Skip to main content

Conspiracy Theories and Traditional Catholicism

+
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


Comments

  1. 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. 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. 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

+ 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

The Vatican and SSPX – An Organizational Culture Perspective

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.

Rome and the SSPX - the latest

+ JMJ Bishop Fellay gave a conference late last month and provided some more insight into the situation with Rome. There are comments on Deus Ex Machina Blog  and Hilary White has now entered the fray. What is one Catholic to think about all these opinions? What a Catholic is to think: With the Church! What does the Church think about obedience?  Virtue as it is? If there is no proximate occasion of sin and the other conditions are met, then one cannot resist the command.

SSPX and the Resistance - A Comparison Of Ecclesiology

Shining the light of Church Teaching on the doctrinal positions of the SSPX and the Resistance. Principles are guides used to aid in decision making.  It stands to reason that bad principles will lead to bad decisions. The recent interactions between Rome and the SSPX has challenged a number of closely held cultural assumptions of people in both sides of the disagreement. This has resulted in cultural skirmishes in both Rome and the SSPX. Since it is the smaller of the two, the skirmishes have been more evident within the SSPX.  The cultural fault-line that Bishop Fellay crossed appears to be linked to two points of Catholic Doctrine: Ecclesiology and Obedience.  The cultural difference of view points is strong enough that it has resulted in the expulsion of a number of members.  It should also be noted that some other priests expelled since the beginning of the latest interactions (starting in 2000) held the same view points and have joined with the l...

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

+ 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...