Becoming Traditional Catholic - Part IV Knowing The Catholic Truth

JMJ

In my previous post, I discussed seeing things for what they are ... including the actions of Pope's.

I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but it is necessary to have an objective measure by which to assess the actions of the Pope - even without a PhD in Theology and Philosophy.

The objective measure is the Teaching of the Catholic Church.

Hence, it is important to study to know your Faith.

For undiluted instruction I recommend Catechism of the Council of Trent and Catechism Explained.

This would serve as a foundation for understanding not only the crisis, but also recognizing error when it appears in front of you!

Having said this I have two counsels to give:

When something you see or hear 'feels' wrong and / or heretical, don't react right away.

Do some research to make certain. The biggest problem in the last 50+ years, has been Popes that speak out of both sides of their mouthes. One moment they speak as a 'Catholic', the next they speak as a 'Protestant'.
Remember, it is very rare to find a person who is wholly white or black (good / bad). Most people are speckled.

Keep up your spiritual reading!

In this case, I strongly recommend going to classical pre-conciliar sources.
These will help you to define and refine your sense of the Faith and grow in holiness (i.e. closer to God).

After that, I recommend some key writings of the SSPX.

Tomes that come to mind are Open Letter to Confused Catholics and Catechism of the Crisis in the Church.

Here's the first chapter of the Open Letter from the Angelus' soundcloud:

So - keep the faith, pray, be patient and persevere!

P^3

Comments

SSPX and the Resistance - A Comparison Of Ecclesiology

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Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

Church Militant TV and the SSPX - Again

+ JMJ The old narrative used to be that the SSPX was 'schismatic' and 'excommunicated'. Now the excommunication has been lifted for a number of years and the only ones who think it still has effect are the 'resistors'. That leaves the other opponents of the SSPX with the label 'schismatic'. Make it clear, the conservative Catholics have issues with the SSPX probably because they violate some of their assumptions about the Faith and this crisis of the Church. Church Militant TV is one of these the exists along the Catholic thought spectrum. They like the Traditional Mass but must ensure that they don't get tarred with the same 'schismatic' brush that the liberals use against the SSPX. So what do they do, they use the same brush against the SSPX. The funny thing is that even when the Church does speak, they don't want to listen and persist in calling the SSPX 'schismatic'. Here's a transcript of the latest s...

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...

The Position of the SSPX on Canonizations by the Saint Factory

+ JMJ I have sometimes been criticized for including 'St' as a title for Pope John Paul II et al. I've given my reasons here in a discussion with Alex Long. The question is one of prudence in discussions with ntCatholics and in some cases with tCatholics. In discussions with: ntCatholics, I will use the title in order to continue the discussion and help them arrive at a realistic understanding of the crisis of the Church. tCatholics, I will use the title in order to broaden their perspective on the doctrine of dogmatic facts. This broader perspective is, in my opinion, essential maintaining a realistic understanding of the crisis of the Church. So from a doctrinal position, I have written the article Dogmatic Fact of Fancy and includes a reference on canonizations. Now, I know the position of the SSPX is that the canonizations are doubtful (see references below) and I also know of at least one non-SSPX theologian who agrees with the level of doubt du...

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