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'''Traditionalist Catholic''' is the term generally used to refer to Roman Catholics who want the worship and practices of the ] to be as they were before the ]. Some claim that a traditionalist Catholic must further hold that Church doctrine, not just the manner of presenting unchanging Tradition, has been altered in the same period. "Traditional Catholic" or "traditionalist Catholic" are terms used to describe Roman Catholics who seek to preserve (and restore, where wanting) the Mass and other Sacramental rites in use before the post-Vatican II liturgical revisions, and to preserve the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church in the same manner that they believe those teachings had always been understood throughout the Church's history.
==Terminology==
Some traditionalists, such as the Catholic Traditionalist Movement, willingly adopt the term "traditionalist Catholic", but most of them strongly prefer the description "traditional Catholic". Mainstream Catholics have, however, been known to object to the exclusive appropriation of this expression by traditionalists, since, because of the position of Sacred Tradition in Catholic teaching, the general body of Catholics is essentially traditional.


Though most traditionalist Catholics dislike the generally used term, they have been known to apply it gladly to themselves when quoting, from ]'s letter ''Notre charge apostolique'' of ] ], the phrase "indeed, the true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries, nor innovators: they are traditionalists". In the judgement of others, the term "traditionalists" has, in the context of that letter, a social and political, rather than a directly religious sense. Yet other meanings apply to "traditionalist" in other contexts, as, for instance, when "traditionalism" is defined as: "a philosophical system holding that all knowledge is derived from original divine revelation and is transmitted by tradition".


Traditional Catholics fall into two main groups:
Without making any judgement on the correctness of the claim that "traditional Catholic" is a better description of the object of the present article, but merely for the sake of clarity, it seems best to use here the unambiguous term "traditionalist Catholic".

# Catholics who accept ] and his recent predecessors as Popes and do not withdraw submission to them. Into this group fall:
==Categories of traditionalist Catholics==
## Catholics who worship by indult (with the permission of their local Bishop) within the ordinary diocesan structures (i.e., at regular Catholic parishes). The ], or "F.S.S.P.", is the largest priestly fraternity offering traditional Masses by indult.
===1. Traditionalist Catholics not in dispute with the ]===
## Catholics who worship in chapels and oratories outside of ordinary diocesan structures (the ], or "S.S.P.X.", is the largest priestly fraternity offering Masses outside of the normal structures). Those who worship outside of ordinary diocesan structures tend to believe they must do so in order to ensure that they are able to offer or receive all of the Sacraments in the traditional way, and are able to give or hear sermons on controversial matters (e.g., homosexuality, contraception, sin, Purgatory, Hell, political issues, the recent sex scandals, etc.) without fear of political reprisal from disapproving Bishops. They see their situation as comparable to that of traditional Catholics during the ] heresy when the majority of Bishops were ]s or condoned ], and Catholics like ] (who was ] by ] and exiled from his see) were vilified yet ultimately canonized.
Some traditionalist Catholics, in the sense defined above, accept in full, whether willingly or only reluctantly, the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and the decrees of ] and his successors in Rome, including the revision of the liturgy, without viewing Church doctrine as altered since before the 1960s. 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.
# Sedevacantist Catholics who accept all of the dogmas of the Catholic Church, including teachings about the papacy, but who believe that Benedict XVI is not a true Pope. Sedevacantists have different opinions as to when they believe the "Chair of Peter" became empty. Most claim that Pope Pius XII, John XXIII, or Paul VI was the last true Pope. A very small sub-set of Catholics commonly referred to as "sedevacantist" have elected their own popes and are more correctly referred to as "conclavist."

<BR><BR>
The ] (FSSP) is an example of such traditionalist Catholics. It was established with the blessing of ] on ] ] by priests who disagreed with the action of Archbishop ] in consecrating, 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) or the Missionary Society of Saint Columban (the Columban Fathers).
Most traditional Catholics fall into the first group, accept the acclaimed Pope, and see the ] as a valid Council, but one which was pastoral and which produced no infallibly-given, solemn 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.

<BR><BR>
There are some twenty other such groups of priests and religious operating with full papal approval, most notably the ].
Contrary to popular belief, traditional Catholics do believe that liturgies and practices can change, but they believe that they should only 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 believe, though, that while the Church's understanding of eternal truths might develop, those truths themselves can neither change in substance nor contradict themselves, and that what they believe was taught by Christ, his apostles, and their successors 2,000 years ago, 1,000 years ago, and 50 years ago is still true today.

<BR><BR>
Some reserve the term "traditionalist" to Catholics who reject the revised liturgy of the Mass as at least Protestantized and dangerous to the faith of Catholics. They therefore refuse the description "traditionalist" to these Catholics, calling them merely "conservative" Catholics.
They (unofficially) see as their "motto":

===2. Traditionalist Catholics in open dispute with the Holy See but claiming to be in ]===
Some traditionalist Catholics declare that they recognize the authority of the Pope, but refuse to accept those non-solemn teachings and decision of his and of other bishops that they perceive as contradictory to the Catholic faith. They claim that the changes initiated in the 1960s 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.

The principal group of traditionalists of this category is the ], a priestly fraternity founded by Archbishop ]. When Archbishop Lefebvre and Bishop António de Castro Mayer consecrated four priests to the ] on ] ], in contravention of an express papal prohibition, the Holy See declared that the six clerics concerned committed a schismatic act and incurred excommunication. Nevertheless, the Holy See does not view the Society, in itself, as a ] organization.

Other priests, who have broken away from the diocese or institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life to which they belong, 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 few traditionalists, called ], accept the concept of the ], but reject some or all of those they call "Vatican II popes", (], ], ], ] and ]), on the grounds that, by embracing ], they lost their authority. Some of these groups, often called "conclavist", have elected their leaders as popes.

==Traditionalist Catholic views==
Though they disagree with non-solemn teachings and decisions of the Roman Catholic Church taken since before the 1960s, traditionalist Catholics claim to have the same beliefs as any Catholic. All 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.<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 attend Mass 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, and others still Mass celebrated by sedevacantist or "independent" priests, some of whom reject even the ] revision of the Roman Missal.


==Traditional Catholic claims==
Traditionalist Catholics also tend to stress the importance of popular devotions and practices that mainstream Catholics too value, including:
*Making sacrifices on Fridays (in particular, ])
*Going to ] frequently
*Praying the ]
*Praying ]
*Wearing ] (especially the Brown Scapular) and using other ]
*Wearing modest clothing, especially in church (which for traditionalists often includes veiling of women in church)


Traditional Catholics believe that errors have crept into the presentation of Catholic teaching, either directly because of Vatican II documents, and/or from liberal interpretations of Vatican II documents, and/or from post-conciliar pastoral decisions that they believe have harmed the Church. Though not every traditional Catholic will agree on each point, they generally see as foremost among these perceived errors:
==Attitude towards the Second Vatican Council of traditionalist Catholics in dispute with the Holy See==
<BR><BR>
These see the Second Vatican Council as a pastoral Council that taught nothing that must be accepted as an article of the Catholic religion. They reject those of its teachings that they believe contradict earlier infallible teachings or contain ambiguities that can be used in support of erroneous opinions. They insist that the Council's documents must be interpreted in the light of Tradition. Some of the more extreme deny entirely, on grounds of heresy, the validity of the Council and the authority of the Popes who convoked and continued it.
* A new understanding of ] which they claim has weakened the papacy and made bishops' conferences a veritable "second Vicar of Christ" for the Church. They see this as contradicting, among others, ]'s '''' and the documents of ].

They claim to find in the Council's documents or in interpretations of them that have been officially countenanced general errors, expressed in the following terms. The views of those who disagree with them will be given separately.
* ], which they claim has weakened the papacy and made bishops' conferences a veritable "second Vicar of Christ" for the Church. They see this as contradicting, among others, ]'s '''' the documents of ].
* An ecclesiology that they claim doesn't equate the Catholic Church with the Church established by Jesus Christ, but states that the Church established by Jesus Christ merely "subsists in" the Catholic Church. They claim this contradicts ]'s '''' among other papal documents, and leads to false ideas of "]". * An ecclesiology that they claim doesn't equate the Catholic Church with the Church established by Jesus Christ, but states that the Church established by Jesus Christ merely "subsists in" the Catholic Church. They claim this contradicts ]'s '''' among other papal documents, and leads to false ideas of "]".
* A focus on "the dignity of man", which they claim ignores ] and the need of supernatural grace, and which they also claim has led to a sort of Utopianism that sees peace as possible without recognizing the Kingship of Christ. They see this supposed attitude, and teachings rooted in it, as contradicting ]'s '''', Pope Leo XIII's '''', ]'s '', and other papal and conciliar documents. * A focus on "the dignity of man", which they claim ignores ] and the need of supernatural grace, and which they also claim has led to a sort of Utopianism that sees peace as possible without recognizing the Kingship of Christ. They see this supposed attitude, and teachings rooted in it, as contradicting ]'s '''', Pope Leo XIII's '''', ]'s '', and other papal and conciliar documents.
* "False" ] that has as its goal a unity that they see as not requiring conversion to the Catholic faith. They see this as contradicting Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's '''', ]'s '''' and other documents. * A "false" ] that has as its goal a unity that they see as not requiring conversion to the Catholic faith. They see this as contradicting Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's '''', ]'s '''' and other documents.
* An interpretation of ecclesiastical tradition that sees it as extremely changeable and has led to what they see as dangerous modifications in Catholic practices, the liturgy, and the Church's pastoral orientation. They see this as contradicting, among other papal and conciliar documents, the '','' the teaching of the ] (especially the document ''''). * An interpretation of ecclesiastical tradition that sees it as extremely changeable and has led to what they see as dangerous modifications in Catholic practices, the liturgy, and the Church's pastoral orientation. They see this as contradicting, among other papal and conciliar documents, the '','' the teaching of the ] (especially the document '''').
* Rulings that they claim were unheard of in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council. Some of them see this as contradicting doctrine and dogma prior to ]; the '']]'' that they allege to have been written by Pope St. Agatho in ca. ] and to have been taken by all Popes from Pope St. Agatho himself to Pope Paul VI inclusive, Pope Pius X's Motu Proprio '''' (an oath taken by all priests prior to the Council), ]'s '''', the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and other papal and conciliar documents. * A pastoral orientation that they claim was unheard of in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council. Some of them see this as contradicting the '']]'' alleged to have been written by Pope St. Agatho in ca. ] and to have been taken by all Popes from Pope St. Agatho himself to Pope Paul VI inclusive, Pope Pius X's Motu Proprio '''' (an oath taken by all priests prior to the Council), ]'s '''', the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and other papal and conciliar documents.
* "Paschal theology", which they see as de-emphasizing the Sacrifice of the ] and which they claim leads the faithful to believe that it is Christ's Resurrection alone, and not the Blood shed by His Sacrifice on the Cross, that saves. Traditional Catholics see the revision of the Mass liturgy under Pope Paul VI as a fruit of this "paschal theology". They see this orientation as contradicting Scripture and Encyclicals such as Pope Pius XII's ''''. They also see this paschal theology as de-emphasizing the meaning of suffering, ignoring Christ's admonition to Christians to "take up their crosses" (Matthew 10:38), and forgetting St. Paul's admonitions to mortify the flesh (Galatians 5:18-25, Colossians 1:23-24). * "Paschal theology", which they see as de-emphasizing the Sacrifice of the ] and which they claim leads the faithful to believe that it is Christ's Resurrection alone, and not the Blood shed by His Sacrifice on the Cross, that saves. Traditional Catholics see the revision of the Mass liturgy under Pope Paul VI as a fruit of this "paschal theology," a theology they see as contradicting Scripture and Encyclicals such as Pope Pius XII's ''''. They also see this paschal theology as de-emphasizing the meaning of suffering, ignoring Christ's admonition to Christians to "take up their crosses" (Matthew 10:38), and forgetting St. Paul's admonitions to mortify the flesh (Galatians 5:18-25, Colossians 1:23-24).
* A focus on the natural world coupled with a de-emphasizing of the supernatural and preternatural worlds. This they say leads to Deism, Pragmatism, and moral relativism. * A focus on the natural world coupled with a de-emphasizing of the supernatural and preternatural worlds. This they say leads to Deism, Pragmatism, and moral relativism.
* A relating to the world that forgets that the Church has enemies. They believe that Pope Pius X's warnings in '''', Leo XIII's '''', and other papal warnings against secret societies and enemies of Christendom have gone unheeded and that the enemy warned against has entered into the Church itself. * An ignoring of the traditional belief that the Church and the world are at variance with one another to some degree, and that the Church has enemies. They believe that Pope Pius X's warnings in '''', Leo XIII's '''', and other papal warnings against secret societies and enemies of Christendom have gone unheeded and that the enemy warned against has entered into the Church itself.
* a new Order of the Mass that they see as rooted in the aforementioned Paschal Theology and that, therefore, de-emphasizes traditional Catholic teaching on the Mass as a Sacrifice (the offering up of Jesus to his Father in a re-presentation of Calvary and for the remission of sins). They believe that the Novus Ordo Missae has been stripped of important Catholic prayers; is open to abuse because of the various options allowed; de-emphasizes the ordained priesthood; is divisive because of the eradiction of Latin which brought people of various nations together; is man-centered rather than God-centered; and is less beautiful, poetic, and able to act as a sign of Mystery, etc. (some of these problems are summarized in the ""). Different traditional Catholics have different view as to the validity of the Novus Ordo Missae ("the New Mass"):
* An authorization to revise the Roman-rite liturgy, which many of them see as having been overstepped in the actual revision carried out in later years. Their principal objection is to the ] revision of the ], which most of them see as not a revision of the Roman rite of the Mass, but the setting up of a new distinct rite. For their objections to it, see ] and ]. Some, including most sedevacantists, see it as sacramentally invalid. Others consider it to be valid but to be absolutely avoided, because they see it as sacrilegious and harmful to the Catholic faith. These also say that, in many parishes, the validity of the matter and the intent, and therefore of the celebration itself, is questionable. Others see it as valid and also as permissible, but only when attendance at "a traditional Mass" is impossible. All claim to find grounds in ]'s bull , promulgating the 1570 Roman Missal, and in other papal and conciliar documents, for doubting the authority of Pope Paul VI to carry out his revision of the Mass liturgy.
** Some see it as valid and as a viable option if necessary, though the traditional Mass should be attended when at all possible. This is believed by most priests who operate inside the ordinary diocesan structure.
** Some see it as valid if offered using valid matter, form, and intent, but that it should be avoided, nonetheless, because the changes are sacrilegious and harmful to the Catholic Faith, and because the actual use of valid matter and intent is often questionable in many parishes. The priests of the Society of St. Pius X (the S.S.P.X.) -- the largest priestly fraternity working outside of ordinary diocesan structures -- teaches this.
** Some see it as not valid at all. Most sedevacantists fall into this category.


==Counter-comment by others==
In the judgment of non-traditionalists, these accusations are based on highly questionable interpretations of Sacred Scripture and of phrases in documents of the Church's magisterium, indeed, in one case, on a clearly fraudulent document. The ideas for which certain theologians in the 1960s and 1970s used to seek support, if not in the text of the Council's documents, at least in what they called "the spirit of the Second Vatican Council", were not part of the Council's teaching and, far from being adopted by the Holy See, were combatted in papal documents such as ]'s ''Credo of the People of God'' and his ''Humanae Vitae'' encyclical.


==Criticisms of the position of these traditionalist Catholics== ==Traditional Catholics as Contrasted with Conservative, Mainstream Catholics==
Critics of the position of these traditionalists claim that they have fallen into the following errors. Their own counter-comments will be given separately.
* 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 they were simply holding fast to what they had always been taught, and that, since obedience not ordered to the Good is not perfect obedience, they were in conscience bound to reject the Council in question.
* Referring to official decisions of the Church as actions of, for instance, "the Vatican" or "Vatican hierarchs", 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 and the subsequent decrees of the Popes altered not only Church discipline and practice, but even, they claim, Church teaching.
* Acting as if they were part of a different Church, with their priests being independent of the bishops whom the Pope recognizes as being in full communion with him, yet administering the sacrament of Penance, assisting at marriages, and even declaring marriages null, actions that are normally invalid for Catholics without a link with those bishops.


Traditional Catholics, as opposed to mainstream ] who might simply prefer the traditional Mass for aesthetic reasons and who might consider themselves "traditional," agree that Catholicism is about much more than just the traditional Mass; in addition to preserving the liturgy, they see as crucial preserving all of the traditional Sacramental rites, and the teachings of the Church in a way they see as consistent with what has always been taught and what has been solemnly defined by Pope or Council. Traditional Catholics also strive to preserve private devotions and customs which have served to pass the Faith on from one generation to the next.
==Responses of these traditionalists to the criticisms==
<BR><BR>
* They claim a resemblance to Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, who was excommunicated and condemned by two Councils (not ]s), but is honoured as a Saint and Doctor of the Church.
The distiction between mainstream conservative Catholics and traditional Catholics can be summarized by saying that the former accept what the latter believe would have been considered "Modernist" or "liberal" at the time of the Second Vatican Council, while traditional Catholics strive to remain consistent with what they believe was considered "conservative" or "traditional" at the time of the Second Vatican Council ("Vatican II").
* They claim that some official directives go against infallible teachings or are harmful to souls and not only may but must be ignored.
<BR><BR>
* They insist that the changes since the Vatican Council are in fact inconsistent and inorganic with what went before
Traditional Catholic analysis is not widely shared by more mainstream Catholics, some of whom believe that traditional Catholics are merely "nostalgic," afraid of change, "integrist," disobedient, and similar to Protestants in their perceived dissent. Some balk at calling those Catholics who worship outside ordinary diocesan structures "traditional Catholic" and see them, instead, as "schismatic" at best. Traditional Catholics respond that mainstream Catholics often lack subtlety in their understanding of what traditional Catholics believe and do and that they often respond to traditionalists' criticisms out of emotionalism, in reaction to misinformation, and out of a false understanding of Christian obedience and the Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church). They encourage study and prayer to discern the issues involved.
* They maintain that they do not in fact exaggerate when speaking about alterations, at least in terms of ambiguity, brought about by the Council.
<BR><BR>
* They claim that canon 144 §1 of the Code of Canon Law ("In common error, whether of fact or of law, and in positive and probable doubt, whether of law or of fact, the Church supplies executive power of governance for both the external and the internal forum") applies to their situation.
With regard to Vatican hierarchs, different groups of traditional Catholics have different relations with various members of the Holy See:


*Those traditional Catholics who worship by indult at Masses offered through ordinary diocesan structures have little problem with most Vatican hierarchs, though they may have difficulties getting permission from local Bishops to operate, may find themselves under pressure to not "rock the boat" in any way by speaking of controversial matters, and may be able to offer the traditional Mass, but not the other traditional Sacramental rites depending on their Bishops' attitudes toward traditional Catholicism.
==Attitude of the authorities of the Catholic Church towards traditionalist Catholics==
*Traditional Catholics who operate outside of ordinary diocesan structures have a strained relationship with most Vatican hierarchs. The Sacraments they offer are seen to be valid but illicit. Relations between Vatican hierarchs and some priestly societies (such as the S.S.P.X.) who operate outside of normal diocesan structures are considered by those hierarchs to be "an internal matter" of the Church. A communique from the Ecclesia Dei Commission's Monsignor Perl (Protocol No. 539/99, September 28, 1999) advises that Catholics who attend Mass at S.S.P.X. chapels incur no penalty if they do so “because of the reverence and devotion which they find there, because of their attraction to the traditional Latin Mass and not because they refuse submission to the Roman Pontiff.”
As is obvious, there is no conflict between the Holy See and the category of traditionalist Catholics described above as not being in dispute 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 not extended to those who dismiss teachings of the Second Vatican Council and decrees of the recent Popes.
*Sedevacantist Catholics have no relationship with Vatican hierarchs and don't desire it for obvious reasons.


At a lower level of authority, 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 of permission is that the request is made by traditionalists in open dispute with the Holy See. Other refusals are more difficult to explain or justify.


==Demographics== ==Demographics==

The number of traditionalist Catholics of all categories is very difficult to pin down, but they are a 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 ].
Traditional Catholics make up a minority of Roman Catholics and, though their their number is hard to pin down, it is clear that their ranks are growing, their seminaries are full, and the demand for such traditional Catholicism is high. In common with other strongly religious groups, such as ] and ], they tend to have large families and a high birthrate.
<BR><BR>
Demand for the ] is very high, and many families are hard-put to find one to attend, some driving very long distances each Sunday in order to worship in the traditional way. 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 ].



==See also== ==See also==
===Traditionalist organisations===


*]
*] - not in dispute with Rome
*] - not in dispute with Rome
*] - not in dispute with Rome
*] - in dispute with Rome
*] - de facto sedevacantist
*] - sedevacantist
*] - conclavist

===Other articles===
*] *]
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*]
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*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
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==Books supportive of the traditional Catholic movement==
* 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
* Michael Treharne Davies, "Cranmer&#8217;s Godly Order" ISBN 1912141247, "Pope John's Council," "Pope Paul&#8217;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"
* Romano Amerio, John P., Fr. Parsons, "Iota Unum" ISBN 0963903217
* Fr. Adrian Fortescue, "The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy" ISBN 1930278268
* 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
* Patrick Henry Omlor,



==External links== ==External links==
===General Information=== ===General Information===
* (a basic overview of the traditionalist movement)
* (article from ''Latin Mass Magazine'')
* *
* article from Latin Mass Magazine
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* a basic overview of the traditionalist movement
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* * the how-tos of traditional Catholic practices and customs
* (the how-tos of traditional Catholic practices and customs)
* *
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* (published quarterly) * Published Quarterly.
* *
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* sedevacantist
* (on extreme traditionalism)
* sedevacantist
*(links to sites both for and against Traditionalism)
* (sedevacantist) * sedevacantist
* (sedevacantist)
* (sedevacantist)


===Liturgical Matters=== ===Liturgical Matters===
* 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 letter to Pope Paul VI concerning the "Novus Ordo Missae") * Cardinal Ottaviani's letter to Pope Paul VI concerning the Novus Ordo Missae
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===References=== ===References===
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===Traditionalist Priestly Fraternities, Groups, Chapels, and Parishes=== ===Traditional Priestly Fraternities, Groups, Chapels, and Parishes===
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* * -- An indult parish.
* (an "indult" parish)
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Revision as of 13:30, 8 October 2005

"Traditional Catholic" or "traditionalist Catholic" are terms used to describe Roman Catholics who seek to preserve (and restore, where wanting) the Mass and other Sacramental rites in use before the post-Vatican II liturgical revisions, and to preserve the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church in the same manner that they believe those teachings had always been understood throughout the Church's history.


Traditional Catholics fall into two main groups:

  1. Catholics who accept Benedict XVI and his recent predecessors as Popes and do not withdraw submission to them. Into this group fall:
    1. Catholics who worship by indult (with the permission of their local Bishop) within the ordinary diocesan structures (i.e., at regular Catholic parishes). The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, or "F.S.S.P.", is the largest priestly fraternity offering traditional Masses by indult.
    2. Catholics who worship in chapels and oratories outside of ordinary diocesan structures (the Society of St. Pius X, or "S.S.P.X.", is the largest priestly fraternity offering Masses outside of the normal structures). Those who worship outside of ordinary diocesan structures tend to believe they must do so in order to ensure that they are able to offer or receive all of the Sacraments in the traditional way, and are able to give or hear sermons on controversial matters (e.g., homosexuality, contraception, sin, Purgatory, Hell, political issues, the recent sex scandals, etc.) without fear of political reprisal from disapproving Bishops. They see their situation as comparable to that of traditional Catholics during the Arian heresy when the majority of Bishops were heretics or condoned heresy, and Catholics like Saint Athanasius (who was excommunicated by Pope Liberius and exiled from his see) were vilified yet ultimately canonized.
  2. Sedevacantist Catholics who accept all of the dogmas of the Catholic Church, including teachings about the papacy, but who believe that Benedict XVI is not a true Pope. Sedevacantists have different opinions as to when they believe the "Chair of Peter" became empty. Most claim that Pope Pius XII, John XXIII, or Paul VI was the last true Pope. A very small sub-set of Catholics commonly referred to as "sedevacantist" have elected their own popes and are more correctly referred to as "conclavist."



Most traditional Catholics fall into the first group, accept the acclaimed Pope, and see the Second Vatican Council as a valid Council, but one which was pastoral and which produced no infallibly-given, solemn definitions that Catholics must accept as a part of the Faith. Support of this claim is found in Pope John XXIII'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.

Contrary to popular belief, traditional Catholics do believe that liturgies and practices can change, but they believe that they should only 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 believe, though, that while the Church's understanding of eternal truths might develop, those truths themselves can neither change in substance nor contradict themselves, and that what they believe was taught by Christ, his apostles, and their successors 2,000 years ago, 1,000 years ago, and 50 years ago is still true today.

They (unofficially) see 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.


Traditional Catholic claims

Traditional Catholics believe that errors have crept into the presentation of Catholic teaching, either directly because of Vatican II documents, and/or from liberal interpretations of Vatican II documents, and/or from post-conciliar pastoral decisions that they believe have harmed the Church. Though not every traditional Catholic will agree on each point, they generally see as foremost among these perceived errors:

  • A new understanding of collegiality which they claim has weakened the papacy and made bishops' conferences a veritable "second Vicar of Christ" for the Church. They see this as contradicting, among others, Pope Leo XIII's Satis Cognitum and the documents of Vatican I.
  • An ecclesiology that they claim doesn't equate the Catholic Church with the Church established by Jesus Christ, but states that the Church established by Jesus Christ merely "subsists in" the Catholic Church. They claim this contradicts Pope Pius XII's Mystici Corporis Christi among other papal documents, and leads to false ideas of "ecumenism".
  • A focus on "the dignity of man", which they claim ignores original sin and the need of supernatural grace, and which they also claim has led to a sort of Utopianism that sees peace as possible without recognizing the Kingship of Christ. They see this supposed attitude, and teachings rooted in it, as contradicting Pope Pius XI's Quas Primas, Pope Leo XIII's Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, Pope Pius X's Notre charge apostolique, and other papal and conciliar documents.
  • A "false" ecumenism that has as its goal a unity that they see as not requiring conversion to the Catholic faith. They see this as contradicting Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's Mortalium Animos, Pope Pius XII's Humani Generis and other documents.
  • An interpretation of ecclesiastical tradition that sees it as extremely changeable and has led to what they see as dangerous modifications in Catholic practices, the liturgy, and the Church's pastoral orientation. They see this as contradicting, among other papal and conciliar documents, the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, the teaching of the First Vatican Council (especially the document Pastor Aeternus).
  • A pastoral orientation that they claim was unheard of in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council. Some of them see this as contradicting the papal oath alleged to have been written by Pope St. Agatho in ca. 681 and to have been 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), Pope Gregory XVI's Mirari Vos, the Fourth Anathema of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and other papal and conciliar documents.
  • "Paschal theology", which they see as de-emphasizing the Sacrifice of the Mass and which they claim leads the faithful to believe that it is Christ's Resurrection alone, and not the Blood shed by His Sacrifice on the Cross, that saves. Traditional Catholics see the revision of the Mass liturgy under Pope Paul VI as a fruit of this "paschal theology," a theology they see as contradicting Scripture and Encyclicals such as Pope Pius XII's Mediator Dei. They also see this paschal theology as de-emphasizing the meaning of suffering, ignoring Christ's admonition to Christians to "take up their crosses" (Matthew 10:38), and forgetting St. Paul's admonitions to mortify the flesh (Galatians 5:18-25, Colossians 1:23-24).
  • A focus on the natural world coupled with a de-emphasizing of the supernatural and preternatural worlds. This they say leads to Deism, Pragmatism, and moral relativism.
  • An ignoring of the traditional belief that the Church and the world are at variance with one another to some degree, and that the Church has enemies. They believe that Pope Pius X's warnings in Pascendi Dominici Gregis, Leo XIII's Humanum Genus, and other papal warnings against secret societies and enemies of Christendom have gone unheeded and that the enemy warned against has entered into the Church itself.
  • a new Order of the Mass that they see as rooted in the aforementioned Paschal Theology and that, therefore, de-emphasizes traditional Catholic teaching on the Mass as a Sacrifice (the offering up of Jesus to his Father in a re-presentation of Calvary and for the remission of sins). They believe that the Novus Ordo Missae has been stripped of important Catholic prayers; is open to abuse because of the various options allowed; de-emphasizes the ordained priesthood; is divisive because of the eradiction of Latin which brought people of various nations together; is man-centered rather than God-centered; and is less beautiful, poetic, and able to act as a sign of Mystery, etc. (some of these problems are summarized in the "Ottaviani Intervention"). Different traditional Catholics have different view as to the validity of the Novus Ordo Missae ("the New Mass"):
    • Some see it as valid and as a viable option if necessary, though the traditional Mass should be attended when at all possible. This is believed by most priests who operate inside the ordinary diocesan structure.
    • Some see it as valid if offered using valid matter, form, and intent, but that it should be avoided, nonetheless, because the changes are sacrilegious and harmful to the Catholic Faith, and because the actual use of valid matter and intent is often questionable in many parishes. The priests of the Society of St. Pius X (the S.S.P.X.) -- the largest priestly fraternity working outside of ordinary diocesan structures -- teaches this.
    • Some see it as not valid at all. Most sedevacantists fall into this category.


Traditional Catholics as Contrasted with Conservative, Mainstream Catholics

Traditional Catholics, as opposed to mainstream conservative Catholics who might simply prefer the traditional Mass for aesthetic reasons and who might consider themselves "traditional," agree that Catholicism is about much more than just the traditional Mass; in addition to preserving the liturgy, they see as crucial preserving all of the traditional Sacramental rites, and the teachings of the Church in a way they see as consistent with what has always been taught and what has been solemnly defined by Pope or Council. Traditional Catholics also strive to preserve private devotions and customs which have served to pass the Faith on from one generation to the next.

The distiction between mainstream conservative Catholics and traditional Catholics can be summarized by saying that the former accept what the latter believe would have been considered "Modernist" or "liberal" at the time of the Second Vatican Council, while traditional Catholics strive to remain consistent with what they believe was considered "conservative" or "traditional" at the time of the Second Vatican Council ("Vatican II").

Traditional Catholic analysis is not widely shared by more mainstream Catholics, some of whom believe that traditional Catholics are merely "nostalgic," afraid of change, "integrist," disobedient, and similar to Protestants in their perceived dissent. Some balk at calling those Catholics who worship outside ordinary diocesan structures "traditional Catholic" and see them, instead, as "schismatic" at best. Traditional Catholics respond that mainstream Catholics often lack subtlety in their understanding of what traditional Catholics believe and do and that they often respond to traditionalists' criticisms out of emotionalism, in reaction to misinformation, and out of a false understanding of Christian obedience and the Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church). They encourage study and prayer to discern the issues involved.

With regard to Vatican hierarchs, different groups of traditional Catholics have different relations with various members of the Holy See:

  • Those traditional Catholics who worship by indult at Masses offered through ordinary diocesan structures have little problem with most Vatican hierarchs, though they may have difficulties getting permission from local Bishops to operate, may find themselves under pressure to not "rock the boat" in any way by speaking of controversial matters, and may be able to offer the traditional Mass, but not the other traditional Sacramental rites depending on their Bishops' attitudes toward traditional Catholicism.
  • Traditional Catholics who operate outside of ordinary diocesan structures have a strained relationship with most Vatican hierarchs. The Sacraments they offer are seen to be valid but illicit. Relations between Vatican hierarchs and some priestly societies (such as the S.S.P.X.) who operate outside of normal diocesan structures are considered by those hierarchs to be "an internal matter" of the Church. A communique from the Ecclesia Dei Commission's Monsignor Perl (Protocol No. 539/99, September 28, 1999) advises that Catholics who attend Mass at S.S.P.X. chapels incur no penalty if they do so “because of the reverence and devotion which they find there, because of their attraction to the traditional Latin Mass and not because they refuse submission to the Roman Pontiff.”
  • Sedevacantist Catholics have no relationship with Vatican hierarchs and don't desire it for obvious reasons.


Demographics

Traditional Catholics make up a minority of Roman Catholics and, though their their number is hard to pin down, it is clear that their ranks are growing, their seminaries are full, and the demand for such traditional Catholicism is high. In common with other strongly religious groups, such as Orthodox Jews and Muslims, they tend to have large families and a high birthrate.

Demand for the the traditional Latin Mass is very high, and many families are hard-put to find one to attend, some driving very long distances each Sunday in order to worship in the traditional way. Conversions from other religions (mainly Protestants) 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 United States, with significant numbers in western Europe (especially France and England), Canada, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.


See also


Books supportive of the traditional Catholic movement

  • 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
  • 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"
  • Romano Amerio, John P., Fr. Parsons, "Iota Unum" ISBN 0963903217
  • Fr. Adrian Fortescue, "The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy" ISBN 1930278268
  • 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
  • Patrick Henry Omlor, Questioning the Validity of the Masses Using the New, All-English Canon


External links

General Information

Liturgical Matters

References

Traditional Priestly Fraternities, Groups, Chapels, and Parishes

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