Monday, February 4, 2008

Why Some Traditionalist Catholics Get On My Nerves

Let me first say that my experience is limited to the people that are "Traditionalist" i here in the USA. In England, Mexico, the small pacific Island nation of Naru it might be different.

Now I do enjoy the "Latin Mass". If you vist here enough you know that. However more times than not some of these people I meet are really quirky. Now as a Southerner I love oddballs. We sure have enough of them. However at times it seems the "Latin Mass" folks have a whole lot. Catholic and Enjoying It! relates something that happened at the Pro-Life March in DC in his post Why So Many Traditionalists Don't Get Invited to Parties:

At the March for Life in DC last week, our group (mostly young teens) came across a marcher holding aloft a Crucifix with a big sign: "Latin Mass= Truth; New Mass = Abortion". As I respectfully disagreed with him, he brought up receiving the Eucharist by hand, as if that somehow that had to do with saving unborn children.

Good Grief. Be sure to read the rest at that link. He also revisits the issue at this post here in much more detail.

Now I know the above is a extreme example of the extreme. However I have met enough "trads" that I can see how some of those people might think the above is a pretty good idea.

One reason I am excited about the Pope's new revival of the older form of the Mass and liturgy is to get rid of this Ghetto and Bunker mentality that sadly I think encourages the above and much more. That is one reason why I hope Bishops fully embrace it. On a side note I hope we do not see a a ton of "Latin Mass" Churches opened up. The "older" will never influence the regular form of the Liturgy if that happens.

Be sure to visit 3rd blog from the right that explores the more radical(and often in Schism) parts of this movement.

2 comments:

Paul Cat said...

James,

I always love the so called issue or receiving either in the hand or by mouth. One of the early Church fathers, I don't recall which, discusses the same issues some 1700+ years ago. He wrote that when you receive by hand you place one hand atop the other and create a throne for the holy communion or our Lord.

This of course is paraphrased, as I don't have my books with me. Also, for some reason I'm thinking it was Ambrose or John Chrysostom.

James H said...

You know I need to look at that up I talked about that ealier on this blog. I shall try to find it and post the link