Before and right after I became a Catholic in 1977 at age 22, from Lutheranism, I read every Catholic history book I could find: Daniel-Rops, Belloc, Philip Hughes come to mind. And Newman's "Development of Christian Doctrine." Nothing has surprised me. The Church has been in turmoil many times. But, as Chesterton pointed out in "The Everlasting Man," every time the Church seems to be expiring, it comes back even stronger. Our priests and bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, are not Platonic Ideals, but men and sinners. I'm fortunate because I live in Orange County, Calif., with a good bishop, Kevin Vann, dozens of Norbertine priests, whose order was established here in the 1950s by refugees from communist Hungary, and Vietnamese priests who themselves, or their parents, were tortured by Hanoi communists and fled on boats. They have no illusions about Liberation Theology, Cultural Marxism, or whatever leftist political fad that has infested the Church and contaminated the theology and doctrinal innovations of some of the higher ups. I'll be 70 in June and don't have much time left. Many of my friends have left the Church over the scandals or whatever. Tomorrow I'm going to Confession. Mass on Sunday, probably the approved Traditional Latin Mass, but maybe the Norvus Ordo, reverently said. As for me, I'm sticking with Mother Church.
One priest I know after the fall of Saigon in 1975 as a layman was put in a cage. When they let him out, he found his way to America, then was ordained a priest. A couple of years ago he returned to Vietnam for the first time. He feared they would put him in a cage again. But he was treated well, and reported the communist government didn't interfere in the Catholic Church, provided it didn't get involved in politics. He was from Saigon, but traveled to Hanoi, where there is a big seminary overflowing with seminarians. It was negotiating with the regime to expand the facilities, but was having some problems. Persecutions end and suffering is a witness.
Seriously, it is a very uplifting comment. It reminds me of the artisans building the cathedrals of Christendom. Making something beautiful for God. It is a nice reminder to not be troubled by the constant onslaught, but to press on, doing all for the glory of God.
To pile a little bit on John’s comment, aided by a quote from Fr. Perricone: “While many Catholics felt themselves adrift in a sea of disorientation, the grace of God endured. Impressive numbers of admirable Catholics permitted the free-fall to steel their Faith.”
I wonder if it possible to track or “measure” the amount of people who started going to Extraordinary Form masses during Francis’ reign? (I happily count myself in those numbers). May God bless us all, and he facilitate the much needed healing from harm done since 2013.
Maybe we Latin traditionalists will alll need to run and flood the Eastern rites, and bunker down like Helms Deep for a while. Who knows what God wills, but I'm sick to my stomach thinking how this conclave will more than likely be for the worst, with not much hope in sight.
Before and right after I became a Catholic in 1977 at age 22, from Lutheranism, I read every Catholic history book I could find: Daniel-Rops, Belloc, Philip Hughes come to mind. And Newman's "Development of Christian Doctrine." Nothing has surprised me. The Church has been in turmoil many times. But, as Chesterton pointed out in "The Everlasting Man," every time the Church seems to be expiring, it comes back even stronger. Our priests and bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, are not Platonic Ideals, but men and sinners. I'm fortunate because I live in Orange County, Calif., with a good bishop, Kevin Vann, dozens of Norbertine priests, whose order was established here in the 1950s by refugees from communist Hungary, and Vietnamese priests who themselves, or their parents, were tortured by Hanoi communists and fled on boats. They have no illusions about Liberation Theology, Cultural Marxism, or whatever leftist political fad that has infested the Church and contaminated the theology and doctrinal innovations of some of the higher ups. I'll be 70 in June and don't have much time left. Many of my friends have left the Church over the scandals or whatever. Tomorrow I'm going to Confession. Mass on Sunday, probably the approved Traditional Latin Mass, but maybe the Norvus Ordo, reverently said. As for me, I'm sticking with Mother Church.
Persecution has a way of making Catholics real.
One priest I know after the fall of Saigon in 1975 as a layman was put in a cage. When they let him out, he found his way to America, then was ordained a priest. A couple of years ago he returned to Vietnam for the first time. He feared they would put him in a cage again. But he was treated well, and reported the communist government didn't interfere in the Catholic Church, provided it didn't get involved in politics. He was from Saigon, but traveled to Hanoi, where there is a big seminary overflowing with seminarians. It was negotiating with the regime to expand the facilities, but was having some problems. Persecutions end and suffering is a witness.
"No matter."
Seriously, it is a very uplifting comment. It reminds me of the artisans building the cathedrals of Christendom. Making something beautiful for God. It is a nice reminder to not be troubled by the constant onslaught, but to press on, doing all for the glory of God.
Thank you!
To pile a little bit on John’s comment, aided by a quote from Fr. Perricone: “While many Catholics felt themselves adrift in a sea of disorientation, the grace of God endured. Impressive numbers of admirable Catholics permitted the free-fall to steel their Faith.”
I wonder if it possible to track or “measure” the amount of people who started going to Extraordinary Form masses during Francis’ reign? (I happily count myself in those numbers). May God bless us all, and he facilitate the much needed healing from harm done since 2013.
Maybe we Latin traditionalists will alll need to run and flood the Eastern rites, and bunker down like Helms Deep for a while. Who knows what God wills, but I'm sick to my stomach thinking how this conclave will more than likely be for the worst, with not much hope in sight.