The Athanasius Question

The Athanasius Question - Mundabor

JMJ

Mundabor has a good article here that presents the classical precedent for this crisis: St Athanasius.

Athanasius was excommunicated. He continued his job, uncaring. More than that – and something I seldom read about – he and St. Eusebius started appointing bishops of their own, again ignoring the Pope. The bishops they appointed – and I read about that seldom, too – were not bishop without territorial jurisdiction, like the SSPX one. They were bishops in charge of a diocese all right. Nor can it be said that in that world of difficult communications the Pope might not have had control of certain territories.

So what will happen in the end? Following the Stockdale Paradox, I am confident that we (ie Faithful Catholics) will prevail, but it is going to be very nasty.

P^3

Comments

Facts and Opinions - An Explanation

+ JMJ When a person's assumptions are events outside of their control they form an opinion and, in my experience, assert this opinion to be fact. So ... it is important to define some terms:

The Curious Case of Steve Skojec and the Dangers of Deep Diving into the Crisis Sub-Titled: The Failings of Others

+ JMJ It's been a while now since Steve Skojec sold 1P5 and abandoned the Catholic Faith. I've been a 'Trad' since 1982 and in those 40+ years I seen this death-spiral before with a similar end point. It seems that anyone who jumps into the fray unprepared for the enormous task of righting wrongs will, eventually, become discouraged by not the task but the people who surround them. I remember when Skojec complained of the treatment his family received from a traditional priest. This seems to have been the start of the end for him. So what can we learn from the likes of Steve Skojec, Michael Voris (maybe?), Louie Verrecchio, Gerry Matatix and other celebrity Catholics? Probably quite a lot about what not to do. First, don't burn out on the crisis? When you burn out, on work or anything else, little things assume a more greater importance than they are due. This is one of my 'canary in the coal mine' signals that I've been stretching myself too th...

Magisterium and Levels of Assent

+ JMJ Understanding the levels of assent to be given to the teachings of the Church is a critical success factor in walking the knife's edge during this crisis of the Church. The levels of assent are generally associated with the theological grades of certainty, which are not surprisingly mirrored by the censures for contravening the teachings of the various levels.

Rorate Caeli: Gregorian Chant ... AKA Worship Like You Mean It!!!

+ JMJ I really hope that it is still ok to repost information from Rorate-Caeli ... as this is a topic of great importance and I really want to have it handy as a reference! A key aspect that is missing in the Novus Ordo Missae is ... frankly ... reverence. This is apparent in the Ordo itself but is glaringly obvious to Traditional Catholics in the music that is 'sung' at the various flavours of the Novus Ordo Missae. Frankly, the lack of reverence in the design of the music renders it banal and a torture to hear. I find it particularly imbalanced in its sentimentality. What it is missing is the awe that is due to God. It is that awe that I find generally missing throughout the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. ... not to mention the hard teachings on Hell, Damnation and ... Sin. P^3 Courtesy of Rorate-Caeli I am pleased to publish here at Rorate Caeli the full text and video of the lecture I gave on Gregorian chant as t...

What the heck is a congregation of "Pontifical Right"

+ JMJ In a discussion with a friend the question occurred to me that I didn't actually know was is involved in being a religious order of 'pontifical right'. I had a vague notion that this meant they reported to Rome as opposed to the local diocese. I'm also aware that, according to the accounts I have heard, the Archbishop received 'praise' and the written direction to incardinate priests directly into the SSPX. This is interesting because it implies that the SSPX priests were no longer required to incardinate in the local diocese but in the SSPX. This is something that belongs to an order of 'pontifical right'. Anyway here's some definitions: Di diritto pontificio is the Italian term for “of pontifical right” . It is given to the ecclesiastical institutions (the religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life) either created by the Holy See or approved by it with the formal decree, known by its Latin name, Decretu...

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