Skip to main content

Navigating Catholic Life - Part 8: Confusion: Fertile Field for Disagreements and Conflicts

+

JMJ
 

 

There is a lot of confusion these days. Things within the Church are lacking order (disordered), difficult to understand (obfuscation reigns), and lack clear distinctions.

This is a fertile field for disagreements and conflict.

So what is a person to do?  
 
First pray, a strong spiritual life (not a scrupulous one) will of great aid in keeping a broad perspective on the events, actions and words of others.
 
Second, go to the source documents on what the Church Teaches and try to understand what they contain. 
 
Third, hold judgement in check until you've been able to critically review the event, action and words.  It is highly unlikely that these things that happen in the Church require immediate action. Most require a carefully considered and measured action.

Fourth, learn how to argue in a manner that is useful and not inflammatory. Trying to outshout someone else isn't very useful.  I recently watched a debate with Jordan Peterson and Cathy Newman that provides very good examples of how to respond, and manage these types of confrontations.

P^3

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Is it sinful to attend the Novus Ordo (New Mass) - Is it Sinful to Not Attend the Novus Ordo on Sunday?

+ JMJ A non-SSPX Catholic is upset over the SSPX statements on not attending the Novus Ordo Missae. Ladies and gentlemen, what the SSPX, or at least its website editor, is advocating is a mortal sin against the Third Commandment.  Unless the priest deviates from the language of the Sacramentary, the consecration, and thus the rest of Mass is to be considered valid.  No one may elect not to attend Mass simply because abuses are occurring therein.  Might I suggest that such absenteeism is its own abuse?  The Third Commandment binds under mortal sin.  Father So-And-So from the SSPX has no authority whatsoever to excuse attendance at Mass, be that Mass ever so unpalatable. Source:Restore DC Catholicism Well, this is interesting. First why does the SSPX issue this statement? Because it is sinful to put your faith in danger by attending a protestant service.  It is likewise dangerous to put your faith in danger by attending a protestantized mass (ie the Novus Ordo Missae

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

Magisterium and Levels of Assent

+ JMJ Understanding the levels of assent to be given to the teachings of the Church is a critical success factor in walking the knife's edge during this crisis of the Church.  The levels of assent are generally associated with the theological grades of certainty, which are not surprisingly mirrored by the censures for contravening the teachings of the various levels.

War: Families

 + JMJ  It is unavoidable that the conflict between the Church and the World will ... inspite of the Church basically surrendering to the World during and after the Second Vatican Council ... enter the family. First, it is unlikely that an entire family will be "Traditional Catholic". This will lead to conflict between the various "sides" of the family.  Next there is the impact of the world around them.  In other words, you can't keep your children out of the world indefinitely. There are so many pressures and stessors that work against keeping the Catholic Life that it seems that heroic virtue is needed in this day and age. A final aspect is related to the second.  Their companions, especially if they are not Catholic. In some cases you may hope that your children will influence instead of be influenced. In this case you will have to intervene if they are underage and if adults, pray and act prudently. With all these forces stacked up against you, the best you