Tomorrow I’m leaving for Mexico,” Bishop Bernard Fellay tells me, “and then on to Cuba.” I balk. “What’s in Cuba?” The question seems to confuse him. “The faithful,” he explains. “They need Confirmation, too.” What’s the SSPX presence in Cuba like? “Small,” he tells me, “and mostly underground. They’re still badly persecuted by the communists.” … Read more
Francis Paves the Way for Francis II
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was roundly mocked last week for saying that Millennials are, in fact, the Greatest Generation. And rightly so. By and large, my generation is a waste of its fathers’ seed and a drain on their resources. Culturally, we’re vapid. Socially, we’re maladjusted. Spiritually, we’re lost. Politically, we’re just plain silly. Had Ms. Ocasio-Cortez … Read more
“Go to the margins”? Traditionalists have been here all along
Pope Francis has repeatedly urged Catholics to “go to the margins,” insisting that the Church’s credibility rises or falls with her care for the marginalized. I must say that I believe His Holiness to be entirely correct—though not, perhaps, in the way the National Catholic Reporter might read those words. As many of the events … Read more
Traditional Architecture: An Expression of the Divine
Naming Prince Charles as one’s favorite Royal is rather like choosing Ringo as one’s favorite Beatle: there are no wrong answers … except that one. The Left still hold him personally responsible for Diana’s death. (It was, of course, his fault that she ran off with Dodi Fayed. And he probably got Henri Paul drunk, … Read more
On the Restoration and Promotion of the Traditional Mass
The third anniversary of the election of Pope Francis seems an apt time to take stock of the state of the Traditionalist movement within the Church. While the term may encompass various goals for the Church, I focus here on its essential aim, namely the restoration and promotion of the Tridentine liturgy. The reign of … Read more
The Moral Divide Between Progressives and Traditionalists
A recent account of moral sentiments, proposed by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt in his book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (Pantheon, 2012), has attracted attention for its explanation of the difference between progressives and traditionalists. According to the account, moral judgments typically have to do with six dimensions … Read more
Assessing Vatican II: A Response to My Critics
It’s ironic to me that my recent article, “Fifty Years Later—Vatican II’s Unfinished Business,” has provoked anger among many traditionalists, because for most of my priesthood I have angered liberals who consider me an arch traditionalist. Nevertheless I want to respond to those traditionalists who include both the SSPX and my fellow Catholics still fully … Read more
