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'''Traditionalist Catholic''' is the term generally used to refer to those Catholics who want to bring the worship and practices of the ] back to how they were before the ]. The term is used in this sense by the mass media (e.g. ABC New On Line: "Pope meets head of rebel Catholic traditionalists"), by the general Catholic media (e.g. Catholic World News: "Pope to meet traditionalist leader"), and by the ] itself (e.g. Pontifical Commission ''Ecclesia Dei'': "to regularise the canonical situation of a certain number of religious communities of a traditionalist nature which already exist but without recognition on the part of the Church by giving them a canonical form corresponding to their charism. Moreover, an ecclesial integration has been found for a number of traditionalist priests who had not been incardinated"). Many Traditionalist Catholics claim that the Second Vatican Council brought changes not only in worship and practices but even in doctrine.
'''Traditional Catholic''' is a broad term used to describe many groups of Roman Catholics who follow more traditional aspects of the Catholic Faith. Many reject some or all of the reforms instituted after the ], especially the ], i.e., the revised rite of Mass. Traditional Catholics normally attend the older ].


Traditionalist Catholics generally prefer the term '''Traditional Catholics'''; but many, such as the Catholic Traditionalist Movement, willingly adopt the description "Traditionalist".
Most traditional Catholics believe the pre-Vatican II Mass, Catechism, and Code of Canon Law are necessary to keep the Catholic faith. Some adhere to the old forms simply out of personal preference; others out of their perception of true obedience to Christ. A sub-set of traditional Catholics claim that one or more of the ] since the ] are ]s and, therefore, have no authority. Some of these latter Catholics have even elected their own Popes.


'''Integrist''' or '''Integralist''' is another term used to describe extreme Traditionalist Catholics, but not by themselves.
=="Conservative Catholic" vs. "Traditional Catholic"==


==Distinction between Traditionalists and other Catholics==
The distiction between "conservative" and "traditional" Catholics is that the former accept what would have been considered "Modernist" or "liberal" at the time of the Second Vatican Council while the latter strive to remain consistent with what was considered "conservative" or "traditional" at the time of the Second Vatican Council ("Vatican II"). "Conservative Catholics" accept the Novus Ordo Missae (the Mass published after Vatican II) as being valid and consistent with the Catholic Faith, while "traditional Catholics" may or may not accept its validity, but reject it in either case as "Protestantized," weak in doctrine, and dangerous to the faith of Catholics.


On the extreme that is the opposite of Traditionalist Catholics are those who are referred to as ''Liberal Catholics''. These want not just the worship and practices but also doctrine to be altered radically in line with what they see as "liberal" values.
"Conservative" Catholics tend to attribute post-conciliar problems simply to hierarchs who are disobedient to the Pope. Traditional Catholics look to the aforementioned ambiguities of Vatican II documents in addition to errors stemming from Catholic hierarchs. The understanding of these perceived errors depends on whether the traditional Catholic is a sedevacantist or not (see below).


The Vatican authorities, who in opposition to the "Liberals" believe that they may in no way alter the Church's teachings, and who in opposition to the "Traditionalists" believe that the Second Vatican Council did not in fact alter the Church's teaching, are generally classified, both by the general body of Catholics and by the non-Catholic public media, as "conservative" (but not "traditionalist") rather than "progressive".
==Traditional Catholicism and Sedevacantism==


These last two terms are often claimed by the two extremes, with "Liberals" wishing to be called "progressive", and "Traditionalists" wishing to be called "conservative".
Traditional Catholics can be generally divided into two groups. The majority of traditional Catholics accept the authority of and claim union with ]. Despite this, they often reject liberal opinions of Catholic prelates and teachings that contradict previously accepted doctrine. Such groups include the ] (SSPX) and the Fraternity of the Society of Saint Peter (FSSP), the former group being formed by Archbishop Lefebvre, an attendee of the Second Vatican Council, while the latter was formed in reaction to the perceived schism of the SSPX.


==Categories of Traditionalist Catholics==
The smaller group, called "sedevacantists", believe in the ] itself but reject one or more of the "Vatican II popes" (], ], ], and ]). They consider one or more of these men ], claiming they have taught ] and, therefore, lost their authority as ]. A small subset of ] groups, often called "Conclavists" have elected popes of their own.


===1. Traditionalist Catholics in full accord with Rome===
==Chinese Catholicism==


Some Traditionalist Catholics, in the sense defined above, accept in full the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and the decrees of ] and his successors in Rome, including the revision of the liturgy. They do not claim that the Council and the Popes have altered Catholic doctrine. The Holy See recognizes as legitimate their preference for and attachment to the older forms of the liturgy and discipline, whether for spiritual or merely aesthetic reasons, and has made arrangements for them to continue to use these older forms.
Not all groups which consider themselves Catholic yet reject Vatican II are considered traditional Catholic. Most notably, in the ], the state sponsored ] (CCPA) denies the papacy entirely and rejects all pronouncements by the Vatican after the Communist Revolution in 1949 including those regarding the Tridentine Mass. It is used as a way of keeping state control over the church, and is one of the main reasons that the Vatican has not established diplomatic relations with mainland China.


The ] (FSSP) is an example of such Traditionalist Catholics. It was established with the blessing of ] on ] ] by priests who disagreed with the action (which they and the Holy See considered ]) by which Archbishop ] consecrated, in spite of the express prohibition of Pope John Paul II, four bishops for his Traditionalist ] on ] of that year. FSSP celebrates the ] and, since it has never been associated with dissent from the teaching and decrees of the Second Vatican Council and the Popes, naturally enjoys a cordial relationship with the Holy See and operates within the ordinary structures of the Catholic Church as a papally approved Society of Apostolic Life, like the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians, also called Lazarists), the Missionary Society of Saint Columban (the Columban Fathers) or the Missionaries of Africa (the White Fathers).
Ironically, within the PRC holding a non-Tridentine Mass implied recognition of the authority of the Vatican rather than that of the Chinese government and is an act of political dissent. In the early 1990's however, the CCPA reversed this policy, specifically with regards to the liturgy, and now uses a ceremony modeled closely after the Novus Ordo Misssae. What is also ironic is that the CCPA supports both abortion and contraception


There are some twenty other such groups of priests and religious operating with full papal approval, most notably the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
However there is also a large underground church that retains alligence to the ] and the Vatican. A large number of clergy - estimated at about 70% - in the CCPA have reconciled with the Vatican and are secretly part of the underground church. Members of the underground church are often harassed, and some leaders have been jailed on what have been termed political reasons.


===2. Traditionalist Catholics dissenting from but not organically separated from Rome===
==Traditional Catholic claims==


Some Traditionalist Catholics, while accepting in principle the authority of the Pope, with whom they claim to be in ], refuse to accept some of his and other bishops' teachings and decisions. They claim that the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council conflict with or distort historic Catholicism and amount at best to a "watering down" of Catholic teaching and practice. They describe the revised Roman-rite ] as Protestantized, weak in doctrine, and dangerous to the faith of Catholics who attend it. Some deny entirely its ]al validity.
Traditional Catholics see the ] as a pastoral Council whose documents were marked by an ambiguity which has led to error or which contained errors themselves. Foremost among these perceived errors are:


The principal group of these Traditionalist Catholics of this category is the ] (SSPX), founded by Archbishop ]. While the Holy See does not view this Society as a ] Church, it has officially declared that, when in contravention of an express papal prohibition Archbishop Lefebvre and his fellow Traditionalist Bishop António de Castro Mayer consecrated four priests to the ] on ] ], the six clerics concerned committed a schismatic act and incurred excommunication. It has also stated that many members of the SSPX are in fact schismatic as individuals.
* a new ] which they claim has weakened the papacy and made Bishops' conferences a veritable "second Vicar of Christ" of the Church. Traditional Catholics see this as contradicting ]'s '''Satis Cognitum''' the documents of ], and other documents and teachings. Traditional Catholics firmly support the papacy (even those who are sedevacantist firmly support the doctrines concerning the papacy), but they often accuse mainstream "conservative Catholics" of an attitude bordering on papolatry (pope worship) rooted in what they see as the latter's limited understanding of papal infallibility and the nature of Christian obedience. They see "conservative Catholics'" as misunderstanding the documents of Vatican I and the scholastic understanding of true obedience as characterized by ] in his ], II-II-104.


Some priests who have broken away from their diocese or religious order have established their own groups of followers, for whom they celebrate the "Tridentine Mass". They are known as "independent" priests.
* a new ecclesiology that they claim doesn't equate the Catholic Church with the Church estabilished by Jesus Christ, but which states that Church "subsists in" the Catholic Church. Traditional Catholics claim this is a contradiction of ]'s '''Mystici Corporis Christi''' among other papal documents, or leads to false ideas of "]".


===3. Sedevacantist Traditionalist Catholics===
* a new focus on "the dignity of man" which they claim ignores ] and the need of supernatural grace, and which they claim has led to a sort of Utopianism that sees peace as possible without recognizing the Kingship of Christ. Traditional Catholics see this supposed attitude, and teachings rooted in it, as contradicting ]'s '''Quas Primas''', Pope Leo XIII's '''Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae''', ]'s '''Our Apostolic Mandate''' ('''Notre Charge Apostolique'''), and other papal and conciliar documents.


A small number of Traditionalist Catholics, called ], accept the concept of the ], but reject some or all of those they call the "Vatican II popes" (], ], ], ] and ]), on the grounds that they have embraced ] and so lost their authority. Some such groups, often called "conclavists", have elected their leaders as popes.
* a new "]" that has as its goal a "unity" that traditional Catholics claim doesn't require conversion to the Catholic faith. Traditional Catholics see this as contradicting Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's '''Mortalium Animos''', ]'s '''Humani Generis''' and other documents.


==Traditionalist Catholic views==
* a new attitude toward ecclesiastical tradition as changeable and which has led to what they see as dangerous modifications in Catholic practices, the liturgy, and the Church's pastoral orientation. Traditional Catholics see this as a contradiction of the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, Vatican I (especially the document "Pastor Aeternus"), and other papal and conciliar documents.


Traditionalist Catholics see the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ, united by the same faith, the same sacraments and the same discipline that they see as having united Catholics from the time of the Church's origins. Many take as their motto:
* a new attitude toward novelty which they claim had been unheard of in the Catholic Church prior to the Second Vatican Council. Traditional Catholics see this as contradicting the Saints, Doctors and Popes of the Church prior to ]; the papal oath, written by Pope St. Agatho ca. A.D. 681 and taken by all Popes from Pope St. Agatho himself to Pope Paul VI, inclusive; Pope Pius X's Motu Proprio '''Sacrorum antistitum''' (an oath taken by all priests prior to the Council); ]'s '''Mirari Vos'''; the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea; and other papal and conciliar documents.

* a new ''Paschal theology'' that they see as de-emphasizing the Sacrifice of the ] and which they claim leads the faithful to believe that it is Christ's Resurrection, not the Blood shed by His Sacrifice on the Cross, that saves. Traditional Catholics see the Novus Ordo as being a fruit of this "Paschal theology" as it is marked by such things as the replacement of Altars with tables, a focus on "community" rather than the offering of the Son to the Father, and so on. They see this orientation as contradicting Scripture and Encyclicals such as Pope Pius XII's '''Mediator Dei'''.

* a new philosophy which they see as "relativism" and a focus on the natural, de-emphisizing the supernatural. This they say leads to Deism, Pragmatism, and moral relativism.

==Differing Traditional and Conservative Catholic attitudes towards Vatican II==

Most traditional Catholics see the ] as a valid Council, but one which was pastoral and which produced no infallible definitions that Catholics must accept as a part of the Faith. Support of this claim is found in ]'s Opening Address to the Council, Pope Paul VI's closing address , the lack of formal definitions and anathemas in the Council's sixteen documents, and the ambiguity of the documents themselves. Some traditional Catholics see the ] as having been purposefully hijacked by Modernists and liberals, and its documents further twisted in postconciliar interpretations thereof. They see this Modernist influence as the result of ignoring papal warnings against such, most explicitly in ]'s "Pascendi Dominici Gregis."

Traditional Catholics see the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ which is united by the same Faith, same Sacraments, same discipline, and the same Sacrifice that they see as having united Catholics from the time of the Church's origins. Contrary to popular belief, they believe that practices can change, but should do so organically; with great prudence; in a manner consistent with Scripture, Tradition, and Natural Law; and never if it harms souls or leads to sin or unbelief. They see as their "motto":


:We are what you once were.<br> :We are what you once were.<br>
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:If we are wrong now, you were wrong then.<br> :If we are wrong now, you were wrong then.<br>


They attend Mass by preference or exclusively in the ] form. Those who accept the decrees of the Holy See do so in churches or chapels where, with the permission of the local bishop, diocesan priests or members of societies such as the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, celebrate Mass in Latin using the ] Roman Missal. Others attend Mass celebrated by members of the Society of St Pius X, in spite of the Holy See's declaration that attendance at such Masses is morally unacceptable for Catholics. Others still attend Mass celebrated by sedevacantist or "independent" priests, some of whom consider even the ] revision of the Roman Missal to be evil.
Traditional Catholics worship at: "indult" Masses (those "Tridentine" Masses offered with the permission of local Bishops); chapels of priestly societies, such as the ] (SSPX) or the ] (FSSP); other chapels run by traditional priestly orders; or chapels run by independent priests. Traditional Catholics, as opposed to a subset of "neo-conservative Catholics" who might simply prefer the "Tridentine" Mass, agree that traditional Catholicism is about much more than the Mass; in addition to the liturgy, they see as integral to Catholicism all of the Sacraments and preserving what has always been taught, what has been solemnly defined, and all those practices which have served to pass the Faith on from one generation to the next.


All Traditionalist Catholics place stress on practices that mainstream Catholics also value, including:
==Attitude of most Conciliar Catholics towards Traditional Catholics==
*Making sacrifices on Fridays (in particular, ])
*Going to ] on a weekly or bi-weekly basis
*Praying the ] every day
*Praying ]
*Wearing a ], especially the Brown Scapular
*Wearing modest clothing, especially in church


==Attitude towards the Second Vatican Council of Traditionalist Catholics who dissent from Rome ==
Traditional Catholics make up a minority of Roman Catholic members, though their numbers are growing, their seminaries are full, and the demand for such Traditional Catholicism is high. Their analysis is not widely shared by more mainstream Catholics. Most Traditional Catholics see their situation as comparable to that of Traditional Catholics during the ] heresy when the majority of Bishops were ]s or condoned ]. Catholics like ] (who was ] by ]) and St. ] (who was also excommunicated) were vilified yet ultimately canonized. The Catholic perception is that Eternal Truth does not change and that what was taught 2,004 years ago, 1,000 years ago, and 50 years ago is still true today. ] ], ] for the Congregation of the Clergy, stated in a recent interview that "those who are attached to the old Rite are involved in expressing a legitimate religious ... sentiment that is ... rooted in the Ancient Tradition..." and that they should be "protected in their right to ... express their Faith and piety...." &sup1; Nonetheless, the Traditional expression of the Faith is actively fought by many of the Conciliar Catholic clergy and hierarchy.


Traditionalist Catholics of this category see the Second Vatican Council as a pastoral Council which taught nothing that must be accepted as an article of the Catholic religion, leaving them free to reject any of its teachings that in their judgement contradict former infallible teaching or containing ambiguities that can be used in support of erroneous opinions.
Traditional Catholic groups include, among others:

*], a priestly society, founded by the late ]
They claim to find in the Council's documents the following general errors:
*] - ] group

*] - Sedevacantist group
* a new ] that has weakened the papacy and made bishops' conferences a veritable "second Vicar of Christ" in the Church. This, they say, contradicts ]'s '''Satis Cognitum''', the teaching of the ], etc. They say they firmly support the papacy, but accuse mainstream Catholics of an attitude bordering on papolatry (pope worship) arising from a limited understanding of papal infallibility, as taught by the First Vatican Council, and of the nature of Christian obedience, as characterized by ] in ], II-II-104.
*] - Conclavist group

*], a priestly society in full union with Rome.
* a new ecclesiology that says the Catholic Church established by Jesus Christ is not the concretely existing Catholic Church, but only "subsists in" it. This, they say, contradicts ]'s '''Mystici Corporis Christi''' and leads to a false "]".

* a new focus on "the dignity of man" that ignores ] and the need for supernatural grace, leading to a utopianism that sees peace as possible without recognizing the Kingship of Christ. This, they say, contradicts ]'s '''Quas Primas''', Pope Leo XIII's '''Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae''', ]'s '''Notre Charge Apostolique''', etc.

* a new "]" that has as its goal a "unity" that does not involve sharing the Catholic faith. This, they say, contradicts Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's '''Mortalium Animos''', ]'s '''Humani Generis''', etc..

* a new attitude towards ecclesiastical tradition that sees it as changeable and leads to dangerous modifications in Catholic practices, the liturgy, and pastoral orientation. This, they say, contradicts the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, the First Vatican Council (especially the document "Pastor Aeternus"), etc.

* a new, previously unheard of, attitude toward novelty. This, they say, contradicts the Saints, Doctors and Popes of the Church prior to ], the curious ] that they attribute to ] (died ]) and say was taken by all Popes from Pope St. Agatho himself to Pope Paul VI inclusive, ]'s Motu Proprio '''Sacrorum antistitum''', ]'s '''Mirari Vos''', the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, etc.

* a new ''Paschal theology'' that de-emphasizes the Sacrifice of the ], leading the faithful to believe Christ's Resurrection, not the Blood shed in His Sacrifice on the Cross, that saves, and giving rise to the ] revision of the ]. This, they say, contradicts Scripture, and Encyclicals such as Pope Pius XII's '''Mediator Dei'''.

* a new relativistic philosophy that focuses on the natural and de-emphasizes the supernatural, leading to Deism, Pragmatism, and moral relativism.

==Criticisms of the position of Traditionalist Catholics who dissent from Rome==

Among the errors into which critics perceive Traditionalist Catholics of this category to have fallen are the following:

* An attitude of systematic opposition to the actually existing See of Rome and to the Roman Catholic Church as a whole, even to the point of breaking communion. This is likened to the attitude of those who refused to accept the decisions of the ] (the ]s), the ] (the Nestorians), the ] (the forerunners of the present-day ]), the ] (the ] ]), the ] (the ]), and so on. These other groups, too, claimed that, even though they were a minority, they, and not those who accepted the ] in question, represented the true Church and had preserved true Christian doctrine.
* Referring to official decisions of the Church as actions of, for instance, "the Vatican", and treating the decisions practically as just views of one group among many in the Church.
* Failure to distinguish between what is integral to the Catholic faith and what can change over time - in response, for example, to developments in theology and in human society and culture.
* Exaggerating the extent to which the Second Vatican Council altered not only Church discipline and practice, but even, they claim, Church teaching.
* Many who dissent from Rome, follow no Bishop or a excommunicated Bishop, meaning that the Priest is not ]. Some groups claim jurisdiction is supplied to the Priest in a emergency.

==Official attitude of the Catholic Church to Traditionalist Catholics==

As is obvious, there is no conflict between the Holy See and the category of Catholic Traditionalist described above as being in full accord with Rome. In his letter ] of ] ], Pope John Paul II stated that "respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition." Such approval is, however, not extended to those who reject the decrees of the Second Vatican Council and the decrees of the recent Popes.

There are sometimes complaints that certain bishops and priests actively oppose any public celebration of the "Tridentine Mass", even if offered by members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and similar groups that enjoy the approval of the Holy See. On occasion the reason for a refusal is that the request is made by those in the category of Traditionalist Catholics who dissent from Rome. Other refusals are more difficult to explain or justify.


==Demographics== ==Demographics==


The numbers of such Traditional Catholics is very hard to pin down. Worldwide, they probably do not number more than six million. However, in common with other strongly religious groups, such as ], ], and ], they tend to have large families and a high birthrate. Demand for the ] is very high; many families are hard-put to find one to go to. Conversions from other religions (mainly ]) are not uncommon, but the reverse seems to be quite rare. The sex scandals rocking the Catholic Church have not appeared to have affected this growth to any appreciable degree. Traditional Catholics appear to be most common in the ], with significant numbers in western ] (especially ] and ]), ], ], ], and ]. The number of Traditionalist Catholics of all categories is very difficult to pin down, but they make up a small minority of the worldwide Catholic population: for example, according to an unconfirmed report by a Society of St. Pius X member, the Vatican authorities estimate that the relatively small number of 1.2 million Catholics support his Society. The demographics of Traditionalist Catholics who worship at Masses offered by members of other priestly societies and "independent" priests is unknown. Traditionalists affirm that their numbers are growing, that their seminaries, though small, are full, and that demand for Traditionalist Catholicism among the general Catholic population is high, with many families having difficulty in finding a "Vatican-approved" "Tridentine Mass" to attend. Like other strongly religious groups such as ], ], and ], Traditionalist Catholics tend to have large families. Conversions from other religions (mainly ]) are "not uncommon", but the reverse seems to be quite rare. The largest numbers of Traditionalist Catholics are in the ] and western Europe (especially ] and ]); there are also significant numbers in ], ], ], and ].

==Appendix on Traditionalist-like groups==

===Father Leonard Feeney===

In ], an American Jesuit priest, Father ], was excommunicated for calling his bishop a heretic and refusing to appear in Rome to explain his assertion that only those who have been baptized with water and are professed members of the Catholic Church can go to heaven. Like the later Traditionalists, Father Feeney felt that Catholics were losing the dream of converting the ] to Catholicism and were accepting non-Catholic ways too easily. His narrow views on ] and ] distinguish him from the general body of Traditionalists. Nevertheless, there are many close similarities. For instance, as the members of the Society of St Pius X claim to be in full communion with Rome and, in spite of disagreeing with some teachings of the Second Vatican Council, accept it as an ], so the current members of Father Feeney's "Slaves of the Immaculate Heart" movement insist that they themselves have never been out of communion with Rome, and they consider the Second Vatican Council to be a valid Council, though of course they do not accept the teachings in the Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church ''Lumen gentium'' and its Decree on Ecumenism ''Unitatis redintegratio'' that run counter to their one-time leader's ideas.

===The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association===

Sometimes the ] (CCPA) in the ] is linked with Traditional Catholicism, merely because, having rejected the authority of Rome, it did not recognize the Second Vatican Council or the subsequent revision of the Roman Missal.

This rejection, however, had nothing to do with Traditionalist leanings and was imposed merely for political, not theological reasons, since the CCPA had been created as a means of placing Catholics in China under the total control of the Communist Government, even in spiritual matters.

==Traditionalist organisations==

*] - in union with Rome
*] - in union with Rome
*] - in union with Rome
*] - dissenting from Rome
*] - de facto sedevacantist
*] - sedevacantist
*] - conclavist


==See also== ==See also==


*]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*]


==Books supportive of the traditional Catholic movement== ==Books supportive of Traditionalist Catholicism, generally of the dissenting-from-Rome category==

* Patrick Henry Omlor, * Patrick Henry Omlor,
* Michael Treharne Davies, "Cranmer&#8217;s Godly Order" ISBN 1912141247, "Pope John's Council," "Pope Paul&#8217;s New Mass" ("Liturgical Revolution" trilogy). * Michael Treharne Davies, "Cranmer&#8217;s Godly Order" ISBN 1912141247, "Pope John's Council," "Pope Paul&#8217;s New Mass" ("Liturgical Revolution" trilogy).
Line 96: Line 146:
* Romano Amerio, John P., Fr. Parsons, "Iota Unum" ISBN 0963903217 * Romano Amerio, John P., Fr. Parsons, "Iota Unum" ISBN 0963903217
* Atila Sinke Guimarães, Michael J. Matt, John Vennari, Marian T. Horvat, "We Resist You To The Face" ISBN 096721663X * Atila Sinke Guimarães, Michael J. Matt, John Vennari, Marian T. Horvat, "We Resist You To The Face" ISBN 096721663X
* Fr. Adrian Fortescue, "The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy" ISBN 1930278268
* Monsignor Klaus Gamber, "Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background" ISBN 0912141050 * Monsignor Klaus Gamber, "Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background" ISBN 0912141050
* Griff Ruby, "The Resurrection of the Roman Catholic Church - A Guide to the Traditional Catholic Movement" ISBN 0595250181 and ISBN 0595771491 * Griff Ruby, "The Resurrection of the Roman Catholic Church - A Guide to the Traditional Catholic Movement" ISBN 0595250181 and ISBN 0595771491
* Benns T Stanfill and Bawden Davin, "Will the Catholic Church Survive the Twentieth Century?" http://www.WillCatholicChurchSurviv.Homestead.com/Book.html * Benns T Stanfill and Bawden Davin, "Will the Catholic Church Survive the Twentieth Century?" http://www.WillCatholicChurchSurviv.Homestead.com/Book.html

==Footnotes==
<sup>1</sup> ''An Exclusive Interview with Cardinal Castrill&oacute;n Hoyos'', , Vol. 13, No. 2, Spring 2004, pp. 5&ndash;6.

==External links== ==External links==


* a basic overview of the Traditionalist movement
*
*
* a basic overview of the traditionalist movement
*
* *
* *
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* *
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* *
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* online book by priests and theologians of the Society of St. Pius X. In .pdf format. * online book by priests and theologians of the Society of St. Pius X. In .pdf format.
* *
* Cardinal Ottaviani's words to Pope Paul VI concerning the Novus Ordo Missae * Cardinal Ottaviani's words to Pope Paul VI concerning the "Novus Ordo Missae"
* *
* -- An indult parish. * -- An indult parish.
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* Published Quarterly. * published quarterly.


] ]

Revision as of 02:09, 25 September 2005

Traditionalist Catholic is the term generally used to refer to those Catholics who want to bring the worship and practices of the Roman Catholic Church back to how they were before the Second Vatican Council. The term is used in this sense by the mass media (e.g. ABC New On Line: "Pope meets head of rebel Catholic traditionalists"), by the general Catholic media (e.g. Catholic World News: "Pope to meet traditionalist leader"), and by the Holy See itself (e.g. Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei: "to regularise the canonical situation of a certain number of religious communities of a traditionalist nature which already exist but without recognition on the part of the Church by giving them a canonical form corresponding to their charism. Moreover, an ecclesial integration has been found for a number of traditionalist priests who had not been incardinated"). Many Traditionalist Catholics claim that the Second Vatican Council brought changes not only in worship and practices but even in doctrine.

Traditionalist Catholics generally prefer the term Traditional Catholics; but many, such as the Catholic Traditionalist Movement, willingly adopt the description "Traditionalist".

Integrist or Integralist is another term used to describe extreme Traditionalist Catholics, but not by themselves.

Distinction between Traditionalists and other Catholics

On the extreme that is the opposite of Traditionalist Catholics are those who are referred to as Liberal Catholics. These want not just the worship and practices but also doctrine to be altered radically in line with what they see as "liberal" values.

The Vatican authorities, who in opposition to the "Liberals" believe that they may in no way alter the Church's teachings, and who in opposition to the "Traditionalists" believe that the Second Vatican Council did not in fact alter the Church's teaching, are generally classified, both by the general body of Catholics and by the non-Catholic public media, as "conservative" (but not "traditionalist") rather than "progressive".

These last two terms are often claimed by the two extremes, with "Liberals" wishing to be called "progressive", and "Traditionalists" wishing to be called "conservative".

Categories of Traditionalist Catholics

1. Traditionalist Catholics in full accord with Rome

Some Traditionalist Catholics, in the sense defined above, accept in full the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and the decrees of Pope John XXIII and his successors in Rome, including the revision of the liturgy. They do not claim that the Council and the Popes have altered Catholic doctrine. The Holy See recognizes as legitimate their preference for and attachment to the older forms of the liturgy and discipline, whether for spiritual or merely aesthetic reasons, and has made arrangements for them to continue to use these older forms.

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is an example of such Traditionalist Catholics. It was established with the blessing of Pope John Paul II on 18 October 1988 by priests who disagreed with the action (which they and the Holy See considered schismatic) by which Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated, in spite of the express prohibition of Pope John Paul II, four bishops for his Traditionalist Society of St. Pius X on 30 June of that year. FSSP celebrates the Tridentine Mass and, since it has never been associated with dissent from the teaching and decrees of the Second Vatican Council and the Popes, naturally enjoys a cordial relationship with the Holy See and operates within the ordinary structures of the Catholic Church as a papally approved Society of Apostolic Life, like the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians, also called Lazarists), the Missionary Society of Saint Columban (the Columban Fathers) or the Missionaries of Africa (the White Fathers).

There are some twenty other such groups of priests and religious operating with full papal approval, most notably the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

2. Traditionalist Catholics dissenting from but not organically separated from Rome

Some Traditionalist Catholics, while accepting in principle the authority of the Pope, with whom they claim to be in full communion, refuse to accept some of his and other bishops' teachings and decisions. They claim that the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council conflict with or distort historic Catholicism and amount at best to a "watering down" of Catholic teaching and practice. They describe the revised Roman-rite liturgy as Protestantized, weak in doctrine, and dangerous to the faith of Catholics who attend it. Some deny entirely its sacramental validity.

The principal group of these Traditionalist Catholics of this category is the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. While the Holy See does not view this Society as a schismatic Church, it has officially declared that, when in contravention of an express papal prohibition Archbishop Lefebvre and his fellow Traditionalist Bishop António de Castro Mayer consecrated four priests to the episcopate on 30 June 1988, the six clerics concerned committed a schismatic act and incurred excommunication. It has also stated that many members of the SSPX are in fact schismatic as individuals.

Some priests who have broken away from their diocese or religious order have established their own groups of followers, for whom they celebrate the "Tridentine Mass". They are known as "independent" priests.

3. Sedevacantist Traditionalist Catholics

A small number of Traditionalist Catholics, called sedevacantists, accept the concept of the papacy, but reject some or all of those they call the "Vatican II popes" (Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI), on the grounds that they have embraced heresy and so lost their authority. Some such groups, often called "conclavists", have elected their leaders as popes.

Traditionalist Catholic views

Traditionalist Catholics see the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ, united by the same faith, the same sacraments and the same discipline that they see as having united Catholics from the time of the Church's origins. Many take as their motto:

We are what you once were.
We believe what you once believed.
We worship as you once worshipped.
If you were right then, we are right now.
If we are wrong now, you were wrong then.

They attend Mass by preference or exclusively in the Tridentine form. Those who accept the decrees of the Holy See do so in churches or chapels where, with the permission of the local bishop, diocesan priests or members of societies such as the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, celebrate Mass in Latin using the 1962 Roman Missal. Others attend Mass celebrated by members of the Society of St Pius X, in spite of the Holy See's declaration that attendance at such Masses is morally unacceptable for Catholics. Others still attend Mass celebrated by sedevacantist or "independent" priests, some of whom consider even the 1962 revision of the Roman Missal to be evil.

All Traditionalist Catholics place stress on practices that mainstream Catholics also value, including:

  • Making sacrifices on Fridays (in particular, abstaining from meat)
  • Going to Confession on a weekly or bi-weekly basis
  • Praying the Rosary every day
  • Praying novenas
  • Wearing a scapular, especially the Brown Scapular
  • Wearing modest clothing, especially in church

Attitude towards the Second Vatican Council of Traditionalist Catholics who dissent from Rome

Traditionalist Catholics of this category see the Second Vatican Council as a pastoral Council which taught nothing that must be accepted as an article of the Catholic religion, leaving them free to reject any of its teachings that in their judgement contradict former infallible teaching or containing ambiguities that can be used in support of erroneous opinions.

They claim to find in the Council's documents the following general errors:

  • a new collegiality that has weakened the papacy and made bishops' conferences a veritable "second Vicar of Christ" in the Church. This, they say, contradicts Pope Leo XIII's Satis Cognitum, the teaching of the First Vatican Council, etc. They say they firmly support the papacy, but accuse mainstream Catholics of an attitude bordering on papolatry (pope worship) arising from a limited understanding of papal infallibility, as taught by the First Vatican Council, and of the nature of Christian obedience, as characterized by Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologica, II-II-104.
  • a new ecclesiology that says the Catholic Church established by Jesus Christ is not the concretely existing Catholic Church, but only "subsists in" it. This, they say, contradicts Pope Pius XII's Mystici Corporis Christi and leads to a false "ecumenism".
  • a new focus on "the dignity of man" that ignores original sin and the need for supernatural grace, leading to a utopianism that sees peace as possible without recognizing the Kingship of Christ. This, they say, contradicts Pope Pius XI's Quas Primas, Pope Leo XIII's Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, Pope Pius X's Notre Charge Apostolique, etc.
  • a new "ecumenism" that has as its goal a "unity" that does not involve sharing the Catholic faith. This, they say, contradicts Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's Mortalium Animos, Pope Pius XII's Humani Generis, etc..
  • a new attitude towards ecclesiastical tradition that sees it as changeable and leads to dangerous modifications in Catholic practices, the liturgy, and pastoral orientation. This, they say, contradicts the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, the First Vatican Council (especially the document "Pastor Aeternus"), etc.
  • a new, previously unheard of, attitude toward novelty. This, they say, contradicts the Saints, Doctors and Popes of the Church prior to Pope John XXIII, the curious Papal Oath that they attribute to Pope Agatho (died 681) and say was taken by all Popes from Pope St. Agatho himself to Pope Paul VI inclusive, Pope Pius X's Motu Proprio Sacrorum antistitum, Pope Gregory XVI's Mirari Vos, the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, etc.
  • a new Paschal theology that de-emphasizes the Sacrifice of the Mass, leading the faithful to believe Christ's Resurrection, not the Blood shed in His Sacrifice on the Cross, that saves, and giving rise to the 1970 revision of the Roman Missal. This, they say, contradicts Scripture, and Encyclicals such as Pope Pius XII's Mediator Dei.
  • a new relativistic philosophy that focuses on the natural and de-emphasizes the supernatural, leading to Deism, Pragmatism, and moral relativism.

Criticisms of the position of Traditionalist Catholics who dissent from Rome

Among the errors into which critics perceive Traditionalist Catholics of this category to have fallen are the following:

  • An attitude of systematic opposition to the actually existing See of Rome and to the Roman Catholic Church as a whole, even to the point of breaking communion. This is likened to the attitude of those who refused to accept the decisions of the First Council of Nicea (the Arians), the Council of Ephesus (the Nestorians), the Council of Chalcedon (the forerunners of the present-day Oriental Orthodox Churches), the Council of Trent (the Protestant Reformers), the First Vatican Council (the Old Catholics), and so on. These other groups, too, claimed that, even though they were a minority, they, and not those who accepted the Ecumenical Council in question, represented the true Church and had preserved true Christian doctrine.
  • Referring to official decisions of the Church as actions of, for instance, "the Vatican", and treating the decisions practically as just views of one group among many in the Church.
  • Failure to distinguish between what is integral to the Catholic faith and what can change over time - in response, for example, to developments in theology and in human society and culture.
  • Exaggerating the extent to which the Second Vatican Council altered not only Church discipline and practice, but even, they claim, Church teaching.
  • Many who dissent from Rome, follow no Bishop or a excommunicated Bishop, meaning that the Priest is not incardinated. Some groups claim jurisdiction is supplied to the Priest in a emergency.

Official attitude of the Catholic Church to Traditionalist Catholics

As is obvious, there is no conflict between the Holy See and the category of Catholic Traditionalist described above as being in full accord with Rome. In his letter Ecclesia Dei of 2 July 1988, Pope John Paul II stated that "respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition." Such approval is, however, not extended to those who reject the decrees of the Second Vatican Council and the decrees of the recent Popes.

There are sometimes complaints that certain bishops and priests actively oppose any public celebration of the "Tridentine Mass", even if offered by members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and similar groups that enjoy the approval of the Holy See. On occasion the reason for a refusal is that the request is made by those in the category of Traditionalist Catholics who dissent from Rome. Other refusals are more difficult to explain or justify.

Demographics

The number of Traditionalist Catholics of all categories is very difficult to pin down, but they make up a small minority of the worldwide Catholic population: for example, according to an unconfirmed report by a Society of St. Pius X member, the Vatican authorities estimate that the relatively small number of 1.2 million Catholics support his Society. The demographics of Traditionalist Catholics who worship at Masses offered by members of other priestly societies and "independent" priests is unknown. Traditionalists affirm that their numbers are growing, that their seminaries, though small, are full, and that demand for Traditionalist Catholicism among the general Catholic population is high, with many families having difficulty in finding a "Vatican-approved" "Tridentine Mass" to attend. Like other strongly religious groups such as Muslims, Mormons, and Orthodox Jews, Traditionalist Catholics tend to have large families. Conversions from other religions (mainly Protestantism) are "not uncommon", but the reverse seems to be quite rare. The largest numbers of Traditionalist Catholics are in the United States and western Europe (especially France and England); there are also significant numbers in Canada, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.

Appendix on Traditionalist-like groups

Father Leonard Feeney

In 1953, an American Jesuit priest, Father Leonard Feeney, was excommunicated for calling his bishop a heretic and refusing to appear in Rome to explain his assertion that only those who have been baptized with water and are professed members of the Catholic Church can go to heaven. Like the later Traditionalists, Father Feeney felt that Catholics were losing the dream of converting the United States of America to Catholicism and were accepting non-Catholic ways too easily. His narrow views on Baptism and Justification distinguish him from the general body of Traditionalists. Nevertheless, there are many close similarities. For instance, as the members of the Society of St Pius X claim to be in full communion with Rome and, in spite of disagreeing with some teachings of the Second Vatican Council, accept it as an Ecumenical Council, so the current members of Father Feeney's "Slaves of the Immaculate Heart" movement insist that they themselves have never been out of communion with Rome, and they consider the Second Vatican Council to be a valid Council, though of course they do not accept the teachings in the Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium and its Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio that run counter to their one-time leader's ideas.

The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association

Sometimes the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) in the People's Republic of China is linked with Traditional Catholicism, merely because, having rejected the authority of Rome, it did not recognize the Second Vatican Council or the subsequent revision of the Roman Missal.

This rejection, however, had nothing to do with Traditionalist leanings and was imposed merely for political, not theological reasons, since the CCPA had been created as a means of placing Catholics in China under the total control of the Communist Government, even in spiritual matters.

Traditionalist organisations

See also

Books supportive of Traditionalist Catholicism, generally of the dissenting-from-Rome category

  • Patrick Henry Omlor, Questioning the Validity of the Masses Using the New, All-English Canon
  • Michael Treharne Davies, "Cranmer’s Godly Order" ISBN 1912141247, "Pope John's Council," "Pope Paul’s New Mass" ("Liturgical Revolution" trilogy).
  • Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, "Open Letter to Confused Catholics"
  • Father Paul Kramer M.Div., STL, "A Theological Vindication of Roman Catholic Traditionalism"
  • Christopher A. Ferrara and Dr. Thomas E. Woods, Jr., "The Great Facade: Vatican II and the Regime of Novelty in the Roman Catholic Church" ISBN 1890740101
  • Romano Amerio, John P., Fr. Parsons, "Iota Unum" ISBN 0963903217
  • Atila Sinke Guimarães, Michael J. Matt, John Vennari, Marian T. Horvat, "We Resist You To The Face" ISBN 096721663X
  • Monsignor Klaus Gamber, "Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background" ISBN 0912141050
  • Griff Ruby, "The Resurrection of the Roman Catholic Church - A Guide to the Traditional Catholic Movement" ISBN 0595250181 and ISBN 0595771491
  • Benns T Stanfill and Bawden Davin, "Will the Catholic Church Survive the Twentieth Century?" http://www.WillCatholicChurchSurviv.Homestead.com/Book.html

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