Skip to main content

Conspiracy Theories and Traditional Catholicism

Image
By
+
JMJ

I just checked my 'Tradical' email and noted an email from Louie Verrecchio.  Its title was enough that I became curious about what he was up to ...


While I'm not certain if we need another 'Traditional Catholic' newspaper, I was interested in the contributor listing:
With an impressive line-up of trustworthy contributors like Fr. Vidko Podržaj, Cornelia Ferreira, Dr. Peter Chojnowski, Randy Engel and others, The Catholic Inquisitor is committed to defending Catholic tradition – every issue, every month – without compromise.
Can you guess which one I found of interest? 

Dr. Peter Chojnowski

Because he is trying to 'prove' his conspiracy theory concerning Sister Lucy - namely that, like the 1980s theory that Pope Paul VI was 'swapped out' with a double, that Sister Lucy was replaced by a 'double'.

To demonstrate this he is trotting out a number of expert opinions that confirm his theory.

I find it laughable that he relies on the 'photographic evidence' and seems to dismiss the evidence provided by relatives because they were 'behind a screen'.  There's more to recognizing a person than just the unimpeded visual aspects.

But debunking this theory is not what I want to highlight ...

I want to highlight the attempts to find a solution for a problem by resorting to this sort of wild explanation.

Basically, it would seem that people are having problems resolving the apparent inconsistencies in Sr. Lucy's actions. The thought being that she couldn't possibly have approved of this therefore ...

In order to resolve this situation ... they start to grasp at straws. 

 In 35+ years as a Traditional Catholic, I have seen a number of people go into the deep-end because of conspiracy theories.  That's why I have a conspiracy site on my blog list.

Irrational arguments made to support a particular perspective irritate me because people start to extend the thought process to other decisions. Taken far enough this can (and has) destroyed materials as well as mental prosperity.

For me this is not a theoretical exercise.

I've seen people believe the "natural person" tax evasion and attendant conspiracy theories and cost their heirs thousands (if not tens) of dollars fighting the legal battles.

I've also seen people enter a mental health death spiral.

How does one break out of the doom-loop?

It is simple in theory, but hard in practice:  Stop and think critically about the information you receive, your own thought processes, and search for the principles behind it all.

... and be wary of anything that resorts to conspiracy theories to explain complex events and actions.

The best prescription for avoiding doom-loop altogether is to foster gratitude for what you have, a deep spiritual life and a perspective based on solid Catholic principles.

P^3


Labels:

Comments

  1. SSeptember 21, 2020 at 6:59 AM

    People who think conspiracy theories are all make believe are weak.
    The catch phrase 'conspiracy theories' was coined by the CIA to eliminate
    any doubts about the JFK assassination. Watch the recent interview with
    Ron Paul and Robert Kennedy Jr. , Kennedy states unequivocally and as a
    matter of fact that the CIA did in fact murder his uncle and father. Can this PLEASE be the last nail in the coffin for you 'coincidence theory' dolts?
    Were there 2 Sister Lucy's? It is definitely outlandish at the first pass.
    If you read any of the research you will find it is a quite logical proposition made even more convincing given the current state of Rome.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bill GSeptember 22, 2020 at 11:29 AM

    Have you actually read Dr Chojnowski’s blog? Sister Lucy Truth? If you have and have determined that all of the experts are also apart of the “conspiracy theory” you are extremely obtuse.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hawks OverheadSeptember 22, 2020 at 7:44 PM

    I don't see how anyone who has read Dr. Chojnowski's materials and mountains of evidence could so quickly and smugly disregard them unless they needed to protect their own cherished paradigm at all costs. Your comments seem like just a knee jerk reaction to an idea you're not willing to consider. Ok, so be it. But at least have the honesty to admit that the good doctor DID do everything a valid research investigation requires, and DID amass a large amount of evidence backing up his claim. Then stick your fingers back in your ears and go on whistling your tune.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rome,the SSPX and this time of Crisis - Updated

By
+ JMJ Obviously there's lots of events right now. First we have the April 1st - I almost thought it was April Fools - meeting between Pope Francis and Bishop Fellay.  Nothing really news worthy as this is a natural progression as Rome appears to be considering fulfilling Archbishop Lefebvre's wish to 'accept us as we are'. Second we have the April 8th publication of what will be a verbose exhortation of the Synod of the Family. I'm willing to bet that the Pope will give with one hand (unilateral regularization of SSPX) and take with the other (ambiguous document that opens the flood gates of sin further). Much to pray for. P^3
30 comments
Read more

A Reply to Martin Blackshaw’s FLAWED Remnant article titled: FLAWED: SSPX Advice on Abortion-tainted Vaccines

By
 + JMJ    An article has appeared in the Remnant (link to article) and I am afraid that there are a number of flaws in it that need to be addressed. The author, Martin Blackshaw, believes that both the Church and the SSPX are misapplying the principle of Moral Theology called 'Cooperation In Evil'.  Unfortunately, Mr. Blackshaw rests most of his arguments on citing authors that support his position, without considering the possibility that they are wrong. This highlights a key factor in this crisis: ignorance of the faith and its application . I don't am not singling out Mr. Blackshaw for this criticism, I have observed that it applies to laity and religious, superior and subject a like.  No one seems immune in this enduring crisis, myself included.  I further believe that this ignorance is why so many Catholics, both traditional and non, rely on their gut feeling or "Catholic conscience" for charting their way through this crisis of the faith.  While...
25 comments
Read more

Rorate-Caeli URGENT: Pope tells Italian Bishops he plans to abolish the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum

By
 + JMJ  Now THIS is probably the most important news item in the last two years - yes I place this above the pandemic. I'm only surprised by how long it took for this to surface during this pontificate. I hope and pray that it is false or that if it comes to pass that somehow some good will arise out of the ashes of Summorum Pontificum. P^3  Courtesy of Rorate-Caeli URGENT: Pope tells Italian Bishops he plans to abolish the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (Updated) Update (May 26): Rorate's additional sources in Rome have confirmed this Wednesday that Francis has indeed a text on Summorum Pontificum lined up, which has been developed for months, but what is not known at this point is if the text is just about a more limited take on the Summorum application questionnaire (first revealed by us in the spring of 2020) or about an overhaul of Summorum Pontificum in general: drafts could be dealing with both matters. It is also not impossible for a text to come ou...
9 comments
Read more

If Pope Francis is bad - what about Pope St. John Paul II et al?

By
+ JMJ So here we are on the apparent cusp of yet another post conciliar Papal canonization. This time we have Pope's John-Paul I and Paul VI canonizations to 'look forward' to. This follows, obviously, on the heels of Pope St. John Paul II's canonization? So the first question that I usually encounter is: How is it possible, keeping in mind the doctrine on infallibility of canonizations (note doctrine not dogma), that Pope St. John Paul II is a Saint? First, what does it mean???  According to the doctrine of dogmatic facts - it is the universal opinion of Theologians that canonizations are infallible.  It means that they enjoy the beatific vision.  ... that's it.  That is the doctrine and it is at the level of universal opinion of theologians.  It is called a 'dogmatic fact'. That they made mistakes is obvious.  That the miracles seem to not be very miraculous is also a bit of an issue. Here's something to consider: The rush that surrou...
16 comments
Read more

The Vatican and SSPX – An Organizational Culture Perspective

By
Introduction The recent and continuing interactions between the Vatican and the SSPX have been a great opportunity for prayer and reflection.  The basis for the disagreement is theological and not liturgical. As noted by Dr. Lamont (2012), the SSPX theological position on the four key controversial aspects of the Second Vatican Council are base on prior theological work that resulted from relevant magisterial pronouncements.  So it is difficult to understand the apparent rejection of the theological position of the SSPX.
17 comments
Read more