Why I Started Tradicat ... and Why I Continue...

JMJ

In 2010, we moved into a house and transitioned from dial-up internet to DSL and it took a little time to adjust.

It was at that point that I discovered online forums such as AngelQueen,Ignis Ardens, Suscipe Domine, Cathinfo (I was banned within a couple of days).

I was even invited to a resistance forum that started when Ignis Ardens started it's death spiral. I was banned within 20 minutes - my personal best!

Those days were exciting and I was very thankful that my mother forced me to take typing. It got to the point that my 'resistor' opponents could not conceive of my being a single person. At one point the opinion emerged that I was about 3 to 5 Menzigenites working against the 'resistance'.

Those were heady days indeed.

While I enjoyed the experience, it was taxing, instructive, exhilarating and frustrating. I was once described by a former IDF commando (RIP) as a warrior and at this point I think I would agree. But the experience was beginning to sour.

The biggest problem was that the work I put into responses was quickly lost in the stream of responses. This was overshadowed by a the realization that I had become somewhat obsessed or at least absorbed by these arguments and not doing my duty to my family.

Over a number of months I became disillusioned and finally disinterested in contributing to forums. It took time and the real turning point was when I did a study of my online time vs family time. The results were depressing and added to this was the fact that I had been drawn into real-world discussions and arguments with Modern Catholics.

One benefit of all this activity was that I had to study and I studied a lot. The downside was that I was being spiritually drained by the exertion. The solution was provided by a priest who, in a few words, described the danger of running on empty in a spiritual war.

The solution:

I try to keep up my spiritual life by doing spiritual reading and prayer to counter balance studies.
I started this blog, so I could write down the results of my studies and ponderings.
I still pop in to Suscipe Domine, but if I'm going to write a long response (a rare occurrence these days), I'll post it on Tradicat first. I should note that Suscipe Domine has the most effective and balanced moderation process of all the forums I explored.

So why did I start Tradicat?

To not lose track of the work that I've done and documented in articles.
To have my own place to write what I want even if a forum moderator doesn't like it.
To have a "library" resource

Why do I continue?

It's therapeutic. I work out my frustrations with the crisis of the Church by studying, thinking and writing my thoughts on the blog
Because to be motivated to do the above, I need to 'publish' it. It was the same with my research into my thesis and to a lesser extent is it the same here. I get motivated to study things I find interesting and publishing puts me over the threshold of action.
Because some people find the work of value.

So, those of my rambling thoughts this Canada Day.

P^3

Comments

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...

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 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...

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 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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