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

The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II: Dr. John Lamont

By
+ JMJ This is the second article from Dr. Lamont from his lecture given in May 2014. P^3 Source Part A: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny Source Part B: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny 8 May2014 The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II By John Lamont To understand how the Jesuit conception of obedience departed from earlier conceptions, it is helpful to compare it with the teaching of St. Thomas on obedience. The fundamental difference between the two is that St. Thomas considers the proper object of obedience to be the precept of the superior (2a2ae q. 104 a. 2 co., ad 3). Obedience that seeks to forestall the expressed will of the superior does not bear on what the superior wants or thinks in general, but only on what the superior intends to command. St. Ignatius’s lowest degree of obedience, which he does not consider to be virtuous, is thus what St. Thomas considers to be the only form of obedience. St. Thomas holds that St. Ignatius’s alleged higher forms of o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

By
+ 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
Post a Comment
Read more

News Roundup February 17, 2024

By
 + JMJ    First wishing you a Holy Lent! As usual for this series, attached below are articles that caught my eye since the last 'Roundup'. Catholic Church In CRISIS Looking at the response to MAiD, there is a bright spot amongst all the misc issues within the Church. It is a little disheartening that only the huge issues where the world is bumping up against Church Doctrine are addressed.   The elephant in the room remains - the current and previous half dozen pontiffs have led us to this point. The academic discussion between theologians is, believe it or not, a healthy thing for the Church.  Hopefully it will gain momentum and follow the general rules academic argumentation and not devolve into name calling (as it has previously). Rome - Fiducia Supplicans The storm created by FS continues. People are starting to talk about the next conclave Hopefully this pontificate will do three things: Wake up the faithful clergy to false obedience Spawn a clarific...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rome and the SSPX - Version 2026 Part 6c: Principles and Rules for Surviving this Crisis of the Catholic Church (Principle 2)

By
 + JMJ Principle 2: Know the Faith as the Catholic Church Teaches or Taught it. A knowledge of the Faith and familiarity with the history of the Catholic Church for at least the past 200 years provides a good foundation for weathering this storm. Bias, Opinions and Misbeliefs One landmine that undermines principle #2 is the mixing of personal opinion with doctrine. These opinions, beliefs by another name, are sometimes held in a death grip. In some cases they are just prejudices against various real groups such as immigrants, Jews, communists, masons etc. In some cases it extends to conspiracy theories such as sedevacantism. These firmly held beliefs prevent people from both understanding Doctrine as Taught by the Church and making the necessary distinctions. For example, which religions offer worship to the True God? Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Jews and Muslims. Some people suck in their breath through their teeth creating an noticeable hiss at the above statement....
Post a Comment
Read more

Advent Series Introduction

By
+ JMJ The season of Advent is a special time set aside by the Church for us to focus on preparing our souls for the coming of Our Lord; His coming at Christmas, but also for us to prepare for His coming at the end of our lives, as well as the end of time   Unfortunately, this time is also filled with holiday preparations and gift giving, and while its not a bad thing to be thinking of others, the focus on shopping and Christmas baking etc can make it difficult to detach from the things of this world. When I was in the convent, Advent was a very special time of year. We lived and breathed the spirit of the Church and we had nothing to distract us from it. As a result we felt rich; full to bursting at Christmastime. Each November, the newest members; the postulants would become a little sad. Perhaps it was their first time they would be away from home for Christmas. They seemed a little skeptical when  they were told that this would be their best Christmas ye...
Post a Comment
Read more