What Really Matters - The Truth!

JMJ

What is true matters, everything is untrue is a lie.

Pretty simple eh?

Getting to the truth and helping others to see it is the hard part.

For example, I was at a talk where a theologian provided an overview of the crisis of the Church from a rational / logical point of view. His assumptions seemed correct and so he seemed to be right.

The only problem is that being right doesn't automatically mean people will agree and change their beliefs.

I've encountered this a few times and concluded that the cognitive dissonance theory is, if not bang-on, a good model of human behaviour.

I've seen the pain suffered by ntCatholic's when they are confronted with the kissing the koran picture and Pope Francis' antics.

For ntCatholics, if the SSPX is right, then practically everything that they have believed about the Catholic Church crumbles. That is a huge wall and the pain is incredible.

So, being right isn't enough.

No matter how crystal clear the exposition of the crisis. No matter how damning the logic. It still isn't enough.

tCatholics need to be able to help ntCatholics through two pains.

Unlearning the false truths that they have been fed for the last 50+ years.
Learning the Catholic truths that they have been denied.

Just because we don't feel the pain of another, the pain is still real. Either we help them to overcome the pain and develop a better perspective ... or God will do it with a painful catastrophe.

That's why it is critical that the Pope (Francis or his successors) come to the same realisation and perspective of tCatholics. This will be a Catholic perspective afterall that is what a Traditional Catholic perspective is supposed to be eh!

If the Pope commits a good action (ie no-compromise SSPX regularization), then a number of ntCatholics will be able to overcome the first pain.

tCatholics need to be ready to help them with the second pain, learning the Catholic Faith.

This also includes some pain for Traditional Catholics.

We need to unlearn the bitterness that comes from being persecuted and ridiculed for 50+ years and we to learn true compassionate Catholic Charity. A charity that sees each non-Traditional Catholic as a soul that God Loves and holds precious.

Even Pope Francis.

The means do not justify the ends.

We cannot adopt non-Catholic means just because the enemies of the Church do so. That is the mistake of the sede-vacantists and 'resistors'. They have deviated from both Catholic Doctrine (dogmatic facts) as well as Catholic principles (obedience).

Pope Francis is a bad Pope, perhaps the worst in history. But, following the teaching of the Catholic Church, he is still the Pope until either he or the Church tells us. If he issues a legitimate command, either we obey or we sin.

Pray for Pope Francis and the non-Traditional Catholics. A lot of them are suffereing because of what Pope Francis is doing to their beliefs.

... and now a little humour:

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

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...

Comparision of the Tridentine, Cranmer and Novus Ordo Masses

+ JMJ I downloaded the comparison that was linked in the previous article on the mass (here) . ... a very good reference! P^3 From: Whispers of Restoration (available at this link) . CHARTING LITURGICAL CHANGE Comparing the 1962 Ordinary of the Roman Mass to changes made during the Anglican Schism; Compared in turn to changes adopted in the creation of Pope Paul VI’s Mass in 1969 The chart on the reverse is a concise comparison of certain ritual differences between three historical rites for the celebration of the Catholic Mass Vetus Ordo: “Old Order,” the Roman Rite of Mass as contained in the 1962 Missal, often referred to as the “Traditional Latin Mass.”The Ordinary of this Mass is that of Pope St. Pius V (1570) following the Council of Trent (1545-63), hence the occasional moniker “Tridentine Mass.” However, Trent only consolidated and codified the Roman Rite already in use at that time; its essential form dates to Pope St. Gregory the Great (+604), in whose time the R...

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...

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