Cultural Lines in the Sand

JMJ

Cultural assumptions are the foundation upon which a culture stands (or falls).

What applies to large corporate organizations also applies to the Catholic Church. There will, of course, be sub-cultures that operate within the larger culture of the organization. Each of these sub-cultures will have some elements in common (forming the culture as a whole) as well as their own cultural assumptions.

An example of this can be found in the recent separation of some individuals from the SSPX. In this case the cultural assumption that appears to have been challenged is either or both:

Whether or not Pope Benedict XVI actually had the authority and capability to issue a legitimate command that would meet the criteria requiring obedience.
The assumption that the 'conciliar Church' refers to a movement within the Catholic Church.

The clarity and direction provided by the leadership of the SSPX has resulted in a reaffirmation of the two core assumptions and those people who hold contrary assumptions have in general separated themselves from the SSPX. A number of those people have now revealed themselves as holding a variant of sede-vacantism.

In general terms there are at present two sub-cultures vying for dominance within the Catholic Church:

Progressivists: Hold cultural assumptions that have been dominant since the council, usually described as the 'spirit of the council'.
Traditionalists: Hold cultural assumptions that were dominant prior to the council, sometimes described as crypto-lefebvrist, lefebvrist, integrist.

There is a third sub-culture that basically is acquiescing to the dominant culture of the leadership. I typically refer to this group as a hybridized Catholic/Protestant culture as its assumptions have been severely altered by the liturgy and progressivist culture dominant within the Church in the last 50 years. This cultural group is sometimes called 'conservatives' and what is going to be discovered soon is where is the line in the cultural sand beyond which they will not pass?

Obviously, the Traditionalists have already stated and stood by their various cultural lines (FSSP et al, SSPX et al), with the attendant and predictable cultural immune responses.

Courtesy of Louie Verrecchio

Which issue will be the rubicon for the conservatives?

What will the conservatives succeed in conserving in the coming Synod on the Family?

Will this be one of the defining moments in the history of this crisis?

God knows, time will reveal.

Until then ...

P^3
Prayer
Penance
Patience

Comments

The myth of the Hermeneutic of Continuity - Rorate Caeli

+ JMJ Interestingly the complete acceptance of the Second Vatican Council (without reservations) is required of the SSPX. Just when people are starting to wonder how it came to this! Courtesy of Rorate Caeli P^3

A Look Back: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976

+ JMJ Looking back is important to understand why we are where we are in this crisis. Courtesy of RemnantNewsPaper P^3 FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLINE: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976 Written by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre Introduction by Michael J. Matt More than forty years ago—during the disastrous reign of Pope Paul VI, the latest candidate for a Vatican-issued Halo Award, by the way—my father, Walter L. Matt, organized the first large scale public reception in the U.S. for the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It was held at the Radisson South Hotel, Minneapolis, on Tuesday, May 12, 1976, and its stated purpose was to assist the Archbishop in gaining a stronger foothold for the Society of St. Pius X in the States during the unprecedented crisis Blessed Pope Paul had helped unleash on the Church. On that occasion Archbishop Lefebvre delivered ...

Of the Church and the Pope - Fr. Calmel O.P.

+ JMJ Once again, looking back to see if the 'Traditional Catholics' in the early days of this crisis of the Church had a sufficient view to realize the roots of the crisis. The root: The Pope Hence when the Pope is 'righted' the Church will be 'righted'. P^3 Courtesy of SSPXasia Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. This essay by Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. (1914-75) helps us in these difficult times to preserve our love of the Church. More than 30 years after its first publication, this article retains all its relevance, so much so that it even seems to have been written for our time, in which the crisis in the Church deepens at an unprecedented pace. This essay will help the reader to think clearly, keep the Faith, and maintain serenity in the troubled times we are navigating. “My country has hurt m e,”wrote a young poet in 1944 during the purge 1 when the head of state [Charles De Gaulle] implacably pursued the sinister job that had been in the wo...

Canonical Mission and State of Emergency - A Response to Mr. John Salza - Part B

+ JMJ I was trying to think of a way to map out the time course I discussed in Part A of this article. Early this morning it came to me that this is more about obedience and duty than canon law. As is my wont, I mapped out my thoughts (see image) to draw linkages between the core concepts. My conclusion is that, at least subjectively, Archbishop Lefebvre had sufficient information to make good decisions concerning whether or not he was obliged to obey. I know that the Jesuits, some Sedevacantists and the priests that left over the years will not agree with my thoughts. So be it. The core pieces of information include: Attacks against the SSPX were launched because they kept the Tridentine Mass and the pre-conciliar understanding of the Truths of the Faith. The authorities in the Church were willing to go against the laws of the Church. The same authorities encouraged the various dangers to the Faith embedded in popular interpretations of ambiguo...

Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations - Courtesy of SSPX.org

+ JMJ In the blogosphere there are number of responses to this crisis in the Catholic Church that lead to conclusions that run counter to Catholic Doctrine and Dogmas - if taken to their logical conclusion. The validity of the New Rite of Episcopal consecrations is one such hotspot within more extreme sections of the 'traditionalist' culture. Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations Courtesy of SSPX.org Why the new rite of episcopal consecration is valid Introduction This comprehensive study was compiled to settle a debate that has been circulating in traditional Catholic circles. Some writers have examined the new rite of episcopal consecration and concluded that it must be invalid. Since this would cause manifest problems if it were true and due to the heightened awareness of such a theory, we present a study of this question concluding that it is valid. Following the Council, in 1968 a new rite for the ordination of bishops was promulg...

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