Traditionalist Catholicism - Misplaced Pages

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Traditionalist Catholic is the term generally used to refer to those Catholics who want the worship and practices of the Roman Catholic Church to be as before the Second Vatican Council. The term is used in this sense by the mass media (e.g. CNN: "Mel Gibson's crucifixion epic, 'The Passion of the Christ', opened to packed cinemas ... He adheres to a traditionalist strain of Roman Catholicism that still celebrates Mass in Latin and rejects recent reforms in the church."), by the general Catholic media (e.g. Catholic World News: "Pope to meet traditionalist leader"), and by the Holy See itself (e.g. Pope Pius X in his Letter on the Sillon: "The true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries nor innovators, but traditionalists" and the Pontifical Commission's 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").

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

"Conservative Catholic" vs. "Traditional Catholic"

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.

"Conservative" Catholics tend to attribute post-conciliar problems simply to hierarchs who are disobedient to the Pope. Traditional Catholics look to the aforementioned alleged ambiguities of Vatican II documents in addition to what they see as errors stemming from Catholic hierarchs. The understanding of these perceived errors depends on whether the traditional Catholic is a sedevacantist or not (see below).

Traditional Catholicism and Sedevacantism

Traditional Catholics can be generally divided into two groups. The majority of traditional Catholics accept the authority of and claim union with Pope Benedict XVI. Despite this, they often reject liberal opinions of Catholic prelates and teachings that contradict previously accepted doctrine. Such groups include the Society of St. Pius X (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.

The smaller group, called "sedevacantists", believe in the papacy itself but reject one or more of the men generally recognized as Pope since Vatican II (Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI). They consider one or more of these men antipopes, claiming they have taught heresy and, therefore, lost their authority as Pontiff. A small subset of sedevacantist groups, often called "Conclavists" have elected popes of their own.

Traditional Catholic views

Traditional 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: some, with the permission of local Bishops, at Masses offered by indult; some, without permission of local Bishops, at Masses offered by the Society of St. Pius X and other priestly fraternities; and some at Masses offered by independent priests.

Attitude of Traditional Catholics Towards the Second Vatican Council

Non-sedevacantist traditional Catholics category see the Second Vatican Council as a validly convened Council, but a pastoral one which taught nothing that must be accepted as an article of the Catholic religion. They reject any of its teachings -- or interpretations of its documents -- that, in their judgement, contradict former infallible teaching, and insist that the documents be interpreted solely in light of tradition.

They claim to find in the Council's documents -- or in interpretations of the Council's documents -- the following general errors:

an alleged 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.

an alleged new ecclesiology according to which 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".

an alleged 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 emphasize conversion to the Catholic faith. This, they say, contradicts Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's Mortalium Animos, Pope Pius XII's Humani Generis, etc..

an alleged 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.

an alleged new and previously unheard of, attitude toward novelty. This, they say, contradicts the Saints, Doctors and Popes of the Church prior to Pope John XXIII, the Papal Oath attributed to Pope Agatho (died 681) and which 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.

an alleged new Paschal theology which, they claim, de-emphasizes the sacrificial aspects of the Mass, leading the faithful to believe Christ's Resurrection, not the Blood shed in His Sacrifice on the Cross, 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.

an allged 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

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

An alleged attitude of systematic opposition to the actually existing See of Rome and to the Roman Catholic Church as a whole, even to the point, they claim, of breaking communion. This they liken 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. Traditional Catholics reply that they are simply holding fast to what has always been taught, and that if obedience not ordered to the Good is not perfect obedience. They see themselves as following the example of St. Athanasius who, during the Arian crisis, maintained the Catholic religion in spite of being excommunicated and removed from his See, and who was later canonized.
Allegedly 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. Traditional Catholics reply that there are different levels of magisterial teaching, and that if an fallible directive contradicts infallible teaching or harms souls, it must be resisted.
An alleged 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. Traditional Catholics reply that the belief that traditional Catholics think that doctrine can't develop consistently with what has come before, or that the liturgy can't change organically and in such a manner that enhances worship, is wrong. They see the post-Conciliar changes, however, as inconsistent and inorganic.
Allegedly exaggerating the extent to which the Second Vatican Council altered not only Church discipline and practice, but even, they claim, Church teaching. Traditional Catholics reply differently, depending on their particular view of the Second Vatican Council. Sedevacantists see the Council as invalid from its beginning. Most traditional Catholics see the Council's documents as ambiguous and badly interpreted, while others see those documents as inherently problematic.
Many whom critics say "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. Traditional Catholics reply that jurisdiction is supplied by Canon 144 §1 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.

Official attitude of the Vatican Hierarchs to Traditional Catholics

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 Second Vatican Council as an invalid Council or the decrees of the recent Popes. In practice, respect is also not extended to those who reject what they see as "modernist" interpretations of Vatican II documents.

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.

Demographics

The number of Traditionalist Catholics of all categories is very difficult to determine, but they make up 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. Traditional Catholics 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 Traditionalist Catholicism merely because 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. The CCPA rejects the primacy of the papacy and endorses Communism and abortion.